If there is any truth in the rumour that Benfica wants to sell Semedo and Lindelöf to United as a packade deal while inflating Semedo's fee and deflating Lindelöf (and lowering the sum Västerås is entitled to) - then I hope we back out of the deal. Clubs that use schemes like these are repulsive.
Victor Lindelöf
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Like Moutinho/Rodriguez transfer to Monaco?
I can't give a shite tbh. As long as we get quality players, who cares? It's a dog eat dog market out there.
Yeah, it's a doggy dog world.
Ordinarily you're right, but Vasteras are a tiny club and I wouldn't like us to be part of a scheme to feck them over.
Monaco triggered both clauses, there was no special deals.
I was never completely swayed by Smalling's hype tbh. I think he's a decent defender who looked great because of the way LVG played. There again, assuming that Lindelof is Bailly MK2 then Smalling would be our 3rd best defender. Jones has talent but he's injury prone and as said Rojo was largely shit until the last 8 or so games (were he should have seen red in two of them).
I would be surprised if Smalling would be sold. Mou already said that he sees Rojo as a left back which leave us with just 3 CBs (Smalling, Jones and Bailly). Regarding Blind I can see him revert to CM especially since Schneiderlin, Bastian and probably Fellaini will leave either in January or next Summer.
Bottom line of the story is that Mou wants a solid and reliable back 4 with players whose capable to show up week in week out. Which I think its fair enough. Smalling like any other defender will have to prove himself to regain and keep his first team place.
We've done that before with Le Havre (Pogba) didn't we?
Iirc most media outlet reported that Moutinho was valued at €15m (?) and James €45m in the joint deal, which at the time seemed like a farce given their comparative performance at club and country. Didn't keep up with it beyond that so you are probably correct.
I think Le Havre tried to feck us over rather than the other way around. I'm sure we played by the rules (admittedly they're stacked in favour of the big clubs) and they tried to get themselves a slice of something they weren't owed. But I could be wrong.
Monaco spent 70m not 60m, 25m for Moutinho and 45m for James.
I can't remember Mourinho saying Rojo was exclusively a LB but it's fair to say that his mind has probably be changed. Smalling and Bailly have been back and he's remained at CB. CB is easily his best position.
yup, that's right, besides I believe with Jose judgement with every player that he want to buy. If Jose think Lindelof and Semedo can improve and bring us back to the top, then, let's get them.
Portugese league followers on Twitter reckons this changes nothing. We were already ready to pay 45+15 and this just confirms it.
Monaco paid the clause for James and Moutinho was linked to moves between 25m-30m.
He said it.
If Mou thinks Rojo is a great CB then we wouldn't want to bring in another CB for 30m+ wouldn't we?
€60m just sounds completely mental.
He also said in a later interview that nobody knows what Rojo is. But surely after this very impressive run in the team he will be viewed as primarily a CB from now on.
I've never seen him play as far as I can remember, but for €60m I'd expect him to be our best CB.
8 games in which 2 should have ended up with him seeing red....anyway
If Rojo moves as left back and Blind in CM then everything fits in perfectly. Lindelof, Bailly, Jones and Smalling will fight for the CBs role and Valencia/Darmian for the RB roles. If Rojo is considered as a CB then either Mou doesn't rate one of our CBs or else we'll end up with an extra body in CD
The contract renewal makes no sense if we were already paying them that amount.
Is the new contract a way to stop his former club getting the compensation (that they deserve)? Otherwise, what sense would the new contract make, if the fee is going to be less regardless?
I'd be amazed if we were linked to a player playing in the Portuguese league only to have no actual interest in them and then for them to sign a new deal.
Literally never ever ever happened before.
Literally never ever ever happened before.
The contract between the 2 clubs would in no way be affected by the contract between the player and his current club.
They'd need to agree a new fee with with his previous club.
That would be like saying Nicolás Gaitán never existed.
Or Garay, or Carvalho, or Rodriguez, or Di Maria, or any half decent player thats ever played in the Portuguese league.
I have no trust whatsoever in Portuguese news reports. The fact this one hasn't really been picked up on our end suggests that it might be another one of their made up stories.
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Doesn't bother me if this is the case. Its nothing to do with us if Benfica want to screw over Vasteras and while its pretty crap behaviour from Benfica Im sure that there are means for Västerås to seek the fee through the courts etc. Us not proceeding with a transfer based on Benficas possibly shady carry on is shooting ourselves in the foot (and that's assuming that Benfica are in the wrong to begin with). If Lindelof/Semedo join us and contribute to our success in any fashion then my first thought wont be of anything other than United when they are lifting trophies.
Plus stuff like this probably happens far more than we hear about in football transfers unfortunately.
Still have Smalling bailly and blind. Some good talent in cbs below that too.
Portuguese media strikes again then...
Napoli scored 6 goals in 2 games against Benfica with him playing both. Benfica had the 3rd best defensive record of Group B, behind Napoli and Dynamo Kiev.
In the first match they conceeded 4, none of them were individually to do with Lindelof although one came from a shot that deflected off of him into the path of an attacker who then won a penalty. Just bad luck really, and Nelson Semedo came up short on one of the goals.
In the 2nd match Mertens plays Callejon in behind Lindelof and he finishes for the first goal. Then Mertens dribbles past Luisao in the box and fires home while Lindelof attempts, but fails, to block the effort.
For a 60 million euro defender we aren't getting 60 million euro defending. It seems we're paying an astronomical fee because he stands out with his passing compared to other CBs. I'm not sure anyone's passing stats are better other than Barcelona CBs. So there is that.
I don't necessarily disagree. My point is Rojo has always been shit at LB and he's currently looking much better at CB. The odds are Lindelof will replace him at CB but it's not going to happen straight away. Rojo or Jones' performance levels will need to drop before anyone comes in.
Edit: never mind
not better than what we have, certainly dont need hm
Blind is too short for cb. Smalling has been to ot for years and yet hes yet to consolidate a regular first team place. Bailly will soon go to the coppa africa
Rio, vidic and co have left the club years ago yet we still lack of a regular back 4. Thats embarrassing
RCB - Bailly & Jones LCB - Rojo & Lindelof makes a lot of sense to me, hoepfully this still happens.
Wtf is happening here? From a done deal to contract renewal but still as good as done (does it make any sense?) to off.
Portuguese papers in a nut shell.
Devilish seems a tiny bit too invested in that one.
By far the weakest link in our back four is Darmian. If we can get Semedo instead this Jan we'll have two better options for LB and RB and Darmian will be surplus to requirements. It's a much better idea to see how the Jones/Rojo partnership pans out rather than invest in a CB now. If Jones can stay fit he will save us £40 million or so, if he can't we can sell him in the summer. Same with Rojo - if he can continue playing well and cut out the bad challenges then we already have a very decent set of centre backs and we don't need to buy another. Big IFs but we can wait until the summer to see how this pans out.
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