Aymeric Laporte

[xavi_the_Boss]

Laporte was very erratic last season. Lucho clearly wanted a bit more experience at the back and Mathieu did a good job at CB.

Was Laportes buy out not around 35m? With taxes on top around 45m.

Mathieu and Vermaelen together were about 28m I think.

Wasn´t Mathieu 20M and Vermaelen atleast 10 which could go up to 15M?

 

[JamDav1982]

Wasn´t Mathieu 20M and Vermaelen atleast 10 which could go up to 15M?

Yeah I had 18m in my head for Mathieu but 20m is correct.

Vermaelen is around 10m rising but 10m paid so far.

Laporte was average last season and had a lot of bad games, more than any Barca CB did. He will of course go on to be a very good player but it would have been a big gamble to sign him and not what Lucho was looking for it seemed.

 

[Barcaman]

Mathieu paid off his fee with a Clasico header. Not to mention he's been rock solid for most of the last season.

 

[Albo]

Mathieu paid off his fee with a Clasico header. Not to mention he's been rock solid for most of the last season.

+ Celta header.

 

[frog-fcb]

Is there not some sort of gentlemans agreement that we wont buy players from athletic bilbao

 

[xavi_the_Boss]

Is there not some sort of gentlemans agreement that we wont buy players from athletic bilbao

No.I think Zubi didn´t want to but don´t know if that was true.

 

[JamDav1982]

Is there not some sort of gentlemans agreement that we wont buy players from athletic bilbao

No. Why would that be the case?

 

[DonAK]

No. Why would that be the case?

Since Zubi worked for Athletic Bilbao before, it was speculated he didn't want to get involved in any hostile situations with them.

 

[JamDav1982]

Since Zubi worked for Athletic Bilbao before, it was speculated he didn't want to get involved in any hostile situations with them.

I remember hearing that but dont believe it was case and that is different from a 'gentlemans agreement' that Barca wont buy players from them.

Barca have been linked to a fair number of their players just hasnt happened.

 

[frog-fcb]

Have we ever signed anyone from them.

 

[Jamie Cal]

I'd agree, JamDav, but Bilbao in general were all over the place last season. Where you can get away with having a bad game for Barca, not the case with a team who had to change with Herrera leaving. And he's been pretty great this season so far.

Athletic are just notoriously horrible to deal with (as they should be), it's pay the buy out or get lost.

 

[Jamie Cal]

How different things coulda been if we didn't take the cheap option in Alex Song and got Javi Martinez. *sigh*

 

[JamDav1982]

Have we ever signed anyone from them.

Ezquerro was free from them and that would have been against Bilbaos wishes he went.

 

[Barcaman]

Have we ever signed anyone from them.

Zubizarreta

 

[JamDav1982]

I'd agree, JamDav, but Bilbao in general were all over the place last season. Where you can get away with having a bad game for Barca, not the case with a team who had to change with Herrera leaving. And he's been pretty great this season so far.

Athletic are just notoriously horrible to deal with (as they should be), it's pay the buy out or get lost.

Barcelona defenders are some of the most exposed in football. I dont agree it is a team where poor defenders can get away with things. Just look at this season and how poor the defenders have been and the result of that.

Being a Barca CB is tougher than any other club in my opinion and Laporte last season had a lot of games that his positioning was awful and he got exposed. That would only have been worse at Barca.