Now or Never | The 2017-18 Transfer Thread

It may have sunk in that their priorities lie in strengthening their defense. The easiest way to do that is with $150 million or thereabouts. Coutinho only makes life harder on their defense since he's so attack-minded for a midfielder.

I'm not sure Barca's priorities should be vastly different. There's a reason they are winning and looking ugly - better balance. Well ... that and Messi. But I guess Barca are going to try to break the bank to get another one dimensional, overrated Brasilian to replace the one that left.

 

^ We need forwards more than midfielders. Paying such a huge amount for something that isn't a big priority just seems nuts to me.

If we blow our entire 2018 budget on a MF we can enjoy watching Messi play alongside Deulofeu and Paco for the next 2+ years before we can afford another $150m again for a world-class forward.

Also we will know more 2 months from now (e.g. will Suarez wake up or is this it for him?). Either way, doesn't make sense to commit to Coutinho now.

 

They contribute nothing on the defensive end. Obviously some players are gonna be crap at defending, but there are other things you can do like press or protect the ball when you're dribbling it in your own end - Iniesta is far better than Coutinho at that, even at his age. So any swap b/w those two in Barca's regular XI is a regression in terms of maintaining balance and chemistry, IMO.

Coutinho would absolutely have to play as a winger at Barca.

 

Thiago is highly respected at Bayern and quite a fixed starter,unless jupp heynckes decides otherwise and if tuchel comes on,he is on his way to be a bayern legend. colossal blunder,will haunt this management forever

 

slim to none. He's our best player by far (Neuer aside).

 

Thiago just gave an amazing pre assist to James who laid it off for Robben. Rossell and bartomeu should burn

 

Suarez has today been raving about Coutinho and how vital it is for us to sign him ...

 

Well, if Suarez keeps playing like he has, maybe we need to get Countinho to replace Suarez!
Be careful what you wish for, Luisito.

Once again my main issue with Coutinho is the rumored price. It basically works-out to $40 million per season (if we assume he'll have about 4 more good seasons after this one - optimistic)! Crazy price, even by today's standards.

 

Mourinho is keeping tabs on Umtiti.. better tie him up ASAP.

 

Coutinho will be amazing at barcelona

 

They have first dibs on Varane who is lined up to
go in a trade with DeGea

 

That's more important than going after Coutinho, imo. What's Umtiti's buyout clause? Not that high, IIRC. Of course I'm not sure he'd even want to go to Manchester but he may be tempted to go to PSG.

 

€60m i think

 

hard to believe lpb would agree to that.

 

That needs to increase before others become aware that he's the best defender in the world.

 

We're linked with Ozil for £20 million !!

 

News comes today that Ozil has agreed a move to Barca for 3.5 years from January. I see this news in three ways,

1. It is a smokescreen to tell Coutinho that he has to make Liverpool agree a fee of something like 90 mio fixed plus 30 mio variables,a reasonable fee

2. Barca have discarded Coutinho as they see it impossible to negotiate with an unrealistic club like Liverpool and take up the bargain signing of Ozil

3. I like this move because Ozil is a great creative player who can replace messi or Iniesta. I am not so sure of him playing in midfield where Iniesta plays but he could. He can of course play on the left wing and be of great support to Suarez and Messi

Also I feel we need money to get a replacement for pique in the summer. He will be 31 32 and can't continue at the same level for much longer as a starter. So we should buy aymeric laporte from athletic as he needs to move in this summer.guardiola will fight for him but he wouldn't mind coming here and I wouldn't mind spending good money on this generational defender

 

Isn't it possible to sign Ozil for free starting 1 January with transfer for 1 July? Why are we paying so much just so he can play 4-5 months sooner?

Geezus!

 

Yes, and I don't think it is happening at all, but if it did better to wait. But I'd say Ozil will never join Barca, certainly not for the salary he wants.

The real issue is that some in the club feel Barca needs a starter quality player as an attacking mid who can ideally play winger too, someone to push Raki and/or replace Ini who could also pinch hit for Dembele injury or help solve the whole Suarez out too far left at times. If they get that right, the thinking goes we can better our chances (already very good) of winning Liga, and, more importantly, be a bigger fish in the CL crap shoot.

But who is that player? Are they affordable? Can they adapt to Barca with no preseason?

I do not see Ozil as that player but could see giving Arsenal 5M Euros to get him now for a 1/2 season trial (where we pay his current salary but not re-up his contract). But far better to get a younger player (Goretzka for instance) in a similar situation and better to wait till July 1 to get rid of the transfer fee altogether.

 

Latest suggestions online say we are NOT gonna sign Ozil after all !!
Just paper talk apparently

 

We can sign goretzka and Ozil but the issue is to get rid of Turan,Andre Gomes and eventually a rakitic in the summer. Goretzka will replace rakitic for sure.