The Summer 2018 Transfer Thread

[YoungWolf]

I was against the mason signing - we were really hit an miss in the market at the time and it didn’t really feel like we had any kind of strategy, but it really feels like we do now.

I can’t remember where i was with Mason signing. We so desperately needed a replacement forward (having sold Afobe at the start of the window) that having played well against us not long before I was just grateful for someone, anyone haha.

 

[White Wolf]

I've put my faith in Nuno with a lot of signings, but as I said for the most part I had no clue about the guy anyway. I'd seen nothing so wasn't just going to write them off. I'm not saying Nuno is an idiot and don't see anyone here that is, but I've seen Traore with my own eyes and have not seen much to suggest he has anywhere near the ability of our current forwards. Completely blind faith in the face of contrary evidence, and for some people there is, is hard to do.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Sorry mate, not aimed at you - this thread has felt a bit daft for a while - limited grey, but really extreme positions - he’s got no positives whatsoever or he’s amazing. Gets annoying after a while. Not aimed at you though.

I’ll rod off now

Who's said he has no positives? He's clearly fast, direct and from time to time can score and create. Some teams at some levels might be able to make something of that.

However we are in the Premier League, we have aspirations on being in the top 10, I'm not sure we have a place for a very expensive luxury who wouldn't get near our first choice XI, who regularly runs down blind alleys and spanners crosses straight into the crowd, who has a fairly underwhelming goalscoring record, is injured at the moment and who no-one else appears to want. It's all on blind faith. "Nuno will improve him", "what could he be", "teams will be afraid of him", "tiring legs" (as if it's still 1986 and players have steak and chips before a game), there is very, very, very little to back up him being worth that much. Less so that we actually need him.

Where does this end? If we're linked with Jordan Hugill this week - as we were last season, under the same management - will you shrug your shoulders and say "Nuno knows best"? Or would you be sensible and voice what I presume is your opinion, that he is fucking shit and nothing like good enough?

This isn't the Cult of Nuno.

 

[StuardoWulf]

It’s not about just pace, which we know can be a precious commodity it’s what Traores skill set alongside that pace can do and i think it suits us and our way of playing greatly.

Totally agree the magician Nuno has a plan for him and it won't be run at him then errrrrmmmm.....

Cult of Nuno :happy:

 

[The Bear]

I was dubious as to why we were going to pay more than his release fee, but from what has been reported it's a very clever deal by the club. We actually pay Boro less up front and only give them the extra if he's successful and still here. Excellent work from Jeff/Kev/Nuno/Laurie. I'd even say Boro have been out-manouvred.

I wonder if Mendes had a hand in these negotiations? Not directly obviously as it's not his client but advising them what to offer, when to hold out, etc.

 

[Premier Quality]

Who's said he has no positives? He's clearly fast, direct and from time to time can score and create. Some teams at some levels might be able to make something of that.

However we are in the Premier League, we have aspirations on being in the top 10, I'm not sure we have a place for a very expensive luxury who wouldn't get near our first choice XI, who regularly runs down blind alleys and spanners crosses straight into the crowd, who has a fairly underwhelming goalscoring record, is injured at the moment and who no-one else appears to want. It's all on blind faith. "Nuno will improve him", "what could he be", "teams will be afraid of him", "tiring legs" (as if it's still 1986 and players have steak and chips before a game), there is very, very, very little to back up him being worth that much. Less so that we actually need him.

Where does this end? If we're linked with Jordan Hugill this week - as we were last season, under the same management - will you shrug your shoulders and say "Nuno knows best"? Or would you be sensible and voice what I presume is your opinion, that he is $#@!ing $#@! and nothing like good enough?

This isn't the Cult of Nuno.

Are you basically just saying you know better than Nuno then? Makes me wonder why you’re not the manager that got us promoted with the best football I’ve seen us play tbh...

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd best never voice any opinion about any of our players, team selections or performances ever again then, eh.

Don't be absurd. I don't like Adama Traore and I'm afraid you'll have to deal with that.

 

[Derby Wolf]

Are you basically just saying you know better than Nuno then? Makes me wonder why you’re not the manager that got us promoted with the best football I’ve seen us play tbh...

He's saying just because Nuno has done so well doesn't mean he shouldn't continue to face scrutiny on what is afterall, a place designed for just that.

He's neither saying he's better than Nuno or Nuno is wrong but it's a gamble signing. If you think this is DW looking down at a manager I refer you to Saunders, D or Jones, D.

 

[StuardoWulf]

It is a gamble no doubt about that. But we cannot assume that Nuno can get everything right. Thats it in a nutshell
yeah but no but ........

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I was dubious as to why we were going to pay more than his release fee, but from what has been reported it's a very clever deal by the club. We actually pay Boro less up front and only give them the extra if he's successful and still here. Excellent work from Jeff/Kev/Nuno/Laurie. I'd even say Boro have been out-manouvred.

I wonder if Mendes had a hand in these negotiations? Not directly obviously as it's not his client but advising them what to offer, when to hold out, etc.

I don't personally see what is particularly clever about playing slightly less for a shit asset that we shouldn't be buying in the first place.

 

[The Bear]

Oh ok you're right. The club deserve zero credit for getting a good deal on the player the manager wants.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Well yes, I get that he wants it, but I am sorry paying a load more if it works out isn't bright. If it doesn't work out, burned money, if it does spent more than was needed. Its crap business.

 

[Alan]

Well yes, I get that he wants it, but I am sorry paying a load more if it works out isn't bright. If it doesn't work out, burned money, if it does spent more than was needed. Its crap business.

This strikes me as a bit too negative. Just how successful would Adama have to be for you to think he was worth buying?

 

[The Bear]

If what's reported is true we've paid them £10m is cheap IMO.

If he plays well enough to make enough appearances to trigger the first lot of installments, then that means he's performing well for a team with lofty ambitions and he's been worth the extra bit of money. The installments will be staggered for different amounts of appearances. If he plays well and he stays in the team, we end up paying more. But by that point it will have been worth it because he won't keep his place unless he plays well. After the initial £10 it's essentially a performance based fee IMO.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

And if the manager believes he is going to be that good then why not pay £18m for his services rather than a set of add-ons to make £22m or whatever?

Nothing about the deal makes an ounce of commercial sense if it is as reported.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

This strikes me as a bit too negative. Just how successful would Adama have to be for you to think he was worth buying?

At that price success or otherwise is actually not important

We have an £18.5m release clause in the public domain.
If you think Adama is worth it, pay the £18m.

This way, if he is shit, we pay £10m. And that is lost. If he is great we pay a load more than we need to. It is a stupid deal.

 

[The Bear]

Because no transfer is guaranteed to work out no matter how much the manager rates a player.

And why spunk all £18m up front when you can structure it to only pay them £10m to start with?

The only way Boro get the extra money is if he succeeds here.

I find it staggering that anyone could see this as anything but a positive way of doing business. On top of the above it helps with FFP too. It's literally a win-win for us.

 

[The Bear]

This way, if he is shit, we pay £10m. And that is lost. If he is great we pay a load more than we need to. It is a stupid deal.

Your way, if he is shit we lose all £18m.

If he succeeds and plays well we pay an extra £4m. That's a small premium for success in today's market. Plus his value will increase and easily cover that cost any way.

 

[Alan]

Think I'm with Bear on this one. Any transfer can go wrong. If nothing else we can clearly say that Adama has preternatural ability that gives him the possibility to be a bargain at that price, but equally we could go spend £50m on a winger from a different league and have that deal flop.

Of course there's still every chance the deal falls through.

 

[Tikkaspecial]

I am also with the minority in feeling positive about this transfer. He has undoubted pace and skill (albeit raw) that differentiates him from what we have. There were a few games last year (including the only one I got to see us play in person - Forest at Home) where we needed something different to the trusted talents and we didn't have it available. I think we will face this situation more often in the PL so having another dynamic option could be vital. Yes, it's potentially an expensive plan B but I'm also not seeing many cheaper alternatives.