21 Jul 2024 12:52:56
Hi Ed002. Hope you're good.

Do we (or any other clubs besides Madrid) have any interest in Alphonso Davies? One suspects Bayern would prefer to get a decent fee for him this summer than let him walk away for nothing this time next year.

{Ed002's Note - Another club has an interest but not Manchester United.}

1.) 21 Jul 2024
21 Jul 2024 14:43:05
Thanks, Ed. Would be happy to see him move this summer, even if it’s not to us. Am not a fan of Real’s transfer tactics as of late.

2.) 21 Jul 2024
21 Jul 2024 15:52:01
I don't mind it to be honest, they've earned that level of influence. I'd want us to take inspiration for when (if) we return to the top.

Someone like Wharton on a free when he's 24 to partner Mainoo in midfield for club and country would do me nicely!

3.) 21 Jul 2024
21 Jul 2024 23:20:53
They’ve earned their level of influence!? What, like tapping up players left, right and centre!?

4.) 22 Jul 2024
22 Jul 2024 05:04:05
No, what Real are doing is taking the p*** out of other clubs.

They're basically saying 'You crack on spending years helping to develop and nurture talent and, when we feel the time is right, we'll swagger over and bully you into a corner. '

Nobody earns the level of influence to go around acting like a w⚓️ towards everyone else, what utter BS that is.

5.) 22 Jul 2024
22 Jul 2024 10:18:02
While I appreciate it's a perfectly legitimate way to do business, I think this new approach by Real Madrid is morally questionable at best, bullying and professional abuse at worse.

They are one of the wealthiest and richest clubs in the world, they are one of the few clubs that can currently afford to spend large sums of money on the best players.

There are several tiers of clubs, and Real Madrid are in that elite top tier, reserved for the richest, most powerful and successful clubs.

That top tier hoover up the most talented players to create an elite football team on the pitch.

The tiers below realistically will never climb into that top tier, they might occasionally upset the applecart. Finish in the UCL places, win a domestic cup or even do a Leicester and win a surprise league title. Yet that success tends to be fleeting and often ends with their best players being picked off by those established top sides. Unless they get massive outside investment they will not change the established order. While the new rules actually make it harder for outside investment, further cutting off that remaining pathway to becoming a top side.

Yet, those sides in the lower tiers are vital to the overall success and quality of football. As those sides grow, improve and develop they are the ones that push the elite sides to improve further to stay ahead.

However, those sides do not have access to the same TV revenue (with the exception of the EPL), they don't have access to the same level of sponsorship, and they can't make anywhere near as much through merchandise. For many of them they rely on the funds they make through player sales. Either developing a youth player through their academy or by spotting a rough diamond player and polishing him into a top level player. Then selling them on for a huge fee to bring in money to reinvest in their club.

Theses clubs need and rely on the big fees paid by the elite sides for their best players.

Likewise the elite sides are rarely able to develop their own players consistently due to the need to win every game and perform at the highest level in every game. While that environment is often not conducive for a young player to develop in.

These clubs are needed to produce and provide the right space and environment for players to develop and reach their potential.

The elite sides need these clubs to continue the conveyor belt of top talent for them to sign and create their football dream teams.

What Real Madrid are doing by putting pressure on players to run down their contracts so they can leave for free undermines the whole system. It's an abuse of power and position.

While not breaking any rules or laws of the game, it is morally corrupt and threatens the stability of football.

I understand that the spiralling costs of players is staggering, and becoming a problem within itself. Personally I think this is a bigger issue for the smaller and mid-sized clubs who are being pushed to spend representatively more on players due to the incomes of the elite sides growing at a much quicker rate than the rest of the clubs.

When an elite side has a net income of 500m, then a 100m player represents a 5th (20%) of their income. Yet those clubs just below them might only have a net income of 150m, which means that 100m player represents two thirds of their income (66%) .

That is why the inflated prices impact those clubs outside of the elite teams more than those like Real Madrid.

There needs to be a solution to stop these spiraling costs, but it cannot be by all clubs adopting Real Madrid's current approach as that will lead to the financial collapse of those smaller and mid-sized clubs that prop up the entire football structure.

6.) 22 Jul 2024
22 Jul 2024 10:32:16
Too right Ork. I’m no fan of PSG, but Real have had them right off.

7.) 22 Jul 2024
22 Jul 2024 11:39:31
It's not a new approach, Bayern made a habit of that strategy with Lewandowski, Goertzka, Gnabry and Rudy. Is it morally questionable? Of course. But you also could argue that so are transfer fees in itself. I can potentially see a day where the 'Bosman' rule gets expanded and fees no longer exist.

I doubt anyone would've complained if it was us that enticed Mbappe, whilst lining up the likes of Yoro and Davies etc for free in future windows. I definitely would've been bragging about that level of influence to my Liverpool friends that's for sure.

8.) 22 Jul 2024
22 Jul 2024 11:45:30
Not Gnabry I'm confused with someone else who I can't remember now.