Our Transfer Activity Since The Takeover

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FromPollockToSilva

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Chicago, formerly Prague, originally Calderdale
I wanted to have a look at our transfer activity since the takeover to see whether there has been any semblance of progression, continuity and joined-up thinking in player recruitment and squad development, and perhaps try to identify mistakes that could be learned from in the future. All transfer fees are taken from transferleague.com, please let me know if any are incorrect.

Goalkeepers

Shay Given (£8M/£3.5M) [HG]
Stuart Taylor (Tribunal/Free) [HG]
Costel Pantilimon (£3M/Still at Club)
Richard Wright (Free/Still at Club) [HG]

Total Spent: £11M (£3M)
Players Recruited: 4
Average Price per Player: £2.75M
% of Total Spend: 2%

Right-backs

Maicon (£3M/Free)

Total: £3M (£0)
Players Recruited: 1
Average Price per Player: £3M
% of Total Spend: 0.5%

Centre-backs

Kolo Touré (£16M/Free)
Joleon Lescott (£22M/Still at Club) [HG]
Jerome Boateng (£11M/£15M)
Stefan Savic (£6M/£3M)
Matija Nastasic (£12M/Still at Club)
Martin Demichelis (£4M/Still at Club)

Total: £71M (£18M)
Players Recruited: 6
Average Price per Player: £11.8M
% of Total Spend: 12.2%

Left-backs

Wayne Bridge (£12M/Free) [HG]
Sylvinho (Free)
Aleksandr Kolarov (£17M/Still at Club)
Gael Clichy (£7M/Still at Club) [HG]

Total: £36M (£0)
Players Recruited: 4
Average Price per Player: £12M
% of Total Spend: 6.2%

Defensive/Central Midfielders

Nigel de Jong (£16M/£5M)
Gareth Barry (£12M/Free) [HG]
Patrick Vieira (Free/Retired)
Yaya Touré (£24M/Still at Club)
James Milner (£26M/Still at Club) [HG]
Owen Hargreaves (Free/Free)
Jack Rodwell (£15M/Still at Club) [HG]
Javi Garcia (£16M/Still at Club]
Fernandinho (£30M/Still at Club]

Total: £139M (£5M)
Players Recruited: 9
Average Price per Player: £15.4M
% of Total Spend: 23.8%

Attacking Midfielders

David Silva (£25M/Still at Club)
Samir Nasri (£22M/Still at Club)

Total: £47M (£0)
Players Recruited: 2
Average Price per Player: £23.5M
% of Total Spent: 8%

Wide Midfielders/Wingers

Adam Johnson (£7M/£10M) [HG]
Scott Sinclair (£8M/Still at Club) [HG]
Jesus Navas (£15M/Still at Club)

Total: £30M (£10M)
Players Recruited: 3
Average Price per Player: £10M
% of Total Spent: 5%

Forwards

Robinho (£32.5M/£15M)
Craig Bellamy (£14M/Free) [HG]
Roque Santa Cruz (£17.5M/Free)
Carlos Tevez (£25.5M/£10M)
Emmanuel Adebayor (£25M/£5M)
Mario Balotelli (£24.5M/£17M)
Edin Dzeko (£27M/Still at Club)
Sergio Aguero (£38M/Still at Club)
Alvaro Negredo (£16M/Still at Club)
Stevan Jovetic (£26M/Still at Club)

Total: £246M (£47M)
Players Recruited: 10
Average Price per Player: £24.6M
% of Total Spent: 42.2%

Grand Total (£583M/£83.5M)
Defensive Total: £121M
Midfield Total: £216M
Forwards Total: £246M

Homegrown Players Total Spend: £131M
Homegrown Players Recruited: 12
Average Price per HG Player: £10.9M

So a few things that I can pick out of this straight away. Firstly, as I believe most people knew already, we have massively under-invested in our defence. One right back signed for £3M in the last five years? On the other hand, having spent £36M on three left-backs since the takeover, it seems a fairly poor ROI that this has been identified as an area where the team badly needs strengthening.

Another area that we are supposedly short of quality in is central midfield, which is again fairly disappointing considering that nearly a quarter of our transfer funds since the takeover have been spent in that area of the field. Last year's £31M spend on Rodwell and Garcia looks particularly galling.

The need for width has been discussed at length, but with just three specialist wide players signed since 2008 at an average price of £10M each, this has clearly been a long way down our list of priorities.

What are your thoughts? Have we seen value for money? Where have we over/under invested?
 
It's very difficult to judge transfers like this because the players came in at various stages in our development. Personally I think overall our transfer business since the takeover has been very good. Especially when you consider we've won a league and an FA Cup since then.

Of course there's areas we could improve in, and certainly the squad seems a touch unbalanced in certain areas.
 
Personally I think its improved since the Hughes era but still shocking compared to say how PSG have invested.

I mean seriously Adebayor 25m, Dzeko 27m, RSC 18m, Lescot 24m, De jong, 16m, Bridge 12m etc all massively over priced.

And all the investments we still have a very unbalanced squad with too many average squad players. I have been impressed with signings since Txiki became DOF though.
 
I would tend to agree as we have gradually added better quality recruits each year ! Bar last summer. If you look at who we recruited at the beginning of the project and who we have brought in this year there is no contest. We need another couple of years and we should be really up there with. having one of the very best squads ineurope.
 
njmcfc1894 said:
BigOscar said:
Milner cost more than Yaya and Silva, that's more than a bit depressing
Click to expand...

Big fan of James Milner but there is why English players are less and less on our agenda, pass that info onto Neil Ashton next time he says we've ruined the England team.
Click to expand...
There really is no value at all. You have to pay world class money for even pretty average players. Milner and Lescott are usefull players, but 48m for the pair of them is horrifying. We could have bought Thiago Silva and Ibra for that
 
FromPollockToSilva said:
I wanted to have a look at our transfer activity since the takeover to see whether there has been any semblance of progression, continuity and joined-up thinking in player recruitment and squad development, and perhaps try to identify mistakes that could be learned from in the future. All transfer fees are taken from transferleague.com, please let me know if any are incorrect.

Goalkeepers

Shay Given (£8M/£3.5M) [HG]
Stuart Taylor (Tribunal/Free) [HG]
Costel Pantilimon (£3M/Still at Club)
Richard Wright (Free/Still at Club) [HG]

Total Spent: £11M (£3M)
Players Recruited: 4
Average Price per Player: £2.75M
% of Total Spend: 2%

Right-backs

Maicon (£3M/Free)

Total: £3M (£0)
Players Recruited: 1
Average Price per Player: £3M
% of Total Spend: 0.5%

Centre-backs

Kolo Touré (£16M/Free)
Joleon Lescott (£22M/Still at Club) [HG]
Jerome Boateng (£11M/£15M)
Stefan Savic (£6M/£3M)
Matija Nastasic (£12M/Still at Club)
Martin Demichelis (£4M/Still at Club)

Total: £71M (£18M)
Players Recruited: 6
Average Price per Player: £11.8M
% of Total Spend: 12.2%

Left-backs

Wayne Bridge (£12M/Free) [HG]
Sylvinho (Free)
Aleksandr Kolarov (£17M/Still at Club)
Gael Clichy (£7M/Still at Club) [HG]

Total: £36M (£0)
Players Recruited: 4
Average Price per Player: £12M
% of Total Spend: 6.2%

Defensive/Central Midfielders

Nigel de Jong (£16M/£5M)
Gareth Barry (£12M/Free) [HG]
Patrick Vieira (Free/Retired)
Yaya Touré (£24M/Still at Club)
James Milner (£26M/Still at Club) [HG]
Owen Hargreaves (Free/Free)
Jack Rodwell (£15M/Still at Club) [HG]
Javi Garcia (£16M/Still at Club]
Fernandinho (£30M/Still at Club]

Total: £139M (£5M)
Players Recruited: 9
Average Price per Player: £15.4M
% of Total Spend: 23.8%

Attacking Midfielders

David Silva (£25M/Still at Club)
Samir Nasri (£22M/Still at Club)

Total: £47M (£0)
Players Recruited: 2
Average Price per Player: £23.5M
% of Total Spent: 8%

Wide Midfielders/Wingers

Adam Johnson (£7M/£10M) [HG]
Scott Sinclair (£8M/Still at Club) [HG]
Jesus Navas (£15M/Still at Club)

Total: £30M (£10M)
Players Recruited: 3
Average Price per Player: £10M
% of Total Spent: 5%

Forwards

Robinho (£32.5M/£15M)
Craig Bellamy (£14M/Free) [HG]
Roque Santa Cruz (£17.5M/Free)
Carlos Tevez (£25.5M/£10M)
Emmanuel Adebayor (£25M/£5M)
Mario Balotelli (£24.5M/£17M)
Edin Dzeko (£27M/Still at Club)
Sergio Aguero (£38M/Still at Club)
Alvaro Negredo (£16M/Still at Club)
Stevan Jovetic (£26M/Still at Club)

Total: £246M (£47M)
Players Recruited: 10
Average Price per Player: £24.6M
% of Total Spent: 42.2%

Grand Total (£583M/£83.5M)
Defensive Total: £121M
Midfield Total: £216M
Forwards Total: £246M

Homegrown Players Total Spend: £131M
Homegrown Players Recruited: 12
Average Price per HG Player: £10.9M

So a few things that I can pick out of this straight away. Firstly, as I believe most people knew already, we have massively under-invested in our defence. One right back signed for £3M in the last five years? On the other hand, having spent £36M on three left-backs since the takeover, it seems a fairly poor ROI that this has been identified as an area where the team badly needs strengthening.

Another area that we are supposedly short of quality in is central midfield, which is again fairly disappointing considering that nearly a quarter of our transfer funds since the takeover have been spent in that area of the field. Last year's £31M spend on Rodwell and Garcia looks particularly galling.

The need for width has been discussed at length, but with just three specialist wide players signed since 2008 at an average price of £10M each, this has clearly been a long way down our list of priorities.

What are your thoughts? Have we seen value for money? Where have we over/under invested?
Click to expand...
It is absolutely astounding how few attacking midfielders we have had and currently have at this club. I would actually include Jovetic as one, as well as Silva and Nasri, but we still should have two more. We skirt around the edge of the volcano all season, each season, with the possibility of any of them picking up suspensions or injuries and leaving us short and, as we always see when it happens, significantly lower in quality.
 
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