If he is too good for Newcastle, why no one better is actually being interested on him? (Especially knowing that we want to sell him).
Chris Smalling to Newcastle?
- Thread starter davidmichael
- Start date
Oh Mirror said so, nice.
Point is, Smalling is a player who can be signed on cheap. If he is half as good as you think he is, many clubs would have been glad to spend 20m on him. I mean, 20m buys you a Dalot or James these days, but even that seems to look too much for Smalling.
It's just limiting, isn't it. Like a striker who only scores goals but doesn't contribute in any other areas. A goalkeeper thats a fabulous shot stopper but cnuts the ball out of play. A full back thats an excellent defender but inept going forward.
Why do you assume these better clubs you're referring to aren't interested?
A keeper doesnt have a partner.
One CB who is excellent defending but keeps it simple, while the other plays the ball more is absolutely fine.
He's 30. There arent many players 30+ going for £20 million or more. Again City sold Dzeko and Kolarov to Roma for less than half of that and they've been Roma's best players
You seem completely out of touch with reality. £20 million for a 30 year old is a lot and in corona times its even more. That should tell you that United rate him
https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/07/16/7-most-expensive-signings-over-the-age-of-30/
So it would be £2 million less than Inter got for Eto'o from rich Russians
Never said it wasn't fine, just limiting. Thing is though I think where a player is like this they need to be exceptional at the thing they're good at to make up for what they lack in other areas. Smalling isn't though.
Because it is as straightforward transfer as it can get. It is cheap, he wants out, we want to sell him. Yet, he is still here.
If some big club would have been serious about him, he would have already been seriously linked with those clubs.
He is.
I disagree. Proof will be in the pudding i suppose. If he's truly this exceptional defender his next move will be very telling.
Cant imagine why Arsenal are not in for him. Didnt we get him from Fulham originally? Think he is a London boy and he would be an upgrade on the CB's they have
At 30 not really. Most players take a step down in club around now. He's been at Manchester United a long time though and took over from Rio and Vidic, that was telling
he won't sign for them... I think he probably knows that the PL is too quick for him now
30/31 is no age really for a CB. Certainly one that never had to rely on pace. There's plenty top clubs looking for defenders too, so if he's still got it I'm sure one of them will pick him up.
K can you give me 5 examples of Cbs who were 30 or over who were bought for £20 million or more?
Bonucci is one. Other than that?
Its difficult because usually clubs wouldn't be so keen to move on players if they were so good..
I'd also be very surprised if Smalling actually went for 20mil or more.
What im saying is, if there was an exceptional CB available that was 30/31 dont you think a string of good clubs would be interested in signing him? If Rio, Vidic, Terry, Chiellini, Silva, Cannavaro etc etc were available at 30yrs old in modern times do you think they'd end up at Newcastle?
Weird critique. I dont think hes someone thats ever struggled with the pace of the premier league.
Clubs sell players once they enter their 30s and build toward the future all the time.
Smalling isnt as good as Rio, Vidic, Terry, Chiellini at his best, Silva at his best, etc.
He's just a very good defender. He's not one people would put in the "world class" category, but he's better than a lot of the pretenders who have come in with the promise that they'll get there when Smalling wont, then failed to do so
Would agree with all of that, but he's not in that bracket of players because of his limitations as a football player. Which was all I was trying to say at the start. Doesn't mean he still can't be a very good defender, but limitations like that are why we're moving him on and why he won't sign for another CL club.
I think theres every chance a CL club will take him. The weaker teams in the CL group stages really arent that strong, Roma are stronger and he was their best CB and one of the two best in the league
I get you, but I kinda feel like you can build a more successful side with someone like Smalling over, say, a Lindelof. The latter gives you a lot in the build up, but he also costs you a load of goals by being weak as piss.
By this logic we’re not interested in anyone because we haven’t signed anyone yet.
The transfer window isn’t closed.
Also unless you have inside knowledge you have no clue who is or isn’t interested in him.
Not sure he’s better than Diop. Mina?
he's never been that fast, and he looked slower than our other CBs in his last season with us... plus he is now over 30
Obviously is
wat
Doubt Everton would be interested. Keane is their number 1 CB and Holgate kicked on last season and was pretty good. They also have Braithewaite who impressed at the back end of last season.
Smalling? Compared to Maguire he's Usain Bolt.
I would imagine his wages are comfortably higher than both and can be a stumbling block for a buying club. I mean Roma were skimping out but theirs was because of a club takeover so they were probably right to hold off purchases until it went through (I think the deal is agreed now and its the finer details being wrapped up). Once that's done I can imagine them coming back for him.
Also, I think we were the only ones happy to buy 20m on Dalot
still feels a bit like a waste there.Maguire wasn't with us in Smalling's last season... and I'm not sure either of them is fast enough
@mitchmouse Smalling's biggest assets are his pace and aerial ability. Have you ever watched us play?
We would probably get more money from Newcastle, but man, imagine being Smalling and having a good season at Roma, thinking that you’re probably going to be moving there permanently, and then end up at fecking Newcastle.
He’s not been my favorite defender during his time here, but he deserves better than Newcastle. Hope he gets his move back to Italy in the end.
He’s not been my favorite defender during his time here, but he deserves better than Newcastle. Hope he gets his move back to Italy in the end.
If he wants to stay at Rome, then let them pay up. We have been taken for mugs for far too long.
I would rather he go to Rome as it seems he really loved it there. I don't rate him for a top club in England but he deserves the best for all the hard work he has done.
Also in Italy they tax about 22%, compare to in UK 45%. So he can afford to lower his wage (if needed).
We aren’t interested in any player who costs 20m, who wants to leave and whose club wants to sell. It is the most straightforward transfer that can exist.
And yet, 20m seems too much for him and looks like clubs are not sure to pay that sum for him.
Ok then. Compared to Lindelof he's Usain Bolt.
Smalling is really quick. It's one of his main strengths.
Chris Smalling to Arsenal is such a typical Arsenal transfer. Can see him going there. Let's sell him to Arsenal for 15 million.
Smalling looked like he may have lost a little speed in his last season here, but he was still far faster than any of our other central defenders except maybe Bailly. Not sure why we occasionally get the odd person come through here and say he's not fast when he's always been one of the fastest centre backs in the league. The only thing I can think of is that if he has to turn behind him his first step or two isn't up to the same level, but that's simply because of his size and he's fast enough that he normally makes up that ground quite quickly.