Liverpool transfers in/out and rumours 22/23 + Contracts

[Steveo]

As much as we typically seem to go for players in the 23-26 bracket, I wouldn't be massively surprised to see us consider Gleison at that price.

Centre-backs tend to be expected to "last" to 34/35 so we would still be getting a decent number of years for a price that isn't prohibitive in the current market and a few years from now when Van Dijk has departed you still have yourself a senior player in the 30-32 sort of range at the back.

The lad Juventus were loaning out - Dean Huijsen - does admittedly feel more "us" if we are looking at their players and if (massive "if") he came good parallel to someone like Quansah then you have depth at the back for the next decade or so - but I wouldn't be in a rush to rely on a 19-year old from the Serie A right away.

Yep need to keep costs down. Slapping down $2.3 Billion on the PGA and then indicating intentions towards Bordeaux must have left the coffers bare


What was it that monumental cunt Cameron said? Oh yes.. "We're in it together"

[LFC-DPG]

Yep back to the £30m net spend days. (As if they ever went away)

[Steveo]

I believe we will spend more net - now Klopp has gone.

[Nineteenx]

Nico Williams

NO EXCUSES

[miller0863]

How about this for an excuse?

Barcelona have agreed a deal in principle for Athletic Bilbao's 21-year-old Spain forward Nico Williams. (Sport - in Spanish

[redebreck]

How about this for an excuse?

Barcelona have agreed a deal in principle for Athletic Bilbao's 21-year-old Spain forward Nico Williams. (Sport - in Spanish

Barcelona are loaded, to be fair!
Wonder where they're getting their moolah from?
Apparently, Coutinho is going on loan somewhere from Villa.

[Steveo]

Hang on I thought we should all feel sorry for them? Thought they were suffering insurmountable debt?

Ok I know they are redeveloping the Camp Nou - and not just a stand or two but all 4 sides… but still - Surely players would rather come to north west England and play for a club the is self sustaining?

[Steveo]

Why would anyone want to play here?

Small stadium upgrade then. €1.5 Billion

[Insidious]

Hang on I thought we should all feel sorry for them? Thought they were suffering insurmountable debt?

It remains to be seen of course, but there's definitely still "bread today, hunger tomorrow" about their strategy.

From their accounts for the year ending June 30th, 2023, their liabilities totalled €2.7bn - that's short-term debt, long-term debt and the financing of the new stadium.

Laporta joins and they take out that €600m loan from Goldman Sachs. Then the "palancas" (levers) where they sold a 25% stake in their La Liga television rights and 49% of Barça Studios in 2022. Those asset sales were worth €808m in 2022/23 and around €300m in 2021/22 respectively with the funds generated to allow for the acquisitions of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Koundé for a combined €150m. I guess they felt that push increased their chances of winning the Champion's League to generate more revenue, which obviously didn't happen.

Now some of those assets like the percentage of the TV rights are already sold but without the anticipated level of sporting success to accompany it, largely because Real Madrid are in an excellent place right now - which increases the difficulty of Barca's challenge. There's talk now of them selling another 24% of their television rights which would bank them a one-off fee of about €600m immediately at the cost of an estimated €40m per season for 30 years - essentially selling €1200m for €600m - if people want to commend this approach then good luck to them, but these are massive rolls of the Dice rather than sensible planning.

[darrenpotter]

Sid it's like a ponzi scheme some president along the line bears the burden of it. They become an Arabs plaything then.