Expecting to see Chelsea have a confirmed bid for Lukaku as soon as Rooney to Everton is over the line.  

I think the problem could be with Marina Granovskaia and certain negotiations.

IMO she does a good job when it comes to selling and getting a good price for players that we sell.

But when it comes to buying players in a certain price range we seem to forget that the selling club hold all the power.

 

I think we waste too much time on long drawn out negotiations and would be more successful if we struck while the iron is hot, so to speak, rather than hoping players put in transfer requests themselves to speed up the process and drive the prices down.

A lot players will probably have it in their contracts that if they put in transfer requests then they will lose their loyalty bonus, so they are hopeful of the two clubs coming to an agreement without having to go down that road.

I think should see whether the selling club will actually sell a player at a given price, haggle with them for about a week or two and then move on if there's no progress.

 

 

We've shown our hand now and everyone knows we are on the lookout for a striker, so they ain't gonna come cheap if we are looking at a top quality striker.

Although I think Diego is better forward than Lukaku, I don't think keeping him is the answer as I can't imagine us going through a whole season without any drama with him, and we will suffer as a consequence.

 

I personally would prefer players to sign in time to join up with pre-season so they can get used to how we play, formations and even benefit from the team bonding they will get on these pre-season tours.

The closer we buy players to transfer deadline day they more they are probably expected to hit the ground running, especially if we've already played a couple a premier league matches, which is unfair pressure on the player IMO.

Dilly dallying has ultimately cost us in the Lukaku deal (although I do think the figures mentioned are way above what he is actually worth).

 

Lets just hope we can get ourselves sorted in the coming weeks as the season will start in a month's time.

 

Buckle up people, I think it's going to be an interesting ride...

IF lukaku was our first choice then i don't see how we are going to pay 80+ million for belotti if we are unwilling to pay the fee for lukaku. it depends IF lukaku was our priority. all i heard from sources was that he was, but honestly it's only because the talk of costa leaving and lukaku making a few vague comments about leaving that i think the media put 2 and 2 together and come up with him being our main target. i am dubious he ever was tbh. i think torino could be willing to take a lesser fee considering they would be selling to an overseas team, not an italian one though. 

Not sure which one is the bigger WUM Pacquaio or Football agent. Both seem to be contributing very little.

Just now, enigma said:

IF lukaku was our first choice then i don't see how we are going to pay 80+ million for belotti if we are unwilling to pay the fee for lukaku. it depends IF lukaku was our priority. all i heard from sources was that he was, but honestly it's only because the talk of costa leaving and lukaku making a few vague comments about leaving that i think the media put 2 and 2 together and come up with him being our main target. i am dubious he ever was tbh. i think torino could be willing to take a lesser fee considering they would be selling to an overseas team, not an italian one though. 

Sky reported that we offered the same 75m initial plus 15m add ons United offered. We just weren't willing to pay Raiola's 12m agent fee and we didn't have Rooney to throw in. We wouldn't need to spend that much for Belotti.

21 minutes ago, Barrettinator said:

I think if you were to compare him to any top striker in the world today, it would definitely be Suarez. He's been compared a lot to Christian Vieri at Inter back in the day and I think those comparisons are bang on. Love everything about his game and his seems to be improving every season. 

Here, watch this clip of his 2016/17 season. Gives you a decent idea of what he's like.

 

Cheers for putting this up. He does look like a similar type to Suarez. He does seem to find space in the box easily. I know it's difficult to accurately judge from a video clip, but he looks quality, and would drive the defenders absolutely crazy with his persistence.

23 minutes ago, Osgood is Good said:

Cheers for putting this up. He does look like a similar type to Suarez. He does seem to find space in the box easily. I know it's difficult to accurately judge from a video clip, but he looks quality, and would drive the defenders absolutely crazy with his persistence.

Strange, I watched the exact same thing and came away feeling quite unconvinced about him.

6 hours ago, Deino said:

Learn to read between the lines please. That was an attempt at mind games and a PR stunt from Conte to save the club some face.

Conte wanted Koulibaly but because the negotiating team was playing hardball that We had to bid for Luiz at deadline day. Luiz was a panic last minute buy, if it was up to Conte, he'd have coughed up  60m Euros no problem.

 

And how do u know this???   He always said there was real price and artificial price, and even though it isnt his money he feels responsible not to just throw away money. Jose doesnt care and will run man u bankrupt to win a title for his ego.... Not my kinda Man

2 minutes ago, Zeta said:

Strange, I watched the exact same thing and came away feeling quite unconvinced about him.

Without wishing to sound argumentative, what turned you off ?

4 hours ago, bjd said:

You're the same person surely 

Lmao. I guess like minded people dont exist. Because you dont agree with someone doesnt mean you have to be SALTY

4 minutes ago, Osgood is Good said:

Without wishing to sound argumentative, what turned you off ?

Dunno, he just seemed a bit sloppy. All his running/dribbling with the ball looked like Costa's - just stumbling through challenges, never looking like the ball was under any real kind of control. That'll work in other leagues, but not so much here. Also, I believe he gets most of his goals in the air? I think I read that somewhere. And we hardly ever cross the ball into the box.

1 minute ago, Zeta said:

Dunno, he just seemed a bit sloppy. All his running/dribbling with the ball looked like Costa's - just stumbling through challenges, never looking like the ball was under any real kind of control. That'll work in other leagues, but not so much here. Also, I believe he gets most of his goals in the air? I think I read that somewhere. And we hardly ever cross the ball into the box.

Fair comment, yes I did notice the ball occasionally not being under control, but saying that he does appear to have great movement, shooting ability, and looks to have a good 'football brain', although it is difficult to make an accurate assessment from a video clip.

Good start to his new manure career...Lookack has been arrested and will face a court hearing in October for a noise complaint...and secondary charges for impersonation of a premiership striker in big games...

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40545516

Going to court in the US for being a prat will definitely fit in at United then

38 minutes ago, doctorblue said:

Good start to his new manure career...Lookack has been arrested and will face a court hearing in October for a noise complaint...and secondary charges for impersonation of a premiership striker in big games...

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40545516

It has begun.

1 hour ago, Don Conte said:

And how do u know this???   He always said there was real price and artificial price, and even though it isnt his money he feels responsible not to just throw away money. Jose doesnt care and will run man u bankrupt to win a title for his ego.... Not my kinda Man

I said read between the lines. Real price, artificial price whatever, that's his stance to be likable to the media while saving Chelsea's face. Had Luiz and Alonso flopped the media would have villified us as they did Utd and City. At the end of the day if that really is his opinion, well other clubs have their opinion on player's prices. The Koulibaly transfer took the whole summer window, Napoli wanted 60m and the board didn't oblige not Conte rather than get nothing he said ok when the board suggested Luiz, his and the board's hands were tied by that point. We spent over 100m last summer but see how the media barely made a story out of it because we were winning and Conte came out about prices and saying it's all about what's on the pitch that mattered. Those words relieved pressure from players and the teams.

No manager or coach will come out nd say "Yeah, we overspent and overpaid for player X and player Y" on the team they're currently coaching as it would demoralise the team. Heck, it took balls to even say that about other teams when he barely played Batshuayi who costs 33m. 

Gutted about this one tbh. 

 

Ive always stood by our board and usually think very little about people that criticise Emenalo etc. However, this entire saga has been a farce. We should have had this deal tied up months ago. The fact that we matched Utd's offer shows that we had no need to piss about and try and penny pinch. As soon as Lukaku's agent saw that pay cheque at Utd there was no way Lukaku was getting in the way of that. Certain things need to be looked at internally.

 

Now its time to get behind whoever else Conte wants and give them our full support. 

Yep, i wouldn't have mind having him here, but not for that much. Lukaku is a good striker, but he's not THAT good. That is an insane amount of money even in today's market.

Don't you think he could justify it over a 10year period? He's only 24. His resale value will be over £120+ before 30 if he continues on this upward trend.

I think if you were to compare him to any top striker in the world today, it would definitely be Suarez. He's been compared a lot to Christian Vieri at Inter back in the day and I think those comparisons are bang on. Love everything about his game and his seems to be improving every season. 
Here, watch this clip of his 2016/17 season. Gives you a decent idea of what he's like.
 

Not the most convincing of highlights tbf...there's something there but would be a major risk at 87m. In that price range you just have to try for Sanchez just have to.

17 minutes ago, ManXunited said:

Not the most convincing of highlights tbf...there's something there but would be a major risk at 87m. In that price range you just have to try for Sanchez just have to.

Sanchez is not a CF. It makes a lot more sense to play Sanchez as a RF with Hazard at LF and an actual CF between both.

I'd tke

1 hour ago, ManXunited said:

Don't you think he could justify it over a 10year period? He's only 24. His resale value will be over £120+ before 30 if he continues on this upward trend.

Not considering you're going to spend another 100 million in wages over that period, TV revenues are already said to be going to drop, the PL wont dominate this heavily always, and there won't be an upward trend in his play IMO, he is limited athletically, you can't become more coordinated, more technical, either you are or you arent, a striker can learn better positioning, improve his intelligence, read the game better, can improve finishing (thats his best attribute) but he will never be a good footballer if he had that side to his game you would have seen it by now, I'm one of those that were strongly against him coming. 

My biggest concern though would be his mental strength, we know he fluffs pens on teh big stage, he disappears in big games and is lazy, when we spanked Everton I forgot he was on the pitch, even if he pops up with a goal he is doing f**k all the rest of the time, now add the pressure of a 100 mil signing for a big club and on the CL stage, I think he will bottle it, I'm unhappy the position we are in but I'm glad in the bigger picture, he could turn out to be deadly, but that mental side of his game, a lazy player under Mourinho who wont run (lowest distance covered in the league) not sure it's a great fit especially at that price and the pressure that price brings. 

Only Vardy, Hazard, Ali and Sigurdsson scored more goals against PL top 6 last season than Lukaku (4)

Someone always has to bring up the big games BS.

6 hours ago, pacquiao said:

Take the L like a man, don't be salty about it 

 

What does the L mean?

13 minutes ago, chef said:

 

What does the L mean?

It's idiotic social media slang for "loss," implying we were defeated in some sense.  

32 minutes ago, Ernie_blue said:

Only Vardy, Hazard, Ali and Sigurdsson scored more goals against PL top 6 last season than Lukaku (4)

Someone always has to bring up the big games BS.

And he has scored 19 goals against Liverpool, Chelsea, United, City and Totteham, since he came to England. And he was 18 years old .....

This season he scored more then Costa, Sanchez and Kane against big team.

Some people don`t even realize that Droga was not even heard at Lukaku age. Costa at his age was playing for Rayo Vallecano and have toal of 49 in all of his season. Lukaku is at 145.

People here keep forgeting his age and how better he can become with time.

He improve year after year, and i`m sure he will work a lot harder under Conte or Mourinho. Too bad United steal him from us. Also you always forget at how lesser team he is playing. He will have better support now.

Too bad the board s*** once again and failed Conte.

DonAntonio, can you respond pls to this facts? FACTS ?

This also is from 2016, without putting his best season in:

http://www.football365.com/news/romelu-lukaku-the-ridiculous-statistics

 

 

Edited July 8, 20179 yr by brakeit

1 minute ago, L1ONHeart said:

It's idiotic social media slang for "loss," implying we were defeated in some sense.  

 

Haha ok.