Transfer Rumour Kalidou Koulibaly

[Eggs]

Define world class?

Chelsea offering 49mil odd for him?
Chelseas Italian manager making him his priority first choice defensive signing?
Napoli's defensive record and performance in Serie A last season being down to him + hamsik + higuain
Napoli's defensive record and performance in Serie A being mostly down to him this season
Boban and others calling him one of the best centre backs in world football...
Napoli's unwillingness to sell him?

I could continue but for the price you pay you get a superstar centre back...if we signed him it would be almost cheating.

...good question re World Class because it's a much over used phrase. If you don't mind I'll give you my tried and tested definition and it's a player who would walk into any team on the planet. World class players are few and far between, I have no idea if this fella is in that unique category.

 

[Zatara]

who would be his ideal centre back partner mr zat?

Gimenez, Manolas or VVD I think...

Gimenez because I think he's fantastic defensively and will be world class with the right team/manager
Manolas because he is a lynchpin and leader
VVD as he's proven in the league

 

[Zatara]

...good question re World Class because it's a much over used phrase. If you don't mind I'll give you my tried and tested definition and it's a player who would walk into any team on the planet. World class players are few and far between, I have no idea if this fella is in that unique category.

Who would you class as the top 3 centre backs in the world?

 

[whiteshadow]

I don't get this attitude though, we would love to spend that amount of money so we should? It is almost fantasy based attitudes, especially when the whole squad needs rebuilding, not just signing a big centre half and thinking everyone will be ok.

I think you miss the point i am making in regards to signing players. It isn't a case of signing average players, it is not flashing a load of cash and pretending to be one of the big boys with our one prized possession. It is about building a squad not just a team to compete with the teams at the top. financially signing 3 20 million pound players rather than one 60 million pound one might be seen as buying worse players but with proper scouting before hand, those 3 players might be worth 60 million themselves after 2 years and 3 important positions have got competition in them as a result.

And for another point whilst it is still on my mind, why is this Koulibaby worth 60 million? I know that is the asking price for him set by the club but is he actually worth it? compared to other defenders? Or would signing 60 million pound defenders like him be more of an example of the club massively overspending for the sake of it? A bit like bidding 70 million for Payet, he is good sure but worth 70 million? Just because West ham say he is? would we be better signing 25 million player who could be better than him in the future and sign a better goal keeper with the rest of the 70, for example?

( i know payet is not at west ham, just an example)

I think some people are lining themselves up for dissapointment this summer with their unrealistic levels of expectation in the transfer market.

I think in the recent article Elstone mentioned we'll be investing big this summer (which I took to mean, we're selling one or both of Ross and Lukaku and reinvesting the money) and also mentioned we'd be looking for value for money signings.

I think we may be spending bigger than usual on 2 or 3 players but I think the rest will be value for money signings with potential.

Reading through most of the transfer thread so far people are building fantasty football teams that would cost crazy money, that seems unlikely given the hints from Elstone and the limitations of FFP, which we blew when we didn't reinvest the Stones money within time.

The thing is, people won't thank you for pointing out the truth. People see what they want to see, and will claim anyone who has a more realistic view on this summer isn't as ambitious as them. As if, just being more ambitious suddenly means we'll have an extra 100m in our transfer fund.

I think this summer will be positive and I'm expecting us to have an improved squad come the end of it but some people are probably going to end up badly let down, not by the club, but their own unrealistic expectations.

 

[jackyboy]

Who would you class as the top 3 centre backs in the world?

Godin, Bonnuci and Thiago Silva?

 

[toffeejack]

Because we have not got an unlimited pot of money to spend and certainly within FFP, spending 50 million plus on one player is going to have a bigger impact in recruitment in other positions.

but as my original point stands, what if he doesn't adapt? We spend more on him for example and he fails, like Mangala and Otemendi has at City, they can sell for a loss and move on, it would have a much bigger impact to us financially to have that price of failure at the club.

but as i said to Zatara above, is he that good? no big clubs moved for him last summer and if they do not this season either then why aren't teams interested in this world class defender as zatara put it like, who is available for transfer? Real Madrid bought Bale simply because he was available, no ambition with him other than a potentially top class player available for signing so they put the money up.

i think napoli are pretty big themselves tbf.

 

[Eggs]

Who would you class as the top 3 centre backs in the world?

...good question. It's all about opinion and others will be better qualified than me but you can probably count 5 or 6 in the world class category and one or two might play in Spain.

 

[diggerdestroyer]

I like that we are mentioned with him. I dont like that we actually have no hope of landing him

 

[ilikecheese]

I like that we are mentioned with him. I dont like that we actually have no hope of landing him

We're gonna sign Scott Dann, aren't we?

 

[diggerdestroyer]

We're gonna sign Scott Dann, arent we?

What age is he? If he is 33 or over the answer is yes

 

[diggerdestroyer]

We're gonna sign Scott Dann, aren't we?

Sorry can even reply properly. But yes we will sign him if he is 33 plus.

 

[Brisan123]

Sorry can even reply properly. But yes we will sign him if he is 33 plus.

Is that million pound or years old, or both perhaps. ???

 

[ilikecheese]

Sorry can even reply properly. But yes we will sign him if he is 33 plus.

He's only just turned 30, so it looks like we're safe for now.

*whew*

 

[diggerdestroyer]

Is that million pound or years old, or both perhaps. ???

Good point. Both maybe. Then continued 1 year contract extensions when the player is well passed it.

 

[bluestevon]

...good question re World Class because it's a much over used phrase. If you don't mind I'll give you my tried and tested definition and it's a player who would walk into any team on the planet. World class players are few and far between, I have no idea if this fella is in that unique category.

He isn't mate, to be world class you need to proove it at the very top level.

Could he be, yes ofc, he has will the attributes you'd want, but how many also had the same and never did?