Raphina

[WTF11]

So what's the point of contracts then?

They are first and foremost a negotiating tool. They are used by clubs to protect themselves (how many times have you seen reports of a player being put under contract and then never played (Citeh are prime targets for criticism of doing so)?), they increase the "value" of a player that other clubs may be interested in, the longer their current contract has before expiring, so maximising the price that other clubs would have to pay as "compensation" for that unexpired contract period (and what they think the current club would accept of course!). Naturally they will contain the terms and conditions that determine what a player will be paid, incentives, sanctions should the player misbehave etc, but its the protection/compensation element that is the driver behind most contract negotiations in the modern game.

None of the above forces a player to go to a club they don't want to go to, no matter what their current club might prefer, and no club will pay good money for a player they know doesn't want to play for them, why would they?

Let's hope Barca can "sweep the corners" and find a few more Euros, because I don't think Raphina wants to go anywhere but there.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

They are first and foremost a negotiating tool. They are used by clubs to protect themselves (how many times have you seen reports of a player being put under contract and then never played (Citeh are prime targets for criticism of doing so)?), they increase the "value" of a player that other clubs may be interested in, the longer their current contract has before expiring, so maximising the price that other clubs would have to pay as "compensation" for that unexpired contract period (and what they think the current club would accept of course!). Naturally they will contain the terms and conditions that determine what a player will be paid, incentives, sanctions should the player misbehave etc, but its the protection/compensation element that is the driver behind most contract negotiations in the modern game.

None of the above forces a player to go to a club they don't want to go to, no matter what their current club might prefer, and no club will pay good money for a player they know doesn't want to play for them, why would they?

Let's hope Barca can "sweep the corners" and find a few more Euros, because I don't think Raphina wants to go anywhere but there.

I am sure Mrrs Treitel and Atiyah would disagree on your assessment of contracts.

Barcelona don’t have the cash to pay Leeds what they are holding out for. At the end of the day Leeds don’t have to sell. Laporte seems to be playing politics but Leeds don’t have to sell at all. Destabilise the player so you don’t have to pay market value. If UEFA and FIFA had any teeth they would address the dealings of Barca and Real Madrid and put an end to some of the nonsense. A club owing allegedly close to 1b euros should not be buying players until it has paid off some of that debt.

Deco as an ambassador for Barca is in a slightly conflicted position not that I am sure he would see it that way.

If Barca can’t pay 60m the it’s Chelsea or stay with us - he wants champions league football by all accounts so he will need to be flexible.

[WTF11]

I am sure Mrrs Treitel and Atiyah would disagree on your assessment of contracts.

Barcelona don’t have the cash to pay Leeds what they are holding out for. At the end of the day Leeds don’t have to sell. Laporte seems to be playing politics but Leeds don’t have to sell at all. Destabilise the player so you don’t have to pay market value. If UEFA and FIFA had any teeth they would address the dealings of Barca and Real Madrid and put an end to some of the nonsense. A club owing allegedly close to 1b euros should not be buying players until it has paid off some of that debt.

Deco as an ambassador for Barca is in a slightly conflicted position not that I am sure he would see it that way.

If Barca can’t pay 60m the it’s Chelsea or stay with us - he wants champions league football by all accounts so he will need to be flexible.

Not disagreeing with anything you say about the "real politic" of matters, simply answering Ozleeds query to the best of my ability (reflecting the fact that professional football, in particular the elite leagues, is about as far away from what Trietel and Atiyah expounded as it's possible to be and still have contracts!

Leeds don't have to sell, quite right, but Raphina doesn't have to agree to go to a club he doesn't want to go to (which may or may not be the case with Chelski, no-one knows for sure).

If he (Raphina) does stay, it will will still be the case that Marsch will need every player he fields firing on all cylinders, and we have seen how Raphinas head can drop if things aren't going his way (when we were getting drubbed 5, 6 & 7 nil), so he might not even get played at all.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Could be worse things to happen than for us to keep him - he was far and away our best player last year with 25 goals and assists in total.

Sure he could play up top with Bamford with a simple instruction to terrorise teams.

[WTF11]

Could be worse things to happen than for us to keep him - he was far and away our best player last year with 25 goals and assists in total.

Sure he could play up top with Bamford with a simple instruction to terrorise teams.

If he performs. He would know his CL ambitions are dust, playing in a team who are (putting it politely) "rebuilding" and earning much less than he would be had he gone somewhere else (almost anywhere). Not exactly the best of environments from which to expect stellar performances

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

If he performs. He would know his CL ambitions are dust, playing in a team who are (putting it politely) "rebuilding" and earning much less than he would be had he gone somewhere else (almost anywhere). Not exactly the best of environments from which to expect stellar performances

Don’t think he is built that way and he always leaves it all on the pitch - also World Cup year so wouldn’t want to jeopardise that.