Even then it often doesn't work out. Chelsea with Shevchenko, Utd with Veron, Falcao with both Utd and Chelsea (although they were loans), Torres for Chelsea. The list goes on.
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Transfers Summer 2026 Transfer Thread
- Thread starter The Fighting Cock
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Its very difficult to predict a manager like di zerbi. His football is both genius and madness in many ways and unlike Frank, ange or any other managers it can take shape in many different ways.
He has played a 433 which switches into a 3151 in possession, he also likes the offset box in midfield (2x 10's) which would suit us nicely with maddison and xavi fit. He always tends to like a dribbly winger pinned high and wide with an intelligent CF who knows when to drop in and link or decoy for runners in behind.
He really is cutting edge and nobody can predict what route he will go down or this team he has in his dream is.
I really like the idea of a back 3 of Senesi, VDV and hecke in possession. We would absolutely dominate the ball with those 3 and allow porro to push up and rw to tuck in.
Pre-season is going to be great to watch and see how it progresses.
In terms of paying top four money for relegation fodder technical ability with minimal potential upside and a negative effect on the football we'd be capable of playing, where there was just no world in which the player could justify the fee, yeah, that was the start of it.
In Richy's case at least, he was so critical to Everton and they were so financially desperate that it made some sense that they'd only let him go for an overpay.
City would be flogging off Savinho for half the quoted price this summer if we weren't being such an absolute sucker about this. It has to be the worst deal in club history by that metric.
Come on, with Lange’s talent ID we’d have Skipp and Winks back…
Two of them were I think.
I don’t think being inferior to Semenyo and Cherki is a stick I’ll beat him with.
I guess we’ll have to see. I’m confident that (as long as his knees don’t explode) he’ll be mint for us. I think he has bags of ability and we have an elite coach.
I've been reading the discussion here on the potential prices. And one thing really surprised/annoyed me.
People there tend to suggest that "oh, that is just inflation. You do not get much of a player for 60 mil these days!".
And it is one more line that is 100% factually wrong, even if it is repeated 10 000 times here. Just pile of shit. Lazy (or no) thinking. Clearly untrue.
In whole of EPL history there have been 61 (!) deals... across all of the teams across all the years where the transfer fee has exceeded 60 million. Also season by season number of such deals has been -
25/26 - 15
24/25 - 3
23/24 - 10
22/23 - 8
21/22 - 3
And in total 22 times before that.
From these 61 how many have been made by other teams than oil clubs (Shitty, Chelscum) + Woolwich, Pool and Manu?
Well exactly 8 times. And that number is evenly split between Newcastle (Isak, Woltemade, Elanga, Tonali) and ourselves (Xavi, Solanke, Kudus, Ndombele). From these 8 only Isak and Woltemade were significantly over 60 mil (both ~75) others were either 65 or below.
So transfer outlay of 60 million euro is an exceptionally high amount. And it is black and white fact. Despite what people "feel".
And what considers Savinho individually - well he did arrive to much fanfare from related club Girona. His reported transfer value was 25 mil EUR which was not the market rate at the time. Whoever else could have likely (and this is 100% subjective estimation here!) for 45-55 mil. But for 2 seasons he has very limited playing time.
In freshly concluded season 1502 minutes from all comps and just 821 minutes in EPL.
In first season 3087 minutes total and 1772 minutes in EPL.
Across 2 seaons he has scored 7 and assited 16 goals in all comps and 2 goals + 12 assists in EPL.
I think it is fair to say that he has not lived up to expectations. Clearly his value has not risen from the time he arrived. He is youngish but for 2 seasons there have been no step forward. In Transfermarkt value estimation his value has plummeted from 55 mil level (highest) to 35 mil even.
And for City he has been clearly outplayed by Semenyo who joined for 75 mil. So that means that Savinho should be worth less.
However you look and to which ever thing you compare / anchor it - 60 mil is not "regular fee" and seems much more than his real value is. I think 45 is already very borderline, everything else is absurd overpaying.
That being said - it might very well be that in the situation we are in and how badly we need additions - it might be that we are being forced to pay over the realistic value. But in general scale it is not "peanuts" or "just regular transfer" if we opt to pay that kind of money.
People there tend to suggest that "oh, that is just inflation. You do not get much of a player for 60 mil these days!".
And it is one more line that is 100% factually wrong, even if it is repeated 10 000 times here. Just pile of shit. Lazy (or no) thinking. Clearly untrue.
In whole of EPL history there have been 61 (!) deals... across all of the teams across all the years where the transfer fee has exceeded 60 million. Also season by season number of such deals has been -
25/26 - 15
24/25 - 3
23/24 - 10
22/23 - 8
21/22 - 3
And in total 22 times before that.
From these 61 how many have been made by other teams than oil clubs (Shitty, Chelscum) + Woolwich, Pool and Manu?
Well exactly 8 times. And that number is evenly split between Newcastle (Isak, Woltemade, Elanga, Tonali) and ourselves (Xavi, Solanke, Kudus, Ndombele). From these 8 only Isak and Woltemade were significantly over 60 mil (both ~75) others were either 65 or below.
So transfer outlay of 60 million euro is an exceptionally high amount. And it is black and white fact. Despite what people "feel".
And what considers Savinho individually - well he did arrive to much fanfare from related club Girona. His reported transfer value was 25 mil EUR which was not the market rate at the time. Whoever else could have likely (and this is 100% subjective estimation here!) for 45-55 mil. But for 2 seasons he has very limited playing time.
In freshly concluded season 1502 minutes from all comps and just 821 minutes in EPL.
In first season 3087 minutes total and 1772 minutes in EPL.
Across 2 seaons he has scored 7 and assited 16 goals in all comps and 2 goals + 12 assists in EPL.
I think it is fair to say that he has not lived up to expectations. Clearly his value has not risen from the time he arrived. He is youngish but for 2 seasons there have been no step forward. In Transfermarkt value estimation his value has plummeted from 55 mil level (highest) to 35 mil even.
And for City he has been clearly outplayed by Semenyo who joined for 75 mil. So that means that Savinho should be worth less.
However you look and to which ever thing you compare / anchor it - 60 mil is not "regular fee" and seems much more than his real value is. I think 45 is already very borderline, everything else is absurd overpaying.
That being said - it might very well be that in the situation we are in and how badly we need additions - it might be that we are being forced to pay over the realistic value. But in general scale it is not "peanuts" or "just regular transfer" if we opt to pay that kind of money.
Need to press to get the ball back if you want to dominate it though
It ain’t my money idgaf how much we spend
Correct. I don’t think Wharton will be the 6 we go for in this window. I reckon it’s more likely to be a Baleba/Kone type.
Surely we can find one who can pass and run
Bahoya makes absolutely zero sense.
He had a useless season in Germany, is way too inconsistent and not a scorer. Fits our collection though.
Any footage of him that Ive seen he looks nowhere near ready for the PL.
Lange talent ID strikes again…
But isn't that your teams money?
Meaning if the club wastes it, then it cannot buy anyone else for it?
Even with little trace of intellect one could make a connection that once we spunked >200 mil eur for total duds like Ndombele and Lo Celso (transfer fee + salaries combined) and got no return for it, it set back the club massively.
Gallagher. And it's not like Maddison is completely incapable...MGW would be better at it though.
Good points.
This is probably why, had the DL/JL still been in charge, this would have dragged on all summer. Similarly, there is no way on God’s earth they sanction £50m on a player with one year left.
The Lewis 2.0 regime are making a point of getting deals done quickly for players that have been clearly identified. Which I guess means we overpay at times.
The point is - there is probably some value in overpaying for your first choice if it saves haggling all summer only to then lose out and have to overpay for the 3rd choice anyway on deadline day!!
And if the data / analysis that lead to Savio being our number one pick for two summers in a row is correct, and he fulfils the potential they are gambling on, £60m could turn out a great piece of business.
DeZerbi wanted Kudus at Brighton, the deal was almost done until West Sham came in with a late bid