Transfer Talk, Rumours and Speculation

[playmaker]

Well done CFG. Great signing.

Edited September 5, 2016 by playmaker

[Jimmy]

Needs own thread

[Dylan]

26 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

Needs own thread

Done

[Deviant]

4 minutes ago, Dylan said:

Done

I'll change the title to your suggestion once it's official.

You may need to remind me, please.

[bellydrum]

Boca Juniors winger Nicolas Colazo on Melbourne City hit-list

DAVID DAVUTOVIC　Source: Herald Sun　

http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/boca-juniors-winger-nicolas-colazo-on-melbourne-city-hitlist/news-story/d4465984230c6e0618e773a166592002

MELBOURNE City’s Latino love affair could continue as the club looks to exploit its vast global scouting network and find another Bruno Fornaroli-esque gem.

Argentine Nicolas Colazo is one of 4-5 attacking players on the hit-list to become City’s new marquee signing, after fellow countryman and attacker Fernando Brandan was unveiled last month.

The Herald Sun understands that no contracts have been offered but the players have been told that they stand to earn around $500,000.

At least one other target is believed to be from South America and two are based in Europe, with City Football Group tapping into their 35-man scouting network for an edge with their South American scouts looking for another rough diamond like Uruguayan striker Fornaroli.

City refused to comment specifically on Colazo, 26, but have privately played down his imminent arrival after his agent told an Argentine radio station that he had all but signed with the A-League club.

“Melbourne City does not comment on media speculation relating to player transfers,” a spokesman said.

Colazo, 26, is a product of the famed Boca Juniors academy and remains with the Argentine giants but like Fornaroli has failed to kick abroad after being highly-rated.

City had planned to sign a high-profile marquee along with Cahill, but the goalposts have since shifted.

Two marquee spots opened up after Aaron Mooy and Robert Koren left, while Cahill was signed under Football Federation’s new guest marquee spot.

Colazo has been linked with Italian Serie A sides Atalanta, Chievo and Torino.

His agent Sergio Levington told radio program Bocade Seleccion that his client was in Italy securing an Italian passport ahead of a move to Australia.

“Nico [Colazo] is on a trip. He is in Italy to get an EU passport,” Levington said.

“It is all done so that Colazo can play for Melbourne City in Australia.’’

Colazo has played 117 games in Argentina’s top flight since debuting in 2009, netting five times.

City last week signed Danish defender Michael Jakobsen, who will join the squad on their tour of Townsville on Friday. The City squad left on Monday night and play a friendly against Wellington on Sunday.

[jw1739]

This is getting a bit hard for me to understand. So we now have "4-5 attacking players on the hit list" for one place in the squad?

[Embee]

28 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

This is getting a bit hard for me to understand. So we now have "4-5 attacking players on the hit list" for one place in the squad?

I'm not quite sure what's so hard to understand about that, it simply suggests they have several targets and are weighing their options before committing to one of them.

[bt50]

3 minutes ago, Embee said:

I'm not quite sure what's so hard to understand about that, it simply suggests they have several targets and are weighing their options before committing to one of them.

Exactly. Im pretty sure every club would go about their recruiting that way.

[n i k o]

So I'd imagine, ignoring the formation, with everyone fit we could line up like this

..................….........Sorenson..........................

Fernando......Chapman......Jvs mate.......Colazo

.................Kilkenny...........Brattan.........

..........................Cahill...........

Gameiro..........Fornaroli.........Kamau

 

If we line up with  3-5-2 thus could look more potent with both Fernando and Colazo free to move up the wings  

 

 

Edited September 6, 2016 by n i k o

[Jovan]

30 minutes ago, bt50 said:

Exactly. Im pretty sure every club would go about their recruiting that way.

Really. 

I would agree once your targetting different players you'd think they would have a list. But once a player has been engaged in direct talks and has left his original club then it then comes down to finalizing the deal. At that point the others on the list are pretty much secondary or backup and you are infact getting the bloke you think is the best.

So this talk of 4 or 5 targets is either weeks old or just plain wrong.

[Embee]

34 minutes ago, Jovan said:

Really. 

I would agree once your targetting different players you'd think they would have a list. But once a player has been engaged in direct talks and has left his original club then it then comes down to finalizing the deal. At that point the others on the list are pretty much secondary or backup and you are infact getting the bloke you think is the best.

So this talk of 4 or 5 targets is either weeks old or just plain wrong.

According to Davutovic no contract has been offered, and as far as I can tell Colazo is still a Boca player, so I'm not sure what you're referencing there.

What if Colazo is actually not the first choice on the list and they're awaiting answers from another player(s) first? Not to mention there's plenty of cases of clubs in football engaging in direct talks with players and not signing them, for many different reasons.

[jw1739]

10 minutes ago, Embee said:

According to Davutovic no contract has been offered, and as far as I can tell Colazo is still a Boca player, so I'm not sure what you're referencing there.

What if Colazo is actually not the first choice on the list and they're awaiting answers from another player(s) first? Not to mention there's plenty of cases of clubs in football engaging in direct talks with players and not signing them, for many different reasons.

And according to The World Game a contract has been offered and accepted. So, as always, believe nothing until a signing is actually confirmed either out of Manchester or Melbourne City.
If Colazo isn't the first on the list then the other 3-4 must be damn good as well! What I'm taking out of this atm is that we are going to sign another marquee and he's going to pretty good.

Edited September 6, 2016 by jw1739

[Embee]

Just now, jw1739 said:

And according to The World Game a contract has been offered and accepted. So, as always, believe nothing until a signing is actually confirmed either out of Manchester or Melbourne City.
If Colazo isn't the first on the list then the other 3-4 must be pretty damn good as well! What I'm taking out of this atm is that we are going to sign another marquee and he's going to pretty good.

Correct, but in regards to squad reporting when it comes to City I'm more inclined to believe Davutovic than The World Game.

If that was the case you'd assume so, that's simply me posing a hypothetical example though, I'm not sure exactly why Colazo seems to be the most likely to come if there are indeed multiple players being explored (perhaps he is indeed the best player available), I just feel that it'd be a more standard approach than some on here seem to realize. Most clubs would surely have multiple targets in mind for each available spot in their squad and would almost certainly be feeling out the situations of each of those targets before officially approaching one or more of them

[jw1739]

We've just announced the signing of Braedyn Crowley. On a "scholarship contract" - first I've heard of that category.

http://www.a-league.com.au/article/melbourne-city-signs-teenage-striker-braedyn-crowley/1ddqjr79ogeh81on76nqx6tiiu

[bt50]

1 hour ago, Embee said:

Correct, but in regards to squad reporting when it comes to City I'm more inclined to believe Davutovic than The World Game.

If that was the case you'd assume so, that's simply me posing a hypothetical example though, I'm not sure exactly why Colazo seems to be the most likely to come if there are indeed multiple players being explored (perhaps he is indeed the best player available), I just feel that it'd be a more standard approach than some on here seem to realize. Most clubs would surely have multiple targets in mind for each available spot in their squad and would almost certainly be feeling out the situations of each of those targets before officially approaching one or more of them

Pretty much this is what I meant. There's obviously different stages to the recruiting process, but no doubt the club would approach quite a few of its targets at once, and depending on its order of preference whittle it down according to the acceptances. Players um and ah over leaving and are entertaining multiple offers most of the time.
In Colazo's case it may be that he's is keen on the terms, but we have someone else preferred that we are waiting on first. Who knows, not me, and probably not anyone on here either, the point being that I'm of the belief that the club would constantly be talking to multiple players at once, at any given time.

[Kinnibari]

18 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

We've just announced the signing of Braedyn Crowley. On a "scholarship contract" - first I've heard of that category.

http://www.a-league.com.au/article/melbourne-city-signs-teenage-striker-braedyn-crowley/1ddqjr79ogeh81on76nqx6tiiu

I was wondering if I'd just forgotten about it. I assume related to LaTrobe, sounds like a good system for young players.

[jw1739]

5 minutes ago, Kinnibari said:

I was wondering if I'd just forgotten about it. I assume related to LaTrobe, sounds like a good system for young players.

I haven't heard of "scholarship players" before. Also I must have missed that Northcote City are an "affiliate club" of ours. Just how far do our tentacles actually reach?

[JC22]

3 hours ago, n i k o said:

So I'd imagine, ignoring the formation, with everyone fit we could line up like this

..................….........Sorenson..........................

Fernando......Chapman......Jvs mate.......Colazo

.................Kilkenny...........Brattan.........

..........................Cahill...........

Gameiro..........Fornaroli.........Kamau

 

If we line up with  3-5-2 thus could look more potent with both Fernando and Colazo free to move up the wings  

 

 

Brandan at RB? Think that would work?

[Jovan]

2 minutes ago, JC22 said:

Brandan at RB? Think that would work?

Wingback. Definitely. 

Rightback nup. But in the 352 the rightsided player just uses that chanel up and down and at times will be a rightback but also a right mid and then a genuine right winger.

Can work really well if the 3 cbs and holding mid understand whats required. 

Conte produced it well recently but for us to do it. Not sure.

[n i k o]

29 minutes ago, JC22 said:

Brandan at RB? Think that would work?

No. As Jovan said as a wing back then yes. As mentioned I didn't really think about formation when I set it up. 

[JC22]

Don't the wingbacks only really work with 3 CB's?

I could see Brandan working as a wingback with this formation. 

[mulhollanddrive]

Brandan is not playing in defense.

Or so I would think.

[Nate]

Muscat and Rose are obviously going to be our starting full backs, not sure why anyone would believe otherwise tbh.

[Chris p]

3 minutes ago, Nate said:

Muscat and Rose are obviously going to be our starting full backs, not sure why anyone would believe otherwise tbh.

Because they're average... 

[Jovan]

8 hours ago, Nate said:

Muscat and Rose are obviously going to be our starting full backs, not sure why anyone would believe otherwise tbh.

Not if we are doing the 352.

[Jovan]

15 hours ago, JC22 said:

Don't the wingbacks only really work with 3 CB's?

I could see Brandan working as a wingback with this formation. 

I think when Franjic is fit would take Brandan wingback position and Brandan would battle Caceras for the #10 role.  

FWIW I think this formation is fundamentally flawed with the players we have. Chapman and Malik for me are not capable of playing in a back 3. 

 Not saying they can't develop, but from what we've seen over the years we have been defensively naive to put it politely. And to play a complicated set up that requires astute defensive thinkers on and off the pitch we are inviting trouble. 

I honestly think we will play the 433 90% of the time this season. Where and how we will set up I really got no idea. Having half the list basically midfielders doesn't really help.

[bt50]

25 minutes ago, Jovan said:

I think when Franjic is fit would take Brandan wingback position and Brandan would battle Caceras for the #10 role.  

FWIW I think this formation is fundamentally flawed with the players we have. Chapman and Malik for me are not capable of playing in a back 3. 

 Not saying they can't develop, but from what we've seen over the years we have been defensively naive to put it politely. And to play a complicated set up that requires astute defensive thinkers on and off the pitch we are inviting trouble. 

I honestly think we will play the 433 90% of the time this season. Where and how we will set up I really got no idea. Having half the list basically midfielders doesn't really help.

Agree. We'll almost certainly play 433. The only question imo is whether, assuming we sign Colazo, we play him at LB or LW.

I reckon at least initially he'll play at LB and be encouraged to push forward a la Behich when he was here. Given we have two defensive mids in Kilkenny and Brattan wr'll have cover provided we are disciplined.

[Rasputin]

Still haven't replaced Mooy.  Don't have a number 10

[Jovan]

5 minutes ago, Rasputin said:

Still haven't replaced Mooy.  Don't have a number 10

With the squad pretty much done. It looks like the thinking is Cahill and Caceras as Mooys direct replacement. 

Replacing Mooy after his last season was actually almost impossible so hopefully Kilkenny Brattan Caceras Cahill as a group midfield combination will be equal if not better than last season.  

[playmaker]

Victsards getting a Essien.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/a-league/melbourne-victory-on-verge-of-signing-former-chelsea-star-michael-essien-as-guest-marquee/news-story/0ebc995de00b8c9a0fa4f6162c3a62b0

 

[JC22]

13 hours ago, playmaker said:

Victsards getting a Essien.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/a-league/melbourne-victory-on-verge-of-signing-former-chelsea-star-michael-essien-as-guest-marquee/news-story/0ebc995de00b8c9a0fa4f6162c3a62b0

 

Here for a holiday I reckon (hope)

[jw1739]

Alistair Bray on trial at Victory. Another one that's slipped through our fingers. Very hard to keep promising goalkeepers due to the squad restrictions.

[sharpy]

18 hours ago, playmaker said:

Victsards getting a Essien.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/football/a-league/melbourne-victory-on-verge-of-signing-former-chelsea-star-michael-essien-as-guest-marquee/news-story/0ebc995de00b8c9a0fa4f6162c3a62b0

 

Fantastic for the league if they get him, just hope he stinks it up against us.

[Tommykins]

45 minutes ago, jw1739 said:

Alistair Bray on trial at Victory. Another one that's slipped through our fingers. Very hard to keep promising goalkeepers due to the squad restrictions.

They'd know, Bray spent as much time at Victory as a youngster as he did at Heart.

[jw1739]

Anyone else see this? Must say I missed it.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/argentinean-flavour-for-a-league-437269

[jeffplz]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

Anyone else see this? Must say I missed it.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/argentinean-flavour-for-a-league-437269

Good to hear that Brandan and Colazo have a good reputation, yet I doubt he'd say something like "Yeah nah they were complete shit, bad move City"

[sharpy]

1 hour ago, jw1739 said:

Anyone else see this? Must say I missed it.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/argentinean-flavour-for-a-league-437269

I've been following this kid for a while, had no idea that he did his knee whilst on trial with us though.

Glad to see we were looking at him. Hope he recovers better than Gameiro.

[neio]

With the completion of colazo signing,  JVS said we are done with player signings for now

[heart_fan10]

saw in the herald sun we were "beaten to the signature of James holland by Adelaide"

[illeatyourheart]

Surely we should be looking for a Gameiro injury replacement. He'd be on above minimum coin and is going to be out the entire season. Surely that could begin to be enticing for someone half decent looking for a club. Would we be limited to Australian players or can an injury replacement be anyone?