2014/2015 Football transfers thread.. Yeh it's that time again folks..

[Ybbon]

Can't remember if it was the Telegraph saying super-Mario to Arsenal? but silly season right now, no way Arsene would do anything any way until his contract is settled, he's always been firm on that kind of thing.

[Halie Satanus]

Oh god yeh, I remember that surfacing before the season was over, put it down a some hack sniffing to many pub lunches, a Panini sticker album and a pin.

Not many new rumours today, it's Fri so the hacks are in the pub by lunch time and not coming back..
Mario Mandzukic to Chelsea now.
Everyone is talking to Kouyaté
Everyone is talking to Dele Alli.
LVG wants Toni Kroos, Luke Shaw, Thomas Müller, Mats Hummels and Arjen Robben for starters.
'Rocket Ray the Romford Pele' has urge Wenger to snap up Benzema. Well done ray, sharp as a tack..

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Also seeing T. Hazard to Liverpool today. And if that Balotelli transfer happens I'll figuratively eat my hat. No way.

[Halie Satanus]

A'yup. We need someone better then Giroud. Balotelli is not the guy..

T Hazard another Chelsea we don't want him but you can't have him. They won't sell to Liverpool, loan deal maybe but unlikely..

Liverpool to make double swoop for Lalana and Lovern. As well as Xherdan Shaqiri (Bayern Munich) and Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea)..
Rogers states he wants quality not quantity. - Southampton become the new Chelsea and Liverpool the new Spuds.. Shame to see Southampton become a victim of their own success. Relegation fodder next season I suspect..

Newcastle give up on Loic Remy and target - wait for it - Darren Bent...

Arsenal keeping tabs on Salomon Kalou - Just, don't...

Paulinho - says he want to stay at Spuds and will not be moving to Chelsea.. No ambition at all that lad..
Alex Song - Part ex for Luiz - I can't remember his face... Dead to me..

[sabaku_no_gaara]

Dortmund is apparently highly interested in Dennis Praet from RSC Anderlecht

[Treva ★]

So today sees the announcement of two big signings;
'Costa' to Chelsea. £32m

Hmmmm. Should be more than that, but doesn't pay for even half of Atlético's unpaid taxes.

[Ferdiad]

Costa pulled his hammie, wonder if that will drive down the price.

[Halie Satanus]

Players tend to know when an injury is bad, Costa looked devastated..

[lolIsuck]

Players tend to know when an injury is bad, Costa looked devastated..

Well it was only 10 minutes into the most important match of the season so that's expectable.

[Treva ★]

He has more recovery tiem than usual, for the next league season, but he'll be fretting over the World Cup.

[Petrucci]

Dammit Halie! I thought you made this thread because I reminded you in EPL one and was so delighted that I wanted to rep you even though somehow I couldn't. So I spread of reputation on some other post only to find out I still can't do it because I reached day limit.

I've not checked the rumour mill today, I'm surprised Di Maria is the only one.

Oh wait!! We're going back for 'Carlos Vela' too, aparently we've activated a 'buy back' clause in his contract for the paultry sum of £3m..

Can't see us getting Di Maria. even if money wasn't an issue he's more likely to move to City to team up with Aguero (who is his bezzie mate)..

In other news.
Lukaku to Atletico in part exchange for Costa.
Whammers in for Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback.
Luiz to Barca.
Southampton hold out for £25m for Lalana from Liverpool.

We will see about Di Maria would be great, though you like to have selfish son of a in your team (hi RVP)
Lukaku deal sounds good although I would be hard for me to start liking Costa again.
No way we are giving the best wig in England to the short Catalonians. Back off his ours.
El presidente watched Thorgan last game on stadium and invited him to summer tour, looks pretty serious to me. And it would be rude to separate brothers that long.
Btw did you know T got best player of the league award?

[Halie Satanus]

He has more recovery tiem than usual, for the next league season, but he'll be fretting over the World Cup.

Champions League final next week. He's almost certainly going to miss that too. And if he does go the Chelsea he's not going to get another shot at that.. Though I suspect the move to Chelsea will fall through now, I can't see Chelsea buying an injured player and can't see them waiting for him to get fit while the transfer market moves on.

Btw did you know T got best player of the league award?

I know Thorgan Hazard was my secret weapon in my last FiFA 14 campaign. He had some crazy stats..

[Ybbon]

Thread stickied until EPL kicks off.

In news no=one is surprised at, Sagna opened talks with Man City, Cole is leaving Chelsea and Yaya is throwing his toys out the pram and coming over all gangsta because nobody wished him happy birthday - allegedly he feels "disrespected" - oh get over yourself, your 31 for heavens sake, it't just a birthday. Numpty. He'd get a whole lot more disrespect from a lot more people if he actually leaves because of that.

[Halie Satanus]

Will be very disappointed if Sagna goes to City. There's plenty of clubs that will give him the kind of contract he wants. Should Wenger give it to him, I'm not sure. Great as he is 3 years is a long time for a 31 year old player on huge wages.

I was stunned reading the Yaya story today. Sounds to me like he has such a great life and is so happy with everything that his agent has had to manufacture something, anything! to get him a pay bump after city won the title.

Van Gaal given £150m to rebuild Utd. Top his list is (apparently) Fabregas at around £40m. It would be a sad sad day if that happened. But to be honest I don't see Barca selling him, he hasn't had the best time there but he hasn't had the worst either. Are Barca looking for a scape goat, maybe. But fan power seems to mean something at Barca and I think they still love him..

Expect Van Gaal - Utd to dominate the transfer news over the summer. Which could prove a good thing for the rest of the world while Utd overpay for players the rest of us might get some deals made without to much press attention..

Micha Richards to Arsenal - Been touted a few times in the past but it looks like the big defender is trying to make it a reality.

Liverpool closing in on Emre Kan for around £10m from Leverkusen..

Evra to Juve looks on.

And the big one; Iniesta to Arsenal or City. I think we can guess which way that will go.. But not sure if we would want him, we have that role more than covered and would such a big name just mess with the team spirit.. Hmm...

[Ybbon]

According to the Telegraphs list, looks like Utd fans best get learning a few handy German phrases - über 'ere Sohn, auf meinen Kopf will work as a starter

[Treva ★]

Barcelona are getting rid of Andrés Iniesta? wtf?

[torongill]

Barcelona are getting rid of Andrés Iniesta? wtf?

I know it's silly season and apparently that gives the English... journalists reporters "morons who get paid to write something, anything!!!" a blank cheque, but seriously, even silly season rumours are supposed to be in shouting distance with reality.

Barcelona made Iniesta the second-best paid player on the roster and prolonged his contract to 2018 and you think they'll get rid of him?

[Halie Satanus]

I think that story actually started in Spain. English journalists don't exactly have a monopoly on silly season..

Didn't he say recently 'A lot of things have/are changing at Barca.' Last season it would have seemed unlikely that Pep would ever leave, why would he. But he did. Iniesta is what 31? now. Maybe he's looking for one big last move. Contracts are pretty meaningless these days.. Who knows...

[torongill]

I think that story actually started in Spain. English journalists don't exactly have a monopoly on silly season..

Didn't he say recently 'A lot of things have/are changing at Barca.' Last season it would have seemed unlikely that Pep would ever leave, why would he. But he did. Iniesta is what 31? now. Maybe he's looking for one big last move. Contracts are pretty meaningless these days.. Who knows...

Not one of the four sport newspapers have printed out anything about it. Not even "AS", who would put it on their front page with three-inch letter for a week if there was even a shred of something even remotely resembling truth.

Why? Because they don't want to be ridiculed. English tabloid journalism doesn't have that necessity, because its "reputation" is that "no rumour is too wild", "no news is too ridiculous".

It's the equivalent of Napoleonic era musketry battalion volleys: Aiming doesn't count. If you just blaze away in the general direction of the enemy long enough and fast enough, you will hit something.

[Halie Satanus]

It's the equivalent of Napoleonic era musketry battalion volleys: Aiming doesn't count. If you just blaze away in the general direction of the enemy long enough and fast enough, you will hit something.

Wenger employs the same tactic when he's looking through Ligue 2 for strikers. I believe a blindfold and a pin are involved..