Transfer Rumours

If Valdes goes to Anzhi who have apparently made an offer to him, they would make him the highest paid keeper o,o...

Signing Vertoghen now would just hurt, though I agree with your post.

The level of "you guys are just retarded and slow" look on my face is we went and payed 25 odd for him when we already rejected him completely for what, a 4th of the cost?

Donuts wrote:If Valdes goes to Anzhi who have apparently made an offer to him, they would make him the highest paid keeper o,o...

Sell him bring someone else in and use the rest to save up for a defender...

Really looking forward to Tito being back! Really hope he has it licked this time!

Read a lot of interesting comments and I think I probably am just combining a bunch of stuff people have already said.

On Valdes, 1st hope tito convinces him to renew, but otherwise there are a couple problems in my opinion. As people have said, assuming he is going, the bargaining power isn’t all that high. This also has to be weighed against the potential for him to settle or unsettle the new keeper. For me you wait to see who is signed and then decide whether his presence would help or hinder. Also, you would be bargaining from a different position and with a successor in place valdes and his agent might be in a different position. ALso, needs to get done this summer to have flexibility and don’t want to do it next year when it has to happen.

For me you have to keep pinto especially is valdes goes. Think he would be a major plus in settling in a new keeper. Seems like oier is gonna be the third keeper, which is a whatever to me unless either pinto, valdes, or the successor get a longterm injury, then you have to move to get somebody else.

Obviously, must buy a new CB. Hummels seems a reasonable and popular name, but i’m betting for a less well-known and cheaper name. Otherwise puyol isn’t going anywhere, but barca should put itself in a position to use him judiciously. Likewise with Abidal, assuming the end of the season isn’t a cameo. Neither can or should be counted on to together equal one CB in rotation. Pique and Smasche are staying etc. Fontas is gone. Bartra could potentially be working his way into more minutes next year or out the door. Muniesa fits in that he can play center and left, but think he’s gone for free. Adriano is gonna get a new contract, but likewise can’t be depended upon. I’d say sell him, but who would replace him? Dani is playing brilliantly, facilitating tactics, and showing to be an important personality on the team. Montoya can take his place in the lineup, but can’t replace him. So, as with many of the supposed guys on their way out. Who can you get to replace him? Even with an additional CB, especially assuming some bedding in time for him, it’s not a ton of depth.

Midfield stands pat. Think the staff is seeing that there are some things that could be done playing song and busi together and that whilst he won’t be the CB they wanted he could provide more in the midfield than just a busi sub. I personally agree with that, but even if he’s only that, it’s a requisite. Dos Santos is gonzo. If Sergi wants to be next year’s 2santos then i guess it’s his choice. Personally don’t think he is good enough to push anyone in front of him. Don’t like the rafinha and deulo autopromotion business. Think they are trying to avoid loosing them for free, but hasn’t worked for fontas, 2santos, or bartra. Think they both have better shots than sergi, but don’t see minutes for either next season. Right now i don’t see playing with B developing them much more, but loans don’t help them fit in with the first team much either. The benefit of time riding the bench with the first team is learning how to be a barca pro and some humility. (I’m looking at you gerard.) Anyway, can’t see them anything but promoted, best might be a loan in January to get some time.

The front line is the most complicated…To Neymar or not to Neymar. I think he’s coming and i look forward to seeing him in the kit, but when? Based on the needs at CB and GK i’d kinda prefer he come next summer. Because, based upon rosell’s transfer record i doubt that he will take care of those two needs w/o the Neymar distraction/spending let alone w/ it. I think the current crisis at the back bears this out just a little. So what about the rest. The easy ones…Afellay is done, whether he got a fair shot or not the injuries on loan have been the final nail in his coffin at barca hopefully not for his career. Tello, keep him. Not sure he will ever be a consistent starter, but that speed off the bench is a huge asset. Cuenca, better skillset than Tello, but what about the knee? Think the best is preseason w/ barca then goes out for a loan to see if he can play consistently. Villa, keep him! We have seen how hard it is for a quality front line player to adapt to barca. Villa already has adapted. Why send him out only to have to spend more on another player hoping he will fit in. Think Villa’s declining minutes fit in well with bringing in players to the front line. Pedro obviously stays. I think that Sanchez is the most likely to go based on age and value. I don’t think he should, especially if Neymar doesn’t come. I think he adds something to the squad. So it looks something like…

GK
3 of Valdes, New Guy, Pinto, Oier?
Backs
Alves, Montoya, Pique, Smasche, New Guy, Puyol, Abidal, Alba, Adriano
Mids
Busi, Song, Iniesta, Xavi, Thiago, Cesc
Front
Messi, Sanchez, Tello, Pedro, Villa, Neymar

is 23
rafinha, deulo, and/or sergi as filler

Neymar won't be going Barcelona this coming summer therefore you should keep your attacking options as it is. You have a goal machine in Messi and Villa is a legend and can still be an absolute difference maker. There is a glimmer of hope that Sánchez is getting his confidence back and Pedro may improve on his poor season. That is more than enough attacking power at Barça. You can think about signing an attacker next year after evaluating the situation post 2013-14 but right now there are other areas where money can be better spent.

so apparently Olympiakos is after JDS

Nice post Sanchez, some great stuff in there.

On Valdes, I think we really must sign someone this summer. I also think if Valdes doesnt change his mind this summer, we should sell him. Dont see the point letting him go for free, especially not if we sign someone this summer.

danyjr wrote:Neymar won't be going Barcelona this coming summer therefore you should keep your attacking options as it is. You have a goal machine in Messi and Villa is a legend and can still be an absolute difference maker. There is a glimmer of hope that Sánchez is getting his confidence back and Pedro may improve on his poor season. That is more than enough attacking power at Barça. You can think about signing an attacker next year after evaluating the situation post 2013-14 but right now there are other areas where money can be better spent.

I think his contract runs out in 2014? He needs to be sold or Santos lose out on a potential $50-60M.

It does but his intention is to stay in Brazil until the World Cup. He can extend his contract with Santos for an extra year and it should be quite simple.

Anyway, I've said it many times how I believe he is not exactly what Barcelona needs and will be misused there with his talent going to waste. For me what made Villa or Eto'o fit seamlessly in Barcelona's attacks was because other than being technically gifted workhorses they could also 1) play link-up 2)score well 3)fantastic off the ball movements. While Neymar is a technically gifted player who can play in tight spaces, he is not up to standards at the three points mentioned because:

• Neymar’s first instinct is to create for himself rather than for others.
  
  
• Neymar is too accustomed to playing in a slower-tempo league

The latter has hindered Neymar’s link-up play whenever I've seen him. It also hinders his ability in goal-scoring positions. Simply put, he takes too long to make decisions. I don’t mean that he’s slow to execute decisions, but simply that he lingers too long on the ball before actually doing something with it. When I compare Neymar to Messi, I always feel like the Brazilian misses many opportunities to feed his team mates in dangerous situations, especially in wide positions, because he takes just a second too long to pass.

Every time he comes up against opponents who are proficient at closing down his space he finds it hard to make an impact. It was the case in the 2011 Copa America, in both legs of the quarter and semi-finals of last year's Copa Libertadores, in the Olympic final against Mexico and in all the matches he has played for Brazil against top-level adversaries. I believe this is mainly due to fact that in domestic Brazilian football the defensive lines normally sit very deep, meaning there is plenty of space on the field for his type of player to pick up possession, decide what to do and gather speed as he seeks to go past his marker. When he steps up a level he is robbed of that time and everything has to be executed quicker.

Last but not least, Neymar excels when he is the main man, as he is in Santos and Brazil. He enjoys having his free role to roam around wherever he feels comfortable and take on players whenever he wants. With Messi being the main man, Neymar will be utilised as a winger who will have tactically rigid duties such as tracking back and making space for others. Why buy a Ferrari and drive it like a Fiat?

Just my 2 cents. I know some agree and some disagree. And we can't say who's right until it happens.

If neymar is going to fit in is something we will have to wait to see.It could go either way.If i had to make a guess i would say that he would be somewhat like villa or pedro with more dribbling skills,hes not going to contribute a whole lot to build up play but he is going to score very often.Tbh, thats what i think barca need.

Either way we will find out next year because i heavily doubt he is going somehwere else.

Dont take this is some kind of attack, I am really asking your opinion.

Lets say all of that is true (actually some of it I agree with) do you completely rule out the possibilty that at 21-22 years old Neymar can not get to grips with the European style like many who came before him did? If actually given time, he wont learn and adjust?

I dont agree he plays for himself though I have to say. The speed of the game thing, I agree with, Brazilian football is played more patiently and then sparks into life. But when I see Neymar, I see a very clever kid who knows how to pass and isnt selfish. I notice also how, especially in the games vs the strongest opponants, he has no problem playing the simple pass and keeping the ball rather then trying the difficult every time.

It does but his intention is to stay in Brazil until the World Cup. He can extend his contract with Santos for an extra year and it should be quite simple.

While he said that I feel like if he really meant it he would have originally postponed his contract until 2015, not 2014. The intensifying rumors about him make me think there's a good chance he'll come this summer.

Every time he comes up against opponents who are proficient at closing down his space he finds it hard to make an impact. It was the case in the 2011 Copa America, in both legs of the quarter and semi-finals of last year's Copa Libertadores, in the Olympic final against Mexico and in all the matches he has played for Brazil against top-level adversaries.

What forward is this not the case for? It's a matter of adapting. Look at how Eto'o performed in his first season at Inter and at his 2nd. It took him a year to get adjusted to the lack of spaces within the Italian league but after that he excelled. And if he at the end of his career can accomplish that then Nerman should be able to at the very beginning. I don't see why he would struggle 2 years after being signed, he would definitely struggle less than anywhere else in Europe.

Also have we ever seen Nerman play in a team with a better footballer than him? He might not be used to it but that doesn't mean he wouldn't thrive sharing the spotlight. The best players like to play with the best, after all.

Thanks Dani and I agree. After a period of time heading into the summer transfer, if he doesn't commit head him out the door and get all the money we can to sign a new GK.

Inigo Martinez is being linked with a move to Barcelona, What do you guys think of him ?

I hear really good things. But I we might aswell use Bartra if we going to go with someone of that stature.

Apparently the reasoning behind buying Martinez is to get a cheap CB because we only have 50m to spend in the summer and we need a new GK / CB + most of that money apparently for Neymar.
If that were the case I hope we just buy him next season and buy a good backline this season.

If i recall, Inigo has a nice release clause in his contract, like most real sociedad youngsters. 30 millions if im not mistaken, even if you negotiate it down, it wont be cheap.

Donuts wrote:Apparently the reasoning behind buying Martinez is to get a cheap CB because we only have 50m to spend in the summer and we need a new GK / CB + most of that money apparently for Neymar.
If that were the case I hope we just buy him next season and buy a good backline this season.

Genuis, lets cheap out on the main personale flaw we have had for like 3 or 4 seasons

Martínez was colossal in defence, covering every area adeptly. It was his stepping out of the back-line that most caught the eye though, as he provided the base from which attacks were formulated. The centre-back (keep this in mind given the following statistics) made 71 passes – more than any other player on the field. He managed to hit 89% accuracy with them too, with a wide variation of passing range. 8 of his 10 long balls that game were made accurately as he played a key part of la Real’s direct counter-attacking play. As well as this he dealt with a physical striking opponent in Manucho, with assurance. Martínez used his main assets - his aggression and physical prowess - to dominate the Angolan striker.


It was another in the long line of sparkling displays, a far removed story from last season. Martínez seemed to be befalling the errors of other hotly tipped young Spanish defenders like Víctor Ruiz and Alberto Botía in letting silly individual mistakes into his game. There was an anxiety about his approach, and over-eagerness that allowed opponents to pounce. Now with consistency, it seems there is genuine hope of la Real not only having a top defender on their hands, but Spain having a genuine candidate to replace Carles Puyol. There are many comparative aspects to their styles such as their positive aggression, defensive coverage and combative aerial ability. If Martínez can smooth off the rough facets of his game; his anticipation and turn of pace, then there is no reason why he can’t achieve what Puyol has in his career.


Talk is he’s in pole position when it comes to making the leap into La Seleccion, with only concerns about his pace when being tested on the turn perhaps holding him back, especially considering Spain often play such a high line. The likes of Raúl Albiol and the aforementioned Botía and Ruiz are by comparison having mediocre seasons, and pose little threat. The 21-year-old is finally in a good place, and signs are he’s only going to get better.

From: http://www.whoscored.com/Blog/lbus8wqwhkoyhxfec2_4iq/Show/Player-Focus-Real-Sociedads-Rising-Stars

The Franchise wrote:

Donuts wrote:Apparently the reasoning behind buying Martinez is to get a cheap CB because we only have 50m to spend in the summer and we need a new GK / CB + most of that money apparently for Neymar.
If that were the case I hope we just buy him next season and buy a good backline this season.

Genuis, lets cheap out on the main personale flaw we have had for like 3 or 4 seasons

Given that we spent 24M on our backup CB surely we can find enough money to spend at least as much on a main CB?

50m is the rumor budget, but what if we sell Valdes, Alexis, either Cuenca or Tello, or either Bartra or Muniesa + JDS + Bojan etc.
surely a large percent of the money we get from them will go towards our debt but hopefully our priority is a new backline and not just Neymar.

50 million

Am I the only one who feels we should pause the Neymar move for now?
There are more urgent gaps in our squad to worry for, pluss the kid hasn't look conveincing recently

Problem is there is no suitable defender on the market except scrubs like Vermaelen, surprise packages like Abdennour and Rakitsky, a super expensive 18 year old Marquinhos (apparantly Roma don't want to sell him even for € 25 million), Garay who lacks pace and is a Madrid reject and Hummels who is ok but would cost around € 35 million and isn't even the perfect partner for Pique. I can't think of anyone bar Kompany, Thiago Silva, Ramos and Varane who would fit the bill for Barca and none of them are getable.

Vertonghen for € 12 million would have been perfect. Now Levy won't sell him for anything below € 25 million for sure. I can already see Zubi lining up bids for Vermaelen and Pepe Reina this summer which will stop me entirely from watching Barca games. Song, Alexis and Fabregas is hard enough to stomach.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

The Franchise wrote:

Donuts wrote:Apparently the reasoning behind buying Martinez is to get a cheap CB because we only have 50m to spend in the summer and we need a new GK / CB + most of that money apparently for Neymar.
If that were the case I hope we just buy him next season and buy a good backline this season.

Genuis, lets cheap out on the main personale flaw we have had for like 3 or 4 seasons

Given that we spent 24M on our backup CB surely we can find enough money to spend at least as much on a main CB?

Mascherano? Well he wasnt intentionally a back up centerback but I get your point. We will see.

futbol wrote:Problem is there is no suitable defender on the market except scrubs like Vermaelen.

Thats just not true, if Barca would open their eyes just a little bit there are a few other options.