Ross Barkley

[BigOscar]

This potential signing doesn't sit with me at all.

I'm with you entirely tbh. To me, he seems to be the most overrated player in the world on here, I don't get it at all. I find the whole suggestion of paying £40-60m for him absolutely bizarre

 

[Ray78]

Top English players will always cost big money.

Sure we hope to take a lot more players through the CFA in the next 5-10 years, but there will still be top English talent available.

We haven't spent big on an English talent since Lescott in 2009.

It doesn't matter if it's £30 million or £40 million, if the club can afford it and believe Barkley is good enough, then go for it.

There will be enormous amount of pressure and expectancy if he did sign for us from the price tag.

 

[OB1]

I was talking in a short term sense as in was in the context of signing Ross Barkley, however even if the external factors (ie FFP) that would seek to prevent him doing so were to disappear I would think it unlikely, it'll be the crowning glory of his investment and plan if we become a self sustaining debt free elite club.

Last season, City generated £23 million from operating activities (before capex and financing); they paid a net £82m for the purchase of intangibles (i.e. player registrations) and Mansour invested £160m in new shares, with a relatively small net increase in the club's bank balance. And you think in the short-term it is unlikely that he will not have to invest any cash this season or next summer that won't be used to buy players?

I'm not 100% but I think that £160m was related to expenses for the campus and CFA.

Well, I am 100%: the cash investment in tangible assets (i.e. things like building the CFA) was £94m, and the net increase in cash was £7m, but you do not need to know that: the fact that only £23m was generated from operations and the net spend on players was £82m means that £59m had to come from somewhere. 160 less 94 less 7, funnily enough is 59. The joys of the need for accounts to balance!

 

[aguero93:20]

Last season, City generated £23 million from operating activities (before capex and financing); they paid a net £82m for the purchase of intangibles (i.e. player registrations) and Mansour invested £160m in new shares, with a relatively small net increase in the club's bank balance. And you think in the short-term it is unlikely that he will not have to invest any cash this season or next summer that won't be used to buy players?

I'm not 100% but I think that £160m was related to expenses for the campus and CFA.

Well, I am 100%: the cash investment in tangible assets (i.e. things like building the CFA) was £94m, and the net increase in cash was £7m, but you do not need to know that: the fact that only £23m was generated from operations and the net spend on players was £82m means that £59m had to come from somewhere. 160 less 94 less 7, funnily enough is 59. The joys of the need for accounts to balance!

Fair enough, I did say that if we needed cash for player purchases we would get it. It still doesn't mean that we're planning to run at a loss in the future again to fund player purchases.

 

[CityFan94]

Top English players will always cost big money.

Sure we hope to take a lot more players through the CFA in the next 5-10 years, but there will still be top English talent available.

We haven't spent big on an English talent since Lescott in 2009.

It doesn't matter if it's £30 million or £40 million, if the club can afford it and believe Barkley is good enough, then go for it.

There will be enormous amount of pressure and expectancy if he did sign for us from the price tag.

There would be pressure, but I don't think it would be that enormous.

Luke Shaw signed for Man Utd £32 million last summer and I wouldn't say there's been enormous pressure.

I just don't think £30-40 million is an extraordinary amount in football anymore, espeically for a young player. Real Madrid signed Illarramendi for £40 million and there wasn't massive pressure on him. Same with Bayern and Javi Martinez (£40 million). Both players who were at a similar age to Barkley when they got their big moves.

If he signed for £60 million, then yeah the pressure would be increase a lot. But I can't see the price going anywhere close to that amount personally.

If Barkley signed, he'd be joining a squad of fantastic players like Aguero, Silva, Nasri, Fernandinho - I don't think the pressure would be huge.

 

[aguero93:20]

Top English players will always cost big money.

Sure we hope to take a lot more players through the CFA in the next 5-10 years, but there will still be top English talent available.

We haven't spent big on an English talent since Lescott in 2009.

It doesn't matter if it's £30 million or £40 million, if the club can afford it and believe Barkley is good enough, then go for it.

There will be enormous amount of pressure and expectancy if he did sign for us from the price tag.

There would be pressure, but I don't think it would be that enormous.

Luke Shaw signed for Man Utd £32 million last summer and I wouldn't say there's been enormous pressure.

I just don't think £30-40 million is an extraordinary amount in football anymore, espeically for a young player. Real Madrid signed Illarramendi for £40 million and there wasn't massive pressure on him. Same with Bayern and Javi Martinez (£40 million). Both players who were at a similar age to Barkley when they got their big moves.

If he signed for £60 million, then yeah the pressure would be increase a lot. But I can't see the price going anywhere close to that amount personally.

If Barkley signed, he'd be joining a squad of fantastic players like Aguero, Silva, Nasri, Fernandinho - I don't think the pressure would be huge.

Because he signed for the scum who have the media eating out of the palm of their hand. We signed a far more experienced and accomplished player in Mangala for the same sum, who has been far better than Shaw and he's been pilloried and slagged off at every chance by the press. Go figure.

 

[OB1]

I'm not 100% but I think that £160m was related to expenses for the campus and CFA.

Well, I am 100%: the cash investment in tangible assets (i.e. things like building the CFA) was £94m, and the net increase in cash was £7m, but you do not need to know that: the fact that only £23m was generated from operations and the net spend on players was £82m means that £59m had to come from somewhere. 160 less 94 less 7, funnily enough is 59. The joys of the need for accounts to balance!

Fair enough, I did say that if we needed cash for player purchases we would get it. It still doesn't mean that we're planning to run at a loss in the future again to fund player purchases.

Running at a profit does not mean that cash won't required to fund capital investment in players.

 

[aguero93:20]

Well, I am 100%: the cash investment in tangible assets (i.e. things like building the CFA) was £94m, and the net increase in cash was £7m, but you do not need to know that: the fact that only £23m was generated from operations and the net spend on players was £82m means that £59m had to come from somewhere. 160 less 94 less 7, funnily enough is 59. The joys of the need for accounts to balance!

Fair enough, I did say that if we needed cash for player purchases we would get it. It still doesn't mean that we're planning to run at a loss in the future again to fund player purchases.

Running at a profit does not mean that cash won't required to fund capital investment in players.

As I referred to in the original post.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

There will be enormous amount of pressure and expectancy if he did sign for us from the price tag.

There would be pressure, but I don't think it would be that enormous.

Luke Shaw signed for Man Utd £32 million last summer and I wouldn't say there's been enormous pressure.

I just don't think £30-40 million is an extraordinary amount in football anymore, espeically for a young player. Real Madrid signed Illarramendi for £40 million and there wasn't massive pressure on him. Same with Bayern and Javi Martinez (£40 million). Both players who were at a similar age to Barkley when they got their big moves.

If he signed for £60 million, then yeah the pressure would be increase a lot. But I can't see the price going anywhere close to that amount personally.

If Barkley signed, he'd be joining a squad of fantastic players like Aguero, Silva, Nasri, Fernandinho - I don't think the pressure would be huge.

Because he signed for the scum who have the media eating out of the palm of their hand. We signed a far more experienced and accomplished player in Mangala for the same sum, who has been far better than Shaw and he's been pilloried and slagged off at every chance by the press. Go figure.

Really ? ShAw has been injured for a lot of the season therefore not much to judge on. Add in he's only 18. As you state mangala is older and more experienced therefore more pressure on him. Not a surprise the press and city fans have been slagging him off he's been shite for a lot of this season. United could get ten years out of shaw so the 30 mil they paid for him becomes irrelevant

 

[Ray78]

Shaw's weight and fitness has been questioned already by Turtlehead and for a £30m player you do expect it not be in doubt