It's 100% a misnomer. Morata was always coming, regardless of what happened with Sanchez. Iturbe is the Sanchez plan B if anything.Morgan said:
2014 Summer Holiday Transfer News and Speculation
- Thread starter Vinho Tinto
- Start date
AgentOrange said:
Ahh, I see what you're saying now. I don't follow Juve closely but that sounds reasonable.
AgentOrange said:
Do you have a link that the Iturbe to Juve deal has been completed? I'm not seeing anything. I ask because, as the Atletico fan here, I know that Atleti was trying to pursue Iturbe, and the rumor was that Atletico has offered $25M euros plus the loan of Leo Baptistao.
Mandzukic to Atletico for 22mil Euros (no news, but here is a link with confirmation plus the transfer sum and Mandzukic saying he likes Atleticos style):
http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/607814/artikel_mandzukic_ich-mag-atleticos-spielstil.html
Hakan Calhanoglu from Hamburg to Leverkusen:
http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/607422/artikel_perfekt_calhanoglu-wechselt-nach-leverkusen.html
Poor guy just signed a new contract last season, was Hamburg´s best player above everyone (with Lasogga, who then was injured) and the only one who showed Bundesliga level and kept them from being relegated. Now he turned around and wanted to move, maybe he saw a better chance with Leverkusen (why sign new contract before). Then he went to a doctor and got a sick certificate until 15th of july. Now right after the transfer, he is already training. This kid is a joke.
Transfer sum should be 14-15mil Euros. Contract runs until 2019.
http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/607814/artikel_mandzukic_ich-mag-atleticos-spielstil.html
Hakan Calhanoglu from Hamburg to Leverkusen:
http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/607422/artikel_perfekt_calhanoglu-wechselt-nach-leverkusen.html
Poor guy just signed a new contract last season, was Hamburg´s best player above everyone (with Lasogga, who then was injured) and the only one who showed Bundesliga level and kept them from being relegated. Now he turned around and wanted to move, maybe he saw a better chance with Leverkusen (why sign new contract before). Then he went to a doctor and got a sick certificate until 15th of july. Now right after the transfer, he is already training. This kid is a joke.
Transfer sum should be 14-15mil Euros. Contract runs until 2019.
In what has to be a precursor to Mangala transferring to MCFC getting official, FC Porto has signed Martins Indi from Feyenoord.
Antonio Conte has resigned as coach of Juventus.
Its unclear whether that decision was related to any transfer activity or where the situation now leaves potential Juve transfers.
Its unclear whether that decision was related to any transfer activity or where the situation now leaves potential Juve transfers.
Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
He was ready to leave for the Monaco job in May, so it's safe to assume he has something lined up. The Azzurri job?
Iturbe supposedly will sign for Roma tonight. If they can hold onto Benatia and get Strootman back without much complication, they will be serious challengers to win Serie A.
Its been a rough couple days for Juventus.
Its been a rough couple days for Juventus.
Can anyone point me in the direction of an actual published week-by-week fixture list for the upcoming SerieA & SerieB seasons'?
I'm off to Florence end of September and would love to pick up a game while I'm there but if they're not at home I might try Siena instead, but I can't find a detailed list anywhere.
Grazie!
I'm off to Florence end of September and would love to pick up a game while I'm there but if they're not at home I might try Siena instead, but I can't find a detailed list anywhere.
Grazie!
Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
Really? Too bad. I was hoping that Atletico would be able to snag Iturbe. They had apparently upped their offer to 27M euros, plus a player on loan.
Might as well post this here as anywhere: one of my pet peeves about transfer rumours is the English media's use of the phrase, "it is understood that ..." or "Club X are understood to have bid ..." etc. It's the passive voice that gets me. Understood by whom? And the wink/wink nudge/nudge connotations of "understood", with the plausible deniability it suggests, are also annoying.
cjdmadcow said:
It looks like they don't come out until July 28.
Also, it looks like Siena filed for bankruptcy yesterday and were kicked out of Serie B, so I wouldn't count on that option. But you might look out for Empoli, who were promoted to Serie A this season and are located very close to Florence.
coremiller said:
There is nothing about the British football media that isn't annoying.
coremiller said:
Even worse, "Club X are understood to be preparing a bid."
In effect, it is rumored (but not confirmed) that something might happen (but it hasn't happened yet).
https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/489682017463050240
https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/489682017463050240
link to tweet
Toni Kroos officially goes to Real Madrid. Not sure how he fits in with di Maria and Isco. di Maria must be on his way out for real this time.
https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/489682017463050240
link to tweet
Toni Kroos officially goes to Real Madrid. Not sure how he fits in with di Maria and Isco. di Maria must be on his way out for real this time.
He's a completely different player than both of them. He'll sit back with Modric in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3. Basically he takes over Xabi Alonso's role.
I felt Real were at their best when Di Maria, Ronaldo, and Bale were all playing behind Benzema, but if Di Maria goes I could see Isco shifting or James if they buy him.
I felt Real were at their best when Di Maria, Ronaldo, and Bale were all playing behind Benzema, but if Di Maria goes I could see Isco shifting or James if they buy him.
"The Daily Phone Hacker understands that blah blah blah" is a house style equivalent to ESPN's mythical "sources". And the plausibly deniable wink wink part of it is appropriate and necessary since most of it comes straight from the mouth of some agent or club trying to force a move/engineer a new contract/push some other agenda. Read that way there is some sort of perverse honesty to it, if you squint hard enough.
https://twitter.com/BVB/statuses/489695757411553281
Typical savvy Dortmund signing. I would have loved to have him at Arsenal as a CB/DM depth player to groom over time into a starter. Apparently he's a lifelong BvB fan and wasn't interested in going anywhere else.
Typical savvy Dortmund signing. I would have loved to have him at Arsenal as a CB/DM depth player to groom over time into a starter. Apparently he's a lifelong BvB fan and wasn't interested in going anywhere else.
From what I saw of Kroos at Bayern and on the German national team, he seems to range father upfield than Alonso and Schweinstieger appears to play a role closer to Alonso's. Kroos' current roles seem most similar to Modric's role last season, but with the way he played I don't see Kroos replacing him.Zomp said:
I agree that James is a much more similar player to Real's current 10s, but I think Kroos is more likely to play in front of Alonso and Modric the way the squad is currently composed rather than supplant either.
OilCanMDS said:
They may switch Modric into the Alonso role and put Kroos' in Modric's role. But that's still a very attacking-minded side. Ancelotti likes playing lots of passing midfielders though. At Milan he played Pirlo, Seedorf, Rui Costa, and Kaka all at the same time, although that side did have Gattuso around to do the dirty work.
coremiller said:
Seedorf had a huge work rate as well, so flanking Pirlo with him and Gattuso was actually quite balanced.
What I don't get is the Kroos addition combined with the seemingly likely replacement of Di Maria with James. I'm not sure Modric/Kroos is much less secure defensively than Alonso/Modric. But last year's Real team only worked once they switched Di Maria in the AM position and therefore found a player who could burst forward and provide attacking thrust while also being capable of hustling back and providing secure defensive cover, so they could at least have a bank of three ahead of a bank of four, which helped cover for Alonso/Modric's range limitations and also allowed their superstar wingers to lollygag it back, as they like to do. Putting James into Di Maria's role and then playing any combination of two of Modric/Alonso/Kroos as the deeper lying CMs seems....unwise. This all also raises the question of whether they really intend to sell Khedira and why.
Demba Ba to Besiktas for $14m
http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/17/report-demba-bas-move-to-besiktas-imminent-after-passing-medical/
http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/17/report-demba-bas-move-to-besiktas-imminent-after-passing-medical/
They will definitely miss Khedira. It reminds me of when they signed Beckham and let Makelele go. Also, how does this affect Illarmendi? Wasn't he supposed to be the new Xabi? Wasn't his fee upwards of 30Million GBP?Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
Snakebauer007 said:
It buries him further on bench, I assume. They spent like 55M GDP on Isco and Illaramendi combined last summer and both are already yesterday's news.
Some smart clubs - hopefully Arsenal among them - are going to buy Isco, Illaramendi, and/or Jese in the next couple years and make out really well.
Arsenal's transfer strategy seems to be buy yesterday's news at Madrid or Barca. It's working well so far.
Spacemans Bong said:
You mean like that time Madrid sold Ozil, whom they bought for 15 million Euros to the Gunners for just a hair under 54 million Euros?
Meanwhile, Khedira refused to sign a contract extension and will be able to leave freely next summer. Real would be foolish not to not explore selling him. By the way if you believe the rumours Arsenal has tabled a bid just shy of 20 million euros. Not only is that 10 million Euros more than what Madrid paid to Stuttgart, but that is practically the same amount that Real will be paying for Kross.
Say what you want about Madrid's tranfer dealings under Florentino Perez, but they don't sell players at huge losses.(Kaka being the sole - albeit very obvious and very big example)
Edit: I double checked Madrid's transfer dealings over the past five years and it should be noted that when he decided to purge Calderon's Dutch signings that he did so at loss for the team with the exception of Robben for whom he sold for more that Calderon purchased him for. And that I also doubt that we will be able to sell Coantrao for the amount that he was purchased.
Despite my bitching about the usage of "is understood", there are some fantastic transfer season cliches. "Surplus to requirements" is one of my favorites. What a great break-up line that would be -- can you imagine the reaction you would get if you told a woman you'd been casually dating that she had become "surplus to requirements"?
Ashkan Dejagah has joined Al Arabi in Qatar from Fulham.
Sucks, he could have helped a number of EPL sides. Can't blame him for going after the $ though
Sucks, he could have helped a number of EPL sides. Can't blame him for going after the $ though
https://twitter.com/SchneiderlinMo4/status/494177493155606528
I guess he's pissed that Soton are refusing to sell or otherwise playing hardball. What a mess this summer has been for them.
I guess he's pissed that Soton are refusing to sell or otherwise playing hardball. What a mess this summer has been for them.
Guardian sport @guardian_sport · 1h
Frank Lampard set for shock short-term move to Manchester City http://gu.com/p/4ve5q/tw (Photo: AP)
Wow if true. I didn't see that one coming.
Frank Lampard set for shock short-term move to Manchester City http://gu.com/p/4ve5q/tw (Photo: AP)
Wow if true. I didn't see that one coming.
It makes sense because of the NYCFC-Man City connection, but given his status at Chelsea it seems like he could have pushed for something elsewhere.
There are rumors that Atletico has signed Reus from Dortmund for something in the range of 25-30M euros.
http://deportes.terra.es/atletico-de-madrid/el-atleti-ficha-a-reus,5abd7ec6528d7410VgnVCM3000009af154d0RCRD.html
Is anyone else seeing this information? Is it a pipe dream?
Imagine a midfield/attack with Koke, Arda, Griezmann, Mandzukic, and Reus. Wow.
http://deportes.terra.es/atletico-de-madrid/el-atleti-ficha-a-reus,5abd7ec6528d7410VgnVCM3000009af154d0RCRD.html
Is anyone else seeing this information? Is it a pipe dream?
Imagine a midfield/attack with Koke, Arda, Griezmann, Mandzukic, and Reus. Wow.
Vinho Tinto said:
These rumors seem to have cooled in the last week. Both Marca and AS haven't been beating this dead horse the last several days.
bosox4283 said:
Seems low. Reus should be worth twice that much (in the world where JAMES is worth 45M last season and 80M this season), if not more.
I mean, no offense, but the only thing Atletico has that Dortmund doesn't is nicer weather.
soxfan121 said:
Agreed on the fee. It makes little sense that any team could get Reus for such a low price.
In addition to the weather, Spanish food is surely better than German. It's a coin-toss for the better looking women.
ehaz said:
He has a release clause that kicks in next summer for a fee rumored to be between 25-35M, which is indeed low for a player of his caliber. It still makes no sense to sell him for the same price this summer. And if he was up for sale, you can bet that a bunch of clubs bigger than Atleti would be lining up to bid on him.
Some of the spanish press tonight are reporting that Reus is a done deal. I won't believe it until he's holding the jersey but it would be the story of the summer.
Julio Cesar has signed for two years with Benfica. His contract with QPR has been terminated and he leaves on a free transfer.
PedroSpecialK said:
I'm very interested to see how this goes.
On one level, it looks like an awful fit. Moyesball and the relatively free flowing style of La Liga aren't the most natural of marriages and I'm not sure he even speaks spanish (and obviously not basque). But on another level I can see how maybe Moyes the individual and the Basques might have a surprising compatibility and how a well structured and well disciplined team, supplied with the decent flow of talent that generally comes through Sociedad's system, might be able to carve out a decent niche in today's La Liga (Atleti-lite, basically).
I know Mikel Arteta and Moyes have a strong relationship and I wonder whether Arteta, who has lots of connections to Sociedad, played any role in recommending him or facilitating the marriage.
Anyway, I Ioved it when Moyes cratered last year but only because it was United. I actually kind of like him as a guy and felt he got a bit of a bad rap. Good luck to him in his future endeavors.