The January Transfer Window - 2018

[Gorka]

Let's hope the Swans get in the players we desperately need!...

Quote

The 54-year-old [Huw Jenkins] pointed out in response that Swansea are “financially far more secure than we ever were” but admitted there is no spare cash from the Americans to help with player funding. “No, there’s no money put in at this time to do that,” he said.

Oh.

[Liam]

Whilst I get that circumstances have led to VdV being bought at a premium (other teams interest, January window, etc),  just because that means you have to whack 75 million on a player doesn't mean he is worth 75 million outside of to your team at that time. 

The guy is lucky to be worth 30 million but his price has been inflated by necessity, not ability. 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Liam

[Nerf]

18 minutes ago, Liam said:

The guy is lucky to be worth 30 million but his price has been inflated by necessity, not ability. 

Come on mate. That's the price Mamadou Sakho went for a year and a half ago.

[Gazz]

He's no Sol Bamba, that's for sure.

[Cymbols]

29 minutes ago, Nerf said:

Come on mate. That's the price Mamadou Sakho went for a year and a half ago.

Just because Sakho went for that, it doesn’t mean it’s automatically a reasonable sum. Daft argument really.

Both can be overpriced. And honestly, both are, even accounting for inflation. 

 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

44 minutes ago, Nerf said:

Come on mate. That's the price Mamadou Sakho went for a year and a half ago.

That just means you mugged Palace for 30m to be honest because he had a good six months on loan for them.

[Liam]

49 minutes ago, Nerf said:

Come on mate. That's the price Mamadou Sakho went for a year and a half ago.

It has been covered by others, but he wasn't worth that much either. You can't use ridiculous prices as a barometer with which to measure other ridiculous prices. 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Liam

[Gazz]

It's all relative anyways. If he plays well and takes Liverpool to the next level and competing for titles, then it's a bargain. If he flops, then they look like mugs. If Andy Carroll had scored 20 goals a season for Liverpool since 2011, £35m would be looked at as if they'd robbed Newcastle blind, as it is, it's the other way around.

I'm old enough to remember when people thought Fergie had lost the plot by spending £12m on a Portuguese teenager with shit hair no one had ever heard of to replace the England captain and that turned out to be a decent bit of business to say the least.

[Nerf]

2 minutes ago, Liam said:

It has been covered by others, but he wasn't worth that much either. You can't use ridiculous prices as a barometer with which to measure other ridiculous prices. 

That's kind of my point, though. We're talking about the vast majority of transfers being overpriced. At what stage do we accept that it isn't absurd and it's just the new normal?

[Liam]

1 minute ago, Nerf said:

That's kind of my point, though. We're talking about the vast majority of transfers being overpriced. At what stage do we accept that it isn't absurd and it's just the new normal?

Where does VdV place in terms of best CBs in the world? Realistically? 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Nerf would pick Daniel Sturridge ahead of Kane and Aguero so I don't think he can do realistic rankings.

[stokeriño]

1 hour ago, Stardust Gazzenius said:

I'm old enough to remember when people thought Fergie had lost the plot by spending £12m on a Portuguese teenager with shit hair no one had ever heard of

See also, several Chelsea fans circa June 2001: "Only Hasselbaink has ever cost us more and that's because he brings GOALS. Why piss away £11m on a midfielder who only ever got games for West Ham because of who his dad and uncle are?"

[Adam]

Sorry, who did Sakho join for £30mil a year and a half ago? Liverpool signed him for £18mil 4 and a half years ago, then sold him to Palace on deadline day four months ago. Am I missing something here?

[The Lusophone]

2 hours ago, Liam said:

Where does VdV place in terms of best CBs in the world? Realistically? 

Incoming :stats: and html wizardry, based off of Squawka's 2016-17 statistics, note that stats for Dier and Dave are skewed by their stints in midfield and at fullback respectively.

Spoiler

Player	Tackles Per Game	%	Aerial Duels Per Game	%	Fouls Committed	Interceptions	Blocked Shots	Clearances	Pass Accuracy %	Average Pass Length (m)
Van Dijk	1.43	55	4.57	75	0.86	2.67	0.67	6.67	84	22
Cahill	1.08	54	2.35	62	0.89	1.38	0.51	4.59	88	19
Luiz	1.5	43	1.5	75	0.5	2.09	0.45	5.18	84	22
Dave	1.74	47	1.89	51	0.71	1.87	0.21	3.68	87	18
Tobes	1.07	52	1.47	56	0.3	0.8	0.73	5.57	83	26
Dier	0.97	44	1.83	56	0.67	1.06	0.44	4.25	87	21
Vertonghen	1	52	3.03	75	0.64	1.48	0.61	7.12	85	23
Kompany	1	38	1.73	66	1.64	1.45	0.27	3.82	88	19
Stones	0.74	54	1.74	63	0.3	1.52	0.48	4.15	92	18
Otamendi	1.7	49	3.8	64	1	2.7	0.5	6.27	88	19
Gabriel	0.84	34	2.16	54	0.95	1.58	0.47	4.79	87	17
Koscielny	1.27	54	3.52	62	1.38	2.79	0.67	6.06	87	19
Mustafi	1.62	44	3.81	65	1.38	2.46	0.15	4.81	82	20
Bailly	1.72	49	1.52	58	1.12	2.52	0.64	5.44	86	19
Jones	1.39	60	2.28	67	0.5	1.61	0.83	7.72	90	20
Rojo	1	42	1.95	59	1.14	1.71	0.29	7.1	86	22
Smalling	0.5	53	2.67	69	0.44	0.72	0.5	7.06	88	17
Yoshida	0.91	53	2.91	57	0.78	2	0.65	6.52	86	19
Stephens	1	44	1.76	43	0.82	1.59	1.12	4.82	84	20
Fonte	1.06	40	1.76	56	1	2.12	0.65	5.76	84	20
Williams	1.19	49	2.14	58	1.06	1.67	0.81	8.06	82	24
Jagielka	1.26	60	3.22	63	0.48	1.52	0.85	7.74	83	23
Funes Mori	0.7	27	1.74	62	0.43	1.39	0.3	5.09	79	21
Holgate	1.83	47	1.67	56	0.67	1.17	0.28	3.94	75	20

 

 

 

tl;dr: Van Dijk led the top 8 teams in number of Aerial Duels per game with 4.57, and more importantly, won 75% of them, the joint most with David Luiz and Vertonghen. He went into 1.43 tackles per game and won 55% of them, a decent if average figure. He has almost leading stats in interceptions (2.67 per game) and clearances (6.67 pg) with pretty average pass accuracy as well.

In comparison to selected other CBs as well:

Spoiler

Player	Tackles Per Game	%	Aerial Duels Per Game	%	Fouls	Interceptions	Blocked Shots	Clearances	Pass Accuracy	Avg Pass Length (M)
Van Dijk	1.43	55	4.57	75	0.86	2.67	0.67	6.67	84	22
Pique	1.20	45	2.24	69	0.8	1.44	0.6	4.2	90	21
Umtitti	0.92	52	1.64	66	0.92	2	0.28	2.6	95	20
Varane	0.91	49	2.3	77	0.49	1.65	0.35	4.26	88	22
Ramos	1.14	42	2.46	66	1.21	2.14	0.41	2.47	89	21
Chiellini	1.10	40	1.52	71	1.19	1.71	0.67	4.81	87	21
Bonucci	0.72	35	1.31	58	0.93	1.47	0.45	3.48	87	24
Barzagli	0.65	43	0.96	48	0.43	1.35	0.22	2.61	91	19
De Vrij	1.56	54	1.63	59	0.81	2.22	0.52	4.41	86	23
Hummels	1.52	58	3.30	68	0.56	2.11	0.30	2.59	88	18
Sule	1.39	59	1.94	68	0.48	2.24	0.52	2.73	89	19
Thiago Silva	1.07	63	2.19	76	0.52	1.96	0.89	4.15	94	19
Laporte	1.24	44	2.03	71	0.88	2	0.55	3.67	84	32
Godin	1.03	40	2.87	63	0.97	2.55	0.52	4.61	80	23

 

 

The only thing I'd point out from this set of data is that for about 40 million less, Liverpool could've had Stefan de Vrij from Lazio and only lose out significantly in one area: aerial duels. 

[Colly]

He's basically probably the best centre half playing for a non top 6 club. Safe to say there's better value out of the Premier League. 

[MDK]

Reece Oxford is being courted by RB Leipzig and A German Team. Quite a few young British talents going to Germany these days, apparently it because the Germans think our current generation of youth players have a lot of talent. And they will probably get playing time too.

[Gazz]

They're right, the 2000 generation is especially strong. Can't wait to see them all playing for Shrewsbury in 2021.

[MDK]

Champions League winning Shrewsbury? 

[Moses Julep]

In a world where Tobes went for 11.5 mil ain't no way VdV is worth 75 mil.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

All the German papers are reporting Goretzka to Bayern on a free pre-contract will be signed in the next week.