Summer 2017 Transfer Thread

[The Acolyte]

Fucking madness. £50m for Siggurdsson is just insane.

Makes Keita value sound reasonable

[Cij]

It was strange when the Echo ran various pieces following the end of the season detailing how this was going to be the club’s most extravagant Summer window ever and reaming off various high-profile targets. Bragging about how much money we have inevitably results in selling clubs demanding higher prices? The only logical reason for doing this was to convince our key targets that the club is ambitious and on an upward trajectory. Fine, up to a point.

 

Klopp appears to have successfully persuaded a host of excellent players that this is the place to be – Salah, Van Dijk and Keita in particular – and the onus now very much rests on FSG to get these deals over the line or supporters will turn on them. The club’s bombastic leaks understandably created expectation among fans. Kudos for wrapping up Salah but the rest of the omens are not great.

 

FSG clearly baulked at Southampton’s asking price for Van Dijk. Southampton’s top brass employs a tried and tested approach when it comes to selling their top players in order to keep their own fans onside. They portray themselves as reluctant sellers and force the player to demand a transfer, see Fonte, Lallana, Lovren and Wanyama by way of example. A deal is always done but only when the money is produced. The fact that we publicly backed down was ridiculous.

 

FSG have attempted to be cute by cosying up to Van Dijk in order to alienate other suitors and drive the price down. This has understandably irked Southampton. The same strategy seems to have been adopted with Keita. No problem with that once you follow through with a realistic bid but we appear to be operating in a vacuum. I suspect the post-apology hope is that some other club will act as a stalking horse for Van Dijk and we will match any bid that is accepted.

 

My biggest concern is that Van Dijk and Keita have clearly been identified to address very specific weaknesses in our squad. Van Dijk dominates aerially to a virtually unparalleled degree (he is basically twice as effective as Lovren) which should greatly help with our Achilles’ Heel when defending set pieces. Keita has an incredibly well-rounded game and the closest comparison is Thiago Alcantara. Klopp has long been looking to bring in a ball-carrying midfielder who can pass through the lines – like Dahoud and Zielinski – and Keita excels at this as well as the defensive side. ‘Packing’ is the measures in football analytics for players who assist their teams to break through defensive lines by passing or dribbling. Keita appears to be right up there with Kroos and Thiago in this regard and is tailor-made for puncturing through the low-block defences we struggled against last season.

 

It speaks volumes about FSG’s ambition if they fail to wrap up these deals at this point in the team’s development. Klopp secured Champions League by the skin of his teeth with a bare bones squad last season. That simply won’t cut it next year with all our rivals pushing out the boat this Summer. The right signings might actually allow us compete for the league next year. Perhaps FSG are waiting for bids for Sakho, Moreno, Markovic and the like before pressing on with Van Dijk and Keita but if they are not brought in before the end of the window a backlash will inevitably ensue. 

[jimmycase]

Makes Keita value sound reasonable

 

When you put it like that yes it does but, I suspect swansea are looking at fees for the likes of Keita and lukaku and think 'We'll have some of that, £50m please.'

[SlugTrail]

When you put it like that yes it does but, I suspect swansea are looking at fees for the likes of Keita and lukaku and think 'We'll have some of that, £50m please.'

thats what happens when you let the fans do you negotiating for you.

[1892-LFCWasBorn]

40m for him was insane. How much must Coutinho be worth, to the nearest billion.

 

£10b at least.

 

Don't tell FSG though. Otherwise they'll be looking a harbour catalogues to put all their yachts in.

[Dave D]

Conte and Mourinho seem to be actively pressuring their respective boards to get the signings done.

 

Klopp on the other hand appears to do the opposite, I get the impression if the squad remains exactly as it is you wouldn't hear him complain. 

[Marko121]

Arnautovic has put transfer request in at Stoke. Wouldn't surprise me if FSG get the spreadsheet out and settle for him.

 

Fucking ridiculous if they do

[Lycan]

It would be nice if we could actually make a bid for a player in the next week or two. After the VVD debacle, FSG owe us some positive news other than training ground plans being submitted.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

It would be nice if we could actually make a bid for a player in the next week or two. After the VVD debacle, FSG owe us some positive news other than training ground plans being submitted.

After 7 years of investing the square root of fuck all in our club, they owe us a shit load of positive news.

 

 

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[Lycan]

True.

[Thoth]

I know we are only 10 days in blah blah blah but it's not like we don't know who are targets are.. why haven't we put bids in ( I am presuming here obviously). We need to put a bid in to sign a player not just aggressively monitor them and then do fuck all about it. Klopp wants quality yet we won't pay for quality.. never gonna change with FSG.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

They won't get away with another shit window that's for sure, and rightly so. Still hopeful but not confident. Contrary to what some think we won't continue to put up with this.

[Harry Squatter]

It would be nice if we could actually make a bid for a player in the next week or two. After the VVD debacle, FSG owe us some positive news other than training ground plans being submitted.

It hasn't even been that. Just a load of training ground photos of the same players back at Melwood apart from Salah.

[2pak]

Well summed Cij. Agree with the lot.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

They won't get away with another shit window that's for sure, and rightly so. Still hopeful but not confident. Contrary to what some think we won't continue to put up with this.

What's going to happen if/when the window closes and it was indeed shit?

 

Without a manager who is willing to stand up to cunt owners (a la Rafa), nothing will happen. Our manager seems more interested in digging out our fans than he does the owners.

 

He'll be asked whether he was concerned about missing all his primary targets and start talking about how the fans are a bunch of cunts for collectively sighing when we see Lovren giving sway another three points.

[Megadrive Man]

I know we are only 10 days in blah blah blah but it's not like we don't know who are targets are.. why haven't we put bids in ( I am presuming here obviously). We need to put a bid in to sign a player not just aggressively monitor them and then do fuck all about it. Klopp wants quality yet we won't pay for quality.. never gonna change with FSG.

 

If we put a bid in there's always the danger it might get accepted!

[Sputnik1]

What's going to happen if/when the window closes and it was indeed shit?

 

Without a manager who is willing to stand up to cunt owners (a la Rafa), nothing will happen. Our manager seems more interested in digging out our fans than he does the owners.

 

He'll be asked whether he was concerned about missing all his primary targets and start talking about how the fans are a bunch of cunts for collectively sighing when we see Lovren giving sway another three points.

 

 

Create an imaginary scenario and then attach some imaginary actions of the manager to them. Nice.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Whilst I understand the frustration at the lack of apparent movement on the key deals, I'm not sure why people just want us to put in bids. A formal bid will only come when we've actually got to the point of negotiating, and that's the tricky part considering both clubs consider their players not for sale. The next week or two, as players get into pre-season, is when we'll know whether our targets are willing to force moves or not, and until that's apparent any formal bids are just a bit pointless. Neither side will pick up the phone.

 

Now, if we fuck this up and fanny around until any back up plans are gone too, then there's reason to panic, but I'm not sure that time is here yet.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

I would imagine another reasonably inactive window will have some if not all fan groups enraged ( not FSG fans obviously ) buy some class players, spend the money. I'm normally not one for this type of post but time for talk is over.

I'm actually made up about Salah and excited about Solanke but it's not enough, cannot allow the window to peeter out, I'm praying it won't obviously but have no confidence.

If Klopp has set his heart on Keita and VVD as seems the way bid or move on to someone else.

Not another excuse laden window. Buy a left back, get someone better than Lovren and Henderson atleast. I would normally be calling for calm to a post like this but I'm bored of it now.

Life's too fucking short and it's only a game but frustration is a fucker.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

Create an imaginary scenario and then attach some imaginary actions of the manager to them. Nice.

What's imaginary?

 

Did he not come out and talk shit about the fans numerous times last year, whilst simultaneously batting away the suggestion that we under invested in the summer and January?

 

He quite literally did what I said. We faltered last year due to a lack of investment, and instead he spent his post match conferences digging into the fans because we were singing loud enough when we saw Trent Alexander Arnold come in to rescue 3 points.

[Creator Supreme]

It's fine, 2 'new' signings this week, Mane and Henderson whoever they are!

[Creator Supreme]

What's imaginary?

 

Did he not come out and talk shit about the fans numerous times last year, whilst simultaneously batting away the suggestion that we under invested in the summer and January?

 

He quite literally did what I said. We faltered last year due to a lack of investment, and instead he spent his post match conferences digging into the fans because we were singing loud enough when we saw Trent Alexander Arnold come in to rescue 3 points.

So you think Klopp is a load of bollocks too? Welcome to the club!

[FrenchEyeGlass]

So you think Klopp is a load of bollocks too? Welcome to the club!

No - I think he's a great manager. But I think he was spouting bollocks with his criticism of the fans.

 

I'm able to hold both opinions at the same time.

 

My original point was that the only reason we've ever had any sway over C&A was due to Rafa and RBS. Look at Arsenal and their owners. We can kick up a fuss if we don't invest this summer but it won't really make any difference...

[Unrighteous]

Have we put in a bid on our 'top targets' yet? Or are we still circling jerking at the boardroom level?

More importantly, has Tottenham gazumped us by actually bidding, yet?

[SlugTrail]

No - I think he's a great manager. But I think he was spouting bollocks with his criticism of the fans.

I'm able to hold both opinions at the same time.

My original point was that the only reason we've ever had any sway over C&A was due to Rafa and RBS. Look at Arsenal and their owners. We can kick up a fuss if we don't invest this summer but it won't really make any difference...

Both opinions at the same time eh, I don't think you will be very welcome round here, you have to be either an apologist or anti FSG taliban and never the twain shall meet.