29 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

That is so much more than they need to sign Kounde. Who else are they after I wonder.

Well they still have existing wages to pay off, and we know they want Azpi and Alonso.

7 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

He has majority owners Clearlake to answer to, a hedge fund company, that cares only for making money.

So does every club have larger owners to report to nowadays, City, scouse, man utd, spuds. 

1 minute ago, WhiteWall said:

I think the whole strategy is naive, simplistic and media driven.

One of you guys put a graphic up recently to support a moneyball type of approach and you know what I think its a really good and fresh approach.  I am nit saying use it as your only rationale but if you conduct a deep level if statistical analysis and overlay it with our style, if Ollie Watkins comes up as the more statistically correct fit for us then let's not follow the clickbait fashionistas who are just decking us around, go in hard from left field and get the job done quickly before anyone else has a chance.

One of the scousers strongest players is a left back Klopp steamed in to Hull to get hold of.

I don't know which one of you guys put the moneyball graphics up but there is something to it  I'm sure of it

Isn't TT using a lot of statistics to inform his transfer targets? 

 

Just now, azpi28 said:

Isn't TT using a lot of statistics to inform his transfer targets? 

 

Apparently but all I see are the same media darling. After we fail to land Gvardiol what are the bets on Skriniar being next up followed by Bastoni. 

Even if the boy Mee was statistically the best CB that is available there would be feck all chance of us going for someone like that.

I only used Mee as an example as it was the first name that came into my head and even then I nearly typed Bertie Mee

1 minute ago, WhiteWall said:

Apparently but all I see are the same media darling. After we fail to land Gvardiol what are the bets on Skriniar being next up followed by Bastoni. 

Even if the boy Mee was statistically the best CB that is available there would be feck all chance of us going for someone like that.

I only used Mee as an example as it was the first name that came into my head and even then I nearly typed Bertie Mee

didn't he go to Brentford who are actually doing some type of moneyball strategy?

Just now, azpi28 said:

didn't he go to Brentford who are actually doing some type of moneyball strategy?

Quality, haha. 

Bollox to it all, fcking football. Lol

10 minutes ago, Jezq8 said:

Yeah,  we seem to get messed around quite a bit.Seems a bit naive, by our transfer strategy, that this keeps happening. 

I know lots of work has to be done with the new change in ownership. However, bringing in   sterling and koulibaly, is no way enough for us to close the gap on the title. We will be fighting for top4 at best if we don’t get more in. 
 

Boehly needs to be more ruthless, with these transfers and not be so nice i.e having dinner meetings with other teams owners/executives.

 

 

 

True but he is not really a football man, and was only fulfilling the negotiator role temporarily. I suspect he recognizes his limitations in that area, and we are planning to hire a new Sporting Directory by the January window. While it is frustrating if we lose some of these targets, this is a work in progress and I would rather we don't pay way over the odds for some of these players too.  We've paid the price for that all too often in recent years.

I have seen some questioning why we got rid of Marina in that case, but a lot of the recent poor purchases were made under her control so I am not sure things would have necessarily worked out any better. The whole shambolic saga with Kounde last summer (supposedly over trying to get a couple million more for Zouma first) was on her watch for example.

9 minutes ago, forbzy said:

Well they still have existing wages to pay off, and we know they want Azpi and Alonso.

Ah you don't expect them to pay back those players do you?

4 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Apparently but all I see are the same media darling. After we fail to land Gvardiol what are the bets on Skriniar being next up followed by Bastoni. 

Even if the boy Mee was statistically the best CB that is available there would be feck all chance of us going for someone like that.

I only used Mee as an example as it was the first name that came into my head and even then I nearly typed Bertie Mee

Ben Mee may not have been a fashionable choice but he is a good defender who brings strong leadership. I think he will prove to be a very good pickup for Brentford.

1 minute ago, axman2526 said:

Ah you don't expect them to pay back those players do you?

Well they are stuck with De Jong unless they pay his 17m

1 minute ago, forbzy said:

Well they are stuck with De Jong unless they pay his 17m

maybe they can give him percentage points on the tv rights

Really funny to read people criticise the Barcelona chosen operating/economic model. 

Say what you want or feel about it but I'd be happy if my club at the threat of financial ruin, used up all or some of its previously earned/gain "credit" in the bank to leverage a way out of its current mess. After all why build up such a global brand and reputation over decades if you can't use it to pull yourself out of fires when needed. 

If it's so terrible what they are doing or sacrilegious as some posts would have you believe, then why are other clubs dealing with them. Why are we Chelsea who seem to have really been mugged off by them, willing to still entertain selling them some of our players. Pray why are those our players keen to join them as well? Is it something about the way Xavi sells it to our players that our manager doesn't that also perhaps has seen the other players we have targeted in this window prefer Xavi's sales pitch? 

Messi left because they couldn't afford to pay him. He would have played for free but the rules don't permit that so let's stop pretending or perpetuating the myth that the players that are queuing up to play for them are doing so without being payed. 

They have valid contracts and as long as those payments are worked into the contract then it holds. Hey let's not forget these are players that even at a low level will probably earn more over the length of 1 year contract than most people earn in a lifetime of work. So what's the fuss about deferring some millions coming to you, to a man that's already a millionaire and probably needs the reputational gains or prestige that will come from being associated as a Barca player at one point in their career. 

Like some have said, we may be an attractive option to players when competing with clubs like Arsenal, Spurs, Porto, Dortmund and maybe even Man U at a push due to their current circumstances but when it comes to the top echelon, do we honestly expect players to pick us over Barcelona or Bayern? 

It's Akin to expecting with all their new found wealth, Newcastle will beat us to a player if we both had that player as a top target. Even where Newcastle offered more money, most will still prefer to join Chelsea. 

In light of all we know as fans, the question is why are the so called business people at the club not seeing things in the same light and concluding the business very early as suggested by some on here. 

If I was Kounde, even if Barca weren't in the picture I'd be reluctant to leave Sevilla to join Chelsea after just how much Chelsea have shown they want me to join them this window, not to add how they also left it till last minute last season. 

23 minutes ago, abister1 said:

Really funny to read people criticise the Barcelona chosen operating/economic model. 

Say what you want or feel about it but I'd be happy if my club at the threat of financial ruin, used up all or some of its previously earned/gain "credit" in the bank to leverage a way out of its current mess. After all why build up such a global brand and reputation over decades if you can't use it to pull yourself out of fires when needed. 

 

they are not leveraging a way out of their current mess 

they will be in even more trouble in a couple of years

All I've heard about is Kounde for the past couple summer windows. We've pissed about with contracts, let players leave when we probably shouldn't have, and now we've messed about going after De Ligt and Ake when the chance was there to sign Kounde all window. Does Tuchel even want the guy? At this point it doesn't seem like it. 

Time to bid 30M for Phil Jones and get the Barca scums involved.

41 minutes ago, abister1 said:

Really funny to read people criticise the Barcelona chosen operating/economic model. 

Say what you want or feel about it but I'd be happy if my club at the threat of financial ruin, used up all or some of its previously earned/gain "credit" in the bank to leverage a way out of its current mess. After all why build up such a global brand and reputation over decades if you can't use it to pull yourself out of fires when needed. 

You may be the only one that would be happy then. This doesn't fix their issues long term, it's a short term solution. If this was Chelsea, I would rather we sold our players and spend the next decade as a mid table team than risk the extinction of the club. 

 

Haha we need a rag doll gif of Kounde with Todd pulling one arm and Laporta the other lol.

Barca people and fans claiming Joan Laporta is trolling us and Todd. And after he bought him a nice meal too...

 

 

Edited July 21, 20223 yr by axman2526

One for those who still harbor hope:

 

 

Now they are openly making fun of us eh. We will get back at them. We don't want to  screw our own players so will likely will sell them Azpi but there will be some karma.

29 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

You may be the only one that would be happy then. This doesn't fix their issues long term, it's a short term solution. If this was Chelsea, I would rather we sold our players and spend the next decade as a mid table team than risk the extinction of the club. 

if we would use the barcelona strategy we would sell our tv rights just to buy players like Bissouma, Saint-Maximin, Ronaldo, Lindelöf on a free & Reguillon (they are similar level players that Barcelona signed)

do we really improve that much? No not really 

 

Edited July 21, 20223 yr by azpi28

7 minutes ago, RomansRoubles said:

Now they are openly making fun of us eh. We will get back at them. We don't want to  screw our own players so will likely will sell them Azpi but there will be some karma.

I know right. What's next they catch Laporta on camera saying "Chelsea are a sh*t club with no istory"

To the Victor goes the spoils I guess.

17 minutes ago, axman2526 said:

One for those who still harbor hope:

 

 

The 'fringes' being Barcelona ...

20 minutes ago, RomansRoubles said:

Now they are openly making fun of us eh. We will get back at them. We don't want to  screw our own players so will likely will sell them Azpi but there will be some karma.

we don't have to do anything, they are absolutely f**ked in the years to come. They really need to win the CL or get to the semis at least every season to be able to make some significant money to justify these levers they have pulled, la liga price money isn't that much. 

i don't even think they really strengthened their team significantly (except maybe Lewandowski) 

Madrids selection is far superior

Courtois or Ter Stegen 

Mendy, Rüdiger, Militao, Alaba, Carvajal, Nacho or Araujo, Christensen, Alonso, Azpi, Alba and Umtiti?????

Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Tchouameni, Valverde, Camavinga or Pedri, Kessie, Nico, Gavi, Busquets????

Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr, Hazard or Lewandowski, Aubameyang, Dembele, Raphinha, Memphis???

if you compare those teams it's like comparing Man City with Arsenal

Edited July 21, 20223 yr by azpi28

2 minutes ago, azpi28 said:

we don't have to do anything, they are absolutely f**ked in the years to come. They really need to win the CL or get to the semis at least every season to be able to make some significant money to justify these levers they have pulled, la liga price money isn't that much. 

i don't even think they really strengthened their team significantly (except maybe Lewandowski) 

Madrids selection is far superior

Courtois or Ter Stegen 

Mendy, Rüdiger, Militao, Alaba, Carvajal, Nacho or Araujo, Christensen, Alonso, Azpi, Alba and Umtiti?????

Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Tchouameni, Valverde, Camavinga or Pedri, Kessie, Nico, Gavi, Busquets????

Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr, Hazard or Lewandowski, Aubameyang, Dembele, Raphinha, Memphis???

if you compare those teams it's like comparing Man City with Arsenal

Not to mention the biggest gap

Carlo or Xavi

3 hours ago, LongtimerLurker said:

Not heard anything from the main source since the 14th they were hassled quite a bit for the dembele u turn. Apparently they have access to the transfer system fifa uses.

 

For anyone that's unfamiliar with this when a player has a proposed move, whilst it takes a lot longer these days (to process) due to all the necessary paperwork and lawyers, agents etc. involved. 

 

From what I know about the situation guys I don't really want to point fingers but Sevilla gave us the asking price last summer, we did not meet it. They told us the asking price this summer after lowering it by €20m. Marina is believed to have verbally met this figure or perhaps even exceeded in including add ons.

 

Boehly supposedly withdrew this offer (€70m) which was only verbal (relevant since it means we never officially bid) and replaced it with a verbal offer of €60m according to the same source. The issue being the asking price was €65m. 

 

We had plenty of time before Barca sorted out their financial issues (window opened on the 10th June and Barca recieved their first set of payments on the 30th). I can't say what goes on behind closed doors but, it's clear he wasn't a top priority for us since we had a headstart of just under 3 weeks over Barca. So if they do seal this transfer its on us for failing to capitalise. Jules is no idiot he knows had we signed MDL we most likely wouldn't have signed him as well, since both are better in the rcb slot. 

Main source last tweet said "Kounde: (In order of preference)
Barca
CFC
Psg
Since Kounde made publicly his wish to join Barca, CFC cooled its interest. CFC bid less than the verbally agreed fee & waiting... 
CFC waiting for the Kounde outgoing but despite all looking for other alternatives."

Once again for those wondering where the money is coming from "- Spotify deal activated after June 30th (60-70m/y)
- Barca sold on June 30th, 10 % of TV rights 25 years deal to US Sixth Street-Sport investment worth €210m+"

Long story short if we wanted the deal done quick and without competition we had plenty of time to agree it. That said it must be noted that Sevilla aren't innocent in this situation I'm sure there's stuff going on behind the scenes.

It's hard to place the blame in any one direction. If Kounde wants to come he will come, if he doesn't I'm sure we'll find another option. He was gutted he missed out on a transfer to us last season, but I suppose when Xavi comes knocking only Koulibaly is man enough to say no.

Edit: I personally couldn't say 1 way or the other, I think a lot of people assume he won't come. I'm slightly more optimistic and remain on the fence. Based off what we know it's whichever club he deems more attractive. If he plays us like Raphinia I won't be surprised though and if he is asking for more time that tells me all I need to know.

 

Your poor sauce is likely going to have to delete their account after this one...