We spent £45m on a backup defensive mid a few weeks ago. If you think that's good value for money, I have no idea how you can have a problem with the idea of paying £5m more for a starter left back.
As much as I do get the club wanting to draw a line under the precedent we've already set for ourselves, I don't get why this particular move is the one where we decide to be frugal. Especially when you consider the fact that we've just sold our only left sided full back.
Just a bit weird.
Not an outstanding performance to be honestHow that play out for TAA in the CL final? Just asking.
Fair enough well reasonedAs a Brighton fan it's fascinating reading this thread and getting the other side's perspective. Having seen a lot of Cucurella live, I think he's an excellent player - and essential to the way we played for much of last season. We may be "small" in Premier League terms, and obviously we're still newbies when it comes to the big time - but the club IS ambitious, and Tony Bloom has shown many times that he will not sell unless he gets the right money (even if the player gets upset and puts in a transfer request). It's part of the club's strategy to be a long-term player in the EPL. We don't have the resources of City, and never will have. But we ARE good at unearthing young talent and fostering it. Not unlike City, but on a very small sale (eg: the relationship with Royal Union St Gilloise in Belgium, and the number of young players we currently have out on loan). We definitely do NOT take young players from bigger clubs on loan - so the prospect of fostering a relationship with City and getting some of your brightest U23s is a non-starter. And setting a perceived high price has nothing to do with BHA wanting to "get one over" City. We're not in that game! We're too small for anyone to worry about us!!
At the end of the day we MAY sell Cucurella to City, but it will take a lot more than has been offered. Cucurella is, after all, a significant upgrade on Ake. But if City don't meet the valuation, then that's fine...we keep an excellent player who has 4 years left on his contract. Cucurella may be disappointed if that's the way it pans out, but he seems a great guy, and he's hardly likely to goon strike for 4 years!
Walker was a full international at the time, and signed from a direct rival (and was £45m +5 add ons).Walker was £52m I think and Chilwell was £50m as was Wan-Bissaka. BHA will probably point to Ben White being sold for £50m and us paying £41m for Ake as they probably rate Cucurella more highly.
Josh Wilson Esbrand and James McAtee can play there.
This! Spot onThere's really nothing to debate. This is the Prem. Going into the season with FIVE healthy backs is ridiculous. Not 9/1, fucking 8/7. Are people being serious now? Optimism is one thing, track record of success as well, but being downright delusional is another. Going thru what we went thru last May isn't some kind of plan. We were a whisker away from going trophy-less which with a roster like ours and a manager like ours would have been criminal.
The first 3 or 4 league games don't matter? What the fuck are people drinking. Everyone else has 8 or 9 backs. If Laporte was healthy and Zinchenko was still here we'd still be short. That's why we were pursuing Cucurella for so long, to replace Mendy. Someone like Mbete or JWE are good for the 9th spot at this time. I cannot believe people are actually insisting we're good to go as of right now. And those of us who are concerned are being called entitled and spoiled. Actually those of you who are disrespecting our opponents by thinking we can proceed with your Aunt Betty and your fucking German Sheppard as cover and still be OK as long as the club says so are the entitled ones.
Completely agree. This is one instance where we need to cop it on the chin and pay the difference. At the moment we have two senior fullbacks for the season staring next weekend, after just selling our third fullback.We spent £45m on a backup defensive mid a few weeks ago. If you think that's good value for money, I have no idea how you can have a problem with the idea of paying £5m more for a starter left back.
As much as I do get the club wanting to draw a line under the precedent we've already set for ourselves, I don't get why this particular move is the one where we decide to be frugal. Especially when you consider the fact that we've just sold our only left sided full back.
Just a bit weird.
Why go to £45m though? They initially hinted at £35m and city bid that, the goalposts were moved to £50m take it or leave it, now they are briefing their media outlets that an offer well in excess of £50m would be needed to tempt them to sell… See the issue here? Everyone saying “pay the extra £10m” are missing the fact they want more than £50m to even discuss it. They are taking the piss for a player nobody knew about 12 months ago and are using the fact he won player of the year at Brighton as justification!Thought for sure we’d at least go to 45mil.
Sticking at near 35mil though, ballsy from txiki! Don’t think it’ll work though
He isn’t worth £30m + a player so it won’t get done. City didn’t want to sell Zinchenko, he wanted to go so we facilitated that. He was worth £32M to Arsenal. He is an established international and has captained his country. He is a better player that Cucurella. He wasn’t let go so we could buy Cucurella, it was his time to go. His value has no bearing on a replacement LB. To suggest so is infantile.Ignore him. He’s known for chatting absolute bollocks.
Smoking some fat hash down in Brighton this summer. Relegated in 2/3 years anyway.Why go to £45m though? They initially hinted at £35m and city bid that, the goalposts were moved to £50m take it or leave it, now they are briefing their media outlets that an offer well in excess of £50m would be needed to tempt them to sell… See the issue here? Everyone saying “pay the extra £10m” are missing the fact they want more than £50m to even discuss it. They are taking the piss for a player nobody knew about 12 months ago and are using the fact he won player of the year at Brighton as justification!
That makes some sense on a rational basis, but it's not developing that road and I assume that lies mainly in Bloom's personality.I agree he is over priced. £27m is about the correct valuation, thats why you bid £30 as a start to negotiating a transfer. I know clubs are going to up it a bit when its a top 6 side, and like many orher clubs add even more because its city, i though a deal was possible at £35m with either add ons over a period of time taking it to a possible £40m in total or £30m plus a player for us to sale on later.
I don’t remember the 35m thing you’re talking about, so bloom is doing a levy? Very interesting.Why go to £45m though? They initially hinted at £35m and city bid that, the goalposts were moved to £50m take it or leave it, now they are briefing their media outlets that an offer well in excess of £50m would be needed to tempt them to sell… See the issue here? Everyone saying “pay the extra £10m” are missing the fact they want more than £50m to even discuss it. They are taking the piss for a player nobody knew about 12 months ago and are using the fact he won player of the year at Brighton as justification!
He isn’t better than Ake, hence Ake has a lot more caps …As a Brighton fan it's fascinating reading this thread and getting the other side's perspective. Having seen a lot of Cucurella live, I think he's an excellent player - and essential to the way we played for much of last season. We may be "small" in Premier League terms, and obviously we're still newbies when it comes to the big time - but the club IS ambitious, and Tony Bloom has shown many times that he will not sell unless he gets the right money (even if the player gets upset and puts in a transfer request). It's part of the club's strategy to be a long-term player in the EPL. We don't have the resources of City, and never will have. But we ARE good at unearthing young talent and fostering it. Not unlike City, but on a very small sale (eg: the relationship with Royal Union St Gilloise in Belgium, and the number of young players we currently have out on loan). We definitely do NOT take young players from bigger clubs on loan - so the prospect of fostering a relationship with City and getting some of your brightest U23s is a non-starter. And setting a perceived high price has nothing to do with BHA wanting to "get one over" City. We're not in that game! We're too small for anyone to worry about us!!
At the end of the day we MAY sell Cucurella to City, but it will take a lot more than has been offered. Cucurella is, after all, a significant upgrade on Ake. But if City don't meet the valuation, then that's fine...we keep an excellent player who has 4 years left on his contract. Cucurella may be disappointed if that's the way it pans out, but he seems a great guy, and he's hardly likely to goon strike for 4 years!
What your choosing to ignore is the risk reward ratio. I won't be like you and accuse anyone of being dumb but I will say you don't need someone to break the fucking all time Prem touches record or passes completed record to be successful in Pep's system. We don't need Zinedine Zidane at LB, but we do need someone who can contend with elite forwards in his own end of the field regardless of how much fucking pressing he does. We can succeed with a player less offensively gifted but still good enough who can play in his own end as well. No one is saying we need a left sided Walker, at least not me. But I will tell you we don't need an offensive wizard who struggles mightily against top forwards both one on one and positionally either. Just bear in mind that because someone doesn't agree 100% with a narrative you believe in it doesn't mean they are dumb. There are plenty of sharp soccer people on here who have different points of view than your own. Thinking that way would actually lead you to be dumb. CheersMight be wrong, but for me this is a simplistic way of thinking about a Pep defence, especially after 6 years of watching Pep's City and listening to his interviews.
The fundament of a Pep's way of defending is having a lot of possession and having a build-up play good enough to deal with intense high-pressing. For that purpose you need defenders who are great on the ball and brave in possession. Many seem to think that if we have another Walker at LB, we'd be perfect in the big games defensively wise. That's dumb. Another FB who is technically limited and chooses only save options would be deadly for a Pep build-up play and for our possession- based game. If Walker attempts to do what Cancelo does in our build-up play and in the opposition's half, he would make so many mistakes that people would question his value for the team. He knows his limitations and plays safe, unimaginative passes. If the other FB is like that, a Pep team wouldn't be a Pep team.
But couldn't we find a player who can do what Cancelo does for our build-up play (most passes in the whole league and most touches over a season in PL history, no less) and is more solid in defence? Well, where's that FB? If Cucu was that, we'd pay 80m to have him. He would be the best FB in the world by far, and one of the best players period.
If you hear or read 'Cancelo can't defend', you are dealing with a fan who watches Pep's City for 6 years now and doesn't understand how we win trophies. If we buy a FB good enough to start at LB in big games, then Cancelo will be used at RB, unless he is off form like in the final month or two in 20/21. He isn't perefect at all, he makes mistakes, etc. but he's been highly important to our build-up play since 2020, 2-3 months aside.
I agree, I think £45m Inc add one is worth a punt, but Bloom keeps moving the goal posts in an attempt to rinse some more cash out of us. You have to stop at some point regardless of if we need to fill that position or not. I’ve no doubt we’ll identify another target and they’ll be a bigger name than Cucurella by the time the season ends.I don’t remember the 35m thing you’re talking about, so bloom is doing a levy? Very interesting.
Personally I’d consider 45m to be a fair price all things considered
I don’t remember the 35m thing you’re talking about, so bloom is doing a levy? Very interesting.
Personally I’d consider 45m to be a fair price all things considered
Cheers big man.
They'd sell him back to Barca for 30 mil.True. Can guarantee if United, Chelsea, Dippers or Arsenal wanted him they would sell for 35