The 2012 Summer Transfer Window thread

[Adam]

Come on Montpellier, would be great to see them win the Ligue. Especially to see someone different at the top after all those years of Lyon winning the title until recently.

[Christain#1]

A few months ago, I think it was Joaquin or Ruud who said in an interview they want to win the league within the next 5 years.

Not Impossible but i cant see it happening. They can attract players by offering high wages but why would quality players wanting to win things join Malaga.

I agree 100%. I can't think of any time that an average side has attracted quality players by offering high wages and then going on to win things in a relatively short amount of time.

Yes but Madrid and Barcelona will be more difficult to dislodge than United and Arsenal and Chelsea.

City were very lucky to win the title this year but in the end they did.

Edited May 20, 2012 by Christain#1

[IAceI]

Well they have an equaliser so are even more in the driving seat now. PSG need to score 2 and hope already relegated Auxerre score again if they are to win the title. It's looking like John Utaka is winning a title.

This should really go in the general football thread now shouldn't it?

Eden Hazard giving a half time interview (I'm not sure I'll ever get the hang of them) unfortunately the commentator appears to have nipped off and I don't understand French.. he probably wasn't informing us of his decision though to be honest. That said I'm really enjoying this whole Hazard will decide who he plays for crack, he's so good he knows that team will buy him - he just has to inform them that they should... What a lad.

[EddieG]

Not with the oil money behind Malaga. If we can attract players like Baptista (after nearly being relegated) and Joaquin, and now finish 4th, it's not completely impossible.

[Matt]

A few months ago, I think it was Joaquin or Ruud who said in an interview they want to win the league within the next 5 years.

Not Impossible but i cant see it happening. They can attract players by offering high wages but why would quality players wanting to win things join Malaga.

I agree 100%. I can't think of any time that an average side has attracted quality players by offering high wages and then going on to win things in a relatively short amount of time.

Yes but Madrid and Barcelona will be more difficult to dislodge than United and Arsenal and Chelsea.

City were very lucky to win the title this year but in the end they did.

I wouldn't say they were particularly lucky, certainly no more than Man Utd would have been had they won it. Madrid and Barcelona probably will be more difficult to dislodge than the English sides but it won't stop them being able to sign quality players.

[Adam]

Man City were not lucky to win the title. They were the best team over the season since the first weekend in my opinion, and deserved the opportunity to claw back that 8 point deficit, which they successfully did.

[IAceI]

Doesn't seem Hazard's about to reveal anything just quite yet, enjoying saying his goodbyes with his family and rightly so. To all intents it seems likely that he will become a Manchester City player next season - but for now he's just been wandering around the stadium for 10 minutes waving to the fans.

[Christain#1]

A few months ago, I think it was Joaquin or Ruud who said in an interview they want to win the league within the next 5 years.

Not Impossible but i cant see it happening. They can attract players by offering high wages but why would quality players wanting to win things join Malaga.

I agree 100%. I can't think of any time that an average side has attracted quality players by offering high wages and then going on to win things in a relatively short amount of time.

Yes but Madrid and Barcelona will be more difficult to dislodge than United and Arsenal and Chelsea.

City were very lucky to win the title this year but in the end they did.

I wouldn't say they were particularly lucky, certainly no more than Man Utd would have been had they won it. Madrid and Barcelona probably will be more difficult to dislodge than the English sides but it won't stop them being able to sign quality players.

With the financial fair play rules coming in it will be alot more difficult to spend large amounts for Malaga whereas City Had 4 years to build a team without that threat hanging over them.Now its a case of sorting out the wage bill. My other point when you look at Citys team they should never have let Man United get a 8 point lead in the first place and really should have won the league alot easier than they did. Man United with that Squad shouldnt have really been able to keep pace.

Although yes over the course of the season with the way they played they did deserve it.

[Matt]

The financial fair play rules will do absolutely nothing. All the rich owners have to do is pay a ridiculous amount of money to rename the stadium or something.

[therockbox]

Technically they shouldn't be allowed to. The sponsorship deals have to be 'fair', although whether UEFA will enforce it is another matter.

[Matt]

Technically they shouldn't be allowed to. The sponsorship deals have to be 'fair', although whether UEFA will enforce it is another matter.

Okay, an anonymously owned company in the Virgin Islands will buy the naming rights to the stadium. It's not in UEFA's interest to stop billionaires putting more money into football.

[therockbox]

Again, the sponsorship deals are supposed to represent fair market value. Liverpool's sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered was worth £80m, if Man City suddenly signed a deal with some tiny company for six or seven times the price of that UEFA are supposed to be able to challenge it - but as I said, whether they will is another matter. I can't see them ever turning round to Real Madrid or Barcelona and saying 'sorry, you've fallen foul of FFP rules, no Champions League for you this year.'

[stokeriño]

We just need to adopt the German model where indebted clubs get bailed out by the state. That will solve everything.

[Plubby]

We could call it the Pompey Plan.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

My latest Spurs update.

Emmanuel Adebayor has confirmed he is holding talks with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy over making a permanent move to White Hart Lane.

Adebayor made an immediate impact after sealing a season-long loan move from Manchester City and ended an impressive individual campaign with 18 goals to help the club secure a top four finish.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has stated that he would love to keep the Togo striker but feels his wage demands would be a major concern.

Despite the club's failure to reach the Champions League next season following Chelsea's victory over Bayern Munich at the weekend, Adebayor has confirmed he would still love to join the north London club and hopes a deal can be agreed.

Adebayor, speaking on his Twitter site, said: "Loved my spell at Tottenham. We are working hard with the chairman to make it permanent. Will keep you informed!!"

Jan Vertonghen has told Ajax that Tottenham are the only English team he is interested in joining as the clubs try to negotiate his move to London.

Reports in Holland indicated that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy would lead a Spurs delegation to meet their Ajax counterparts in Amsterdam today in an attempt to seal the deal. The clubs are still some way apart about the transfer fee, however.

Ajax have set Vertonghen’s price at £12.1million, which Spurs believe is too high for a player who has only one year to run on his contract. Levy is thought to be prepared to push to £9.7m to land one of the club’s top targets but is reluctant to go any higher.

The wishes of the Belgian defender are an important point in Spurs’ favour. Vertonghen, 25, is believed to have told the club that he has no desire at this stage to move to another English club, even though Spurs will not compete in next season’s Champions League.

While Vertonghen understands the need for Ajax to earn as much as they can for him, he is anxious that the size of the fee does not price him out of a move to the Premier League. He attended Spurs’ final game of the season, a 2-0 victory over Fulham, earlier this month and is thought to be happy with the terms on offer.

....but of course AC Milan aren't in England.

[Thrilla]

Hazard to United?

http://www.rnanutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2012/May/manchester-united-seal-hazard-deal.aspx.htm

Probably not the most reliable source in the world >_>

[The Quasi Juice]

Vertonghen would be a fantastic signing for Spurs.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Hazard to United?

http://www.rnanutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2012/May/manchester-united-seal-hazard-deal.aspx.htm

Probably not the most reliable source in the world >_>

It's fake.

Been quite comical with the likes of BlueMoon and RedCafe going into nonstop meltdown. They actually believed he'd announce his destination last night, hilarious stuff. It's pretty much been made clear nothing will be confirmed for a week or two at the least, very likely more than that. I'd still rather we sign Kagawa for less than half the price it'd cost to get Hazard, half the wages that Hazard would cost, arguably just as good of a player and somebody who would make us more money in the overseas market. That said, I also wouldn't complain if we went ahead and signed Hazard

[Thrilla]

I think Kagawa would be a better signing for United than Hazard as well. Not that Hazard would be a bad signing, obviously, but I think Kagawa would fit into the United style better.

With all the attention on Hazard and Kagawa, right now would be a great time for someone to swoop in under the radar for Christian Eriksen.

[Matt]

Snodgrass, who was subject of a bid by Norwich in January, is mulling over the offer of an extension to his contract, which has a year to run.

After failing to make the top flight this season, Snodgrass has put the onus on Leeds to show their ambitions match his own.

"I have another year left and they have offered me another contract and my agent is still speaking with them," he said.

"I said that I wanted to take a few weeks away from everything, not make any decisions and we will start speaking in June.

"The decision doesn't need to be made right now.

"Being captain of Leeds United in the Premier League would be a dream come true.

"If anyone would have said that when I went down there as a 20-year-old, I wouldn't have believed them, I don't think anyone would have.

"But I am living in the real world. We didn't get there. If things change in terms of bringing players in and getting Premier League class and kicking-on, then it's a no-brainer. You sign the contract and move on."

Source. There you are Ken, show some ambition and our best player and captain re-signs, don't and he'll fuck off, as black and white as that. No blaming greedy agents/offer too good to refuse/whatever other bullshit you want to feed us.

Needless to say, I expect Snodgrass to be pulling on a Norwich shirt next season.