"and can slot in at right-back if required" - close season transfer banter 2014

*found

Lampard has signed for NYCFC btw

phew thank fuck for that

they're not in the MLS til 2015. You'll get him on loan

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpEpaYkIMAA-0PW.jpg

God I would love it if LFC signed Cesc. Not holding out much hope mind you.

it seems like pretty much everyone else is rejecting him

Diego Costa achieving full heel status

so costa koke tiago and the left back (forgotten his name) all going

and david villa

Really hope LFC aren't about to fork out £16m for Alberto Moreno. From the few games I saw him in the Europa League he was p rash and positionally suspect. We really don't need a left footed Kyle Walker.

Spurs are rumoured to have offered £7m in cash, Etienne Capoue and Soldado on loan for the season, which i hope isn't true.

End Emre Can is signing for Liverpool, apparently.

"And"

Cesc going to Chelsea would be/is worse than RvP to United :(

Milner at RB for England is the clearest sign yet of the thread title's zeitgeisty appeal.

xp yeah, never thought i'd say this but i honestly feel kinda sickened on gooners behalf

what a monumentally horrible decision

World Cup 2014: Wayne Rooney 'happy to play any position'

it's happening...

Barca have all but signed Rakitic apparently

Fabregas :(

Chelsea have Oscar and Hazard so they don't really need him either do they Arsene? But they'll have him and be better for it. The best and worst thing about Wenger is his showing so much faith in his players and not being more of a ruthless cunt so we don't regret it when they all get injured and the midfield is just Flamini and Diaby. Wenger insists on having a squad so small it can't really compete with the other big teams unless absolutely nobody gets injured, so hopefully he will spend the transfer budget on a magic wand, a robot Diaby and Thierry Henry's ghost

you mean a magic sponge obv

A really big one tho

Like a huge bed or a trampoline or something

like Gary doherty

Dreary career move but Fabregas plays a bit deeper than either Oscar or Hazard and is capable of knitting a midfield together in a way that neither of those players really are. Chelsea have lacked a player for years who can join up their defensive midfielders with their attacking players, which explains why they've been relying on Lampard for so long, and why they've not been great at retaining the ball.

Fabregas plays as a striker, Matt

he has done for the past few years but he has the skillset to go back to a deeper role

not at Chelsea he won't xp

Yeah I'd be very surprised if Chelsea played him that far forward given the balance of their current squad.

I was just joking!

He can play anywhere really. Except at Barcelona apparently, the indisciplined goon

NN otm. he would have been a fantastic upgrade on Arteta, who last season was quite poor very often. Even from the other more attacking options - Rosicky is a decent backup but old, Wilshere is injury prone and has regressed, Cazorla is 30, Ozil is talented but can be quiet and was run into the ground last season. The decision to tell Cesc/Barcelona that we're not interested seems to stem from arrogance and hurt pride from Wenger.

That's what a premier league education does for a lad

Sad that Barca can't make it work with him after all that nonsense, its not like Xavi is young anymore. If he has to go there hopefully Mourinho will crush his soul like so many others, but Fabregas and Costa seems like a pretty scary combo on it's own without even taking in to account Hazard, Oscar etc

imagine if cesc came back and actually killed diaby, what a double boost

Didn't Fabregas always want to play the same role as Pep? This why he had the number 4 iirc etc. It's his dream role! What do Arsenal have there? Arteta? Flamini? Wilshere at a push?

I will never understand Arsene seemingly turning his nose up at quality players, then running all his best players in to the ground and bemoaning injuries and depth

I saw Diaby make it through the warm up last season, it was a sight to behold

Like necromancy

i presume he's p pissed over cesc's final year and the stink that whole thing bought about, made the whole club look bad etc.

Milner at RB for England is the clearest sign yet of the thread title's zeitgeisty appeal.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 5 June 2014 13:00 Bookmark

“Milly slotted in fine at right-back,” said Jones. “He looked a natural. He’s a terrific player with great energy up and down that wing. He’s an important player for England. People think you can just go and slot in there, but it’s not as easy as that. But he did a great job.

“I’m happy to play there if necessary. I’ll play anywhere and do my best for the team.”

Looking forward to Milner montage after England bravely exit, soundtracked by 'A Milli'

^ slot-shaming

I know nothing will really happen until after he leaves the dutch team but does anyone else get a similar vibe from transfer rumours that utd had last summer? "we want x, oh actually we dont" "we have xxx million to spend, but hes a bit too much" "we need six superstar players, but we arent in for cesc, kroos etc."

Sure he could come in and kick shit up but this seems like it has potential for more lols.

Bit of nervousness talking there. I suspect there isn't as much money available as is being claimed, but equally I very much doubt that Van Gaal has used the phrase "superstar players". There's always one or two names bandied about every summer who do see their values preposterously inflated because they're linked with every big side in Europe and they usually end up going to PSG/Chelsea/City, who of course their agents have been tarting them to all along.

United can't compete with that lot (neither can Arsenal frankly). But they can trade on Van Gaal's name, his knowledge of young players, and a bit of vestigial Man United cache. Better for Van Gaal to buy sensibly, probably players who are on the cusp of becoming superstars, rather than this summer's universally-reported big transfer targets.

http://i.imgur.com/HhsFAJh.gif newcastle sign colback http://i.imgur.com/HhsFAJh.gif

Better for Van Gaal to buy sensibly, probably players who are on the cusp of becoming superstars, rather than this summer's universally-reported big transfer targets.

― Matt DC, Monday, June 9, 2014 9:44 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark

OTM

I don't give any credence to the big names being bandied about, and I have every confidence Van Gaal knows who he wants and will get them. Still wouldn't mind one superstar though

isn't that the ideal for everyone bar Madrid tho.

slot shaming a+

well it might be the ideal for most teams but it's what I think Van Gaal will actually do. Moyesy's been running his mouth about how he basically had a deal in place for Kroos, was working on Fabregas, Pogba etc. Which is all well and good but I certainly wouldn't have trusted him to get the best out of those players

or indeed to have signed them

Charlie Adam ‏@Charlie26Adam
Another good signing today for @stokecity with @sjsidwell.

allegedly we're getting another Spurs loanee here in Chicago, Cameron Lancaster -- looks like he hasn't done anything, whoopee

interestingly un-Jackett-like signing

http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2014/06/10/wolves-sign-heerenveen-winger-rajiv-van-la-parra/

Have Charlie Adam and Steve Sidwell ever played together? It feels like they must have.