I think we'd like to sign him, but I don't think we are desperate to sign him. I can't see Levy going up to £30m for a player with only 1 year left on his contract -- maybe he will, but I don't think so.
That's why it's taking so long. I suspect he only wants to join us.I think we'd like to sign him, but I don't think we are desperate to sign him. I can't see Levy going up to £30m for a player with only 1 year left on his contract -- maybe he will, but I don't think so.
I suspect that it will come down more on how the deal is structured rather than the maximum we will pay. If Everton want to say that he went for £30m, we can help them but a large chunk of that should be add ons that we are unlikely to pay.
You said we'd been successful with our English purchases. How many English players have we spent a lot of money on?Goalposts moving all over the place here! Soldado, Jannsen, Njai, Fazio, NKD much more than 10m. Who says Barkley is 50% overvalued? Especially as we don't even know his eventual price!
Bromance with Alli aside, do you think that Dier has a better connection to the rest of the team than say Vertonghen does?Yes I think there is a cultural connection to the other English players in the team but could have replaced dier with winks (or used the players defoe over bent, similar talents but different mentalities).
The key is choosing the correct English player that adds the intangible benefit
Something I've always wondered - are agent fees included in the headline transfer fee, or are they accounted for separately, d'you think? I.e, if a player costs 30m, and the agent fee is 2.5m, then which figure does the buying club amortize over the length of the contract - 30m or 32.5m?
Whereas you're more the AVB type right Scara?.... I bet you'd love to sit through one of his PowerPoint presentations eh?... you could even adopt his 'touchline squat' in homage to him as he mesmerizes you with the next slide coming in like a page being turned over.I think you and Alan Shearer would get on very well. Probably Sherwood too for that matter.
It's not about being English, it's about being suitable for the English league. Paulinho is probably better than Barkley, just FAR less suited to football here (nowhere near brave enough).For what it's worth all other things being equal I would expect most managers would and should value being English in an English league as a plus point.
One of the reasons I love this squad is the amount of English players. I don't see this as xenophobic in the slightest.
Doesn't mean I don't appreciate the foreign players in the team but I would be disappointed if we had no English players in our team.
The problem there is that it can be a gamble whether or not they can adapt. The premium doesn't exist because of the nationality, it exists because it removes the gamble of whether the player can adapt, or perhaps more pertinently wants to adapt.The problem is, that Englishness comes at a premium. One that could get a better player from overseas.
You said we'd been successful with our English purchases. How many English players have we spent a lot of money on?
Most of our successes with English players have come from players we've either developed here or bought at a very young age. That negates the English premium because an overpriced player at that end of the market doesn't hurt us.
Whilst there is a premium for players who have experience in this league, there's an added one of top of that for English players. Hopefully that will dwindle over time as the dinosaurs are forced out of the game.The problem there is that it can be a gamble whether or not they can adapt. The premium doesn't exist because of the nationality, it exists because it removes the gamble of whether the player can adapt, or perhaps more pertinently wants to adapt.
Why? I don't know who he is - I don't read the football press and I don't read tabloids.You're not related to one Mr K. MacKenzie late of the Sun toilet paper?
I certainly value a triple digit IQ.Whereas you're more the AVB type right Scara?.... I bet you'd love to sit through one of his PowerPoint presentations eh?... you could even adopt his 'touchline squat' in homage to him as he mesmerizes you with the next slide coming in like a page being turned over.
To be fair to you I would definitely prefer to sit through one of AVBs PowerPoint presentations than have to sit through 90 minutes of his football.I certainly value a triple digit IQ.
There's a very positive trend away from the old type of manager/pundit but they do still hang around stubbornly like a bad smell.
Why? I don't know who he is - I don't read the football press and I don't read tabloids.
I think having a core of English players is desirable and beneficial as well as being suitable for the leagueIt's not about being English, it's about being suitable for the English league. Paulinho is probably better than Barkley, just FAR less suited to football here (nowhere near brave enough).
I remember that, it was talked about on here.