[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=44931.msg1362374#msg1362374 date=1310219845]
[quote author=dmishra link=topic=44931.msg1362365#msg1362365 date=1310218586]
[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=44931.msg1362305#msg1362305 date=1310210935]
Whilst I agree 25m is way too high, 'average no name' is fucking offensive & way ott.
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It's about as accurate a description I can think of. He's 27, played his entire career for mid-table Premiership sides with a production comparable to the likes of Leon Osman and Morten Gamst Pedersen. Who're both average no-names.
As for his value, a good yardstick for comparison is Kuyt, who we bought when he was 26 for about 10m. Now considering his Downing's productivity over the last 5 years has been inferior to Kuyt's and he has no significant advantage in terms of either pace or skill over Kuyt (or whatever little he has gets negated by Kuyt's superior work rate), I'd say his value is about 6-8m. We're looking to pay something in the range of two and a half times that amount. I understand that you need to pay a premium for English players and I can accept that in case of players like Carroll and Henderson who have the 'potential' to be worth what they cost over the course of their entire career (provided of course they stick around). I see absolutely no reason to do that for Downing, when he will offer us, at the best 3-4 years of average productivity (read about 25 goals and 25 assists).
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6-8m?? Hahahahahaha. Go take a reality pill.
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I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. Do you mean that Downing's productivity is worth more than 6-8m or do you mean to say that it's not possible to get a player with Downing's productivity at 6-8m. If it's the latter, then you're wrong because over the last 2 years, I can think of the following players who've gone for that price range
VdV
Hernandez
Johnson
Osvaldo
Adebayor
Pastore
Soldado
Borriello
Sahin
Podolski
Payet
All of whom are if not younger, more skilful, or better than Downing, have produced at least as much, if not more than him over the last 2 years.
If it's the former, you vastly overrate him.
By the bye, spending the kind of money we're thinking of spending on him fetches you the likes of Ozil, Matri, Cavani, Zarate, Diego, Bastos, Gourcuff i.e. significantly better and potentially world class players.
As for there not being a better winger in the same price range out there, in the one month this transfer window has been open - we've already seen Young, Gervinho, and Payet going for 16 m or less. All three being left wingers who're younger, more skilful and have produced at a higher clip than Downing over the last 2 years.
Off the top of my head, I can think of the likes of N'zogbia, Elia, Costa, Turan who I'd rather go for than Downing (and who I'm pretty certain we could realistically land).
The point really is that there is invariably value to be found in every transfer window. It's why we brought in Comolli. If all he can do is land us Stewart Downing for 18m, then there's something fucking wrong with our scouting department.
