Douglas Costa
- Thread starter ^Red Devil^
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i love this placeThe scouse one
Never heard of him? He's in our squad and must be rated below £20M.
Hargometer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jul/12/manchester-united-chase-gremio-douglas-costa
We'll bid for him it seems
Manchester United have re-established formal contact with the Brazilian club Gremio about trying to reach a compromise over a fee for Douglas Costa, the talented 18-year-old who has been hailed as "the new Ronaldinho" in his country.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, rates Costa as the brightest young talent currently playing in South America but the Premier League champions could not convince Gremio to allow him out on loan when negotiations began earlier this summer and believe the deal can happen only if the Porto Alegre club drastically lower their valuation.
Gremio have severe financial issues and are acutely aware that selling their most prized young asset could be the answer to those problems. With that in mind, they have informed prospective buyers they want £21m. United regard that as excessive for a player who has not yet played 20 senior games but they are hoping Gremio's position is negotiable and have put together a financial package, with an initial outlay of £7m, plus a series of success-related add-ons if the player lives up to the promise that has brought him to the attention of Ferguson via John Calvert-Toulmin, the club's principal scout in Brazil.
The transfer hinges on whether a compromise can be agreed and United are hoping the influential deal-maker Chris Nathaniel can help to convince Gremio that they risk getting nothing at all if they continue to play hardball. Nathaniel, whose extensive list of clients includes Rio Ferdinand and Robinho, is prominently involved with Costa and has spent the last few days in Brazil, in the process holding extensive talks with Gremio's hierarchy.
Manchester City are also aware of Costa's burgeoning reputation but they, too, regard Gremio's demands as exorbitant and would rather pay significant transfer fees for established players. United's policy is different, targeting players below the age of 25 if large sums are involved, and Costa fits into their transfer strategy as a young, talented footballer whose value should feasibly go up in future years, just as happened with Cristiano Ronaldo, who was 18 when he signed from Sporting Lisbon.
Costa, a Brazil under-20 international, has other admirers in Spain and Italy but has indicated he would like to move to England and become United's fourth signing of their summer, following Luis Antonio Valencia, Michael Owen and Gabriel Obertan to Old Trafford.
Carlos Alberto, Brazil's outspoken World Cup-winning captain in 1970, recently accused United of "raping Brazilian football" and urged Fifa to intervene to prevent the country's best young players from being lured away by Europe's leading clubs.
United, however, are proud of their expansive operation in South America, having plucked three Brazilian players – Rafael and Fabio da Silva plus Rodrigo Possebon – from relative obscurity in the past two years.
Costa, who joined Gremio at the age of 11 and is contracted to the club until February 2013, helped Brazil to victory in the South American Youth Championship in January and February, scoring three goals in the process, but United's interest in the player dates back more than a year before that. Gremio is the club where Ronaldinho made his breakthrough and Costa has obvious similarities in terms of his ability to run with the ball and beat opponents from his favoured role between midfield and attack, as well as being a free-kick specialist.
Any deal would be dependent on the player receiving a work permit but United have never had significant problems obtaining the necessary paperwork in the past.
We'll bid for him it seems
Manchester United have re-established formal contact with the Brazilian club Gremio about trying to reach a compromise over a fee for Douglas Costa, the talented 18-year-old who has been hailed as "the new Ronaldinho" in his country.
Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, rates Costa as the brightest young talent currently playing in South America but the Premier League champions could not convince Gremio to allow him out on loan when negotiations began earlier this summer and believe the deal can happen only if the Porto Alegre club drastically lower their valuation.
Gremio have severe financial issues and are acutely aware that selling their most prized young asset could be the answer to those problems. With that in mind, they have informed prospective buyers they want £21m. United regard that as excessive for a player who has not yet played 20 senior games but they are hoping Gremio's position is negotiable and have put together a financial package, with an initial outlay of £7m, plus a series of success-related add-ons if the player lives up to the promise that has brought him to the attention of Ferguson via John Calvert-Toulmin, the club's principal scout in Brazil.
The transfer hinges on whether a compromise can be agreed and United are hoping the influential deal-maker Chris Nathaniel can help to convince Gremio that they risk getting nothing at all if they continue to play hardball. Nathaniel, whose extensive list of clients includes Rio Ferdinand and Robinho, is prominently involved with Costa and has spent the last few days in Brazil, in the process holding extensive talks with Gremio's hierarchy.
Manchester City are also aware of Costa's burgeoning reputation but they, too, regard Gremio's demands as exorbitant and would rather pay significant transfer fees for established players. United's policy is different, targeting players below the age of 25 if large sums are involved, and Costa fits into their transfer strategy as a young, talented footballer whose value should feasibly go up in future years, just as happened with Cristiano Ronaldo, who was 18 when he signed from Sporting Lisbon.
Costa, a Brazil under-20 international, has other admirers in Spain and Italy but has indicated he would like to move to England and become United's fourth signing of their summer, following Luis Antonio Valencia, Michael Owen and Gabriel Obertan to Old Trafford.
Carlos Alberto, Brazil's outspoken World Cup-winning captain in 1970, recently accused United of "raping Brazilian football" and urged Fifa to intervene to prevent the country's best young players from being lured away by Europe's leading clubs.
United, however, are proud of their expansive operation in South America, having plucked three Brazilian players – Rafael and Fabio da Silva plus Rodrigo Possebon – from relative obscurity in the past two years.
Costa, who joined Gremio at the age of 11 and is contracted to the club until February 2013, helped Brazil to victory in the South American Youth Championship in January and February, scoring three goals in the process, but United's interest in the player dates back more than a year before that. Gremio is the club where Ronaldinho made his breakthrough and Costa has obvious similarities in terms of his ability to run with the ball and beat opponents from his favoured role between midfield and attack, as well as being a free-kick specialist.
Any deal would be dependent on the player receiving a work permit but United have never had significant problems obtaining the necessary paperwork in the past.
I want Costa to come to United badly, I reckon he will come good, and by good I mean fecking world class.
apart from this thread I know feck all about him
I just have a feeling seen a few matches of his he looks class, wouldnt mind seeing him get the no 7 shirt
I'm amazed you can come to such a conclusion on so little evidence and on such varying views of his ability as expressed in this thread alone.
Some of us can go out on a limb and pick a winner; some others are bitches
I would like us to get him too, but only like it says in the newspaper, with the fee being dependent on his future success at United.
Is that likely if he's that good and all supposed clubs are interested?
OK.
Valencia, Nani, Tosic, Park, Obertan, Ljajic and Costa? They all need time and the younger ones need alot of it to develop. How can we accomodate them all? If we sign a striker we'll see Welbeck on the wings too.
I'd like us to go for him. He seems like a great prospect.
Its more than going out on a limb. Have you actually seen him play a match of football?
Have you read 10 posts in this thread
Well that's just plain horseshit.
Indeed we have missed out on 3 Brazilians over the years due to permits.
and essien for memory..
I meant really. Not fibbing to make it seem like you have.
I have seen him play a few times en vivo
If we do get him, could the nani plus 30m pounds for Aguero be true? The only reason I say that is because we would have quiet a few wingers in the team if we signed Costa.
Valencia, Nani, Tosic, Park, Obertan, Ljajic and Costa? They all need time and the younger ones need alot of it to develop. How can we accomodate them all? If we sign a striker we'll see Welbeck on the wings too.
Gives you the feeling that someone might be on their way out.
Nani is arguably the most established winger in our squad along with Valencia and Park. Even if we buy the kid we're left with a lot of promise like Obertan, so we need to keep the wingers who are currently at the club.
Tosic and Obertan for me. Considering the lack of first team appearances, the boss doesn't seem to rate them too highly.
I'm a firm believer that Ljajic will get the no. 7 shirt when he arrives in January. He seems to be the next world class star who could go on to be as good as Ronaldo, Kaka, Messi.
you have watched him "live"?
Are you shitting me? sell the new signings?
WTF? He didn't even had a single training with United and you are saying that the boss doesn't seem to rate him highly and is on his way out?
WTF? He didn't even had a single training with United and you are saying that the boss doesn't seem to rate him highly and is on his way out?
idiot
Was under the impression that he had a Portuguese passport.
Anyways, he seems very skillful and reminds me an awful lot of Robinho. Likes to cut inside and get a crack on goal, but not too selfish to whip in crosses when a teammate is in a good position.
I can only imagine that Tosic is still a bit far off from being first team material. I'm predicting a half season of reserve football for him, and possibly a loan move in Jan to a Premiership club. That leaves us Valencia, Park, Nani, Obertan (untested), and possibly this Costa lad.
So does it look like we are signing this lad?
Isn't he a huge question mark when it comes to his ability?
Isn't he a huge question mark when it comes to his ability?
Good move
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