Transfer Talk, Rumours and Speculation

[Torn Asunder]

The Nux shouldn't even be in the comp ... would prefer another Oz team

[jw1739]

Eirik Holmen Johansen, Norwegian from the Manchester City EDS.

 

IMO in no way is it a waste of a visa spot on a GK.

[Torn Asunder]

It's funny to see clubs still trading players despite FFA's intention for it not to happen

Edited January 1, 2015 by Torn Asunder

[Melburnian]

I'd trade Ramsay for a pack of twisties

[Nate]

I'd trade Ramsay for a pack of twisties

Me too, the twisties probably have better positional play

[SF33]

The Nux shouldn't even be in the comp ... would prefer another Oz team

 

Where would they be? Wellington looks like a good football city with fantastic supporters. Can't really think of another Australian city that is currently screaming out to be represented in the A-League.

[jw1739]

 

The Nux shouldn't even be in the comp ... would prefer another Oz team

 

Where would they be? Wellington looks like a good football city with fantastic supporters. Can't really think of another Australian city that is currently screaming out to be represented in the A-League.

 

Agree. It's better to have a wider view than just narrowing the league down to Australian clubs only. FFA is narrow-minded enough already; just narrowing things further will give them even more power and IMO that's counter-productive to the growth of the game.

[CityHeart]

Im probably a minority, but I think the A-league has to be the premier clubs only for this part of the world.

 

Id force/make/suggest etc Newcastle and CCM merging, even setting up a new club.

 

Id give the extra license to Auckland. Derbies just take the sport to a new level in those areas. Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane obviously not big enough/ready for extra teams IMHO.

 

Only further expansion when the average crowds reach around the 20K mark. Nowhere else is screaming for it, or has the population/potential to provide a 20K average for 13 games a year.

[Torn Asunder]

If a NZ team wins the A-league ...... the world will end.

[NewConvert]

Well my brother is adamant that the FFA should allow a Singaporean or Indonesian side into the league. So that is a wider net. Personally, I don't think that NZ can support another team just yet. Best course of action would be for the FFA in conjunction with NZ Football to nurture Auckland City so that it can become big enough to enter the A-League at some point in the future. Wollongong seems to me to be a better base to begin with. But perhaps a better course of action would be for the FFA to target some of the state competition clubs and nurture them to a reasonable base and then grant them an A-League license. Although I understand the reasons why completely new clubs had to be started, over the 10 years there have been too many fails to continue with that concept. Right now CCM and the Jets (plus Wellington) are struggling to exist. So the idea of creating a new franchise should be done skeptically - perhaps if Barcelona FC or Man U wish to have a local club then that should be considered but otherwise I rather that the FFA look at promoting existing state competition clubs.

[jw1739]

We're getting off topic, and somewhere there's a thread on expansion, but never mind.

 

IMO we have to look in all of these things at what is going to promote the growth of the game. What will promote excitement so that more people will attend matches, watch on TV, and hence attract more money into the game, and hence better players, coaches and support staff...and so the cycle goes TBH, as the season goes on, is it really exciting to see the third match against CCM or Newcastle, or even WSW or Sydney? I've always been in favour of the "Super League" concept where teams from Singapore, KL and Djakarta etc. could come into the competition. There's big money in these places so why not bring it into the competition. We may be sceptical of the takeover of Heart, but it is already bringing advantages to us. Would we have seen David Villa, even for only four matches under the old regime? Probably not. Genuine marquees Koren and Kennedy? No. Our boys plus staff going to Manchester and now Abu Dhabi? No.  Matches against Oldham, Bury and Bolton, Al Jazira and possibly a German club? No. The new facility at Latrobe? No. All these things will pay off in the end.

 

We need people with a vision running football in this country, and a will to make the vision work. Otherwise we will remain a salary-capped backwater, where our talent would prefer to warm the bench in some god-forsaken industrial town somewhere in the backblocks of Europe or Asia rather than enjoy the privileges of living here at home.

Edited January 2, 2015 by jw1739

[mattyh001]

Would like to see Federici as our keeper but don't think he'll come back for a while. Can still make a decent amount of money at a high level in Europe.

Im probably a minority, but I think the A-league has to be the premier clubs only for this part of the world.

Id force/make/suggest etc Newcastle and CCM merging, even setting up a new club.

Id give the extra license to Auckland. Derbies just take the sport to a new level in those areas. Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane obviously not big enough/ready for extra teams IMHO.

Only further expansion when the average crowds reach around the 20K mark. Nowhere else is screaming for it, or has the population/potential to provide a 20K average for 13 games a year.

It's getting a bit off topic, but as far as I'm concerned we have to embrace teams from other countries for at least the next decade.

You only have to look as far as CCM and Newcastle to see where problems lie in having regional clubs. I love that we have regional clubs (being a regional lad myself) but the financial and support base issues seen (particularly at CCM) should be a concern for all involved. As it is both CCM and Newcastle are both stationed within some of Australia's most populous areas - well ahead of the likes of Hobart, Geelong and Canberra, on par / closely behind areas like Gold Coast and North Queensland (where clubs have failed). If those two clubs are struggling, how will other similar sized spots thrive when the the league has also seen two regional clubs fold?

From capitals with teams already, Perth Adelaide and Melbourne probably can't support another team just yet. Brisbane itself would be questionable given Melbourne City's / Heart's early troubles under the shadow of the tards. And Sydney can only do one new team every now and then - after all WSW success came down to good planning, selecting the right spot and allowing the club to develop.

All in all, surely any expansion requires clubs from other countries. And, if that happens, surely they should be able to use local players (at least to some extent). For me allowing kiwis to play for Wellington is less about causing a perceived inequality than making the most of the a league's need for foreign inclusion.

Edited January 2, 2015 by mattyh001

[Defibrillator]

I'd trade Ramsay for a pack of twisties

Hang on. Chicken or cheese Twisties?

Not partial to the chicken. Big difference and we don't want to be short changed!!

[bt50]

I'm gluten free. So no to twisties.

Would be open to negotiation for a packet of chips tho.

[n i k o]

Would like to see Federici as our keeper but don't think he'll come back for a while. Can still make a decent amount of money at a high level in Europe.

Im probably a minority, but I think the A-league has to be the premier clubs only for this part of the world.

Id force/make/suggest etc Newcastle and CCM merging, even setting up a new club.

Id give the extra license to Auckland. Derbies just take the sport to a new level in those areas. Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane obviously not big enough/ready for extra teams IMHO.

Only further expansion when the average crowds reach around the 20K mark. Nowhere else is screaming for it, or has the population/potential to provide a 20K average for 13 games a year.

It's getting a bit off topic, but as far as I'm concerned we have to embrace teams from other countries for at least the next decade.

You only have to look as far as CCM and Newcastle to see where problems lie in having regional clubs. I love that we have regional clubs (being a regional lad myself) but the financial and support base issues seen (particularly at CCM) should be a concern for all involved. As it is both CCM and Newcastle are both stationed within some of Australia's most populous areas - well ahead of the likes of Hobart, Geelong and Canberra, on par / closely behind areas like Gold Coast and North Queensland (where clubs have failed). If those two clubs are struggling, how will other similar sized spots thrive when the the league has also seen two regional clubs fold?

From capitals with teams already, Perth Adelaide and Melbourne probably can't support another team just yet. Brisbane itself would be questionable given Melbourne City's / Heart's early troubles under the shadow of the tards. And Sydney can only do one new team every now and then - after all WSW success came down to good planning, selecting the right spot and allowing the club to develop.

All in all, surely any expansion requires clubs from other countries. And, if that happens, surely they should be able to use local players (at least to some extent). For me allowing kiwis to play for Wellington is less about causing a perceived inequality than making the most of the a league's need for foreign inclusion.

I think what your saying makes sense but this illusion that these teams on the "outer" struggle for numbers is false in some cases. Newcastle is a perfect example with average attendances at over 10,000, but a club that should be bringing 15k on average if it wasn't for their poor performances on the pitch for the last few years. The market is there if the football is of good quality. Melbourne Heart are a perfect example of being in the biggest populous area in Australia and still not being close to matching the Jets attendances over the last few years.

[Murfy1]

Daily Mail reported yesterday that Jason Davidson can be bought in the January transfer window:

 

Anticipate a busy January transfer window. Plans were already being put in place to bring in a number of players while also shifting some out. As many as four for four.

 

Sebastian Blanco, Jason Davidson, Chris Baird, and Georgios Samaras are available to clubs.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2892499/West-Bromwich-Albion-plan-busy-January-Tony-Pulis-set-Baggies-hotseat-type-player-need.html

 

Things could conceivably be helped by the fact that Jason Davidson is in Melbourne right now (because of the Asian Cup).

 

IMO two things might complicate a deal for Davidson: 1) Money (transfer fee, and wages that Davidson might want) and 2) Davidson's expectations. Would he be willing to come back to Australia?

 

 

The only thing required to make the January transfer window a real success IMO is the signing of a decent attacking left-back, like Davidson. Other signings IMO (such as GK, RB, another CB, another forward/attacker) aren't urgently needed, even though they would be pretty useful, so IMO the club can take its time and sign good players in those positions over the off-season.

Edited January 2, 2015 by Murfy1

[jw1739]

IMO the weaknesses in the squad are just the same as they were before - GK, LB, RB, CB, CF, and clearing out non-competitive deadwood. One 5-2 win at Newcastle and a hat-trick from Robi Koren do not fundamentally change that.

[heart_fan10]

I agree our whole defensive third needs an overhaul, but it'll be hard to do that in january.

I think Velaphi can do a job for us for the rest of the season, and fingers crossed Germano can get back by February because he has proven he does very well at right back.

My priority this January would be to sign 2 quality defenders, a left back and a centre back. If we can get those 2 signings right and are able to keep our squad injury-free then I expect us to have a very strong second half of the season

[Melburnian]

Jason Davidson would be a dream. Would be the best Left Back in the comp and allow Garrucio to move to a left wing position. His transfer fee I'd imagine would be small. I would assume under 1 million dollars. His wages would be more of a concern in a salary cap league.

I still maintain we should be going hard for Marco Rojas ( who is looking lost at the moment and Wellington have rumored to be in touch). Would be unbelievable next to Josh Kennedy and around Koren and Duff.

I agree with JW in what positions are needed but a CF we are obtaining in Kennedy so someone who can play alongside of him and on the wings would also be nice.

[hakz7]

Is it possible to pay only half (give or take) of a loaned player's wages?

[Murfy1]

Is it possible to pay only half (give or take) of a loaned player's wages?

 

The new loan rules (that were implemented at the start of this season) are unclear. But it seems though that loaned players are a lot more expensive than they used to be. I was under the impression that this was because a loan player's full wages, that is the original club's wages, now count towards the salary cap. Also the fee that A-League clubs pay to get players on loan now seems to count towards the salary cap.

 

All up IMO it looks like the FFA have been too tough with regards to changing the loan rules, and it now looks like loans will rarely happen (and loans that do happen will probably comprise of unimpressive players, like Malick Mane and Richard Vernes). It also means that Australian players overseas who could really do with loans to get game time, players like Jason Davidson and Curtis Good, won't happen because most such loans won't be able to fit under the salary cap, given the new rules.

 

So A-League clubs might as well not even contemplate loans nowadays, because the new rules seem to be a mess.  

Edited January 2, 2015 by Murfy1

[n i k o]

Jason Davidson would be a dream. Would be the best Left Back in the comp and allow Garrucio to move to a left wing position. His transfer fee I'd imagine would be small. I would assume under 1 million dollars. His wages would be more of a concern in a salary cap league.

I still maintain we should be going hard for Marco Rojas ( who is looking lost at the moment and Wellington have rumored to be in touch). Would be unbelievable next to Josh Kennedy and around Koren and Duff.

I agree with JW in what positions are needed but a CF we are obtaining in Kennedy so someone who can play alongside of him and on the wings would also be nice.

Would take Rojas for sure

[perthheart]

Sign Birrighitti. Not for his keeping, just so his grandad can fly over and I can have beers with him again. Used to come into the pub I managed in Perth every week for the Friday titty shows and tell me how much he liked heart and wished birra signed for us instead of Newy cos we were supposedly after him at that time.

How much of that is true I'm not sure supposedly Bayern were after him at that same time as well ha! Great story teller and even better drinker.

[Dylan]

Sign Birrighitti. Not for his keeping, just so his grandad can fly over and I can have beers with him again. Used to come into the pub I managed in Perth every week for the Friday titty shows and tell me how much he liked heart and wished birra signed for us instead of Newy cos we were supposedly after him at that time.

How much of that is true I'm not sure supposedly Bayern were after him at that same time as well ha! Great story teller and even better drinker.

 

 

He trialed for Leverkusen? 

[Dylan]

Davidson would be a real coup but Id say next to no chance. I reckon we will go after clisby. Although apparently we are trialing players at the camp so they obviously have a few lined up 

[perthheart]

Yeah that's what I assumed he was confused with as well. But he was adamant Bayern Munich and Real were after him earlier but Adelaide wouldn't let him leave.

[Melburnian]

Jason Davidson would be a dream. Would be the best Left Back in the comp and allow Garrucio to move to a left wing position. His transfer fee I'd imagine would be small. I would assume under 1 million dollars. His wages would be more of a concern in a salary cap league.

I still maintain we should be going hard for Marco Rojas ( who is looking lost at the moment and Wellington have rumored to be in touch). Would be unbelievable next to Josh Kennedy and around Koren and Duff.

I agree with JW in what positions are needed but a CF we are obtaining in Kennedy so someone who can play alongside of him and on the wings would also be nice.

Would take Rojas for sure

It sounds far fetched but looking at Wellington interest in him then there is a possibility. If we can talk to players of this ilk who are a chance of coming back to the league this is what should be done. Tom Rogic another. Luke DeVere another.

Anyway, salary cap means it's all up in the air but in my opinion this is what I'd be doing.

[silva10]

 

Is it possible to pay only half (give or take) of a loaned player's wages?

 

The new loan rules (that were implemented at the start of this season) are unclear. But it seems though that loaned players are a lot more expensive than they used to be. I was under the impression that this was because a loan player's full wages, that is the original club's wages, now count towards the salary cap. Also the fee that A-League clubs pay to get players on loan now seems to count towards the salary cap.

 

All up IMO it looks like the FFA have been too tough with regards to changing the loan rules, and it now looks like loans will rarely happen (and loans that do happen will probably comprise of unimpressive players, like Malick Mane and Richard Vernes). It also means that Australian players overseas who could really do with loans to get game time, players like Jason Davidson and Curtis Good, won't happen because most such loans won't be able to fit under the salary cap, given the new rules.

 

So A-League clubs might as well not even contemplate loans nowadays, because the new rules seem to be a mess.  

 

 

This is something that the FFA have cocked up!

 

All around the world teams who want to loan out a player pay part or sometimes all of the salary.

 

Every club makes bad buys and find themselves unable to move the player on. So their best option is to try and get a club to take them and hopefully pay part of their wages.

 

Also clubs look to get youngsters game time by loaning them to a lower league club and paying the wages

[Melburnian]

Read this:

http://www.espnfcasia.com/blog/football-asia/153/post/2213004/lionsxii-defender-safuwan-sets-sights-on-australia

May not be us but has stated he is going on trials this month and we are indeed trialing a few players.

From my research is a defender, centre back preferred and is very technical. May lack strength but athletically very good as well.

Who knows if indeed it is us who he will be trailing with but something to keep an eye on.

[Nate]

I'd be extremely surprised if we had the salary cap space to attract Rojas or Davidson.

 

Wellington on the other hand have no international or domestic marquee, so I imagine they've got a little bit of room to move for Rojas. 

[Nate]

Read this:

http://www.espnfcasia.com/blog/football-asia/153/post/2213004/lionsxii-defender-safuwan-sets-sights-on-australia

May not be us but has stated he is going on trials this month and we are indeed trialing a few players.

From my research is a defender, centre back preferred and is very technical. May lack strength but athletically very good as well.

Who knows if indeed it is us who he will be trailing with but something to keep an eye on.

That would be an interesting signing, no idea what to expect from an MSL player but he's already earned 43 caps for Singapore and he's only 23 as a central defender... sounds promising. 

 

I wonder if he can play left back.

[xXJawsaXx]

Read this:

http://www.espnfcasia.com/blog/football-asia/153/post/2213004/lionsxii-defender-safuwan-sets-sights-on-australia

May not be us but has stated he is going on trials this month and we are indeed trialing a few players.

From my research is a defender, centre back preferred and is very technical. May lack strength but athletically very good as well.

Who knows if indeed it is us who he will be trailing with but something to keep an eye on.

It is pretty hard to gauge considering I have no idea what the standard is in the MSL, however, it wouldn't hurt to get him on trial.

[Melburnian]

.@Socceroos great Mark Schwarzer leaves Chelsea to join Leicester City on free transfer #EPL

(Pic: Getty) http://t.co/Lv40MVnoGn

[jw1739]

Read this:

http://www.espnfcasia.com/blog/football-asia/153/post/2213004/lionsxii-defender-safuwan-sets-sights-on-australia

May not be us but has stated he is going on trials this month and we are indeed trialing a few players.

From my research is a defender, centre back preferred and is very technical. May lack strength but athletically very good as well.

Who knows if indeed it is us who he will be trailing with but something to keep an eye on.

If Wikipedia is to be believed, the Asian Football Confederation ranks the Malasian Super League as 10th out of 12 in the East Asia Zone - the A-League is ranked 3rd in the same zone. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_AFC_Champions_League

 

Singapore is ranked 157th by FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/

 

The guy is welcome to try his luck with A-League clubs, but TBH I would suggest that he isn't going to be up to it.

[Melburnian]

Read this:

http://www.espnfcasia.com/blog/football-asia/153/post/2213004/lionsxii-defender-safuwan-sets-sights-on-australia

May not be us but has stated he is going on trials this month and we are indeed trialing a few players.

From my research is a defender, centre back preferred and is very technical. May lack strength but athletically very good as well.

Who knows if indeed it is us who he will be trailing with but something to keep an eye on.

If Wikipedia is to be believed, the Asian Football Confederation ranks the Malasian Super League as 10th out of 12 in the East Asia Zone - the A-League is ranked 3rd in the same zone. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_AFC_Champions_League

Singapore is ranked 157th by FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/

The guy is welcome to try his luck with A-League clubs, but TBH I would suggest that he isn't going to be up to it.

No doubt. Just thought the article was relevant here.

There was a Dutch player we were keen on at the start of the year. Wonder if we are gonna sigh him.

[Murfy1]

 

 

 

Read this:

http://www.espnfcasia.com/blog/football-asia/153/post/2213004/lionsxii-defender-safuwan-sets-sights-on-australia

May not be us but has stated he is going on trials this month and we are indeed trialing a few players.

From my research is a defender, centre back preferred and is very technical. May lack strength but athletically very good as well.

Who knows if indeed it is us who he will be trailing with but something to keep an eye on.

If Wikipedia is to be believed, the Asian Football Confederation ranks the Malasian Super League as 10th out of 12 in the East Asia Zone - the A-League is ranked 3rd in the same zone. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_AFC_Champions_League

Singapore is ranked 157th by FIFA. http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/

The guy is welcome to try his luck with A-League clubs, but TBH I would suggest that he isn't going to be up to it.
No doubt. Just thought the article was relevant here.

There was a Dutch player we were keen on at the start of the year. Wonder if we are gonna sigh him.

 

 

A Dutch defender? I know Melbourne City reportedly made inquiries about 2 Dutch midfielders, Ryan Koolwijk and Nick van der Velden. The former is now actually a free agent, after he activated a clause in his contract to leave his newly promoted Eredivisie club on January 1st, while the latter looks set to leave his Eredivisie club at the end of the season when his contract runs out.

 

There's some interesting LBs who are free agents. Former Northern Ireland international George McCartney, who Sydney FC looked at signing and recently Blackpool looked at signing, is still a free agent. Swiss international Reto Ziegler, on the books of Juventus, but he didn't play for them, was released in August 2014. Twice Germany capped LB Malik Fathi, a player with a long Bundesliga career, is a free agent. And Nuno Pinto is a relatively young (by A-League Visa player standards) Portuguese LB with a good CV, who's only a free agent because he made an unfortunate decision to join a club in Ukraine's 1st division, in Crimea, in early 2014.

 

So I'd say Melbourne City should be able to unearth some LB who is a significant improvement on our current LB options. The only thing I believe that could stifle the signing of a good LB in January is money, so IMO the club should throw every cent it has at signing a good LB for the remainder of the season.

[Kiro Kompiro]

but hasn't JVS repeatedly said that salary cap space is limiting out options?

[Murfy1]

but hasn't JVS repeatedly said that salary cap space is limiting out options?

 

As I said 'The only thing I believe that could stifle the signing of a good LB in January is money'.

 

I believe there was already a spot or so free, and some space under the salary cap free, before Kalmar left. With Kalmar leaving, and the club not needing to pay the remainder of his wages, I reckon Melbourne City should now have a decent amount of money left under the cap for 1 player for half a season. So I'm hopeful that the club can do better than the likes of a young or fringe A-League player, such as Jack Clisby.

 

The names I put forward above are probably too ambitious, unless those players, aged between 28 and 33 and all club-less for a few months now, are becoming desperate to play football and aren't too fussed about money. My point with those 4 names though is that there are some seemingly fairly talented free agents out there, so I reckon if Melbourne City applies itself then it can come up with a good signing.

 

Or perhaps the salary cap is just too limiting, and the club's only options with regards to signing a LB are indeed the likes of Jack Clisby and some Singaporean defender.

 

If money is tight then I'd be happy for the club to make any signing, in any position, as long as the player had some quality and was good enough to make our starting XI. As Melburnian said a page back in this thread, sometimes a club should just bring in all the quality it can, so if Rojas or Rogic or DeVere are options then the club should attempt to sign them, even if they don't play in positions that the club ideally needs to strengthen.

 

 

Anyway I guess we'll see what sort of recruitment Melbourne City can accomplish over the next couple of weeks. But I'm rather hopeful that the club can make a useful signing in January, especially since Kalmar's contract has been mutually terminated.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Murfy1

[tigerou812]

Wish they would have a look at the NPL teams. Surely there are good players playing. Hate it how the A league teams seem to keep using the same crap players that just move from team to team, or some hack visa player. Their are good players in the NPL just need to be given a go.

[Tesla]

Wish they would have a look at the NPL teams. Surely there are good players playing. Hate it how the A league teams seem to keep using the same crap players that just move from team to team, or some hack visa player. Their are good players in the NPL just need to be given a go.

Because it's more of a risk than 'the same crap players that just move from team to team'. At least with those players you know you'll get a solid backup player for the same minimum salary, whereas some guy from the NPL could be better, but they also could be a complete dud leaving you without backup and no other club will take the player off your hands before the contract expires.