The 2012 Other Clubs Summer Transfer Window Thread

[RFUS]

Mostly, but there are exceptions like Eto'o, Samba, Maicon, Wagner Love, Honda, Martins, Obinna, Bruno Alves and McGeady.

Eto'o and Maicon are in their 30s. None of the rest are top tier players.

 

[billycopper]

Eto'o is the highest paid player in the world and could easily have spent another 3 years for a club like Inter. It seems to be the start of a trend. How many players would turn down fortunes to move to Russia for a couple of years because they wanted to remain in one of the top leagues? The split might be 50/50 depending on how mercenary your average footballer is.

 

[RFUS]

Eto'o is the highest paid player in the world and could easily have spent another 3 years for a club like Inter. It seems to be the start of a trend. How many players would turn down fortunes to move to Russia for a couple of years because they wanted to remain in one of the top leagues? The split might be 50/50 depending on how mercenary your average footballer is.

He could have but he's still at the end of his career. I wasn't saying the very end, like, but he's the latter stages.

But of course, the financial incentive will turn a lot of heads. And it is already doing just that -- it's made all the more impressive/despicable when you consider the racism in Russia, too.

I'd wager a difference is that PSG, like Malaga in Spain and City here, are trying to become a force. I think Anzi's something more artificial. Maybe Ancellotti doesn't want to spend for the sake of it, he wants to be successful.

 

[billycopper]

He could have but he's still at the end of his career. I wasn't saying the very end, like, but he's the latter stages.

But of course, the financial incentive will turn a lot of heads. And it is already doing just that -- it's made all the more impressive/despicable when you consider the racism in Russia, too.

I'd wager a difference is that PSG, like Malaga in Spain and City here, are trying to become a force. I think Anzi's something more artificial. Maybe Ancellotti doesn't want to spend for the sake of it, he wants to be successful.

Things do seem to be changing. Bruno Alves was first choice for Portugal in the Euros and plays for Zenit. Bizarrely, Russia seems to be a way into the European leagues for Brazilian players like Wagner Love, Jo, Welliton and Africans like Seydou Dumbia given the level of racism in the country.

Even Joe Cole's loan to Lille, although not financially motivated, shows that attitudes to leagues outside England, Spain and Italy are becoming more open. I suppose it's akin to when Waddle and Hoddle went to Marseille. Turkey is another example. Fernandes, Queresma, Yobo, Kuyt, Elmander and Eboue could all still be playing in the Premier League.

Malaga is a good point. They seem to be signing players nearing the end of their career like Van Nistelrooy, Demichelis, Joaquin, Mathijsen, Duda and Baptista. I'd have expected them to try and hoover up the Spanish players not with either Barca, Real or another superpower, so Reina, Javi Martinez, Jesus Navas, Negredo, Llorente and Muniain. Maybe they're biding their time and waiting for the financial fair play rules to take effect or something like that? It's a puzzle.

 

[Nails]

PSG don't have the most amazing squad considering they've got squillions. Motta and Lavezzi are the only real sought-after players. I'd have thought they'd have snapped up the best young French players like Lloris, Debuchy, Cabaye, M'Via, Gourcuff, Remy and Ben Arfa given that they're at clubs that would sell without too much of a fight. And I'd have expected them to make marquee signing of French internationals such as Ribery and Benzema.

Not sure if serious... What about Pastore? He was very expensive, but he is also very young and pretty talented. Lavezzi is clearly their best player now, but they have some decent young players like Sakho who, despite his poor season last year, is and will be a great defender. And as RFUS said, Nene is a quality player. He has just gone under the radar his entire career.

 

[billycopper]

Not sure if serious... What about Pastore? He was very expensive, but he is also very young and pretty talented. Lavezzi is clearly their best player now, but they have some decent young players like Sakho who, despite his poor season last year, is and will be a great defender. And as RFUS said, Nene is a quality player. He has just gone under the radar his entire career.

If you compare it to City's spending, it's very modest. Going off Transfermarkt, Lavezzi seems a bargain at £22.8m. £36.9m on Pastore was a lot of money, but then they spent £4.4m on Alex, £3m on Maxwell, £2.8m on Bisevac and £2.6m on Lugano. I don't understand why a super rich club would spend so much on a relative unknown and then put together a back four for less than £13m.

 

[ijjysmith]

Pastore is beast.

 

[Summerskin]

Pastore is beast.

He's sh*t on FIFA12.

 

[Nails]

If you compare it to City's spending, it's very modest. Going off Transfermarkt, Lavezzi seems a bargain at £22.8m. £36.9m on Pastore was a lot of money, but then they spent £4.4m on Alex, £3m on Maxwell, £2.8m on Bisevac and £2.6m on Lugano. I don't understand why a super rich club would spend so much on a relative unknown and then put together a back four for less than £13m.

You're right. They've got no money. How dare they.

 

[billycopper]

You're right. They've got no money. How dare they.

I suppose it's a bit like City having Silva orchestrating things and then buying players like Savic, Zabaletta, Clichy and Kolarov for the defence. If money is no object, why don't they buy the best defenders?

Barca have Alves, Pique, Puyol and now Jordi Alba. Two of Spain's back four and Brazil's rightback.
Real have Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos and Coentrao. The other two of Spain's defence and half of Portugal's backline.
Bayern have Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber and Contento. Three of their nation's first team.

If I was Mancini I probably would have tried harder to hijack Cahill's move to Chelsea and I would have moved for Baines a long time ago.

And if I was Ancelotti I would be jumping ahead of Newcastle in the race for Debuchy for starters. Even though Bassong now plays for Cameroon, he grew up in Paris and would be available cheaply. If, on the otherhand, they want to be a super power they should target someone like Mats Hummels. Borussia Dortmund sold a key player (Kagawa) to United for a reasonable sum, so they probably wouldn't hold clubs to ransom over a transfer.

PSG have said that their aim is to win the Champions League. You're likely to need the best players in every position to achieve that feat and I just don't see it happening with the more low-key signings that they've made.

 

[nsno-chris]

I suppose it's a bit like City having Silva orchestrating things and then buying players like Savic, Zabaletta, Clichy and Kolarov for the defence. If money is no object, why don't they buy the best defenders?

Barca have Alves, Pique, Puyol and now Jordi Alba. Two of Spain's back four and Brazil's rightback.
Real have Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos and Coentrao. The other two of Spain's defence and half of Portugal's backline.
Bayern have Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber and Contento. Three of their nation's first team.

If I was Mancini I probably would have tried harder to hijack Cahill's move to Chelsea and I would have moved for Baines a long time ago.

And if I was Ancelotti I would be jumping ahead of Newcastle in the race for Debuchy for starters. Even though Bassong now plays for Cameroon, he grew up in Paris and would be available cheaply. If, on the otherhand, they want to be a super power they should target someone like Mats Hummels. Borussia Dortmund sold a key player (Kagawa) to United for a reasonable sum, so they probably wouldn't hold clubs to ransom over a transfer.

PSG have said that their aim is to win the Champions League. You're likely to need the best players in every position to achieve that feat and I just don't see it happening with the more low-key signings that they've made.

I've never really agreed with that analogy; IMO opinion the key to winning is having the right blend, whether old and young or cheap and expensive as long as each player bemefits one another and plays to the managers ways i.e. Porto

 

[toffeejack]

I've never really agreed with that analogy; IMO opinion the key to winning is having the right blend, whether old and young or cheap and expensive as long as each player bemefits one another and plays to the managers ways i.e. Porto

or just ride your luck like chelsea and liverpool did. they definately didnt have the best players in every position, they didnt have any real world class players except alonso, cole, cech and drogba

 

[billycopper]

I've never really agreed with that analogy; IMO opinion the key to winning is having the right blend, whether old and young or cheap and expensive as long as each player bemefits one another and plays to the managers ways i.e. Porto

I agree to an extent. Pique and Puyol cost Barca a combined £5m, Arbeloa wasn't all that at Liverpool and transferred to Real for £5m and the only Bayern Munich defender to cost anything was City reject Boateng. If we look at the credentials of PSG's current crop of stoppers:

Sakho- Fair enough. He is only 22 though.
Bisevac- 28 year old Serbian signed from Valenciennes with only 9 caps. Hmm
Tiene- 30 year old who couldn't get in the St Etienne side.
Camara- 33 year old with 1 French cap.
Alex- 30 year old deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea.
Lugano- 31 year old signed for about £2m from Fenerbache.
Maxwell- 30 year old signed from Barca for about £3m.
Armand- 31 year old. Never capped.
Jallet- 28 year old. Uncapped.

They look like the signings of someone like QPR or West Ham rather than a club aiming for the pinnacle of club football.

 

[billycopper]

or just ride your luck like chelsea and liverpool did. they definately didnt have the best players in every position, they didnt have any real world class players except alonso, cole, cech and drogba

Recent Champions League winners:

Chelsea- expensive but ageing side who defended doggedly.
Barca- best team in the world.
Inter- some quality players, but Mourinho was the key factor.
Barca- see earlier comment.
United- English football dominant and Ronaldo coming into his own.
Milan- solid Milan side with Kaka at his best.
Barca- same as earlier.
Liverpool- Benitez and Gerrard inspired team.
Porto- Mourinho and Deco the key figures.
Milan- Two strong, disciplined sides separated by penalties.
Real- Zidane was the difference.

If PSG are going to do it they'll either need to be super-organised and tactically aware or they'll need a world class talent to carry them. They may even need both. Even if you look back to Porto's win they had most of the best Portugese players in their side (Deco, Maniche, Pedro Mendes, Carvalho, Valente, Ferreira, Costa and Continha) and their average age was about 26. Chelsea could afford to summon Torres, Malouda, Sturridge, Essien and Ferreira from the bench if they wanted to. Liverpool's win was a miracle but how bad can you really be with a fired up Gerrard alongside Alonso, Riise, Luis Garcia, Smicer and Hamann?

If you're going to give yourself a chance in the Champions League your side has to mostly be made up of current internationals from major nations at the very least.

 

[toffeejack]

apparently borini to the rs. he impressed me at swansea but i'm still uncertain as to whether hes top half prem standard. the lid should really stay at 1 club though. only 21 and already played for 4 clubs including swansea on loan