Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
Based on what Falcao showed at Man Utd last year, why the heck would Chelsea want him? Was he misused at all by Van Gaal?
Surf's Up: Summer 2015 Transfer Rumors
- Thread starter Vinho Tinto
- Start date
Based on what Falcao showed at Man Utd last year, why the heck would Chelsea want him? Was he misused at all by Van Gaal?
After seeing Ashley Young and Fellaini become useful players when I thought they had nothing left, anything is possible. Falcao did look cooked last year though. The worrying part, to me anyway, was that he seemed fit enough and tried his balls off for the club. The sharpness just never returned.
ConigliarosPotential said:
Some combination of:
-They think last year's form was attributable in substantial part to the lingering effects of coming back from the ACL injury.
-Its a one-year loan so the risk is actually fairly minimal in the bigger picture.
-Falcao is attractive not only because he can provide cover for Costa but because he played alongside Costaat Atleti and they were pretty good together.
-There are very few clubs that Falcao can move to that will pay his wages (or a big proportion of them) and won't be awful for his career, so Chelsea are doing Mendes a favor with the implicit or explicit understanding that Mendes will hook them up by steering other top players their way in the future.
Fair enough. Still feels like a move which is more likely to hurt than help Chelsea retain the Premiership title, but I guess it depends who else Chelsea buys this summer.
sachmoney said:
I think Mourinho is too strong-willed to let a player like Falcao push him for playing time if he's not performing, but couldn't you say that United might have had a few more points this year had Falcao not been starting for them? IIRC, he displaced Rooney (who spent time all the way back at DM) and moving Rooney back to the top was one of several changes that helped turn their season around.
If Chelsea having Falcao means they aren't buying a better striker in his place, then yes, having Falcao could hinder Chelsea's chances of retaining the title.
ConigliarosPotential said:
Or maybe not...
Aston Villa sign Micah Richards - http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/jun/17/aston-villa-micah-richards-transfer-centre-half
I think it's a pretty transparent favor to Mendes. Mourinho and Mendes always seem to get deals done, even when they don't make sense. Falcao could make Chelsea worse if he agitates for playing time he doesn't deserve or his arrival causes Remy's departure. Costa is a very good striker but there are a thousand ways he ends up not on the pitch. Counting on Falcao as depth is risky because you don't know the player will accept the role or adapt to it, given what he showed last season. As Zomp said above, anything is possible and the reward for Chelsea will be very high if Falcao finds his former form, but I don't think it's a clear cut great move for Chelsea either.
But if this is the cost of business to keep Mendes funneling his clients toward Mourinho it may be worth the cost of admission there alone.
But if this is the cost of business to keep Mendes funneling his clients toward Mourinho it may be worth the cost of admission there alone.
Tevez Tells Juventus He Wants Boca Return
Obviously I'd normally call bullshit on any article containing the phrase "Goal understands" or "Goal.com has learned", but Goal Italia's Juventus correspondent is actually very plugged-in and reliable. Juventus has basically confirmed that this is what Tevez has told them as well. Not totally unexpected, but there was some optimism before the summer began that Tevez could stay for one more year.
Quite a week for the club with this coming on the heels of Vidal's idiocy.
Obviously I'd normally call bullshit on any article containing the phrase "Goal understands" or "Goal.com has learned", but Goal Italia's Juventus correspondent is actually very plugged-in and reliable. Juventus has basically confirmed that this is what Tevez has told them as well. Not totally unexpected, but there was some optimism before the summer began that Tevez could stay for one more year.
Quite a week for the club with this coming on the heels of Vidal's idiocy.
It makes sense because Tevez has never fallen in love with Europe and he's earned a fuck ton of money.
Arturo Vidal Totaled His Ferrari In Suspected Drunk Driving Accident
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal is currently in his native Chile with the national team competing in the Copa América. On his way back from a casino with his wife on his off-day, Vidal was involved in a two-car accident and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
...
Following the crash, police arrived on the scene and administered breathalyzer tests to the two drivers. According to Marca, Vidal had a BAC of 0.12. After a trip to the hospital to be evaluated for his injuries, he was charged with the crime. It appears that Vidal was released at some point that night, as he posted a video on Youtube stating that he had been involved in an accident, that he and his family weren't injured, that the crash wasnt his fault, and to thank everyone for their concern.
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal is currently in his native Chile with the national team competing in the Copa América. On his way back from a casino with his wife on his off-day, Vidal was involved in a two-car accident and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.
...
Following the crash, police arrived on the scene and administered breathalyzer tests to the two drivers. According to Marca, Vidal had a BAC of 0.12. After a trip to the hospital to be evaluated for his injuries, he was charged with the crime. It appears that Vidal was released at some point that night, as he posted a video on Youtube stating that he had been involved in an accident, that he and his family weren't injured, that the crash wasnt his fault, and to thank everyone for their concern.
Andre-Pierre Gignac is having a medical in Monterrey today, ahead of signing for Tigres. 29 year old forward with 21 Ligue 1 goals last season at Marseille. Nice get for a Liga MX club.
Southampton has signed right back Cedric Soares from Sporting for 6.5 million euros. Sporting retains 15% of any future sale.
Muzzi Ozcan (Turkish super-agent in England), who broke the Bilic to West Ham news tweeted that Dimitri Payet (who I believe is a client) to West Ham is done, last night. Then he deleted it and said he was hacked. He's spent all morning saying to wait on an official announcement, so I'd say it's probably done.
Cellar-Door said:
If true, that's a pretty nice get for West Ham and more evidence regarding the financial might of the Premier League. He has had a couple monster seasons for Marseille.
Marseille seems to be imploding - losing Gignac to Tigres, Ayew to Swansea, now maybe Payet to West Ham.
Atletico de Madrid seems to be in the lead to sign Jackson Martinez from Porto. Martinez is going to cost upwards of 30M euros, so Atletico is making a huge investment in the player. The team is bringing in some cash, presumably from the sale of Mandzukic to Juve (18M or so), Miranda to Milan, and Mario Suarez to whomever will buy him. But, most importantly, Atletico has now partnered with one of China's wealthiest men, which means the team should have some extra funds to spend.
You know when Falcao made his professional debut? When he was thirteen. There are some miles on those 29-YO wheels. I don't see him getting it back either, though he may be slightly better than this past year since he'll be two years out from the ACL.Zomp said:
Johannes Geis signs for Schalke from Mainz.
Schalke has a very impressive core of young German players - Geis, Draxler, Meyer, Sane, Goretzka, etc. Who knows how they will develop and whether the club will be able to keep them but that could be an interesting team over the next 3-4 years.
Schalke has a very impressive core of young German players - Geis, Draxler, Meyer, Sane, Goretzka, etc. Who knows how they will develop and whether the club will be able to keep them but that could be an interesting team over the next 3-4 years.
Dortmund edition:
sport1.de is reporting about a possible transfer of Agoney Gonzalez from Real Madrids C-team (i don´t know which one they mean) to Borussia Dortmund.
Guy is 20yo, is reportedly close to signing for Dortmund and usually plays on the left wing. I´ve never heard of the guy before. I have no idea if he is only for their U20 or has a shot at the Bundesliga team (in the long term?).
Yesterday, i read about a 40mil.€ offer from Arsenal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. I hope they don´t let him leave, he was their brightest spot last season, by far.
It is also said that Ilkay Gündogan might stay at Dortmund. I can imagine that´s true. Barca has a decent midfield with only very few spots, so there aren´t many matches for him to play, worst case. Maybe Dortmund improved their offer and might land another decent player (already added Bürki to improve keeper position) so they´re back in CL race.
sport1.de is reporting about a possible transfer of Agoney Gonzalez from Real Madrids C-team (i don´t know which one they mean) to Borussia Dortmund.
Guy is 20yo, is reportedly close to signing for Dortmund and usually plays on the left wing. I´ve never heard of the guy before. I have no idea if he is only for their U20 or has a shot at the Bundesliga team (in the long term?).
Yesterday, i read about a 40mil.€ offer from Arsenal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. I hope they don´t let him leave, he was their brightest spot last season, by far.
It is also said that Ilkay Gündogan might stay at Dortmund. I can imagine that´s true. Barca has a decent midfield with only very few spots, so there aren´t many matches for him to play, worst case. Maybe Dortmund improved their offer and might land another decent player (already added Bürki to improve keeper position) so they´re back in CL race.
Dimitri Payet to West Ham is official. 10.7M pounds for the player who had more key passes and created more chances than any other player in the top 5 leagues last year.
A friend of Muzzi Ozcan's says Song might be announced today, and he thinks Loic Remy will be on his way as well.
A friend of Muzzi Ozcan's says Song might be announced today, and he thinks Loic Remy will be on his way as well.
Arda Turan wants out of Atletico as he has expressed his desire to play in England. ManU and Chelsea seem to have some interest in him, though Turan will cost over 30M Euros.
The buzz seems pretty strong that Schneiderlin will go to Manchester United for around £24m, with wages reportedly around £120K per week.
Good signing for United. I don't see Schneiderlin as an elite player but he'll improve their midfield options for sure.
Its no surprise that Wenger seemed to bow out of this race given that fee and those wages. Arsenal is now in position to go big for players like Ozil and Sanchez but Wenger is not going to throw that kind of cash around for a player that might not even start.
Good signing for United. I don't see Schneiderlin as an elite player but he'll improve their midfield options for sure.
Its no surprise that Wenger seemed to bow out of this race given that fee and those wages. Arsenal is now in position to go big for players like Ozil and Sanchez but Wenger is not going to throw that kind of cash around for a player that might not even start.
Hey may not be elite but he ensures that Rooney or Herrerra won't have to play as a holding midfielder. If LVG wants to go defensive he can have Schneiderlin paired with Carrick. If it goes through I like the move.
Zomp said:
Yup, or at least he can play DM instead of Blind, who seems too limited in that role.
In other United news, it looks like the Ramos rumors might have more legs than most of us thought. That would be a coup if it happens.
bosox4283 said:
I read a report today that Chelsea is the leading candidate to sign Turan. This move may facilitate the return of Filipe Luis to Atletico.
Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
I'm a big fan of Schneiderlin's. I think he's been one of the most underrated players in England the last 2-3 years, although clearly the cat's out of the bag now if he's getting that kind of fee/wages. I was dying for Spurs to sign him last year, and apparently Poch tried, but Schneiderlin would only leave Southampton for CL football. He's excellent positionally, covers ground, tackles well, and is comfortable on the ball. IMO he would definitely start for Arsenal, he's a better version of Coquelin -- just as good defensively ([SIZE=14.4444446563721px]Schneiderlin has the most combined tackles + interceptions in the EPL over the last three seasons) [/SIZE]but better on the ball: playing similar DM roles, Schneiderlin last year completed 61.2 passes/game at an 89.3 success rate, while Coquelin was 45.5/85.9. And despite being just one year older, he's much more experienced/established than Coquelin. Coquelin has had one good half of a season, while Schneiderlin has been an excellent EPL player for three years -- we know Schneiderlin can sustain this level.
He's also something of an analytics darling -- WhoScored.com ranked him as one of the five best central midfielders in England last year, and FourFourTwo's StatsZone named him their PL Central Midfielder of the Year back in 2013. Southampton's record is significantly better with him in the lineup than without.
[SIZE=14.4444446563721px]I'm not sure his passing is good enough to make him the long-term Carrick replacement United have been needing for a while, but h[/SIZE]e makes Man Utd a better side. He and Herrera could make an excellent duo.
coremiller said:
We're on the same page. Schneiderlin has been a really good player for Southampton and a big part of their success the last two years. He has been the favored DM addition for Arsenal supporters for a long time. I think Wenger would have gone hard for him this summer if Coquelin had not emerged this past spring. Schneiderlin is probably better but the difference isn't large enough to pay 25m and make him one of Arsenal's highest paid players.
My big question with Schneiderlin is the same as yours - whether he will be good enough on the ball and under pressure to be the main passer and "midfield general" in central midfield for a team like United. He gets compared to Carrick a lot but in some ways he reminds me more of Darren Fletcher (before his health issues) - a high energy all around central midfielder that excelled at tackling, was astute positionally, and had some technical skill but needed to be paired with a great passer like Carrick or Scholes to really make the midfield tick.
IMO, a guy with Schneiderlin's defensive ability who can also be the midfield general for a top club is worth a ton. You kill two birds with one stone and it gives you a lot of options in terms of that player's midfield partner, including pairing him with a player that is relatively attack-oriented and contributes a lot in the final third (like Herrera). But a player with Schneiderlin's defensive ability who needs to be played alongside an elite passer and midfield general (at least in tough games) is worth substantially less, because then your other midfielder has to be the midfield general and those are not only hard to find but they often contribute less in the final third. I think this is why United has also (reportedly) been pursuing elite passing central midfielders like Gundogan and Schweinsteiger, not as alternatives to Schneiderlin but as complements.
Good posts. I've also been a Schneiderlin fan for quite some time.
The real question I have - and this is not a critique of his abilities, but rather something I look forward to seeing answered as it develops - is how he will cope in a system where he is the single defensive midfielder, where others (including LB/RB) are all getting forward consistently. At Southampton, he played in a counterattacking scheme alongside another defensive midfielder (Wanyama had 3.5 tackles, 2.3 interceptions per 90). At United, he probably won't receive that type of help because it's just not the system Van Gaal employs (61% possession was behind only Bayern and Barca of teams in the top 4 European leagues). If he can have the same impact at United as he did at Southampton, despite playing in a system with very different priorities, then he'll be worth every penny.
The real question I have - and this is not a critique of his abilities, but rather something I look forward to seeing answered as it develops - is how he will cope in a system where he is the single defensive midfielder, where others (including LB/RB) are all getting forward consistently. At Southampton, he played in a counterattacking scheme alongside another defensive midfielder (Wanyama had 3.5 tackles, 2.3 interceptions per 90). At United, he probably won't receive that type of help because it's just not the system Van Gaal employs (61% possession was behind only Bayern and Barca of teams in the top 4 European leagues). If he can have the same impact at United as he did at Southampton, despite playing in a system with very different priorities, then he'll be worth every penny.
blueguitar322 said:
I think that's a good question as well. Schneiderlin has not always played alongside an all-out destroyer like Wanyama - for much of his career his regular partner was Jack Cork - but he has almost always played in a two man pivot with another CM also playing a mainly defensive and cautious game.
In the end, there is just a lot of uncertainty in predicting how a guy like Schneiderlin will transition from a club like Southampton to one like United, where the tactics (not to mention expectations) are very different. That's where statistics become difficult to interpret and the scouts earn their money.
That one makes my head spin, no idea why Inter would be shopping him.
Clyne is official at long last
Clyne is official at long last
PedroSpecialK said:
Moratti is looking to make back some of the half a billion Inter lost during the Mourinho years.
Just finding that incredibly hard to believe. The Barca elections are going on so there's all kinds of ridiculous promises being made and I'm not sure how the agreement benefits anyone involved except Barca.
teddykgb said:
Yeah, I don't think anything can really happen until the elections are concluded and there is a lot of cheap talk involved in that internal struggle.
I also am a bit skeptical about the idea of buying the player for that kind of money and loaning him back for the whole year. What happens if he blows out his ACL? What if the Juve and Barca doctors disagree about his recovery from an injury? You see this kind of deal all the time with prospects in which the clubs don't have such a major financial stake but I can't recall it happening with a mega superstar being sold for stratospheric prices. I'm not saying that it couldn't occur but it would definitely involve some unusual negotiations and complications.
Other news:
-Douglas Costa goes from Shakhtar to Bayern for about 30m euro. This seems like a depth move for the wings. I'm not sure he has the quality to be a long-term Robben/Ribery replacement.
-Gundogan extended his contract at BvB, but only until 2017. He clearly wants a big money move to a bigger club but there probably wasn't a ton of interest this summer given that he is still trying to recapture his past form after his comeback from injury. He'll be on the market again next summer or could even be a hot name in the winter window if he plays well next season (especially since he will not be cup tied in the Champions League).
-Douglas Costa goes from Shakhtar to Bayern for about 30m euro. This seems like a depth move for the wings. I'm not sure he has the quality to be a long-term Robben/Ribery replacement.
-Gundogan extended his contract at BvB, but only until 2017. He clearly wants a big money move to a bigger club but there probably wasn't a ton of interest this summer given that he is still trying to recapture his past form after his comeback from injury. He'll be on the market again next summer or could even be a hot name in the winter window if he plays well next season (especially since he will not be cup tied in the Champions League).
Not sure why PST didn't link to today's article in La Gazzetta. Juve's director says he's received a bid from Barça, but rejected it.Laser Show said:
http://www.gazzetta.it/Calciomercato/01-07-2015/pogba-barca-scoperto-toccata-quota-80-mln-marotta-non-si-vende-120388249597.shtml
That seems to be the logical end to this saga. Juve can afford to hold him, so they won't sell unless they get an absurd offer or Pogba forces his way out. No team has more money than PSG, and Pogba is a Parisian. The question is will it be this summer or next?Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
bosox4283 said:
Barcelona now jumps in the lead for Turan. This move would be tough to swallow: Turan is talented, and he'd make Barcelona a bit better. I just hope Barcelona, if they get him, pay nearly full price.
Too good to be true
fuck, I frequent /r/soccer and I fell for the made up rumor. God dammit.
Another news report from Germany (at sport1.de) says that PSG is interested in Kevin Trapp, 23yo, from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Guy just renewed his contract, Frankfurt seems to have refused a 8mil € bid and is said to want 10mil. € for him. I guess it will be somewhere in between (9mil. with match clauses that can bring it up to 10). If he goes there, it could be a situation like at Barca, but i seriously doubt it. I think Sirigu(28) is also a very good keeper, i don´t know much about his standing in the team and his relationsship with Laurent Blanc.
Guy just renewed his contract, Frankfurt seems to have refused a 8mil € bid and is said to want 10mil. € for him. I guess it will be somewhere in between (9mil. with match clauses that can bring it up to 10). If he goes there, it could be a situation like at Barca, but i seriously doubt it. I think Sirigu(28) is also a very good keeper, i don´t know much about his standing in the team and his relationsship with Laurent Blanc.
Schnerres said:
http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/89632-201516-bundesliga-thread/]I did right after the relegation playoffs in both the 1. and 2. Bundesliga.[/url]