[Albion] Marc Cucurella *Signed For Chelsea 05/08/2022*

[GT49er]

It would be naive to think that we can keep any player that a club that are PL Champions, owned by a state with bottomless pockets wants, and is willing to pay an obscene amount of money for, if he wants to go. There are maybe two clubs in England who could match the wages and standard of football that City can offer and we are not one of them.

Gutted but philosophical if it happens

Of course none of us know what is really going on - but slightly worrying from our point of view is that it looks as if for some reason mega-rich Citeh aren't willing to pay an obscene amount of money (if they were, then probably it would be a done deal already) but are playing hardball, trying to lower the price with make-weight deals and loans.
Trouble is, no matter how happy he's been at Brighton, yes, Cucu will want to play for a manager he has long admired, to play for the league champions and in the CL, and yes, he will want to treble his salary, all of which will add pressure for the deal to be done - and IMHO the longer this plays out, the stronger will Citeh's hand become.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Of course none of us know what is really going on - but slightly worrying from our point of view is that it looks as if for some reason mega-rich Citeh aren't willing to pay an obscene amount of money (if they were, then probably it would be a done deal already) but are playing hardball, trying to lower the price with make-weight deals and loans.
Trouble is, no matter how happy he's been at Brighton, yes, Cucu will want to play for a manager he has long admired, to play for the league champions and in the CL, and yes, he will want to treble his salary, all of which will add pressure for the deal to be done - and IMHO the longer this plays out, the stronger will Citeh's hand become.

Deal does have a certain air of inevitability about it, much like DBD signing for his boyhood dream team, despite them being our direct competitors. Reckon sometimes the club should play PROPER hardball instead of just falling in line and banking the cash

 

[A1X]

This kind of shite happens every summer, just this is the first time we've been exposed to it.

 

[banjo]

Shame if he goes, but gotta trust the club. Wasn’t too shabby last season.

 

[Icy Gull]

Deal does have a certain air of inevitability about it, much like DBD signing for his boyhood dream team, despite them being our direct competitors. Reckon sometimes the club should play PROPER hardball instead of just falling in line and banking the cash

I think we will play proper hardball in this case, anything less than substantially more than White went for and it won’t happen. Sends out a message to any future BIG clubs that we won’t be folding and if it pisses Cucu off, so be it. If TB folds this time he is making a rod for his own back on all further predatory swoops from big clubs.

However I am not a billionaire so I could be talking bollocks and living in dreamland

Hopefully TB is not desperate for the money as that would change everything.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I think we will play proper hardball in this case, anything less than substantially more than White went for and it won’t happen. Sends out a message to any future BIG clubs that we won’t be folding and if it pisses Cucu off, so be it. If TB folds this time he is making a rod for his own back on all further predatory swoops from big clubs.

However I am not a billionaire so I could be talking bollocks and living in dreamland

Hopefully TB is not desperate for the money as that would change everything.

Indeed.

The worst thing would be to gain a reputation as a club which easily folds when a rich club comes along low balling the fee for a player.

All City have to do is pump some more barrels so let them pump.

The price is the price. We shouldn't negotiate on a deal we are not particularly wanting anyway. Cash, not some dodgy makeweight fee lowering.

 

[GT49er]

Indeed.

The worst thing would be to gain a reputation as a club which easily folds when a rich club comes along low balling the fee for a player.

All City have to do is pump some more barrels so let them pump.

The price is the price. We shouldn't negotiate on a deal we are not particularly wanting anyway. Cash, not some dodgy makeweight fee lowering.

It may just be my perception, but it seems to me that the make-weight in such deals is usually valued overly high. If we do want Delap (or McAtee for that matter) - to buy, not for a loan - then make it a separate deal. Sell Cucurella first, if we're going to, and then move on to any other business.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Apparently Leeds have just sold Philips to City for £42m according to talksport

This includes the perceived “English tax” so can’t see them meeting our valuation.

I reckon Cucurella stays


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[jessiejames]

Apparently Leeds have just sold Philips to City for £42m according to talksport

This includes the perceived “English tax” so can’t see them meeting our valuation.

I reckon Cucurella stays


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I thought dirty wanted £70 m for Phillips

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Apparently Leeds have just sold Philips to City for £42m according to talksport

This includes the perceived “English tax” so can’t see them meeting our valuation.

I reckon Cucurella stays


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Why would you leave THE Leeds United

He’s shit, so it’s good money for Leeds

 

[Clive Walker]

£42m on a third choice DM.

 

[Icy Gull]

Apparently Leeds have just sold Philips to City for £42m according to talksport

This includes the perceived “English tax” so can’t see them meeting our valuation.

I reckon Cucurella stays


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Call me biased but I have seen nothing from Philips that makes me think he’s an International quality player

If this true I don’t see him fitting in with City’s style at all either

Not that this has anything to do with Cucurella who sadly looks like a City style player

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Why would you leave THE Leeds United

He’s shit, so it’s good money for Leeds

Ready to be the next Fabian Delph.

 

[dazzer6666]

Why would you leave THE Leeds United

He’s shit, so it’s good money for Leeds

Probably going down without him though.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Call me biased but I have seen nothing from Philips that makes me think he’s an International quality player

If this true I don’t see him fitting in with City’s style at all either

Not that this has anything to do with Cucurella who sadly looks like a City style player

Agree, I don’t understand the hype at all. I think it’s simply because he was one of their starlets when they came up and they are The Leeds United

If he was playing for the likes of Southampton he wouldn’t be noticed i suspect.


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[Baldseagull]

Call me biased but I have seen nothing from Philips that makes me think he’s an International quality player

If this true I don’t see him fitting in with City’s style at all either

Not that this has anything to do with Cucurella who sadly looks like a City style player

I concur, a number of better DCM's in the division than him, he maybe has a better "ping" forward than most, maybe Pep values that, and doesn't need someone to make tackles quite so much as they have the ball most of the time and and have Rodri for that when needed?

 

[227 BHA]

Why on earth didn’t City go for Bissouma? If they needed a defensive midfielder he’s gotta be better than Philips shirley?

 

[albionalex]

Why on earth didn’t City go for Bissouma? If they needed a defensive midfielder he’s gotta be better than Philips shirley?

If they sell Sterling, they will need to add another HGP to their squad.

 

[Stato]

Call me biased but I have seen nothing from Philips that makes me think he’s an International quality player

If this true I don’t see him fitting in with City’s style at all either

Not that this has anything to do with Cucurella who sadly looks like a City style player

Probably going down without him though.

I see him as a one trick pony. Liam Bridcutt was fantastic in Gus Poyet's system but mediocre in any other side, Phillips was Bielsa's Bridcutt. If Marsch wants to move away from Bielsa's style, Phillips is less key and selling him now before he starts to look like the average midfielder that I think he is, when not playing quarterback, will see Leeds get the best deal for him and they can spend this on the players that Marsch wants to bring in. I'm not saying that Marsch will keep them up, the rest of the squad is fairly thin too, but I think cashing in on Phillips is the right move.

 

[Weststander]

Phillips is a very average, 26 year old midfielder. I’ve never thought wow he’s making that centre midfield tick or isn’t he great at protecting the defence, either for England or Leeds. I do look out for players in that role.

Can only think that Guardiola was compelled to add a HGP.

Bissouma, Rodri, Fabinho, Henderson, Rice, Caicedo, Kante, Jorginho are all light years ahead in that position.

No doubt he’ll win medals now. Due to Haaland, De Bruyne, Laporte and Gundogan, not due to the addition of Phillips.