Centre-back

[I'm no cynic but...]

And we have no need for a left-sided centre defender at all.

If we are to rate Benatia as the man for us, is it not feasible to offer Roma Nastasic in a part-exchange deal? He was a fine prospect in Italy two years ago and was many fans choice as our best summer signing of two years back, but injuries aside, I get the feeling that Pellegrini doesn't really rate him for the system he wants, and a deal like this could solve a few problems, not least of which is FFP.

How much do we value Nastasic? Its should be above 15 million as we paid 12 million + Savic for him, and I think Savic cost us 7 million.

I also read 3 or 4 months ago that Mancini wanted to bring him to Galatasaray. How rich are they? If they can afford, why not sell him rather than under value him in a player exchange.

I wasn't really thinking of him going cut price, but there are daft valuations being floated around, and if Roma are sensible in considering, say, £10m plus Nasty, it would at least make them think. As you suggest, it would be better to sell Nasty at the right price in a straight deal but as we have learned these past few years, getting the right price for expensive departures has proved illusive. Barry, Lescott, Adebayor, Robinho, Santa Crock, Jo, Bridge etc, and now we await real offers for players such as Rodwell, Richards and Sinclair. Despite FFP, clubs know we have a wad of cash burning holes in our pockets and these same clubs are hoping we buy from them first, and big, before scratching around elsewhere with what remains of our budget. By offering a part-ex deal like the one I suggested, it might be the kind of thing that oils the market whilst still keeping much of our powder dry, and it would also move a player on who we assume will be unwanted here. It's just a matter of putting a tempter out there to Roma and if they refuse then it's time to forget it and to move on. And you never know, Roma may come running back to us if we do just that.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Kompany/new signing/Nastasic/Demichelis finally gives us great defensive depth, just like Fernando will give us great midfield depth. Despite our success, the squad has been pretty unbalanced in places in recent years and we're finally dealing with that so don't need to go flogging one of just two regulars under the age of 25 in our first team squad.

All we need to do is sell the non-contributors like Richards and Sinclair and we should have over £50m to commit to a defender and goalkeeper.

I agree about the centre halves and midfield.

Regards Richards and Sinclair,great idea..... if only we can find buyers?

 

[Klaude]

Kompany/new signing/Nastasic/Demichelis finally gives us great defensive depth, just like Fernando will give us great midfield depth. Despite our success, the squad has been pretty unbalanced in places in recent years and we're finally dealing with that so don't need to go flogging one of just two regulars under the age of 25 in our first team squad.

All we need to do is sell the non-contributors like Richards and Sinclair and we should have over £50m to commit to a defender and goalkeeper.

I agree about the centre halves and midfield.

Regards Richards and Sinclair,great idea..... if only we can find buyers?

Id keep Richards and sell Rodwell, guidetti and Sinclair, and ofc some money coming in from Lescott, Costel and Barry wages

 

[MeatHunterrr]

Kompany/new signing/Nastasic/Demichelis finally gives us great defensive depth, just like Fernando will give us great midfield depth. Despite our success, the squad has been pretty unbalanced in places in recent years and we're finally dealing with that so don't need to go flogging one of just two regulars under the age of 25 in our first team squad.

All we need to do is sell the non-contributors like Richards and Sinclair and we should have over £50m to commit to a defender and goalkeeper.

I agree about the centre halves and midfield.

Regards Richards and Sinclair,great idea..... if only we can find buyers?

Southampton rumoured to bid £3.5m for Sinclair. Some rumours also that Newcastle interested buying Richards for £7m. About 2 weeks back these rumours came.

 

[bluechampion7891]

If we are to rate Benatia as the man for us, is it not feasible to offer Roma Nastasic in a part-exchange deal? He was a fine prospect in Italy two years ago and was many fans choice as our best summer signing of two years back, but injuries aside, I get the feeling that Pellegrini doesn't really rate him for the system he wants, and a deal like this could solve a few problems, not least of which is FFP.

How much do we value Nastasic? Its should be above 15 million as we paid 12 million + Savic for him, and I think Savic cost us 7 million.

I also read 3 or 4 months ago that Mancini wanted to bring him to Galatasaray. How rich are they? If they can afford, why not sell him rather than under value him in a player exchange.

I wasn't really thinking of him going cut price, but there are daft valuations being floated around, and if Roma are sensible in considering, say, £10m plus Nasty, it would at least make them think. As you suggest, it would be better to sell Nasty at the right price in a straight deal but as we have learned these past few years, getting the right price for expensive departures has proved illusive. Barry, Lescott, Adebayor, Robinho, Santa Crock, Jo, Bridge etc, and now we await real offers for players such as Rodwell, Richards and Sinclair. Despite FFP, clubs know we have a wad of cash burning holes in our pockets and these same clubs are hoping we buy from them first, and big, before scratching around elsewhere with what remains of our budget. By offering a part-ex deal like the one I suggested, it might be the kind of thing that oils the market whilst still keeping much of our powder dry, and it would also move a player on who we assume will be unwanted here. It's just a matter of putting a tempter out there to Roma and if they refuse then it's time to forget it and to move on. And you never know, Roma may come running back to us if we do just that.

I'd love if that sort of exchange can happen; I'd love it even more if we could put in a buy back clause. But I don't think Roma would see it that way. Also, they'd probably prefer cash so that they get the player they want. If only they wanted Nastasic. I'd have been willing to give them both Kolarov and Nastasic for Benatia, but won't work. (Not saying I want Kolarov out, but economically that would be really could as we could then spend a lot less money of a LB like Rodriguez). Ahhhhhh....Football Manager syndrome.

 

[bluechampion7891]

Kompany/new signing/Nastasic/Demichelis finally gives us great defensive depth, just like Fernando will give us great midfield depth. Despite our success, the squad has been pretty unbalanced in places in recent years and we're finally dealing with that so don't need to go flogging one of just two regulars under the age of 25 in our first team squad.

All we need to do is sell the non-contributors like Richards and Sinclair and we should have over £50m to commit to a defender and goalkeeper.

I agree about the centre halves and midfield.

Regards Richards and Sinclair,great idea..... if only we can find buyers?

Southampton rumoured to bid £3.5m for Sinclair. Some rumours also that Newcastle interested buying Richards for £7m. About 2 weeks back these rumours came.

I think it was 8 million from Hull...that would still only give us 6 million I think towards spend as 20% goes to his old club

 

[Klaude]

Yes. Last signing. Then ship a couple out and ready to go.

Not sure I agree with Pepe but I can see we need someone with CL experience and there aren't a lot available.

Something that i do not agree on is that we didnt snatch up Sakho last summer. Liverpool bought him for 17m.

 

[I'm no cynic but...]

Kompany/new signing/Nastasic/Demichelis finally gives us great defensive depth, just like Fernando will give us great midfield depth. Despite our success, the squad has been pretty unbalanced in places in recent years and we're finally dealing with that so don't need to go flogging one of just two regulars under the age of 25 in our first team squad.

All we need to do is sell the non-contributors like Richards and Sinclair and we should have over £50m to commit to a defender and goalkeeper.

I agree about the centre halves and midfield.

Regards Richards and Sinclair,great idea..... if only we can find buyers?

And that brings me back to the principle of my above post. FFP has screwed us up badly and we now have to box clever rather than go all out for the knockout. £49m plus outgoing sales leaves us with plenty of room for some tasty signings. It's just the little problem of getting some real money for those players best suited elsewhere!

 

[The_Boxing_KangaBlue]

Everyone's jumped off Virgil Van Dijk I take it?

the Dutch are quite surprised that Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) or Douglas (Dinamo Moscow) haven't been called up and there are a lot of Eredivisie players in the squad.....

Louise picked Rekik ahead of him for the provisonal WC squad

And ultimately picked Kongolo over Rekik... And for years Glen bloody Johnson, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling were preferred over an in-form Micah Richards... Some decision mystify is what I'm saying, and Van Dijk probably suffers from perceptions as to the quality of the SPL...

I'm more just interested that a bloke over whom there was so much flapping a couple of months ago has completely disappeared from 'view' when we've got people pulling potential CBs out of their unmentionables...

 

[blinkblue]

I wouldn't be against the notion of using Nastasic as a makeweight. Rekik is as good of if not a better prospect.