The Sergio Aguero rumours are beginning to surface once more with the Mail Online saying that we are lining up a £38m plus Deco offer for him, in the hope that this will be regarded as the equivalent of the £51m buyout clause. True or not, it is the timing of this story that is of most interest, following hard on the heels of Ferguson’s stringent denial that they will do any further business this close season and our own [reputed] rejection of him due to inflated salary demands. Therefore, taking it as gospel that he will never go to Real, this only leaves Citeh as a capable, if somewhat comical, capturer.

Should bluemoon be hanging around let me straightway hasten to add that I don’t mean comical as in haha you’re having a laugh aren’t you, he‘d never go there [who knows these days?] but more along the lines of a slight smile when thinking about the 2-2-6 formation appearing on the Sky Sports graphics for them in their opening game of the season should he put pen to paper and head for Middle Eastlands. No, that isn’t going to happen and he isn’t going to muscle in on the Mourinho Show at Inter either, as there is only room for one superstar, potential or otherwise, at that club. Nor will he be off to Barca because cluttering up their attacking options with next Maradonas is simply not on their agenda.

So there you have it, the story breaks cover again and the only change in circumstances that I can see this time around is that a player is actually being named as part of any potential deal, that player wouldn’t have any real objection to getting on his bike and we’ve been actively pursuing Pirlo as a replacement in his position ever since our new manager arrived. Is it wishful thinking yet again or are we really about to make the marquee move? Does the Di Santo loan deal make sense all round in the light of this renewed speculation? Can we trust Kenyon to complete what would be the biggest transfer in terms of arrival to these shores that we’ve ever seen. No doubt about it, with only days to go before things kick off once again, it is now or never if we are going to, at long last, marquee our card.

Edited August 5, 200915 yr by Dorset

just saw this on the skysports website

"Atletico Madrid have stated that even an offer of at least €60million (£51m) may not be enough to tempt them to sell star forward Sergio Aguero.

The Argentina international is sought-after property and has been linked with Manchester United as Sir Alex Ferguson looks to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.

Inter Milan and Chelsea are also thought to be tracking Aguero, but Atletico have maintained that they do not want to sell.

The Primera Liga outfit's president, Enrique Cerezo, has now announced that even a huge bid could not be enough to make the club consider parting with the 21-year-old.

"Perhaps even if an offer for this amount of money (£51m) arrives, we would not accept the sale," Cerezo told Spanish media."

Dorset,

plenty of logic in your post and in a sane and balanced industry, other than football, you might believe it was the plan all along and it might just now happen.

Wishfull thinking and if it does come off, trust me, it's a fluke.

Edited August 5, 200915 yr by midlandblue

I hope its all true, but The Daily Mail has been printing some pretty bizarre transfer stories these past few days. Im not getting any hopes up at all, it certainly does look as if they are putting 2+2 together. As soon as Buck came out with those 'marquee' comments id had a feeling we would live to regret them and end up with egg on our faces, for second Summer running.

Having said that and as much as a big signing would make a hell of a statement i really hope we dont spunk silly money on someone. Real Madrid totally ballsed up the market this Summer and some of the prices being banded around are crazy (Ribery the perfect example) , it might be best to wait until next Summer when the market has calmed down a tad. Then again with Man City around who knows what may happen....

Edited August 5, 200915 yr by bjd

eloquently put as usual dorset. i was going to try and reciprocate with a long rambling opst. but all i can think is...

PLEASE LET IT HAPPEN, PLEASE LET IT HAPPEN, PLEASE LET IT HAPPEN, PLEASE LET IT HAPPEN.

For the last two seasons I've been telling to whoever would listen that the player that I really really want to see in the Chelsea colors is Aguero. This season it was a real possibility but the rumors died down pretty quick. Now with Di Santo gone on loan and the possibility of offloading Kalou permanently has filled me with a bit of hope again. He's the only player available in the market right now who would improve our squad drastically. But knowing our board, I am a little circumspect. The two players I wanted us to get in past couple of seasons - Torres from Atletico and Ribery from Marsielle, ended up elsewhere. We did not move quickly enough for whatever reason. I fear this one might end up similar.

Would absolutely love Aguero. If there's one player that's potentially available and is worth spending crazy money on it's that diminutive Argentinean who I believe has the world class potential written all over him.

Now this is a player to be excited about.

Come on Roman,make it happen.

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y...history_state0=

Cadena Ser who is one of the most credible newspaper in Spain i also out with this story. Would love to see Aguero here.

This would be it for me, the best signing we could make, let's hope it's true... still not holding my breath.

Nice assessment Dorset, yet your penultimate sentence probably says more than the preceding nine.

Can we trust Kenyon to complete what would be the biggest transfer in terms of arrival to these shores that we’ve ever seen.

Answers on a postcard to.....

I hope its all true, but The Daily Mail has been printing some pretty bizarre transfer stories these past few days. Im not getting any hopes up at all, it certainly does look as if they are putting 2+2 together. As soon as Buck came out with those 'marquee' comments id had a feeling we would live to regret them and end up with egg on our faces, for second Summer running.

Having said that and as much as a big signing would make a hell of a statement i really hope we dont spunk silly money on someone. Real Madrid totally ballsed up the market this Summer and some of the prices being banded around are crazy (Ribery the perfect example) , it might be best to wait until next Summer when the market has calmed down a tad. Then again with Man City around who knows what may happen....

People tend to consider Daily Mail a very unreilable source for transfer rumours. To some extent, I agree.

However, I can clearly remember, they were the first ones to report that Wayne Bridge is off to Man City and that he would be replaced by Zhirkov. And now it's not much of a surprise that he has ended up as our new number 18.

Well put as ever Dorset.

I may be in the minority here, but to me Aguero is possibly a tad overated and his hand of god influences a little worrying to say the least.

However, if Di Santo's loan was to free up a move for Pato i'd be over the moon !

Still, with Kenyon negotiating who knows, who would bet on anything ?

Perez 'live on sky' said Real Madrid were now finished with buying and concentrating on selling so only Man City have real firepower in the transfer market, surely the door is open, for attacking wise City are flooded with talent.

If we want a marquee signing and I for one remain doubtful this is the case, no excuses can be really made there are those left Real Madrid didn't really want !

I think Aguero is only the realistic option we have as a big name young signing at the moment, Aguero would be great for us.

Pato is unsellable too Milan, they just won't sell him and they will use Pato and Hunteaar(looking like he's going there) up top.

Im not going too let myself get carried away with this rumour but let's hope.

Edited August 5, 200915 yr by Sheva

Yeah, if AC won't sell an aging player (although a club legend) like Pirlo, can't see any chance of Pato leaving. Also, with the current price, I can't see ManU shelling out that much for Aguero.

Let's hope Atletico get dumped out of UEFA before the group stages so he has to look elsewhere....he won't be cup-tied by playing in the games before group stages, will he?

I think Aguerro to Chelsea would make a lot of sense. He would fit beautifully into Carlo's system, and from what I have seen of him, he's a true superstar in the Messi/Ronaldo bracket. If we are going to spend big money on someone, then Aguerro is the type of player we should spend it on - rather than blowing money on an ageing Pirlo, or a massive gamble on unproven Pato.

Rightly or wrongly, Athletico (and Bayern with Ribery) are probably justified in their thinking that if Milan got 55 million for Kaka, and United got 80 million for Ronaldo, then they deserve similar money to part with their prize assets.

I guess what these clubs need to realise is that this distorted transfer market isn't going to continue forever. Over the last ten or so years, we have seen peaks and troughs in transfer activity, similar to the stock market. Some summers, the best players will go for 60 million, and some summers, the best players will go for 25 million.

If Athletico and Bayern think logically about it, then they should come to the following conclusions:

1. Both Aguerro and Ribery aren't going to stay with them forever. Athletico and Bayern aren't big enough clubs, and won't be in the foreseeable future.

2. If they are going to sell them, then they are best of selling them when it is a seller's market (i.e. now).

They are best off demanding 60 million and selling for something like 40 million this summer, rather than taking the risk that they might not get anywhere near that money this time next year.

A good example of how this can backfire on a club is Inter with Adriano. A few years ago, when he was "the best striker in the world", we would have gladly paid big money for him. Inter held out, Adriano had a meltdown during the next season, and look at him now. In hindsight, Inter were mad not to bite our hand off when the money was on the table.

As Dorset pointed out, Real and Man United are supposedly now out of the market. That means that the only clubs we are realistically competing with are Barcelona, Inter, Liverpool and Man City. Of those, Man City is the only club that can match us in a bidding war, and surely they can't squeeze any more forwards into their squad even if Aguerro was keen on their money rather than challenging for trophies.

Which leaves us as the only real contenders who can afford to pay big money right now.

I think the odds of us getting him are about 50/50, and I have no doubts that the negoitation will drag out until the very end of the transfer window, Robinho/Ashely Cole style - that's the way that we seem to do business these days.

I think Aguerro to Chelsea would make a lot of sense. He would fit beautifully into Carlo's system, and from what I have seen of him, he's a true superstar in the Messi/Ronaldo bracket. If we are going to spend big money on someone, then Aguerro is the type of player we should spend it on - rather than blowing money on an ageing Pirlo, or a massive gamble on unproven Pato.

Rightly or wrongly, Athletico (and Bayern with Ribery) are probably justified in their thinking that if Milan got 55 million for Kaka, and United got 80 million for Ronaldo, then they deserve similar money to part with their prize assets.

I guess what these clubs need to realise is that this distorted transfer market isn't going to continue forever. Over the last ten or so years, we have seen peaks and troughs in transfer activity, similar to the stock market. Some summers, the best players will go for 60 million, and some summers, the best players will go for 25 million.

If Athletico and Bayern think logically about it, then they should come to the following conclusions:

1. Both Aguerro and Ribery aren't going to stay with them forever. Athletico and Bayern aren't big enough clubs, and won't be in the foreseeable future.

2. If they are going to sell them, then they are best of selling them when it is a seller's market (i.e. now).

They are best off demanding 60 million and selling for something like 40 million this summer, rather than taking the risk that they might not get anywhere near that money this time next year.

A good example of how this can backfire on a club is Inter with Adriano. A few years ago, when he was "the best striker in the world", we would have gladly paid big money for him. Inter held out, Adriano had a meltdown during the next season, and look at him now. In hindsight, Inter were mad not to bite our hand off when the money was on the table.

As Dorset pointed out, Real and Man United are supposedly now out of the market. That means that the only clubs we are realistically competing with are Barcelona, Inter, Liverpool and Man City. Of those, Man City is the only club that can match us in a bidding war, and surely they can't squeeze any more forwards into their squad even if Aguerro was keen on their money rather than challenging for trophies.

Which leaves us as the only real contenders who can afford to pay big money right now.

I think the odds of us getting him are about 50/50, and I have no doubts that the negoitation will drag out until the very end of the transfer window, Robinho/Ashely Cole style - that's the way that we seem to do business these days.

Thats a solid analysis Tim. Obviously, I am praying for his arrival, but not counting on it. As you say, we are hagglers, and when a club have an asset as prized as 'el Kun' they are gonna hold their cards close unless they are blown away with an offer.

I think what you said holds true for Bayern for sure, and with all their stupid pronouncements in the press every day, they might have screwed themselves. Ribery is 26, and if they were reasonable they could get 40m GBP for him, maybe 50. But with Aguero only being 21, maybe Athletico are just willing to wait on him and see what his talent will do. If they sell him at 24, I can still see a team playing 50-60m to get him, possibly more.

Overhyped or not, I dont think there is a bigger talent in European football who has not already been snapped up by a top tier club.

Aguero can easily be our Lionel Messi/Gianfranco Zola, so I say make a final gambit of 80 million, if that doesn't work, then oh well.

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y...history_state0=

Cadena Ser who is one of the most credible newspaper in Spain i also out with this story. Would love to see Aguero here.

I love these translation sites, you never quite know what you're going to get.

Anyone noticed the 'marquee' when Chelseafc.com broke the news of Didier's extension?

Sign of things to come?

Edited August 6, 200915 yr by kalpitv

Anyone noticed the 'marquee' when Chelseafc.com broke the news of Didier's extension?

Sign of things to come? :P

:lol: Looks truly ugly yellow-press type thing. I think the main designers (of the webpage) are on well deserved holiday and the younger nerds are bored..

Although if the ugly banner said: "Aguero signs a 5yr deal with Chelsea" it would suddenly look pretty!

80 million!!! that is just crazy money, but as has been said Real have set the stage this summer and can we afford to wait until net year with the chances of players being cheaper?

I for one am overly excited about the prosepcts of someone like Aguerro playing for Chelsea!

80 million!!! that is just crazy money, but as has been said Real have set the stage this summer and can we afford to wait until net year with the chances of players being cheaper?

I for one am overly excited about the prosepcts of someone like Aguerro playing for Chelsea!

Well, I think the transfer market continues to inflate with each year. Think about it, prices have been increasing steadily for a while now.

80 million might be too much, but if Roman wants a big name player, he is going to have to spend big. I think we can afford it, and Aguero definitely can make it worth it in the long run.

He has a minimum fee release clause of around 60mpounds im pretty sure i read somewhere. Even that is a ridiculous amount of money though, seems if you want the top talent these days however which is what we should be after that is the price we will have to pay.