6 Feb 2015

LFC hero: 'Brilliant' £28m-star is the best signing of the transfer-window. Agree?

Chelsea's deadline-day acquisition of Colombia attacker Juan Cuadrado is clearly one January's most exciting deals, but according to ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, there's one other transfer that surpasses Cuadrado as the top deal of the transfer window.

When asked to name the best transfer of the January window, Murphy - who will forever be a hero to LFC fans for scoring three winning goals in a row against Manchester United - told the BBC:

"It's Wilfried Bony. He's a one-goal-in-two-games striker. It gives City more firepower and eases the burden on Sergio Aguero. It might, just might, give them an extra boost as they go for the league title."

For £23m, Cuadrado is arguably much better value than 'brilliant' Bony, and as much as I rate the striker, £28m is far too much, and I'm glad the Reds didn't attempt to outbid City with a ridiculously inflated offer.

The Bony deal just illustrates once again that contracts in football are generally worthless. Bony signed a new contract just TWO months ago, yet he's now left the club. Clearly, Swansea knew he'd leave, and got him to sign a new deal to ensure that any interested club would have to pay through the nose.

As usual, it all circles back to Liverpool's incompetence in the transfer market:

* Liverpool pursued Bony in 2012, and at the time, his agent confirmed the club's interest: "Liverpool are one of the clubs who have been considering him [Bony]. We have been in talks with them".

* For whatever reason, Liverpool failed to act, and Bony signed for Swansea for a comparatively meagre £12m.

* After two years of regular goalscoring (including being the Prem's top scorer for 2014) Swansea have made a tidy £16m profit.

It should be Liverpool making that £16m profit right now, and it should've been the Reds - not Swansea - benefiting from Bony's goals/assists over the last two years. Instead, the club is lumbered with the wretched likes of Lambert, Balotelli, and Borini (combined cost: £32), who've collectively contributed a lamentable 4 goals all season.

Bony may regret going to City, though. When fit, Aguero will always be number-one, and the Ivorian must surely be aware that he's basically been brought in to be the Argentine's back-up? It's doubtful that Pellegrini will regularly play both in the same team, so Bony better get used to spending lots of time on the bench.

Would the situation have been any different at Liverpool? When fit, Sturridge is an automatic starter for Liverpool, and with Rodgers' preference for a lone striker, Bony probably would've been in the same boat at Anfield.

Author:


81 comments:

  1. Before he moved to Swans, we were linked that Jan, correct? During that time, I was actually pulling for a bid for Bony instead of Sturridge. Of course now we know how great a deal Danny was, but I can only imagine how different it would have been if we got Bony. What if we got both? :D

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  2. I'm just wondering JK, why do you think It's doubtful that Pellegrini will regularly play Aguero and Bony in the same team?

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  3. To be honest, how is this any different to a certain Mr Suarez signing a new contract only to leave LFC 6 months later. Same thing happened there...but instead of a $40M release clause, we got $75M. An extra $25M in the back pocket for LFC thank you very much.

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  4. Terry McDermotts perm7:46 am, February 06, 2015

    Is not a new thing. It even happened with Kenny's move from Celtic.

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  5. So due to Liverpool's incompetence, they got Sturridge instead?

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  6. i alway wonder why player like to go club which is far bigger than they can cope ! Ended up being bench warmer then start moaning about cant get game time ! Does he look at Dzeko and Jovetic ???

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  7. Maybe the new contract was signed because he knew he was leaving? Ensuring that his club (swansea) would get a tidy sum. Regarding Saurez everyone (except maybe Rodgers) knew that he only signed that contract to FACILITATE a move out of Anfield and not to stay. My reason for saying except rodgers is because of the absolute lack of signing a replacement and it just seems like the Balotelli and Lambert signings were forced signings... Bad planning but thats just my opinion

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  8. Yes it is difficult to judge the overall effectiveness of Liverpool's transfer activity. It is true a number have not worked out at all well and we have missed out on some targets that have gone on to do well with other teams though some have since bombed and we perhaps were lucky to avoid them.


    On the other hand we have had some real successes like Suarez,. Sturridge, Coutinho, Can and possibly Moreno and Sakho with the jury still out on some others.

    You can select various individuals and make a case for incompetence either for those we have bought or those successes we missed out on . Or you can pick out the successes and theorise on what they are now worth and how much money has potentially been saved. The truth lies somewhere in between and the final judgement will depend on how we do as young players develop over the next few years.

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  9. Seems Rodgers was led to believe that Suarez would stay, and then the bite happened, which removed the wool from his eyes, but perhaps too late.

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  10. It would seem you're applying logic and reason Stu, a very rare commodity among football fans

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  11. We have had money we had C.L and have had previous success over the years but for some reason the big names just dont come i wish i knew why?

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  12. You know I think we could do a lot worse than putting a bid in for Jovetic. He must be feeling pretty unloved right now

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  13. I agree, but what I was trying to say was that Liverpool missing out on Bony alone wasn't incompetence. How can you bemoan incompetence when we picked up Sturridge instead?

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  14. I don't know why, but I just have a feeling Cuadrado is either not going to adapt very well, or take along time to adapt.
    Personally I'd rather have Bony.
    I saw that he has already replaced Jovetic in the CL, ouch!

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  15. Did we look to buy two strikers though?

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  16. Not at that time, we had Suarez

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  17. We had the chance to sign Bony when Benitez was here. He had a trial then & wasn't successful. They come & go JK. Torres, Saurez & now Sturridge have more than compensated not picking up Bony.

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  18. They used to play with Aguero and Negredo. Bony may get more game time than Jaimie thinks.

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  19. Of his injury record was not so bad I would definitely agree. I think we can only afford one Sturridge.

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  20. "At whatever point I leave here hopefully I'll be leaving something people can be proud of," he said.

    "We now have to rubber-stamp that by winning some silverware."

    Wonder what Rodgers means with "At whatever point". Seems a bit weird that he would make such a remark does it not?

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  21. I have sent it to GCHQ for deciphering but we may have to wait awhile. They are still working their way through a long backlog of BR's quotes.;-)

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  22. 'At whatever point' is a sense of uncertainty so why mention it in the first place? Rodgers might have just spilled his guts...

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  23. If we don't make top 4 or at least a trophy he knows he's for the chop

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  24. Winning just the FA Cup is not going to keep him his job and I doubt finishing top 4 will either.

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  25. I'm thinkin Europa League might save him cos top 4 looks too much- next 5/6 PL games will probably decide top 4 chances. If only --------

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  26. I knew you'd be all over this

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  27. Mate, go read his the quotes again.

    "At whatever point"

    "hopefully I'll be leaving something people can be proud of"

    "We now have to rubber-stamp that by winning some silverware."



    I think he has just spelt 'The end'.

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  28. I put his quote up yesterday saying what you have just said

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  29. Been a very hectic week so have not had much time to be online otherwise I would have agreed with you :-)

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  30. No worries- I want him to do well but think he's left us with too much to do- if he brings back Lovren Johnson and Allen ( as he's suggesting) we can forget about all possibilities

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  31. Gene was all over this before me ;-)

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  32. Pellegrini very rarely plays two strikers together. It's always one striker with a load of attacking midfielders behind him. The only exception to that is usually in domestic cups.

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  33. Wishful thinking? Suddenly he believes every word of what BR says. Before this he was basically saying the exact opposite...

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  34. Wishful thinking on Logan's part?

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  35. Or maybe it is just easier to go raid Southampton for 3 players 'EPL proven players' but massively overpay in the process.


    I would have loved to see who else was on the shortlist at the start of the season of players that were willing to join but were scratched off the list...

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  36. Yeah well who knows but i just read Liverpool made a summer move for Koke whether its true or not who knows.
    But it can and does seem as if we have set our sights lower.

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  37. Top 4 will save his job 1 because they targeted top 4 and 2 because its going to be a great effort to get there from where we were.

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  38. And Joveta didn't make the CL team, by the way...

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  39. Koke was regarded as pure class for some years..

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  40. Oh yes.


    He's been pooh poooing everything BR has said before now, yet now he want a forensic analysis of a quote which might serve his agenda....

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  41. First of all, what was the question? I doubt he choose to speak about it himself after an unrelated question.
    And even if he did- 'some silverware' and 'something people can be proud of'. To me it sounds like he knowsthat FA cup and EL are not enough as our history has much more than that so he is buliding up to the moment we win enough to be proud of him. 'Whatever point' sounds like he knows he has to deliver constantly and that his job isn't written in stone, but that he thinks he will get enough time to make us proud.
    The most concrete thing here is that he thinks silverware gives him more time here, which you can also see by his team selection.

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  42. I know yeah. I think they could play with both of them no problem.

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  43. Thwy are bussines people- top4 means one of the biggest chunks from tv money and loads of money from the CL. That will keep him his job surely. And if he can win FA cup on Stevie's birthday to make fans happy, chances of getting fired are next to none...

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  44. Targeted only top 4 when were the 2nd highest spenders at the start of the season? Does that make sense? Why would FSG make that much money available and set the aim to finish top 4?


    They are far more ambitious than that.

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  45. Their ambition is money. They don't need titles as much CL money, Wembley..

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  46. Their ambition is money? In what shape or for are they making money of LFC?

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  47. He said this as a reply to a reporter who said he was under a lot of pressure to get results at the start of the season. This quote was just him saying that he understands he has to get results. How is there anything wrong with this? Why don't you post what you said in context rather than only hand picking the parts which suit you.

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  48. It would not matter if I posted the whole thing again.

    "At whatever point I leave here hopefully I'll be leaving something people can be proud of," he said.

    "We now have to rubber-stamp that by winning some silverware."



    What is different about what I picked?

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  49. What? They are in here for fun?!?

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  50. You still cannot answer the question?


    Does making a £115m interest free loan to expand Anfield out of their pockets suggest that LFC is making them money?


    Do you want to try again?

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  51. Ever heard of investment? Than add phrase -long term-.

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  52. Do I want to try again?
    You are becoming obnoxious, can't believe it is you still...

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  53. They will only see the money they have put in if the club is sold and then they still would not have made any money on INTEREST FREE LOANS.

    LFC has become a bottomless pit. How much more money will they need to make available to win the league? They have spent £330m on transfers sinsce arriving which majority has been spent by Brendan Rodgers. If they were in it for the money then they could taken that £330m, have spent £100m on transfers, paid up the refurbishment of Anfield and sold the club for a healthy profit. That would be a return on Investment.

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  54. Ahh... Long term investment, long term... We spent on transfers, but sold couple of players too, no? When we become regular in CL and start getting couple of 100's from the EPL and CL, with more money from tickets- they will have profit annualy, and can sell for even bigger profit whenever they want to. And don't tell me you don't know where does the money from LFC merchendize go to?

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  55. The money from Merchandise goes back to the sponsor. What, do you think New Balance is going to pay LFC X amount a season and then let us also keep the money when fans buy the shirts etc in our and their stores? New Balance have to retrieve the money they pay out to LFC every season.


    FSG have become LFC's interest free bank.

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  56. God Logan, that doesn't sound like profit to you?!?

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  57. Really do not know how you come to the word profit of what I have just explained to you.


    What is your reasoning behind profit to FSG when New Balance get the money from merchandise sales?

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  58. New Balance get the money from merchandise sales? LFC gets 0?

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  59. New Balance Sponsor LFC.


    Just an example


    New Balance come to LFC and say we (New Balance) will pay you (LFC) £500m over 4 years to supply you (LFC) with kits, training gear etc etc but you (LFC) have to sell our sports clothing range in your (LFC's) shops and we (New Balance) get to sell our merchandise with the LFC name to your (LFC's) fans around the world in order for us (New Balance) to make our money back and hopefully a profit.


    LFC get sponsored by New balance and New Balance have to make their money back through selling the Liverpool brand.

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  60. aaaaaaaaaa 500 million!!!!!!!!!

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  61. New Balance come to LFC and say we (New Balance) will pay you (LFC) £500m over 4 years



    WILL PAY YOU. 500 MILLION.

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  62. We had a golden opportunity to get Bony, once again the Imposter Rodgers and his pathetic side kick AYRES did not act. We have wasted millions on sub standard players, why can't the owners see that these pair of morons need to go ASAP.

    As far as Rodgers is concerned he thinks he is some kind of master technician, well I've got news for the arrogant one, you are totally out of your depth and only learning your trade, your not what we need or want and I for one long for the day when you leave this club....enough is enough.

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  63. Well he also said that he'd be challenging for the title with Liverpool next season, which is a far clearer indication of his thoughts than what you've picked out.

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  64. They might be taking a salary as Directors and then there is the probable growth in the value of LFC as an investment

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  65. Yes so where do you think that money goes to? So now you have gone from merchandise to the money New Balance pay which I used as an example over 4 year which would not be anywhere near £500m. As I said, the figure etc was an example.

    Reports say it up to a potential £300m over six years which could be performance based meaning if we do not deliver on the pitch, we do not see all that money. So a potential £50m a season which FSG will see nothing of as it goes to servicing debt, wage bill increases, transfers and every day running costs like it does every season.


    If FSG had their hands in the honey jar then why on earth would they make an interest free loan of £115m to LFC?

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  66. They dont have their hands in the jar he is not saying that but with ground expansion and building on the clubs talent and standing the club will be sold at a profit.
    Remember how much the club was bought for well when the building is complete the club will be valued at double possibly treble the 270 million they originally outlaid.

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  67. Would have been huge mate hes great.

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  68. He played with two up front quite often last season.

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  69. Both Bony and Cuadrado went for inflated transfer fees - both are overrated. Bony is all about his headers, while Cuadrado is a headless chicken running into dead-ends and running into opposition players. I can't wait to see what happens to him at Chelsea. He will know soon that Mourinho doesn't joke. I believe Schurrle was a more valuable player for them than Cuadrado will ever be. Schurrle is a smart player. Cuadrado really isn't......

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  70. haha was just making sure I correctly understood your comment

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  71. I'm well aware, thanks. I'm just putting it forward as evidence that he's not totally opposed to it.

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  72. But Orme said they were money ambitious which clearly is not the case.


    They have paid far more than £270m out of their pockets. Once the stadium expansion is complete they may decide to sell but the only way they will treble the amount they have put in is if LFC have become a money making machine like UTD, Madrid and Bayern etc. If they had to sell LFC now with the club owning FSG hundreds of millions which means LFC have a reasonable amount of debt then FSG will most probably break even.

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  73. Well sponsorships are rising the naming rights to the stands or stadium will be sold the accumulated debt is lowering under ffp anyway.
    The club needs a run of seasons in the C.L to elevate its status but at double the price plus debts the club is still an attractive proposition.

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