All things transfer and rumour related

  On 5/17/2016 at 12:24 AM, chenGOD said:

Zlatan to United rumour. Can't get more erect.

a) Zlatan not a fan of Van Gaal, so any deal would presumably hinge on Mourinho arriving.

b) Sounds like a story planted by the United board to get the fans excited while they end up not signing anyone of note until deadline day when they spend a record transfer on a 16 year old.

c) His agent has rubbished the story, doesn't seem likely without CL.

  On 5/17/2016 at 10:57 AM, caze said:

 

  On 5/17/2016 at 7:25 AM, chenGOD said:

The thing I don't get is why Klopp offered Mignolet a new 5 year contract earlier this year. He had 2 years left on his contract, and no one was rushing to buy him...

He's far from perfect (not great on crosses, and liable for 1-2 cockups a season), but he's a very good shot stopper (we wouldn't be in the final tomorrow without him), so he'll provide decent backup if this new guy turns out to be the shit.

 

He's a decent shot stopper, I wouldn't say very good. He's good when he doesn't have time ot think about things much.

You're paying first team wages to your back-up keeper. I know that Klopp signed the deal with him before he had really had a chance to evaluate him, but even so, Mignolet still had 2 years left. I'm trying to understand the rush for that. Some people have said it was to get his confidence up, but that seems a stretch. Plus the increased wages kill his resale value.

Ah well, we'll probably never know the true answer.

  On 5/17/2016 at 11:00 AM, caze said:

 

  On 5/17/2016 at 12:24 AM, chenGOD said:

Zlatan to United rumour. Can't get more erect.

a) Zlatan not a fan of Van Gaal, so any deal would presumably hinge on Mourinho arriving.

 

b) Sounds like a story planted by the United board to get the fans excited while they end up not signing anyone of note until deadline day when they spend a record transfer on a 16 year old.

 

c) His agent has rubbished the story, doesn't seem likely without CL.

 

Yes, my erection has died down since. Gotta love and hate the rumour mill.

Summer transfer and rumour season has begun.

Arteta to Citeh as part of Pep's coaching staff.

Ever Banega from Sevilla to Inter.

looks like Arsenal are going to sign Xhaka.

Anyone else get the feeling that this summer the transfer market in the PL is going to be a bit hectic?

Mourinho to United so. Feel sorry for all the young lads Van Gaal brought through over the last two seasons (who am I kidding, no I don't).

My god the Pep-Mou media dynamic is going to be toxic.

Never mind that, the week leading up to any match against Chelsea is going to be ferocious.

I think Rashford and Lingaard will stay....Mata though...that's gotta sting.

Little disappointed at the timing of this. I'm sure LVG and the lads knew as soon as it was completed, but could have least waited until Monday. Let the fans bask in the glory of some silverware.

Edit: Seems Mendes leaked it. What an utter cunt.

Still, the managerial brouhaha in the prem is off the hook. Mou, Pep, Klopp, Poch, Conte, Wenger, Bilic, and... Big Sam.

Also this might increase the odds of Ibra coming to United, he has much love for Mourinho.

Looks like Gotze is staying at Bayern.

Zlatan to United rumours picking up steam again.

  On 5/24/2016 at 2:42 PM, chenGOD said:

Looks like Gotze is staying at Bayern.

Wouldn't be so sure about that. I think he'll be waiting to see what his performances at the Euros do in terms of transfer prospects, can't imagine he'll be happy at the prospect of spending another season on the bench - never mind what he just said, that's standard boilerplate waffle.

I think Gotze has been in talks with Ancelotti over his role - it makes sense, I mean bayern were his boyhood club, and some of his friends from Dortmund are going there. And he was only on the bench for the last season, the first 2 seasons he played loads. So Champions League football, the strong probability of winning the league, plus being in his home country w/ boyhood club all seem to add up. It's not just you he's turning down either, he's also turning down offers from Juve and one other club.

Seems like you have secured Loris Karius - good step up in goal for you.

  On 5/24/2016 at 8:45 PM, chenGOD said:

I think Gotze has been in talks with Ancelotti over his role

No doubt, but if after pre-season Ancelotti still sees his role as the same, then I think he might well consider a move away, he could just as easily decide to give it another year, he's still young.

Karius seems like a great bit of business, just been voted 2nd best keeper in Germany behind Neuer, all the stats pretty much back that up as well. £4.7m is a steal, and he supposedly excels in the main areas where Mingolet is deficient too (distribution and command of the area).

Gundogan to City confirmed now as well. Great signing for them.

Yes Gundogan will be a good player in the Prem. Especially under Pep's system.

Neither a transfer nor a rumour, but Rafa is staying at Newcastle. With apparently a metric fuckload of money for transfers.

Looks like Mourinho is confirmed. I don't know how to feel about this. He's a cunt, but now he's our cunt? I just don't like his systems, and desperately fear what he will do to the youth development (yes I know he's played some young players, but he generally prefers more experienced players). Does this mean another season of rebuilding to fit Mourinho's style?

The one real positive is that it increases the likelihood of Zlatan coming. Even at 34, he'd be a great addition to the side for a season or 2. Obviously that's not done and dusted, but there's no denying the affinity the big man has for Mourinho.

Will United be allowed to sell Mourinho branded tea towels and the like? Will be simply delightful if he continues his form of last season.

I know that Zlatan is a great player, but weirdly I don't think I've ever seen him have a good game, occasionally seen some great goals scored (like that one against England I think it was a few years ago), but generally when I've seen him in the big games in Spain or Italy, or in the Champions League, his all round contribution has been poor. Maybe he's just not very good in the bigger games, against better defenders, which would make sense when you realise he's just had his most productive league season at the tail end of his career, in a league not renowned for it's defending. The level of defending in England is pretty variable, plenty of atrocious stuff about, but more solid teams than you'd see in Spain or France. You'd expect he'd do well over here, but probably not enough to win a league on his own.

He scored plenty in Serie A, hardly a league full of pussycat defenders.

  On 5/27/2016 at 12:43 AM, chenGOD said:

He scored plenty in Serie A, hardly a league full of pussycat defenders.

I know he did, which is why I accept he's a great player. He just mostly never did it in games that I happened to watch. My only point about the defenders was that it might explain his surprising 'best season ever' at this late point in his career.

Or maybe he's just getting better...;)

Ricardo Rodriguez to Arsenal rumours floating around.

Update: apparently release clause has been activated. 20 million quid.

Arsenal activate Vardys release clause? I don't understand this signing at all. Doesn't make any sense to me from Arsenals pov.

That's a weird one for sure.

They need a striker who can score 20 goals a season, he doesn't exactly fit into their style of play though, and there's no guarantee his goal scoring record would hit the heights of last season even if he did.

Ibrahimovic has apparently agreed terms with United as well, talks with the manager needed to finalise things.

Very. Although we need a pacey forward what with Giroud being limited in that respect. Wenger has hinted recently that he prefers that in his forwards and I guess Walcott's dismal form/general application falls quite short of what Wenger wants.

Vardeh. Out of nowhere and goes against a lot of Arsene's values in regards to transfers. With Xhaka confirmed I think we'll see a more counter-attack based team next season. Reverting back to the good ol' days.

Medical already scheduled for tomorrow apparently.

Giroud has scored 20 goals for arsenal in his last 3 seasons.

I just think Vardy is a waste of salary space and as you mentioned he doesn't fit into arsenals style of play. I think he's an extremely limited striker, and when teams play deep defensively against him he's next to useless. Arsenal already has Walcott, why add another.

As for Ibra to United, I'm trying to hold off on losing more until it's official. God the Fellaini/Ibra double elbow attack would be lethal though.

  On 6/4/2016 at 7:47 PM, chenGOD said:

Giroud has scored 20 goals for arsenal in his last 3 seasons.

never in the league, which was what I meant.

That's true, he's gone 16-14-16 for his last three seasons, mostly because Arsenal doesn't cross much, which they should with Giroud as the focal point, he's very good in the air.

Also I don't see Vardy scoring 20 in an Arsenal system. Leicester was geared for him, Arsenal surely won't be. I just don't see the value in it for Arsenal. For other sides maybe, but not for Arsenal.