Virgil van Dijk

[Neville Kneville]

He was one of the best prospects in the City youth set up IMO. "One of the best kids in Europe" is stretching it massively though. He wasn't even close

He was actually. Very very highly rated around europe.

And excelled for Belgium immediately . Nowardays he would be fucking embarrassing.

Not the same player at all. Which is a common theme.

 

[Jimbob]

VVD is absolute quality, name another centre half we could bring in, especially in the Premier League, he's the perfect signing for me.

 

[Neville Kneville]

VVD is absolute quality, name another centre half we could bring in, especially in the Premier League, he's the perfect signing for me.

I think he has plenty of flaws but compared to any others available, seems a perfect fit for Pep & City.

But it will be interesting to see if Pep agrees or whether it's all bollocks. And then if we don't buy him, to see how the alternative signing gets on by comparison.

 

[ak93city]

Shouldn't 70M land us Bonucci?

70m for a 31 year old would be unwise.

 

[Thenumber1blue]

Premier experience/proven means nothing,why the fuck do people keep saying this ?

 

[ak93city]

Cash and revenue are two different things. Barca have high revenue but would struggle to pay half of Mbappe's fee up front, we could pay the lot.

I see.

But this cash surely then comes from the Sheikh himself, which I presume isn't something FFP allows?
Because otherwise we've made a profit only in the past 2 years, viz. a total of 30m I believe, and that's the amount we'd have in cash so to speak.

Am I missing something about City's finances here?

 

[ak93city]

Your point suggests all match going fans and ex players are morons.

That we can't form an educated opinion of a player's quality by weighing up the good points vs the bad.

Most can.

To refute your conclusion about fans and ex players being though of as morons, consider this:

For the same reason fans and ex pros aren't consulted on a huge variety of topics such as

• finances,
• recruitment,
• match day line ups,
• positions players should play in,
• whom to bring on, or take off
• etc.

in the running of the club, is the same reason that fan's impressions on whether a player is good or bad enough at the club isn't used.

If in the above cases you concede that fans aren't thought of to be morons by the club staff, then similarly in our discussion you can't conclude that giving pertinence to statistics over the impressions of spectators is a tacit assertion of the latter's incompetence.

 

[1961_vintage]

To refute your conclusion about fans and ex players being though of as morons, consider this:

For the same reason fans and ex pros aren't consulted on a huge variety of topics such as

• finances,
• recruitment,
• match day line ups,
• positions players should play in,
• whom to bring on, or take off
• etc.

in the running of the club, is the same reason that fan's impressions on whether a player is good or bad enough at the club isn't used.

It will all change when the next iteration of the Tunnel Club - ie the Bench Club - is implemented.

 

[aguero93:20]

I see.

But this cash surely then comes from the Sheikh himself, which I presume isn't something FFP allows?
Because otherwise we've made a profit only in the past 2 years, viz. a total of 30m I believe, and that's the amount we'd have in cash so to speak.

Am I missing something about City's finances here?

You're missing a lot mate. FFP is about revenue and expenditure, not cash. For example the rags make a profit every year, but are hundreds of millions in debt because they've borrowed cash.

 

[80s Shorts]

Come on here for any news and its just the usual suspects playing my dad is bigger than your dad. Or should that be my stat is bigger than your stat. Bore off already.

 

[taleofbluehalves]

Come on here for any news and its just the usual suspects playing my dad is bigger than your dad. Or should that be my stat is bigger than your stat. Bore off already.

Don't head to the election thread then!

 

[Marvin]

Southampton are being ridiculous to be asking such a price.

Not really seeing as City have a track record of paying such fees.

Southampton are portrayed as a club whose academy, or young players is being plundered by big clubs who are too lazy to develop their own players or scout them themselves, but Southampton are using a hyper-inflated transfer market as a business strategy. Sooner or later though they have to keep these players instead of selling them on.

If I were City, I'd be lining up an experienced defender at a fraction of the cost, and then seeing how the VVD auction goes. I suspect the transfer fee will be a lot lower as no one else will pay the money quoted and they will have to come down or risk alienating a player priced out of a move.

 

[Easy]

No way Southampton are really demanding £70m, its just paper talk. They will accept £50m if VVD pushes for a move which I could see him doing. Hopefully Pep gives him a call and tells him he can join City win the league and eventually become one of the best CBs in the world, winning trophies and making history in the process.

 

[ak93city]

You're missing a lot mate. FFP is about revenue and expenditure, not cash. For example the rags make a profit every year, but are hundreds of millions in debt because they've borrowed cash.

But isn't that debt due to the leveraged buyout when the Glazers came, as opposed to them taking loans for cash?

Also, are you saying that the Sheikh is still allowed to endow the club with cash without violating FFP?

 

[aguero93:20]

But isn't that debt due to the leveraged buyout when the Glazers came, as opposed to them taking loans for cash?

Also, are you saying that the Sheikh is still allowed to endow the club with cash without violating FFP?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

 

[ak93city]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Well fuck me then there's no cause to worry whether the club spends 300m or 500m. Great.

Sign em all I say. Mbappe, Sanchez, Bonucci, the whole lot.

 

[aguero93:20]

Well fuck me then there's no cause to worry whether the club spends 300m or 500m. Great.

Sign em all I say. Mbappe, Sanchez, Bonucci, the whole lot.

We still need to make sure the club isn't running at a loss. As I said, cash and profit/revenue are two completely separate things. Read up on it if you want to understand it further, it's been done to death on here in the past.

 

[citizen_maine]

Define reasonable. He qualifies as homegrown? Price goes up. Wayyyy up.

Pretty sure he doesn't.

 

[ak93city]

We still need to make sure the club isn't running at a loss. As I said, cash and profit/revenue are two completely separate things. Read up on it if you want to understand it further, it's been done to death on here in the past.

Yeah yeah of course 500m assuming the Sheikh can cover enough of that so the club doesn't turn a loss.

 

[bigkatnyc]

Pretty sure he doesn't.

Well then, the price is even more unreasonable! As others mentioned, let's hope Juve win today and Bonucci is ready for a new challenge. Prefer him, certainly at the money VVD may go for.