*Official* English Football Season 2013-14

[Uppercut]

I'm a huge, huge admirer of Bale but I can't genuinely see £100m+ for his sevices - that would be insanity IMO.

This deal is supposedly "worth" £95m - £25m for Di Maria and £20m for Coentrao in addition to the cash. Not sure about Di Maria but Coentrao definitely wants out of Madrid so it's just a case of whether or not he'd move to Spurs.

I don't really know what to make of the market anymore. It sounds like a silly amount of money but it's hard to get a frame of reference. To repeat what I said about Arsenal paying £50m for Suarez, they definitely can't get anyone better for cheaper.

More to the point, they're likely to recoup almost all of that money if they sell him on in four or five years time. They paid £80m for Ronaldo but he'd surely be worth at least that much in the current market if they chose to sell, so essentially they'd have got four years of him for nothing but wages (minus the profits gained from their half of his image rights). At the time we couldn't be sure he'd be so good for them but only an idiot would have thought otherwise. It really makes him look like a bargain.

Bale will have even more lucrative image rights because he's British and unless he has massive injury problems, I can't see him failing at Madrid. Like the whole Galactico business, what looks like absolute madness at first looks like pretty good business sense in the long run.

 

[Jarquis]

Wonder what we'd get for Theo then

 

[Cabinet96]

Yeah agree with UpperCut. Think it will end up being a good thing for both clubs. Tottenham will be able to improve their squad with the profits and Real will get an excellent player.

 

[grecian]

Nah, not for me. Real are being shafted.

Just because it worked with Cristiano doesn't mean it will work with Bale. Hasn't worked with all the Galacticos gas it?

Yet the main point here is Bale is not Cristiano Ronaldo, he's not going to be averaging over a goal-a-game, does anyone think he will, it's not even as if he sets up that much.

If they spunk out 80 million plus, there is no way on earth they're getting that back. You can't really dismiss the Wages in the Calculations either. Gareth Bale is not David Beckham in image-rights, and I'm not sure if British-or-not, he'll do better than Cristiano.

He's a very good player, but spending anything over 40 million makes little sense to me. Would rather have Suarez even with the baggage.

 

[grecian]

When the notification told me I'd received a like for that last post, it wasn't a shock who it came from.

 

[Uppercut]

Hasn't worked with all the Galacticos gas it?

Not really but on the whole it's been great for the club. They have such a good footballing reputation that they can attract all of the best players in the world despite effectively paying them less than they'd get anywhere else. If FFP is effective, no one can really compete with them financially at all. But it's not even been especially successful on the pitch. It's ****ed up: buying all the best players in the world for huge sums of money has been great for their finances and not much good for the football.

I guess your objection is mostly just that you think Bale's overrated, which is fair enough. But in general paying huge sums for players widely considered the most exciting in the world has worked out quite well.

 

[Jarquis]

Just playing up to it now tbf.

 

[grecian]

Not really but on the whole it's been great for the club. They have such a good footballing reputation that they can attract all of the best players in the world despite effectively paying them less than they'd get anywhere else. If FFP is effective, no one can really compete with them financially at all. But it's not even been especially successful on the pitch. It's ****ed up: buying all the best players in the world for huge sums of money has been great for their finances and not much good for the football.

I guess your objection is mostly just that you think Bale's overrated, which is fair enough. But in general paying huge sums for players widely considered the most exciting in the world has worked out quite well.

Not sure he is over-rated is he by most. Real are though IMHO. I just don't think he's in the same class as the best 2 in the world. So it seems odd paying top-dollar for someone not at the top.

Who knows though, I've been wrong before, but I just don't see him setting La Liga alight.

 

[Furball]

I just don't get why you'd pay £80m for him. I really don't.

 

[Cabinet96]

It's a really weird market situation tbh. Real have the money, and Bale is one of the few players that can really strengthen their side. Unlike smaller sides they can't, say, booster their squad by buying five good players for that amount, because they've got loads of them already.

 

[Uppercut]

Spurs have reportedly put the price at £125m.

 

[King Pietersen]

Probably because they know they're only going to get about half of it if they sell to Madrid. So £125m works out about right. They're still owed about £20m for Modric apparently; so Levy's not too keen on selling to Madrid again.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, I mean is Suarez the only target? He is probably the best player they have a realistic chance of getting but Liverpool look like they will hold out for as much money as possible. Will they go above 40 million for a player who is already suspended for 6 games and is probably quite likely to miss many more? Got to think there are other targets out there, it can't be Suarez or nothing.

I think the problem is that whilst a few weeks ago there were other targets that could be pursued, they have now all joined someone else. I don't think there are any other "big names" out there anymore that could be persuaded to sign. Higuain and Jovetic were both clearly available, but for whatever reason they couldn't finalise any deal.

This Suarez thing is in danger of becoming a bit of a disaster for Arsenal. They've spent all summer crowing about how they can afford any player, and devoted the last month or so exclusively to signing Suarez, whilst apparently neglecting to pursue any other targets. All of this could backfire massively if he doesn't join (and I'd be incredibly surprised if he does), not least because they would have egg on their face, but also because it'll be too late to sign anyone else half decent. Apparently a bid of £42.5m is now imminent, but it will no doubt be rejected unless Suarez really does kick up a stink and demand to be sold.

Apparently they're also going to miss out on this Bernard chap. Never mind though, at least Gervinho is going to be sold in the next few days. That's basically like getting a new signing.

 

[The Sean]

So it officially begins.

Sky reporting that Real have formally bid "over £85m" for Bale. Straight cash, no players included.

 

[Uppercut]

The BBC football site needs a new editor, their two top stories today have been the opinions of David Pleat and John Hartson. Slow news day but come on, that's one step away from "Local Granny Thinks Rooney is Well Good".

 

[sledger]

To be fair to local Grannys, I was on the train the other day and heard two old ladies talking about Junior Hoillett was a really poor buy for QPR. Probably more insightful than the majority of things David Pleat has to say.

 

[sledger]

Also, Jesus Gamez about to be swapped for Bendtner, apparently. I guess that's the end for Sagna.

 

[Furball]

Bale going to Real isn't good for the league, it hasn't been a brilliant window IMO.

 

[Pothas]

Arsenal need to be more like the Bees. Lose our keeper to Cardiff on Monday, have a replacement in by today.

 

[Pothas]

Bale going to Real isn't good for the league, it hasn't been a brilliant window IMO.

City have brought in some exciting players, looking forward to seeing them this season.

Are United fans worried at the lack of action?