Moussa Diaby

[Steero113]

4 minutes ago, HKP90 said:

and you can't buy credibility.

The funny thing is, the Saudi regime genuinely think you can. 

Edited July 18, 2023 by Steero113

[Vive_La_Villa]

11 minutes ago, MotoMkali said:

I'm sorry but he could essentially be tripling his take home salary in Saudi Arabia compared to what it would be here. It's very very hard to say no to that. It could be even more if you are talking 300-400k a week

It’s a tough one for some players and it’s easy for us mere mortals to say but if I was a good as Diaby is meant to be I’d have aspirations of playing in a top league and maybe even more importantly the chance to win things at International level.

He’s kissing all that good bye for ‘extra’ money to spend. 
 

I personally think it’s the type character we could do without so wouldn’t be bothered if he chose Saudi.

 

 

[MSvillain]

4 hours ago, The_Steve said:

Tbh, it’s about £43m as of now, and I think £45-47m (€55-57m) will be the final fee. We will have to pay for quality and I'm sure Diaby absolutely ticks those boxes. Especially given the negotiations remain ongoing. 

Which Sky Sports will report as £65m no doubt 

[lexicon]

4 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

The funny thing is, the Saudi regime genuinely think you can. 

And I think they'll get bored when they realise they can't. 

[PaulMcGrath_5]

If both clubs can agree a fee, he will join us. My worry is the Saudi club pushing the fee to a ridiculous amount that we are unwilling to match. 

[tomav84]

30 minutes ago, BOF said:

Let's just hope this one isn't true. Otherwise it means Newcastle, who wanted Diaby but couldn't afford him because of FFP, have managed through their owners PIF, to stop a Premier League competitor from getting the player, by buying him instead with one of their other clubs.

 

eddie howe has been quoted as not ruling out loans from the saudi clubs too. loans/transfers between clubs owned by the same people need looking at. bournemouth and l'orient are doing the same

it's like when you played Championship Manager and made yourself manager of 2 clubs to sell their best players to yourself

[Rustibrooks]

20 minutes ago, TheMightyVillans said:

This seems like a weird signing to pursue and spend so much on for the Saudi club. Definitely something dodgy going on.

This all feels like his agent/Leverkusen using them to get us to increase our offer really. All the noise from Diaby’s camp is that he wants to join us

[CarryOnVilla]

1 minute ago, PaulMcGrath_5 said:

If both clubs can agree a fee, he will join us. My worry is the Saudi club pushing the fee to a ridiculous amount that we are unwilling to match. 

So be it, we have options with other players 

[duke313]

Just now, tomav84 said:

eddie howe has been quoted as not ruling out loans from the saudi clubs too. loans/transfers between clubs owned by the same people need looking at. bournemouth and l'orient are doing the same

it's like when you played Championship Manager and made yourself manager of 2 clubs to sell their best players to yourself

Watford and Udinese have transferred 60 players between themselves over the years, and nobody batted an eyelid.

[MotoMkali]

3 minutes ago, QldVilla said:

Sorry, thought he was playing the game to be the best player he can be and to be successful, not ruin his career in the sand league.

Earning more money in 2 years than you would in the rest of your career is ruining it? People move jobs all the time for money. Can we stop pretending that football players have to be any different. 

[tomav84]

2 minutes ago, duke313 said:

Watford and Udinese have transferred 60 players between themselves over the years, and nobody batted an eyelid.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11145327/Watford-accused-working-16M-Hassane-Kamara-deal-sister-club-Udinese.html

Quote

Watford accused of 'working the system' to boost their promotion hopes after they sold Hassane Kamara to sister club, Udinese, for £16M before immediately loaning him back... (and the defender only cost the Hornets £4M when they bought him in January)

they're smaller teams, so there's obviously going to be less outrage. similar to why the bournemouth - l'orient link has gone under the radar too

newcastle are one of the richest teams in the world now and could circumvent FFP by signing players via the saudi league - the scale is quite different

[VillanousOne]

he's agreed to join Al Nassr, close the thread, the internet has spoken and must be believed

Edited July 18, 2023 by VillanousOne

[The_Steve]

My prediction is we sign him for around £45m plus add-ons 

[Vive_La_Villa]

6 minutes ago, MotoMkali said:

Earning more money in 2 years than you would in the rest of your career is ruining it? People move jobs all the time for money. Can we stop pretending that football players have to be any different. 

The thing is thought pretty much all top level players could engineer moves to Saudi if all they cared about was money. It’s not like Diaby is the lucky one. 
 

Very few are choosing the money over aspirations.  

Edited July 18, 2023 by Vive_La_Villa

[duke313]

7 minutes ago, MotoMkali said:

Earning more money in 2 years than you would in the rest of your career is ruining it? People move jobs all the time for money. Can we stop pretending that football players have to be any different. 

Sport is different, the majority of players want to win or at least compete in the best competitions.  Nobody is moving to Saudi Arabia to try and win The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.

[tomav84]

Just now, duke313 said:

Sport is different, the majority of players want to win or at least compete in the best competitions.  Nobody is moving to Saudi Arabia to try and win The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.

if the salary offered was 20 or 30k a week more in saudi than us, yes, the best competitions are a factor in his decision

when the salary offered is more than double what we're offering, that changes things.

[mikeyp102]

52 minutes ago, BOF said:

Let's just hope this one isn't true. Otherwise it means Newcastle, who wanted Diaby but couldn't afford him because of FFP, have managed through their owners PIF, to stop a Premier League competitor from getting the player, by buying him instead with one of their other clubs.

 

If this does happen (not that I think it will from this tweet), but what odds on him being loaned to Newcastle in January. Football is becoming a farce

[HKP90]

17 minutes ago, MotoMkali said:

Earning more money in 2 years than you would in the rest of your career is ruining it? People move jobs all the time for money. Can we stop pretending that football players have to be any different. 

Not about the money, though. If the Saudi league ends up being perceived as a retirement league for players, like the MLS he'll struggle to get a move to a credible European league, and NO ONE will be able to afford the ludicrously inflated wages, so he'll stagnate in a league where aside from maybe 4 teams, the standard will be like the Championship or League One.

In short, it's not good for his career. Money or no money.

[duke313]

3 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

if the salary offered was 20 or 30k a week more in saudi than us, yes, the best competitions are a factor in his decision

when the salary offered is more than double what we're offering, that changes things.

Lukaku turned down £21m a year from Saudi Arabia, so i'd say the vast majority of players still want to play in the top Euro leagues and compete for the top prizes. Saudi can only attract players who've won it all and mercenaries.

[The_Steve]

Al Nassr got embarrassed 5-0 in a friendly against Celta. All the money in the world won’t suddenly make the league that competitive overnight.