POSKETT AT THE VALLEY
Well-known member
Was he really all that for Liverpool?
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[Albion] Minamino to Brighton? Surely not.
- Thread starter gruntage
- Start date
Didn't think so, myself. Mind you, there might be some mileage in keeping the Japanese fans on line after we sell Mitoma (in the summer?) On balance though, it's a no and a sh!t story for me.
pigmanovich
Good Old Sausage by the Sea
Agree completely but don't see us signing Minamino of all players to that end. Of course, if Tony believes it's worthwhile then it's worthwhile.
BadFish
Huge Member
- Oct 19, 2003
- 18,238
They are positions we are short in. Thank God we are not being linked with defenders.
Doonhamer7
Well-known member
- Jun 17, 2016
- 1,456
Hardly played at Liverpool, not sure he did much when on loan to Southampton either
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
Maybe he was one on the data sheet and Pool nipped in first. This kind of proves why our model won’t work at the big clubs, the players never get sufficient game time to adapt to the PL.
John Byrnes Mullet
Global Circumnavigator
Great player, never really got a chance at Liverpool.
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
Expanding our brand internationally surely HAS to equate to cash, no? The big six have revenues that dwarf ours, and that's not solely through European competitions, gate receipts and TV revenue. Instead this divide is driven by commercial revenue of which international sponsorships, partnerships and so on must be a major factor.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 14,664
Absolutely it does, you’re right, but I’m talking specifically about direct causation between signing an international player and commercial income rising exponentially.
If you look at it in reverse, the massive and hugely expensive signings made in the USA and Saudi, but previously China, Japan and elsewhere, have had a negligible effect on commercial income for the teams involved. If I sign a, let’s say, Indian footballer on let’s say £20-£100k/wk, it isn’t going to translate to a massive uptick in income suddenly from India, and will be a loss-leader, not a profit-making business decision.
All of the big earners there are big brands, consistent trophy winners, with global reputations developed over multiple decades.
Commercial income comes hand in hand with success. Good management and business acumen, of which we have loads, can help us maximise our income from the markets we operate in, but we can’t compete with the most famous teams in the country on brand recognition no matter how many international names we sign.
We’ll never, ever, make money off the back of a player transfer solely in commercial returns.
JetsetJimbo
Well-known member
- Jun 13, 2011
- 1,168
This looks like the only feasible justification for me. He doesn't fit our profile at all, how often do we sign 29-year-olds from clubs like Monaco? But if the club's decided our commercial appeal in Japan is important, then this is what might be happening.
Agree that on balance it's probably nonsense. Even if we were specifically looking for a Japanese player, I suspect Bloom's data would lead us to someone who represents better value and a greater chance of turning a profit.
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
Yeah OK, thats fair enough, agree with your point - but I would just say that (i) we are coming from so far back that everything helps in this regard, and Brighton signing a high-profile overseas player moves the needle for us more than Man Utd doing the same does for them, (ii) Japan might be a special case as they go extreme for their stars (as we see every matchday at the Amex) and they are a rich country, and (iii) Mitoma isn't just any Japanese player but a star lighting up the premier league. I am convinced that more Japanese people are aware of us because we have Mitoma, that increases our brand recognition which in turn leads to more commercial opportunities. A quick google suggests that we picked up a commercial partnership with Google Pixel allied to the Japanese tour https://sportsmintmedia.com/brighto...ogle-pixel-ahead-of-pre-season-tour-to-japan/
I originally put this down as nonsense too but it’s a very strange story for someone to make up. I think there might be something in it……
Firstly, this signing DOES fit our profile but only if he comes on a free or is very cheap. Think ‘replacement for Lallana’. The Stains and Liverpool pedigree we’ve signed before is there too.
Secondly, there may well be a gap in our squad very soon as young Enciso looks like he needs a loan. Speaking of which……
Finally, he does seem to be getting better with age (like Welbeck). Like a fine aged Whisky, a Yamazaki 12yr Old for example.
el punal
Well-known member
We'll have no talk of Yamazaki 12yr olds on here please.
Exactly. Signing Mitoma has raised our profile massively.
If kids in Japan aren’t already fans because of him then signing another Japanese star may well convert them.
We do seem to have a habit of buying multiple players from the same country too (which is clever for other reasons: settling in, retention etc)
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Comrade Sam
Comrade Sam
When have the rumour mongers ever been wrong?