Here's a vid from TIFO that explains some of why Olmo is a bad idea. [Start at 3:34 or so]: From that video, here are six reasons why some transfers don't work out, from a former researcher at Liverpool FC: 1. The player is played out of position, 2. The player doesn't fit the club's style, 3. Manager doesn't like the player, 4. Fitness/Personal Issues, 5. A currently-rostered player is better, 6. The player isn't as good as the club thought. Of these six issues, Olmo has risk factors in #1 and #4. IOW, Olmo is a natural #10, but Deco's imbecilic idea is to play him out of his favored #10, and put him at LW. The other issue is that Olmo has averaged ~90 or so days injured in each and every one of the past 3 seasons. There's also the thought that Olmo is being recruited, only because he had a good Euros, and that his level may not be this high over the course of an entire season, which could fit under #s 5 or 6 from that list. Add into it that there are obvious needs elsewhere, and this transfer seems as stoopid as Deco is. For the finances, its a ~200MM Euro gamble, based on "napkin mathematics:" 1. ~60MM Euros to purchase Olmo, 2. ~100MM Euros in wages and bonuses over the length of the contract, 3. Panic sales of extant/surplus players, IOW having to "sell low" on Fermin or other players, rather than selling them at a higher price-point. [Every other club in football will know that Barca will have to shed salaries and players to fit in Olmo.] The Olmo operation is hated by about ~80-90% of Culers, from what I've seen. The other 10-20% are either casuals, or underinformed.
If Zubi is open to leaving Real Sociedad, Barca could hijack Liverpool move. Provided they had money for both Nico and Olmo in the first place. Nico is staying so that money can be spent on Zubi.
Nico Williams: “If I score against Barcelona, I will not celebrate out of respect for the days I spent with them on Photoshop." pic.twitter.com/72kMkiJjfa— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) August 7, 2024
I know you guys are totally in love with the Barca products currently at the club but there's a good chance one of your brittle golden boys doesn't have much left in the tank and is set up to be a long term injury risk. If you look at it from that perspective you've just set up the largest safety net possible for the next time golden boy misses half the season plus.
This is only partially relevant to football, but still very interesting: OK - now SDNY hearing on bid to block Disney’s sports streaming deal with Fox & Warner Bros. FuboTV has sued under antitrust law. Judge starts by saying some of it will be sealed (!) Inner City Press thread below pic.twitter.com/XSsxfj1Mo3— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) August 6, 2024
I’m for it. I have so many damn apps my fire stick can’t take anymore. I’d rather the 3 or4 have all the sports
Eh, at the #10, you've got 4 extant choices already in the club that could play the position: Gundogan, Pedri, De Jong, and Lopez. All of them cost zero Euros, and with that amount of depth, its more likely than not that at least one of them can do the job. Beyond that, there are Pablo Torre, and recently-signed Mendes client Guille Fernandez as the youth of that group. OTOH, at the #6, you've got a converted CB [Christensen], and an assortment of La Masia youngsters. Of the two positions, I know which position is of a greater need. And yes, injuries are a concern for existing players, but get a load of Olmo's injury history: https://www.transfermarkt.us/dani-olmo/verletzungen/spieler/293385 I get that you guys like that Pedri has been injured, but Olmo has missed an average of what, ~90ish days/25 games in each of the past 3 seasons. Olmo is in no way a guarantee of additional "depth." All taken together, spending zero Euros to find out if existing players can do the job is >>>>>>> a ~200MM Euro gamble on Olmo.
Including wages in the Olmo deal to make it look bad when you've been paying the dutch wonderboy a fortune is ridiculous. Please.
Fine. Even if you exclude the ~100MM Euros for Olmo's pay [guesstimate of 15MM Euros/year * 6 years, plus a sundry ~10MM Euros in bonuses over that timeframe], its STILL a ~100MM Euro gamble on an oft-injured redundancy, when you consider the acquisition cost for Olmo, agent fees, and opportunity cost losses in having to panic sale a player or two to fit Olmo into FFP. And that's not to say that I don't like Olmo; I do rate him - WHEN HEALTHY. He's a good player, but acquiring him is not good business for Barca, as noted in my previous post. Buying Olmo now is closest to Bartomeu stoopidly buying Coutinho.
🚨🇺🇸 EXCL: Marco Reus to LA Galaxy, here we go! Deal finally done after initial agreement revealed in July.Contract until December 2025 plus option to extend, as expected.Reus, planning for travel to US in the next days for medical tests and contract signing.Done, sealed 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/pLHuR7zrPx— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2024
🚨 Martin Zubimendi has given his green light on a move to Liverpool! ✅👍Now the Reds must reach an agreement with Real Sociedad on a fee. His release clause is €60M.(Source: @relevo) pic.twitter.com/AlKfuPHkQn— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 7, 2024
🚨⚪️⚫️ Juventus are close to reaching an agreement to sign Jean-Clair Todibo! Deal very close, at final stages.Direct meeting took place today as planned with Juve director Cristiano Giuntoli & player’s camp in Nice.Juve improved their bid and Todibo told Nice: only Juventus. pic.twitter.com/CzONEDdTu7— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2024 Transfer fee will be 30-35 ME apparently. Barca will get 20% due to sell on clause.
I saw this last night. Felix was walking near the stands. A group of kids eagerly sought his autograph, selfies, etc. He politely declined with a shake of his head, a decision I completely understood. Among the children, one displayed what seemed to be a Portuguese jersey, to which Felix knocked his head. The child tossed the jersey towards him. Felix caught it, presuming it to be a gift, and swiftly departed. Soon after, security guards cleared that section of the stand, prompting the kids to disperse. I never caught sight of Felix returning with an autograph. The boy just lost his jersey. PS: One guy was running around that section with the latest Real Madrid Modric jersey. he nor any of his friends will get an autograph from anyone from Atletico Madrid.
🔵🤝 Strasbourg have agreed deal to sign 17 year old talent Rayane Messi from Dijon.€1m including add-ons plus 10% sell-on clause agreed.Rayane, expected to sign a three-year deal. pic.twitter.com/zhz9beyAnn— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 8, 2024
What a dumb post. Why would we like that, why would we even care about Pedri? Also, rich coming from a fanbase that was celebrating Militao's (and possibly others) injury last season..
I dunno, let's use your "looking eyes" to like, "SEE" the post to which I was, like, replying: Reading is a skill.
I don't get what you're trying to do here. Barca signed a good player at market value. Barca can't really aim for anything more than that right now. Arguably Olmos familiarity with Barca played a part otherwise you would have been empty handed.
We all must learn from Khan. Here we were celebrating Pedri and Spitter Gavi's injuries while he was praying for Militao's recovery.