John Stones

[BillyShears]

Hi mate....I get the feeling, we now know Stones (and Sane) both want to come here and because of this, we holding back and trying to force their teams to drop the asking price.....

Absolutely no doubt that's what we're doing. It's a classic Txiki bit of bartering - make sure the player only wants to come to you, then drive the price down by waiting, drip feeding information out to the press, and generally acting like you're not that bothered.

In general terms I have no problem with the club wanting to get the best deal possible for themselves. However I'm both surprised and a little disappointed that with Pep coming in this summer, someone higher up than Txiki & Soriano hasn't said "listen lads, go get the deals done early so Pep has got everyone he wants in for pre season - don't worry too much about haggling".

Valuations are loose things, but we're really not talking about outlandish ridiculous ones. Stones at 50 million vs 40 million ? Sane difference the same ? For me closing those deals is MUCH more important this summer than in any previous one. I also think at some point it begins to reflect badly from the players' point of view because they start thinking "well how badly do they want me".

Anyway maybe I'm just being impatient. Lets see what happens over the weekend and next week.

 

[dancity19]

Absolutely no doubt that's what we're doing. It's a classic Txiki bit of bartering - make sure the player only wants to come to you, then drive the price down by waiting, drip feeding information out to the press, and generally acting like you're not that bothered.

In general terms I have no problem with the club wanting to get the best deal possible for themselves. However I'm both surprised and a little disappointed that with Pep coming in this summer, someone higher up than Txiki & Soriano hasn't said "listen lads, go get the deals done early so Pep has got everyone he wants in for pre season - don't worry too much about haggling".

Valuations are loose things, but we're really not talking about outlandish ridiculous ones. Stones at 50 million vs 40 million ? Sane difference the same ? For me closing those deals is MUCH more important this summer than in any previous one. I also think at some point it begins to reflect badly from the players' point of view because they start thinking "well how badly do they want me".

Anyway maybe I'm just being impatient. Lets see what happens over the weekend and next week.

You aren't being impatient. It's important that pep has a full pre-season with as many players as possible, to give us the best chance going into the new season, especially as we start playing competitively earlier due to CL qualifiers.
Not signing bonucci, or kroos, whose links have been rumours at best perhaps anyway, u can entirely understand. But haven't we been working on stones and sane since January!!?? We should have wrapped these up weeks ago. Stones is now back training with Everton which simply shouldn't have been able to happen.
We seem to have these long drawn out affairs every year, though.

 

[MCFC_4Heatons]

Absolutely no doubt that's what we're doing. It's a classic Txiki bit of bartering - make sure the player only wants to come to you, then drive the price down by waiting, drip feeding information out to the press, and generally acting like you're not that bothered.

In general terms I have no problem with the club wanting to get the best deal possible for themselves. However I'm both surprised and a little disappointed that with Pep coming in this summer, someone higher up than Txiki & Soriano hasn't said "listen lads, go get the deals done early so Pep has got everyone he wants in for pre season - don't worry too much about haggling".

Valuations are loose things, but we're really not talking about outlandish ridiculous ones. Stones at 50 million vs 40 million ? Sane difference the same ? For me closing those deals is MUCH more important this summer than in any previous one. I also think at some point it begins to reflect badly from the players' point of view because they start thinking "well how badly do they want me".

Anyway maybe I'm just being impatient. Lets see what happens over the weekend and next week.

We also thought Isco was coming to us for sure .... Dangerous game Txiki plays, if the likes of Barca, Madrid, Bayern come knocking could be left with egg on face. Everton don't need the money either so good luck trying to knock them down on price!!

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

Absolutely no doubt that's what we're doing. It's a classic Txiki bit of bartering - make sure the player only wants to come to you, then drive the price down by waiting, drip feeding information out to the press, and generally acting like you're not that bothered.

In general terms I have no problem with the club wanting to get the best deal possible for themselves. However I'm both surprised and a little disappointed that with Pep coming in this summer, someone higher up than Txiki & Soriano hasn't said "listen lads, go get the deals done early so Pep has got everyone he wants in for pre season - don't worry too much about haggling".

Valuations are loose things, but we're really not talking about outlandish ridiculous ones. Stones at 50 million vs 40 million ? Sane difference the same ? For me closing those deals is MUCH more important this summer than in any previous one. I also think at some point it begins to reflect badly from the players' point of view because they start thinking "well how badly do they want me".

Anyway maybe I'm just being impatient. Lets see what happens over the weekend and next week.

I agree completely mate.....I know its easy for us fans to say but I do think the value to having the new players learning under Pep's system for a full pre-season should far outweigh the couple of mil we trying to save over a 5-6year deal...I think the pattern of how we negotiate is the same every year and if us fans can see it, teams like Everton and Schalke will be reading us like a book and will not be in any hurry to start giving discount off their valuation just because the players want to be here....

 

[Neville Kneville]

As if any of you has any fucking idea what the real situation is.

Just pay it. Yeah alright.

Bollocks.

 

[City_Sean]

Absolutely no doubt that's what we're doing. It's a classic Txiki bit of bartering - make sure the player only wants to come to you, then drive the price down by waiting, drip feeding information out to the press, and generally acting like you're not that bothered.

In general terms I have no problem with the club wanting to get the best deal possible for themselves. However I'm both surprised and a little disappointed that with Pep coming in this summer, someone higher up than Txiki & Soriano hasn't said "listen lads, go get the deals done early so Pep has got everyone he wants in for pre season - don't worry too much about haggling".

Valuations are loose things, but we're really not talking about outlandish ridiculous ones. Stones at 50 million vs 40 million ? Sane difference the same ? For me closing those deals is MUCH more important this summer than in any previous one. I also think at some point it begins to reflect badly from the players' point of view because they start thinking "well how badly do they want me".

Anyway maybe I'm just being impatient. Lets see what happens over the weekend and next week.

My issue and the reason I whinged about the deals being slow is I believe it's of the upmost importance for these players to have a pre season under Pep.

 

[mosssideblue]

I agree mate, just trying to come at this from another angle as no one really knows whats going on.....think its fair to say, Schalke boss knew about our approach for the player at the start of Jan(over 6months ago!)...he even confirmed this in a presser .....and the same can be said for Stones. We've worked hard to "corner the market" for these 2 players and just as with Kev and Sterling last year, we use the "players interest in us" to start haggling over the price....which is why I feel "dragging our feet" at this point in negotiations, is part of the plan.....we have a pattern for the way we do our transfers and just believe we following it to the letter.....doesnt mean we cant get frustrated about it tho!;) cheers

Not sure I buy into your preconceived idea that we follow a plan on how we conduct transfers, as others we have signed in a hurry. The only answer IMO, is that we have no idea on what is happening behind the scenes

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

Not sure I buy into your preconceived idea that we follow a plan on how we conduct transfers, as others we have signed in a hurry. The only answer IMO, is that we have no idea on what is happening behind the scenes

I agree mate....they are always just opinions because none of us know the full facts! Its fair to say, either side of the argument could be right! cheers

 

[dancity19]

As if any of you has any fucking idea what the real situation is.

Just pay it. Yeah alright.

Bollocks.

No. But a deal should have been wrapped up really, when we have chased the player since January, and he wants to come to us.

But go on, you carry on with your "spoilt kids" lines, and we will have a conversation.

 

[mosssideblue]

As if any of you has any fucking idea what the real situation is.

Just pay it. Yeah alright.

Bollocks.

I know the season hasn't started but already I must do better as I find myself agreeing with you so soon :).

All those whinging that Pep should have all his targets available for pre season come over as though the club hadn't thought of that.

We really have an impatient bunch