Transfer Rumour Axel Witsel

[Hangleton]

He wouldn't be a guaranteed starter for Juve. They can't pay €30m on a squad player.

 

[hktoffee]

When Juve is out it will be Roma. The Italian press won't stop and can't stop.

 

[EFCccc]

What have we had accepted?

€30m. What does make me confident is Zenit arn't push overs. They will not accept a €20m bid when there is a €30m bid on the table.

 

[The Esk]

€30m. What does make me confident is Zenit arn't push overs. They will not accept a €20m bid when there is a €30m bid on the table.

To add to that is the relationship between Dyukov (Zenit President) and Moshiri, plus the bad blood that exists between Zenit and Italian clubs generally.

 

[brieverton]

Imo mate we are in no position to be dishing out ultimatums. When we are chasing champions keauge quality. Think its more a offer themmore then anyone else and wait and hope.

I agree in principle but I would regard this particular episode as a bit out of the ordinary now.

Granted we certainly have issues of how we might be perceived by players and we need to be both bold, flexible, and imaginative in how we do business to mitigate those disadvantages.

But neither are we a pub team. I wouldn't go as far as giving an ultimatum but if not complete this week we should just withdraw.

Witsel could hardly claim that we have been impatient / unfair / unreasonable in our dealings with him.

The logical extension of our stance if this is not concluded very soon is that we just tell his people to hawk him around Europe for the next 5 weeks and we'll be here for him on deadline day if he can't do any better for himself. He isn't Messi.

 

[BlueToff]

Juve have already spent a huge cut of any Pogba deal, I very much doubt they'll pay megabucks for another centre mid, if they do indeed go in for another.

They've had a good window already and if they were serious about Witsel I think they'd match our offer or at least get close enough so that Zenit would accept it.

The fact they haven't, at least yet if they indeed do, says quite a bit to me.

going by what @The Esk has said it's hard to argue with his opinion. If Juve are really desperate to land Witsel now then they'll have to match our bid to Zenit. If that happens, then yes I think he'll go to Juve and I've got no issues with a player picking them over us.

However, if they refuse to go any higher than what they currently are then Witsel will have to choose whether to take up his next best offer (Everton, as it stands, though I suppose Napoli may come in with the Higuain money - though would Zenit deal with them?) or stay at Zenit in the hope that Juve would pick him up on a free next year.

 

[kenada_blue]

Don't want him.

Barry, McCarthy, Besic, Davis. Don't need him IMO.

 

[BlueToff]

Just not sold on this guy...every time I've seen him he looks bang average. Seems to be a money chaser and just doesn't fill me with a sense of excitement.
Really hope we swerve

In fairness mate if he were just a money chaser wouldn't he have already accepted our huge offer? Just playing Devil's advocate there.

Also, he's better than what we currently have mate, honestly. I won't be devastated if he doesn't sign but would be very pleased if he did - as he'd fill a void in that midfield that desperately needs plugging, imo.

 

[BlueToff]

Don't want him.

Barry, McCarthy, Besic, Davis. Don't need him IMO.

he's better than all of them mate.

 

[bullensboy]

I'll say again, if he didnt have at least an interest in coming to Everton then it would be all over the press that there was no deal and it would clear the way for Juve to make a deal.
Everton is witsel's back up plan. Plain and simple.
However not only have Zenit accepted our offer, Witsel and his people have reached agreement with Everton despite several revisions along the way.

Juve said this morning that their final offer was €20 million plus €2 million in bonuses.
That remains €8 million short of our offer.

Once it is wholly established that today's offer by Juve is final and they will not match our offer Witsel will sign for us.

 

[Dave Higgs]

Youth its been a couple of days for a couple of weeks now. Juve can keep raising the bid a couple of mil at a time until zenit accept one. Could be another couple of weeks and then he goes juve anyway. If juve have supposed to have put a final bid in at 22mil and that bid is rejected we need to grow some balls and tell him to sign or we move on.

It's all down to Zenith really we need them to stand their ground when it comes to Juve

 

[Woolverhampton_Blue]

Esk and a few of the 'itk's on TEF said we got a lot closer to Witsel last week mate.

Not saying it's a definite but the deal does seem to have progressed.

And Witsel is one of those that is the level that would definitely improve on what we have, but isn't 'world class' either - so basically exactly the type of player this squad needs to improve the first XI. As it stands, he's better than all of our midfield options bar Barkley.

Maybe it is then. However speaking objectively I don't think there is much, at this time, to say that any of those ITK's are any more accurate than FourFourTwo. Just a case of wait and see for me.

Agree he would improve our squad, just not sure if that would be to a level reflected in the price. Add in his seeming inability to make up his mind and that why I'm a bit indifferent now. Obviously if he ends up here I'll support him 100%.

 

[Connor]

It's all down to Zenith really we need them to stand their ground when it comes to Juve

Which, unless Juve up their offer, they should do.

As Esk said, they've continually been messed about by Italian sides and the near club statement from TASS seemed to point to them doing this.

 

[EFCccc]

Don't want him.

Barry, McCarthy, Besic, Davis. Don't need him IMO.

That shows we do need him. Barry is old now, McCarthy has be rubbish the past 2 seasons, Davies is good, but young, and Besic is average (tho i do love him).

 

[kenada_blue]

he's better than all of them mate.

Is he? Not from what I've seen.

Talking a minor improvement going forward from midfield, especially if we've signed Gueye too but thats it. Nothing major.

£30mill for a feller who's not too bothered about moving here, who's not really gonna make a huge difference IMO.

Bin him. Look for a playmaker.