11 - Raphinha

[Barcilliant]

This club simply will not stop throwing money at average players. New management has not learned a thing from failures of previous board.

First serious outlay of cash they get their hands on since the club nearly went bankrupt and they throw it away on a Manchester City reject and a Brazilian winger playing for relegation fodder in the PL at nearly age 26. 120m+ gone.

These sorts of sums should only be bid on top players or budding stars that project to be top players.

Serious world class players like Mane and Sterling moving around Europe for 40-50m for feck sake.

This is a great post. Hiring average fucking players or players who are not a good fit has become the norm here regardless who's in charge. Same with managers . These are the biggest problems.

 

[JerseyAddict]

Coutinho cost double even at 75 for Raphinha, plus had much bigger wages most likely.

Then financial situation is now such that even this 75m are huge flop ih the man fails... First cash inflow and what Barca does, splashed 75m on a single player.

So much about "cuttin the expenses".

I hope the man turns out to be new prodigy but risking 75m.
Add to it 50m for Lewa... Etc etc.

Laporta splashing cash...

 

[Laplacian]

This is a great post. Hiring average fucking players or players who are not a good fit has become the norm here regardless who's in charge. Same with managers . These are the biggest problems.

The issue is, Barcilliant, that average players no longer cost the appropriate prices. All decent wingers and forwards in general now cost at the very least 50m euros. If you want to keep competing, then you'll have to pay the price. The alternative is signing cheaper options of lower profile. The issue there is that most of those players are still young, and you'll have to invest time and gamble on their potential working out. Not a sound strategy for a top team that's desperately looking to immediately compete at the highest level. It's only doable for top teams with an already world class starting XI like Real Madrid, City, or Bayern.

 

[jamrock]

I'll believe & starting bitching when it becomes official.

 

[Barcilliant]

The issue is, Barcilliant, that average players no longer cost the appropriate prices. All decent wingers and forwards in general now cost at the very least 50m euros. If you want to keep competing, then you'll have to pay the price. The alternative is signing cheaper options of lower profile. The issue there is that most of those players are still young, and you'll have to invest time and gamble on their potential working out. Not a sound strategy for a top team that's desperately looking to immediately compete at the highest level. It's only doable for top teams with an already world class starting XI like Real Madrid, City, or Bayern.

Mane is hardly average. How much did Bayern pay for him? Haaland was a bargain too.

 

[Andresito]

Wasn't the last offer actually like 50+10 with the 50 being paid in 3 installments? Sounds low, but acceptable if it's true.

 

[serghei]

The player is most certainly not average. Hard to believe Liverpool, Chelsea, and Bayern would've all followed an average player. We have to wait for the confirmation regarding the price and how it is structured, over how many years, if he comes at all.

At 75m, unless we're talking about bonuses like winning big titles or very high-performance metrics, it's too much, we can all agree with that. Which doesn't rule out the player being a big hit and turning world-class very fast.

 

[serghei]

Then financial situation is now such that even this 75m are huge flop ih the man fails... First cash inflow and what Barca does, splashed 75m on a single player.

So much about "cuttin the expenses".

I hope the man turns out to be new prodigy but risking 75m.
Add to it 50m for Lewa... Etc etc.

Laporta splashing cash...

True. It's a risky strategy with a low margin of error.

But while the club has many talents in Spain we can pursue in midfield, like Torre, what we did with Pedri, and our own homegrown players, in offense it's very tough to sign stand-out players for low money. Next to impossible, I'm afraid.

For difference-makers in offense, the money has to be spent to compete even in Spain with teams lining up Ballon d'Or players like Benzema, Vinicius etc.

It's just how it is. They had two options, spending low and competing for the top 4, or spending money to fight for titles. They chose 2nd option.

 

[Laplacian]

Mane is hardly average. How much did Bayern pay for him? Haaland was a bargain too.

Mane is 30. Haaland had a release clause, if he didn't he would've cost 150m at least.

 

[Messi983]

I would say he's basically a player like Luis Diaz. So fair price would be something like 45+15 variables, or 50+10 like initially reported. 75 is for sure an inflated price. But probably we'll pay a premium to delay the payment on many installments.

Teams in EPL are filthy rich and probably pay either at once or in big chunks.

If you're gonna go for players that draw interest from the best EPL sides, things are gonna get expensive. It's just how it is.

Of course.

That's why I think we should buy from Ligue 1, BL, Eredivisie,... and SELL to EPL not buy from their clubs.

 

[Nucky]

Mane is hardly average. How much did Bayern pay for him? Haaland was a bargain too.

Mane had a year left on his contract and is 30 years old while Raphinha is 25 and has 2 years left on his contract.. Haaland had a release clause that activated after 2,5 years at Dortmund..

 

[fergus90]

What Barca has done in the last several years is buy players from European rivals rather than poaching them from the likes of Salzburg or Southampton whatever whilst they've got limited public spotlight and are still categorised as potential.

But lets be honest, the chances of Mane developing as he did at Liverpool had he joined Barca instead are very slim. You need the right culture and coaching staff at a club.

Clubs like Barca, United etc in recent years are the place where careers have come to die for one reason or another.

 

[serghei]

Of course.

That's why I think we should buy from Ligue 1, BL, Eredivisie,... and SELL to EPL not buy from their clubs.

True, but I can't fault Barca for not adopting a line of thinking of Dortmund and Arsenal. I have faith we're gonna survive Bartomeu and get back up at the top.

 

[ajnotkeith]

What Barca has done in the last several years is buy players from European rivals rather than poaching them from the likes of Salzburg or Southampton whatever whilst they've got limited public spotlight and are still categorised as potential.

But lets be honest, the chances of Mane developing as he did at Liverpool had he joined Barca instead are very slim. You need the right culture and coaching staff at a club.

Clubs like Barca, United etc in recent years are the place where careers have come to die for one reason or another.

5 words.

Square pegs in round holes.

 

[serghei]

What Barca has done in the last several years is buy players from European rivals rather than poaching them from the likes of Salzburg or Southampton whatever whilst they've got limited public spotlight and are still categorised as potential.

But lets be honest, the chances of Mane developing as he did at Liverpool had he joined Barca instead are very slim. You need the right culture and coaching staff at a club.

Clubs like Barca, United etc in recent years are the place where careers have come to die for one reason or another.

The problem is prices are going up at 2nd level teams too. So you can't really buy players from Southampton anymore for 20m. Any good potential player, even straight from Porto or Southampton, is gonna be 45-50m.

It's inflation in football. Money are worth less. Terrible time to have financial problems and rebuild a team considering not only you are low on funds, but the money you get are gonna bring you less quality.

If this goes on for long, we either drop as a B level club, or we sell part of the club to private investors. That's the trend.