Barca on Ousmane Dembele

So far the only players that are " se queda " are Barça's transfer targets.

"The locker room of BVB think Dembele will go. If he stays, the atmosphere will be bad" Cadena SER

I agree but that is all Dembele's fault. He could have easily been still on decent terms with the team if he just behaved professionally.

Yeah but Dortmund didn't want to sell period... they were just making it seem as if they were.  Dembele wanted to make it impossible for him to stay.

They did the same thing to Auba, who is Dembele's best friend on Dortmund.  They priced Auba out of the market.  Didn't want the same thing to happen to him.

We're in an era where clubs can no longer bully players.  It's the other way around.  So either clubs recognize this and work within the new power structure or you will have situations like this.

If a player wants to leave and you're making an incredible fee, you let him go.  Simple.

And for those who bring up contractual obligations... for decades, clubs forced contracts down players' throats that were as one sides as you can possibly imagine. The players had no choice but to sign as the clubs colluded to keep the terms as they were. Only recently have super agents emerged where you now have a powerful counter party to clubs. I have no sympathy for clubs.

A bit of a mute point there Sports. Despite what is probably a frustrating feeling of being "denied" an opportunity to play in a better team, his behaviour is not excusable. That's what being a professional is as you probably are very much well aware of given your line of work.

I'm glad players actually have a bigger say nowadays. Many a time clubs have taken advantage of these men for many a year. However, I'm also glad to see a "smaller" club in Dortmund not bend or break to the demands of bigger clubs. Though eventually, they would but at least it'll be on their terms.

When i signed employment contracts that involved years... I've always included a buyout clause. So whoever wanted to poach me (happened once) understood the cost of doing so.

If I were a player agent, I would NEVER allow them sign a contract without a buyout clause. If some clubs don't want it, then my clients wouldn't play there... period. It's a very simple and, frankly, common solution to avoid standoffs.

sportsczy wrote:When i signed employment contracts that involved years... I've always included a buyout clause. So whoever wanted to poach me (happened once) understood the cost of doing so.

If I were a player agent, I would NEVER allow them sign a contract without a buyout clause. If some clubs don't want it, then my clients wouldn't play there... period. It's a very simple and, frankly, common solution to avoid standoffs.

To be honest I think buyout clauses should be mandatory and based on a calculation that takes into account player age/years on contract/wages.

That way a club is incentivized to pay higher wages to retain a player, improve his contract giving that player financial security but also increasing the clause at the same time.

That's why i have so little sympathy... if you refuse to allow buyout clauses, then you're exposing yourself to standoffs. That's on you.

Once again talking out of your arse sports.

Both Watzke and Zorc have publicly confirmed they were ready to let Aubameyang go during the summer, given certain demands are met. After that did not materialize until a certain date, they said the time to move has passed and he must stay, and this date was agreed upon before also with Auba and his agent.

Dembélé can also leave if Barca pay up, again both Watzke and Zorc have said so repeatedly. They have also said that the possibility to buy him will perish on Sunday, as later they have no time left for getting a replacement.

They've been transparent and professional, as opposed to Dembélé who has simply refused to come to work, and as opposed to Barca officials who gave interviews how they are 'very close' to signing the player, and who instigated the player to his unprofessional behaviour.

And about the buyout clauses - the Neymar affair all but ensures that in the future, buy out clauses for important players will be prohibitively high.

"given certain demands are met"

Last year, it was 100 mil which nobody was going to pay.  It was an outrageous sum.  Now it's what?  100 mil again or more??

The guy was begging to come to Madrid and was coming to our games at the Bernabeu in the middle of the Dortmund season lol.  But between buying Morata back for 40 mil and paying 100 mil for Auba... easy decision.  Auba didn't say a word and it got him nothing in the end.

A little tidbit by Auba last week was telling too:  "I understand the club's position.  But I understand Ousmane's as well."

You don't play nice with clubs and managers.  They don't give a shit about players.  You do what's absolutely best for you and you make it a street fight if you have to. You try to reach an amicable agreement... but short of that, you make it as ugly as you need to.

Auba comes with alot of baggage and age isn't on his side either. We don't sign players over 25 years anymore. He could wh*re himself out to us all he likes but truth is that train passed well before he started making interviews. Auba has been just as unprofessional as Dembele. I remember he was doing interviews about where he wamted to leave to in the summer just prior to important games last season. Believe it or not but clubs value loyalty. Auba (and Hazard) has none and thus very few suitors

What's Aubameyang's baggage exactly? Consistent goal scoring?

What's "outrageous" about the sums they were/are asking?

A year ago? It would have been a world record fee for Auba. Of course after the Neymar deal, it may not look like that... But even today, Auba is too old and he's not marketable enough to demand that kind of fee.

Hapless_Hans wrote:What's Aubameyang's baggage exactly? Consistent goal scoring?

No baggage. I like him a lot. Issue was age and marketability... and the market last year as opposed to this one. It was unreasonable. 60-70 mil and it would have gotten done imo.

Water under the bridge anyhow. My only point is that I'm sure there were lessons learned there that were passed on to Dembele.

I think there's a clear lack of communication and cooperation between Dortmund and its top players. Thought that way before Auba too.

This summer, BVB reportedly asked for something between 80m € and 100m €. Lukaku went for what, 100m€ ?

It didn't happened, I assume, because the clubs Auba really wanted to go to (Real most of all..) didn't push for him.

How is that BVB's problem? They're fine with having their 30 league goals per season striker staying

I'm sure they are... I think Auba is a moron for letting it happen without a fight though.  Let the club abuse him.  But that's just my opinion.

How is he being abused by the club agreeing to let him go in midst of his contract for a fee that pretty much is current market value for top strikers?

sportsczy wrote:Yeah but Dortmund didn't want to sell period... they were just making it seem as if they were.  Dembele wanted to make it impossible for him to stay.

They did the same thing to Auba, who is Dembele's best friend on Dortmund.  They priced Auba out of the market.  Didn't want the same thing to happen to him.

We're in an era where clubs can no longer bully players.  It's the other way around.  So either clubs recognize this and work within the new power structure or you will have situations like this.

If a player wants to leave and you're making an incredible fee, you let him go.  Simple.

And for those who bring up contractual obligations... for decades, clubs forced contracts down players' throats that were as one sides as you can possibly imagine. The players had no choice but to sign as the clubs colluded to keep the terms as they were. Only recently have super agents emerged where you now have a powerful counter party to clubs. I have no sympathy for clubs.

Both of those statements are flat out false statements. Dortmund were very VERY open to selling Auba considering they didn't like his wage demands, they bought 2 STs, 1 each in winter & in the the summer & wanted 80M odd for him. There was talk of 100M but in the end Dortmund were talking about 70-80M, a pretty low price.

Auba's wage demands were too high for any1 to meet (non-Chinese club) with his huge transfer fee. Dortmund have slapped 150M on Dembele but will possibly budge on 130-140M or even 120M + 10/15M Guaranteed bonuses.

You can't use player arm twisting clubs in Aug 23rd, after the season has started & when no replacements are available, when the pre-season is over. Dortmund had planned without Auba but not without Dembele in his 2nd season. Barca should pay 150M & get him. The market has changed post Neymar.

sportsczy wrote:I'm sure they are... I think Auba is a moron for letting it happen without a fight though.  Let the club abuse him.  But that's just my opinion.

Nonsensical & ridiculous comment. Players shouldn't be signing long terms contract then. If you sign a long term contract, then obey it.

Otherwise shut up & play. Atleast the buying club should pay the market price for the player, not try to lowball the club late into the transfer window.

Hapless_Hans wrote:What's Aubameyang's baggage exactly? Consistent goal scoring?

His lifestyle

footyfan01 wrote:

sportsczy wrote:I'm sure they are... I think Auba is a moron for letting it happen without a fight though.  Let the club abuse him.  But that's just my opinion.

Nonsensical & ridiculous comment. Players shouldn't be signing long terms contract then. If you sign a long term contract, then obey it.

Otherwise shut up & play. Atleast the buying club should pay the market price for the player, not try to lowball the club late into the transfer window.

Well sports would have loved Aubameyang at Real, and obviously would have loved to get him cheap, so he is out trying to reshape reality into a fairy tale based on his wishful thinking.

The point of this however is that, once more, it proves Perez is not inclined to pay big money for black or African players.

Hopefully Dembele continues to protest. Regardless if the move does not go through. Can't fault Dembele wanting to play for his dream club

Assuming he improves in his second season, I could see BVB asking for 175m next season

footyfan01 wrote:

sportsczy wrote:I'm sure they are... I think Auba is a moron for letting it happen without a fight though.  Let the club abuse him.  But that's just my opinion.

Nonsensical & ridiculous comment. Players shouldn't be signing long terms contract then. If you sign a long term contract, then obey it.

Otherwise shut up & play. Atleast the buying club should pay the market price for the player, not try to lowball the club late into the transfer window.

It's not market if nobody is willing to pay it lol. "Market" means there's a market for it... supply and demand are both there.

How exactly did we abuse Aubameyang? I expected him to leave this summer first off. And everyone involved agreed he would leave IF the right price could be agreed. No offers came by a certain date and so he stays. Pretty simple.

As for Dembele, it's obvious he isn't happy. I for one think he should stay for one more season but that's just my opinion. One more year in Dortmund wouldn't hurt him.

sportsczy wrote:A year ago? It would have been a world record fee for Auba. Of course after the Neymar deal, it may not look like that... But even today, Auba is too old and he's not marketable enough to demand that kind of fee.

Maybe he's not worth that much to clubs that'd like to buy him but he's worth it to Dortmund. Personally I would demand even more.