Frenkie de Jong | The last muppeting lap

[Malcusss]

I honestly have some sympathy for those who have spent the entire season convincing themselves that we have some sort of plan and this wild goose chase is somehow strategic.

First it was that he would love to join ten Hag due to their prior connections. Ok, but why would he join this train wreck of a club for a coach who might not be here in a year?

Then it was that the club must know Frenkie wanted to come otherwise we wouldn't have chased him for so long. The club is known for making extremely poor transfer decisions, why would this be any different?

Then it was that alternatives aren't good enough so it's fine to waste all summer chasing one player. Except about 20 players that have changed clubs this season would have improved our midfield and you all turned your noses up at them. Now, because we wasted all summer, the season already started with a loss and we're in pure panic mode chasing SMS and Rabiot.

Then, when negative noises about his willingness to join, it was spiteful Barcelona journalists that for some reason have something against United. I mean, seriously? They are Barca mouthpieces. Barca wanted to get rid of Frenkie. Why would their mouthpieces undermine that goal? And why would they have something against united?

Then when reliable journalists started reporting this and reporting Chelsea's interest it's that they are miserable, wrong or looking for clicks. Some posters even began blaming journalists for some weird reason.

All the while, many saw this disaster class coming because it's what we do. It has been a display of such incompetence that im beginning to suspect that its done on purpose. Better to be left with egg on your face than spend the money it takes for a proper strategic plan and the right players. We now look absolutely woeful on the pitch and vastly inferior to our closest competitors. All during a year where we crucially required a purposeful rebuild.

I don't want to blame anyone cause there is enough blame to go around. I just hope some posters see that pessimism is warranted and will be unless there are drastic changes in organizational culture.

It's remarkably sad to see how this club has been turned from an institution singularly focused on winning, to a meme. It's not the journalists fault, it's not the posters fault. We need to wake up and demand changes like the supporters of winning clubs do. No amount of denial or deflection will change that reality.

 

[Eplel]

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Would be the ideal scenario for us (him staying and not joining Chelsea whole City lose Silva) at this stage of this shitshow.

By all accounts he won't accept reduced wages though so it would feck them financially

Anyone have the number for La Liga's lawyers, I need to make a phone call.

 

[Bestofthebest]

Does anyone actually know what is making EtH hang in there with all the gossip coming out that de Jong favours Chelsea? If this goes the way that it looks then EtH is going to end up with a bucket load of egg on his chin and he will lose a lot of credibility from everyone. Not a good place to be in for the latest new manager of a pretty cr*p team.

 

[Judas]

Hopefully he stays put, because at this point, very little suggests he'll be coming here. I want to believe, but the last few days have made it very hard to do so.

 

[cyberman]

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Would be the ideal scenario for us (him staying and not joining Chelsea whole City lose Silva) at this stage of this shitshow.

By all accounts he won't accept reduced wages though so it would feck them financially

I know this is funny and all but even if they had lineup this is a shitstorm ready to happen. Keeping these players happy is a task all on its own.
There’s no way Xavi can manage this. It’s a booted squad that has so many players suited to different styles of play

 

[Infra-red]

Not convinced. Haven't they already said it's not what they're looking at? The spending some mention above suggests it would be too much in one season

Tuchel said midfielders are "not the first priority". The first priority is presumably Fofana and Tuchel wants that deal completed asap.

Chelsea clearly want De Jong and will sign him if he indicates that he's willing to leave Barca this summer (which, thus far, he has not done, much to the chagrin of Barca/Laporta).

 

[Rob Bowman]

Yeah Barca even if a pixie sprinkles fairy dust on the ledger and all these players are eligible....

I would love to see how Xavi keeps them all happy.

Think it was Gavi already said if Silva comes in, he is not renewing.

 

[AlexUTD]

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Would be the ideal scenario for us (him staying and not joining Chelsea whole City lose Silva) at this stage of this shitshow.

By all accounts he won't accept reduced wages though so it would feck them financially

Good luck getting all the new signings registered without selling someone for a good fee.

 

[sewey89]

at people who still think this isn’t a done deal

 

[Summit]

at people who still think this isn’t a done deal

It isn't

 

[hellhunter]

It isn't

Reported.

 

[sewey89]

Reported.

x2

 

[sewey89]

at people who don’t think this sudden influx of pop ups on the caf, at a time when Frenkie needs £17m raising, aren’t connected

 

[Unlikely lad]

at people who don’t think this sudden influx of pop ups on the caf, at a time when Frenkie needs £17m raising, aren’t connected

 

[Longshanks]

So barca now want there cake and to eat it, sign silva and keep FDJ on reduced wages presumably with another couple of levers thrown in for good measure.

Only problem is there struggling to register the players they have already signed and FDJ is refusing to reduce his wages. The more this saga continues the more desperate the Barca PR machine is becoming. Something is going to give this week, with registration deadline looming.

I literally have no idea whats going to happen, we have been linked we a few midfielders, reportedly had bids accepted or considering bids for a couple is it just more smoke and mirrors or have are we genuinely moving on to other targets as the FDJ and Barca deadlock shows no signs of relenting.

 

[TheNewEra]

So barca now want there cake and to eat it, sign silva and keep FDJ on reduced wages presumably with another couple of levers thrown in for good measure.

Only problem is there struggling to register the players they have already signed and FDJ is refusing to reduce his wages. The more this saga continues the more desperate the Barca PR machine is becoming. Something is going to give this week, with registration deadline looming.

I literally have no idea whats going to happen, we have been linked we a few midfielders, reportedly had bids accepted or considering bids for a couple is it just more smoke and mirrors or have are we genuinely moving on to other targets as the FDJ and Barca deadlock shows no signs of relenting.

Busquets is leaving after this season so it kind of makes sense that they want both.

 

[dinostar77]

If i were frenkie, id hold out at Barcelona. Busquetes will be leaving next summer for inter miami. Which will open up a position at the base if the midfield/infront of the defence. Ideal for frenkie. Hold out this summer and more than likely become a key player for Barcelona in the long term.

 

[P-Nut]

at people who don’t think this sudden influx of pop ups on the caf, at a time when Frenkie needs £17m raising, aren’t connected

And there's me deleting my cookies and cache

 

[poleglass red]

Never bought into the Chelsea links, they are now strongly linked with submitting a record bid for Fofana. I can't see them getting Fofana and then going after FDJ in lieu if what they've already spent

 

[Fanta Stick]

It isn't

Summit wrong with your thinking fella.

 

[Member 101269]

Tuchel said midfielders are "not the first priority". The first priority is presumably Fofana and Tuchel wants that deal completed asap.

Chelsea clearly want De Jong and will sign him if he indicates that he's willing to leave Barca this summer (which, thus far, he has not done, much to the chagrin of Barca/Laporta).

Again, I don't see the inevitability in any information

 

[Judas]

Never bought into the Chelsea links, they are now strongly linked with submitting a record bid for Fofana. I can't see them getting Fofana and then going after FDJ in lieu if what they've already spent

Logically, I agree. But this Chelsea ownership doesn't really operate with much logic.

 

[NinjaZombie]

I've seen talk of Barcelona saying they'll annul De Jong's contract and return to the deal before he signed this current one.

How does that work? You can't just annul a contract can you? Even if they could, annulling his contract would mean he'd be a free agent wouldn't it?

Football used to be simpler in my day.

 

[GaryLifo]

at people who don’t think this sudden influx of pop ups on the caf, at a time when Frenkie needs £17m raising, aren’t connected

This might just be my favourite post of the month so far. Very nicely done

 

[croadyman]

That's quite massive news. Athletic confirms that ETH has sanctioned the purchase of an alternative. Yet another nail in the coffin. It's so obvious FdJ was never coming to us

Maybe read the whole thing not just alternative target part, just an idea

 

[calodo2003]

at people who don’t think this sudden influx of pop ups on the caf, at a time when Frenkie needs £17m raising, aren’t connected

 

[Suv666]

Never bought into the Chelsea links, they are now strongly linked with submitting a record bid for Fofana. I can't see them getting Fofana and then going after FDJ in lieu if what they've already spent

They got ambitious owners unlike us. Going for both Fofana and FDJ.

 

[RedDevil@84]

at people who still think this isn’t a done deal

at people who keep posting smileys when drunk and talking shite on the forum.

 

[Loon]

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Is there anybody he doesn't want at the club now?

 

[crossy1686]

I've seen talk of Barcelona saying they'll annul De Jong's contract and return to the deal before he signed this current one.

How does that work? You can't just annul a contract can you? Even if they could, annulling his contract would mean he'd be a free agent wouldn't it?

Football used to be simpler in my day.

You can annul a contract if there’s a legal reasons to do so, which Barcelona are saying there is. I don’t think they can just put him on an old contract though without him agreeing to it, so he’d essentially be a free agent if they did that, not sure how the whole ownership thing works though, they may still own his image rights etc.

 

[croadyman]

Never bought into the Chelsea links, they are now strongly linked with submitting a record bid for Fofana. I can't see them getting Fofana and then going after FDJ in lieu if what they've already spent

I can because they are a sugar daddy club sadly

 

[Berbaclass]

Is there anybody he doesn't want at the club now?

Arnautovic

 

[RedDevil@84]

Is there anybody he doesn't want at the club now?

Cristiano

 

[croadyman]

Missing out on CL really screwed the rebuild.

Well blame these shysters who couldn't be arsed to put it in to finish in the top 4. They are the reason we aren't able to attract top talent.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Is there anybody he doesn't want at the club now?

Phil jones

 

[USREDEVIL]

Cristiano

 

[Bluelion7]

Never bought into the Chelsea links, they are now strongly linked with submitting a record bid for Fofana. I can't see them getting Fofana and then going after FDJ in lieu if what they've already spent

It honestly doesn’t matter what you are listed as spending in a particular “window”. It really doesn’t.

You don’t want be paying over a certain percentage of your rolling payroll to fees at any one time, that’s all. Even if they paid it all up front cash, they could write themselves an Interest free loan for payroll and amortize it into their system.

I am thinking he stays at Barca, but we would definitely spend the money.

 

[croadyman]

It honestly doesn’t matter what you are listed as spending in a particular “window”. It really doesn’t.

You don’t want be paying over a certain percentage of your rolling payroll to fees at any one time, that’s all. Even if they paid it all up front cash, they could write themselves an Interest free loan for payroll and amortize it into their system.

I am thinking he stays at Barca, but we would definitely spend the money.

Oh just spend it and say ha we made you lot look like complete clowns in the market

 

[Gandalf]

You can annul a contract if there’s a legal reasons to do so, which Barcelona are saying there is. I don’t think they can just put him on an old contract though without him agreeing to it, so he’d essentially be a free agent if they did that, not sure how the whole ownership thing works though, they may still own his image rights etc.

The part that makes no sense though is that if he is not a free agent then he reverts to the old deal under the terms of which he has not been paid 17M that he is due and for the record the old deal would still put him above the ceiling they have established for their new wage structure so the benefits to Barca in this don't appear to exist. This appears to be more of a bullying tactic with the threat that Frenkie is somehow implicated and could face penalties if their case is proven but considering his agent will have represented him and La Liga signed off on the deal their case looks insanely flimsy. If Barca actually try to push this and some of their fans are baying for them to do so they will not only lose but you would have to think that this would be the line in the sand for FIFPRO and UEFA to get involved and the consequences could be very ugly. I think it is just another tactic to get Frenkie to sign for 50K a week and offer his eternal thanks for the privilege of being allowed to stay which he is simply never going to do.

 

[Rolaholic]

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