gourcuff

[DoomMerchant]

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/EuroSpy-transfer-news-Manchester-City-plot-25m-move-for-Bordeaux-star-Yoann-Gourcuff-article429981.html

ok. i guess we should ask the OP who else we should bid for. Pretty ITK if you ask me.

also, why did AC Milan let Gourcuff go if he's such hot shit? i don't remember it be a heavy price either...i know he was on loan in FR for a season or two then was sold to Bordeaux, right? Why?

also, frogs.

cheers

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

That video astounded me. Yes youtube can make players look great who are shit, but you can't edit the control he shows on the ball. Simply worldclass, both footed, great composure, awareness, skill, shot. That backheel Slim mentioned made my jaw drop.

What position is he/Whose position would he take?
Joga bonito

I've seen him play just behind strikers but also in more drawn role in central midfielder ie traditional playmaker. Generally player like that should have freedom to roam around the pitch and do his thing.

[DoomMerchant]

That video astounded me. Yes youtube can make players look great who are shit, but you can't edit the control he shows on the ball. Simply worldclass, both footed, great composure, awareness, skill, shot. That backheel Slim mentioned made my jaw drop.

What position is he/Whose position would he take?
Joga bonito

I've seen him play just behind strikers but also in more drawn role in central midfielder ie traditional playmaker. Generally player like that should have freedom to roam around the pitch and do his thing.

did you feel that way about Elano as well? i can't recall.

cheers

[blue wine]

from L'Equipe

Manchester City and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head to bring £25 million-rated Girondins de Bordeaux schemer Yoann Gourcuff to the Premier League.

French sports daily L'Equipe has reported that the French international is high on the shopping list of Roberto Mancini as he looks to add some extra craft to his side at Eastlands.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger has also ear-marked the former AC Milan midfielder as the man to fill Cesc Fabregas' shoes — if the 23-year-old makes the £40 million move to Barcelona in the summer.

Gourcuff, who is expected to be given a starting spot at the World Cup for France, has developed at a rapid rate under Laurent Blanc after an unhappy spell in Serie A. He notched seven assists and six goals in the club's unsuccessful bid to retain their Ligue 1 title last term.

[Wooders]

"unhappy spell in serie A" rings alarms for me, if he can't hack it there he'll struggle big time in the PREM

[Zezou]

"unhappy spell in serie A" rings alarms for me, if he can't hack it there he'll struggle big time in the PREM

he's only 23 now! he was a kid at ac milan thats why they loaned him out. Then they tried to get him back but he had settled in france so they let him stay.

not many 20/21 year olds come through and are awesome in an established team like ac milan.

Id love him at city because he could be awesome, more of a risk than say milner but potentially world class

[Original Dub]

"unhappy spell in serie A" rings alarms for me, if he can't hack it there he'll struggle big time in the PREM

He was pretty young at Milan and one thing I remember when scouring the Milan forums around the time of the Kaka debacle was tha quite a few Milan fans said they saw no reason why they can't just call back Gourcuff that he could be an adequate replacement for Kaka. Then they sold him to Bordeux and they were not happy bunnies!

As has been mentioned, he could be a risk, but that applies to any player who hasn't played in the prem yet for the most part.

[edge275]

"unhappy spell in serie A" rings alarms for me, if he can't hack it there he'll struggle big time in the PREM

What happened is, AC Milan foolishly put a clause in the loan deal that they could buy him for 15 mill euros at the end of the agreement. I think they might've put it in thinking that Bordeaux would never pay it.

Surprisingly Bordeaux did pay it and they tried to convince Gourcuff to come back to Milan. He also wanted to join Bordeaux. AC didn't want to sell him rather they shot themselves in the foot.

Also at AC he had a lot of problems with injuries.

I know it's not the most reliable of sources but this is from wiki

"Due to Gourcuff's impressive season, his parent club announced that they would be open to the player returning to Milan for the 2009–10 season. However, the club's plans were put on halt after learning of Bordeaux's intent to meet Gourcuff's buy-out clause of €15 million included in the loan deal. Despite general manager Adriano Galliani and new manager Leonardo's efforts to persuade Gourcuff to return, on 28 May, it was announced that Bordeaux had signed Gourcuff permanently from Milan with Gourcuff agreeing to a four year deal.[41][42][43] The transfer fee was undisclosed, but was in the region of €13 to €15 million.[44]"