also see here. taken from skysports.com However, with both Arsenal and Manchester United rumoured to be tracking his progress, Baptista's agent Juan Figer revealed that whilst negotiations with Spain's big two are yet to get off the ground he has already been mulling over a move abroad. "Julio will not be renewing his contract with Seville," said Figer. "We gave our terms to them but there was no agreement, now the situation for him has changed. "If Julio is the most important player at Sevilla, as they say he is, then his wages must reflect that and they do not. "It looks as if they don't want him any more. "We are not negotiating a possible move to Real Madrid or Barcelona, as has been suggested. "But we have been discussing a move abroad." http://skysports.planetfootball.com...Baptista+blow+for+Sevilla&channel=premiership
Definitely agree that Bap is all over the map. I'm sure he's trying to do what's best for him, but all this back and forth is getting old.
I'm not too worried about this saga. I think we have to be a bit understanding of his situation. The next move for him is pretty important. He's made his mark with his current team but wants a move to the next level in terms of competition, payement, and perhaps a chance of getting into the WC06 squad. Screwing this move up could do pretty serious damage to advancing towards those goals. Sure, to us it seems obvious that if Wenger calls you should drop what you're doing and run to Highbury ASAP, but this kid doesn't feel that way and thus looks at Arsenal as one of the big teams but not the biggest in terms of winning in Europe, wages, or securing spots on Brazil's national team. Holding out to see what your options are makes some sense for him. We can wait too since we certainly don't need him.
It seems we may have a deal with both Seville and Baptista, with the condition that Baptista is loaned to a Spanish side so he can get his EU passport. http://www.arsenalshorts.com/july05/20050724.html This I think would make sense for everybody involved, as long as Arsenal put in a stipulation that he cannot be cup-tied for whatever team he is loaned out to. We could then take him back from loan in January. Any thoughts?
Rick sent me a PM this morning and said that he spoke with David Dein and it didn't look as though they were going to be able to make it happen.
http://skysports.planetfootball.com...illa:+Still+no+Beast+deal&channel=premiership mmmmm promising but still there playing hardball/ hes basically claiming that they turned down 24 million euros as our original offer(that has been doubled) was 12 million euros. they dont seem like a side that will probably lose there star man for around 0.8 million pounds next summer. there brave i can certainly say that!
ok i remember it being 9 million pounds tho, i may be wrong, im not sure of the exact exchange rate "From the €12million that was the original offer, that has been more than doubled now and would surpass the amount that we received for Jose Antonio Reyes." .........also there is no way we have offered 24 million pounds for him
I hope NOT, I think that is a little bit stiff for him. I too had read that initial offer was 12 million.
Well they are claiming it is more than they got for JAR. Wasn't the final sum for him (with bonus and scheduled payments) reported to be around 17m pounds? So 20m pounds might be true. If they want more than that I'm hoping Wenger says thanks but no thanks. We're not Chelski after all.
"Good morning. Well, some news about Baptista, just for a change. Apart from the Del Nido's words yesterday, saying the deal was 'closer', the truth is the deal is done between both clubs. The final amount is about £18m. The problem now is the player, Dein is talking with Baptista's agents trying to make an offer they accept. Baptista's got two agents: Figer, a Brazilian, who is now in his country negotiating with Santos and RMadrid the signing of Robinho. And Herminio Menéndez, and ex-Sevilla employee who is now a footballers agent. It seems Dein did a new offer last saturday, offering more money to the player and he's waiting for an answer. Baptista is not too keen on going to England and he says he'd like to stay in Spain, but a big offer from Arsenal will make him change his mind, as the mercenary he is. There's another point: The 15% Baptista wants and it's in the contract. Sevilla have already said they're not going to pay that money and Arsenal don't want to pay it, but they'll do it if there's no other way. That seems to be the biggest problem at the moment. Anyway we'll have to wait, one of the agents is in Brazil and Baptista is in China with Sevilla playing a tournament, so the solution is a bit far yet. But not too far, because Arsenal must give the list of players for the CL soon. Meanwhile, Del Nido seems to be playing a bit with the media saying one day white and next day black. Eventually, Baptista has been told by Sevilla that there are four non-EU players in the squad: Renato, Alves, Luis Fabiano and himself, so until Alves get the passport (about October, probably), one of them won't play. Sevilla will pick those who want to play for the club. Now, is the player who has all the pressure on him: Arsenal or terraces. I still think Baptista will play for Arsenal, but the way things are going, nobody knows when the deal will be done." http://www.awimb.com/fudforum/index...S=159a5b511d98c98df16701d3f9bab2f8#msg_299706
I think after the Reyes transfer, they believe they can squeeze Wenger. In some ways, they're bargaining from a position of strength. I mean, how poor was the timing of Paddy's transfer? Makes me wonder if the transfer kitty was really 30mil without Paddy's sale. Whatever happens better happen soon. Newcastle is only three weeks away. If Wenger is going to splash that much cash, he should be expected to make an impact quickly.
A couple of points. Sevilla's position is not really that strong. They basically have to sell him to somebody and the sooner the better. The fees being discussed (except for the >24m one) are not too far out of line if you look at some other (non-Chelsea) transfers for goalscorers like the Beast. When you factor in how important he has been for the club, a figure around what we paid for JAR seems ok. On the transfer kitty, I've been saying since January that the Board's public statements are probably not true and that we'd have less to spend than the rosy estimates going around. Wenger confirmed this to some degree with his statements in the Spring about spending "small money." The only big money we've seen is mostly made up of the Vieira fee so nothing odd there. I don't expect a big (>15-20m) transfer kitty (not made from sales) until we leave Highbury. On the point of the timing of a the Beast transfer and his impact, I think that even a pretty late transfer would be fine. Its not like Wenger expected an immediate impact from JAR.
I agree with that. I also expect Sevilla's price to come down the closer we get to the close of the transfer window. They'd be stupid to hang onto a player who can be had for 800K after next season and who has already said he's not extending his deal. My guess is that we'll go back and forth with them for another week or two before he's sold to either us or Barca. I think we're really the only two legitimate players in the whole thing.
You're probably right. I've just been thinking that fee of 17m for Reyes was too high at the time, and likewise for Baptista (considering what Ibrahimovic and others went for from relatively "small clubs"). I think I've also been brainwashed by the sky is falling press into thinking that DD & co. are desperate to get Baptista.
This is getting silly now. Sevilla's president is acting like an arse, he's basically holding a public auction.
Yeah, but why shouldn't he ? He's trying to get as much money as possible. I know it's a pain, but i can see this dragging on till August... I think the most sensible thing is for everyone to go to sleep for 2 weeks and then see if we've signed him when we wake up.
i think ur forgetting that august is only 1 week away.. but at the same time i can see what u mean nothing will probably happen until during august not like august 1st lol
Well it looks like its really up to the player now as AW quotes“But there are a lot of ingredients in there. The situation is quite positive with the club but we have not sorted it out with the player.” http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?article=294182
It's one thing conducting negotiations, it's another being in the press every five minutes saying Arsenal have offered £X, now Spurs have offered £Y etc., etc. It doesn't seem like Baptista is over-excited at joining us anyway of he'd surely have put more pressure on to get the deal done.
Well, who knows whats happening behind the scenes. I guess the president is trying to drum up as much interest in the player as possible, and if journos keep shoving a microphone under his nose. It's possible that the players agent keeps phoning up the papers and persuade them to re-run new versions of the same story. If I was Baptista, I wouldn't necessarily be clamouring in public for a move too much, given that if the clubs cant come to an agreement, he'll have to be there for another season, and I guess he doesn't want to aggrevate the club/players/fans more than necessary.
New Arsenal Baptista bid tempts Sevilla http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=337514&cc=5901 This sounds like very good news, but again as I have grown skeptical since posting on Bigsoccer. I'll believe it when it is official on arsenal.com! I can see the headlines now, "X-Men character brings his super powers to The Home of Football!" Sorry had to, I liked Beast, big, strong intellectual.