Rafa Marquez: "Mathieu is not good enough for Barca, and more so for that price. They should think long and hard about this."

Rafa knows whats up

At least you didn't sign a DM to convert to CB

But on a serious note, Barcelona have been needing a CB for 3 years now and to eventually sign Mathieu to save your defence is a laughable matter, especially after spending so much on Suárez.

You needed a defensive LB and a perfect match in Filipe Luís was available but La Masia reject Alba is deemed capable of world class performances required by such a team. Sadly we have learned in the past couple of years that he is not.

You needed a couple of CBs, one a world class CB (whom surely could have been acquired with half the money spent on the vampire) and a young talent to invest in and develop for the future (like Madrid did with Varane).

Alexis should have stayed, with Pedro perhaps making way for a forward if required. But at least you didn't let him go for peanuts like Villa was presented to Atlético.

You needed two CM's after the sale of Fàbregas - Xavi is not young and fit enough to play 90 minutes every match. Song should be sold as his acquisition was a waste from day one any way. And don't get me wrong, Rakitić is a good player and I approve his transfer but there is no one other than an old Xavi to compliment him. So where is chameleon eyes' replacement?

I like Mathieu as a player, no complaints about him. I actually think he is good enough.

But all the other issues surrounding the situation is a joke.

Just copy and paste what Danyjr said, I dont have more to say.

One correction: we were after Luis a few years back but he rejected us.

isnt Mathieu a better CB/LB than Blind? anyway, you got a good player, just at a very expensive price for his age. Onto the CB now.

I think he is better than Blind at both positions for sure. Blind is just 24 though so you can expect him to improve still.

Rumors Xavi is gonna leave. I think we are letting him leave for free

sad..I wish he stayed.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:One correction: we were after Luis a few years back but he rejected us.

dont think he did.  We were about to get him but ended with maxwell as part of the eto-ibra deal  

I remember reading somewhere that  luis was crying when he found out we bought maxwell instead. (not 100% sure if this is legit though)

20m for a 33 year old, this board is shocking. Could have got thiago silva for double the price 2 years ago

he's 30 but i agree it is alot

His value is € 12M max. € 20M is stupid. But better than nothing I guess. The Lucho era will last 3-4 years at its peak anyway like the Guardiola era. After that we'll have Iniesta 33, Messi 30, Suarez 30 etc. Now is the time to win trophies and Mathieu can deliver for the next 2 or 3 seasons. Maybe until then Hummels becomes available (which he isn't now) or some other defensive talents emerge or Bartra turns into Bartresi.

Pay 20 mil for a 30 year old defender on the last year of his contract which ensures that in 2 years when the transfer ban ends,we have to buy again  
Tunnel vision strikes again.Great negotiating from Valencia.Thats how you do it.Tough as nails and no compromise.
And yet the experts here were telling us that Alves couldnt fetch even 10 mil.

Alves can't fetch € 10M because he's on ridiculous wages, has 1 year left on his contract and the only club interested in him (PSG) rather spend the money on the youngstar Aurier. Not to mention that he sucks nowadays, universally accepted by anyone bar 1 or 2 people on this board.

Mathieu costs so much because Lucho want a CB/LB hybrid to give the tactical option for a 3 man backline (notice the Blind rumours followed by the Mathieu rumours) and Barca is kind of desperate. Mathieu's contract ends in 2017 by the way, not in 1 year.

€ 20M is stupid of course but he's going to take a wage cut and it will balances itself out somewhat. Most people somehow ignore the wage side of things. Alves is on ~ € 7M net. Which means he costs the club around € 15M per year. If he signed a 5 year contract with PSG it would cost them € 75M for wages alone. His transfer fee is peanuts compared to that. Why do you think we were so desperate to offload Villa almost for free?

And how do you know Mathieu is taking a pay cut?
Why would a 30 year old accept a pay cut on his last contract,especially from a club which can afford huge wages. Valencia probably werent paying him huge wages so why would he take a pay cut from that?
Sounds to me like Zubi is planting these pay cut rumors to make the deal sound better than it is.
Also dont think Alves is on 7 mil net.Where are u getting these figures from?
And you can say whatever you want.Aint no way Alves costs less than Mathieu.One is the GOAT RB while the other is a scrub in comparison.
And why are you bringing up the Villa transfer as if it validates your point.Kind of further proves that we have idiots running the club.

alexjanosik wrote:And how do you know Mathieu is taking a pay cut?
Why would a 30 year old accept a pay cut on his last contract,especially from a club which can afford huge wages. Valencia probably werent paying him huge wages so why would he take a pay cut from that?
Sounds to me like Zubi is planting these pay cut rumors to make the deal sound better than it is.
Also dont think Alves is on 7 mil net.Where are u getting these figures from?
And you can say whatever you want.Aint no way Alves costs less than Mathieu.One is the GOAT RB while the other is a scrub in comparison.
And why are you bringing up the Villa transfer as if it validates your point.Kind of further proves that we have idiots running the club.

Mathieu seems desperate to come. That's why I think he will accept lower wages which will somewhat balance out his transfer fee.

Mathieu (Valencia): "Valencia have a bid from an important club. This would be a step forward for me and a reward for all my hard work."

Mathieu (Valencia): "I can join the biggest club in the world. I hope Valencia and the president understand my situation and start talking."

Mathieu (Valencia): "I was told I could leave when there's a good bid. That bid has come. This is beneficial for all, I hope to leave in a good way."

Today:

Mathieu (Valencia): "My transfer to Barcelona could be announced this afternoon? I'm hopeful." [via superdeporte]

Alves is on super high wages. I remember his last negotiations when he said the club needs to value him properly or he won't extend and it was then reported that he's almost on Xaviesta level after that. This recent Marca article even reports € 9M (http://www.marca.com/2014/06/25/en/football/barcelona/1403686374.html). Here is another salary list that has him at € 7.8M (http://www.tsmplug.com/football/barcelona-players-salary-list-2014/). You won't get a definitive number as there is no official wage publication (except Nerman) but it's obvious in which region he earns.

Alves was the GOAT RB. No one perceives him as that anymore. Mathieu is not a scrub.

I brought up Villa because it indeed validates my point. The player did not want to move abroad which he said himself. There was an interest by Arsenal during the winter mercato but because of his family he didn't want to move abroad nor did Tito want to let him go midseason. After that in the summer the options were limited. He had a contract in his clause that would have seen him earn € 12M (!) in the last 2 years of his contract. Atletico only took him for a discount fee (and because Villa even lowered his wages a bit).

You can't compare Mathieu with Alves. At the end of the day Valencia don't want to sell for less than his buyout clause. Guy publicly handed in a transfer request and they're still not letting go. So what else can Barca do except go for someone else? But if they've targeted Mathieu as the best option or Lucho specifically asks for it, it is what it is. We can then talk if that makes sense but not about the transfer fee.

So you are just guessing that Mathieu will take a pay cut.I very much doubt that seeing as it will be his last contract.
Even if you are right about Alves wages,dont see why he should be less than 10 mil.There is no RB out there who is better than him.Not one.And please dont bother posting still pics.I saw it on the other thread and dani already explained.Not bothered to explain.
There are plenty of clubs out there who are both rich and need quality RB's.Alves is as good as it gets.PSG are willing to offer Di Maria crazy wages on top of a 60 mil transfer fee.And you mean to tell me that they wont pay 10 mil for the best RB out there.
The reason they are holding out is because they know we will eventually fold.Why pay 10 mil when they know they will get for free 2 weeks from now?After all we are same club who sold them Maxwell for free?the same Maxwell who has been their LB for 2 years now.
They know we are dumb and they know we can be had.So all they are thinking is why not wait it out.Probably what most other clubs who are interested in Alves are also thinking.

The Villa case doesnt validate your point.What does Villa having a huge wage have to do with selling him for 2 mil over 3 years?
As you yourself said,he had accepted a pay cut.So why wouldnt Atletico pay more had we stood firm?
No this was another case of them ripping us off.Clubs know we have a bunch of wimps handling affairs and that we can be had.
Stop trying to come up with excuses for the dumb decisions of this board.

Of course I'm guessing, I don't know Mathieu personally. But it would make sense, he wouldn't be the first player to come to Barca and accept a wage cut. Last contract or not, he won't starve at Barca nor will he make considerably more staying at Valencia and playing Europa League.

If you think Alves is the best RB out there at this moment of time we don't need to repeat the discussion from the other thread with Dani. What I know from a French PSG fan on Barcaforum is that Nasser personally went to Brazil to watch Alves and wasn't convinced at all with his performances so they are buying Aurier now. Which according to Eurosport France will be official tomorrow. You can even see how Alves' tune has changed mid transfer window. At the beginning of the transfer window when PSG was on the cards he was like "if Barca don't want me, no problem, I'll go, I don't feel positive energy anymore from the fans". Now he's like "I want to stay, totally motivated, let's go." PSG ain't waiting for the GOAT Alves to be available for free at all. Nor is anyone else. No one in Italy or Germany can even afford his wages. Except Bayern but they ain't buying a 31 year old has-been on high wages where Lahm is playing. Nor is Wenger. Nor is Mourinho. Nor is LvG. City have bought Sagna. He has practically no suitors and that's why we can't offload him despite trying to, even for € 10M.

Maxwell didn't go for free. He was bought for € 4.5M and sold for € 3.5M.

I'm not defending the board. But it's not as if we can get Mathieu for € 10M or sell Alves for € 15M or could've sold Villa for a big fee, a 32 year old striker post leg break who didn't play a significant role at Barca anymore with the salary of a 28 year old world class striker. No matter who negotiates. It's just logic.

My problem with the board is that they've neglected the defense for 5 years to begin with and that they aren't interested in the likes of Benatia at all. The negotiation process for Mathieu itself doesn't bother me. They don't sell for less than his buyout despite the player handing in a transfer request so there isn't much else to do. Probably also pissed because we stole some youngstars off them recently.

I am done talking about Alves, I havent answered donuts in the other thread because I cant be bothered saying the same things...as tempting at that is.

But what I will say is, futbol you said this about Bravo and your saying it again here. About Luis Enrique apperently specifically asking for a player.

First of all, Luis Enrique is not in charge of transfers. He hasnt earned the cache to demand anything and I HIGHLY doubt we are just doing exactly whatever he says. He is more than entitled to his input and his opinion must be highly valued as he coaches the team.

But in the end, its surely a collective decision which includes Zubi and as pathetic as he is, I cant believe he just ignores everything (including his own opinion) just because Enrique says he only wants player X (which I dont believe happened anyway).

Overall what I am saying is, there is no doubt in my mind it is a joint decision and this is what they have come up with. They dont have to pay 20m, but they also are afraid of not getting him so they will pay.

If they had any foresight, they would of told Valencia to shut up, leave them with a disgruntled player and move on to someone else. When Valencia realise they have blown it and now have an unhappy player, they will be open to a lesser deal and even if they arent..who cares, we can move on.

Another one bites the dust

Bojan signs for Stoke City on a free transfer. Barca will get a percentage of future sale.

Just handing them out for free nowadays.

Lucho ultimately doesn't have the final say in transfers, true. However it was widely reported in the Catalan press when he was appointed that he demanded to have full control of everything. The board is in a bit of precarious situation right now. They've messed up a few things in recent years and need to get it right this time to save face. Barto doesn't have the power to do a Perez and overrule the coach how he pleases. They've de facto given Lucho the power. Bravo is one example. Zubi didn't even want him by all reports. He wanted ter Stegen and Masip. It's pretty much official that Lucho's assistant Unzue asked for Bravo. Zubi can of course say "no" in theory but in real life Lucho is in charge. The board can't afford to have a situation which Cruyff criticized recently ("at Barca the coach isn't making the sporting decisions"). Not right now. In fact we already did this with Tito: "Thiago Silva or no one, Hummels doesn't fit, we already have his profile in the team with Pique." So what is the option? Overrule the coach?

Something that people here might not now and you only get a feeling for these things if you follow some Spanish forums as well is that the Barca board is split in different fractions that are fighting each other. Vice president Vilarrubí for example wants to run for presidency in 2016. He's a billionaire who controls most of the media in Catalunya. He's the reason why you've seen Courtois on the frontpages of MD and Sport only a few days before ter Stegen's presentation despite the fact that it was abundandly clear that ter Stegen had already signed and Courtois was unattainable from Chelsea. Most of the things going on at Barca aren't even Zubi's fault. He's been overruled many times by the higher ups. Mats was his signing, Vilarrubí and Co. wanted Courtois. Zubi wanted to get Mathieu last season. He proposed Hummels. He didn't want Bravo. He wanted Marquinhos when he was at Roma. He was about to resign this summer but Barto is backing him now. There is a lot of politics going on behind the scenes. Thiago's minute based buyout clause has been deliberately ignored to fund Neymar's transfer. His face was already on the covers of MD and Sport in exchange for Thiago Silva in summer 2012. "Thiago por Thiago":



People need to know these sort of things. The club isn't exactly operating in peace and harmony right now. A complete clearout of the board is needed.

So so far, between this group of players that have left...

Bojan
Cuenca
Tello
Oier
Valdes
Pinto
Jonathan
D. Suarez
Kerrison
Puyol and soon to be Xavi

= they all left for a total of $2M (the Jonathan sell). Everyone else left for free

I know Valdes, Puyol, Pinto left the way they had too etc. But Cuenca, Tello, Bojan etc? Trying to tell me we couldnt of made a single dime on them?

Overall while I wont say its wrong, I dont know this to be fact. I frankly dont believe we are in the situation where Enrique says jump and we say how high. Dont buy it.

I can believe Enrique's assistant/goalie coach wanted him (Bravo) specifically and thats what happened. I heard it enough times to believe it to be reasonable. But every transfer? Matheui? As I said, I find it more than hard to believe.

The situation you paint is one in which Luis Enrique is a close minded maniac who wont have anyones opinions. I dont believe it either.

No question I do not doubt internet conflicts and strife. I dont know anything for a fact and I wouldnt take anything I read as such either. But without jumping all over the place, I just want to say the one basic thing.

I dont believe either

A. LE demanded Matheui and everyone else did exactly what they was told.

And the fallout from this was buckling at whatever Valencia asked for.

Doesnt sound logical to me.


This all being said, I like him alot as a player and think he will do well.

Nah, Lucho is not a maniac dictator. He of course will listen to other opinions as well. But, and this is purely speculative on my part: Lucho wants 2 CBs. 1 talent like Marquinhos to groom for the future and 1 experienced versatile left-footed defender who can cover both CB and LB to get back to the 3 man defense system which we had with Abidal. The youngstar option is pretty much out of question. PSG simply ain't selling Marquinhos. We can do what we want. They ain't. The alternative is that we're now scouting Rodrigo Caio from Sao Paolo, 20 years old. Whereas the experiended, versatile defender is Mathieu and ... well ... Mathieu. You also have Blind who has played like 3 games as CB and maybe Rojo who is simply not good enough IMO, despite the few World Cup games which he GOATed in a Chelsea-esque defensive set-up from Argentina. But ultimately the best option is Mathieu. La Liga and CL experiended, little to no question marks, a well known quantity.

The reason why we aren't in for the likes of Mangala is that Barca demands proper ballplaying centerbacks. Now we might not like this, I don't either to such an extreme, it means if Puyol at 25 was playing at another club without being Catalan Barca would have never signed him. But that's how the club rolls. Even Puyol himself gave an interview recently and said this:

“As for the defence, for some time now Barça have been looking for centre-backs. Then again so has half of Europe, so it’s not easy – even less so for us, given our style of play. To represent Barcelona, it’s not enough to possess technique and the ability to come out with the ball, you also need to have pace, as we defend so far from our goal. When you look over your shoulder and realise just how far out you are, you feel dizzy sometimes.”

I hope that is his idea because I like it, we need it. I have no problems with Mathieu or even Bravo on a playing level. They actually fit on a tactical level and on talent.

The other side of the deal, the finance (which I usually dont give 2 f's about) though are another story.

Puyol just toing the party line, we know this. He might even believe it, but its not reality. Its been said and he is too good a guy to contradict it.

This need for ball playing centerbacks is overrated to high hell, all they really need to do is have a good composure and make simple passes..not raking 50 yard risk balls ala David Luiz. Basically just a composed and confident passer...not be Sakho, not be Dawson..

If they bothered watching Mangala, they would know he is very capable.

Besides % of future sale, Barcelona will get a transfer fee of 2M for Bojan Krkic (23), who joins English club Stoke City. [ser]