Summer Transfers 2014

[Trumo]

Just seen a story on the BBC website where Angel di Maria has been linked with a £29m move to either Arsenal or City. It's most likely bollocks given the source (Daily Star) but if he's available at that price, he represents excellent value at today's prices. He still likes to take a dive every now and then but Ancelotti has got him to up his work-rate and become an energetic presence in midfield without losing his ability to run at defenders and create openings.

[Dr Nowt]

This provides more context to those quotes from Rodgers doing the rounds, and makes far less gloomy reading as a result.

 

Andy Hunter

Tuesday 13 May 2014 22.30 BST

 

Adam Lallana's hopes of joining Liverpool before the World Cup may rest on informing Southampton he is determined to leave St Mary's, with the two clubs yet to agree a deal for the England midfielder.

 

The 26-year-old is high on Brendan Rodgers' transfer wish-list for the summer, with the Liverpool manager determined to add proven talent to a squad that will be competing in the Champions League next season. Liverpool have inquired about a £20m deal for the Southampton captain but the south-coast club are believed to value their academy graduate in the region of £25m.

 

With Roy Hodgson keen to avoid any distractions before England take their World Cup preparations to Miami on 1 June, and Rodgers preferring to complete his main signings early, Lallana may have to leave Southampton in no doubt over his intentions to seal the transfer swiftly. The boyhood Evertonian suggested this week that he was undecided over his future but he is understood to favour a move to Anfield over other interested parties, including Manchester United.

 

Rodgers would not be drawn on Liverpool's pursuit of Lallana on Tuesday, when he held a lengthy meeting with the club's recruitment team over their preferred targets, but he reiterated that the Premier League runners-up need quality not quantity this summer.

 

"I don't want to put a figure on how many but I would rather have one or two absolute top players than seven that might not help us," said the Liverpool manager. "It's about the quality. We can't be going into the Champions League this year with doubts about players. We have to be going in knowing what the players' capacity to play is and their capabilities."

 

Liverpool's defence is in obvious need of strengthening, with a new left-back a priority for Rodgers, although the interest in Lallana demonstrates the manager is also intent on enhancing the attacking threat of a team that scored 101 league goals last season. Real Madrid continue to be linked with a bid for Luis Suárez, as occurred last summer when no offer materialised from the Spanish club, but the striker's declared reason for wanting to leave last year – no Champions League football – has been satisfied at Anfield.

 

Rodgers' intention is to sign players before the World Cup but he admits he is prepared for all eventualities given the quality he has targeted. "Ideally you would want to get things done beforehand but it is difficult because transfers are so complex, especially if you are doing a big signing," he said. "The World Cup does make it difficult but the club and ourselves have been preparing for quite a few months now so we will try and get the business done as early as we can. I'm sure some of that will get dragged out during the summer, though. You can plan early but sometimes with the madness of football you will find things don't get done until the last 48 hours of the window.

 

"For me, it's about planning. We have the core of the squad now, that helps. Two years ago, when I came in, I was looking to introduce new ideas but a lot of the players weren't there because of the European Championship. That affected the start of the season. At least this summer we have the principals bedded in place and the players that will come in will be the profile of what we want. It should be better for us this summer."

[DanDanShaw]

This 'english tax' thing only works for smaller clubs selling to bigger clubs. The big clubs never sell their young english players at a premium, Caulker went for 7 million, Shelvey for 6 million, Henderson was going to Fulham for about 6-8 million allegedly. Yet Barkley's worth 30 million the second he kicks a ball and Lallana's worth 25 million because he's english... it's a stupid double standard.

 

I think that's more to do with smaller clubs selling to bigger clubs (who can afford more) and the bigger clubs selling to smaller clubs (who can't).

 

If Liverpool refuse to pay more than £10m for Lallana, I suspect somebody else will.  If Liverpool has demanded £10m for Shelvey and Swansea refused, I can't imagine anybody coming in and paying it - so he wen't for less.

[Cardie]

Yep. The last couple of weeks of the season it was clear that Suarez and Sturridge were goosed. It became painfully obvious in the Chelsea game how limited the squad was when the manager had to throw on Aspas to try and get something from the game.

As I've said before that was partly down to poor squad management. No we don't have the resources of other clubs to rest suarez entirely but when we're 3 or 4 up with 20-30 minutes to play does he really need to be on the pitch running around like a head case.

 

 

[Dr Nowt]

Agree with Cardie there. The thing of Suarez not liking ever being taken off no matter what score, or missing games away to lower league opposition in the cup, is all well and good and everyone buzzes off seeing that level of commitment, but next season (if he stays) he'll need to be managed and have that taken firmly out of his hands.

[Boss]

Adam Lallana set to hand in a transfer request according to the Daily Express.

[The Golden Eel]

Adam Lallana set to hand in a transfer request according to the Daily Express.

Meltdown imminent among Southampton fans in that case.

[Jairzinho]

Agree with Cardie there. The thing of Suarez not liking ever being taken off no matter what score, or missing games away to lower league opposition in the cup, is all well and good and everyone buzzes off seeing that level of commitment, but next season (if he stays) he'll need to be managed and have that taken firmly out of his hands.

 

Would help if we were a touch more pragmatic in games.

 

2-0 with 15 minutes left...we should be winning. I'm not talking park bus, but just pass the ball around for a bit. Lower the tempo. This means if we keep him on he won't tire as much, and if we take him off there's less chance that five minutes later we're thinking "FUCK WHY DID WE TAKE HIM OFF WE'RE 3-2 DOWN TO BURNLEY NOW!?!?!?!?TROLL FACE!!!!"

[Jairzinho]

Meltdown imminent among Southampton fans in that case.

 

Do they already hate us? Probably.

 

Certainly will now.

[magicrat]

Adam Lallana set to hand in a transfer request according to the Daily Express.

Posturing probably by both sides . I expect we will have to meet them halfway on the 20/25 mill price tag. Looks like this will happen quickly now.

[The Golden Eel]

Do they already hate us? Probably.

 

Certainly will now.

Aye, they do from what I read on that Saintsweb thread about Lallana.

[Section_31]

I bet every decent Southampton player just looks at Le Tissier's career and thinks 'fuck that'.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Transfer request = no loyalty bonus = lower valuation. Hopefully.

[Horus]

£20m for Lallana is absurd. If we pay that, then I think we'll look back on this in a couple of years, as another of those what could have been windows, we specialise in.

[mouse1989]

If we do get Lallana, I hope people don't judge him for his WC performances and already right him off, if he performs badly. Don't forget, its Woy as the manager, he could make Messi look useless.

[J-V]

He will probably along with Sterling be England's best player at the World Cup.

[ElishaScottBC]

I think that's more to do with smaller clubs selling to bigger clubs (who can afford more) and the bigger clubs selling to smaller clubs (who can't).

 

If Liverpool refuse to pay more than £10m for Lallana, I suspect somebody else will.  If Liverpool has demanded £10m for Shelvey and Swansea refused, I can't imagine anybody coming in and paying it - so he wen't for less.

 

If Stoke bid £11m for Lallana and Southampton say we still need to pay £25m or else they will sell, would you buy?

 

I understand that being a club with bigger finances, the rivals will want to charge more when setting a price. That is their prerogative, ours is to get the best deal possible,

 

[Horus]

If we do get Lallana, I hope people don't judge him for his WC performances and already right him off, if he performs badly. Don't forget, its Woy as the manager, he could make Messi look useless.

For a 26yr old, there is actually precious little of his career that he can be judged on.

[Nightcat]

How many times in the past 3-4 windows have we found ourselves in the same shite position, knowing we want a specific player, knowing our manager wants the player, knowing the player wants to play for us and his club are ready sell in a specific price.... and yet can't seal the deal?

 

I won't be surprised if that fake superscouser Ayre fails to sign him before the World Cup, then Lallana puts some good performances and Chelsea, United or City sign him for £23-25m embarrassing us in a similar way with the cases of Willian, Mikytaryan, Salah etc...

 

Yes, I have my reservations about him, but if the manager believes in him, then we should sign him and not try to save 2-3 million. People forget we received £127m from TV rights this season, more than any other club in the Premier League.

[Boss]

What is Ian Ayre actually doing when he travels out to make these deals?

 

Because all we hear is the player wants the move, the agent wants the move, the club are happy to negotiate a fee, and then Ayre flys out and within 24 hours the player is upset, the agent is trying to palm his client off to anyone else, and the club are furious with liverpool for taking the piss. He's like a human wrecking ball, he's the worst thing to happen to human relations since Joseph Stalin.

[Horus]

How many times in the past 3-4 windows have we found ourselves in the same shite position, knowing we want a specific player, knowing our manager wants the player, knowing the player wants to play for us and his club are ready sell in a specific price.... and yet can't seal the deal?

 

I won't be surprised if that fake superscouser Ayre fails to sign him before the World Cup, then Lallana puts some good performances and Chelsea, United or City sign him for £23-25m embarrassing us in a similar way with the cases of Willian, Mikytaryan, Salah etc...

 

Yes, I have my reservations about him, but if the manager believes in him, then we should sign him and not try to save 2-3 million. People forget we received £127m from TV rights this season, more than any other club in the Premier League.

And we still have reported losses of around £100m in the last 2 years. So if we were haggling over 1-2 million euro's on a 9-12m euro signing, then it would be fucking negligent if we were happy to over pay by £5-10m now.

[WhiskeyJar]

I like the way the Mirror puts it:

 

Southampton star Adam Lallana rest on him informing the south coast club that he wants to join move to Anfield, states the Guardian.

 

The 26-year-old England midfielder is believed to be Rodgers No.1 transfer target this summer, with Liverpool having enquired about the £20million-rated Saints skipper.

 

But with Roy Hodgson wanting both Lallana and Southampton teammate Luke Shaw's future's both sorted out before June 1, Lallana may have to hand in a transfer request in order to force through a move prior to the World Cup - or risk see Liverpool move onto other targets.

 

The Reds could edge out Manchester United in the race for Sporting Lisbon defender William Carvalho, according to the Daily Star.

 

The 22-year-old has been regularly watched by United during the season, but the departure of David Moyes has made a potential move uncertain.

 

And now Rodgers could swoop for the tough-tackling midfielder as he looks to bolster his side defensively, ahead of both a Premier League title tilt and a trip into the Champions League next year.

[Pidge]

Agree with Cardie there.

Doubt he sees it that way.

[The Golden Eel]

"But with Roy Hodgson wanting both Lallana and Southampton teammate Luke Shaw's future's both sorted out before June 1, Lallana may have to hand in a transfer request in order to force through a move prior to the World Cup"

 

Errrm, what?

[J-V]

And we still have reported losses of around £100m in the last 2 years. So if we were haggling over 1-2 million euro's on a 9-12m euro signing, then it would be fucking negligent if we were happy to over pay by £5-10m now.

 

Yet we're still content with wasting 7/8million a piece of shit like Aspas and Alberto.