Álvaro Negredo Sánchez

[Braggster]

Yeah - its always something of a gamble, but he's a strong, powerful player who has a good turn of pace - and these are attributes that would suggest he has a better chance of adapting than some imports into our league.

Re: financial strictures - I think we are happy to pay a fee that we deem reasonable (which we clearly decide on a case by case basis), but we clearly see our strategy for tackling FFP as being focussed on slimming down our ridiculous wage bill, and cutting out absurd, last-minute demands from agents/parents/hangers-on.

We have the highest wage bill in the league, and have consistently paid the highest agency fees over the last few years - often saddling us with bang average players at a ridiculous cost - a relatively modest percentage of which went on the actual Transfer Fee. It seems our team sets the price (internally) that they are happy to pay, and if the selling club doesn't want it, we walk away. I can only think of the Cavani deal recently where its has been the fee which has scuppered the deal, so that's clearly not a problem area.

Our owners don't want to see our name in lights whenever the league tables for spending on wages and agency fees are published, as it makes us look like a soft touch - which you can't realistically argue that we are any more - post Garry Cook

It's good to know I'm not the only one who can see the logic in our financial dealings. Another great post OP.

It's interesting, to me, to compare us with the likes of PSG and Monaco. Those two so obviously are going to disregard FFP, they're being almost contemptuous of it, whereas we appear not only to be paying lip service to it but also to actually want to comply.

Makes me wonder whether the owner and Khaldoon are actually glad it's coming in (maybe not the precise form of it, given that some elements seem squarely aimed at putting the brakes on the likes of us, but the general thrust). Can't imagine they're too thrilled at some of the headlines we've got, or the money we've wasted - not to mention the opportunity it gives to the likes of Rummenigge to have a pop.

Clearly there's still money available, but for a very different type of transfer these days. I must say I find it hard to disagree with the new approach. Makes the supposed pursuit of the likes of De Rossi last summer all the more ridiculous.

 

[City_Sean]

I think he'd link up well with silva, aguero navas etc but id prefer Mario Gomez.

 

[NQCitizen]

15 left footed goals last season. Shot accuracy a bit low, however.

Let's be ambitious and say it could be because Sevilla weren't able to create clear cut chances for him as often.

 

[Anonymous]

It's interesting, to me, to compare us with the likes of PSG and Monaco. Those two so obviously are going to disregard FFP, they're being almost contemptuous of it, whereas we appear not only to be paying lip service to it but also to actually want to comply.

Makes me wonder whether the owner and Khaldoon are actually glad it's coming in (maybe not the precise form of it, given that some elements seem squarely aimed at putting the brakes on the likes of us, but the general thrust). Can't imagine they're too thrilled at some of the headlines we've got, or the money we've wasted - not to mention the opportunity it gives to the likes of Rummenigge to have a pop.

Clearly there's still money available, but for a very different type of transfer these days. I must say I find it hard to disagree with the new approach. Makes the supposed pursuit of the likes of De Rossi last summer all the more ridiculous.

Regarding PSG and Monaco, in particular Nasser and PSG, yes they are incredibly contemptuous towards FFP, but I suspect that Khaldoun and Sheikh Mansour privately were in the early days too. The Paris project is a good couple of years behind ours and their target isn't the domestic league but the CL. I suspect that they will reign in their spending in the not too distant future. Nasser was clear in an interview he did a few months back ... i'm paraphrasing but he basically said that it was ridiculous that big clubs had spent the last 20 years accumulating trophies, reputations, and players by spending huge sums of money, but that he was being asked to stop after only a couple of years. He basically said "i'll stop when the team and the club are where we want them to be." Plus they have the added bonus of their sponsorship deal with QTA coming in at around 150/200 million euros per season. Nobody's going to challenge it, and it will keep them safe I reckon.

With regards our spending or lack of it last summer. It's now clear to those who didn't see it last summer, the money for transfer fees was always there. But simply put, we weren't about to start adding more ridiculous wages to the bill, so RVP, De Rossi and the likes were non starters the moment Ferran rocked up.

 

[Jnr Kisby]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-city-transfer-news-city-2021547" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ ... ty-2021547</a>

Manchester City closer to deal for Sevilla forward Alvaro Negredo say Spanish press
3 Jul 2013 13:45

Negotiations with Premier League giants have reportedly resumed after Andalucian club grew weary of Atletico Madrid's quibbling

Manchester City have jumped to the front of the queue for Sevilla forward Alvaro Negredo, according to reports in Spain.

Sports daily AS report that Jose Maria del Nido - president of the Andalucian club - has grown tired of Atletico Madrid's dithering over financial details and instead has resumed negotiations with City's Txiki Begiristain about a Negredo move to the Etihad.

Manuel Pellegrini is said to be keen on a four-year deal for the Spain striker, who was a target for Tottenham last summer.

City have already taken one player from Sevilla this summer in Jesus Navas but the club are forced to sell again before they can buy due to their mounting debts.

 

[nobody can eat fifty eggs]

I'd love it if we get this guy in. He looks to be in the mold of Bojinov a left footer with plenty of power about him who knows where the net is. He looks a good foil for Sergio.

I think you're right - we need a out and out goalscorer who won't mess about when it comes to pulling the trigger.

not seen as much of Negredo but what i have seen he looks like the fox in the box type that we havent really had the past few seasons.

Yeah too many players last season were afraid to shoot and when they did they missed! Many shots were blocked because of our play being too narrow. I hope this coming season we see us going back to the early part of the title winning season where it was shoot on sight. I think Negredo could help us with this.

 

[Braggster]

Regarding PSG and Monaco, in particular Nasser and PSG, yes they are incredibly contemptuous towards FFP, but I suspect that Khaldoun and Sheikh Mansour privately were in the early days too. The Paris project is a good couple of years behind ours and their target isn't the domestic league but the CL. I suspect that they will reign in their spending in the not too distant future. Nasser was clear in an interview he did a few months back ... i'm paraphrasing but he basically said that it was ridiculous that big clubs had spent the last 20 years accumulating trophies, reputations, and players by spending huge sums of money, but that he was being asked to stop after only a couple of years. He basically said "i'll stop when the team and the club are where we want them to be." Plus they have the added bonus of their sponsorship deal with QTA coming in at around 150/200 million euros per season. Nobody's going to challenge it, and it will keep them safe I reckon.

With regards our spending or lack of it last summer. It's now clear to those who didn't see it last summer, the money for transfer fees was always there. But simply put, we weren't about to start adding more ridiculous wages to the bill, so RVP, De Rossi and the likes were non starters the moment Ferran rocked up.

Interesting angle as always - thanks. Must say I sympathise with Nasser, particularly on the bit in bold.

I do think that in the short run it probably cost us not closing on RvP (or Hazard), but I fully understand, and back, the management of the club in not doing so. The desire to bring in De Rossi was ridiculous full stop - not that he's not good enough, of course he would've been great from a purely footballing point of view, but it was exactly the wrong sort of transfer: to even have a chance of prising him from Roma would've taken really, really ridiculous money (both fee and wages). Instead, we should've been concentrating on sensible, attainable acquisitions to give us balance and complement the numerous top class players we already have. Yes, you've always got to improve, but you don't do that by continually buying superstars at ridiculous expense, especially in a position like striker where you might often only play one player and having four wannabe top dogs, as we did, just means people have to play out of position and don't develop proper understandings

Getting back on topic, it seems that is exactly what we're doing this off season, along with a healthy emphasis on getting more out of the undoubted quality we already possess. Negredo should fit in nicely with that.

 

[Anonymous]

Getting back on topic, it seems that is exactly what we're doing this off season, along with a healthy emphasis on getting more out of the undoubted quality we already possess. Negredo should fit in nicely with that.

I think Mansour will eventually have his say, but as I said it'll be next summer and there will be so much room on the wage bill at that point that we'll be able to justify paying the player net 20 million euros a year. After all we've just taken more than that off the wage bill in the last month, and if you pay a player that sort of sums then you expect to be seeing half of it back in sponsorships. You would never see that with the likes of Falcao, Cavani, or even RVP.

 

[taconinja]

It may not please the kids (and some of our more melodramatic mods!), but we are trying to run a business in line with pretty tight financial strictures as it stands - certain fans may or may not agree with that, and may suggest the PSG/Monaco approach would be a better route to take - but our owner and senior management team have clearly stated that this is the line they are taking, so there's little point in wailing and gnashing our teeth about it.

The plan seems to be to steadily improve the team in line with our steadily improving income streams, which you can't really argue with if you accept FFP as a reality - which we all have to do, I'm afraid.

Any road - Negredo - I'd be excited to see what he can do, as he's been in the top 5 strikers in Spain for the last 5 years, which is excellent consistency in an unfancied team

He's good. I don't know how well he will adapt to the PL's style of play but he is talented.

I don't necessarily agree with your statement about tight financial structures as we will spend when it comes to it, eg Fernandinho.

Yeah - its always something of a gamble, but he's a strong, powerful player who has a good turn of pace - and these are attributes that would suggest he has a better chance of adapting than some imports into our league.

Re: financial strictures - I think we are happy to pay a fee that we deem reasonable (which we clearly decide on a case by case basis), but we clearly see our strategy for tackling FFP as being focussed on slimming down our ridiculous wage bill, and cutting out absurd, last-minute demands from agents/parents/hangers-on.

We have the highest wage bill in the league, and have consistently paid the highest agency fees over the last few years - often saddling us with bang average players at a ridiculous cost - a relatively modest percentage of which went on the actual Transfer Fee. It seems our team sets the price (internally) that they are happy to pay, and if the selling club doesn't want it, we walk away. I can only think of the Cavani deal recently where its has been the fee which has scuppered the deal, so that's clearly not a problem area.

Our owners don't want to see our name in lights whenever the league tables for spending on wages and agency fees are published, as it makes us look like a soft touch - which you can't realistically argue that we are any more - post Garry Cook

That lines up with how I see the situation too.

 

[taconinja]

Getting back on topic, it seems that is exactly what we're doing this off season, along with a healthy emphasis on getting more out of the undoubted quality we already possess. Negredo should fit in nicely with that.

I think Mansour will eventually have his say, but as I said it'll be next summer and there will be so much room on the wage bill at that point that we'll be able to justify paying the player net 20 million euros a year. After all we've just taken more than that off the wage bill in the last month, and if you pay a player that sort of sums then you expect to be seeing half of it back in sponsorships. You would never see that with the likes of Falcao, Cavani, or even RVP.

So Ronaldo or Bale?