Kevin Mbabu (now playing for VfL Wolfsburg)

[Darth Crooks]

Not Spanish enough.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

That was some cameo against Chelsea, but we’ve seen it before with others. He has talent though and is one I’d have liked us to have stuck with, even with his injury record.

[tinoasprilla]

Looking forward to watching him in Champions League group stages.  Looks a class act

[taxfree]

First call up.

 

[bulivye]

thought he looked quite good today vs Iceland

[SEMTEX]

We passed around this lil article yet? Was from last month. Make sure you all remember how great a businessman Mike is:

 

https://www.bernerzeitung.ch/articles/30475218

 

Google translate:

 

Mbabu was a bargain, but has star potential

Kevin Mbabu returns to England for the match at Manchester United. How deeply valued his value was before the change to YB, documents from Football Leaks.

 

When Kevin Mbabu is replaced after Newcastle United in Manchester City in October 2015 after the break, he can not guess that he will play in the Premier League for just one more minute. After all, the young, wild, powerful full-back with his physical conditions is made for English football.

 

A week earlier on his debut at Chelsea, Mbabu canceled Spanish World Champion Pedro for ninety minutes. In "Match of the Day", the English counterpart to the "sports studio" of the ZDF, which is followed on Saturday night at BBC by an audience of millions, several scenes Mbabus are highlighted and commented on by the English football greats in the studio. The Romand seems to have arrived in the most attractive league in the world.

 

Fernandes' council

 

These are weeks and games that deceive. Gelson Fernandes, who moved to Manchester City as a 21-year-old in 2007 and is now involved in the Bundesliga at Frankfurt, believes that in England the danger of taking off is especially great for a young player. The former national player tells of the nightlife with its temptations, of fellow players whose money can seduce. "Suddenly you feel like you've made it. A few games are not enough to settle in the Premier League. »

 

Fernandes and Mbabu get to know each other years ago through the mutual consultant. When Fernandes is in Geneva with the national team, he meets Mbabu's family for lunch. As Mbabu plays against Switzerland nine days ago with the Swiss national team in Lucerne, the midfielder sits in the stands with Mbabu's mother, who comes from the Congo.

 

The 23-year-old calls Fernandes a brother and mentor. He exchanges with him when he has the offer of the Young Boys in the summer of 2016. Mbabu hesitates because he thinks the move back to Switzerland is a step backwards. Fernandes advises him to sign. He tells him, "The most important thing is that you play regularly."

 

The enormous increase in value

 

Behind Mbabu there are difficult months characterized by injuries. He is no longer the young star who is celebrated on television. How rapidly his value has dropped is shown by the "Spiegel" from the Football Leaks online platform, which he shared with the journalist network European Investigative Collaborations (EIC). It includes a loan and sales agreement that YB concluded with the English club.

 

"Suddenly you have the feeling that you have made it. But a few games are not enough to settle. »

Gelson Fernandes The ex-national player about the temptations in England.

In 2016, Newcastle demands a whopping £ 24,000 to loan Mbabu to YB for a year. A season later, in which Mbabu conquered a regular place and has indicated his great potential, YB sports chief Christoph Spycher manages to sign Mbabu after weeks of negotiations for only 120,000 euros.

 

The English only want to have the option fixed in the contract that they in case of a resale with 15 per cent in the transfer fee to be involved. It's an extraordinary bargain in an overheated market where barely proven young professionals can cost tens of millions.

Asked about the business, Spycher says the negotiations with Newcastle were also tough. His stubbornness was worth it, Mbabu is now worth about a hundred times. Spycher will be able to sell him soon with a huge profit margin.

 

The recognition of the stars

 

The only question is when. Mbabu tells how he felt reservations in the summer. Because he has rendered his services in the Super League and not at the highest level. Mbabu can understand that, he takes the objections as an incentive. "I wanted to show it to the doubters," he says and thinks that he had done quite well in the preliminary round.

 

This is due to the fact that Mbabu can present itself since September next to the Champions League in the national team international. The debut in the 6-0 against Iceland is brilliant, the performance at 5: 2 against Belgium furious. After this he received a lot of news - also from England, says Mbabu. He evaluates it as a sign that his achievements would be recognized.

 

He has already earned the respect of his teammates. Mbabu says that he was surprised that Xhaka and Shaqiri praised him for his performances at YB on his first move with the national team. At the last move in November, the team-mates wanted to know when he wanted to move, he says.

 

Yes, when? Mbabu says the time to take the next step has almost come - whether in winter or summer, will show. He has changed the consultant in recent months, and that too can be taken as a sign of his endeavor.

 

Kevin Mbabu returns to Manchester in November 2018. He does it as a performer and a crowd pleaser, as a national player with experience in the Champions League. It is a triumphant return.

[Raconteur]

I need therapy after trying to read that translation.

 

The bit you have bolded suggests a loan fee of £24,000, and a permanent transfer fee of €120,000 (plus a 15% sell-on fee).

 

Surely the loan fee bit relates to his weekly wages? I'd love to see a translation by a human, because I can't buy Mike Ashley agreeing to a £24K loan fee.

[Zero]

I don’t think this is on the Fat Cunt.

[xLiaaamx]

120k Euros? Oh Rafa, why, why. What on earth were you thinking.

[SEMTEX]

I don’t think this is on the Fat Cunt.

 

It's on either him or Penfold, given they're in charge of the club. Whether Rafa wanted him or not, that price is ridiculous.

[r0cafella]

How long was left on his contract when we let him go?

[mrmojorisin75]

stinks of classic ashley short-termism really, rake in £150k and if he turns out to be amazing in the future get more lovely monies without having to pay him wages in the meantime

[Serb]

Kevin Mbabu voted best player in the Swiss league. Manquillo and Yedlin still around.

 

[Guest reefatoon]

Aye, completely baffling one on why we let him leave.

[thenige]

This fucking club.

[4 stars out of 5]

This f***ing club.

 

Genuinely needs shutting down like save people money and hassle

[triggs]

Going to Wolfsburg apparently. Rafa hates full backs

[LV]

Going to Wolfsburg apparently. Rafa hates full backs

 

We’ll get 15% of the transfer fee though

 

Edit: Mike will get 15% of the transfer fee

[loki679]

Going to Wolfsburg apparently. Rafa hates full backs

 

We’ll get 15% of the transfer fee though

 

Edit: Mike will get 15% of the transfer fee

 

Mike off here?

[TBG]

Hopefully.

 

Edit: Nah, he's just posted in the chat section.

[Guest neesy111]

Going to Wolfsburg apparently. Rafa hates full backs

 

We’ll get 15% of the transfer fee though

 

Edit: Mike will get 15% of the transfer fee

 

Mike off here?

 

Hopefully not.

[David Edgar]

Huge fuck up this.

[Rich]

I'm sure you used to be less negative.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

He was often injured while at NUFC wasn't he?

[Toon No9]

He was often injured while at NUFC wasn't he?

Everyone at NUFC was often injured at that time!