Transfer: Winter Transfer Thread

[Evilo]

Julien Laurens suggested yesterday that not even PSG can afford all three of Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi - as much as they'd like to. Is that just him, or is that a more common thought?

They can, the problem is the FFP.
If Messi asks for the moon it'll be tough.
But keep in mind they didn't spend last summer. And Di Maria is leaving (and Draxler).

 

[Savi]

Aster Vranckx (18) from KV Mechelen to Wolfsburg at the end of the season. €8m plus (unknown) bonusses

One of the brightest young prospects of Belgian football

 

[cgf]

Aster Vranckx (18) from KV Mechelen to Wolfsburg at the end of the season. €8m plus (unknown) bonusses

One of the brightest young prospects of Belgian football

If he's more of a Tielemans than a Mangala, he should get every opportunity there. VFL's very well organized against the ball and have capable destroyers in their midfield, but their only way to reliably progress the ball in possession has been through their fullbacks...luckily for the German NT, as they are getting Baku a lot of valuable experience, quickly.

Their attackers would still be too weak for a genuine challenge for one of the CL-spots...despite Brekalo finally starting to ascend & Weghorst having started this season on fire...but adding a creative midfielder to better connect them in possession could unlock a lot for FC VW; if that's the kind of player Vranckx profiles to become.

 

[VEGASKING]

 

[Savi]

If he's more of a Tielemans than a Mangala, he should get every opportunity there. VFL's very well organized against the ball and have capable destroyers in their midfield, but their best way to reliably progress the balls has been through their fullbacks...luckily for the German NT, as they are getting Baku a lot of valuable experience, quickly.

Their attackers would still be too weak for a genuine challenge for one of the CL-spots...despite Brekalo finally starting to ascend & Weghorst having started this season on fire...but adding a creative midfielder to better connect them in possession could unlock a lot for FC VW.

He's not really a creative midfielder, in terms of other Belgian players he's much closer to Moussa Dembele than to Tielemans

 

[robertmac43]

Szob to Arsenal would be a great Christmas present from the club! Ticks many boxes for Arteta's side.

 

[cgf]

He's not really a creative midfielder, in terms of other Belgian players he's much closer to Moussa Dembele than to Tielemans

That's less interesting for BuLi fans hoping to see Wolfsburg start playing more attractive football lol, but should be good for him. They know what they're doing wrt developing deeper midfielders...it's those creative types & attackers that they've struggled to develop/find. Guilavogui isn't getting any younger and though both Schlager & Arnold are very capable, neither is an insurmountable challenge for top young talent; so the minutes should be there as soon as the kid's settled in & ready to claim them.

Does he look to have the potential to be anywhere near as good of a dribbler as Dembele was at his peak, or were you referring more to his play against the ball? He may have never figured out what to do in the final third, but I loved prime-Dembele as a presser and press-breaking ball-carrier.

 

[cgf]

Szob to Arsenal would be a great Christmas present from the club! Ticks many boxes for Arteta's side.

I'm ok with this as long as we get Messi to fill in for Kruse.

FWIW all of the german reporting I've read has said that if he leaves in this window it'll be for Leipzig; it's if he stays with Salzburg until the summer that a non-RB-destination will be more likely.

 

[robertmac43]

FWIW all of the german reporting I've read has said that if he leaves in the Winter it'll be too Leipzig; it's if he stays with Salzburg until the summer that everyone else becomes more likely to land him.

Makes the most sense for him to go to RBL, but hey, I can still dream!

 

[cgf]

Makes the most sense for him to go to RBL, but hey, I can still dream!

Thus the first part of my response lol

 

[Chimaera]

yeah, not sure he's picking Arsenal all things considered.

 

[cgf]

yeah, not sure he's picking Arsenal all things considered.

Probably true given the kind of teams being linked to him; but having thought about it alot given how often Arsenal fans on here bring him up...I could actually see Arsenal being a decent stepstone for him if he wants to go straight to England, rather than going to a higher level CL team prior to chasing those EPL dollars.

He'd walk into their lineup, get tons of attention for his next move, and would get credited for any marginal improvements to their play given how desperate they are for someone like him. You could make a lot those same arguments for picking a Leipzig/Dortmund next if he doesn't wanna go straight to a traditional giant; though there the competition would be higher than at Arsenal, while the hype and wages would be lower.

Then again I can also easily see him outgrowing Arsenal before they even get the chance to make him that pitch next summer...and if he doesn't move to Leipzig this winter, I'd say that would be the outcome I expect. But depending on the young hungarian's priorities, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility

 

[Savi]

Does he look to have the potential to be anywhere near as good of a dribbler as Dembele was at his peak, or were you referring more to his play against the ball? He may have never figured out what to do in the final third, but I loved prime-Dembele as a presser and press-breaking ball-carrier.

Don't forget, Dembele started his career in the Netherlands as a forward. He was never a goalscorer but had the football IQ to play up front. And the dribbling, as you said.
Vranckx has the same maturity, the same body build, the same physical tools as Dembele. He can play with both feet, although he's not a great passer (yet?). He does have a feel for being in the right place at the right time when going forward and contribute with a goal. But he won't wow you with creativity or flashy skills. I think the Bundesliga will be a perfect fit for him.

 

[S E P H]

They can, the problem is the FFP.
If Messi asks for the moon it'll be tough.
But keep in mind they didn't spend last summer. And Di Maria is leaving (and Draxler).

And what happens to Icardi? You think PSG's fourth best player would want to play second fiddle to a free kick specialist? Icardi needs to go to a team where they deserve to have him, it seems PSG have no idea whatsoever in how to use him properly and that's to play him all the time and give him Captaincy. Gens stupides.

 

[Savant]

And what happens to Icardi? You think PSG's fourth best player would want to play second fiddle to a free kick specialist? Icardi needs to go to a team where they deserve to have him, it seems PSG have no idea whatsoever in how to use him properly and that's to play him all the time and give him Captaincy. Gens stupides.

PSG won’t care about Icardi if they can get Messi

 

[Evilo]

And what happens to Icardi? You think PSG's fourth best player would want to play second fiddle to a free kick specialist? Icardi needs to go to a team where they deserve to have him, it seems PSG have no idea whatsoever in how to use him properly and that's to play him all the time and give him Captaincy. Gens stupides.

He's injured. That's why he's not playing.
And as Savant said, I think if they get Messi, they could care less about Icardi.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

whopps

 

[S E P H]

PSG won’t care about Icardi if they can get Messi

He's injured. That's why he's not playing.
And as Savant said, I think if they get Messi, they could care less about Icardi.

And that's what I don't get; Icardi is younger, faster, and at this point better. Messi is getting by with reputation alone.

 

[hatterson]

And that's what I don't get; Icardi is younger, faster, and at this point better. Messi is getting by with reputation alone.

No.

 

[Gecklund]

And that's what I don't get; Icardi is younger, faster, and at this point better. Messi is getting by with reputation alone.

No he’s not

 

[robertmac43]

and at this point better

LOL... Based on what?

 

[Chimaera]

Probably true given the kind of teams being linked to him; but having thought about it alot given how often Arsenal fans on here bring him up...I could actually see Arsenal being a decent stepstone for him if he wants to go straight to England, rather than going to a higher level CL team prior to chasing those EPL dollars.

He'd walk into their lineup, get tons of attention for his next move, and would get credited for any marginal improvements to their play given how desperate they are for someone like him. You could make a lot those same arguments for picking a Leipzig/Dortmund next if he doesn't wanna go straight to a traditional giant; though there the competition would be higher than at Arsenal, while the hype and wages would be lower.

Then again I can also easily see him outgrowing Arsenal before they even get the chance to make him that pitch next summer...and if he doesn't move to Leipzig this winter, I'd say that would be the outcome I expect. But depending on the young hungarian's priorities, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility

I mean, I think he's good enough to where he doesn't have to go to Arsenal and play for a year or two and then move. Heck, I think if he was REALLY set on going to England, there's a club or two better who would pay the price to get him there. I could see Spurs at a minimum wanting him, and maybe one or two other CL level sides. Maybe, maybe not.

But, honestly, I think the honest money is on Leipzig, as Leipzig is ALREADY better than Arsenal, has CL, has a better manager (by far, and he'll be there next season definitely) and has a number of Hungarian compatriots, along with a relationship with Salzburg. The only way that doesn't happen is if someone bigger comes in (whether that's Munich or whomever), and I don't think Arsenal fit the bill at this point. Maybe if they had CL to offer.

 

[Evilo]

Come on...

 

[Chimaera]

They can, the problem is the FFP.
If Messi asks for the moon it'll be tough.
But keep in mind they didn't spend last summer. And Di Maria is leaving (and Draxler).

Honest question, does FFP really matter at this stage? Are they even doing enforcement with revenue all over the place?

With COVID and the reduced revenue, plus with City getting around any major punishments, does it really have the same fear that it could have in the past?

I'm not trying to say that PSG would cook the books, I'm just saying, it's already pretty weak, and I don't know if it would stop them if they could get Messi.

 

[Chimaera]

yeah, Icardi would be on a train to Italy before Messi could finish signing his name on a contract.


You can say whatever you want about how PSG are a glory club and so forth, and they are a glamor club. But in the grand scheme of things, if they can get Messi, the greatest player of his generation if not potentially one of the two or three of all time, they would do ANYTHING to get it done. Even at his aging state, he's still a magical footballer.

The question is less would they want him, it's more can they afford it, and does he want to go.