Nathan Ake

[Jumanji]

@twosips , fair point mate. 60M for Ake and Torres is fantastic business from Txiki.

Get Koulibaly for 70M and our spend is at about 130M.

You would think especially since some players are going to be sold, there's probably cash left for more signing(s) after [Koulibaly?]...if the 200M+ transfer kitty rumours are to be believed.

 

[Corky]

Another small centre back and for our usual inflated centre back price. An improvement on Stones though, hope we can get a similar price off
Arsenal for him.

 

[Blueprint Blue]

Waiting for the first journo to say the price is obscene in these times of covid-19.

 

[Kenward Garg]

And we're not buying him to have a VVD level impact. He's not VVD. But for the role we want him for, he's pretty bloody good.

Milner-esque: Can play centre back and left back; “homegrown”; happy to be playing for a club challenging for titles and; quality, more often than not.

PS. One hopes he doesn’t sign for Liverpool on a free transfer.

 

[jimharri]

@twosips , fair point mate. 60M for Ake and Torres is fantastic business from Txiki.

Get Koulibaly for 70M and our spend is at about 130M.

You would think especially since some players are going to be sold, there's probably cash left for more signing(s)...if the 200M+ transfer kitty rumours are to be believed.

If we do land Ake, would we still be after Koulibaly as well?

 

[LongsightM13]

£40m rising to £41m appears extremely unusual.
What could that £1m possibly be?
Anyone able to shed any light on this?

If chelsea have that “right to match” clause I wonder whether the 40+1 is misinformation. If they only have the right to know the total value could be £41m then saying most of it is upfront makes it less likely to be matched.

More likely to be 25+15 or 30+10 or 35+5 but I dont know how these deals get done

I suspect we had to beat Chelsea’s £40m buy back, if only by a token £1m

 

[FJRMCFC]

Won’t get a game when Laporte is fit outside a few games where we rotate. Doesn’t fit the mould of past full back signings so can’t see why he’d be a good option there? Only thing he has over Stones and Otamendi as a back up is that he’s left footed. £40m is a farce

 

[Scottyboi]

Well Bournemouth fans say he is a superb professional and a natural leader I am hoping we get this one wrapped up and then we ship out Ota and Garcia and bring Tosin back into the fold too.

 

[HaalandEffect]

Need to start selling players

 

[Woody135]

I suspect we had to beat Chelsea’s £40m buy back, if only by a token £1m

Could well be right with this

 

[blue cigar]

Good signing and 40m is the going rate, consider what Maguire cost and the fact it we'll sell stones for similar, it's a great deal. We all know we need more pace across the back, this lad gives us that.
Now, the big signing yet to come, a star forward with a bit of size.

 

[bluetonium]

Never seen him have a stand out game to be honest, but also confess I've not watched him closely at all. He was Watford PotY when he was there and I'm probably doing him a disservice.

Have to trust the scouting team on this one at least we've seen him first hand in the premier league and even going back to the youth days. He actually made his premier league debut 8 years ago too.

 

[HaalandEffect]

See what Pep can do with him

 

[BLUEMATT23]

What's happening with Stones?

 

[Jumanji]

If we do land Ake, would we still be after Koulibaly as well?

Most likely yes imho. Pep likes a right footed and a left footed center half, because they split the pitch in two.
We're not lining up with two left footed center halves next season, not as first choice anyway.
The media talk is we want two CBs+a winger. That's been consistent. Sometimes the journos throw in a left back or a striker, but the two CBs thing has stuck around for months.

He's coming here to rotate with Laporte. Now, we need to find Laporte's partner, who will probably be one of Koulibaly, Diego Carlos, or Skriniar. You can put your money on that.

And I'm not ITK. I just become obsessed with the market every summer so you learn to sniff through the bullshit.

 

[skyblues]

What's happening with Stones?

This pretty much confirms he is off.

 

[dannyboiblue]

He cost 20m over 3 years ago when Bournemouth bought him. Happy with this signing and only 25 years old.

 

[razman]

Shame about stones

 

[Blu1]

Great signing. Fit, strong player with prem league experience. Good price too.

with city’s players & pep around him he will flourish.

possibly the end for stones. Sad really but his injuries have just stopped his city career.

 

[Jumanji]

Shame about stones

@jimharri