Eliaquim Mangala

[birchwoodgingerste]

according to tomorrow's edition of l'equipe we're looking at activating his £38.6million release clause

[bigimg]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BSylujnCIAAUTvJ.png[/bigimg]

£38.6million?? No chance.

Could be putting 2 and 2 together but was tixi in lisbon a few weeks ago maybe chatting to an agent?

 

[FantasyIreland]

Seems every top club in Europe has been linked with this lad over the past few weeks.......

It seems these Portuguese clubs really can spot the talent early - So why do we not identify and sign these players before their value reaches such heights?

 

[shootmeifipost10k]

Seems every top club in Europe has been linked with this lad over the past few weeks.......

It seems these Portuguese clubs really can spot the talent early - So why do we not identify and sign these players before their value reaches such heights?

Don't think it's talent spotting issue, I watched a documentary about young players in the African continent and how they are shipped in and out of portugal,france and spain for trials, you wouldn't believe the numbers involved.

There are quite a few younger and older brazilian players in portugal leagues for example but that's just a simple case of the same language spoken and there are over 100 players playing in portugal right now, even Elvis is playing there. So I think it's more of a numbers game in portugal and for every one they get right there are a 100 that are average.

 

[citytill1die84]

€37m kin no chance.

 

[Mr. Aguia]

Seems every top club in Europe has been linked with this lad over the past few weeks.......

It seems these Portuguese clubs really can spot the talent early - So why do we not identify and sign these players before their value reaches such heights?

I think it's the visa issues. It seems England's are much stricter than other european countries. I would like to see us do what we can to cut out the middlemen. Maybe we could buy them and loan them out to clubs and that way they would be able to get a visa the following year. When I see a player like Marquinhos go for €35m after playing only 26 games in Seria A, I feel like we are really missing the boat.

 

[Kinkys Left Foot]

€37m kin no chance.

No it reads - €45m / £37m

Not a chance!

 

[MillionDollarDream]

Why would we not have a chance? Other title contenders are still spending big money and improving their already strong squads, why can't we continue to do the same?

 

[LoveCity]

Why would we not have a chance? Other title contenders are still spending big money and improving their already strong squads, why can't we continue to do the same?

I don't think spending almost £40million on a defender is going to happen. It just sounds like 1+1=2 reporting (City need a defender so let's link them with Porto's hot property again). If we was more in the £25million range that might sound more realistic, but Porto are hard negotiators and already scared off Chelsea with their valuation of Mangala.

The Portuguese league can make some players look better than they are (such as Garcia, Quaresma, and Anderson), which is why the top teams always get loads of money. But if you scout well, some of them are the real deal like Falcao, Pepe, and Di Maria. Mangala is probably more likely to be one of the real deal ones than the ones who will be found out, but no one is touching him at the price Porto want.

[bigimg]http://i.imgur.com/qmfCWMG.jpg[/bigimg]

 

[Bottomless_Sailor]

Seems every top club in Europe has been linked with this lad over the past few weeks.......

It seems these Portuguese clubs really can spot the talent early - So why do we not identify and sign these players before their value reaches such heights?

I think it's the visa issues. It seems England's are much stricter than other european countries. I would like to see us do what we can to cut out the middlemen. Maybe we could buy them and loan them out to clubs and that way they would be able to get a visa the following year. When I see a player like Marquinhos go for €35m after playing only 26 games in Seria A, I feel like we are really missing the boat.

It's specific footballing permit laws relating to the 1999 Home Office amendment. Supposed to stop the foreign influx into the Premiership, fat lot of good it did.

Buying up young players and loaning them out is very troublesome and expensive, means we can't look after them in our own academies and with no guarantees that they'll ever get the required number of international caps to come to England. Chelsea had to loan Alex out to PSV for three years before he was granted a work permit.

Rules need to be abolished, particularly with FFP coming in.

 

[MillionDollarDream]

Seems every top club in Europe has been linked with this lad over the past few weeks.......

It seems these Portuguese clubs really can spot the talent early - So why do we not identify and sign these players before their value reaches such heights?

I think it's the visa issues. It seems England's are much stricter than other european countries. I would like to see us do what we can to cut out the middlemen. Maybe we could buy them and loan them out to clubs and that way they would be able to get a visa the following year. When I see a player like Marquinhos go for €35m after playing only 26 games in Seria A, I feel like we are really missing the boat.

It's specific footballing permit laws relating to the 1999 Home Office amendment. Supposed to stop the foreign influx into the Premiership, fat lot of good it did.

Buying up young players and loaning them out is very troublesome and expensive, means we can't look after them in our own academies and with no guarantees that they'll ever get the required number of international caps to come to England. Chelsea had to loan Alex out to PSV for three years before he was granted a work permit.

Rules need to be abolished, particularly with FFP coming in.

Is this also the issue with their Belgian GK? He's been at Atletico Madrid for the past 3 years.