English Football Transfer Rumours & Deals (Non-Arsenal)

[Zenith]

How can people even rate a player they know nothing about apart form stats? Lol. Dries Mertens had much better goal+assist rate and he's rather average. Eredivisie has hit what is arguably its all-time low and stats are very misleading - even Ajax are shocking nowadays with their salary cap policy. Terrific young athlete though, good dribbler and has a powerful strike on him but it all remains to be seen if he can also do it on the big stage against teams that actually know how to defend. Will also have to up his general play because even for Eredivisie standards it leaves a lot to be desired.

Am i right in saying the Netherlands might actually be jumped by the Belgian league in the co-efficient ranking next season?

Belgian football has improved a little bit, just a tad, its producing a lot of very good players although they all move early overseas. the league is still 2nd, 3rd rate as it always has been.

The dutch league though has been truly shocking in Europe for many a year!

Yes it's possible since the Eredivisie has been dropping and Belgium the opposite and if Ajax continues with their current policy; salary cap and relying mainly on youth players the situation will not get better for them. Having said that Ajax and PSV are still a lot stronger financially than clubs like Bruges, Genk, Gent, Liège, etc so I don't think it will happen and even if it did it it would only be a matter of time before Netherlands will bounce back but it's fair to say the gulf in quality between two leagues has decreased massively over the last 10 years, the last 4 in particular. The main reason for that is Anderlecht's, Bruges', Genk and Beerschot's and Standard's excellent youth systems. Anderlecht in particular.

the league is still 2nd, 3rd rate as it always has been.

It's been like that for many years and it still is but it hasn't always been that way.

During the late '70s and early '80s the Pro League UEFA coefficent rank was 3rd best in Europe. Mainly down to Anderlecht winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup during the 1975-76 and 1977-78 seasons (only Barcelona has won it more) as well as winning the UEFA Super Cup in '76 & '78 and the UEFA Cup during the '82-83 season. It's not very known amongst most younger fans but Anderlecht were a real force back then mate.

Says it all when Kazim-Richards is playing up front for Feyenoord, a guy who was playing at Blackburn two years ago and has been lost in the football wilderness last year.

Nice you mentioned Anderlect int he 70's and 80's since it no surprise to me they where good, Belgium where great at the 1982 and especially 1986 world cup finishing 4th (or 3rd, not sure). Somebody was questioning Pele's legacy saying he played his whole career in the Brazilian league, but at that time in the 60's that was the best league I the world if you totted up the talent there, it was an era ulike now where there are 2-3 elite leagues and the rest a substandard, it was a era where every domestic league had talent and dross.

These where times when a league represented the strength of the national team.

This salary cap, how bad is it exactly?

These where times when a league represented the strength of the national team.

Very true

This salary cap, how bad is it exactly?

A player can earn a maximum of €1m/year which equates to around €19.2k/week. It's the main reason why they missed out on Eto'o last summmer - who was on more than thrice of that at Everton. Ajax could offer him CL football, something Sampdoria couldn't but we both know Eto'o's main motivation is money nowadays. In 2011 half a dozen of CL participants were lining up for his signature but he chose to join Anzhi where he earned more than Messi and Ronaldo at the time with his £18m/year. Their salary cap is also one of the reasons (if not the only reason) why they missed out on players like Labyad, Ødegaard and failed to re-sign van der Vaart. As a consequence the results have dropped massively both domestically and in Europe. On the flip side of the coin they're in a terrific financial shape.

[elkanofan]

I admire the salary cap in principle, the problem comes from this generation of players are not as self responsible and as creative as generations before, kids are signed up too early too seriously, there is too much pressure to succeed and too little amount of freedom with so much money involved in the game. academies are churning out players like robots rather than the individuals developing themselves under the coaches guidance.

i think the core issue must be a generation thing, Dutch youngsters just aren't as motivated like Belgian youngsters to be as great! Holland have a clear missing generation of players whos birthdays between the years of '87-'90 (23-28 year olds!)

Getting rid of the salary cap will help in the short term with quality and help with bringing in quality older players the youngsters can learn from. Again fundamentally i feel Ajax simply expected their youngsters to be better than what they have shown.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

RAWK is in total meltdown about Depay, they ate treating this like losing Sanchez lastnsummer. Wonder if they'd bid £20 mill for Welbeck. Would not feel threatened one bit if he went there. To be fair to the guy, he deserves to be at a club where he would start as CF.

[JordanTheGunner]

RAWK is in total meltdown about Depay, they ate treating this like losing Sanchez lastnsummer. Wonder if they'd bid £20 mill for Welbeck. Would not feel threatened one bit if he went there. To be fair to the guy, he deserves to be at a club where he would start as CF.

He would be in exactly the same place he is here, number 2 striker.

[TOP]

RAWK is in total meltdown about Depay, they ate treating this like losing Sanchez lastnsummer. Wonder if they'd bid £20 mill for Welbeck. Would not feel threatened one bit if he went there. To be fair to the guy, he deserves to be at a club where he would start as CF.

He would be in exactly the same place he is here, number 2 striker.

But Sturridge is injured for a long time again. I really hope Liverpool buy Welbeck

[JordanTheGunner]

RAWK is in total meltdown about Depay, they ate treating this like losing Sanchez lastnsummer. Wonder if they'd bid £20 mill for Welbeck. Would not feel threatened one bit if he went there. To be fair to the guy, he deserves to be at a club where he would start as CF.

He would be in exactly the same place he is here, number 2 striker.

But Sturridge is injured for a long time again. I really hope Liverpool buy Welbeck

Just like Giroud was when we bought Welbeck.

[TOP]

RAWK is in total meltdown about Depay, they ate treating this like losing Sanchez lastnsummer. Wonder if they'd bid £20 mill for Welbeck. Would not feel threatened one bit if he went there. To be fair to the guy, he deserves to be at a club where he would start as CF.

He would be in exactly the same place he is here, number 2 striker.

But Sturridge is injured for a long time again. I really hope Liverpool buy Welbeck

Just like Giroud was when we bought Welbeck.

And he was a starter for that time just like he'll be at Liverpool if he goes there. He was just shit so obviously Giroud is going to take that spot back. At Liverpool he can still get that chance to prove himself and Liverpool often plays with 2 strikers aswell.

[JordanTheGunner]

RAWK is in total meltdown about Depay, they ate treating this like losing Sanchez lastnsummer. Wonder if they'd bid £20 mill for Welbeck. Would not feel threatened one bit if he went there. To be fair to the guy, he deserves to be at a club where he would start as CF.

He would be in exactly the same place he is here, number 2 striker.

But Sturridge is injured for a long time again. I really hope Liverpool buy Welbeck

Just like Giroud was when we bought Welbeck.

And he was a starter for that time just like he'll be at Liverpool if he goes there. He was just shit so obviously Giroud is going to take that spot back. At Liverpool he can still get that chance to prove himself and Liverpool often plays with 2 strikers aswell.

He had that chance at Arsenal, even if he does prove himself, he will still be number 2, I can't see him becoming a goal machine anytime soon. I think I've seen Liverpool play with 0 strikers more times than 2 strikers this season.

[Maradonna]

According to Ole (argentinian press) Di Maria is on his way to Bayern Munich.

[elkanofan]

Good move for him if true. They need a replacement for Ribery and Robben in the next season or so.

[Diaby24AFC]

According to Ole (argentinian press) Di Maria is on his way to Bayern Munich.

If true, what the hell were LVG and United thinking spending huge money on him. What a waste.

[Maradonna]

According to Ole (argentinian press) Di Maria is on his way to Bayern Munich.

If true, what the hell were LVG and United thinking spending huge money on him. What a waste.

he is unhappy in England, his wife wants to move out.
His first choice was PSG but due to FFP rules he could not move there.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

RAWK is in total meltdown about Depay, they ate treating this like losing Sanchez lastnsummer. Wonder if they'd bid £20 mill for Welbeck. Would not feel threatened one bit if he went there. To be fair to the guy, he deserves to be at a club where he would start as CF.

He would be in exactly the same place he is here, number 2 striker.

#2 to who? Balotelli, Borini and Lambert? Are you serious? Pool have the worst strike force in the top 15 of the PL.

[ESFSAFC]

Sturridge?

[Highbury Hillbilly]

The Sturridge who has missed 70% of this season? He is the new Diaby. He won't be back in action until September ans is finished as a 90 mins/game player.