Summer transfer window rumors

[joseephuss]

At the time I was absolutely right.
But 14 months of Lukaku blasting Chelsea and Jose worked to get him out of here. Chelsea wasn't sending him to a UCL danger so Everton was about as good as they were going to get and getting Everton to fork over about twice the highest transfer deal they've ever done was as high as they were going to get.

It really is a shame because Lukaku would be a beautiful fit for a very complete Chelsea team.
He'll be fine at Everton and likely remain in that top 4 slot hunt yearly but he is unlikely to make much noise in major comps or ever win the league while at Everton.

I am guessing he gets sold again in a couple years to a UCL favorite.

No, you weren't close to being right. If a club offered $60 million for Lukaku last summer Chelsea would have gladly accepted but no team was ever going to offer up that sum for him. It was a silly total you threw out. The proof is how Chelsea has dealt with him both last summer(sent him on loan) and this summer(sold him). They would not have passed up on any $60 million offer. Of course those offers were never out there and were never going to be either last year or this year. Maybe in the future he may eventually be worth that type of figure, but he hasn't done near enough to command those types of numbers now and especially did not last year.

 

[jterrell]

No, you weren't close to being right. If a club offered $60 million for Lukaku last summer Chelsea would have gladly accepted but no team was ever going to offer up that sum for him. It was a silly total you threw out. The proof is how Chelsea has dealt with him both last summer(sent him on loan) and this summer(sold him). They would not have passed up on any $60 million offer. Of course those offers were never out there and were never going to be either last year or this year. Maybe in the future he may eventually be worth that type of figure, but he hasn't done near enough to command those types of numbers now and especially did not last year.

Feel free to think that.
But it is simply untrue.

What I typed before Jose was absolutely true.
The club had zero intention or desire to EVER sell him.
They fully planned to treat him as they did Courtois.
Loan him out til he got first slot minutes.
They viewed him as the best young striker in the world.
That's why they didn't target elite strikers in either of the previous two windows and why they brought on Eto instead of player like Falcao.
Why they let Drogba leave and why they sold local boy, Sturridge.

Jose made drastic changes and frankly Lukaku pissed him off. He came off as petulant and immature on the field and off.
So he got his hard fought wish to be fully sold off.
But he was not going to be sold to an elite club thus the money was not a deciding factor.
Lukaku is still the best young true #9 prospect in the sport but his immaturity cost him lots of minutes in the world cup and has seen him sold off.
We'll see if he can grow and handle adversity or not.

 

[JBS]

Keylor Navas to Real.

Good signing. Not a big fan of lopez. Casillas is a legend, but he isnt at his peak anymore

 

[joseephuss]

Feel free to think that.
But it is simply untrue.

What I typed before Jose was absolutely true.
The club had zero intention or desire to EVER sell him.
They fully planned to treat him as they did Courtois.
Loan him out til he got first slot minutes.
They viewed him as the best young striker in the world.
That's why they didn't target elite strikers in either of the previous two windows and why they brought on Eto instead of player like Falcao.
Why they let Drogba leave and why they sold local boy, Sturridge.

Jose made drastic changes and frankly Lukaku pissed him off. He came off as petulant and immature on the field and off.
So he got his hard fought wish to be fully sold off.
But he was not going to be sold to an elite club thus the money was not a deciding factor.
Lukaku is still the best young true #9 prospect in the sport but his immaturity cost him lots of minutes in the world cup and has seen him sold off.
We'll see if he can grow and handle adversity or not.

No team was ever going to offer $60 million for Lukaku. Not a hard concept.

 

[joseephuss]

http://www.theguardian.com/football...nomical-manchester-united-offer-bayern-munich

Bayern’s Thomas Müller turned down ‘astronomical’ Manchester United offer

Thomas Müller claims he rejected an “astronomical” offer to join Manchester United this summer.

Louis van Gaal has so far added Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, with Marcos Rojo also set to join from Sporting Lisbon once he passes a medical and agrees personal terms.

Yet Müller, who starred in Germany’s triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign, stated he decided against a transfer to United. Asked by Bild if the 20-times champions had been close to signing him, Müller said: “Of course. I was aware that I could earn more by making that transfer. The amount that foreign clubs were offering me was astronomical. But Bayern are my club, a change was not an issue for me.”

However, United have denied making any such offer. A United spokesperson told the Guardian: “It is not true that we made offers for either Muller or Reus at any stage.”

 

[JBS]

Super Mario to Liverpool is almost a done deal. £17M... Amazing value for liverpool. I've never been the biggest balotelli fan... But we needed a 9 bad... Ive got so much faith in Rodgers... Super Mario is going to break out

 

[jterrell]

Balotelli fills a huge need. Just need to keep his head on straight.
He's far better than 17m.

 

[joseephuss]

Balotelli fills a huge need. Just need to keep his head on straight.
He's far better than 17m.

He is until he becomes a headache. I think he can help, but the problem for Liverpool isn't scoring. It is giving up scores. I don't think they have done enough to shore up their defense. That will hurt them in the tough EPL matches and Champions League.

 

[JBS]

He is until he becomes a headache. I think he can help, but the problem for Liverpool isn't scoring. It is giving up scores. I don't think they have done enough to shore up their defense. That will hurt them in the tough EPL matches and Champions League.

Are you serious? They've got 3 new starters in the back..

Lovren was a tremendous purchase.. He alone will make a gigantic difference...

Manquillo and Moreno are both improvements as fullbacks... Just in the one game they've played thus far you can already see a difference defensively.. This isnt even including can..he looks like a solid DM

 

[jterrell]

Are you serious? They've got 3 new starters in the back..

Lovren was a tremendous purchase.. He alone will make a gigantic difference...

Manquillo and Moreno are both improvements as fullbacks... Just in the one game they've played thus far you can already see a difference defensively.. This isnt even including can..he looks like a solid DM

they did look shaky versus a less than tactically precise opponent week 1.
But that was probably fool's good as they adjust to each other.
on the other hand the offense looked better than they probably are.
as anyone who watched england in the world cup or basically ever can tell you sterling, strurridge and rooney alone can not make top of the league.
all good players but they need a RVP/Suarez type. Given the options Balotelli was excellent value.

i dislike liverpool but this is a good move for them and makes them a top 4 club imho.

 

[JBS]

Liverpools defense was significantly better in match 1 than they were last year... And moreno didn't play

As far as sterling... You are under valuing him.. Hes 20...he will be a top flight-world class player very shortly... Hes incredible... Hes the best player on liverpool already

 

[jterrell]

Liverpools defense was significantly better in match 1 than they were last year... And moreno didn't play

As far as sterling... You are under valuing him.. Hes 20...he will be a top flight-world class player very shortly... Hes incredible... Hes the best player on liverpool already

Never claimed Sterling was not a good player.
He is a very good young player.
But he isn't a big-time scorer.
He has something like 13 career goals in 90 appearances. He reminds me of Willian who is a personal fave of mine.
Little dudes that work hard and bust tail.

By comparison 21 year old Lukaku has 34 goals in about 50 league appearances... not to mention a beautiful if American heartbreaking goal in the World Cup.
LP needed that type of scoring to replace perhaps the best current #9 shark in the world.
Mario at his best can be that.

I think LP divined correctly they needed a #9 and went and got one.

I did not think the defense was very good week 1 considering the lack of threat of the opposition.
But I do believe that defense will improve and be much better than last year.
Again, I've got them top 4 and what they get out of Balotelli will determine their ceiling.

Should be an interesting game versus City coming up.

 

[JBS]

You're right about sterling... Hasnt scored many goals up until now..
I think that changes in a big way this season..

 

[joseephuss]

He has something like 13 career goals in 90 appearances. He reminds me of Willian who is a personal fave of mine.
Little dudes that work hard and bust tail.

By comparison 21 year old Lukaku has 34 goals in about 50 league appearances..


.

You have a point, but your facts are off a bit. Sterling has 13 goals in 77 EPL appearances. Lukaku has 33 goals in 88 EPL appearances.

 

[daschoo]

Never claimed Sterling was not a good player.
He is a very good young player.
But he isn't a big-time scorer.
He has something like 13 career goals in 90 appearances. He reminds me of Willian who is a personal fave of mine.
Little dudes that work hard and bust tail.

By comparison 21 year old Lukaku has 34 goals in about 50 league appearances... not to mention a beautiful if American heartbreaking goal in the World Cup.
LP needed that type of scoring to replace perhaps the best current #9 shark in the world.
Mario at his best can be that.

I think LP divined correctly they needed a #9 and went and got one.

I did not think the defense was very good week 1 considering the lack of threat of the opposition.
But I do believe that defense will improve and be much better than last year.
Again, I've got them top 4 and what they get out of Balotelli will determine their ceiling.

Should be an interesting game versus City coming up.

Sterling is a winger and Lukaku is a centre forward? I'd hope Lukaku has a better scoring record.

 

[MC KAos]

looks like united is getting di maria, which sucks. there are some rumblings that city is trying to make a last ditch effort to get him, which would be AMAZING! i hope it happens but I'm very pessimistic that happens and i think he will end up with united

 

[daschoo]

looks like united is getting di maria, which sucks. there are some rumblings that city is trying to make a last ditch effort to get him, which would be AMAZING! i hope it happens but I'm very pessimistic that happens and i think he will end up with united

I personally think he's a massive waste of money. He's a good player but worth about half that and doesn't really fit in to Van Gaals system. They're crying out for at least one quality centre half which if I was a United fan I'd be getting concerned that they don't seem to be addressing unless they've managed to keep it from the media as there's been no reports on bids other than di Maria the last few days.
I also find it interesting that last year they struggled because Moyes wasn't up to the job but this year it's because the players aren't good enough. Perception is everything.

 

[joseephuss]

I agree with you on the perception part. I thought it was both that Moyes wasn't up for the job and the players weren't good enough. I still think they lack the players; however, Van Gaal is an upgrade. That upgrade may still not be enough to improve the team into the top 4. It used to be that ManU just reloaded and kept on competing at a high level. They appear now to be in a bit of a rebuild. It may take a few years to get back to winning titles.

 

[daschoo]

Moyes probably wasn't/isn't up to the job and Van Gaal is a definite upgrade over him but in Moyes defence Ferguson won that last title with probably the weakest United team in around 20 years. I honestly don't think they would have won that title if it hadn't been Fergusons' last year and all the extra emotion and motivation that entailed coupled with none of the other top teams really going on a consistent run that year.
Would agree it could be a few years before United get back to genuine title challengers.

 

[joseephuss]

Are you serious? They've got 3 new starters in the back..

Lovren was a tremendous purchase.. He alone will make a gigantic difference...

Manquillo and Moreno are both improvements as fullbacks... Just in the one game they've played thus far you can already see a difference defensively.. This isnt even including can..he looks like a solid DM

That defense is struggling today. I think they will play better against some of the weaker teams, but this is the type of thing I was talking about. Liverpool facing top competition have to play better on defense.