It's Quiet 32 - enter at own risk

That’s exactly how it’s changed. All that money from the panic buys filters down into the market, pushes the prices of marginal players up because valuations are all based on comparables, and absent some sort of wider disruption that’s just what it is now. Madrid is about to spend 100m+ on Hazard with a year left on his contract, Bayern just smashed their transfer record on Lucas Hernandez, and even Juve spent 100m on what’s his name last summer. Just because we don’t like it doesn’t mean we can pretend the market hasn’t changed.

And yes, our transfer policy definitely has been working, but our policy has always been identifying players that fit the system, have the right personality, then spending at the high end of the market in both fees and wages to go get them. I’m not advocating that we go out and set a new world record just because, but it isn’t a coincidence that Mendy and Walker were the most expensive fullbacks when they were transferred, or that people criticized how much we spent on KDB or Sterling. We identified who we wanted, then paid up to get them.

The was I see it, Txiki and Khaldoon have clearly come to the conclusion that this blip in the market is just that, and that prices will come back down to earth soon. If they’re right they can sit back and say I told you so, but if they’re wrong, and prices stay inflated, we’re going to end up in a situation where we constantly miss out on top targets, and eventually the quality of the side deteriorates. Try signing a top striker to replace Aguero next year for 50m and see where that gets us. It’s a gamble that I don’t really see the point of, but I hope they’re right and I’m not.
You’re talking absolute bollocks because the market has always had the odd exceptions (Ferdinand, Rooney, Veron, Zidane, Figo, Adriano, Ronaldo, Bale, Higuain, Owen down to the likes of Shearer etc...).

Stop trying to make out like this is a brand new thing when history proves it’s clearly bollocks.
 
Just to add to my comment above...

In recent years we have bought players who are hungry, who want to be at city because of the project, who want to win trophies, who want to be part of a brilliant team.

We don’t want the biggest transfers (£100m+) for a reason and that’s to keep the team together, to keep the spirit and the work ethic in the team and to grow and develop as individuals and as a team. The whole reason we can keep the consistency levels so high is due to the competition for places and because the team/squad is happy and willing to fight for their place in the team. There’s no egos, no one who is guaranteed a place and that’s how football should be - teams picked on merit. If Sane isn’t doing it, Bernardo goes wide and we go again. If Stones isn’t doing it, Otamendi comes in and we go again. It really is down to that competition for places and no one (even De Bruyne and Sergio) being guaranteed a place.
 
Just to add to my comment above...

In recent years we have bought players who are hungry, who want to be at city because of the project, who want to win trophies, who want to be part of a brilliant team.

We don’t want the biggest transfers (£100m+) for a reason and that’s to keep the team together, to keep the spirit and the work ethic in the team and to grow and develop as individuals and as a team. The whole reason we can keep the consistency levels so high is due to the competition for places and because the team/squad is happy and willing to fight for their place in the team. There’s no egos, no one who is guaranteed a place and that’s how football should be - teams picked on merit. If Sane isn’t doing it, Bernardo goes wide and we go again. If Stones isn’t doing it, Otamendi comes in and we go again. It really is down to that competition for places and no one (even De Bruyne and Sergio) being guaranteed a place.
Nicely put,some just can't get their head around why we don't go for the most expensive players,that is really not what it's about
 
That’s exactly how it’s changed. All that money from the panic buys filters down into the market, pushes the prices of marginal players up because valuations are all based on comparables, and absent some sort of wider disruption that’s just what it is now. Madrid is about to spend 100m+ on Hazard with a year left on his contract, Bayern just smashed their transfer record on Lucas Hernandez, and even Juve spent 100m on what’s his name last summer. Just because we don’t like it doesn’t mean we can pretend the market hasn’t changed.

And yes, our transfer policy definitely has been working, but our policy has always been identifying players that fit the system, have the right personality, then spending at the high end of the market in both fees and wages to go get them. I’m not advocating that we go out and set a new world record just because, but it isn’t a coincidence that Mendy and Walker were the most expensive fullbacks when they were transferred, or that people criticized how much we spent on KDB or Sterling. We identified who we wanted, then paid up to get them.

The was I see it, Txiki and Khaldoon have clearly come to the conclusion that this blip in the market is just that, and that prices will come back down to earth soon. If they’re right they can sit back and say I told you so, but if they’re wrong, and prices stay inflated, we’re going to end up in a situation where we constantly miss out on top targets, and eventually the quality of the side deteriorates. Try signing a top striker to replace Aguero next year for 50m and see where that gets us. It’s a gamble that I don’t really see the point of, but I hope they’re right and I’m not.

I don't see the market will come back to earth. Not with the amount of money to be had nowadays. Only way for prices to come back down is with less money in commercial revenues which clearly isn't going to happen. Panic buys only happen because a team is desperate that they are falling behind. That's why it's a panic buy. If you are running your club right, you won't get into that situation. Like it or not we are now a club that won't be bullied into a players wage demands i.e. Sanchez and are perfectly willing to let them go knowing we will still be fine and able to compete without them. We will find alternates that will come with modest wages and if they prove their worth can get a pay rise. They might not be the absolute players out there, but still plenty good and we've seen what Pep can do to make them better.

You can go the other route and sign galacticos and players in the 100m catagory, but that doesn't mean success and squad balance. PSG has signed Neymar and Mbappe, but has to sign players on free transfers like Diarra Lass, Buffon and now Herrera. They also had to give up Lo Celso who's highly rated to try to manage with FFP. They have an imbalanced squad and not as much depth as us and had to play young players .

Giving huge wage demands not only effects squad harmony, but that also means you won't be able to spend in the future. Gareth Bale on 600,000 a week over 3 years is 100m in transfer fees that could be spent. Yet Madrid are stuck with having to pay him. If we give into players wage demands, the whole of squad wage bill goes up and will lose out on prospective targets in the future then having to resort to signing players on a free etc.

So called marginal players will demand higher fees. That's just the way it is nowadays. Leicester giving up Maguire puts them at a disadvantage and for them losing that player will be just as hard for them to replace even with they money they get from the sale. The replacement they have to find won't be cheap. Everyone wants to stay in the PL because of how much money can be had. Pep said before that the transfer fee is the transfer fee. Everyone looks at that, but ignores wages. The fee will be done once, but if you sign players on a high wage to start, it will only go up when they want to renew their contract.
 
Another thing that is forgotten in all this is that when players have left this club in recent times in general it has been because their time has come and they have left with our blessing for low fees or frees.
Our selling policy cannot be accused of driving fees up.
If Sane does leave we will want the market value which must be an increase on what we paid as he has advanced as a player, not because we are greedy.
I hope he stays BTW both for the team and his own development.
 
Just to add to my comment above...

In recent years we have bought players who are hungry, who want to be at city because of the project, who want to win trophies, who want to be part of a brilliant team.

We don’t want the biggest transfers (£100m+) for a reason and that’s to keep the team together, to keep the spirit and the work ethic in the team and to grow and develop as individuals and as a team. The whole reason we can keep the consistency levels so high is due to the competition for places and because the team/squad is happy and willing to fight for their place in the team. There’s no egos, no one who is guaranteed a place and that’s how football should be - teams picked on merit. If Sane isn’t doing it, Bernardo goes wide and we go again. If Stones isn’t doing it, Otamendi comes in and we go again. It really is down to that competition for places and no one (even De Bruyne and Sergio) being guaranteed a place.

Top post.
 

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