Lallana fancies Anfield switch?

Eggs.

Spend £40m on Vidal instead.

If they're turning down 58m for Pogba, not sure 40m will quite cut it with Vidal?

If they're turning down 58m for Pogba, not sure 40m will quite cut it with Vidal?

Nah, probably not. You're right. Some of Pogba's price will be because of his age though, and the chance of getting a decent resale. Also, its PSG that want Pogba, so they get the "yous rich fuckers" tax on top. Vidal is 26, you sign him to be fucking awesome for the next five years and fuck what happens after that.

Wonder if they'd have any interest in any of Agger, Johnson, or Lucas. As I wouldn't be surprised to see them move on this summer.

I'd be happy to put 60m into buying Pogba.

Not too excited about this one for some reason.

I mean, he seems to be a good player, but for 25 million I would want a player that was definitely going to improve our midfield, and I'm not sure he's that much better than Henderson or Coutinho.

25 million for Bender and I'm excited.  15 million for Kovacic and I'm excited (I'd be happy even with 20 million for him, honestly, I really rate him and would love to see him in red).  25 million for Gundogan and I'm excited.  25 million for Lallana just seems like we're paying a premium for an English player and, while it's nowhere near a Downing/Carroll-level disaster, it's hard to get too excited about it.

I'd be happy to put 60m into buying Pogba.

I'm less keen.

Spend £40m on Vidal instead.

All about the hair with you.

Not sure we will pay 25m for him when you consider the way we haggled on the salah deal. Personally I think he's an excellent player who will go up another level here. Plus he's another good addition to the squad, imagine games that are tight like last week and we can bring on plYers that will actually be threatening rather than players like aspas who offer nothing.

What's the craic with this Kovacic? I'm reading a lot about him lately, but he's 19 and hasn't scored a goal and only has 1 assist all season? Hardly sounds like someone good enough to start yet. 

£25 Million for a player who you've seen plenty of this season: No.

£25 Million for a player you've bought on Football Manager and seen play twice: Yes.

Football hipster logic.

Fucking football manager playing, sky sports subscribing, book reading, foreign football liking, jester hat wearing, cunts. From Wigan.

Has he signed on the dotted line yet? :p

I can imagine if this website was around in 1991:

If Ian Wright's worth £2.5m how come he wasn't even playing professional football until he was 22?

Yeah, then someone would have been ridiculed for suggesting Batistuta.

Have to say I've enjoyed watching Lallana play this season but my wishlist remains Vidal and Diego Costa + fullback.

It's easy to bring up examples of players being plucked out of obscurity decades ago but in the modern game it's incredibly rare for top players to go unnoticed into their mid-20's (especially at a club like Southampton who have been scrutinised by the scouts from every big team in England, if not Europe for the entire time Lallana has been there). Not impossible but there are dozens of Charlie Adams for every Didier Drogba and I personally wouldn't fancy gambling £20m+ on the off-chance that Lallana is one of those inredibly rare cases of an ordinary player blossoming into something special at a late age.

It's easy to bring up examples of players being plucked out of obscurity decades ago but in the modern game it's incredibly rare for top players to go unnoticed into their mid-20's (especially at a club like Southampton who have been scrutinised by the scouts from every big team in England, if not Europe for the entire time Lallana has been there). Not impossible but there are dozens of Charlie Adams for every Didier Drogba and I personally wouldn't fancy gambling £20m+ on the off-chance that Lallana is one of those inredibly rare cases of an ordinary player blossoming into something special at a late age.

I know what you're saying, but the same rule applies for established top pros. You just don't know how they'll fare in this league. Essentially, every signing is a gamble.

"Why are we paying 24 million for this lad thats 26 years old and has only had one season in the french top flight, fuck this Drogba guy, you could sign Owen Hargreaves AND Freddy Adu with that"

It's easy to bring up examples of players being plucked out of obscurity decades ago but in the modern game it's incredibly rare for top players to go unnoticed into their mid-20's (especially at a club like Southampton who have been scrutinised by the scouts from every big team in England, if not Europe for the entire time Lallana has been there). Not impossible but there are dozens of Charlie Adams for every Didier Drogba and I personally wouldn't fancy gambling £20m+ on the off-chance that Lallana is one of those inredibly rare cases of an ordinary player blossoming into something special at a late age.

Beardsley, Aldridge and Houghton are the last players of a similar pedigree I can remember us signing, and that was 1987.

"Why are we paying 24 million for this lad thats 26 years old and has only had one season in the french top flight, fuck this Drogba guy, you could sign Owen Hargreaves AND Freddy Adu with that"

Chelsea could afford too.

I can understand people wanting Kovacic, he's 19 years old, extremely talented from the games i've seen him in (which admittedly is a handful at most) and he represents value at 15 million. But has anyone stopped to think, what if he doesn't want to move? what if he's happy living in Milan and playing regular football for one of the biggest clubs in Italy and doesn't want to up sticks, playing in a new league, with different expectations, having to learn a new language etc.

Should we just not sign anyone the second Kovacic, or a Griezmann chooses to stay or chooses to sign for another club instead of us? if Lallana's been targeted, it's been done for a reason, A. he'd consider moving and B. because Rodgers and the committee think he'll improve us. We don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but it goes without saying that from the basis of our progress, they know what they're doing.

Except him.

Agree with Cardie here. You can get a top player for 10 mil if you know where to look. Xabi, Hamann, we've had a decent record of buying ready made midfield talent without breaking the bank. It annoys me the way you've got to take your trousers down just because someone is English.

People all over the empire have been saying that for a hundred years.

Not another Downing please. He is 26 he has peaked, good player and that's about it.

Konoplyanka is miles better.

Moron.

I can understand people wanting Kovacic, he's 19 years old, extremely talented from the games i've seen him in (which admittedly is a handful at most) and he represents value at 15 million. But has anyone stopped to think, what if he doesn't want to move? what if he's happy living in Milan and playing regular football for one of the biggest clubs in Italy and doesn't want to up sticks, playing in a new league, with different expectations, having to learn a new language etc.

 

Should we just not sign anyone the second Kovacic, or a Griezmann chooses to stay or chooses to sign for another club instead of us? if Lallana's been targeted, it's been done for a reason, A. he'd consider moving and B. because Rodgers and the committee think he'll improve us. We don't know what goes on behind the scenes, but it goes without saying that from the basis of our progress, they know what they're doing.

 

 

 

 

Except him.

He wasnt gettting game time was he.  Mazzarri didnt seem to rate him. Unsure whether the position has changed.