The Skipper

Modric and Marcelo nowhere to be seen on that last list, and they were arguably Madrid's most important players last year. It doesn't mean anything whatsoever. People try to use it as justification that he's some sort of important player for Real when truth is he isn't at all. It truly boggles my mind that this guy will go for anything above £40m.

If he can recapture his Porto/Santos form we'll have a good player on our hands if we do get him. He was rated higher than Sandro at Porto.

Uh oh. Are you gonna go burn the Bridge down?

Yeah sure. Matic doesn't actually strengthen Arsenal apart from better depth - comfortably think Xhaka, Ramsey are better players.

Semedo will be bonafide top 3 FB soon.

Hazard - Sandro - Bakayoko left hand side would be so press resistant its ridiculous. Our right hand side however...

Might be a conspiracy theory but this actually kinda makes sense regarding this weird Sandro situation, also explains the Bonucci deal:

I take back my take back. We've matched the bid. It's all very embarrassing. Who's to blame for this? I do think the way we negotiate has a big factor in this. If we were going to pay this much anyway why in the world were we low balling? I hope the club does wake up now though. If Roman has any pride left he'd be fuming right now.

I take back my Marina slander. £100m for Lukaku is insane.

I never said Marina decides how much we spend on a player at all, please don't assume that. Maybe a change of philosophy is the bigger reason but I still believe that we were more effective when Gourlay was leading negotiations. You can't say that the negotiator or representative doesn't have any sort of influence as to how a deal concludes.

Of course. Haven't said otherwise. In fact, I've been saying for years that it's the board as a collective, not the manager or Emenalo or Marina or whoever who decide that. My point is more to do with how we don't seem to close deals as effectively as we did under Gourlay - and in my opinion the negotiator can have an effect on that.

Sure. Let's assume this logic is true for a second. Bakayoko, Sandro, Lukaku are all poor, sub par players. Pogba and Stones in 15/16 as well - really poor players to target. Let's ignore the fact that since Gourlay left, we have been extremely meek in the transfer window.

Emenalo was largely wrongly accused. Marina actually heads negotiations. Since she's taken over that role from Gourlay we've been pretty rubbish in the market.

I actually miss Ron Gourlay.

BBC, Telegraph and The Guardian also reporting it but sure.

Ahhhhh absolute scenes, club has gone downhill with transfers ever since Gourlay left and Marina heads the negotiations. I know some didn't want him but this is embarrassing.

Pogba is probably the best CM in the league talent wise, don't think we'll see his best bits under Jose though.

Every Roma fan I've spoken to have him down as their best CB.

Are you saying this in terms of playing style or the career he'd have here?

Hazard - Sandro - Bakayoko left hand side would be so press resistant its ridiculous. Our right hand side however...

"Top".

Don't get it. So many are slating our board but other clubs haven't got much done themselves. The only active top club in Europe is Milan.

In today's market, for Real, chump change.

Guy's the next big talent from Brazil - could be a bargain in years.

Luiz, Christensen, Azpi, Cahill and Rudiger would be the best CB core in the league, add Alonso in there too and it's even better. Rudiger is a Zouma that can pass essentially, so I wouldn't mind the signing too much. Looks like Conte really wants him.