stones signed - nearly £100m over 6 years!

[Douglas Higginbottom]

We have to it the home grown factor. Urgently.
I'd bin Otter with immediate effect to bring in Stones.

Stones and the Otter (assuming no Vinnie). Both will be brilliant under Pep.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Christ on a banana, £50 million?

[aaron bond]

A truly underwhelming signing, especially at the cost.

I know the transfer market is crazy at the moment but £50m for a player who has looked completely out of his depth in the Premier League is terrible business. There is absolutely no way he is worth anywhere near that.

I hope he can turn it around but there's no doubt we are being taken for a fool here by Everton.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

The last time we payed Everton silly money for a centre back it worked out pretty well.

[Scatman]

Why don't we just stop harping on about the money?

The last time I asked, money wasn't an issue. It isn't coming out of our pockets, despite what people might think about the impact it will have on ST prices. Why give a shit if it is £15M or £50M? I just don't get it. It's just a big number to go with all the other big numbers.

Everyone I hear talking about John Stones except for the people on here say he is a good player, a good prospect, would be a good signing. OK he had a poor season last year, but didn't Everton as a whole? Didn't most of our players as well?

I have this feeling that Guardiola knows what he is doing. I don't know why. I hope I am right. He has clearly given it some thought and it is his view that signing Stones is a good idea. He gets paid £2M a year to take those decisions so let's give him a bit of leeway.

[john@staustell]

Why don't we just stop harping on about the money?

The last time I asked, money wasn't an issue. It isn't coming out of our pockets, despite what people might think about the impact it will have on ST prices. Why give a shit if it is £15M or £50M? I just don't get it. It's just a big number to go with all the other big numbers.

Everyone I hear talking about John Stones except for the people on here say he is a good player, a good prospect, would be a good signing. OK he had a poor season last year, but didn't Everton as a whole? Didn't most of our players as well?

I have this feeling that Guardiola knows what he is doing. I don't know why. I hope I am right. He has clearly given it some thought and it is his view that signing Stones is a good idea. He gets paid £2M a year to take those decisions so let's give him a bit of leeway.

Absolutely.

I dont often agree with Phil Brown, but when talking about Arsenal on TS this morning he said something like:

'You can't hold transfer fees at some point in the past. It's the going rate now, you gotta pay it(sic) )

[I Just Blue Myself]

Ah, there it is. Our token overpriced average defender. It is officially a transfer window now! :)

I'm already pondering who we'll replace him with in 2017.

[Moonchesteri]

Ah, there it is. Our token overpriced average defender. It is officially a transfer window now! :)

I'm already pondering who we'll replace him with in 2017.

Laporte for £75m?

[Hazy2]

Home grown, can play out of the back, remember his assist for Barkley C C Cup. Sterling was never 50 mill. We can swallow the figure pep wants him that is good enough for me. We have spent how much on defenders recently !

[CTID Hants]

Home grown, can play out of the back, remember his assist for Barkley C C Cup. Sterling was never 50 mill. We can swallow the figure pep wants him that is good enough for me. We have spent how much on defenders recently !

And apparently he has the same agent as Bony.....

Just sayin...

[Im_Spartacus]

Until the Sterling transfer, I was getting a bit concerned at the amount being paid for players, however.........

Unless the transfer market tanks (which it wont now that FFP is receding into the rearview mirror), transfer fees will continue to rise in line with club revenues, largely driven by an insatiable media appetite for the premier league and champions league. Paying 50m for Sterling and Stones is arguably a big investment for players who are at their current stage of development, mediocre and not necessarily deserving of a starting place in a top 4 side.

BUT

In 3-4 years time, when 50m is the norm (just like 20m was a lot but is now the norm), these players will have at least the same sell on value as we paid, thus if they work out great - we get a full career out of that transfer fee. If they don't work out, we are unlikely to be much worse off as the market for English players will continue to be inflated, particularly dependent on the Brexit situation.

I'd much rather we take a punt on future talent which is largely a no-risk kind of gamble, vs spunk 50m on a 29 year old with a dodgy injury record and no track record in our league.

[RodneyRodney]

Agree with your point re: Tosin, but Stones is 22 , not 29

[I Just Blue Myself]

Agree with your point re: Tosin, but Stones is 22 , not 29

I imagine the talent here is Stones, while the 29-year old is Bonucci. No mention of Tosin I'm afraid, so not much to agree with in that regard?

[PrezIke]

Christ on a banana, £50 million?

subtract 20-30 from the price and then it's what is the normal fee everyone is used to. That's how it is now. Not sure why we get so wound up over it.

Mangala even cost £42m 2 summers ago.

[PrezIke]

Pep confirms we are interested in Stones:

"It's the same answer for Sane -- he's a player for Everton. Everyone knows we're going to try but we will see."

[patrickblue]

If we offer 50 million for someone we've never heard of, who plays in Spain or Germany, no-one bats an eyelid.
Because it's an English player, playing for a slightly shite PL club, everyone's up in arms.

[ashton287]

At least we are doing something. Can't rely on kompany and his 7.3 games per season.

Still need a decent CM and striker.

[sheblue]

Have no doubt we will get him, especially the way pep is talking now.
Stones and Sane are certs.

[Wooders]

If we offer 50 million for someone we've never heard of, who plays in Spain or Germany, no-one bats an eyelid.
Because it's an English player, playing for a slightly shite PL club, everyone's up in arms.

Yes but subjectively people have seen a lot more of stones than someone from a european club (i am not sure your analogy is particularly true either)
Other than being linked with chelsea last season its very difficult to understand what he has done to warrant his apparent price tag

[South Stand Balti]

At least we are doing something. Can't rely on kompany and his 7.3 games per season.

Still need a decent CM and striker.

Yes, and s decent centre half.