According to Dimarzio on Twitter who's very reliable, we've begun negotiations for him from Zenit. Don't really know much about him but looks like our interest in Stones is over.

Strange as he is 29 next month so not exactly a long term option

Don't think we're desperate for an additional centre back. 

 

Thought the point of pursuing Stones was to have a long term successor to JT. 

 

Buying someone who is 29 doesn't add up to me. 

He's really slow.

Don't think we're desperate for an additional centre back. 

 

Thought the point of pursuing Stones was to have a long term successor to JT. 

 

Buying someone who is 29 doesn't add up to me. 

I think your last comment there may be why im not buying the rumour.  Be ironic though how I think Mourinho is the one who sold him when at Madrid

 

However, if we can somehow perhaps agree something for Witsel too, id be happy

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by RickUK

Garay is a top centre-back.

we may as well play ivan at cb. we want a faster back line, so we go for a slow ass defender like garay - makes sense    and why are we pinning so much hope on stones leaving everton? it seems a waste of time considering nothing is happening. 

Edited August 25, 201510 yr by enigma

Garay is a top centre-back.

 

He had a great WC last year.

He had a great WC last year.

 

Yes, and during the WC Zenit signed him, which was very weird indeed, seeing as Bayern and Utd were being heavily linked with him and he could more or less pick his club. Obviously agents and third parties were involved and it was a lucrative deal, but it was the wrong move for him and I'm not sure how much he had to do with it.

 

Otamendi (his defensive partner for Argentina) is one and a half years younger than Garay, and moved from Portugal at the same time, but instead of Russia he went to Spain, was widely acknowledged as the best defender in Spain and now has his big move.

 

Well, Garay, as far as I know, was far more coveted than Otamendi while in Portugal and rated the better defender.

Garay is a top centre-back.

Agreed to disagree, not a fan of this at all

He had a good world cup but then so did Cuadrado.

He's pretty slow and won't improve any so I don't see the point in this at all.

We are as well brining in someone who can improve and learn form our CB's. We already have 3 experienced ones in Terry, Cahill and Ivan if needed.

Save the cash and go for better next summer or Jan.

Garay is a superb no nonsense defender,  I would be happy to see us get him. But I do think this is more a rumour to prompt Stones into action than anything else.

If we needed someone experienced to come in to the first team then he would be a good signing but we don't. Zouma, JT, Cahill and Ivan is enough plus we have a few younger ones coming through.

I do see DKW point if this is maybe a move to see if Stones will take matters into his own hands with this news.

i think this is all a smokescreen anyway, i see us getting stones at the end of the window. 

Well we currently have 3 centre backs in the squad for 2 spots, 4 if you count Ivanovic.

 

If we're going to bring in another CB, one that isn't young and seen as for the post-JT future, then to me it just says that Jose has no faith in Ivanovic to play that position.

Don't see the point in signing this guy at all. He's 28 so not exactly one for the future, and he's slow too. Seems to be one of those that had a lot of hype around him a few years back but clearly hasn't lived up to it seeing as he's in Russia.

 

If we don't get Stones then I'm happy to go with JT, Cahill, Zouma and Ivanovic as an emergency for this season and have another crack at Everton next summer.

 

We don't need a stopgap signing. What we need is a long term successor for JT to pair with Zouma.

 

Garay.... 

He's not slow, not sure why people keep saying that. He's got average pace like most CB's. Slow is Naldo, Luisao, etc.

If Jose wants to go with the high line then Garay would be perfect, he was part of the well drilled Benfica defence that pushed up high and caught players offside on a regular basis. It was one of the best defences I've seen in recent times.

Yea should be cheap too since zenit needs to drop players because of the new rule in Russia about homegrown players (that's how westbrom got Rondon ) ... He's good but I don't see the difference with JT and Cahill

Garay is a superb no nonsense defender, I would be happy to see us get him. But I do think this is more a rumour to prompt Stones into action than anything else.

Ahem, cough, cough, AHEM...COUGH.....

Garay is a superb no nonsense defender, I would be happy to see us get him. But I do think this is more a rumour to prompt Stones into action than anything else.

It worked then! Lol

I hope this is a genuine plan b if stones falls through. We will not have a good year without a new central defender with pace.

I hope this is a genuine plan b if stones falls through. We will not have a good year without a new central defender with pace.

Well you beat hope we have a plan C then because he's got no pace

Well you beat hope we have a plan C then because he's got no pace

Zing

no pace but a beast of a defender. i would still opt for aymen abdennour.