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[Beans]

I can't see the price tag on otamendi being an issue €50 mil is £35 mil.. Which is only 5 more then we paid for shaw.

 

[sonoftony]

Schweinsteiger to the Reds according to sources

 

[Kimchi Papi]

' Arry Kane says he plans on staying with the Spurs for a long time.

http://www.theguardian.com/football...-spurs-transfer-manchester-united-england-u21

 

[Kimchi Papi]

#TBT

Xavi & LvG

View media item 1543135

This pass from Xavi pretty much exemplifies his play... (vs Malaga 09-10).





Ronaldinho to Xavi (vs Madrid 03-04).

 

[Kimchi Papi]

:x Sport is reporting Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has said Pogba has said he only wants to go to Barcelona if he goes anywhere.

GETTING CLOSER
[COLOR=#red]Juve's Paul Pogba sets sights on Barça move as talks progress[/COLOR]
Mino Raiola, the player's agent, has asked Barça to go all out to ensure they beat Man City to Pogba's signature

Lluís Miguelsanz | 21.5.2015 | 12:39h


For the first time in recent months, Barcelona now have concrete reasons to believe they could sign Paul Pogba from Juventus. Contact with the player's agent, Mino Raiola, has been positive and the French midfielder's priority is to sign for Barça.

Both Pogba and Raiola see Barça as the best option for the player when he leaves Juve, and they hope the Catalan club will make enough effort to reach an agreement with the Italian champions. Talks are continuing, but Pogba doesn't want to give a definitive answer until after the Champions League final in Berlin.

Everything will become clear in the middle of June, or perhaps a little later, such as the beginning of July. And Barça and Manchester City look like being the two finalists in the battle for the summer's most wanted star.

Things have not been easy, with Barça not deciding to play all their cards until the last month. There was a meeting with Raiola around four weeks ago. It was a meeting arranged by Ariedo Braida, who is currently loosely filling the role vacated by Andoni Zubizarreta.

There was a good feeling between both parties, but Raiola asked for an official move, rather than just talks with Braida. And that has now happened.

Barça have taken a step forward, speaking with both Juve and Pogba. They now know the numbers of the operation will cost a lot, but the deal is possible and they are ready to close an agreement. Juve don't want to sell this summer for less than 80 million euros, although everything will be easier if the operation is closed for June 2016.

That could suit Barça, with FIFA's ban currently preventing them from making signings this summer.

Pogba isn't certain he's ready to leave Juventus this summer either and is still thinking about his destination. He's clear that his dream is to play for a winning team and that, as of today, is why he wants to sign for Barça.

He wants to play alongside Messi and also be a key man in the future of the club. For that reason, he's not sure about Manchester City. The English club have shown they are ready to break the bank to sign him with an offer of 100 million euros and a hige salary.

Nobody can compete with those figures, but the player's agent has asked for Barça to make an effort. They would be ready to spend to see Pogba dressed in azulgrana, convinced that he fits perfectly into the club's current style and system.

One of they keys will be the Champions League final. If Barça beat Juve, Pogba will be desperate to sign. The only doubt would be that they can't sign him this summer. He could wait at Juve for a year, which, as stated, he wouldn't necessarily mind, but Raiola thinks the moment has come to move on.

However, that could all be resolved if Juve gave him a new contract with more money ahead of a transfer next year.

Without doubt, it is a complicated operation and could be one of the most expensive in Barça's history, but they look keen to push through with it. Pogba is very close to the Catalan club right now.

http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...-sights-barcelona-move-talks-progress-4205558

 

[rolaholic]

So our back up for our 30 yr old english midfielder will be a 30 yr old German midfielder.. Yeah that makes sense

Same thing I was thinking

*
Xavi packs his bags for Qatar

View media item 1543166

 

[rook]

Liverpool is ****** up man. They are clearly making this kid Sterling look like that bad guy smh..crazy

Perez ****** up big time w pogba. No young player wants to come to a situation like this. Don't blame him and his agent one bit for wanting to go to barca

 

[Retroballer]

Sterling being painted as a bad guy. Might as well go to Chelsea if everyone already hates you

 

[rolaholic]

I don't think I've ever seen a pay raise saga like this with boat loads of former players putting on their red capes and taking up their shields to fire a barrage of shots at a 20 year old kid for exercising his rights 

. The team has tried their hardest to drag his personal reputation with the fans through he mud when his agent is the one mostly responsible for all of this. 

I hope he makes them pay down the road. He was even booed accepting his award at the POTY gala 

.

 

[Beans]

Don't get me wrong id take Bastian if he's brought in with a young mf (I.e gundogan) that they could mold and develop

 

[d3si]

Liverpool's hopes of keeping hold of the winger appear to be over after the player's agent claimed "he is definitely not signing".

Raheem Sterling would not sign a new Liverpool deal even for 900,000 pounds a week, his agent has said in an extraordinary outburst.

Aidy Ward, the forward's representative, insists his client is "definitely not signing" and launched a personal attack on former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who has been critical of Sterling's failure to commit to the club.

Sterling spoke publicly last month about his decision to reject fresh terms at Anfield, a decision which some suggested reflected badly on both the player and the club.

But Ward told The Standard: "I don't care about the PR of the club and the club situation. I don't care. He is definitely not signing. He's not signing for £700, £800, £900 thousand a week. He is not signing.

"My job is to make sure I do the best with them [my clients]. If people say I am bad at my job, or they are badly advised, it does not matter."

Sterling's declining popularity on Merseyside was underlined when he was booed by fans as he collected an award on Tuesday - and they are not his only detractors.

Other Liverpool alumni, including Graeme Souness, Mark Lawrenson and Carragher, have questioned Sterling's actions and motives.

For his part, Sterling has rejected claims of being a "money grabber", but Ward had little patience for Carragher's assessment after the Anfield favourite suggested the 20-year-old should "keep your mouth shut" and "get on with playing football".

"Carragher is a k***," Ward added. "Everybody knows it. Any of the criticism from current pundits or ex-Liverpool players - none of them things matter to me. It is not relevant."

Didn't realize it's that really bad.

 

[rolaholic]

"I don't care about the PR of the club and the club situation. I don't care. He is definitely not signing. He's not signing for £700, £800, £900 thousand a week. He is not signing."

That's a great quote from his agent

I don't blame him one bit after the managements scorched earth tactics during negotiations ,I'd want to get the hell out of there ASAP as well.

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Yeah, they are really demonizing the Raheem & making him to be the boogeyman or paint him as everything that's wrong with the modern footballer.

Instead, the club really needs to look at itself in the mirror instead to figure out how to be a better club & approaching their transfer business more effectively. They've had a history of letting players go...

Cool/funny images from the old Prem ad Sinner posted...

The roadside bar sign saying, "Emirates Stadium".

View media item 1543202
The Southwester Amercian bartender looking at the Spurs fans cheering on their team....

View media item 1543211

 

[rolaholic]

'Pool are really advertising themselves well to promising young talent,I'm sure kids will be dying to join now

 

[Sinner]

[emoji]128558[/emoji]

@RobHarris
Luis Figo follows Dutch FA chief Van Praag today in withdrawing from the FIFA presidential election, leaving Blatter and Prince Ali

 

[rolaholic]

C'mon Figo ,guess it's Prince Ali or nothing

 

[Kimchi Papi]

Khedira to Juve?

If true, that's tidy business with the signing of Palermo striker Paulo Dybala.

http://www.marca.com/en/2015/05/21/en/football/real_madrid/1432197461.html

 

[noskey]

God, more years of Blatter At least we know how crooked he is, so we're not in for any surprises?

 

[rck3sactown]

Bladder 

wonder what he threatened to get Luis Figo and Van Praag out 

 

[Sinner]

Running for president of FIFA resulted from a personal decision, taken after listening to many pertinent people in the realm of international soccer.

I sought out the support needed for me to stand, I formally presented my candidacy, and the reactions in the soccer world were so overwhelming - both in public and in private - that I was reassured that I had made the right decision.

The realm of a sport which gave me everything to become what I am, and to which I now offered to give something back, is hungry for change. FIFA needs change and I feel that the change is urgent.

Guided by that wish, by the formal support I collected, and by the incredible wave of support from soccer players, former players, coaches, referees and administrators, I imagined and presented a plan of action - my election manifesto for the FIFA presidency.

I traveled and met extraordinary people who, though they recognized the value of much that had been done, also concurred with the need for change, one that cleans up FIFA's reputation as an obscure organization that is so often viewed as a place of corruption.

But over the past few months I have not only witnessed that desire (for change), I have witnessed consecutive incidents, all over the world, that should shame anyone who desires soccer to be free, clean and democratic.

I have seen with my own eyes federation presidents who, after one day comparing FIFA leaders to the devil, then go on stage and compare those same people with Jesus Christ. Nobody told me about this. I saw it with my own eyes.

The candidates were prevented from addressing federations at congresses while one of the candidates always gave speeches on his own from the rostrum. There has not been a single public debate about each candidate's proposals.

Does anyone think it's normal that an election for one of the most relevant organizations on the planet can go ahead without a public debate? Does anyone think it's normal that one of the candidates doesn't even bother to present an election manifesto that can be voted on May 29? Shouldn't it be mandatory to present such a manifesto so that federation presidents know what they're voting for?

That would be normal, but this electoral process is anything but an election.

This (election) process is a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man - something I refuse to go along with.

That is why, after a personal reflection and sharing views with two other candidates in this process, I believe that what is going to happen on May 29 in Zurich is not a normal electoral act.

And because it is not, don't count on me.

I want it to be clear that I have deep respect for all world soccer, from Africa, where I got so much motivation, to Asia, where I have and will keep excellent relationships, through South America, where a new generation is emerging, and Central and North America, where so many who wanted to speak were silenced, and to Oceania, whose development we should all look at differently. And finally to Europe, where I felt there was space for normal and democratic debate, thanks to the endeavors of President (Michel) Platini.

I give my warmest thanks to everyone, because I want it to be clear that they are not the election committee and it is not they who want FIFA to become weaker and weaker.

For my part, I will abide by the ideas I leave written and have circulated, I am firm in my desire to take an active part in the regeneration of FIFA and I will be available for it whenever it is proven to me that we are not living under a dictatorship.

I do not fear the ballot box, but I will not go along with nor will I give my consent to a process which will end on May 29 and from which soccer will not emerge the winner.

My decision is made, I will not stand in what is being called an election for the FIFA presidency.

I offer my deepest thanks to all those who have supported me and I ask them to keep alive their desire for a regeneration which, though it may take some time, will come.

 

[rolaholic]

Bladder >:



wonder what he threatened to get Luis Figo and Van Praag out 

Yeah it smells of the fix being in

Please no more Darth Blatter...

 

[sfc415]

Sounds about right. Blatter will never leave

 

[rck3sactown]

do Portuguese typically use soccer instead of football? 

 

[imasoleman18]

probably got paid to leave

 

[Sinner]

 

And welcome to my world!