With us approaching the end of the transfer window and Leicester still in pursuit of a new centre half, it looks to me recently that we're playing a game of "who blinks first" with potential selling clubs.
The bid for Tarkowski last week was particularly interesting to me, not so much for the fact we made the bid, but that we made it so publicly. This is not the usual Leicester City tactic when it comes to transfer negotiations; Rudkin and co like to do their business out of the public eye, and many times the first we hear about a player we're signing is when we actually sign them. The kind of three-month run up we had with Cambiasso is very much the exception.
Which makes me think that we're playing a very different strategy to usual here: Testing Burnley and St. Etienne to see who accepts the lowest bid for their player.
Both Fofana and Tarkowski come with pros and cons. With Tarkowski, we'd be 90% confident that the transfer should work. He knows the league, has good numbers in it, and his past passing ability is stronger than Burnley allow from him. But, he won't have any sell-on value. We would be the end of the track for him that way. Fofana, meanwhile, represents the bigger gamble. He's young, but has potentially a very high ceiling.
I'd be happy with either, frankly. And I'll be interested to see whether the club's tactic pays off, offering slightly more and more each time until one of them decides they want the money more. It's potentially a clever ploy, although at the same time not a ploy at all, just business accepting that we want both, can only afford one and will go for whichever represents the best value for money. It's actually a straightforward position if you take the emotion out of it, and could even have the players themselves banging on their agents' doors if they feel they're on the verge of missing out.
Or, alternatively, neither of them bite and we're left to go in for Kurt Zouma from Chelsea. Which I wouldn't be unhappy with as such, but obviously not as Happy as the man himself:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Zouma
Wacky Centre Back Races
posted on 29/9/20
Mersey - Maybe so, but how can you argue with his middle name?
posted on 29/9/20
Looks like we've dropped out the race for Tarkowski as he is expected to stay now according to Burnley.
Also saw this on Twitter:
Breaking | St Étienne have accepted Leicester City's latest offer for Wesley Fofana - €35m + €5m in bonuses, according to Le Progrès. More follows.
posted on 29/9/20
Yes rumours are hotting up that we've agreed a fee for Fofana.
Unless it's just a smokescreen and we're really getting Bennett on loan with an obligation to buy.
posted on 29/9/20
Maybe the Tarkowski bid worked then...?
And suggestions that we bid for Tah as well, and that was turned down a few days ago.
posted on 29/9/20
comment by Jobyfox (U4183)
posted 1 minute ago
Yes rumours are hotting up that we've agreed a fee for Fofana.
Unless it's just a smokescreen and we're really getting Bennett on loan with an obligation to buy.
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posted on 29/9/20
Talksport reporting that we have or are just about completing the deal for Fofana.
posted on 29/9/20
comment by Jobyfox (U4183)
posted 1 hour, 16 minutes ago
Yes rumours are hotting up that we've agreed a fee for Fofana.
Unless it's just a smokescreen and we're really getting Bennett on loan with an obligation to buy.
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😂😂😂
posted on 29/9/20
From the Mercury:
'Leicester City and Saint-Etienne have agreed a deal for centre-back Wesley Fofana, the French club have announced in a statement.
The sides came to an agreement on Tuesday, the statement reads, with the fee believed to be €35m (£32m) with €5m (£4.5m) in add-ons.'
posted on 29/9/20
But is he coming now or next season 🤔
posted on 2/10/20
Lil Wes has signed then. Looking forward to seeing how he gets on. Ticks all the right boxes - young, athletic, huge potential, fills a gap, massive sell on potential. Let's just hope that his legs aren't made of Kinder Bueno's like poor old Benkovic.