De Bruyne?

[The Doctor]

Yeah me too

 

[pudge]

Anything new today?

 

[Robinho's Subbuteo]

Anything new today?

I've asked twice. No joy yet. :-/

 

[George Hannah]

They're missing the point.

It isn't about appeasing whining blues on the Internet, it's about being hard nosed negotiators and ultimately being prepared to walk away from a deal.

When we were the only club at the table for Sterling, and we held all the cards (Sterling's relationship with Liverpool and their fans was at an all time low, wanted out, contract two years remaining and refused to renew), and we still paid their inflated asking price after more than a month of posturing - that made us look a soft touch.

That set a precedent that Wolfsburg took obvious notice of, and can now be evidenced by them moving the goalposts with an asking price. The thing that really hurt us with the Sterling negotiations was the reported 'take it or leave it' bid which was followed up with two increased bids after a fortnight of no movement after Liverpool rejected it outright.

We showed that we can be brought back to the table, and can be squeezed for all we're worth.

Now I don't care about how much we pay at the end of the day, but I do care that how much we pay can effect our ability to acquire other targets because other clubs will then see us as a soft touch and our budget won't accomodate buying clubs' demands.

I'd like to see us utilise the darker arts that the likes of Real and Barca do in forcing a buying club to part with a prized player.

I'm delighted we signed Sterling, my initial post was just expressing scepticism about Txiki's work on these deals, for which I've since come in for a lot of flak.

Coupled with us being taken over a barrel with Jovetic and Dzeko, then I think it's fair to express criticism.

We're all speculating, none of us are privy to all the facts and the negotiations, I've given my reasons for the scepticism. I'd welcome a discussion rather than personal attacks from other blues and mods.

Your time may well come RDOG but it has not yet arrived and hopefully never will.

 

[RichardDunneOwnGoal]

So you'd have walked away from Sterling and KDB and we'd have a weaker squad this season. And we'd also still need an English first teamer.

Oh excellent. Glad you're not in charge.

Ps, we used the dark arts, that's why we were the only team bidding as I stated, we don't yet have their lure though. And FWIW, there was never a "take it or leave it bid", that exists only in the minds of football reporters and the Mirror reading fans.

Didn't say I'd walk away, I was just disappointed that Liverpool seemed to hold all the cards in spite of us being in the much stronger position.

As I've said earlier, there were no other clubs at the table for Sterling at the prices being quoted, we were the only club willing to meet those figures. How can you be sure how much was the transfer fee deterring other clubs, and how much was a solid agreement with us - unless you're Aidy Ward?

And as I've said, if we did have a solid agreement with Sterling, and he only had eyes for us, then that makes us an even softer touch for eventually paying Liverpool's inflated asking price in full.

I understand the point that maybe we felt it was just worth stumping it up, and not letting it drag on, but I think it's put us in a weaker position trying to negotiate De Bruyne's fee.

How can you be so sure re the 'take it or leave it' bid? It was widely reported by the press, we're all speculating here, unless you're not?

 

[DerderderPabloZabaleta]

This fella is a special player, signing him won't be easy. That's all we need to know really.

If we get him fantastic, if we don't (in my opinion we definitely will) then we move on.

The fan criticism of the people who run City these days on here is mind boggling, I can only assume some have nowt better to do.

Imagine actually enjoying it all, imagine!

 

[80s Shorts]

Not necessarily. But certainly don't give a selling club an ultimatum about an offer and a threat to walk, and then not follow it through.

Who issued this ultimatum? Was it on the OS? Did we hold press conference about it ? OR Was it the Sun or the Mirror? I did not read any quotes. Or do you have no idea ?

You said yourself a couple of posts ago that, "We're all speculating, none of us are privy to all the facts and the negotiations." Yet you post as though you have the inside track.

I think you're just wumming.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

They're missing the point.

It isn't about appeasing whining blues on the Internet, it's about being hard nosed negotiators and ultimately being prepared to walk away from a deal.

When we were the only club at the table for Sterling, and we held all the cards (Sterling's relationship with Liverpool and their fans was at an all time low, wanted out, contract two years remaining and refused to renew), and we still paid their inflated asking price after more than a month of posturing - that made us look a soft touch.

That set a precedent that Wolfsburg took obvious notice of, and can now be evidenced by them moving the goalposts with an asking price. The thing that really hurt us with the Sterling negotiations was the reported 'take it or leave it' bid which was followed up with two increased bids after a fortnight of no movement after Liverpool rejected it outright.

We showed that we can be brought back to the table, and can be squeezed for all we're worth.

Now I don't care about how much we pay at the end of the day, but I do care that how much we pay can effect our ability to acquire other targets because other clubs will then see us as a soft touch and our budget won't accomodate buying clubs' demands.

I'd like to see us utilise the darker arts that the likes of Real and Barca do in forcing a buying club to part with a prized player.

I'm delighted we signed Sterling, my initial post was just expressing scepticism about Txiki's work on these deals, for which I've since come in for a lot of flak.

Coupled with us being taken over a barrel with Jovetic and Dzeko, then I think it's fair to express criticism.

We're all speculating, none of us are privy to all the facts and the negotiations, I've given my reasons for the scepticism. I'd welcome a discussion rather than personal attacks from other blues and mods.

Questioning Txiki will unleash he hounds of hell.
Good luck - you'll need it.

 

[Mikejl]

This fella is a special player, signing him won't be easy. That's all we need to know really.

If we get him fantastic, if we don't (in my opinion we definitely will) then we move on.

The fan criticism of the people who run City these days on here is mind boggling, I can only assume some have nowt better to do.

Imagine actually enjoying it all, imagine!

This +1

This isn't The Damned United with Cloughie & Peter Taylor meeting a player in a cafe & then signing him the next day. This is the transfer of €70M wiry of assists between two businesses. Things can get complicated & negotiation & I guess some element of game theory comes into play

 

[Robinho's Subbuteo]

Questioning Txiki will unleash he hounds of hell.
Good luck - you'll need it.

Just turn the other Txik