2023 Summer transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[Matt C]

Convenient that the night the Newcastle owners cough up £38m for Barnes they are lobbing more money at a rivals target. Even if he chooses Villa, they've pushed us way over the odds

Aside, I think Barnes is decent and wouldn’t have objected him to winding up here but 38m seems like… a lot.

[Dogtanian]

I think Barnes was there for us if we wanted.

[jwarry]

I think Barnes was there for us if we wanted.

Yeh I get that feeling too.  Not what Unai is looking for

[OCD]

Convenient that the Saudi club is paying for SM exactly what Newcastle need for Barnes.

[jwarry]

Convenient that the Saudi club is paying for SM exactly what Newcastle need for Barnes.

I suppose some good may come out of all of this, FFP might need to be scrapped?!?  Come to think of it how come FFP doesn’t apply to Saudi clubs?

[Ian.]

Convenient that the Saudi club is paying for SM exactly what Newcastle need for Barnes.

I suppose some good may come out of all of this, FFP might need to be scrapped?!?  Come to think of it how come FFP doesn’t apply to Saudi clubs?

When you have the amount of money they have, there is no such thing as rules it would seem.

[Dave]

Convenient that the Saudi club is paying for SM exactly what Newcastle need for Barnes.

I suppose some good may come out of all of this, FFP might need to be scrapped?!?  Come to think of it how come FFP doesn’t apply to Saudi clubs?

Because rules set by the European body apply to clubs in their jurisdiction, not outside it. Villa don't follow rules that CAF or CONCACAF set for clubs in their region either.

Al-Nassr don't really need to worry about their participation in the Champions League.

[enigma]

Convenient that the Saudi club is paying for SM exactly what Newcastle need for Barnes.

I suppose some good may come out of all of this, FFP might need to be scrapped?!?  Come to think of it how come FFP doesn’t apply to Saudi clubs?

FFP is a UEFA thing. It's not worldwide.

[enigma]

Convenient that the Saudi club is paying for SM exactly what Newcastle need for Barnes.

I suppose some good may come out of all of this, FFP might need to be scrapped?!?  Come to think of it how come FFP doesn’t apply to Saudi clubs?

Because rules set by the European body apply to clubs in their jurisdiction, not outside it. Villa don't follow rules that CAF or CONCACAF set for clubs in their region either.

Al-Nassr don't really need to worry about their participation in the Champions League.

Although apparently joining the Champions League is the end goal for the Saudis. I suppose if the Israeli clubs can then it's not beyond the realms of possibilty.

[algy]

Convenient that the Saudi club is paying for SM exactly what Newcastle need for Barnes.

I suppose some good may come out of all of this, FFP might need to be scrapped?!?  Come to think of it how come FFP doesn’t apply to Saudi clubs?

Because rules set by the European body apply to clubs in their jurisdiction, not outside it. Villa don't follow rules that CAF or CONCACAF set for clubs in their region either.

Al-Nassr don't really need to worry about their participation in the Champions League.

Although apparently joining the Champions League is the end goal for the Saudis. I suppose if the Israeli clubs can then it's not beyond the realms of possibilty.

Without sinking too deeply into the politics of the whole thing, I think the reasons for Israel being in UEFA rather than the AFC are rather linked to countries like Saudi Arabia not being in them.

[VillaTim]

The House of Saud will probably force a merger in football like they have in golf with LIV and the PGA

[jwarry]

The House of Saud will probably force a merger in football like they have in golf with LIV and the PGA

That has to be their end game

[Risso]

As I said before though, it's not directly comparable. Golf is a game for individuals, so if they get say, 20 of the top 40 players in the world to sign up, they've taken over half the sport in no time at all. Golfers also don't have fans of one player who take over a whole golf course just to watch that player. Golfers also just carry on playing most of their games on the same courses around the world that they did before.

To get anywhere close to that in football they'd have to take on FIFA, UEFA, and the incredibly powerful English, Spanish, Italian, German and French leagues, with a lot of teams in there who aren't short of a bob or two themselves. So sure, they're picking off a few players at the moment, and their league may actually become half decent after a few years, but I don't see how that leads to a pathway to them getting any more of a toehold in European football.

[rob_bridge]

The House of Saud will probably force a merger in football like they have in golf with LIV and the PGA

That has to be their end game

Looks like it from where I stand

[VillaTim]

As I said before though, it's not directly comparable. Golf is a game for individuals, so if they get say, 20 of the top 40 players in the world to sign up, they've taken over half the sport in no time at all. Golfers also don't have fans of one player who take over a whole golf course just to watch that player. Golfers also just carry on playing most of their games on the same courses around the world that they did before.

To get anywhere close to that in football they'd have to take on FIFA, UEFA, and the incredibly powerful English, Spanish, Italian, German and French leagues, with a lot of teams in there who aren't short of a bob or two themselves. So sure, they're picking off a few players at the moment, and their league may actually become half decent after a few years, but I don't see how that leads to a pathway to them getting any more of a toehold in European football.

true but they are also buying up clubs in Europe etc now so their sphere of influence is growing. Plus we know FIFA UEFA etc can easily be bought by bags of cash