Leif

I think De Rossi is a player who's just getting better with age. At around 26/27 years old when most players in his position would be considered to be in their 'prime' his tactical understanding of the game wasn't very good, but his pace was far better than what it is now. (Pace was always a big part of his game. He'd get dribbled past half the time then quickly try and turn round and hit a slide-tackle on whoever got past him. This is how his red card tally began racking up.) Those have switched now though, with his understanding of the game being incredible and his pace being around half what it was. This loss of pace though isn't an overall loss to his game, as his tactical understanding now typically prevents players from getting past him - full stop. I think we should go all out for him. Reason being, you also have a somewhat playmaker in De Rossi as well as a hard tackler when he's in your team. With Italy we often see him as a ball-playing defender with almost as much playmaking responsibility as Pirlo, and with Roma when he was used correctly he and Totti typically dictated play; Totti providing the through-balls and De Rossi with the short and quick passes with the occasional incredible long-ball which more often than not split the opposition's defence right open. The most admirable trait of his, at least in my eyes, is the fact that he does every single job you can possibly do in the team. He'll do some playmaking, and then the moment his pass goes astray or his teammate loses it, he will chase down whoever of the opposition just got the ball assuming they're within his 'zone' which he typically roams and hunts them down like a rabid dog. He'll then calmly hit the ball accurately up-field to launch a counter-attack. At other times when his team is under-pressure, he's given the freedom to play like a less pacey but more all-round version of Ramires; You'll find him at left-back, as the striker, as a winger, as a centre back etc. He's even played as goalkeeper a few times for Roma when he needed to. He genuinely plays like a hybrid of Xabi Alonso, Mascherano (during his Liverpool days) and Ramires. Honestly. If he'd been playing for a top club in either England or Spain for the past few seasons he'd be everyone's favourite player outside of their own team. He still has plenty to give. Nothing suggests he's slowing down. Like Pirlo, like Di Natale, like Totti, like Del Piero, he will keep going until a very late age. I won't even touch on what he brings to a team personality-wise. My fingers will start to bleed. I feel £15m, even £20m if it came down to it would be acceptable (at a stretch) for him. You know why? You end up paying £7m-£10m for the defensive midfielder De Rossi and then £7m-£10m for the playmaker De Rossi. 2 players in one. Sign him or i'll cry.

Monaco signed Toulalan. Shame. One of the best defensive midfielders around.

His career is that of one of the biggest underachievers in domestic football. That's reason enough to join us. You win cups every single season here. 1 league title in his career is shocking.

Wanted him more than any striker but at the same time I've been wanting the board to start being more sensible even more. It's not that we 'can't compete with PSG' - that's untrue - we can pay the fee for anyone in the world I believe; but we seem to have shrugged of a lot of our naivety. (By 'our' I mean those who work for the club when it comes to transfer dealings. Further proven with the buy-back clause now inserted into Bruma's contract just incase.) Very happy for Lukaku also. Much easier to get a chance to prove your worth when you don't have a newly bought player with a colossal transfer fee starting ahead of you. My main attraction when it came to Cavani was the fact that he's like a Drogba blueprint - only with a few of his traits actually being better than Drogba's. However, I seemed to forget that there was never and still isn't a guarantee that Jose will revert us to similar tactics he used whilst he was here his first time round. Maybe an all-in-one striker like the Cavani's, Drogba's etc. isn't what's needed for us now. PS: I think the fact that we didn't cave into Napoli's demands is a sign that this talk of a proper 'project' isn't just hot air this time. A potential project could be ruined if too much money is spent on 1 player and they don't quite work out.

Very excited about this Bojan - Ajax loan move. Exactly the move that is needed for him and he should absolutely tear up the scoring charts in Holland this season. I was on an Ajax forum just last night and the fans were drooling over a potential move but completely writing it off as despite being the richest club in Holland, they thought they wouldn't be able to pay their wages. Good for them Ajax doing lovely business this window.

Fuck Benitez for helping us win the Europa League the fucking useless cunt.

Ajax just signed Mike van der Hoorn which frees up Alderweireld to either Liverpool or, more likely, AS Roma. If he joins Roma it's expected that Marquinhos either goes directly to Barcelona or heads to PSG with Thiago Silva going to Barcelona. Circle complete.

Jorge Jesus says he's leaving since the clubs following him make it impossible for him to stay now.

In Holland it's reported quite widely that we've actually paid more like around £5m for him compared to this £9m-10m figure being reported by English media. Not a surprise. They do it with most our signings

Apparently when we originally put in an offer for De Rossi or were at least negotiating Baldini was still at Roma. With his departure from their staff things have been more difficult and hence things stalled and now PSG have popped along.

Has it been posted yet that Strootman has apparently snubbed Roma? That'd be a big blow to this potential deal.

De Rossi joining PSG would make sense. Easier chance at winning a title, playing around Italian-speaking players, playing in a great stadium with loud fans just like Roma's, he'd be adored there like Zlatan is, his cheque would be incredible, he'd be in one of the world's best cities, and he'd (probably) be remembered in years to come as one of the players to join PSG and help breathe new life into Ligue 1. I just hope basically that if he does join them he's not called a mercenary or any of that rubbish. Hopefully he ends up here though. Favourite midfielder ever behind Lampard.

I'd happily sell him with a buy-back clause inserted in the contract personally. It'd suit all parties. Odd for an Englishman perhaps, but I feel he'd flourish in the Bundesliga where it's like the PL just slightly slower pace and slightly less brash. Doubt it'll happen, but a team like Bremen or Wolfsburg would be decent for him.

I want to win trophies with the best players possible. This is a football club, not a personality contest.

Really don't want him going to a league full of racist fans. Would be very saddening.

I actually had a dream he was playing for us not too long ago. It's shocking how many of my footy dreams come true. He's a cunt but one of the best cunts around with a ball at his feet. He's made it clear he hates the English media though, so..

The general view is that this is a pretty weak signing, and it would be for a team already in the top 4, but for a team trying to consistently start being in the top 6 and hopefully (for them) then the top 4 again I actually think this is a decent signing. He'll be good vs. slow teams in cup ties, tough teams like Stoke etc. (if their style remains next season). If Torres remains here I hope Toure starts against us some games though. The difference in pace between the two is incredible - in our favour.

If he stays with United I will continue to despise him. If he joins us I have little doubt he'll become a hero to many here. Funny eh. Mark Hughes all over again.

That work rate and defending ability I preach about

Bet his penis is the size of my whole body

I don't want him to go at all. But if he were to go... well, Zouma would make me feel good again. It's rare to find a character and player like Luiz but just sometimes u gotta let 'em go. (And Zouma is a damn good leader and I just know we'd all adore him as a player after not too long.) If there's no incoming Zouma though I think him leaving would literally make me feel sick.

Juventus just signed Tevez for £7.6m.

Don't see this happening. It's being reported in Spain we're trying to sign Rami from Valencia and he'd cost peanuts in comparison to Mangala.

I love how he's reacting to his signing. Quote from his Twitter. The "Thank you" is just cute for a footballer. It's rare:

Can only assume De Bruyne will be getting a departing player's number - but who will depart?