Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

[Eggchaser]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Luiz should have been turned into a box to box midfielder. That way his defensive abilities and tendency to wander upfield could be properly wedded together.

[Freestyling buck wilding Stijn Stijnen]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Agree with that. Rafa benitez had him playing in a defensive midfield role with some room to roam, and he looked comfortable in that position, nor is he so old that he couldn't make a full conversion to that position, as when it comes to his passing and shooting abilities, Luiz is streets ahead of Marouane Fellaini, for example.

Surprised to see Villa release Marc Albrighton, who has always struck me as one of those rare breed of wingers that can actually put a decent cross in, in addition to being able to dribble with the ball. Can Villa fans shed any light on him, as I have the feeling that he hasn't been given a full and fair chance.

[hawkvshandsaw]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

I'll miss Luiz if this goes through, he's a good player and has always seemed to love Chelsea. Never quite got the cult following he's picked up though (I know a few Blues saying he'll be captain one day and so on), there's always been an uncomfortable whiff of Sam Dalla Bonna round the guy...

[hawkvshandsaw]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

insane fee though, they must be smoking some potent shit in Paris.

[Tony C]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

The Awesome Berbaslug!!! wrote:

A smart move for city would be to sell Toure to psg, and replace him with fabregas, who is a player who is as good as toure.......

No he's not.

The Sagna move is a peculiar one, though.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

I think you're chronically underrating fabregas I'm afraid. The way he's been misused at Barcelona, it's easy to forget how good he was for arsenal. One season he had 19 goals and 19 assists in 36 games and only four were penalties. Barcelona play him up front or on the wing. They're nuts.

[JM Footzee]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Full Premier League released/retained list is out.

It's not absolutely definitive, there's players in the released columns who are near definitely discussing contracts, even if a definitive offer is yet to be made (Frank Lampard, for instance).

Scholars that have signed professional deals prior to the end of the season are listed in the professionals section from what I can tell (basing this on George Green of Everton, who was in the second-year scholar age group this year and is in the professionals section).

Again, as I understand it from a quick mooch around the web, if a scholar is "retained" there is still a year to run on their deal, while if they've been "offered a contract" they've reached the end of their scholarship and have been offered a professional deal. Scholars who aren't being offered professional deals aren't listed.

I do appreciate documents like this - I think all leagues should do them close to the end of the campaign. No faffing around waiting for weeks.

Wish they were a bit more detailed though, so fans could scan the whole document for a full picture of clubs as they stand. It'd be helpful for journalists too - I find released list stories are often pretty woolly.

I'd make them list:
- First name (middle names too if you want, not overly fussed there)
- Surname
- Position (suppose this is rather fluid for a formal document, but I'd like an attempt)
- DOB & age as of 30 June (perhaps some sort of markers to indicate a) being qualified for under-21 league in the next season b) being "home-grown")
- Place of birth (city or town, country)
- Highest international honour
- Date joined club (not sure for academy-produced players if this would be first professional contract or debut, the latter could come before the former - perhaps you could do separate columns)
- Club appearances/goals
- Career appearances/goals
- Contract status: contract expiration date if under contract, option taken (plus new end of contract date), out of contract - contract offered (if terms are reduced, should be noted), out of contract - negotiations taking place or released (not sure where the cut-off would be for any dealings to feature in this column - last day of season?).

Players ordered by surname (but first name should be the left-hand column). No players who are still in scholarship age-groups listed. Maybe move the contract status up by the name given that it is the purpose of the list.

Same for scholars, split by year-group, but have the following contract options: professional (with when they received their contract offer), contract offered, scholarship continues (majority of first years), released.

I suppose alternatively you could put any scholar who has had a professional deal for a while in with the professionals with a marker to show they were still a scholar too. Or replicate them across both lists.

Maybe you could have a separate list with departing loanees too. And again, it'd probably benefit journalists if you had more stats for the departing players put in underneath - listing loan spells and appearances on them would be revealing for a lot of the youngsters cast aside. And any releases that have been announced prior to the official release of the list should be noted.

(I hope you have enjoyed my football administration fantasy - I have it too often)

Anyway, we knew of course that the big clubs had a lot of professionals, but the list does a good job of casting it in plain sight. I count 65 at Chelsea, 75 if you count the ten they may or may not be releasing.

Also, given the sheer number of players coming through the youth set-ups/being signed when still in their teens, I'm surprised at the lack of turnover. Looking at Chelsea again, only five of their releases are young professionals. City also release just five young players, United three.

[hobbes]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Luiz costing a metric Torres doesn't seem too bad a deal.
Luiz costing more than 2 Suarez, or 1.7 Alonsos not so good.

[hobbes]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Oh and, farewell David N'gog. Inspiration for one of Berba's most hilarious doublethinks. Joins Leroy Lita on a free out of Swansea.
Does Napoli beckon?

[cantagalo]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Reunited.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

In what way was the kubelgog a piece of doublethink? Rfk wasn't a great player god knows, but he was a better back up for an already injuryprone. Torres than the components of the kubelgog.

[hobbes]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

I meant when you vociferously argued that the penalty he won against (I think) Bolton wasn't despite spending years suggesting that similar dives were pens because the defender slung his leg out.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Jesus Christ Hobbes, it's one thing to run into and go over a leg that is in your way, but this was a bit different

[nmrfox]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Sad to see Lloyd Dyer leave. He could turn a game with his sheer pace but I would agree that the PL may be a step too far for him. He'll make a cracking signing for a Championship club with ambitions of making play-offs as a minimum.

In so far are Ben Hamer from Charlton as (presumably) back-up for Kasper, Marc Albrighton as a direct replacement for Dyer (and with PL experience to boot) and the hugely experienced Matthew Upson who should be able to do a job for a season at least.

Hopefully we can get a decent left back to replace the sometimes inept Paul Koncesky, another experienced midfielder and another forward to replace SuperKev.

[Sean of the Shed]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Harry Redknapp is supposedly interested in Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole. Possibly lazy journalism just assuming the West Ham link will be enough to attract his interest, but if he does take on any or all of those then QPR are going to look more and more like a legends team that gets together for charity games than a Premier League side.

[Mr Beast]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Tony C wrote:

A smart move for city would be to sell Toure to psg, and replace him with fabregas, who is a player who is as good as toure.......

No he's not.

No, he certainly isn't but players currently linked with Man Utd tend to acquire an inflated reputation here, at least until the speculation turns out to be baseless.

I can't believe Tony Fernandes will be looking to repeat every error he made last time but who knows.

[Mr Beast]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Swansea captain Ashley Williams is reportedly running his contract down in expectation of a move to Napoli. Surely this is a cruel practical joke?

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

hold on, we're talking about cesc fucking fabregas here, how short are your memories?

[Incandenza]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Mr Beast wrote: Swansea captain Ashley Williams is reportedly running his contract down in expectation of a move to Napoli. Surely this is a cruel practical joke?

Well, if Tom Ince is apparently a target for Inter...

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Mehdi benatia, Bruno martins indi, Daryl janmaat and James mc Carthy. I can't believe that man utd have failed to sign the 30 odd players that they have been linked with before the transfer market opens.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

hobbes wrote: Oh and, farewell David N'gog. Inspiration for one of Berba's most hilarious doublethinks. Joins Leroy Lita on a free out of Swansea.
Does Napoli beckon?

Not for him but it does apparently for Ashley Williams, only a year left on his current contract and new contract talks having stalled mean he is probably off.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

ever banega, arda turan and miranda (AS are claiming that he's already signed) adrien rabiot

[hobbes]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Blimey. Those first two have been being linked to Liverpool every year for about 6 or 7 years.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

hmm, my list of all the players that have turned down ed woodward and spat in the face of the busby babes has migrated thread. oops.

[Borracho]

Shaw Costa Fortuné - Summer transfers 2014

Unbelievably, Real Madrid have just reportedly bid €65 million for Paul Pogba.

Even more unbelievably, Juventus have turned it down!