Douglas Costa

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BaldwinLegend said:
Oh, thanks for setting me straight. Convenient that you've no proof then - I mean, a single quote would do.
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Plenty of people thought he wasnt that good. There were several rumours and a few stories that we only signed him as another Brazilian to help Ronaldinho settle as he was our major target that summer.

If you didnt actually mean "everyone" and not just "every journalist" then I'd have assumed you wouldnt say "everyone" and even bold it to emphasise you do in fact meant just everyone.

Of course not everyone thought he'd be a great signing. I know I didnt.

All I'm saying is that at the time he moved to United, it was generally assumed Kleberson would be a success - Vickery's article is a reflection of this. I don't think, for example, that many seasoned watchers of South American football would have guessed that out of Kleberson and Gliberto Silva, it would be the latter that would have a prolonged and successful PL career.
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I didnt watch either player play in Brazil. I didnt watch Brazilian football back then, in fact I only started when Diego and Robinho (and I guess Chelsea's Alex) started making a name for themselves as breakthrough talents and took Santos on a great run through the Copa.

But watching him for Brazil in the world cup I thought his contribution was entirely over rated. And didnt expect him to be amazing - this is a player we bested Newcastle and Leeds to sign afterall. And no this wasnt when they were among the top sides.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Oh right, since we got a load of money for Ronaldo, all tranfer fees are considered as a % of what he costs. Sorry but thats mental.

SAF obviously thought £40m was too much to pay for Benzema (not that he would have signed for us anyway). That's got everything to do with what a massive sum of money that would be and feck all to do with what we sold Ronaldo for. If any business had a bumper year they would still be just as prudent when it comes to future spending. You don't spend silly money just because you earn silly money. That's the way businesses run, it's not a computer game where any money left at the end of the game is wasted.

By the way, who are all these "players we are refusing to pay the price for"? Have I missed something? I've heard some speculative links for a few players this summer, just like every summer, but if you're aware of any other players we've definitely missed out on - through refusing to pay a fair price - please name them.
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All I am saying is tyhat there is a market, and we, like other top clubs have a role to play in it. If the market is inflated for us, it is inflated for everyone. If it means we have to spend more to buy quality, so do others, and we can earn more for selling our quality players. But because you are not in the market on your own, you cannot create your own setting for it, like the perfectly ideal one of selling your quality players for ridiculously high prices, and then buying alternative quality players for knock down prices. Of course that would be ideal, but it isn't realistic. Which leaves clubs with a choice of whether they are going to be involved or not.

Benzema by all reports, cost Real £30m anyway. I'm just saying that if this is your number one target you have identified (reportedly, of course) and you are not willing to pay £30m for him, then it seems that unrealistic valuations are being put on the prices we expect to pay for top players in today's market. It is what it is, iit is inflated, but we are a club that deals in top quality players so we should be ready to pay top dollar surely, unless of course, Ronaldo was sold to service debt and the funds are not there to strengthen the team after all. If we have the funds to buy players, and the ones we identify are well within that budget, then we need to be prepared to pay, or someone else will and you lose out. A couple of million either way have seen us lose out on Robben, Ronaldinho and perhaps Essien in recent years. Surely we cannot expect all signings, especially very important ones, to be baqrgains?

And to answer your question, I cannpt name the exact players we have refused to pay for this summer, I can only refer to quotes from the manager that said we have missed out on top targets because their clubs are asking for unrealistic prices. I wish Madrid were only willing to pay £30m for Ronaldo, then I wouldn't even need to be a muppet this summer because we would have rejected that.
 
K14 you're rapidly turning into a Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime again. So much good work being undone.

Benzema may well have wanted to go to Madrid anyway so maybe we pulled out as we didn't want a bidding war. And suggesting we pay £21m for an untried, even untried in Brazil, 18 year old is absolutely mental.
 
To buy a untried player for £21m would be crazy and foolish. Yes he could turn out to be a superstar, but its also possible he will fail.
 
samabachan said:
K14 you're rapidly turning into a Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime again. So much good work being undone.

Benzema may well have wanted to go to Madrid anyway so maybe we pulled out as we didn't want a bidding war. And suggesting we pay £21m for an untried, even untried in Brazil, 18 year old is absolutely mental.
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No need to name call. I haven't said we should pay £21m for a player I have never seen play at all. I am speaking generally that we shouldn't think we can assemble a list of outstanding players or outstanding potential, and then expect them to be cheap. Especially as we should know what top quality costs more than most, given the sum we demanded for our special player.

As for Benzema, we obviously cannot sign a player who does not want to come. Again, I am only responding to hearing our manager say we were priced out of going for arguably the world's most promising striker, who was just sold for £30m. That's the bit I'm referring to, not whatever dreams the player may have.

Why should I be called a 'Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime' for going on the basis of what Fergie said, while you're just saying 'maybe we pulled out as we didn't want a bidding war'.

Even not willing to go to war for your top targets. In this day and age, other top clubs won't sit backk and let you sign top quality unchallenged. Would be good to see us fight a bit for a player we feel will improve us. Not to say we don't pull out if it gets too much, but this view that players need to come out in the press and say how much they only want to play for United and demand their clubs sell them for knock down prices is arrogant, and what everyone seems to imply on here. Once a prospective target even suggests he doesn't mind another team, we are like 'feck him' etc.
We have to be prepared to compete for the best surely?
 
Probably not if we're competing with clubs with virtually limitless budgets and who start in pole position.

Don't think that's arrogant.
 
kanchelskis14 said:
No need to name call. I haven't said we should pay £21m for a player I have never seen play at all. I am speaking generally that we shouldn't think we can assemble a list of outstanding players or outstanding potential, and then expect them to be cheap. Especially as we should know what top quality costs more than most, given the sum we demanded for our special player.

As for Benzema, we obviously cannot sign a player who does not want to come. Again, I am only responding to hearing our manager say we were priced out of going for arguably the world's most promising striker, who was just sold for £30m. That's the bit I'm referring to, not whatever dreams the player may have.

Why should I be called a 'Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime' for going on the basis of what Fergie said, while you're just saying 'maybe we pulled out as we didn't want a bidding war'.

Even not willing to go to war for your top targets. In this day and age, other top clubs won't sit backk and let you sign top quality unchallenged. Would be good to see us fight a bit for a player we feel will improve us. Not to say we don't pull out if it gets too much, but this view that players need to come out in the press and say how much they only want to play for United and demand their clubs sell them for knock down prices is arrogant, and what everyone seems to imply on here. Once a prospective target even suggests he doesn't mind another team, we are like 'feck him' etc.
We have to be prepared to compete for the best surely?
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The thing is, when was the last time we signed "the best" ?

Even now at a time when we've won the premier league 3 seasons in a row and in that time have won the champions league once and got to the final a second time.

We still dont go right to the top of the tree. We can afford to. But we havent.

The club clearly wants to make its stars instead of buying them. Thats just how it is.
 
kanchelskis14 said:
As for Benzema, we obviously cannot sign a player who does not want to come. Again, I am only responding to hearing our manager say we were priced out of going for arguably the world's most promising striker, who was just sold for £30m. That's the bit I'm referring to, not whatever dreams the player may have.
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I'm sure Fergie said we didn't sign him because he wanted to go to Madrid, not because he was too expensive..?
 
Ekeke said:
The thing is, when was the last time we signed "the best" ?

Even now at a time when we've won the premier league 3 seasons in a row and in that time have won the champions league once and got to the final a second time.

We still dont go right to the top of the tree. We can afford to. But we havent.

The club clearly wants to make its stars instead of buying them. Thats just how it is.
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True, i'm just throwing thoughts out there to be honest, suggestive stuff.

Also, people forget that the likes of Benzema and Aguero are 21 and 19 respectively. Do they not fit into our model of young talents because they are too good?
 
friendlytramp said:
I'm sure Fergie said we didn't sign him because he wanted to go to Madrid, not because he was too expensive..?
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Nah he actually did say we were priced out but it's not that cut and dried. Don't forget Benzema takes a cut of the fee most probably so if he wanted to go to Madrid then he may have agreed to waive it or take less. This means that Lyon would have wanted more from us. And also the reason Madrid got Benzema for 30m could be simply because Lyon couldn't get what they were asking after we pulled out. I seem to remember hearing Aulas say something about 42m earlier in the year. I think it's foolish to comment on a transfer we know nothing about.
 
samabachan said:
Nah he actually did say we were priced out but it's not that cut and dried. Don't forget Benzema takes a cut of the fee most probably so if he wanted to go to Madrid then he may have agreed to waive it or take less. This means that Lyon would have wanted more from us. And also the reason Madrid got Benzema for 30m could be simply because Lyon couldn't get what they were asking after we pulled out. I seem to remember hearing Aulas say something about 42m earlier in the year. I think it's foolish to comment on a transfer we know nothing about.
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It's less foolish to coment based on quotes we have read rather than speculation though.
 
From Tribal:

Man Utd boss Ferguson willing to play waiting game for Douglas Costa
14.07.09


Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits Gremio starlet Douglas Costa is on their radar.

For now, Gremio are pricing the teenager out of a move to Old Trafford, but Fergie is staying calm.

"We have two months before the deadline so it could change. Anything is possible. You never know," said Ferguson yesterday.
 
Haha, I like how they pretend those quotes are about Douglas.
 
Yeah I'm with Twisted on this one. With SAF coming out saying no more signings what do yiz reckon ?
 
kanchelskis14 said:
True, i'm just throwing thoughts out there to be honest, suggestive stuff.

Also, people forget that the likes of Benzema and Aguero are 21 and 19 respectively. Do they not fit into our model of young talents because they are too good?
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Perhaps they dont. Because if you want the top talent, as you say, you have to pay what it takes to get it. Even if there was no Real Madrid supertransfers this summer Benzema would still have cost around the same and Aguero a similar fee... I mean fair enough we paid something similar in the end for Rooney, but he was English and therefore going to be a mainstay in our side for 10 years or more - we simply wont have that with Aguero or Benzema, etc. after 2 or 3 seasons if winning things they'll be looking to move on for a new challenge. The premier league most likely isnt their end game.

Also we paid £10 million first off for Rooney. The rest made up of success based bonuses and fixed fees later on... I doubt Lyon or Atletico would have allowed something like a £10 million up front fee for their player.

So instead maybe we'll take the likes of Obertan, even if he isnt the best player his age - we can make him the best player his age.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
I've never seen this Costa bloke. There's a few in this thread who seem desperate to sign him. On what basis?
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He is talented, but still very raw and inconsistent. For £8m + clauses he would be a decent gamble, for £20m no.

The thing is, if he is as shit as Ekeke and his 'friend' make him out to be, they probably wouldn't insist on holding out for a ridiculous price. They would snap at our offer or look for a compromise at around, say, £12m or so, rather than risk benching him for another season and stagnate his development, then no one would want him next summer. He must have something special that Fergie's scouts and the Gremio staff is well aware of, otherwise we wouldn't have tracked him for a year.
 
kanchelskis14 said:
True, i'm just throwing thoughts out there to be honest, suggestive stuff.

Also, people forget that the likes of Benzema and Aguero are 21 and 19 respectively. Do they not fit into our model of young talents because they are too good?
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Aguero is 21.
 
Kinky Melinky said:
Yeah I'm with Twisted on this one. With SAF coming out saying no more signings what do yiz reckon ?
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Ferguson has said that before - and he hinted that more could happen when saying there are 2 months left of the transfer window.
 
kanchelskis14 said:
No need to name call. I haven't said we should pay £21m for a player I have never seen play at all. I am speaking generally that we shouldn't think we can assemble a list of outstanding players or outstanding potential, and then expect them to be cheap. Especially as we should know what top quality costs more than most, given the sum we demanded for our special player.

As for Benzema, we obviously cannot sign a player who does not want to come. Again, I am only responding to hearing our manager say we were priced out of going for arguably the world's most promising striker, who was just sold for £30m. That's the bit I'm referring to, not whatever dreams the player may have.

Why should I be called a 'Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime' for going on the basis of what Fergie said, while you're just saying 'maybe we pulled out as we didn't want a bidding war'.

Even not willing to go to war for your top targets. In this day and age, other top clubs won't sit backk and let you sign top quality unchallenged. Would be good to see us fight a bit for a player we feel will improve us. Not to say we don't pull out if it gets too much, but this view that players need to come out in the press and say how much they only want to play for United and demand their clubs sell them for knock down prices is arrogant, and what everyone seems to imply on here. Once a prospective target even suggests he doesn't mind another team, we are like 'feck him' etc.
We have to be prepared to compete for the best surely?
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Your saying that because we sold ronaldo for £80m we have to accept that players that were valued/worth £10m-£20m before the ronaldo sale are now worth 30-40% more.

We wanted £80m for ronaldo because he was worthy of such a price. Bayern want around £80m for ribery, what has ribery done to be worth £80m?

Clubs around the world think that because of the way madrid are spending and because of the money United got from the ronaldo sale we are going to pay these stupid amounts for players.

You mentioned Aguero, his value is around £50m. You have to ask yourself, is he worth that much. As talented as he is, he is not worth that much money.
 
We shouldn't pay over the odds if we're not sure. And if reports that we asked to have Costa on trial are true, then we're definitely not sure.

Rooney has so much explosiveness, power, talent, temperament etc that he was almost a nailed-on top class player. An outlay of 20mil was high, but almost reasonable.

Ronaldo was not an unknown Portuguese kid. He along with Quaresma were the next touted megastars for their club and country. Our match with Lisbon served as the perfect "trial" up close, and 12mil was a fair price as a result. The price being mentioned by the media prior to that was only about 7-8mil. Still he could have been anything, and as Quaresma's case showed, nothing is guaranteed.

So if we're having doubts about Costa still, then I would say the 7-8mil initial fee is a fair price if this kid shows promise. Anything more than that is a silly gamble we probably would not even bother with if we didn't have the luxury of a spare 80mil lying around.
 
kanchelskis14 said:
True, i'm just throwing thoughts out there to be honest, suggestive stuff.

Also, people forget that the likes of Benzema and Aguero are 21 and 19 respectively. Do they not fit into our model of young talents because they are too good?
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Aguero is 21, but anyways, the question you have to ask yourself in response is: Danny Wellbeck and Federico Macheda are 18 and 17, respectively. Are they not worth developing at United?

Hypothetically, if we signed Benzema or Aguero, we would have four top quality strikers, completely negating chances for Macheda and Wellbeck to find first team experience at United (loans disregarded). On top of that, even once Owen and Berbatov phase out at United in a few years (assuming either or both find some form), you would still have two fairly young strikers taking up the starting spots (Rooney and whoever was signed), meaning that Macheda and Wellbeck would still be subject to the bench, even in their low twenties, at a time when they would desperately need starts in matches to develop.

What I am saying is that, with any further striker signings, we would find it hard for us to develop our undoubted young talents. And you might soon find us in another unfortunate Rossi-esque transfer situation.

Basically, I think the idea of bringing in another talented player in their low twenties, although exciting, would be nothing short of detrimental in developing and retaining some of our top prospects.
 
Ekeke said:
If you didnt actually mean "everyone" and not just "every journalist" then I'd have assumed you wouldnt say "everyone" and even bold it to emphasise you do in fact meant just everyone.
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Brilliant point. It was a figure of speech - feel free to waste time being a pedant about it.

Ekeke said:
But watching him for Brazil in the world cup I thought his contribution was entirely over rated. And didnt expect him to be amazing - this is a player we bested Newcastle and Leeds to sign afterall. And no this wasnt when they were among the top sides.
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Weren't Newcastle and Leeds managed by Sir Bobby Robson and Terry Venables respectively at the time?

I'm pretty sure they were, in which case thanks for winning this argument for me.

If Ferguson, Robson and Venables rate a player that's normally a sign that they've got what it takes to succeed in the English game.

I guess you still expect us to believe you know better?

I see you still haven't found a quote to back up your claim that not everyone rated Kleberson pre-2003. Here's one for you, from Sir Alex a couple of years ago:

"Kleberson is a fantastic talent.

"He was a World Cup winner. There was no reason why, in terms of ability, he couldn't make it at United.

"I think the combination of coming to this country meant he found it difficult.

"He has fantastic talent, the boy."
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Still, you know best, eh?
 
kanchelskis14 said:
True, i'm just throwing thoughts out there to be honest, suggestive stuff.

Also, people forget that the likes of Benzema and Aguero are 21 and 19 respectively. Do they not fit into our model of young talents because they are too good?
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Are they not both 21?
 
032Devil said:
From Tribal:

Man Utd boss Ferguson willing to play waiting game for Douglas Costa
14.07.09


Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits Gremio starlet Douglas Costa is on their radar.

For now, Gremio are pricing the teenager out of a move to Old Trafford, but Fergie is staying calm.

"We have two months before the deadline so it could change. Anything is possible. You never know," said Ferguson yesterday.
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:lol:

Why do people even bother going that site?
 
Acquire Me said:
To buy a untried player for £21m would be crazy and foolish. Yes he could turn out to be a superstar, but its also possible he will fail.
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Correct, remember what Fergie said about Benzema and not going over what he considered his value. Well Gremio's valuation is completely unrealistic, hence our request for a trial.

We buy young player's cheap, on their potential, Gremio want us to pay a fee more closer to say a 80% realisation of that potential, and that is completly unrealistic. Also Fergie paying that fee would set a precedent in Brazil that could make us pay Man United tax on each future player.

Gremio has seen the Ronaldo fee and gone all Essien with thier calculation, seems like they want a 25% slice of the 80M cake.
 
gulli_G said:
Correct, remember what Fergie said about Benzema and not going over what he considered his value. Well Gremio's valuation is completely unrealistic, hence our request for a trial.

We buy young player's cheap, on their potential, Gremio want us to pay a fee more closer to say a 80% realisation of that potential, and that is completly unrealistic. Also Fergie paying that fee would set a precedent in Brazil that could make us pay Man United tax on each future player.

Gremio has seen the Ronaldo fee and gone all Essien with thier calculation, seems like they want a 25% slice of the 80M cake.
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No we don't!
 
If Gremio won't loosen up we will just bide our time and in twelve months time this kid will get snapped up by some Qatari side for £500,000 and never to be heard again
 
Manchester United Still Tracking Douglas Costa – Agent
There could still be one addition at Old Trafford over the coming weeks.
16 Jul 2009 15:11:09



The earlier declarations of Manchester United chief executive David Gill, which suggested that the club may still make further acquisitions this summer, rendering Sir Alex Ferguson's "no more signings" stance void, could be true as the agent of promising Brazilian starlet Douglas Costa has explained that his client is still on the Old Trafford outfit's radar.

Cesar Bottega is reported to have recently told the South American press, "There has been more contact [with Ferguson], even to know why [Douglas] isn't currently playing.

"Ferguson has studied him closely. But it is clear he wants to confirm what people have told him up close."

Costa currently represents Gremio. The highly-heralded attack-minded midfielder has attracted covetous glances from European scouts due to his strong strike-rate for a teenager, together with his growing accumulation of club honours in the Brazilian league.

Should Sir Alex swoop for Costa, the 18-year-old will join a growing list of Brazil-born players already at the Theatre of Dreams, where Rafael da Silva, Fabio da Silva and Rodrigo Possebon are all deemed to be promising prospects.

Ferguson has repeatedly tried to bring Costa to Manchester on trial, but Gremio claim the player is too good to be considered a trialist.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com
 
anything about now said:
He is talented, but still very raw and inconsistent. For £8m + clauses he would be a decent gamble, for £20m no.

The thing is, if he is as shit as Ekeke and his 'friend' make him out to be, they probably wouldn't insist on holding out for a ridiculous price. They would snap at our offer or look for a compromise at around, say, £12m or so, rather than risk benching him for another season and stagnate his development, then no one would want him next summer. He must have something special that Fergie's scouts and the Gremio staff is well aware of, otherwise we wouldn't have tracked him for a year.
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Nobody is making him out to be shit. Too big for his boots? Certainly. I dont know any 18-19 year old player who is good enough to be spending a lot of their time making rap videos instead of concentrating fully on proving something on a football pitch. But he wouldnt get away with that if he wasnt very talented.

All I'm saying is, I'll personally wait till Gremio fans think he's a fantastic player before I say we should be paying 20-21 million for him. Is that too harsh?

Anderson was adored by Gremio fans and to be honest he's yet to set the world alight in England. Obviously, so much time on his side and we've seen flashes - but if Anderson was truly considered "The next Ronaldinho" by Gremio fans and this is how much he's done so far, while Costa is only seen as "The next Ronaldinho" by Douglas Costa himself and nowhere near by fans (yet) - then he's probably not ready to come to us and contribute to a level anywhere near what his fee would suggest.

Give him another year and let him get at least 30 games for Gremio under his belt and then see where he stands. If he keeps picking up injuries like he has done so far thats another thing to look out for. But chances are after another season the fans of his club will either be able to tell us he's the real deal or if he's not coming along like they first thought he would.

Its just madness really to be paying 20 million for a player who hasnt even played 15 games yet for his club side. He's 19 in a couple of months, thats not even particularly young whereby you can say he needs to be eased in as an extremely young player like you might say of Macheda a 17 year old, for example.

He's one to watch for sure, but there's no need to jump the gun and pay huge fees for him just yet. He hasnt proven anything yet even in Brazil.
 
To be fair, he said no for 20m.

United aren't even anywhere near offering that kind of price to buy this player, let alone the interest of doing that.

Calm down.
 
BaldwinLegend said:
Brilliant point. It was a figure of speech - feel free to waste time being a pedant about it.


Weren't Newcastle and Leeds managed by Sir Bobby Robson and Terry Venables respectively at the time?

I'm pretty sure they were, in which case thanks for winning this argument for me.

If Ferguson, Robson and Venables rate a player that's normally a sign that they've got what it takes to succeed in the English game.

I guess you still expect us to believe you know better?

I see you still haven't found a quote to back up your claim that not everyone rated Kleberson pre-2003. Here's one for you, from Sir Alex a couple of years ago:



Still, you know best, eh?
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Djemba Djemba

Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson said: "Eric is a young player we've watched throughout the season, and he's impressed us each time with his understanding of the game.

"He's quick, aggressive and a good passer of the ball, and is the kind of athletic footballer we are looking for.

"In the last few months he has shown his development playing in a very good Cameroon team, and he looks like a Manchester United player in every sense."
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All managers get things wrong. Sir Alex is no different, he was wrong about these two players in particular. That doesnt mean everyone was wrong about them though. Not everyone just goes by what the manager says else they'll just be copying his mistakes too. Some people have their own thoughts. Mine were that Djemba and Kleberson werent particularly good players at the time - turns out they werent. Djemba got worse, Kleberson got himself back into the Brazil squad so probably got better after leaving us, eventually.
 
gulli_G said:
Correct, remember what Fergie said about Benzema and not going over what he considered his value. Well Gremio's valuation is completely unrealistic, hence our request for a trial.

We buy young player's cheap, on their potential, Gremio want us to pay a fee more closer to say a 80% realisation of that potential, and that is completly unrealistic. Also Fergie paying that fee would set a precedent in Brazil that could make us pay Man United tax on each future player.

Gremio has seen the Ronaldo fee and gone all Essien with thier calculation, seems like they want a 25% slice of the 80M cake.
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Great post mate :cool:
 
GIT Z RED said:
Manchester United Still Tracking Douglas Costa – Agent
There could still be one addition at Old Trafford over the coming weeks.
16 Jul 2009 15:11:09



The earlier declarations of Manchester United chief executive David Gill, which suggested that the club may still make further acquisitions this summer, rendering Sir Alex Ferguson's "no more signings" stance void, could be true as the agent of promising Brazilian starlet Douglas Costa has explained that his client is still on the Old Trafford outfit's radar.

Cesar Bottega is reported to have recently told the South American press, "There has been more contact [with Ferguson], even to know why [Douglas] isn't currently playing.

"Ferguson has studied him closely. But it is clear he wants to confirm what people have told him up close."

Costa currently represents Gremio. The highly-heralded attack-minded midfielder has attracted covetous glances from European scouts due to his strong strike-rate for a teenager, together with his growing accumulation of club honours in the Brazilian league.

Should Sir Alex swoop for Costa, the 18-year-old will join a growing list of Brazil-born players already at the Theatre of Dreams, where Rafael da Silva, Fabio da Silva and Rodrigo Possebon are all deemed to be promising prospects.

Ferguson has repeatedly tried to bring Costa to Manchester on trial, but Gremio claim the player is too good to be considered a trialist.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com
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that declaration is BS. The official site said that it was made in June.
 
GIT Z RED said:
Manchester United Still Tracking Douglas Costa – Agent
There could still be one addition at Old Trafford over the coming weeks.
16 Jul 2009 15:11:09



The earlier declarations of Manchester United chief executive David Gill, which suggested that the club may still make further acquisitions this summer, rendering Sir Alex Ferguson's "no more signings" stance void, could be true as the agent of promising Brazilian starlet Douglas Costa has explained that his client is still on the Old Trafford outfit's radar.

Cesar Bottega is reported to have recently told the South American press, "There has been more contact [with Ferguson], even to know why [Douglas] isn't currently playing.

"Ferguson has studied him closely. But it is clear he wants to confirm what people have told him up close."

Costa currently represents Gremio. The highly-heralded attack-minded midfielder has attracted covetous glances from European scouts due to his strong strike-rate for a teenager, together with his growing accumulation of club honours in the Brazilian league.

Should Sir Alex swoop for Costa, the 18-year-old will join a growing list of Brazil-born players already at the Theatre of Dreams, where Rafael da Silva, Fabio da Silva and Rodrigo Possebon are all deemed to be promising prospects.

Ferguson has repeatedly tried to bring Costa to Manchester on trial, but Gremio claim the player is too good to be considered a trialist.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com
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1 goal in 19 appearances for Gremio. What the feck are they on about when they mention a "strong strike-rate"? :confused:
 
The 80mil as been a curse.Gremio as gone crazy on the asking price but i'm sure reality will set in and a compromise will be found.
 
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