This is pretty much what Sam Lee said happened. We went for VVD but were quoted 60 million and thought that would eat into our Sanchez budget so left it.
Many versions of the story but I think if we had paid the 60 he would be here now. We will never know now.
It is a cheap rhetorical trick to make some unfounded claims about something, and then go on to complain about why somebody else do not react to this invented reality. It is being used a lot on Bluemoon, in particular by people who love to criticize the incompetence of Txiki and Pep. I can understand why, because the method with 100 percent certainty provides a basis for moaning, and I suspect that is what it is all about. That it is all based on fantasy does not seem to matter.Nor can anyone except those directly involved.
Imo an acceptable bid from City, for Van Dyke, would result in Van Dyke playing for City.
Same probably for Chelsea or Utd.
But it would be a lot of money & more money than it would have been, in June. That bit, I am sure about.
Didn't he wear a City shirt at training once that his team mates at Southampton had given him as a joke because he was being so heavily linked with us?It will never be proven one way or the other.
But we were being linked with VVD well before the transfer window, Pep, was openly talking about getting a player with similar presence to Kompany as insurance against his injuries, then suddenly nothing.
It is a cheap rhetorical trick to make some unfounded claims about something, and then go on to complain about why somebody else do not react to this invented reality. It is being used a lot on Bluemoon, in particular by people who love to criticize the incompetence of Txiki and Pep. I can understand why, because the method with 100 percent certainty provides a basis for moaning, and I suspect that is what it is all about. That it is all based on fantasy does not seem to matter.
Concerning Van Dijk, maybe you are correct, maybe not. However for some reason nobody bought him this summer, despite him clearly wanting to leave. What the reason was this is anybody's guess, not something we can seriously criticize. Maybe we just need to accept that for John Stones to become better he needs to play games, and we have to accept some mistakes from him during this process. Weren't you always one who advocated playing and developing young players?
Didn't he wear a City shirt at training once that his team mates at Southampton had given him as a joke because he was being so heavily linked with us?
His priorities, as a passionate Belgian, are to play for his country and do the best he possibly can for them. For many footballers, especially foreign ones, it is the absolute pinnacle of their career and so it damn well should be.Kompany has been irresponsible here. Playing for Belgium when injured started this problem - we have spent 2 years getting him fit again and now he gets a knock playing for Belgium again. Kompany has 30 games a season maximum in him - those games should be for City in key fixtures. Sorry but he needs to get his priorities right.
Sanches & Mbappe was where the money was going.
Except we missed both.
That's why JFE was dependant on Mangala leaving.
It will never be proven one way or the other.
But we were being linked with VVD well before the transfer window, Pep, was openly talking about getting a player with similar presence to Kompany as insurance against his injuries, then suddenly nothing.
So Pep changed his mind mid window and thought "Ah fuck our defence, let me just buy Sanchez and Mbappe and go all out on attack and see where it brings us"?