nick76

Don’t think it’ll be that simple. I’m guessing that while we’ll have no choice re buy back clause the guys will protect us as much as possible. Like other deals like this there will be add ons for certain things like international caps etc. it is also common that the fee rises as the years go by.

Me too. Plus I know nothing about this player apart from a quick video. With the other players we have more video's, fans that know more about him and playing against better opposition. It's not lack of love but more lack of not knowing anything to comment on. These type of players generally fall into one of two categories, either unbelievable success or complete failure. Very much hoping for the former.

but we are probably buying him for a vastly under value fee.

but if a big comes in for one of our players like Grealish or McGinn and we have to sell then isnt it the same thing if the player then insisted on going. The only difference is the fee, we would get a smaller fee in this case rather than open market. Loans go back to their clubs whatever and can be recalled (Depending on agreed terms). With this it would include a fee and likely a substantial fee. For me this is far closer to an open market sale than it is to loan.

His highlight video seem to suggest he is a deep lying or defensive midfielder anyway. Certainly looks good getting his foot in.

Also with Buy Back Clauses, arent they generally for significantly more fee than the original fee. Also I have seen (via press) that buy back clauses grow with each season and achievements i.e. international recognition. So this is different from a loan because we would make some good profit if he is successful probably not as much as we could but at the same time we are purchasing a player cheaper than he would normally cost. A win-win for Villa and Man City, it just reduces the risk for both parties. We buy a player that has potential at below market cost because we are taking the risk of him failing but the downside is we sell for less if he is a success Man City may have to fork out substantially more than currently if he is successful but can buy back at below the then market price. It's a really good risk management strategy by both teams.

Clubs always say another team is interested when likely there isnt. Generally to up the bid and put pressure on the bidding team. Why announce us and not the other British team.....

This deal makes no sense to me when Man City will be competing with us for the league title next season....maybe they have given up hope already

CB is the new RB at Villa.

Villa would’ve thought of that. If memory serves me correct that on some similar deals in Spain, the buy back is by a date ie 30th June, it’s not open during total transfer window. They are likely to have option to buy back during specific timeframes.

That team is exciting but jeez it’s so raw and that scares me a lot. We definitely need a solid bench with that first XI. I still don’t think it’s strong enough as a team, which worries me.

Well Pogba is 150m apparently and while he’s a top draw player he’s been average at Man U, so we have some way to go.

Wow, how young is our squad going to be. Great they can grow together.

If this is the case I’d be surprised if we don’t have an alternative. I’m assume Villa know his intentions better than any of us and acting based on that.

I know nobody would agree with me but just seen on Sky Sports website that Diego Costa wants to come back to the premier league. Great striker and only 30. Knows Terry, and if I remember correctly his teammates said while he was a complete @#$&# on the pitch he was a lovely guy off the pitch (I think it was Terry who said that). He would cost a fortune, probably disrupt our wage structure, not fit into Smiths plans and all that so I know it’s not right. but..... what a statement...... great striker, clinical....focus on him by opposing teams and Wes can play off him and have the space to learn and also do what he does. He’ll bring goals, excite the fan base and teams would be weary of him and it would be a statement of intent by us that we are back. Plus we need another striker. Yes bad idea before getting on my back...

Still think something big might come out of the woodwork, outside of whether Phillips happens or not. Just gut feel...

Still think at least GK, DM and RW. Being greedy I would also like another Striker and Centre-back

Yeah but without my rose tinted glasses and taking out their anti villa sentiment it’s borderline whether better or worse than the promoted team with the squad as of today. we have no idea how Wesley is going to fair.....hopefully not a Balaban. Unknown how he’ll fair to a Tammy comparison. Mings is Mings Targett is an upgrade Guilbert is another unknown Jota seems a better back up player than Albert Konsa and Axel could be argued roughly the same. I’m optimistic but despite their anti villa, it’s not too hard to argue for what they said

Still hoping on this deal rather than Heaton

Meh signing for me. Hope to be proved wrong though.

I hope I’m wrong but I would be disappointed with this signing, just feels more of what we already have. If it means we get Philips, then following my back and forth with TrentVilla last night it may be worth while, as I understand his point on DM over GK as a priority but really think a GK was a key signing and my gut feeling this isn’t it but I’m probably more wrong than right as I am often.

Ok fully understand. I look at it that we’ve spent probably more like 60-65m pre add ons and likely to probably spend the same again in my opinion. The add ons come over time (seasons) and only if we are successful, which in itself breeds more money. The owners seem to have money to spend so the restriction is Fair Play rules and I’m assuming CP knows what he’s doing. We are being linked with players that cost bigger money and seem to have plenty of legs in regards to Butland and Philips. There seems to be reliable sources on Webster as well and I don’t believe that was an either or on Ming’s. It just seems that we are still going to spend a fair chunk more before the window closes. i do take your point though, I just can’t see in the current situation after what the club said and the reliably linked other players that we are going to spend less as you describe. i am though generally always wrong with transfers over the last forty years so I’m probably way off base as usual.

Can I ask what makes you think that? From what I’ve heard from the interviews is that we want to sign young players and we don’t want to loans. From the outside we haven’t done anything we didn’t know at the time of those interviews. I’m sure the Wesley deal was in the works. We knew how much Ming’s was likely to cost. Hause and AEG were known values. I assume Targett was on the radar. What has changed that you believe what you do? i still think we have some big signings coming along with some unknowns/mid priced signings. So far nothing unexpected has happened so I don’t know what you think has changed? surely if the rumours are true on Butland and Philips we knew they were not likely to be 10m players but significantly north of that. If we thought they were 10m players then as a club and as fans we have a serious issue that the club doesn’t understand the market. Additionally we know that at the beginning of the transfer window we needed to bring in at least 8-9 players so a plan must have been in a place and I’d be surprised if only 2 of those players were 20m players given our obvious holes in the squad.

It's a great discussion and while we slightly differ on priority I hope and believe we'll get both i.e. key GK and key DM, whether they are Butland and Philips is down to so many factors, not just money.

I fully understand your perspective but I think the same but about the Goalkeeper instead of DM. As I have mentioned a number of times over the last few weeks, I really feel the GK position is so key for next season and for me DM is only second to GK position in weakness. We are going to be bombarded next season as underdogs in most games. Making a key save gives confidence to the team; keeping a clean sheet gives confidence to the team; the team not having to start every game knowing they are likely to have to score two goals to win a game strikers needing to score when they know ever shot is crucial. As we are going to at least need goal in every game to get a point somebody at the back that co-ordinates and manages the back line and the back line can totally trust that man in goal Us Villa fans can turn quite quickly in a game, the longer we keep the opposing team out the louder and passionate we are, which helps the team Keeper makes a mistake, it's a goal. Any other player can maybe get away with in. I can go on and I fully agree a DM is vital for us and we really really need that role but for me it's always second to a new GK. Defence is so key for us next season and for me that always starts with a GK and now (mings is signed) a DM is crucial and it has to be really good signing. I like Steer but I dont think he's our No.1 for the Premiership season ahead even in the interim or even if it means we dont get the DM we want. Fully understand teams flying through our midfield currently because of the lack of DM and that is a major problem but for me the GK is more important.