July 17th - Sporting v. Opponent - Site TBD, likely Alliston July 21st - Sporting v. Penarol - Site, likely BMO Field apart of Herbalife World Challenge of Football Never heard anything about Toronto FC v. Sporting. TFC has two MLS games bookending a game against Penarol. I doubt they play four games between July 15 and 22nd. Chances are Sporting's first opponent is TFC academy. --------------- We paid 800k for Schaars. If Inter wants him I wouldn't settle for less than 3 million. Inter has money. Marcelo has been an admirable cheerleader and professional during his backing up of RP this year. He also (no offense to RP) seems more personable...maybe sign an autograph during Pre-season. RP wouldn't sign anything when he played v. Juventus and gave me a pissed off look when he took a picture. It's not so much the loss of RP that concerns me, as a opposed to the lose of 4-5+ starters. Capel, RvW, Labyad, Adrien, Rojo, Miguel, Ilori, possibly Carrillo, Schaars. That's a massive blow. That could put us back at Vitoria levels.
Negotiating with Man Utd for Bebe. Outright purchase, not a loan. Miguel Lopes can be had for 3 million. Boy we got screwed on Izmaylov. Ilori is available only for termination fee. Good for us, finally sticking to our guns. We sell promising players like him and we are FCUKED. I remember seeing him v. Juventus in Toronto 2 years ago and he was raw, but talented. We need to have a policy, if you're U23 and in the first team, you're buy-out is the only way you're leaving. IMO if your U23 and in the first team, chances are you're Ronaldo, Nani, Yannick, Veloso, Moutinho quality and we should be so quick as to ship you out for a quick buck (except it's not really quick because we probably invested 6 years of youth coaching into you). Apparently Boeck as starter isn't a lock. We're looking at the Portuguese GK for Cluj (who is pretty sick), I'd look up his name but I'm too lazy and drunk off Maciera atm.
I don't see how we can afford Bebe unless ManU take a big loss. Plus, do we need another winger? Schaars can go for a few million and I'd be fine too. Adrien stays and splits time at the 8 with Andre Santos. I think Ilori is going to be sold for around 6-8 million. Yeah, screwed on Izmailov but to be fair, his resale value after basically quitting on Sporting was not high. Who are we going to get now that we have sent back Hugo Ventura?
Kadu is who we should've insisted on in the first place in the Izmailov swap. Kadu or GTFO. At least then we'd have someone as an alternative to Ribeiro long-term. I think Vukovic is still 15/16 and I'm not sure how he's progressing. Bebe not coming. I'm cool with that. But as to why we need another winger. Well assuming Jeffren, Capel and Carrillo leave, I'd say that leaves us pretty short. Esgaio I'm not convinced is a RW. He seems to suit RM/RB more, but we don't currently play in that formation. I also think Bruma operates better on the RW, even though he could play both. So that really hand-cuffs Esgaio going forward, assuming Bruma does the HONORABLE thing and tells Zahavi to come to terms and stop being such a prick. I hope we stick to our guns and insist on 30 million for Ilori. 6-8 million is such a bitch move on our part. Allowing basically the only CB on the team with upside we haven't seen leave. Watch him turn into Varane and we'll be kicking ourselves when LFC sells him to Madrid in 3 years to replace Pepe for 30 million.
You are right about Ilori though he is nowhere near Varane levels. I, like some others feel he is a bit overrated and makes a lot of mistakes that luckily go unpunished or bailed out by RP. Same for Rojo, though he is coming around. I also don't think all 3 of those wingers are leaving. Capel and Jeffren seems certainties, but I think the club wants to see if Jardim can resucitate Carrillo's career. That way he'll be worth more for us when he is enivitably sold. I'd like to see if Lopes is actually sold, to ensure Cedric stays and Arias' gets a shot.
I think Capel is a certainty, likely Swansea. They seem to be doing the "Spanish" thing. Marseille doesn't seem like a fit, not with Lisandro playing a LF role and coming off the wings. Jeffren I don't know where he ends up. If we could swap him straight up for Augustino Ca, I would. Barca and Sporting will both be like "opps our bad". Miguel Lopes, sold I think is another certainty. I'd really like to see what Arias has. He was soooo good as a RB in Toulon. What ever happened to us grabbing Yordy Reyna from Alianza Lima? Carrillo suggested him. Finally, Pizzi...probably the most excited I've been for a player since...hmmm, can't remember, definitely more than Labyad and Insua. Can play all 3 positions. Maybe he can finally be the #10 we've lacked for ages. How the striker role is filled will be very interesting, none of ours are ready now and I'm not sure if Rubio, Viola and Betinho will be ready for a few more years.
None of those 3 strikers currently excite me, we need to get creative and find some gems until we know if Betinho can take a step up. Lisandro plays for Lyon. Marseilles are looking for a few wingers this summer, they said so themselves.
Well colour me embarrassed. Clearly I need my morning Espresso before I post on here. Of course Lisandro plays for Lyon.
Mario Menzes is the new coach of Fluminense. Apparently big fan of Elias. Hopefully he'll want to keep him and we'll recoup some of the 8.5 million we spent on him (assuming we haven't sold 50% of his pass to QFIL, and I would think that we did). Looks like Ilori and Liverpool have agreed to terms. Only a matter of time now. Be lucky to get 8 million now, since we allowed them to work out a contract. SMH....they also want Capel. If I were BdC, I'd say "Package Deal": Ilori + Capel, 20 million.
Mohamed Zidan - Egyptian Int'l - Striker. Apparently fallen out with his club in UAE, probably available for free. Just saying if we're in the market, he has a reasonable pedigree.
Contract terminated actually. Completely Free Agent. Could be good, could be another Bojinov, apparently skipped a Egypt NT qualifier and Bobby Bradley is mad.
I'm still not crossing Nabil Ghilas. For the young and talented player he is, on a relegated team, I'm hearing to few news about him not to think that there's something we haven't been told. I'm hoping we'll hear news about him after next weekend's general assembly to aprove the debt restructuring. Edit: Actually not next weekend. There is still no date for it.
You'd know more than me, so that makes me feel better. I hope we hold onto Cedric, seems like clubs in Germany are very interested.
Like hell even play lol, hell be loaned out to Gil vicente and replaced with The next Paraguayan phenom cb Juan Carlitos Ramirez Garcia The IVth
Respect to Bruma for firing Zahavi and getting back with Balde. He speaks on his love for Sporting and then followed through with actions. Clearly he wants to stay here and prove something before he leaves. I like that fight. Contender for Camisola 13-14 with a bullet. Rojo might be headed to Inter, but we've heard those rumors since January. Labyad seems absolutely adamant about staying and justifying his wage. I like that sort of fight, I guess BdC will have to figure out something else to reduce the wage budget, carry fewer players or dump someone(s) unexpected. Celta de Vigo are interested in Pizzi. They finished 17th in BBVA, he'd be crazy to go their on loan. He'll play, sure, but for what? Avoiding relegation. Not much to play for here, but at least you're back home with big clubs watching you.
Catio Balde is almost as big a dbag as Zahavi. Looks like Jorge Mendes is trying to bring Patricio to porto.
I don't think so. Here is what happened, two days ago Correio da Manhã, by far the worst newspaper in Portugal published news about Benfica's president wanting to trade Patrício by a few of their players. It was absurd obviously, and it was Correio da Manhã, so no one cared. Yesterday they insisted on that news, and it prompted Benfica to release the least professional communication I've ever seen from an "allegedly" serious institution. They accused the journalist or its source of using "illicit products" as the only possible explanation for such an absurdity. Now we get to this day. A Bola, which in the past has been accused of acting like an official newspaper for Benfica, interrupts its ten day run of covers about Benfica with news of Jorge Mendes wanting Patrício at FCPorto. Doesn't it look really obvious what is going on here?