Raheem Sterling nearest the pin.

[moomba]

What dilemma?

He's a contracted player, who will just stay at the club. We aren't just going to give him away at a cut-price to anyone else because Man City refuse to meet our valuation.

FWIW, I still think he ends up at City.

If we're not prepared to offer £50m Liverpool have a dilemna as to whether or not they accept a lesser bid.

It'll still be in excess of £40m, so hardly giving him away.

FWIW I have no idea how high we are prepared to go.

 

[BlueBen]

If we're not prepared to offer £50m Liverpool have a dilemna as to whether or not they accept a lesser bid.

It'll still be in excess of £40m, so hardly giving him away.

FWIW I have no idea how high we are prepared to go.

No-one else (except the rumours of Man U, and we won't sell to them) has shown any interest. And I thought I read that Sterling does not want to go abroad.

With Man City and Man Utd out of the picture and Sterling refusing, apparently, to move abroad, that only leaves Chelsea and Arsenal. I can't see Arsenal bidding over £40m. So that just leaves Chelsea, but there has been little indication that they are interested.

 

[chef]

I don't.

He makes them a better side and a better chance to finish top 4. It seems they will only accept a ridiculous price as they prefer not to lose him just yet.

 

[moomba]

No-one else (except the rumours of Man U, and we won't sell to them) has shown any interest. And I thought I read that Sterling does not want to go abroad.

With Man City and Man Utd out of the picture and Sterling refusing, apparently, to move abroad, that only leaves Chelsea and Arsenal. I can't see Arsenal bidding over £40m. So that just leaves Chelsea, but there has been little indication that they are interested.

We'll bid again, I have no doubt of that. Maybe as early as this weekend if you believe the gossip going around. If we were out of the picture we'd know about it by now.

 

[moomba]

He makes them a better side and a better chance to finish top 4. It seems they will only accept a ridiculous price as they prefer not to lose him just yet.

Personally I think it has more to do with maximising the sale price than keeping hold of the player.

 

[BlueBen]

We'll bid again, I have no doubt of that. Maybe as early as this weekend if you believe the gossip going around. If we were out of the picture we'd know about it by now.

Agreed, I meant in the event that City continually refuse to meet our valuation, I can't see where else he could go, given that he has said that he doesn't want to play abroad. But as I said, I think you'll get him eventually, but for more than you would like.

 

[moomba]

Agreed, I meant in the event that City continually refuse to meet our valuation, I can't see where else he could go, given that he has said that he doesn't want to play abroad. But as I said, I think you'll get him eventually, but for more than you would like.

You'll have your minimum price you're prepared to sell at, we'll have our maximum price we're prepared to bid. If there isn't a crossover between those two a deal won't be done.

I wouldn't say for sure that £50m is your minimum price, so it might not take a bid that high.

 

[Zidane98]

If we're not prepared to offer £50m Liverpool have a dilemna as to whether or not they accept a lesser bid.

It'll still be in excess of £40m, so hardly giving him away.

FWIW I have no idea how high we are prepared to go.

There's no dilemma. If City don't pay the 50m he stays. If City truly want him and have already bid 40m I don't see why they cannot go another 10m further and be done with it. 10m is just pocket change for City on the WARRRRRCHESSST scale.

 

[moomba]

There's no dilemma. If City don't pay the 50m he stays. If City truly want him and have already bid 40m I don't see why they cannot go another 10m further and be done with it. 10m is just pocket change for City on the WARRRRRCHESSST scale.

Like I said, we'll have our maximum amount that we're prepared to pay. If your minimum amount is more than that a deal won't be done.

 

[Zidane98]

Like I said, we'll have our maximum amount that we're prepared to pay. If your minimum amount is more than that a deal won't be done.

No leeway in the WARRRRRCHESSST?

 

[moomba]

No leeway in the WARRRRRCHESSST?

Plenty of leeway in the warchest. But we have a maximum price because we don't think a player is worth any more than that.

 

[Zidane98]

Plenty of leeway in the warchest. But we have a maximum price because we don't think a player is worth any more than that.

Sounds like the WARRRRRCHESSST is not that formidable after all.

 

[moomba]

Sounds like the WARRRRRCHESSST is not that formidable after all.

We might see soon.

 

[jod23]

I don't.

Pretty sure we'd be very happy to keep him.

 

[ADL9798]

Personally I think it has more to do with maximising the sale price than keeping hold of the player.

Pretty sure we'd be very happy to keep him.

Maybe, maybe not. FSG do have prior form in these circumstances and recent history tells us that they'll hold on to a required player if they aren't completely satisfied with the offer on the table, even if the player kicks up a stink a la Suarez.

The idea that they'll drop the asking price for Sterling and meet a buyer halfway is obviously entirely dependent on the assumption that Liverpool wouldn't be happy to keep him. Ditto Juventus & Pogba. Like I said, it's difficult to know for certain either way.

Personally I can't see either club letting these players go without a fight. For City I suppose it depends on how badly they want their #1 targets, or whether they think they're not worth the hassle and are happy to settle for very talented but perhaps less high profile options like Delph & Bellarabi instead.

 

[Zidane98]

Come up with a way City can get Sterling right away. Buy Balotelli at the same time and pay 55m for both.

Put through the transfers as 5m for Sterling & 50m for Balotelli. QPR then only get 20% of 5m. City get Sterling & a club legend who is a fan favourite. Win win for everyone.

 

[moomba]

Coutinho and Sterling for £55m.

We'll make £50m of it for Coutinho and loan him back for a season.

Problem solved.

 

[Zidane98]

Coutinho and Sterling for £55m.

We'll make £50m of it for Coutinho and loan him back for a season.

Problem solved.

Loan him back for 5 seasons and it is a done deal

 

[moomba]

Loan him back for 5 seasons and it is a done deal

£10.1m loan fee per season.

Done deal, i'll get the paperwork sent over straight away.

 

[jod23]

I can let you have Sterling but keep your dirty paws off our Coutinho.

 

[moomba]

Talk of a new bid of £40m + £6m. Comes from the Mirror, writer normally pretty good with City stories.

 

[Zidane98]

Talk of a new bid of £40m + £6m. Comes from the Mirror, writer normally pretty good with City stories.

Likely to be knocked back IMO.

If you can bid that much there's no reason why you can't go a littke further and bid 50m cash up front. Not like you can't afford it and you are FFP restriction free now. Time to crack open the WARRRRRCHESSST.

 

[Latro]

Likely to be knocked back IMO.

If you can bid that much there's no reason why you can't go a littke further and bid 50m cash up front. Not like you can't afford it and you are FFP restriction free now. Time to crack open the WARRRRRCHESSST.

No club pays all the transfer fee up front.

 

[Zidane98]

No club pays all the transfer fee up front.

By up front I mean the whole amount spread over the contract. No add ons required to receive the entire fee.

 

[moomba]

Likely to be knocked back IMO.

If you can bid that much there's no reason why you can't go a littke further and bid 50m cash up front. Not like you can't afford it and you are FFP restriction free now. Time to crack open the WARRRRRCHESSST.

Upper limits don't exist just for fun. We won't bid more than our upper limit, whatever that is.

We have been FFP restriction free since we released our 13/14 results as we met all targets that we needed to in order to scrap the remaining restrictions.