Eberechi Eze

[thfcsteff]

Levy knocked City back for Kane in 2021. City didn't sign a striker in that window and signed Alvarez in January 2022, an unproven player from River Plate who they immediately loaned back, for ~20m. The Ronaldo interest was in the same window.

They had Aguero, Jesus, and Sterling at the time.

In 17/18, they expressed interest in VVD but he went to The Dippers. The only centre back they signed that season was Danilo for about a third of the money. He stayed two seasons and didn't even play in half their games. Hardly like for like.

They had Otemendi, Stones, Mandala, Laporte, Company and Adarabioyo at the time.

So City hardly just went out and paid the money for who they needed and backed the manager with what he wanted in any of those instances.

Without researching the others, Liverpool famously bought no one last summer after being rejected by Zubimendi.

How do you know we were penny pinching? I've seen this trotted out a lot but don't know that it's been verified.

I think Liverpool evaluated their squad and felt they had enough anyway.
We are in need. We don't have the level of quality proven cover in a couple of key areas. Personally, I think we should be paying the money for Savinho not necessarily for numpties like me, but because it is pretty clear that Frank wants and loves that kind of player. Instead, there's the growing feeling that we are going to make Thomas 'settle' for something...

 

[thfcsteff]

You don't get the point do you? Nobody is busting a fuse because we didn't get a player... it's part and parcel of football as you have illustrated. Only difference is that those two teams made an offer, it was not accepted and a few days later moved onto other targets - and got them. All you need to do is look at their recruitment this summer... imaginative, early and at decent prices. No drama; no daily will he/won't he.

The issue that many have is that we f***** around for weeks trying to penny pinch and then either end up paying as much as the initial fee or getting gazumped in the process and by the time this happens we would be desperate and running our time. We were apparently happy to pay 60M + 7M, which is practically the same as the release clause that Eze had.... when we knew from multiple reports that he would go to the Arse if he had the opportunity and we gave them the chance.

Indeed.
A penny for Venketasham's thoughts...

 

[Aldo]

Still hasn’t actually signed for Woolwich. Their Chairman must be a dithering penny pincher.