The 2012 Summer Transfer Window thread

[Colly]

Yeah to be fair, PSG don't have that much European history. Still, they're clearly a club on the rise and let's not forget that to most footballers the pinnacle is the Champions League - with their financial strength and ambition, PSG arguably have a better chance of winning that competition over the next few years than Milan. Add to that that these days a move from Serie A to Ligue 1 isn't really that much of a step down and I don't see the issue. You can see the strength of Ligue 1 with four different winners over the last four years - it isn't the same league it was during Lyon's dominance.

The primary motivation will undoubtedly be the money, yeah. But let's not pretend he's gone to Al-Ahli or Shanghai Shenua here.

Does four different winners show the strength of the league though, or just the competitiveness due to no team having an insurmountable advantage? I know money isn't everything which is why Chelsea haven't won the league every year since their first one, but the amounts PSG are throwing around are enormous, certainly when you consider that Newcastle are supposedly paying Yohan Cabaye more than Lille were, and we're tight as fuck. I'll be interested to see if PSG end up walking the league for a few seasons once the squad is in place, and if that is the case the Champions League might be the only place they get some competition. Pretty much Spain with one team rather than two...

Edited July 15, 2012 by Colly

[stokeriño]

Pretty much Spain with one team rather than two...

AKA Scotland

[Colly]

Yeah, but the team would actually be good.

[stokeriño]

I was only going by the criteria of 'better than everyone else in their league'.

[Pesci]

Yeah to be fair, PSG don't have that much European history. Still, they're clearly a club on the rise and let's not forget that to most footballers the pinnacle is the Champions League - with their financial strength and ambition, PSG arguably have a better chance of winning that competition over the next few years than Milan. Add to that that these days a move from Serie A to Ligue 1 isn't really that much of a step down and I don't see the issue. You can see the strength of Ligue 1 with four different winners over the last four years - it isn't the same league it was during Lyon's dominance.

The primary motivation will undoubtedly be the money, yeah. But let's not pretend he's gone to Al-Ahli or Shanghai Shenua here.

Does four different winners show the strength of the league though, or just the competitiveness due to no team having an insurmountable advantage? I know money isn't everything which is why Chelsea haven't won the league every year since their first one, but the amounts PSG are throwing around are enormous, certainly when you consider that Newcastle are supposedly paying Yohan Cabaye more than Lille were, and we're tight as fuck. I'll be interested to see if PSG end up walking the league for a few seasons once the squad is in place, and if that is the case the Champions League might be the only place they get some competition. Pretty much Spain with one team rather than two...

It's not proof of a strong league but Lyon have raked in so much more money compared to the other teams due to title wins and Champions League progression that I think three other teams winning it in the last four years shows the breadth of decent teams in the league. In particular last season - for a team like Montpellier to beat the established likes of Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux and PSG to the title points towards a fairly strong league, no? It shows that Montpellier must have strong enough players to beat the established teams around them who due to European participation, reputation or money have been able to attract top players. Compare that to the Portuguese or Ukrainian leagues where nobody has an answer to the established elite. I'm not saying that the strongest leagues necessarily have different winners every season, but I think it can certainly be an indicator.

The Champions League is another indicator of league strength. Over the last three seasons more French clubs have made the quarter finals than Italian clubs, and none of the French clubs were PSG. So yeah, not much of a step down at all.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Pesci

[Rafael]

PSG has become a traditional club even though they were founded in 1970. They have been a mainstain in the Ligue 1 since the early 80's, and they have a big number of cups, and they were a force to be reckoned with in European football in the late 90's/early 00's and you can say that now Chelsea has more league titles than PSG, they have more cup titles, more league cup titles. But 60/70% of those titles came with Abramovich. Who knows if PSG walk through the first division easily and win 4/5 times in a row? Without counting the cups.

Roma defender Juan comes back to Brazil, joining Internacional on a two-year deal. Wigan and Fulham are interested in 19-year-old Fraser Fyvie and now Chelsea think they'll buy Oscar.

Edited July 15, 2012 by RafaelFms

[Lineker]

Besides, Scotland doesn't even have two teams anymore

[Rich]

PSG has become a traditional club even though they were founded in 1970. They have been a mainstain in the Ligue 1 since the early 80's, and they have a big number of cups, and they were a force to be reckoned with in European football in the late 90's/early 00's and you can say that now Chelsea has more league titles than PSG, they have more cup titles, more league cup titles. But 60/70% of those titles came with Abramovich. Who knows if PSG walk through the first division easily and win 4/5 times in a row? Without counting the cups.

Roma defender Juan comes back to Brazil, joining Internacional on a two-year deal. Wigan and Fulham are interested in 19-year-old Fraser Fyvie and now Chelsea think they'll buy Oscar.

PSG are about as traditional as MK Dons.

[Rafael]

PSG has become a traditional club even though they were founded in 1970. They have been a mainstain in the Ligue 1 since the early 80's, and they have a big number of cups, and they were a force to be reckoned with in European football in the late 90's/early 00's and you can say that now Chelsea has more league titles than PSG, they have more cup titles, more league cup titles. But 60/70% of those titles came with Abramovich. Who knows if PSG walk through the first division easily and win 4/5 times in a row? Without counting the cups.

Roma defender Juan comes back to Brazil, joining Internacional on a two-year deal. Wigan and Fulham are interested in 19-year-old Fraser Fyvie and now Chelsea think they'll buy Oscar.

PSG are about as traditional as MK Dons.

Well, if you count Wimbledon F.C.'s history, they have some tradition.

[Rich]

I don't

[Rafael]

I don't

Then it's the first time you ever heard about french football in your life.

[DavidMarrio]

According to Sky Sports....Newcastle have made a bid to sign Andy Carroll on loan with the option to buy him.

[Hobo]

Swap for Ba. It would complete the circle.

[Rafael]

Andy is always great when he plays for/against Newcastle, with the exception of that dive in the last encounter.

[Vincent K. McMahon]

Swap for Ba. It would complete the circle.

Like we would agree to that.

[Rich]

I don't

Then it's the first time you ever heard about french football in your life.

You're entitled to your opinion, I will not be voicing mine.

[Hobo]

Swap for Ba. It would complete the circle.

Like we would agree to that.

7 million for Ba plus a loan for Carroll.

You'd have no choice

[Jimmy]

Sky Sports reporting a mild Berbatov facebook post as an 'outburst' and if it was actually news. If his price tag is five million like he says, I'd happily have him back at Spurs

[The Future]

Yeah that wasn't an "outburst" at all he was just clarifiying rumors about what his market price is, 5 million for Berbatov would definitely be money well spent.

[Guest mr. potato head]

Swap for Ba. It would complete the circle.

Like we would agree to that.

7 million for Ba plus a loan for Carroll.

You'd have no choice

Given who you're talking to, more like no chance, amirite?