Manxst

Just me then! Thought he’s been good this season? Plays well for Spain too? Yeah, would have Raphinha over him, but was just throwing the name out for a CB choice.

Or Eric Garcia if Barca are needing to sell this summer?

Young, right footed, decent level, and ready to step up to our club/the PL…someone like Maxence Lacroix or Jurrien Timber would be ideal. Both would have CL clubs interested though.

He’s 28. Not really the up and coming player I think we’d be after. Quality though.

They can’t. It’s going to be a gradual process.

8 goals in 23 league appearances this year suggests that his output is significantly greater than ASM (1 in 16)?

Football Insider, but still… “Reports at the time, which have since been independently verified by Football Insider, revealed that the contract runs until the end of 2025-26.” https://www.footballinsider247.com/revealed-newcastle-united-regret-at-30m-deal-sources/

Good players, yes. However, the club are trying to lower the wages, not add to them with last contract/big money scenarios. We’re also trying to lower the average age of the squad. Despite those players being ‘free’, I think it’s much more likely we pay for much younger players on lesser wages with potential resale value in the future.

Not sure what you’re trying to say. You think both are very good and will get even better but won’t ever be elite? IMO, very few players can ever be classed as ‘elite’. Even if both won’t quite make that level (and they might well do so), they’ll both be very very good (and are indeed already so judging by their performances for us this season). Both are FAR better than a “normal mid level EPL team”- as evidenced by Madrid currently scouting Bruno (even possibly ahead of Bellingham, allegedly), and us beating Milan to Botman only seemingly because they wouldn’t pay the fee that we would. Botman has been instrumental in us having one of the best defences in the league this season. Bruno’s ability and quality is evidenced by how much we miss him when he doesn’t play, and that Arsenal wanted to sign him.

Who are you talking about? Isak?

Don’t blame them at all, but it’s a bit of a pisstake/shite punishment to say he can’t play, when there actually aren’t any games anyway and it’s likely he’ll just be off on holiday someplace (to slag Brentford off again.)

Yes. Brentford supposedly want the ban asap so that the summer months are included.

They only reason that is the case for the last 3 years though is that they previously threw money around without thinking of how they could afford it, and which is now why they now can’t compete financially with other big clubs. It was only in the 19/20 season they bought the likes of Hazard for £110m, plus Jovic, Mendy, Militao, Rodrygo all for around £50m each. Now they have the gall to complain about Mbappe signing a huge contract to stay at PSG. Pot and kettle spring to mind. La Liga are as corrupt (if not more so) than other leagues, and Real and Barca are the root cause of that. (Hence their super league involvement, obviously)

Think it’s a generic football shirt/club thing tbh, irrelevant of manufacturers. The only real money the club gets is the initial sponsorship- ours is something like £6m per season I think? From individual shirt sales, the vast majority of the money goes to the manufacturers.

Contract with Castore is until 25/26- can’t see the club buying it out, especially given they don’t make much cash from the shirt sales anyway.

Was it fuck- they’ve courted him for years. PSG didn’t respond to the bid- nothing to do with PR by Real. The fact he didn’t go is purely due to the fact that some players don’t see them as the step up that they once were.

Eh? Wasn’t it last year they made a world record bid for Mbappe?

Villa beating Arsenal

I’m sure he’s on the video that new signings watch (like I recall Gordon doing) when they join the club, to learn about the history etc. But aye, what’s the point, eh? What a daft thing to say. (Especially when he was our manager in 2008 as well…)

It’s a real shame. I used to love the old Barca- it was a real breath of fresh air how they played, the players they had, the ethos. The last few years has really diminished what a great club it is, and taken away some of the aura and specialness that was there (imo, anyway!). Don’t know what the solution would be, with your finances etc.

Transparency, accountability, financial prudence, incorruptibility? you’re still a fair way off being the great side you once were.

‘Rosie’ likes this. ?

That’s exactly what academies are these days- filled with talents from around the world from young ages. The days of having an academy filled with local lads is long gone. The fact that we don’t have too many good foreign current academy players merely shows the lack of investment in it for the past 20 years. We need to invest in young up and coming talent from around the world, hopefully mould them into NUFC first team players, and save ourselves millions in transfer fees in the long term- it’s irrelevant where these players are born or come from.

Out of contract in the summer, isn’t he? Still can’t see it though- he’ll be 33 later this year.

Tottenhams new stadium cost over £1bn and they couldn’t use it for two years whilst work was ongoing. Chelsea have been quoted over £1bn for theirs, and there is talk of it taking 10 years with them using Wembley for at least 5 years. They also factored approx £1.75bn into the sale price if the club to ensure it happens. You’d think Man Utd would be similar amounts.