Balague: Reina definitely joining Barca

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Seems mental Barcelona want him and we're wondering if he's good enough for us.

 

Barca want him and Ter Stegen. That changes things a bit.

[thompsonsnose]

I love Pepe, he has been a quality keeper for us and has been here 7 years. It's just that he hasn't been that good for a long time. A couple of decent months, as Ted said, doesn't entirely convince me. Not when he has been picking up £5,252,000 a year.

 

Some have said that unless we get the best talent available, it'll be a downgrade. Maybe on Pepe of 2007, but not anymore. Not over the last couple of years where he could barely save a shot. If he wants to go to Barca, then we should get as much as we can and put it into one of the many solid keepers around.

 

 

Dare we ask the sage which replacement keeper has him foaming in the nickers?

 

Go on..enlighten us.

[Jairzinho]

Only the mental's are doing this.

 

Us normal people realise the size of the hole this causes.

 

As Ted pointed out above - the question over his mentality has raised concerns and if his upturn in form is a direct result of Barcelona's interest - then its disappointing, but trying to replace a player who has by large, been really good for us - is going to be a giant effort. One i'm not sure we will get right. Again.

 

*Sigh*

 

Disappointing but understandable. All of our best players in the last three or four years have had spells where they've looked thoroughly dejected. The lowering of expectations hasn't helped.

[Jairzinho]

Barca want him and Ter Stegen. That changes things a bit.

 

Not really. One of the best teams in the world want Reina to be their first choice keeper for the next couple of years.

[xerxes]

It'd be futile, we all saw what happened with Mascherano when we said he couldn't leave at first.

 

The players should be telling Barca to fuck off, not us. Players always get their way, if they want out then that's when the upper hand goes to Barca, and that's when we accept the derisory offer on the table, just to put an end to it.

 

I do think we miss a trick though in terms of writing player contracts. Nothing will change in terms of Barca and Real being powerhouses, and you can add Bayern and United to that as well, so how about something is written into contracts with specific reference to those clubs perhaps only being able to buy that player if they meet an advanced release clause amount?

 

Or maybe, in the contract, that it is stipulated that any sale to any of those four clubs means that we receive 50% of his next transfer fee?

 

Dunno, it just seems wrong that those four can operate in the way they do, make the money they make, and still nick players off clubs for way below market value because the player WANTS to leave and would be unhappy if he stayed, and so they deliberately start the bidding low.

 

You can’t buck the market. No player would agree to those clauses.

 

We have had good value out of Reina. If he wants to return home, play for a Cl team and win some honours, get some sun on his back, and have his soon to be born child in Spain, good luck to him.

 

I would prefer he stayed, but can understand if he wants to go. Sometimes you just say “thanks and good luck”. He hasn’t been at his best for some time.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Not really. One of the best teams in the world want Reina to be their first choice keeper for the next couple of years.

 

Hmn, simply can't see that happening. Ter Stegen, quite probably the better keeper of the two already, sitting on the bench for two seasons. Nah.

 

I know you're a massive Reina fan, mate. So we're unlikely to agree on the future of that position. I just think we can get a better keeper for significantly less money than we're paying Reina.

[gaz181]

A horrible business replacing goalkeepers.

 

Horrible business.

 

Hope he stays.

[PaulMcC]

Hmn, simply can't see that happening. Ter Stegen, quite probably the better keeper of the two already, sitting on the bench for two seasons. Nah.

 

I know you're a massive Reina fan, mate. So we're unlikely to agree on the future of that position. I just think we can get a better keeper for significantly less money than we're paying Reina.

 

What better keeper can we get for under 10m?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

 

What better keeper can we get for under 10m?

 

Why under 10m? I said for significantly less than were paying Reina. Which is over 5m per year, btw.

 

I'd like Begovic, but there is plenty of keepers about.

[PaulMcC]

Why under 10m? I said for significantly less than were paying Reina. Which is over 5m per year, btw.

 

I'd like Begovic, but there is plenty of keepers about.

 

Why do you care about the wages? Reina is better than Begovic. If there's loads better you'll have no problem naming 10.

[Guest Slim(fast)Shady]

Don't blame him in all honesty,can you?

[moof]

Being six foot one is pretty much the only thing preventing me from playing for Barcelona.

 

Still, you could probably get a game for Stoke. Every cloud.

[Ted]

Is Xavi Valero on the staff at Barca? Ya know, cos Reina can only function if Xavi is wiping his arse for him, etc.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Why do you care about the wages?

 

There's a few obvious reasons. The main one being that a sensible wage bill allows us vastly more funds to spend on transfers. paying a keeper over 5m a year is pretty crazy, especially when he has been performing the way Pepe has over the last 2 seasons.

 

Reina is better than Begovic.

 

Well, that's a matter for debate. I think you're talking nonsense.

 

If there's loads better you'll have no problem naming 10.

 

I didn't say there's loads better, I said there are plenty of keepers about. And there are. Why would I bother writing a list of players for you to say 'Reina's better than all of them' without even reading it?

 

Still, you could probably get a game for Stoke. Every cloud.

 

What's your view on Reina, Moof? I've probably read it, but I've forgotten. Replacing him, I mean.

[Red Banjo]

GK is probably the most difficult position on the pitch to fill. Signing the next Petr Cech is the only way of successfully doing it. Problem is you have to find the next Petr Cech.

[moof]

What's your view on Reina, Moof? I've probably read it, but I've forgotten. Replacing him, I mean.

 

I think there are plenty of really good goalkeepers around so I'm not too worried about finding a suitable replacement, having said that we'll probably get shit money for him so i wouldnt be against him sticking around for a couple of years. I'm very wary of losing too many big personalities in the dressing room, we're gradually losing players that the youngsters in the squad can look to for guidance and I think we need to add some experience in the next few transfer windows.

 

Performance wise I've been pleased with Reina for some time now, I was really unhappy with his form since Rafa's last season. I'd rather not have to replace him when there is so much work to do with the rest of the squad.

[Guest LFD]

Is Xavi Valero on the staff at Barca? Ya know, cos Reina can only function if Xavi is wiping his arse for him, etc.

 

Well he has been fine in 2013, so you'r talking crap.

 

Xavi Valero is at Chelsea with Benitez I think.

[Nightcat]

Venticinco talking bollocks again. "THERE ARE PLENTY of keepers around."

 

No there aren't. There is only a very limited number of keepers capable of replacing Reina and as soon as we sell Reina and start searching for a Keeper, smaller clubs will rape us for a mediocrity, who will come with a huge price tag to replace Reina and his confidence will be zero from day one.

 

Replacing two CB and a top class keeper in the same transfer window with limited funds, it's just stupid.

[moof]

If Cech is staying at Chelsea I wonder if they'd sell us Courtois. Probably not, like but he's the best young keeper around and that's including ter Stegen.

[MLB]

Go on then.

 

I was being mischievous but the last time Barcelona decided they just wanted a player of ours we got half of the transfer fee we should have, now they decide they want Reina for 10m? And we just let it happen? So next summer they decide they want Suarez for 20m - do we just let that happen too?

 

Its time we told Barcelona to fuck off.

 

 

A nice idea in theory, but we're probably not in the strongest of bargaining positions, are we? If they meet his buyout clause - whatever that might be - then we won't have much say in things. And if he wants to go then, to be honest, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. He's a good keeper but there are plenty of others around that we could replace him with.

[Guest San Don]

A nice idea in theory, but we're probably not in the strongest of bargaining positions, are we? If they meet his buyout clause - whatever that might be - then we won't have much say in things. And if he wants to go then, to be honest, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. He's a good keeper but there are plenty of others around that we could replace him with.

 

Well if 3 years left on a contract doesnt put you in a good bargaining position, I dont know what will.

 

So say the player wants to move, he moves on our terms with a 3 year deal as back up. Barcelona want the same player? With a 3 year deal behind us, they pay up or fuck off.

 

Its really not hard. Ferguson told clubs he didnt want his players going to, to fuck off (including us). it just takes a bit of bottle. Cave in at the first opportunity and dont be surprised when you do get arse raped (metaphorically speaking, of course).

 

If reina wants to go, they club should set the fee at £18m - £20m. If barcelona want to buy him, they need to offer at least £18m.

[xerxes]

Well if 3 years left on a contract doesnt put you in a good bargaining position, I dont know what will.

 

So say the player wants to move, he moves on our terms with a 3 year deal as back up. Barcelona want the same player? With a 3 year deal behind us, they pay up or fuck off.

 

Its really not hard. Ferguson told clubs he didnt want his players going to, to fuck off (including us). it just takes a bit of bottle. Cave in at the first opportunity and dont be surprised when you do get arse raped (metaphorically speaking, of course).

 

If reina wants to go, they club should set the fee at £18m - £20m. If barcelona want to buy him, they need to offer at least £18m.

 

Difficult to argue with any of that.

 

But as Masch proved, if a player wants out, and only one credible buyer who can afford the wages emerges, the price is depressed.

 

Of course the club can say no, but having a player who doesn't want to be with you burning £5m a year is bad business.

[redfromtubebar]

I think it's critical that we keep hold of the core of the team over the summer. Carra leaving is bad enough and Reina's presence both on the pitch and in the dressing room should not be understated.

 

Rodgers spoke about the lack of leaders in the squad. Well, his two most vocal personalities leaving in the same summer would be an unmitigated disaster.

 

He's paid a lot of money but he's worth it in my opinion. Quality Goalkeepers are very hard to replace. We can talk about the next big thing's all we like but prospects like David James and Chris Kirkland were supposed to be number one's for the next fifteen years and look how that turned out.

[MLB]

Well if 3 years left on a contract doesnt put you in a good bargaining position, I dont know what will.

 

So say the player wants to move, he moves on our terms with a 3 year deal as back up. Barcelona want the same player? With a 3 year deal behind us, they pay up or fuck off.

 

Its really not hard. Ferguson told clubs he didnt want his players going to, to fuck off (including us). it just takes a bit of bottle. Cave in at the first opportunity and dont be surprised when you do get arse raped (metaphorically speaking, of course).

 

If reina wants to go, they club should set the fee at £18m - £20m. If barcelona want to buy him, they need to offer at least £18m.

 

 

 

But my post was predicated on there being a clause in his contract that says he can leave for X amount of money. Obviously I can't say for certain if that is the case, but it seems probable.

 

For what it's worth I think we would probably get about £12 million for him.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

My guess is 8-10.