The Centre Back thread

[ricky2tricky4city]

Impossible to know if Atalanta are shifting the goalposts or not, if they are they're well within their right to do so.

Seems to me we couldn't get a deal for what we hoped we could. So we took a step back, evaluated other options again, signalling to Atalanta that we won't just pay up whatever, then decide if we should go through with further negotiations - perhaps paying more than we thought we'd have to earlier, or consider other options.

This seems to be pretty standard for how we and others operate in the transfer market. But with every new report and speculation there's the immediate reaction from some as if this speculation represents a factual and final decision.

Paratici apparently said that you should pay more than your evaluation i confident that it's the one right player. Perhaps he's just making sure he's confident, perhaps part of the game of negotiations, perhaps we will step back and go for other targets.

Either really is fine as a decision imo.

We are only going to have a certain overall budget, so a higher (than predicted) asking price for a player is going to have a knock on. Of course, if the player is the right player, you cross your fingers and put your eggs in that basket.

Eg. We perhaps thought we could get Tommi and Romero for what it looks like just getting Romero for.

Fwiw...I think we have £50/60m of cash to put into the transfer pot. We are net zero on transfers so far. So the Romero deal could eat up most of our fund. Which is ok, it just means other signings can be made BUT only if we can match that with players going.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I'm really surprised that nobody has tried to sign Nico Elvedi from B. Monchengladbach. Would do really well in the PL I think.

Unfortunately he signed a new deal there a bit earlier this year as he would now be going into the last year of his contract otherwise but he is a top class defender who would probably be gettable for about £30m.

My worry with Paritici is his focus seems to on Italy as a territory to buy from
No one has mentioned Tarkowski as an option yet is a proven prem cb desperate for a move with a context we can exploit
The only non Italian based players we have been linked with are the croat and Ings

 

[Gazza]

My worry with Paritici is his focus seems to on Italy as a territory to buy from
No one has mentioned Tarkowski as an option yet is a proven prem cb desperate for a move with a context we can exploit
The only non Italian based players we have been linked with are the croat and Ings

Ironically also signing a Spainish wonderkid. Panic at the stations! Tarkowski may not be on the radar.

 

[braineclipse]

We are only going to have a certain overall budget, so a higher (than predicted) asking price for a player is going to have a knock on. Of course, if the player is the right player, you cross your fingers and put your eggs in that basket.

Eg. We perhaps thought we could get Tommi and Romero for what it looks like just getting Romero for.

Fwiw...I think we have £50/60m of cash to put into the transfer pot. We are net zero on transfers so far. So the Romero deal could eat up most of our fund. Which is ok, it just means other signings can be made BUT only if we can match that with players going.

Agreed. That's where we (imo) should trust Paratici to make the right decision on what will be best for us as a club.

My worry with Paritici is his focus seems to on Italy as a territory to buy from
No one has mentioned Tarkowski as an option yet is a proven prem cb desperate for a move with a context we can exploit
The only non Italian based players we have been linked with are the croat and Ings

He's focusing more on players he knows more about? Seems reasonable to me.

 

[JerusalemMan]

My worry with Paritici is his focus seems to on Italy as a territory to buy from
No one has mentioned Tarkowski as an option yet is a proven prem cb desperate for a move with a context we can exploit
The only non Italian based players we have been linked with are the croat and Ings

Kounde and Aouar. I'd like to think there was a real link with Lacroix too

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

He's focusing more on players he knows more about? Seems reasonable to me.

To a point. If I'm a high paid DofF (or whatever it's called this week), I'm networked and knowledged in Europe as bare minimum... preferably worldwide.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Ironically also signing a Spainish wonderkid. Panic at the stations! Tarkowski may not be on the radar.

Who may well have been a player we knew about anyway .. he wasnt an unknown or a find
But getting him of course is the hard bit

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Kounde and Aouar. I'd like to think there was a real link with Lacroix too

Kounde isn’t a find
Aouar I’m not sure if it’s a serious link

the serious links are so far … a striker from Italy, centre backs from Italy

Just my opinion

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

My worry with Paritici is his focus seems to on Italy as a territory to buy from
No one has mentioned Tarkowski as an option yet is a proven prem cb desperate for a move with a context we can exploit
The only non Italian based players we have been linked with are the croat and Ings

Kind of like Wenger when he moved to the Goons, signed up all the good young French players he was already familiar with.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Kind of like Wenger when he moved to the Goons, signed up all the good young French players he was already familiar with.

It can be a good thing
But the bigger picture is key
As with all DOF…. You don’t see the benefit until a way down the line

 

[Gazza]

It can be a good thing
But the bigger picture is key
As with all DOF…. You don’t see the benefit until a way down the line

As with any transfer perhaps.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

As with any transfer perhaps.

Of course
But with a DOF it’s their core remit

 

[braineclipse]

To a point. If I'm a high paid DofF (or whatever it's called this week), I'm networked and knowledged in Europe as bare minimum... preferably worldwide.

Would still expect them to be more knowledgeable about players in the league they're working in. He's been in Italy up until very recently, not a surprise of that's a region he's more familiar with.

If we're talking about big money signings we need to be fairly confident, that confidence only comes after spending quite a lot of time watching a player I would guess. Not just the kind of knowledge a DoF or scout has about a lot of players from various players.

Most seem to want to watch players live too before committing big money at least, since he signed after the season ended he's had no chance to watch Tarkowski live.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

Would still expect them to be more knowledgeable about players in the league they're working in. He's been in Italy up until very recently, not a surprise of that's a region he's more familiar with.

Of course.

If we're talking about big money signings we need to be fairly confident, that confidence only comes after spending quite a lot of time watching a player I would guess. Not just the kind of knowledge a DoF or scout has about a lot of players from various players.

Fair point.

 

[Gazza]

Of course
But with a DOF it’s their core remit

No one actually knows what Patricis role permits. Unless someone can factually tell me.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

No one actually knows what Patricis role permits. Unless someone can factually tell me.

I can guarantee that when levy said he will be responsible for football matters that included transfers
I’d have to look for the announcement to tell you more

 

[SpurMeUp]

My worry with Paritici is his focus seems to on Italy as a territory to buy from
No one has mentioned Tarkowski as an option yet is a proven prem cb desperate for a move with a context we can exploit
The only non Italian based players we have been linked with are the croat and Ings

That is where Hitchen comes in. He will have his own dossiers and knowledge, especially on English teams. At almost 29 Tarkowski probably doesn't fit the brief. Paying 20m+ for a player who'll be maybe worthless towards the end of his contract probably rules him out. I guess the sweet spot for a CB signing is around 24-26. Many of these promising players we're linked with are pretty young for a CB. But we have to go there to snag the talent.

 

[SpurMeUp]

Atalanta supposedly after Felix Uduokhai. Another promising CB, bigger and taller than Romero. We should just gazump them I get the 'pool buying Diijk and it elevating them thing. Buy the right player and it can be the final piece in a puzzle. It was for pool. I'm just not convinced Romero is that kingpin necessarily. Diijk was a monster of a CB. 1.93 meters and a few years older than these promising 23 year old CBs we are linked with (van Diijk was 27/8 when he joined pool?).

I haven't seen Romero play, so can't comment on what he brings. I trust Bedford's judgment, and Paratici clearly wants him. There is no doubt Romero is quality, but I don't think he's as commanding as someone like Van Diijk. In most instances, I would want us to get a quality addition over more speculative signings. But right now, I'd take 2 £15m CBs like Uduokhai and Milovoch - who look like decent CB in the making. It would give us more cash to spend on other areas of the team - a CM and a Forward - and it would suggest Kane wasn't off. Some concern that us splashing the cash is because he is.

 

[DaveT316]

Latest rumours don’t sound very promising. Might be we move on from this now, which seems a shame, I was sold on him!

 

[Legohamster]

Latest rumours don’t sound very promising. Might be we move on from this now, which seems a shame, I was sold on him!

Atalanta will sell to us, they have been trying to get other club involved but they are broke.