Bale

[desertscouser]

F*ck it. Let the Mancs have Bale and we'll take Heinze off their hands for 5 million. A top drawer international who can play across the back line and feels at home in the premiership.

[Los Rojos]

Serious question, is he better than Heinze and Evra? Evra's been superb for United this season. Why do they need Bale?

To stop Bale signing for anyone else in the short term I would guess. The suggestion is that United would buy him, then loan him back to Southampton which I can see happening.

For what it worth with Bale, he really is going to be top drawer. Earlier on in this thread there was an excellent post from Taffy which I totally agree with.

[Marky]

He's going to United.

[dirty_sanchez]

F*ck it. Let the Mancs have Bale and we'll take Heinze off their hands for 5 million. A top drawer international who can play across the back line and feels at home in the premiership.

Hmmm, I think there's more to it than that. Heinze was top class for the Mancs last year and this year he's not had a look in. I wonder if there is a medical issue there or something?

[DeeGame]

23 January 2007
EXCLUSIVE: SPURS HOLD TALKS WITH £10M BALE
By John Cross

TOTTENHAM boss Martin Jol was last night locked in negotiations with Southampton whizzkid Gareth Bale after having a £10million bid accepted.

Bale, 17, went to White Hart Lane for talks yesterday as Spurs tried to steal a march on Manchester United for the Wales international left-back.

But Dutchman Jol still has a huge task in trying to persuade Bale his future lies in north London - and faces strong competition from United boss Sir Alex Ferguson

Saints boss George Burley said: "At some point Gareth will go, but he will be here until the end of the season."

Fergie saw his £8m bid rejected last week and went back with an offer to sign Bale this month - then loan him back to Southampton until the end of the season. It is believed that Bale fancies a move to United, who are ready to let Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze go in the summer.

That will clear the way for Bale, who has 18 months on his current deal left at Southampton after turning down a new £4,000-a-week contract at St Mary's. But there is still major unrest at the Championship club where Burley has made it clear his future will be in doubt if they decide to sell Bale.

And the board decision to accept Tottenham's £10m bid is a major blow to Burley, who is desperate to keep his star.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...name_page.html

[Shaggy]

£10m for Bale is absolutely ludicrous money.

[AFII]

£10m for Bale is absolutely ludicrous money.

That depends how good he will be.

[enema of the state]

That depends how good he will be.

which means that buying bale is a gamble.

in my view its a gamble i'm glad lfc ARENT taking

[AFII]

I agree. I wouldn't pay £10m for him. Rafa probably knows everything he need to know about him. We signed up Southamptons youth team manager so we should be the best informed club when it comes down to Bale.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

I think we might make a sneaky bid now that Warnock is gone.

[einar]

Lets look at the worst case scenario.

Lets say Man U pay 6m upfront for Bale and it can increase to 10m later on.

1. He becomes they first team LB and one of the best LB in the league. They fork out the extra 4m and every one is happy.

2. He becomes a solid defender, nothing special but a good servant to the club.
They then either get a solid rotation player for the next 12 years or a LB they could sell to Newcastle for 7m. Hardly a big loss, either pay 10m for a lifelong servant to the club or sell him at a loss of 3m.

3. He flops completely. They dont have to pay the extra 4m and sell him at age 20 to Wigan for 3m. Loss 3m.

So IMHO hardly a huge gamble for a player who most experts seem to agree is one of the most promising young players around and never as most around here seem to belive a 10m gamble.

[El Diego]

Ok I haven't seen him often, but he's a 17 year old defender playing in a crap team in a crap division playing for a crap national team. Leighton Baines seems better than him, the most I would pay for him would be 3 million.

[enema of the state]

Lets look at the worst case scenario.

Lets say Man U pay 6m upfront for Bale and it can increase to 10m later on.

1. He becomes they first team LB and one of the best LB in the league. They fork out the extra 4m and every one is happy.

2. He becomes a solid defender, nothing special but a good servant to the club.
They then either get a solid rotation player for the next 12 years or a LB they could sell to Newcastle for 7m. Hardly a big loss, either pay 10m for a lifelong servant to the club or sell him at a loss of 3m.

3. He flops completely. They dont have to pay the extra 4m and sell him at age 20 to Wigan for 3m. Loss 3m.

So IMHO hardly a huge gamble for a player who most experts seem to agree is one of the most promising young players around and never as most around here seem to belive a 10m gamble.

you havent considered the on-field consequences of the gamble in your reasoning.

i want lfc to sign some establuished quality players - eg kuyt or alonso - and really strengthen the best 11

once we have 2 or 3 more of these we can start to go after "potential" and take gambles like bale would be

[einar]

you havent considered the on-field consequences of the gamble in your reasoning.

i want lfc to sign some establuished quality players - eg kuyt or alonso - and really strengthen the best 11

once we have 2 or 3 more of these we can start to go after "potential" and take gambles like bale would be

Sure that is a good point. Only problem is he is available now and Liverpool should be a club ( and more so if the investment is coming ) that can go after players like him when they become available.

[enema of the state]

Liverpool should be a club ( and more so if the investment is coming ) that can go after players like him when they become available.