transfer pot - blow it on alves!!!

[igor biscan]

i have to laugh when i see some of the figures being thrown around on this board...there's no way in hell rafa will be given more than ~£25-£35M to spend this summer...you have to remember, he just spent £18.5M on mascherano and £6.5 on srktel this january...you can make the case that perhaps the skrtel money was already earmaked for heinze last last season, and that the mascherano fee includes wages, but regardless, it's money that has been spent that we won't have to spend this summer. i think both were fine purchases, btw, but given our current cashflow situation, it has to be taken into consideration.

anyways, my point is that you can figure out how much rafa will have to spend based on how much he can sell his squad players for...it's pretty safe to assume the likes of carson (£6M), riise (£4M), finnan (£2M) and crouch (£10M) are goners (total = £22M)...the variable is alonso (£15M)...the fact that we bid for barry makes me think he's a goner...let's assume that he is, and that once we pay off some of these players we're letting go, we have £35M to work with.

right away, £10-12M is gone on barry to take over xabi's role...we're left with about £25M to play with. insua should be able to take over for riise (plus aurelio, arbeloa, and barry can play there as well). carson was on loan, so he doesn't need to be replaced. so now it becomes a matter of replacing crouch, finnan, and probably signing another attacking midfielder. i would argue that a combination of babel, kuyt and nemeth could fill in for crouch, given his limited starts and the one striker system we favour. i would go for broke at this point, and put in a £25M bid on alves. he's a fullback and winger rolled in one, he's absolutely world class, and we know rafa has been obsessed with him for years. i think he's tailor made for this formation as well. we wouldn't be breaking our budget, and we'd be reasonably well covered at all positions.

GOALKEEPERS: reina, itandje
DEFENDERS: alves, arbeloa, carragher, agger, skrtel, hyypia, aurelio, insua
MIDFIELDERS: gerrard, mascherano, barry, lucas, benayoun, pennant, leto, plessis
STRIKERS: torres, babel, kuyt, nemeth

i'd be happy with that squad going into next year...i was very impressed with what i saw from the team in the latter half of the season.

[StevieH]

Daniel Alves is an excellent players and one of the very few who could influence a game from Right Back. He would be a terrific addition to the team, but we need more.

Sadly in the current climate & whilst Hicks is still around we will probably look for cheaper alternatives and spend the £25-35m that we generate on multiple players who will turn out to be "hit & miss".

[Rashid]

It needed a new thread?

[Newport]

Fucking hell. If what you say about the money is right then why on earth should we go out and spend all of it on a fucking right back (no matter how good people think he is) when we have three (3!) players who can fill that position?

[StevieH]

Alves is not a normal right back. When Gerrard switched to RB in parts of the CL final win in Istanbul, he dominated the game from that position such is his presence and ability. Alves is similar in that he can bomb up and down the right flank for 90 mins and influence the game. We need more than Alves, but he would be a terrific acquisition.

[BROCK]

Voronin and intanje also need to be shipped out, meaning we'd need a goalie whose happy to just play in the Carling Cup and what about Bently?

[StevieH]

We have been linked with Steve Harper at Newcastle who is a decent goalkeeper and a very good professional.

[Remington]

Originally Posted by igor biscan

i have to laugh when i see some of the figures being thrown around on this board...there's no way in hell rafa will be given more than ~£25-£35M to spend this summer...you have to remember, he just spent £18.5M on mascherano and £6.5 on srktel this january...you can make the case that perhaps the skrtel money was already earmaked for heinze last last season, and that the mascherano fee includes wages, but regardless, it's money that has been spent that we won't have to spend this summer. i think both were fine purchases, btw, but given our current cashflow situation, it has to be taken into consideration.

anyways, my point is that you can figure out how much rafa will have to spend based on how much he can sell his squad players for...it's pretty safe to assume the likes of carson (£6M), riise (£4M), finnan (£2M) and crouch (£10M) are goners (total = £22M)...the variable is alonso (£15M)...the fact that we bid for barry makes me think he's a goner...let's assume that he is, and that once we pay off some of these players we're letting go, we have £35M to work with.

right away, £10-12M is gone on barry to take over xabi's role...we're left with about £25M to play with. insua should be able to take over for riise (plus aurelio, arbeloa, and barry can play there as well). carson was on loan, so he doesn't need to be replaced. so now it becomes a matter of replacing crouch, finnan, and probably signing another attacking midfielder. i would argue that a combination of babel, kuyt and nemeth could fill in for crouch, given his limited starts and the one striker system we favour. i would go for broke at this point, and put in a £25M bid on alves. he's a fullback and winger rolled in one, he's absolutely world class, and we know rafa has been obsessed with him for years. i think he's tailor made for this formation as well. we wouldn't be breaking our budget, and we'd be reasonably well covered at all positions.

GOALKEEPERS: reina, itandje
DEFENDERS: alves, arbeloa, carragher, agger, skrtel, hyypia, aurelio, insua
MIDFIELDERS: gerrard, mascherano, barry, lucas, benayoun, pennant, leto, plessis
STRIKERS: torres, babel, kuyt, nemeth

i'd be happy with that squad going into next year...i was very impressed with what i saw from the team in the latter half of the season.

Shut up, I'm trying to reach the 456th level in Championship Manager here!

[benolad]

Personally I agree with a lot of what you say Igor, well said. Alves is my personal first choice signing as well. Just can't see it happeneing though. Does anyone actually know for sure what sort of budget we are lookin at here?

[rebel23]

a right back should not cost more than 5-7m, Alves is way overhyped for what he is.

[hamstrung]

Right back's have a finite maximum value?

This policy thing gets more complicated every day.

[Trucker Paddy]

If we've £20m we should spend it on alves, and let rafa wheel and deal with risse crouch alonso guthrie carson and whatever else he wants to get rid off to generate another 25/30 to buy a left full and left winger!

[bobhorse]

Seems to many people are hung up on Alves he is a very good player but he will cost £20m plus

Is he a player who is lets say £12m beter than the next on the list if the answer is no then that is it case closed move on to the next name on the list

Alonso = Henrey + Abidal
Riise = £4m
Crouch = £8m
Carson + £4 = Barry
Kewell = Free
Pennant = £6m
Guthrie = £3m
Finnan = £1m
Vorrinin = £2m

Add that to the normall £20 Net spend and that gives around £40m to bring in 4 players

all ifs and buts i know but would be good work if it could be pulled off

[Trucker Paddy]

Originally Posted by bobhorse

Seems to many people are hung up on Alves he is a very good player but he will cost £20m plus

Is he a player who is lets say £12m beter than the next on the list if the answer is no then that is it case closed move on to the next name on the list

Alonso = Henrey + Abidal
Riise = £4m
Crouch = £8m
Carson + £4 = Barry
Kewell = Free
Pennant = £6m
Guthrie = £3m
Finnan = £1m
Vorrinin = £2m

Add that to the normall £20 Net spend and that gives around £40m to bring in 4 players

all ifs and buts i know but would be good work if it could be pulled off

Abidal is about the same as traore!

[King Emlyn]

I think Benitez will only be able to spend what he can raise in sales, we've a £30,000,000 minimum credit card payment to make remember.

[benolad]

Originally Posted by King Emlyn

I think Benitez will only be able to spend what he can raise in sales, we've a £30,000,000 minimum credit card payment to make remember.

That's disapointing if true, do you not think our Champions league run and 4th place winnings would at least ensure some funds?