Pulling out the day before you're signing the contract isn't last minute? Come off it.
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Aymeric Laporte
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Pulling out the day before you're signing the contract isn't last minute? Come off it.
Pulling out the day before you're signing the contract isn't last minute? Come off it.
No, I meant in terms of the transfer window, as you said he only left them a month....
Tugay One Cup
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I'm pretty torn on this one. Don't get me wrong, I've wanted him for a few years and couldn't care less about him turning us down previously. However, I've been looking forward to Evans and the inevitable reactions on here for the past six months.
No, I meant in terms of the transfer window, as you said he only left them a month....
When most deals are worked on from February/March for the summer window, fucking about and leaving us at square 1 midway through June is making us find a last minute replacement.
When most deals are worked on from February/March for the summer window, fucking about and leaving us at square 1 midway through June is making us find a last minute replacement.
Ultimately though, is that a good reason to no longer pursue him in the future? If there was a chance, and I believe with both Valverde and his injury long gone that chance exists, that he would now accept then should we let him slide and bring in say, Evans? Sounds like cutting off our nose to spite our face.
The kid fucked up IMO, but would be a massive footballing asset to us in the immediate and long term future. Seems silly when you think of the money and effort involved in building sustained success to think we could be so petty to hold a grudge, when he's a player that Pep identified as early as February 2016 when he was still with Bayern.
When most deals are worked on from February/March for the summer window, fucking about and leaving us at square 1 midway through June is making us find a last minute replacement.
Putting all your eggs in one basket and not expecting human's to change their mind is also a little naive. Basically, I still think it sounds like Txiki had his pride hurt there. Laporte is a Bilbao player until he signs a Man City contract, and until that happens we shouldn't expect anything. This Laporte owed us something stuff is bollocks. He didn't. He's totally and utterly entitled to have cold feet. Who knows what was said to him and when? None of us. There could have been one last convo with Txiki that he didn't like, or Bilbao's offer for the contract could have brilliantly emotionally persuasive and he just wanted to stay there, where his home was. Anything.
Football is like this. Players change their minds, as Txiki probably has done before. Do you really think Txiki or Pep hasn't let anyone hanging before? Course they have. Being arsed about it is nothing more than pride, and it's totally unnecessary. It's arrogant.
Ultimately though, is that a good reason to no longer persue him in the future? If there was a chance, and I believe with both Valverde and his injury long gone that chance exists, that he would now accept then should we let him slide and bring in say, Evans? Sounds like cutting off our nose to spite our face.
The kid fucked up IMO, but would be a massive footballing asset to us in the immediate and long term future. Seems silly when you think of the money and effort involved in building sustained success to think we could be so petty to hold a grudge, when he's a player that Pep identified as early as February 2016 when he was still with Bayern.
Laporte and Evans serve completely different purposes and I very much doubt it's one or the other.
Evans is a fantastic 4th choice CB, he's better than Mangala and he's not permanently crippled like Kompany. He can and will, if we sign him, be able to slot straight in and give 7/10 performances every time we need him to.
Laporte is a long term project, his first season here is likely to be as unpredictable as Stones' first season - at best - and he will take a long time before he's the finished dependable end product.
So comparing the 2 is completely pointless.
As for identifying Laporte early, Pep wanted Sanchez in his first summer, he wanted him last summer, and he wanted him this window, but they didn't sacrifice their principles and cough up the extra money the agent wanted just because he'd been an early target.
The fact that Laporte has proven to be a bad person to negotiate with, who could change his mind at any moment would be a perfectly valid reason to not try again, let alone the fact his actual performances have regressed since 2016, and yet the price has doubled.
Laporte and Evans serve completely different purposes and I very much doubt it's one or the other.
Evans is a fantastic 4th choice CB, he's better than Mangala and he's not permanently crippled like Kompany. He can and will, if we sign him, be able to slot straight in and give 7/10 performances every time we need him to.
Laporte is a long term project, his first season here is likely to be as unpredictable as Stones' first season - at best - and he will take a long time before he's the finished dependable end product.
So comparing the 2 is completely pointless.
I agree on this, btw, but the point still stands that either we pursue him or we don't, but I don't think we should drop interest in a player because Txiki holds a grudge. If he was the right player for the job, he should, in theory, still be so.
As for identifying Laporte early, Pep wanted Sanchez in his first summer, he wanted him last summer, and he wanted him this window, but they didn't sacrifice their principles and cough up the extra money the agent wanted just because he'd been an early target.
The fact that Laporte has proven to be a bad person to negotiate with, who could change his mind at any moment would be a perfectly valid reason to not try again, let alone the fact his actual performances have regressed since 2016, and yet the price has doubled.
Sanchez is a different case as Laporte is only 23 and several years away from his prime.
His performances last season were among some of the best in his career IMO. This year he's taken a step back, but he has the skillset and it's not hard to imagine Guardiola bringing out the best in him.
I agree on being a tough customer, but sounds like he was more just young and naive rather than someone with an asshole agent forcing them to ask for more. His agent, if anything, would likely be for the deal.
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I agree on this, btw, but the point still stands that either we pursue him or we don't, but I don't think we should drop interest in a player because Txiki holds a grudge. If he was the right player for the job, he should, in theory, still be so.
Unless being a reliable character was one of the things we were looking for in our CB. Or his price mattered, in which case it doubling from last time probably doesn't help. Or we're put off the fact he's made no discernible progress from 22 years old to now about to turn 24.
http://www.fichajes.com/premier-lea...n-pagar-la-clausula-de-aymeric-laporte_130475
news being picked by other publications citing yesterday's source.
waiting for sammy lee / mullock to see if there is any truth to this
news being picked by other publications citing yesterday's source.
waiting for sammy lee / mullock to see if there is any truth to this
blueparrot
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I expect those in Bilbao would say he is a reliable character. Maybe being a Basque Txiki felt a bit let down at the time but I'm sure he's big enough to get over it. Progress is something Pep would sort out. As for price everybodies price has doubled.Unless being a reliable character was one of the things we were looking for in our CB. Or his price mattered, in which case it doubling from last time probably doesn't help. Or we're put off the fact he's made no discernible progress from 22 years old to now about to turn 24.
hawkhurst
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If this is true, then it makes the Sanchez withdrawal look even stranger. From what I understand we pulled out from Sanchez on principles rather than economics and we were never likely to come in for this lad for the same reason. Maybe they've come to realise that they can't be as principled as they'd like to be because such a strict ideal might scupper them in the longer term.
80s Shorts
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If this is true, then it makes the Sanchez withdrawal look even stranger. From what I understand we pulled out from Sanchez on principles rather than economics and we were never likely to come in for this lad for the same reason. Maybe they've come to realise that they can't be as principled as they'd like to be because such a strict ideal might scupper them in the longer term.
Rather strange comment. The two situations are not comparable at all.
jay laruja
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Last minute withdrawal hullabaloo aside, he's still the ideal Pep defender. He's only 23 years old and left footed too.
Mendy(23) - Laporte(23) - Stones(23) - Right back
That's three fourths of our back four set for the next decade.
Mendy(23) - Laporte(23) - Stones(23) - Right back
That's three fourths of our back four set for the next decade.
hawkhurst
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Not really. The lines being fed to the media were:Rather strange comment. The two situations are not comparable at all.
Sanchez - he's messed us about. We're not going to up our price based on our previous agreement.
Laporte - he backed out last minute, we're never going back in for him again.
Think they're pretty similar if you ask me.
Gingers Dad
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How old is Right back?Last minute withdrawal hullabaloo aside, he's still the ideal Pep defender. He's only 23 years old and left footed too.
Mendy(23) - Laporte(23) - Stones(23) - Right back
That's three fourths of our back four set for the next decade.
Not really. The lines being fed to the media were:
Sanchez - he's messed us about. We're not going to up our price based on our previous agreement.
Laporte - he backed out last minute, we're never going back in for him again.
Think they're pretty similar if you ask me.
Sanchez's change of heart was entirely financially motivated. He used us to try and get a bigger paycheck.
Laporte would've earned more for us than for Bilbao but dropped out because he was young, scared and recovering from injury. That's disappointing but not deplorable.
richards30
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we shouldnt cut our nose off to spite our face! perfect CB signing for a pep team and with the sanchez money now still sitting in the bank we should pull the trigger and get this kid in asap
hawkhurst
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I agree. My point was that if this story is true, then the powers that be may have decided that they can't permanently ignore players who have previously rebuffed their approaches. Perhaps they're being more pragmatic than before, is all.Sanchez's change of heart was entirely financially motivated. He used us to try and get a bigger paycheck.
Laporte would've earned more for us than for Bilbao but dropped out because he was young, scared and recovering from injury. That's disappointing but not deplorable.
I get all the principles and sticking to the word stuff but we don't know what's happening behind the scenes, maybe he apologized or something. He's the perfect fit for our team imo, one of the best ball playing CB's around and left footed as well, plus he's just 23. No brainer really.
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