Oh, I don't think a guy of that calibre with those options is coming here.
&
Talk about "never" or "fake" is just as fake.
I honestly don't remember the Giovinco rumors at all. I remember Defoe and Bradley's rumors and Defoe leaving TFC for Jozy.
There was a solid two-week period or so before they met with him in Italy where I think most of us wrote of Giovinco as a pipe dream.
Insigne seems more unlikely as he's been the subject of interest from multiple Prem teams already. But there was a report in Italy last week that Qatari football types had approached him. Most likely his agent is just ratcheting the pressure up.
I really tend to think we should focus our efforts at the back. A DP CB. We actually have pretty decent depth in the midfield and forward (Ayo, Acharya, Shaff). Okay, we probably need 1 striker.
And whoever said trying to get St. Clair from MIN, great idea.
That isn’t the way it was. I went back and looked, it was actually kind of interesting. See the 10-15 pages starting page 71 here…
http://forums.redpatchboys.ca/showth...hlight=2014-15
There were a couple of people saying it couldn’t be true but, mostly, people thought, if the money was really $7M, Gio would come, because he didn’t have serious options in Europe (sounds like there was maybe a Monaco rumour, but they would have paid him, say, $2-3M for a couple of years)
Insigne, he has to be looking at a lot more. Cavani is on $15M a year at Man Utd, so Insigne is probably worth half that at West Ham or wherever. A good club will give him 2 years and $15M, plus maybe Champions League.
There is a world of difference in elite Europe between a 5 foot 5 inch player that can’t get in at a big club (which was Gio's situation) vs a classic plug and play striker/winger coming off 19 goals in 35 games at an almost as big club.
We would have to pay $30M, like we did to Gio, to seriously try to get him, and even then, if I were him, I would say no. If Insigne wants MLS, he can do it in two years, more like Gonzalo Higuain did after going to Inter.
Plus Leiweke is long gone, nobody is offering $30M anymore to a guy like this that has no resale value.
It doesn’t add up. He isn’t coming.
I think it's very possible they have talked about 2024, and Manning is doing Insigne's agent a solid in the meantime by leaking this, as a gesture of goodwill.
Last edited by ensco; 11-11-2021 at 07:50 AM.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
I'm pretty sure TFC would be the last option for a player of this caliber to consider.
When TFC are considered serious contenders for this type of player, It probably means all of the players better European options didn't pan out for him.
And the player getting to this this stage of their search doesn't happen this early. It's usually super last minute (1 month out max of it actually happening)
My Hot Take
Insigne isn't happening and him being our target is not the thing you should be taking away from all this rumour.
The thing we should be focusing on is that their search has started in Italy. Seems like a Serie A player is their focus.
TFC are probably playing the Insigne game as a favour to the agent to show that the player is being sought after in leagues that will spend $$$. So if a team wants him, they'll need to spend a bit more, not MLS level more, but a little bit more. In return the agent helps TFC to get a player, at the very least puts in a good word for them.
I personally expect at the end of this an Italian player of some sort coming to TFC. Someone who can compliment Poz and help bring him back to MVP form.
Last edited by jabbronies; 11-11-2021 at 01:06 PM.
The full list of MLS players with options and out of contract players. If we bring back Gonzalez at his price tag...
TFC players with options are Mullinho, Osorio, Omar and Zavs.
Out of contract players are Endoh and DeLeon.
https://mlsplayers.org/news/free-agency-list-released
Last edited by MikeForbes; 11-11-2021 at 10:42 AM.
Players with options: OG, Osorio, Zav, Mullins
Players out of contract and free agents: Endoh, DeLeon
I think Oso is a shoe in to return. Zav may be back if his option salary is similar to what he made this year. At the very least we could flip him to another MLS team. MAYBE OG comes back if he's willing to take a significant pay cut. The team should move on from the others.
EDIT: I think this list only covers players who would be free agents. I think there are a few other players who we hold options for that would not be eligible for free agency.
Of the players with options, TFC should be keeping their eye on what happens with (I know, I know) the Red Bulls and Aaron Long.
[QUOTE=MikeForbes;1947280]Of the players with options, TFC should be keeping their eye on what happens with (I know, I know) the Red Bulls and Aaron Long.[/QUOTE
Closet Curtis supporter alert
A lot of reports coming out of Italy today that we offered Insigne a "massive contract". They go on to say he does not appear tempted to go to MLS.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/DiMarzio/status/1458820680003248131?s=20
Last edited by MikeForbes; 11-11-2021 at 01:05 PM.
It also tells anyone in Europe in the market for Insigne that they'll have to pay through the nose. It's a win-win, message wise, which is probably why they cooked it up. If all else fails and no one there will pay what we offered, he still has us as a backdoor.
There was a story in Italy yesterday that Napoli have offered to front-load a new deal, so that he gets most of it in two years but there's an option for the last two. That way they can claim the overall deal is one amount but pay him twice that effectively, and then the market is still open to him at 32 if he wants to go then.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1458932605366251523?s=20
Aaa..the old "we don't have an offer so this isn't real" bit of tomfoolery.
Likely what is happening?
Discussions useful to both sides for various reasons.
Outcome?
Player gets leverage with potential teams in leagues he prefers
Team shows committed fanbase management is interested in going big - if by some miracle it happens, then its a moonshot - if it doesn't nothing really lost but a bit of management time in November.
Last edited by OgtheDim; 11-11-2021 at 08:45 PM.
Is TFC legally allowed to give Insigne a concrete offer before January?
I'm not totally sure on the rule for this so someone can correct me. But I would assume they can offer whatever they want and whenever they want, stating whatever the contract would perhaps be, he probably just can't sign said contract until they open the trade window?
Legally, my understanding is we could only start negotiation with a player without their clubs consent 6 months from the expiration of their contract (And sign them after it expires), otherwise we need to negotiate with the club first before talking to the player
In reality, that isn't how transfer deals are done so if there's any truth to these rumours whatsoever (And I don't see it) we're almost certainly in contact with the player today even if it's only at a 'throwing some numbers at the agent to see if this is worth pursuing at all' stage
Last edited by JoesphNdo; 11-12-2021 at 09:32 AM.
A list of players (using Insigne as a reference point) with contracts expiring in 2022 that could replicate Defoe/Giovinco level buzz:
Player/Club (Age) Profile Note Perisic/Inter Milan (32) WC Question Suarez/Atletico Madrid (34) Playing regularly; knee problems; WC selection non-issue (see: Lodeiro) Cavani/Manchester United (34) Playing intermittently; WC selection non-issue (see: Lodeiro) Kramaric/Hoffenheim (30) Loyal to club; top European club likely to try and sign if possible Lacazette/Arsenal (30) Could move to top club, but likely wouldn't start; Retired from France; USD$ 11M Price Tag Mkhitaryan/Roma (32) Unhappy at Roma, wants more attacking freedom; Roma reportedly willing to part in January Isco/Real Madrid (29) Frozen out completely at Real; Sevilla front-runner; Agent/Father states "he wants to try another league"; Spain aspirations? Januzaj/Real Sociedad (26) Napoli in the running; Sociedad won't improve contract; WC question (pre. Ciman called up from MLS, Carrasco called up from China) Bernardeschi/Juventus (27) Juventus trying to cut wage; Juventus willing to swap in January (Soteldo?); BIG WC question mark (played 10 matches in 2021 for Italy) Jesus Corona/FC Porto (28) Calibre of clubs in for him likely not to pay him a ransom
Januzaj makes the most sense to me out of that crew. Giving Suarez a huge deal for two years would generate the most buzz though, I think.
I'd love a younger Cavani to play here, but the travel alone would kill him. Add the fact some MLS teams still play on Turf. AND the fact that he isn't a 90 minute player right now. We'd probably see him play about 25% of the season and be injured for the rest.
Suarez would be a dressing room cancer. Too big of a personality for MLS and especially TFC
I'd be in on Lacazette, he's good friends with Mavinga, not seeing many minutes this season for Arsenal, out of his national team picture and obviously talented enough to be a difference-maker here.