Cant get my head round this fume. Inter had one, yes, ONE, firm offer, worldwide, for a player they signed 6 months ago, from Bayern Munich.
And that offer was binned off when it was made. He had zero choice if he wants to play football other than Stoke. I expect his wife is overjoyed.
We wernt that keen, hence the loan/staged or whatever we offered, but it was certainly not the asking price in pound notes. Nor Euro ones come to that.
Not sure that Shaqiri himself is the specific cause for fume. Just the item that made things boil over. I liked him, sure, but it is not losing him that has me concerned..... it's the combo of:
1) Manager had stated he had specific targets in mind
2) Manager stated he thinks business should be done before season starts (last night)
3) Team has not addressed 2 biggest concerns
So i'm worried that he lost his two primary targets at those positions (CB/AM). Maybe they were the boys that went to West Ham, maybe they just didn't want to leave or their club wouldn't sell (maybe we were to cheap). Whatever, he appeared willing to either abandon his plan for Shaqiri (meaning his target is worse) OR his target was gone and that was the next best option. Either way - not altogether promising for our options going forward.......
The dreamer in me says it is all because he was going to splash an unexpected 10-12 on Davis and saw a loan chance. If so, we may all be pleasantly surprised in the next couple of weeks.
The realist in me is afraid we will get Evans and Lennon and be done.
I like Lennon and Evans, but we need more and better.