Nicolo Barella

[The Prophet]

Just now, Shak said:

Real Madrid

Barcelona

Bayern

PSG

Man City

Man United

Arsenal

Liverpool

 

A few others you can certainly make a case for but that's a list of clubs that I would say we can't really compete with in terms of transfer fee and wages.

 

Barella is obviously a top quality player but there are lots of other good options out there for teams looking for CMs. Real have gone for Bellingham, Arsenal clearly want Rice, Liverpool got MacAllister and seem to be closing in on Thuram and Kone.

 

Yes there's a chance someone comes in for Barella but it's quite possible the really top teams either don't need a CM this window or else prefer different options for one reason or another.

 

Ugarte to PSG and seemingly Kovacic to City too.

[Dokko]

Probably worthy of a title change to Edwards talks shite about...at least jinx the change.

[Shak]

4 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

Ugarte to PSG and seemingly Kovacic to City too.

 

Aye, Caicedo seems to be off to Chelsea too if you want to count them as a team that we can't compete with.

[McCormick]

Yeah not many teams in world football can afford to drop 65+ million on a 26 year old. Especially in the PL with Ffp, clubs are looking at younger players to tie into longer contracts.

[The Prophet]

I'm usually positive on all things NUFC these days (how can you not be), but this felt like a non-starter from the off. The info has obviously been fed to the local journos for a reason though.

 

I'd absolutely love us to sign him because he's an excellent player, but I'd be a shock if we pulled it off.

[Wilson]

It's a proper pipe dream, but the fact that there's been interest has me dreaming.  Mental just being linked with that calibre of player. 

[Andy]

43 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

The info has obviously been fed to the local journos for a reason though.

 

Has always felt that way to me, despite people questioning me saying it earlier in the thread.

 

Never seemed realistic to me that he'd be available for £50m and wouldn't be attracting the absolute elite clubs; there are very few midfields in Europe he doesn't start in.

 

Would love to be wrong though. 

[The Prophet]

18 minutes ago, Andy said:

 

Has always felt that way to me, despite people questioning me saying it earlier in the thread.

 

Never seemed realistic to me that he'd be available for £50m and wouldn't be attracting the absolute elite clubs; there are very few midfields in Europe he doesn't start in.

 

Would love to be wrong though. 

 

It was very strange. Since Ashworth was appointed, we've given away nothing on the transfer front, then Edwards, Downie and Hope are reporting talks for a works class player at a bizarly low fee.

 

You'd only plant a story like that unless it was an red herring or you're insanely confident.

[SUPERTOON]

I’m not sure I agree we have given nothing away on the transfer front tbh. Other than isak being out of the blue, the local journos have pretty much called the other transfers pretty early.

[Solitude20]

1 hour ago, The Prophet said:

I'm usually positive on all things NUFC these days (how can you not be), but this felt like a non-starter from the off. The info has obviously been fed to the local journos for a reason though.

 

I'd absolutely love us to sign him because he's an excellent player, but I'd be a shock if we pulled it off.

So are you saying this thread of 33 pages in 2 days has been for nothing? 

[The Prophet]

20 minutes ago, Solitude20 said:

So are you saying this thread of 33 pages in 2 days has been for nothing? 

 

I haven't a clue. It just all seems a bit odd.

[Scotty66]

Decided to have a look at the Isak reports last summer. Telegraph said we were interested in mid July, then announced we pulled out of the deal due to transfer fee and wage demands being to high just days before announcing the deal was actually going ahead in mid August. 

[Haz]

Lads, please explain this for me?

 

 We’re told we’re the richest club in the world but also told we can’t compete with the other big lads. Meanwhile, same big lads are hoovering up the great players.  Spending loads. So what’s the story?

[TRon]

3 hours ago, LFEE said:

Exactly. Wasn’t meant as a trick question. Certainly would be welcoming of Barella also as I was Pistone & Santon. It just got me thinking that if the later two were rated albeit nowhere near as highly and flopped then no guarantees with Barella especially when I added the caveat I couldn’t think of many Italian midfielder successes on these shores. Hence asking the question. There is a wider point even that they struggle everywhere apart them homeland which maybe true also.

 

Lets be honest in the pantheon of great EPL central midfielders in the last 30years I doubt Eranio, Dalla Bona, Jorginho (lesser so) and even Di Matteo (best of the bunch) will make anyone’s dream teams ?

 

 

Having seen the type of footballer Barella is, I'm pretty sure he'd be a smash hit in England, he just looks a class above. So if he's coming here, I hope it's to us.

[Beth]

Pie in the sky this. Fee about £20m short for starters, and he's on £150k a week already and when you take into account the cheaper income tax in Italy we'd need to offer him £250k plus to make it worth his while.

[The Prophet]

6 minutes ago, Haz said:

Lads, please explain this for me?

 

 We’re told we’re the richest club in the world but also told we can’t compete with the other big lads. Meanwhile, same big lads are hoovering up the great players.  Spending loads. So what’s the story?

 

We've got the richest owners in the world, but we're far from the richest club. "Financial Fair Play" rules prevent PIF from pouring their unlimited wealth directly into the club.

 

Over time that'll change. Financial Fair Play is linked directly to commercial revenue and player sales, which will inevitably increase as the club becomes competitive off the field.

[MrRaspberryJam]

Is KaKa on a ban? Not posted in 6 days. He'd be swarming all over this thread. 

[Broadsword]

3 minutes ago, Beth said:

Pie in the sky this. Fee about £20m short for starters, and he's on £150k a week already and when you take into account the cheaper income tax in Italy we'd need to offer him £250k plus to make it worth his while.

It’s not cheaper in Italy as far as I’m aware.

[Matt1892]

8 minutes ago, Broadsword said:

It’s not cheaper in Italy as far as I’m aware.

Yeah, I think the special tax rate is for players moving to the country rather than homegrown players who have never left.

[Coffee_Johnny]

45 minutes ago, Beth said:

Pie in the sky this. Fee about £20m short for starters, and he's on £150k a week already and when you take into account the cheaper income tax in Italy we'd need to offer him £250k plus to make it worth his while.

A 67% pay rise is necessary to make it worth his while? How big is the tax difference? (Not to mention, purely from a financial point of view, signing on fees and other inducements).

[Jonas]

1 hour ago, Haz said:

Lads, please explain this for me?

 

 We’re told we’re the richest club in the world but also told we can’t compete with the other big lads. Meanwhile, same big lads are hoovering up the great players.  Spending loads. So what’s the story?

In three words - Financial Fair Play

[The Prophet]

 

[PauloGeordio]

Liverpool monitoring! I’m monitoring Barella too for what it’s worth ?

[Andy84]

What a waste of everyone’s time 

[PauloGeordio]

15 minutes ago, Andy84 said:

What a waste of everyone’s time 

Not for old Lukey boy!