Sancho deal slightly closer

I don’t understand why anyone here cares about how much we pay, and how.

He’s worth a) what we’re willing to pay, and b)whatever Dortmund want. Same goes with Maguire.

I don’t care if we spend £150 million outright on him, as long as it leaves us with some cash to improve other areas.

My opinions won’t change our financial trajectory, so it is what it is.

Many of us become footballing transfer experts during the off season, don't you know?

Again, if we got Sancho in the end. I'll be happy.

But if it has a crippling effect on other areas of the squad that also needs addressing, then it is a concerning worry.

comment by Prem (U7618)
posted 5 minutes ago
Many of us become footballing transfer experts during the off season, don't you know?

Again, if we got Sancho in the end. I'll be happy.

But if it has a crippling effect on other areas of the squad that also needs addressing, then it is a concerning worry.
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Haha yeah don’t we just. Thankfully we don’t have months of it this year, waiting for football to start up again.

But no I agree, the only factor in pricing is how it then effects our ability to go after other targets. But other than that, I really don’t have a horse in this race, if he’s signed, I’ll just be happy he’s ours, I won’t care that in 3 years time we’ll have to give Dortmund their 5th instalment of £20 million, etc.

If we signed him, and Ole then came out publicly and said that because of the fee, we now cannot sign “x” player, then yeah that’d be frustrating, but that wouldn’t ever happen because whether we like to admit it or not, we do actually have some capable money men running the show

comment by Rage of Reaper (U4088)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Prem (U7618)
posted 5 minutes ago
Many of us become footballing transfer experts during the off season, don't you know?

Again, if we got Sancho in the end. I'll be happy.

But if it has a crippling effect on other areas of the squad that also needs addressing, then it is a concerning worry.
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Haha yeah don’t we just. Thankfully we don’t have months of it this year, waiting for football to start up again.

But no I agree, the only factor in pricing is how it then effects our ability to go after other targets. But other than that, I really don’t have a horse in this race, if he’s signed, I’ll just be happy he’s ours, I won’t care that in 3 years time we’ll have to give Dortmund their 5th instalment of £20 million, etc.

If we signed him, and Ole then came out publicly and said that because of the fee, we now cannot sign “x” player, then yeah that’d be frustrating, but that wouldn’t ever happen because whether we like to admit it or not, we do actually have some capable money men running the show
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Going by some past dealings concerning our board, i really want to fully agree with you on the 'capable money men running the show' part. Sanchez cough, De Gea cough But hindsight is a wonderful thing lol.

To give the board credit though, aside from the Maguire deal (again due to slight desperations) we had to pay it in the end. The board in more recent transfers has spent more wisely, as well as recouped reasonably well - Lukaku. Heck, even the Bruno deal, the way it was structured was a stroke of genuis. Whoever thought that the word 'genius' and Ed and would appear in the same sentence?!

Although it may not directly hinder this Sancho deal, i'm wondering if the club are also keeping one eye on the possible Sanchez exit to make this Sancho deal a more smoother process. No doubt it will be come in handy if it did.

But yes, i do see your 'shrugged shoulders' POV response to player's costs. Really hoping that we can get in the key targets asap, so we can prepare better for the new season.

Ha yeah it’s a good point, they have been reckless in the past, but like you said, some of those transfers appear much worse in hindsight (for example, I genuinely thought Sanchez was another Cantona/RVP moment for us! Whoops...)

I suppose in terms of wider management though, other than dragging his feet almost constantly, I do get the impression that Woodward is good at protecting our finances, or atleast, the areas of our finance that he can (in terms of the Glazers wealth and is overriding ownership, I can’t imagine he has much say)

I’m with you though, I think we’re banking on Sanchez permanently being off our books, along with Smalling, and some squad guff like Jones and Lingard. Ighalo will be gone soon so there’s someone’s wage there.

My main concern at the moment (potentially hypocritically given my whatever approach to our transfer prices!) is offering a new contract for Pogba, who I imagine is already ridiculously well paid.

So soon after injury, and without even a half year of absolute quality, I worry we’ll give him something daft, and be left with a De Gea situation, wherein he has several years left of mind blowing contract, is playing poorly, and we’re lumbered with him.

I mean really, I don’t care. I just want to see a player like Sancho lining up on the right, so I don’t have to keep watching AWB cut back and pass inside, which ages me a year every time I see it (I’m 280 years old in AWB years)

TBF to Ed, he has shown signs of improvement in trying to be more transfer savvy on some new recruitments.
It has taken a while to shrug off the scattergun cashcow reptutation, but we're slowly getting there. But there will always be times were we will have to pull out all the stops to get our key targets - Sancho.

Doesn't help when we're well known for being one of the most consistent money making machines in the business. But it is what it is. If anything, i do envy Chelsea's transfer strategies (not the loanees situation) but i can't see us ever totally mirroring their strategy like for like. Slightly different business models.

In regards to players' possible contract extensions, we've left ourselves in a vulnerable situation due to some past mistakes. But if there's one possible saving grace, from the club's point of view is that the ripple effect of the pandemic has somewhat caused a stronger hand in the club's favour of holding more of the cards to certain key player's futures. Like Pogba, yes he maybe due a contract talk sometime in the near future, but all parties know that he really must prove himself between now and if both parties extend. Still the chance of Pogba reverting back to Pogba if he signs. Just hoping that we insert some sort of smart a55 clause that gives us a get out of jail card if he falls short.

Would be interesting to see how AWB's game could evolve if we get Sancho. I've been too easy on him when he really should be upping his game. I think i've been distracted by his defensive strengths. Next season he has must improve his attacking side.

Have the days gone where we just wrote a cheque?

comment by Prem (U7618)
posted 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
TBF to Ed, he has shown signs of improvement in trying to be more transfer savvy on some new recruitments.
It has taken a while to shrug off the scattergun cashcow reptutation, but we're slowly getting there. But there will always be times were we will have to pull out all the stops to get our key targets - Sancho.

Doesn't help when we're well known for being one of the most consistent money making machines in the business. But it is what it is. If anything, i do envy Chelsea's transfer strategies (not the loanees situation) but i can't see us ever totally mirroring their strategy like for like. Slightly different business models.

In regards to players' possible contract extensions, we've left ourselves in a vulnerable situation due to some past mistakes. But if there's one possible saving grace, from the club's point of view is that the ripple effect of the pandemic has somewhat caused a stronger hand in the club's favour of holding more of the cards to certain key player's futures. Like Pogba, yes he maybe due a contract talk sometime in the near future, but all parties know that he really must prove himself between now and if both parties extend. Still the chance of Pogba reverting back to Pogba if he signs. Just hoping that we insert some sort of smart a55 clause that gives us a get out of jail card if he falls short.

Would be interesting to see how AWB's game could evolve if we get Sancho. I've been too easy on him when he really should be upping his game. I think i've been distracted by his defensive strengths. Next season he has must improve his attacking side.
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You won't get the perfect player.

comment by manusince52 (U9692)
posted 7 minutes ago
Have the days gone where we just wrote a cheque?
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only because no one takes cheques any more

My garage does for petrol, really. And servicing.