Robert Jarvis
Player Valuation: £35m
Why do you always bring sex into the threads??
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davek
Player Valuation: £150m
But you're on a slippery slope when you highlight those teams and their level of investment. They could each be accused of attempting to leapfrog other clubs by using the financial muscle of their owners. I dont think there's any middle ground to be held onto here. You either argue for a purist approach that looks to nurture local talent and use the tv revenue to back that up and maybe buy younger, unproven (and therefore les expensive) talent from elsewhere, or you just embrace the view that buying established talent is the realistic way to win and welcome the men with the biggest pockets.
Fair enough. I didn't realise that.
I do think there's a middle way though. One consisting of buying the best young national/international prospects (Defour/Moutinho/Elm ect..etc...) and bringing through top talent through your own academy (Rooney/Rodwell/Baxter). Much the way Arsenal are doing for many years now.
If only there was a club that broke into the top 4 and qualified for the CL without spending billions showing the way..................................!
That would be fine, but we cant afford even those players.
Sorry MG, really like you, but cant you read?
I do realise we need investment to take that next step. I'm not against that investment in any way, just make sure it's the right investment. I don't want to become like Chelsea or City, but wouldn't mind Villa/Spurs kinda money and see Arsenal as the club we should blueprint our future on.
I really want to crack the top four on what we have at the mo before we get investment.
* Calls masichisot's anon!
* Calls masichisot's anon!
kenada_blue
Welcome to Barcelonaton FC
Last season for Arteta here me thinks.
Shizzle my nizzle homes.
StDomingosGringo
Player Valuation: £10m
Eh?? That's why it needs translating into Spanish...:blink:
(not that Arteta doesn't speak perfectly good English mind)
M
moore06
Guest
If Lescott doesn't wanna be here then I'm ok for him to go..... At the right price of course... we need players that honour the royal blue whenever they hit the pitch.
little curly alan ball
Player Valuation: £70m
To be honest. If Lescott had any feelings for the club n fans, he should come out and say what his stance is....but what price loyalty. Moyes, players n fans doesn't want him to leave, it's all down to him in my opinion.
bluebastardo
Player Valuation: £40m
guardian.co.uk/football/2009/jul/27/kolo-toure-joleon-lescott-manchester-city
Manchester City close on Kolo Touré but Joleon Lescott remains elusive
• Mark Hughes close to signing £15m Arsenal centre-half
• Lescott may have to agitate if he wants to join City
Manchester City are in advanced talks with Arsenal over signing Kolo Touré, although their pursuit of Joleon Lescott remains at an impasse, with Everton determined to hold on to the England international and intent on driving their valuation of the player towards the £30m mark. City, who had a £15m bid for Lescott rejected last week, have yet to return with a further offer and would prefer not to do so until the 26-year-old agitates for a move.
Whether Lescott is prepared to do that remains to be seen, with the former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender running the risk of leaving Goodison Park under a cloud if he seeks to force the issue. Everton, however, have shown no willingness to negotiate hitherto, prompting City to believe that the only way Lescott can be prised from Merseyside without paying way over the odds is through the player making it known he wishes to move on.
Should Lescott, who cost Everton £5m when he joined from Wolves three years ago, submit a transfer request, City would have some bargaining power and be confident of landing the player. In many ways the situation is similar to the one that City found themselves in when trying to entice John Terry from Chelsea. This time, however, City are more optimistic that the end result will be an England defender accepting rather than rejecting their advances.
Hughes has long admired Lescott and City are understood to have made contact with the player's representatives several months ago to inform them of their interest. Although Lescott made an indifferent start to last season, and was even dropped at one point, he quickly regained his place and finished the campaign strongly. He has often played for Everton at left-back but Hughes is keen to pair him with Touré at the heart of the City defence.
Lescott was identified as a priority signing this summer but the Terry saga meant that the club's energies were channelled elsewhere. With that door now closed, however, City hope that a deal be reached with Everton, particularly as Lescott is understood to be keen on working with Hughes and becoming another piece in what is fast becoming the Premier League's most expensive jigsaw.
Touré's move would appear more straightforward, with Arsenal expected to accept a fee in the region of £15m. Hughes picked Touré out in January and his interest in the player resurfaced following Terry's decision to commit his future to Chelsea. Should Touré agree to join, he would be City's first defensive signing in a summer when the club have spent close to £70m on their forward line.
The 28-year-old has been an integral part of the Arsenal side for the past seven years but his form suffered last season, when it also emerged that he had fallen out with William Gallas. Arsène Wenger insisted that Touré and Gallas could continue to perform together on the pitch even if they were not speaking off it, though the Arsenal manager appears to have since accepted that their partnership has run its course and that City's offer is too good to turn down.
Although Wenger has a replacement for Touré in the shape of Thomas Vermaelen, who signed from Ajax for £10m earlier this summer, the Arsenal manager would have little by way of defensive cover and could well seek to strengthen in that department over the coming weeks. He is an admirer of Brede Hangeland at Fulham but the west London club are not looking to sell and it would need a £15m bid to change that stance.
Manchester City close on Kolo Touré but Joleon Lescott remains elusive
• Mark Hughes close to signing £15m Arsenal centre-half
• Lescott may have to agitate if he wants to join City
Manchester City are in advanced talks with Arsenal over signing Kolo Touré, although their pursuit of Joleon Lescott remains at an impasse, with Everton determined to hold on to the England international and intent on driving their valuation of the player towards the £30m mark. City, who had a £15m bid for Lescott rejected last week, have yet to return with a further offer and would prefer not to do so until the 26-year-old agitates for a move.
Whether Lescott is prepared to do that remains to be seen, with the former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender running the risk of leaving Goodison Park under a cloud if he seeks to force the issue. Everton, however, have shown no willingness to negotiate hitherto, prompting City to believe that the only way Lescott can be prised from Merseyside without paying way over the odds is through the player making it known he wishes to move on.
Should Lescott, who cost Everton £5m when he joined from Wolves three years ago, submit a transfer request, City would have some bargaining power and be confident of landing the player. In many ways the situation is similar to the one that City found themselves in when trying to entice John Terry from Chelsea. This time, however, City are more optimistic that the end result will be an England defender accepting rather than rejecting their advances.
Hughes has long admired Lescott and City are understood to have made contact with the player's representatives several months ago to inform them of their interest. Although Lescott made an indifferent start to last season, and was even dropped at one point, he quickly regained his place and finished the campaign strongly. He has often played for Everton at left-back but Hughes is keen to pair him with Touré at the heart of the City defence.
Lescott was identified as a priority signing this summer but the Terry saga meant that the club's energies were channelled elsewhere. With that door now closed, however, City hope that a deal be reached with Everton, particularly as Lescott is understood to be keen on working with Hughes and becoming another piece in what is fast becoming the Premier League's most expensive jigsaw.
Touré's move would appear more straightforward, with Arsenal expected to accept a fee in the region of £15m. Hughes picked Touré out in January and his interest in the player resurfaced following Terry's decision to commit his future to Chelsea. Should Touré agree to join, he would be City's first defensive signing in a summer when the club have spent close to £70m on their forward line.
The 28-year-old has been an integral part of the Arsenal side for the past seven years but his form suffered last season, when it also emerged that he had fallen out with William Gallas. Arsène Wenger insisted that Touré and Gallas could continue to perform together on the pitch even if they were not speaking off it, though the Arsenal manager appears to have since accepted that their partnership has run its course and that City's offer is too good to turn down.
Although Wenger has a replacement for Touré in the shape of Thomas Vermaelen, who signed from Ajax for £10m earlier this summer, the Arsenal manager would have little by way of defensive cover and could well seek to strengthen in that department over the coming weeks. He is an admirer of Brede Hangeland at Fulham but the west London club are not looking to sell and it would need a £15m bid to change that stance.
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