Adama Traore - CONFIRMED

[SashasGrandad]

Breaking on Sky now. Deal expected to be completed tomorrow

Much as I hate puns, tomarrow you say?

It may (darling buds of) take a little Thyme but should bear fruit eventually

[frank black]

I predict some Delph type thread for this chap in a season or twos time.

Will we know his buy back price until it happens?

[Edvard Remberg]

FFS - Villa messes up with player leaving before he signs! New Record (at least Unsworth signed first)

[PaulWinch again]

I predict some Delph type thread for this chap in a season or twos time.

Will we know his buy back price until it happens?

It's a bit different. It's not like the buy back clause isn't something we're aware of in this case. Also it seems quite standard practice for Barca to insist on a buy back clause. If they choose to activate it he will have done brilliantly for us.

[SashasGrandad]

He looks like he's great on the ball and a good runner. Be an interesting signing and could arrive today.

Let's hope he doesn't get injured otherwise he would have bean a good runner.

[LeeS]

I predict some Delph type thread for this chap in a season or twos time.

Will we know his buy back price until it happens?

It's a bit different. It's not like the buy back clause isn't something we're aware of in this case. Also it seems quite standard practice for Barca to insist on a buy back clause. If they choose to activate it he will have done brilliantly for us.

Exactly - a buy back clause is better than a general buy-out clause. At least it is only the best team in the world who can activate it and not Liverpool and their ilk.

[Eckybloke]

Exactly - a buy back clause is better than a general buy-out clause. At least it is only the best team in the world who can activate it and not Liverpool and their ilk.

We will come to regret it when we meet them in the Champions League Final and he rips us apart.  Will we be happy to say "Ah look at the wonderful development job we finished"?

[themossman]

Let's face it, if it turns out to be a glorified loan of one of Barca's bright young talents for a couple of seasons, on top of what we've already signed, it's still a good deal for us. Don't forget we almost get relegated every season!

[Dave]

I predict some Delph type thread for this chap in a season or twos time.

Will we know his buy back price until it happens?

It's a bit different. It's not like the buy back clause isn't something we're aware of in this case. Also it seems quite standard practice for Barca to insist on a buy back clause. If they choose to activate it he will have done brilliantly for us.

Although if they activate it, it doesn't necessarily mean that they think he is good enough for them - it could just as easily mean that they can sell him on for more than the buy-back-clause. So if it's set at £8m and somebody is willing to pay £10m for him, then they just buy him off us and sell him on.

Either way though you're right - they're not going to bother if he ends up spending the next three years in our reserves.

[Brend'Watkins]

Let's face it, if it turns out to be a glorified loan of one of Barca's bright young talents for a couple of seasons, on top of what we've already signed, it's still a good deal for us. Don't forget we almost get relegated every season!

If you think about it, it only makes sense playing for the likes of us rather than a top 6 side.  He will be a regular for us getting plenty of high level game time.  In a top six side he'd be in and out which wouldn't be great for his development. 

I wouldn't mind having such special arrangements with Barca, at least up until we got to their level.

[themossman]

Yes I think it is probably as close to a win-win as you get in the realm of football transfers.

[themossman]

Thinking about this logically, given the big range of fees doing the rounds, would it be better if we paid more (on the basis that the buy back amount will presumably be higher again, so he would have to be another level up for it to be exercised?) I can see a heck of a lot of areas for negotiation with this kind of deal.

[PaulWinch again]

I predict some Delph type thread for this chap in a season or twos time.

Will we know his buy back price until it happens?

It's a bit different. It's not like the buy back clause isn't something we're aware of in this case. Also it seems quite standard practice for Barca to insist on a buy back clause. If they choose to activate it he will have done brilliantly for us.

Although if they activate it, it doesn't necessarily mean that they think he is good enough for them - it could just as easily mean that they can sell him on for more than the buy-back-clause. So if it's set at £8m and somebody is willing to pay £10m for him, then they just buy him off us and sell him on.

Either way though you're right - they're not going to bother if he ends up spending the next three years in our reserves.

Yeah that's true, but I suppose even in that scenario is value would have had to have increased to make that deal worthwhile to them. Obviously I hope the buy back clause is significantly more than we pay, but if it's a choice between a buy back clause and not having him I know which I'll pick and I'm sure we all agree on that.

[nuninho]

Take it the Barca transfer embargo is just on players in then?

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

If we're offering a three year deal with a fourth year at "our" choice, surely a buy back clause would only kick in after the fourth year, assuming he's good enough to keep that long?