I'm wrong on that one actually, could've sworn he was though, and that it was said he took a pay cut to go to City. He was definitely on well over 100k though.
Juan Mata
- Thread starter KM
- Start date
Aguero has never been on £250k in his life, let alone for Athletico.
I don't think there is a player alive who is going to take a pay cut to play for City. They would just move to a better team...
Unless we splash out better wages on occassion we will struggle to sign the likes of Mata and Silva.
Absolutely gutting we didn't get either.
There is always a need for a Silva or a Mata quality player. Did Barca need Sanchez or Fabregas? Pffft
Absolutely gutting we didn't get either.
There is always a need for a Silva or a Mata quality player. Did Barca need Sanchez or Fabregas? Pffft
It's not impossible since it was an artificial deal signed in Jan 2011 and designed to make sure Atleti got the full fee (I'm sure the personal stuff was all sorted with Man City by then).
nope, but right now they look worse for it! I guess this weekend will tell us more.
Veron was also of that quality, but he created a headache we didn't need.
Pffft!!
Gutting? Gutting?? Gutting is when you lose a cup final in the final minute. Not when the club can't sign the fan boi pick of the year.
Judging by some posts, it feels like we've got a team of Klebersons playing for us.
Ha ha, so true!
I think the more likely explanation is that Biesla is a bit on a mentalist.
He's just a shit David Silva, but still very very good 
He's just a shit David Silva, but still very very good
That's really harsh, he's also in a pretty inferior team and doiesn't have the team built around him like Silva. And younger.
He's a top player, a class below Silva but hardly shit in comparison.
Shit was an exaggeration, inferior then. As i said - he is still a quality player.
Which is basically what he wrote
You took the word "shit" too literally and ignored the fact that he followed up with, but he is still VERY VERY GOOD.
Cina it looks like you're trying to prove people wrong rather than just debate a point, which isn't really like you...
The media didn't pick up on the attempts to sign Berbatov and Villa, which were later revealed by the club or player, ergo they are capable of missing out on transfer 'stories' about big name clubs trying to sign big name players, ergo the fact that there were no rumours about Mata does not prove that we didn't attempt to sign him. Do you agree?
I knew you'd refute the suggestion being the Martinez fanboy that you are...
I'm convinced that nearly 90% of your last 100 posts have been about how we haven't signed anyone and bigging up city. Actually your tagline is very apt.
Which is basically what he wrote
You took the word "shit" too literally and ignored the fact that he followed up with, but he is still VERY VERY GOOD.
Saying he's shit in comparison is saying he's nowhere near the quality of Silva, that's what I disagreed with. I didn't mean it in a way that Pavan actually thought he was shit. He's very close to Silva ability wise, not *quite* at his level, but he can be
Wasn't really my intention to prove people wrong Brwned when I posted those remarks at the start, just the reactions invoked saying I was talking "rubbish" kinda led me to it in the end, if anything they were just purely dismissing my point. I admit I was a bit rash at the start, of course it's not provable, nothing is when it comes to transfers until they're complete. But you know me when it comes to our midfield, it pains me to see players like Silva and Mata end up at Chelsea, City or whomever, especially in our circumstances lately, and in my opinion given what was going on throughout the transfers and since then, I don't for any second think we ever made a bid. But I won't dismiss it, and yeah I agree with the above, it's always possible we did try to sign him.
In all seriousness, you're quite possibly right. I don't watch La Liga at all. Biesla is mental though.
However, for now I'm happy thinking he's the answer to all the problems. Even famine.
'tis fair enough! I personally believe that we've tried to sign players like Gotze, Ozil, Mata, Silva, Schweinsteiger, Nasri, Modric, Sneijder and maybe even people like Fabregas, in one way or another, which is what makes all of the comments about us not trying hard enough to sign players all the more bemusing from my point of view. There's no harm in enquiring about players and Sir Alex wouldn't know whether there's 'no value' (in his view) without enquiring - he'll know that Schweinsteiger and Gotze don't want to leave Germany (yet), he'll know that Sneijder, Modric, Mata and Nasri were going to be poor value in one way or another in accordance with our financial structure and he'll know Ozil (and maybe Fabregas) simply wanted to go to Spain. There's nothing he can do about that, putting in extra effort won't have changed the fact it's not feasible, and yet you have people criticising Sir Alex for factors outside of his control...madness, I tells you. All of this is my perception of things, of course, and pure conjecture just like the other school of thought on the subject is. Criticism for things like not signing Sneijder when he left Madrid seem more reasonable because it seems he just decided that he wasn't the right fit, but then again he might just have not tried to sign him for the same reason he seemingly didn't sign him this summer - his exorbitant wages at Inter, which again is something he simply can't do anything about.
I remember Wenger and Rowley talking about how they had a long list of desirable players for every position. Every club has talked to Hazard/Goetze's agent and knows how much money he wants and if he wants to play for them and what his inside leg measurement is.
Exactly. Fact is, Javi Martinez is just a damn good footballer, and while he isn't as flashy as Mata or sublime as David Silva he plays with controlled ferocity, reads the game very well and has excellent technique for a man who's primarily recognized as having better defensive strengths then offensive.
People who follow La Liga know it's not uncommon for Spanish managers to use defensive midfielders as centrebacks (Masherano, Busquets, Pepe (who is a centreback deployed when required as a def-midfielder)). It's also very possible he's being groomed for that position in the national team given that Spain have a very strong core of creative midfielders and it's unlikely he will break into the Spanish national side purely as a midfielder.
His versatility, ability and physical presence make him ideal for United's midfield in my opinion.
Strong logic there, I'd be very surprised if we inquired about all of the above players though really. I criticize our current midfield profusely at times, not for the standard of players in it though, I personally think I give good remarks about Carrick, Fletcher, Cleverley, but obviously my main problem has been that they're not the world beaters we need, good players, but not great, fair?
But look, it's speculation, all speculation, and I was overly rash saying we definitely made no effort to sign Silva or Mata because it just can't be proved 100% at all. Personally I think Fergie has been putting his faith in Anderson and the youngsters, and previously getting Hargreaves fit, I don't think he was overly bothered about getting a midfielder, certainly not some of the above who I think he would've looked at and thought they weren't the perfect fit. I think Schweinsteiger is the only one he'd think would be utterly perfect for the team but he was never going to be an option. Then maybe Nasri who was a decent price and he probably thought he wouldn't ask for a bomb in wages, til City came along.
I really do believe this Summer will be a different story though, given what's happened. I hope to god it will be anyway.
EDIT: Christ we are way off topic now, my bad.
Agree with a lot of what you say but let's leave it there - over half this thread's been dedicated to transfer muppetry so let's try and get it back onto Mata.
He's annoyingly good. Potentially a better player than Silva I'd say, even if he'll never be as pleasing on the eye. Wouldn't be surprised to see him edge in ahead of Silva for the 2014 WC team, actually.
There were loads of Villa rumours tbf....
Silva has moved up into Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta territory - Mata has some way to go.
He didn't sign for Arsenal because Wenger never made a bid. There was a window of opportunity for Arsenal to sign him for less than what CFC paid later but for some inexplicable reason Arsene never made a move.
The £150K a week is a myth, concocted by Arse fans to make themselves feel better about the whole thing.
So why didnt Chelsea make a move when Arsenal had this oppertunity to sign him for less?
A bit odd dont you think that both Arsenal and Chelsea, and indeed the likes of Inter when Moratti had said he liked the player, none of them signed him for this smaller figure a month or so before Chelsea did sign him
Whats the reason for that?
Most likely there was no such clause in Mata's recently signed contract and Chelsea paid what it took to convince Valencia to let the player go.
Given our midfield problems, and the value of the signings, we should at least make an attempt to bid for Mata and Silva during the last 2 summers.
Where are our midfield problems? because for me, they certainly aren't in the position Mata plays, not at all.
I go by what Guillem Balague reported at the time. People have different opinions on his expertise but I noticed that when it comes to Spanish football inside knowledge, his record is better than anyone else's.
Valencia indicated that Mata was available, Arsenal started negotiating but couldn't close the deal although the fee was significantly lower at the time, somewhere around 17-18m mark. Valencia gave Wenger deadline to make it happen but Arsenal never made the call. A week or so later Chelsea bought Mata for around 23m.
Trying to not relate this to our midfield woes, just a general point, but Chelsea don't utilize Mata in his best position, not enough anyway.
Where do you think his best position is? Behind the front man?
I think they're utilizing him well at the moment, he has the freedom to play anywhere across the front 3 positions and seems to pick up space at will. Once they get more ball-players that are on his level technically he should be even better, same thing happened with Silva.
He certainly isn't a CM, not from what I've seen.
Mata was indeed available, as have been all Valencia's players... At a price.
Chelsea paid it. Arsenal didnt
The rumour cropped up in a newspaper story in Spain. I dont think it was marca, but it might as well have been. This is the only "source" for those rumours, and Arsenal seemed to need a midfielder given Fabregas was leaving. They had to be linked with someone
It was certainly not Arsenal specific, nor was the rumour about Valencia telling Arsenal they wanted a certain price. It was a rumour about a release fee in his contract, which conveniently "ran out" a few weeks before Chelsea signed him for a lot more money.
Dont ask me why Valencia would give Mata a new contract midway through the previous season and then put in this mystery low buyout clause.
If this clause even existed surely Chelsea would have paid it to save themselves a lot of money that they'd then go on to pay what a month later
Arsenal never bid for the player, clause or no. Arsenal didnt want to spend the money it took to sign him which always seemed the case - and I said as much at the time. I dont know why we discuss players going to Arsenal when they cost more than Arsenal's record transfer fee. They dont pay these prices
Instead they signed Chamberlain for less which is very Arsenal
Not saying he is, hence not trying to judge it based on what we need. But he's best in a central role, behind the striker. He's played too wide by Chelsea usually.
There is another myth in your post, the whole he could of signed for less if we had made an offer earlier rumours, just random journalists throwing that around. There was nothing ever to confirm that and even if that was the case why the hell did Chelsea wait for his price to jump up before signing him?
When did the Mata to Chelsea rumours started? Could have something to do with the appointment of AVB.
Maybe Chelsea were trying for Modric still at the time, or were looking at other options in that position and Mata wasn't their first choice? Maybe they inquired and were told by Valencia camp that the player is all but signed for Arsenal, I don't know, there could be half a dozen reasons. But I believe that Asenal were in fact very close to signing him and maybe his salary demands were prohibitive but I don't believe he's making anywhere near £150K a week at Chelsea.