The Inevitable January Transfer Market Topic

[Crybaby Bunting]

The problem with sticking a salary cap on English footballers is the fact that unless it's enforced onto every European league similtaniously you'd get clubs like Madrid bidding for high earning players knowing that it doesn't appeal to them.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

15 years ago I remember that 10,000 a week was reserved for the very best players.

Football doesn't make 10 times the money now that it did then, consideringthe very best are on 90-100,000.

The whole Kaka deal is pretty distasteful and if Kaka through his own choice it just shows how much of a mercenary he is so he'll suit the new Man City.

You can't blame AC Milan for accepting the deal, although then every other club will inflate player prices when dealing with Milan.

[HailtotheYo]

I don't see how a fan can blame a player for saying "sure, I'll let some dumbass pay me *exorbitant amount of money*" ..... the disgust should be for the fact that somebody is willing to pay 500,000 week. NOT, if he takes it.

Seriously .... any competitive company comes to yours and offers you 10X the money you make now for the same job, you're taking it. End of story.

[Hobo]

It's like Deal Or No Deal. We should get Noel Edmonds involved.

[rocksta]

You're going to call Kaka a mercenary? Really? Isn't that a bit much?

[Summers]

..It'd be true.

If he leaves AC for City.. then it's cuzza cash, there for, mercenary.

[Clawson]

I know I don't have the most partial view when it comes to this, but were people calling everybody who went to Chelsea when Roman took over "mercanies"? I know we don't have the same consistent finishes as Chelsea had in the 7 year buildup to him, but if in 2-5 years City is consistently in the Champions League then buying "mercanies" at this point in time would be a major part in attracting more top players to the club.

The money is still absurd though.

[Summers]

Yes, same happened to Chelsea targets who moved for cash. However, Chelsea were leaps & bounds ahead of City are now, when Roman showed up.

[Clawson]

I already pointed that out.

[Captain Kirk]

I'm fucking loving it, 10 years I go I was watching Dickov score a last minute goal to give us a chance of making the now Championship! Now I'm looking at Robinho and possibly Kaka. I just hope Hughes brings in a DM and a good CB. Due to Hamann being out and hopefully bringing in Senna and also Dunne and Richards have been pretty crap this year.

[Crybaby Bunting]

City have been linked with Nigel de jong I think todays papers said, so they'll probably end up getting Per Mertesacker

[King Ellis]

Jose wants Jenas at Inter.

Bellamy wants to go to Spurs but West Ham wont let him.

Manucho to Hull on loan, provided he gets a work permit. I found this slightly odd given the injuries to Rooney and Tevez (though I think that is only a knock) but I guess Wellbeck is ahead of Manucho anyway. Plus, I suppose there might be a chance that Man U get Campbell back soon if Spurs buy Bellamy.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

If a player goes to a much worse team for more money then yeah he's a mercenary (unless Kaka supported Man City as a kid or has wet dreams about Mark Hughes and the chance to play for him).

It would be like Robinho going to....oh, wait.....

Chelsea were very different as already pointed out as they were pretty decent anyway and starting to do well in the league before the influx of money.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

BBC:

Tottenham are on the brink of signing midfielder Wilson Palacios from Wigan after Latics boss Steve Bruce said a deal had been "virtually agreed".

The 24-year-old has been with Wigan for just over a year after he joined from Deportivo Olimpia on a three-and-a-half year deal for £1m in January 2008.

But the club have opted to cash in on the Honduran, with a deal of around £14m thought to have been agreed.

"The clubs have virtually agreed a fee. It's how it will be paid," said Bruce.

"It is up to us as a selling club to demand what we want in terms of how we should be paid and how we should be structured. We will see what happens.

"Wilson is still with us and I'm preparing him to play against Manchester City tomorrow. That's the situation at the moment but we will see what happens in the next few hours."

Tottenham had a bid of £10m rejected on Wednesday but Bruce conceded at the time that the club would not stand in Palacios's way if a bigger offer came in.

That's a big chunk of cash right there but it'll add some depth at least.

[Pesci]

It'd be so awesome to see Kaka at Man City. He'll probably do fuck all to be completely honest, but I wanna see Ireland and Johnson move elsewhere. But not Villa. Because I'd end up supporting them instead of Liverpool or something.

[stokeriño]

But not Villa. Because I'd end up supporting them instead of Liverpool or something.

I've already accepted Villa as my 'second team'. You should too.

[Matt]

But not Villa. Because I'd end up supporting them instead of Liverpool or something.

I've already accepted Villa as my 'second team'. You should too.

Hasn't everybody?

And I don't think Kaka is a "mercenary" for taking half a million a week wages. Fuck me, he'd be a moron to turn it down. Who the fuck would turn City down in his position? I think City are fucking idiots for offering him such a ludicrous amount of money but you can't blame him for turning it down.

If I was on 20k a year, and someone offered me a job doing the same thing at a lesser company for 200k, I'd be on my way before you could tell me how many holiday days I got.

Kaka's a waste of money though - not that City are bothered about tiny things like that - because for the 110m they're paying AC Milan, they could get a team of players that are good enough to get them into them top half of the table and *possibly* even the UEFA cup.

[Hobo]

I don't know if you can say getting paid half a million quid is mercenary, its going to be a bit of an oddity if it goes through. Sort of like Beckham in the MLS.

City have the money for it, Milan aren't in the CL this year. They're thinking "CHA-CHING". Kaka probably would prefer to stay in Milan but I think Milan would like him to go because of the money involved. There are few clubs who wouldn't turn down that much.

[Lord Nibbler]

I don't think you can call Kaka a mercenary. A mercenary would be kicking up a fuss and demanding that AC Milan accept City's offer. He clearly wants to stay at the club, but if Milan want the money then there's not too much he can do about it.

[Summers]

Uh, yes there is.

"Nah, I'm staying." would be just that.