Ross Barkley

[blueyorkie]

Funnily enough I actually think we should be playing the football manager transfer strategy and not the diamonds in the rough, shrewd market. With a lot of our wage restructuring etc we have enough cash to bring in some real quality. We need to be looking at European rivals and not just domestic. Chelsea have managed to get Costa and Fabregas for relatively cheaply, especially when you see what the rags and liverpool have spent on younger english players.

I've said a few times that City's ageing squad means we are losing a lot of money on any value uplift of players. We can't for instance do what Chelsea or Real or Barca have been able to do and sell a big player and replace with another big player who is more needed. Mata and Luiz for Fabregas and Costa (plus change). Ozil and Di Maria for Rodriguez and Kroos. Sanchez helped with the Suarez signing.

Our best players, apart from Zabba, Kompany, Hart and Aguero, are all worth lower fees than we paid in general. Largely down to their age. If we now target the likes of Pogba, Barkley, Reus and pay reasonable money for them, there is nothing to say that in the future their value increases. Maybe Real decide they want Barkley or Pogba in 4 years time - likelihood is they will cost an extra £20m to what we pay this/next year. Why take the risk on unproven English or domestic players? Jones, Smalling, Young, Carroll, Downing... all commanded big fees and haven't really repaid that. Their value is no more than what their clubs spent for them - in the latter two cases it went down a lot.

We have been shrewd with Fernando and have added Mangala, who could be worth £50m plus based on Luiz' cost last summer if he proves himself.

There's no way Silva's worth less than £24m

I don't believe that Vinny or Zaba are worth less than the £6 or £8m we paid either. Sergio must be worth £50-£60 m at least

 

[bluechampion7891]

If we can't get pogba then barkley will do.

Imo we need both.

Lampard goes, Yaya goes? and that leaves us with two CMs. Pogba and Barkley replace both but also lower the age of our team.

An upgrade on Clichy and Reus and that's summer done.

Your proposed team:

What a team.

couple of things: more likely that Fernando would start rather than Fernandinho. Both Pogba and Fernandinho are box to box (Barkley too to some extent), with Fernando it will free the other CMs more and we'd be more solid. Also I think we can't field both Pogba and Barkley right next season, I think we would be weaker that our current best XI. Maybe in a year and half.

FWIW,, if Yaya does find his form and motivation, it might be better to have Pogba learn off him (he is a long way away from replicating Yaya's role) for a year while Barkley advances at Everton.

 

[Azul Luna]

Imo we need both.

Lampard goes, Yaya goes? and that leaves us with two CMs. Pogba and Barkley replace both but also lower the age of our team.

An upgrade on Clichy and Reus and that's summer done.

Your proposed team:

What a team.

couple of things: more likely that Fernando would start rather than Fernandinho. Both Pogba and Fernandinho are box to box (Barkley too to some extent), with Fernando it will free the other CMs more and we'd be more solid. Also I think we can't field both Pogba and Barkley right next season, I think we would be weaker that our current best XI. Maybe in a year and half.

FWIW,, if Yaya does find his form and motivation, it might be better to have Pogba learn off him (he is a long way away from replicating Yaya's role) for a year while Barkley advances at Everton.

Very good points.

 

[waspish]

Best position for Barkley would be behind the striker with silva one side Aguero the other side with Dzeko up front

 

[thesilvalining]

Best position for Barkley would be behind the striker with silva one side Aguero the other side with Dzeko up front

We'd be sacrificing 2 world class players from playing in their best position to suit a player who isn't world class. Silva is best behind the striker and aguero is best being one of the strikers. I know silva plays wide mostly atm but if were playing a player behind a striker it has to be him.

 

[Bokonon]

Would so much rather buy pogba. Only way I think Barkley could make it into our team and deserve to be there is if he was converted into a box to box. i.e. fernandinho's replacement

 

[waspish]

Best position for Barkley would be behind the striker with silva one side Aguero the other side with Dzeko up front

We'd be sacrificing 2 world class players from playing in their best position to suit a player who isn't world class. Silva is best behind the striker and aguero is best being one of the strikers. I know silva plays wide mostly atm but if were playing a player behind a striker it has to be him.

Agree just saying that's when his best position is, being one of the 2 in front of the back 4 is not his position, so buying him to be squad player at the moment is not worth bothering with....

 

[razman]

@PeterSpencerMEN 31m31 minutes ago

wonder whether barkley will be a world record signing when he arrives at city in the summer


is he high ? ..though being English ross would definitely be over priced

 

[kippaxblue76]

@PeterSpencerMEN 31m31 minutes ago

wonder whether barkley will be a world record signing when he arrives at city in the summer


is he high ? ..though being English ross would definitely be over priced

World record my arse, £30m tops.

 

[Kompany is King]

Don't see Barkley being a world record transfer fee. Not £85m +

Would sign him though, Pogba & Reus too if at all possible.

Barkley as a British record transfer. I can see that happening. Hopefully to City