[Fillipo Simone]

Nastasić who failed at Schalke? Would be a complete waste.

[William405]

Same difference. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)



Honestly, I don't think any of them used us. We made the €35 million offer to Porto for Jackson before anyone else, Porto accepted and then we agreed terms with Jackson. But we couldn't get him to sign the contract without undergoing a medical first, so we opted to wait for the Copa America to be over good on the deal we had with the player. Then, a few days later, Juve sign Mandzukic for €20 million. Now Atletico need a substitute, and they have about 2/3 of the money they'd need for Jackson from the Mandzukic sale. They contact the player, who prefers the Atletico project to ours, so he changes his mind. Porto don't give a damn where he goes as long as they pay the release clause. Bam, gone!

Same with Kondogbia. Everything agreed upon with both player and club, then Inter make their move at the last minute. Kondogbia gets a call from Mancini who wins him over. Apparently he's also an Inter supporter, so that could have played a role as well. Between similar offers, he accepts Inter. Bam, gone!

And Alves said he was gonna leave Barça way before he was linked with us. In fact, he was linked with many clubs, not just us, which is normal for a player who's about to become a free agent. If Barça agreed to his term afterwards doesn't mean he used us or any of the other clubs for that matter.

We're all just butthurt about how things went with Jackson and Kondogbia that we're making these things up about being used yada yada, but like I said, I really don't think we were used. There was genuine interest, only that later better options made themselves apparent and prevailed over our offers.



Jackson and Kondogbia are getting at Atletico and Inter similar money to what we would have offered them. They simply preferred them over us for various reasons. If Atletico had offered Jackson, say, €1.5 million, he would have chosen us without thinking twice. It goes: money > competitiveness > appeal/history. If you can match the first variable, then the second comes into play. And Atletico are much more competitive than us at the moment, so it's a no brainer Jackson would prefer them over us.

In Kondogbia's case, between us and Inter the two variables are the same (we both offered him similar wages, and we both come from failed seasons), so the third variable becomes relevant. And like I said, he just preferred Inter at the end of the day, because he finds them more appealing or something. Simple as.

I see you wrote a thesis about it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy.gif)

Completely agreed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/king.gif)

What do you guys think about Luiz Adriano? I remember him being pretty average, err. Although, we can get him for cheap according to football-italia since his contract is almost up.

[X-Offender]

Nastasić who failed at Schalke? Would be a complete waste.

If he failed, then why did they decide to buy him after his loan from City ended?

What do you guys think about Luiz Adriano? I remember him being pretty average, err. Although, we can get him for cheap according to football-italia since his contract is almost up.

He'd be fine as third choice, but then again, why did we bring back Niang? I would rather focus on signing Ibra, who papers in France yesterday have him on his way out of PSG.

[Danny]

There was genuine interest, only that later better options made themselves apparent and prevailed over our offers.

And like I said, he just preferred Inter at the end of the day, because he finds them more appealing or something. Simple as.

According to you, money talks.

But according to you, it doesn't.

Make your mind up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Danny]

He'd be fine as third choice, but then again, why did we bring back Niang? I would rather focus on signing Ibra, who papers in France yesterday have him on his way out of PSG.

One thing in Sini's defence, we might be ridiculing the fact we're in for 8 million strikers, but didn't a false 9 last season take on most of our goalscoring endeavours?

None of our strikers remotely performed - for whatever reasons, Destro, Torres, Pazzo etc all failed. Clearly we do need quality up front, which is probably why we're trying to bring in decent scorers.

[Fillipo Simone]

If he failed, then why did they decide to buy him after his loan from City ended?

Because they're Schalke. They needed a player like him badly, but he just couldn't do the trick.

Anyway, I expect a lots more links with various Serbian, Montenegrin, Croatian and Bosnian players in the future.

[han2503]

One thing in Sini's defence, we might be ridiculing the fact we're in for 8 million strikers, but didn't a false 9 last season take on most of our goalscoring endeavours?

None of our strikers remotely performed - for whatever reasons, Destro, Torres, Pazzo etc all failed. Clearly we do need quality up front, which is probably why we're trying to bring in decent scorers.

They didn't perform because they couldn't and if we do sign the 3 strikers Berlusconi wants and the midfield is left as is they'll also struggle (unless one of them is Ibra because that changes things a lot)

Re the Jovetic rumours, I'd take him but only if Ibra doesn't come. I think he's great, not overrated at all. His only problem is the injuries, and him + MilanLab and their recent record with injuries cannot be a good combination

Nastasic would also be a great addition, and probably more within our budget than Hummels or Laporte.

[Fillipo Simone]

Why are you all so convinced Nastasić is great? What makes him so great?

[han2503]

Why are you all so convinced Nastasić is great? What makes him so great?

Isn't he the one who played for Fiorentina?

I was always impressed by him, I'd personally prefer him over someone like Maksimovic who we're also linked with

I think in defence we're going for one modest signing and one big signing. Nastasic could be considered a big signing. He's not on the same level as Hummels for sure, but he's a very good defender imo

[Fillipo Simone]

Hmh, I find it very strange, your excitement. I sure as hell wouldn't compare him to Hummels nor would I say he'd be a big signing. Just like Zapata, who was considered actually great by his past Udinese days, this would be a mistake. But unlike him, you got nothing to prove your conviction that he'd be great. One good Fiorentina season? We must me aware that Nastasić never pulled off a full playing season, he's injury-prone and not reliable if you ask me.

[X-Offender]

According to you, money talks.

But according to you, it doesn't.

Make your mind up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

You should have paid closer attention to what I wrote. I said it goes money > competitiveness > appeal/history. In Jackson's case, Atletico offered him the same money we did, so he chose the more competitive option. That's why I said if they had offered him much less money he'd have chosen us instead.

Whereas for Kondogbia, again, Inter offered him a similar contract, and given that both us and Inter are pretty much on the same level in terms of competitiveness, he chose the more appealing option, which for him was Inter.

I think in defence we're going for one modest signing and one big signing. Nastasic could be considered a big signing. He's not on the same level as Hummels for sure, but he's a very good defender imo

Actually, I think we're going only for one CB. Can't see us signing two.

Hmh, I find it very strange, your excitement. I sure as hell wouldn't compare him to Hummels nor would I say he'd be a big signing. Just like Zapata, who was considered actually great by his past Udinese days, this would be a mistake. But unlike him, you got nothing to prove your conviction that he'd be great. One good Fiorentina season? We must me aware that Nastasić never pulled off a full playing season, he's injury-prone and not reliable if you ask me.

Why do you say he failed? Did he make several blunders/mistakes? Was he so bad in defense? Because even for a team like Schalke, I can't see them spending €10 million on a player they had on loan if he failed to perform for them.

[Fillipo Simone]

Let me start with a counter answer - if he's so good and they went to break their bank for him why are they ready to sell him right now? Isn't this constant transferring and moving around for a defenders quite indicative of his ability?

He didn't make exactly big blunders with Schalke, he just didn't play well. Sure, part of the time he spent as a DM, which surely isn't his preferable position. But overall he wasn't satisfactory, in a league where defensive players ain't that good overall.

And look, I'm not saying Nastasić is the worst defender of all time or that he's the next Mesbah. But what I don't get from you guys is how you can be so excited about him, knowing that in reality you've seen him just for one season, years and injuries ago.

[X-Offender]

We don't know that Schalke want to sell him, just that we're interested in him. And that's all speculation.

Personally, I don't know him very well, only that he's regarded a young, talented defender. Could very well be totally wrong about him.

[nuh]

http://www.whoscored.com/Players/91200/Show/Matija-Nastasic seems like he had a good season and hasn't played as a dmc last season

[han2503]

Hmh, I find it very strange, your excitement. I sure as hell wouldn't compare him to Hummels nor would I say he'd be a big signing. Just like Zapata, who was considered actually great by his past Udinese days, this would be a mistake. But unlike him, you got nothing to prove your conviction that he'd be great. One good Fiorentina season? We must me aware that Nastasić never pulled off a full playing season, he's injury-prone and not reliable if you ask me.

Excitement isn't the word I'd use. But he's certainly more appealing than the Serie A CBs we're getting linked with (Maksimovic/Glik)

And yes, I'm motly basing my opinion of Nastasic on his season at Fiorentina, because that's where I've seen him play regulary, don't know how he did at Shalke or City

Actually, I think we're going only for one CB. Can't see us signing two.

Well Rami is reportedly close to joining Sevila according Spanish papers
Mexes atm is a free agent as we haven't renewed his contract yet so he's also up in the air.
Bonera won't renew
I think Zaccardo will be offloaded
Bochetti's loan in finished
And if an offer comes for Zapata and/or Alex they will accept it


So that doesn't leave us with that many choices in defence. I think 2 CBs will be a necessity, not a choice