The January New Manager Warchest Transfer Thread

[pauliewalnuts]

Balague is a wanker.

[pauliewalnuts]

Oh, no, hang on, I'm confusing him with that ****** Marcotti. He's the wanker.

[Toronto Villa]

You’d think from what Balague says we were looking to sign a 39 year old Coutinho not 29. Unless he’s got rickets or suffered some sort of lower body paralysis I think he’ll be just fine. Because the Coutinho I saw in 2018, literally only three and a bit years ago was fucking incredible.

[Toronto Villa]

From Fabrizio Romano

New direct contact today between Aston Villa and Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho loan deal. Buy option to be discussed - and no obligation. 🤝🇧🇷 #AVFC

Deal progressing as Coutinho is prepared to leave - still something to be resolved on salary. Negotiations will continue today.

https://twitter.com/fabrizioromano/status/1479288546670301185?s=21

[sid1964]

listening to the Brazillian football expert on SKY yesterday - Tim Vickery? he said that Coutinho was always going to fail at Barcelona as he was not a Barcelona type of footballer??

This reminds me of when we signed Ginola, who was once a great player but was on the decline by the time he joined us, I just hope that if we do sign him, that the club have looked at Coutinho to see what he can bring to the team, and has he still got the drive and determination to be a top player in the premier league, and that he is not joining us just because he is Gerrard's mate.

IF this goes tits up then Gerrard will have a lot of questions to answer to the owners who will be wondering if they can trust his judgement in the transfer market, obviously if Coutinho is a success then Gerrard will be a genius!

Salary for Coutinho is supposedly between an astonishing £250 - £300k a week, we will need to sell a lot of shirts in the club shop to pay for his wages!

[manic-road]

From Fabrizio Romano

New direct contact today between Aston Villa and Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho loan deal. Buy option to be discussed - and no obligation. 🤝🇧🇷 #AVFC

Deal progressing as Coutinho is prepared to leave - still something to be resolved on salary. Negotiations will continue today.

https://twitter.com/fabrizioromano/status/1479288546670301185?s=21

Fabrizio Romano is normally pretty reliable.

[Monty]

We signed Ginola when he was 33, the equivalent of 36 now, and anyway he was good but he wasn't a patch on Coutinho whose talent is the absolutely real effin deal.

[Mister E]

Balague on BBC Sport.

"... To go into the Premier League, with the pace and intensity - something he has been missing with his lack of playing time - I don't see him succeeding."

That's exactly where my thinking has been all along: I don't not welcome him, I just think the game has moved on in the short time he's been elsewhere.

[Ian.]

We’ve seen Man Utd take these gambles on players at the later end of their career, Sheringham, Cantona and more recently Ibrahimović  and Cavani and no matter their age class just oozes out of these players.

Paul McGrath was nearly 30 if I remember right and so was Merson.

[ozzjim]

He was last here in what, 2016?? I don't think it's changed that much to be fair. The press is slightly harder from some sides, but small, technically gifted players thrive in the prem because they are that bit sharper. I think Gerrard only gambles on him if he truly believes he gets him back near his best. He's 29, not 33. Let's face it, if he comes for 18 months were giving him 6 to settle.

[Jon Crofts]

The best thing about all this? It’s not Todd Cantwell.

[WassallVillain]

We’ve seen Man Utd take these gambles on players at the later end of their career, Sheringham, Cantona and more recently Ibrahimović  and Cavani and no matter their age class just oozes out of these players.

The players you mention were and are highly driven. My fear is that Coutinho great as he has been in the past has gone into cruise mode.

[Ian.]

That’s probably the biggest gamble but Gerrard must know this player better than us, a former teammate and hopefully can decide on this.

[PaulWinch again]

Balague on BBC Sport.

"... To go into the Premier League, with the pace and intensity - something he has been missing with his lack of playing time - I don't see him succeeding."

That's exactly where my thinking has been all along: I don't not welcome him, I just think the game has moved on in the short time he's been elsewhere.

Maybe, but frankly at his potential level and profile it’s worth the risk.

[andyh]

We’ve seen Man Utd take these gambles on players at the later end of their career, Sheringham, Cantona and more recently Ibrahimović  and Cavani and no matter their age class just oozes out of these players.

Paul McGrath was nearly 30 if I remember right and so was Merson.

Great point.