Thiago Alcantara

[Ray78]

I know there's a fair bit of excitement about Thiago because of Graham Hunter's tweet but I can't see us going for Thiago. From what I understand (reading an old Sid Lowe article on Aguero's release clause) that the release clause in Spanish contracts is quite complex and you don't simply pay €18m and get the player. I understand there's VAT on top plus the selling club can also play silly beggars to frustrate the buyer a fair bit. Considering our dreadful relationship with Barcelona I can't see any deal for Thiago being sanctioned by them without a lot of problems. They may pave the way for the rags to sign Thiago as part of the on-going feud with them.

A fair point but you cannot rule Chelsea out on this one. Chelsea if they have to can pay a bit more extra than the rags and also London can play a part in the move.

 

[johnmc]

As for the potential in the kid, saying 5x is obviously an off the cuff comment, however, silva who is undoubtedly class, I would trade tomorrow for him, a complete diamond who will be one of the top players in world football!

Potential will only get you so far - if we buy too many Isco and Thiago's could be another Arsenal who have had amazing potential apparently for 10 years.

The Spanish manager has Silva ahead of Thiago and I am happy with the present rather than potential in that regard

 

[BringBackSwales]

I know there's a fair bit of excitement about Thiago because of Graham Hunter's tweet but I can't see us going for Thiago. From what I understand (reading an old Sid Lowe article on Aguero's release clause) that the release clause in Spanish contracts is quite complex and you don't simply pay €18m and get the player. I understand there's VAT on top plus the selling club can also play silly beggars to frustrate the buyer a fair bit. Considering our dreadful relationship with Barcelona I can't see any deal for Thiago being sanctioned by them without a lot of problems. They may pave the way for the rags to sign Thiago as part of the on-going feud with them.

there is VAT on top but that is then reclaimed in City's VAT return as a VAT registered entity

 

[zeven]

I know there's a fair bit of excitement about Thiago because of Graham Hunter's tweet but I can't see us going for Thiago. From what I understand (reading an old Sid Lowe article on Aguero's release clause) that the release clause in Spanish contracts is quite complex and you don't simply pay €18m and get the player. I understand there's VAT on top plus the selling club can also play silly beggars to frustrate the buyer a fair bit. Considering our dreadful relationship with Barcelona I can't see any deal for Thiago being sanctioned by them without a lot of problems. They may pave the way for the rags to sign Thiago as part of the on-going feud with them.

A fair point but you cannot rule Chelsea out on this one. Chelsea if they have to can pay a bit more extra than the rags and also London can play a part in the move.

Half the barca team have gone ut and public to say what they think about Mou. half the spanish national team even from both RM and Barca. Do you really think Thiaga want to you play for Mou? No spanish player will sign for Chelsea this summer i bet my life on it.

 

[Ray78]

I know there's a fair bit of excitement about Thiago because of Graham Hunter's tweet but I can't see us going for Thiago. From what I understand (reading an old Sid Lowe article on Aguero's release clause) that the release clause in Spanish contracts is quite complex and you don't simply pay €18m and get the player. I understand there's VAT on top plus the selling club can also play silly beggars to frustrate the buyer a fair bit. Considering our dreadful relationship with Barcelona I can't see any deal for Thiago being sanctioned by them without a lot of problems. They may pave the way for the rags to sign Thiago as part of the on-going feud with them.

A fair point but you cannot rule Chelsea out on this one. Chelsea if they have to can pay a bit more extra than the rags and also London can play a part in the move.

Half the barca team have gone ut and public to say what they think about Mou. half the spanish national team even from both RM and Barca. Do you really think Thiaga want to you play for Mou? No spanish player will sign for Chelsea this summer i bet my life on it.

You can't completely rule Chelsea out as none of us know what Thiago is thinking. He will get advised by both Real's and Barca players but it is down to himself to make that choice.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Fuck me
Comparing him to messi? Really?
Apples and oranges.

So what you're saying is that we're going to be playing a system that accommodates the likes of Barry and milner, but not Thiago? What a crock of shit. Thiago is twice the player of either and is more than capable of playing in numerous formations.

What I'm saying is that we need a variety of players for the Premier League, including players such as Barry & Milner, as some teams won't 'chase shadows' as Zin puts it, they'll just stand in a block & stop us going through them, then when we lose the ball, they'll fuck off straighht down the middle of the pitch past all our wonderful attacking talent, & hoof the ball in the back of the fucking net (like Dortmund & Bayern did to Barca, Real & us). We need to be stronger in that situation, not weaker.

Then, in a side containing Thiago, Silva, Isco, Aguero, Fenandinho, Yaya, Clichy, Zabba.

Lets say the oppo has 6 players who are good in the air, which is quite common.

Who picks up who defending corners & set pieces ?

Did Barca cope particularly well in this area on the few occasions they faced a team with aerial power ? But we will automatically do much better when facing it every fucking week in the Prem ?

If we sign too many small, clever, players, several of them will end up on the bench, moaning.

I think you'll be surprised by how we attack next year nev, you're to use to playing through the middle with no width- players such as thiago drag the play from left to right or penetrate when needed- teams will not be allowed to park the bus with us like before and you're also ignoring g the physical presence we already have in yaya and now fern!

But imo, Fernandinho is already there to do the job Thiago would be doing & he's pretty much better at almost everything than Thiago.

I've watched Thiago scores of times & from what I've seen he's an inferior version of the top Barca midfield players & imo isn't even close to Silva let alone better than him. Isco is not as impressive in real football as he looks in U21 level either, but he has that touch of Ronaldinho about him, which we sometimes lack.

We already have players who can move the ball around & pull people about but we lack a killer pass at the end. Imo, Isco & Silva can provide that & Navas can provide crosses & width. Mancini was uninspired when it came to sorting out attacking problems & didn't get the best out of our creative players imo, it was all overlapping fullbacks & fuck all else.

If Pellegrini is as good as his rep, then even Nasri comes into that equation, he has as much talent as any of them if he can be persuaded to use it.

Of course if Nasri was going then it frees up a space for Thiago, but even then I would prefer another kind of player personally.

The one thing we lack which Thiago would give us, is free kicks imo, we can already do the rest.

There is one other point which I think people are forgetting..<br /><br />-- Wed Jun 19, 2013 1:23 pm --<br /><br />

Fuck me
Comparing him to messi? Really?
Apples and oranges.

So what you're saying is that we're going to be playing a system that accommodates the likes of Barry and milner, but not Thiago? What a crock of shit. Thiago is twice the player of either and is more than capable of playing in numerous formations.

What I'm saying is that we need a variety of players for the Premier League, including players such as Barry & Milner, as some teams won't 'chase shadows' as Zin puts it, they'll just stand in a block & stop us going through them, then when we lose the ball, they'll fuck off straighht down the middle of the pitch past all our wonderful attacking talent, & hoof the ball in the back of the fucking net (like Dortmund & Bayern did to Barca, Real & us). We need to be stronger in that situation, not weaker.

Then, in a side containing Thiago, Silva, Isco, Aguero, Fenandinho, Yaya, Clichy, Zabba.

Lets say the oppo has 6 players who are good in the air, which is quite common.

Who picks up who defending corners & set pieces ?

Did Barca cope particularly well in this area on the few occasions they faced a team with aerial power ? But we will automatically do much better when facing it every fucking week in the Prem ?

If we sign too many small, clever, players, several of them will end up on the bench, moaning.

I do see your point.
But I don't think it will be as big an issue as you think, not big enough to pass up on thiago in any case.

To continue from replying to Zin, but also relevant here, the other point is, the rules re squads for Premier League & Champions League.

For instance, both need 8 'home produced players' but in the Champions League, 4 of those have to be 'club produced' & we only have Richards.

Hart etc don't count as club produced & Nastasic doesn't count as U21 either.

Work it out, balance the squad & try to find places for Isco, Navas & Thiago. That's without any more signings.

 

[Andouble]

With ADL refusing to budge on the buy out clause for Cavani, I'd sack him off and go all out for Isco and Thiago.

2 of the worlds best up and coming players for less than the price Napoli want for Cavani.

if it were up to me I'd go Thiago and Isco, fuck off any expensive striker, keep Dzeko, buy a non-superstar (by that I mean maybe a 10-13mil pound one) and put Guidetti in the rotation. Worst case really play the Barca style our management craves you could use Isco as a false 9.

 

[green pennies]

With ADL refusing to budge on the buy out clause for Cavani, I'd sack him off and go all out for Isco and Thiago.

2 of the worlds best up and coming players for less than the price Napoli want for Cavani.

if it were up to me I'd go Thiago and Isco, fuck off any expensive striker, keep Dzeko, buy a non-superstar (by that I mean maybe a 10-13mil pound one) and put Guidetti in the rotation. Worst case really play the Barca style our management craves you could use Isco as a false 9.

Bingo. Would like to see this.

 

[TonyM]

With ADL refusing to budge on the buy out clause for Cavani, I'd sack him off and go all out for Isco and Thiago.

2 of the worlds best up and coming players for less than the price Napoli want for Cavani.

if it were up to me I'd go Thiago and Isco, fuck off any expensive striker, keep Dzeko, buy a non-superstar (by that I mean maybe a 10-13mil pound one) and put Guidetti in the rotation. Worst case really play the Barca style our management craves you could use Isco as a false 9.

Same here except I'd be open to swapping Dzeko for Gomez to freshen things up (just posted the same in the Gomez thred).

 

[Plain Speaking]

We may want Thiago but United have been chasing him for years and want a Scholes replacement.
It would be a huge shock for us to get him ahead of United.