07 Apr 2025 09:27:04
Good morning Eds.
Rumours on LFC's interest in Osimhen increasing to the point that an approach is likely to be made. Any truth in this?
{Ed001's Note - not that I know of.}
07 Apr 2025 10:17:47
Earlier Macca told we might sign him.
07 Apr 2025 10:47:54
I think Osimhen would be a great signing for us and Macca was certain of interest in January if Nunez left so I can see us going for him in the summer to be fair.
The main concern with Osimhen is that he'll go to the AFCON this December for a month, which if we still have Salah as a key player too, would mean losing 2 of our front 3. That used to hurt us a lot with Mane and Salah. Salah may well leave this summer and be replaced by someone unaffected by the AFCON though.
07 Apr 2025 11:09:20
He asked Chelsea for £500k a week. He’s not lowering his wage demands for us. Another rumour to stick in the bin.
07 Apr 2025 11:18:34
But we have players who are more than capable to win us games.
07 Apr 2025 11:30:20
Wide berth. He's not a Liverpool player.
07 Apr 2025 11:37:13
I just googled the £500k wage demand Victor, and the rumour was started by the Sun. You were literally moaning on here not long ago about people posting rumours from ESPN (who employ people with negative views on Hillsborough) but you're happy the peddle the Suns lies? Do you actually want anyone to take you seriously because at this stage, you are becoming a laughing stock.
{Ed001's Note - Osimhen asked for £400k from Chelsea, Ed002 told us that. That was why no deal was done with Napoli for him, despite everything else being agreed and him claiming to want the move as he was a Chelsea fan. I doubt his demands would be as high now though!}
07 Apr 2025 11:44:36
Ed001, I'll definitely trust Ed002 over the Sun newspaper!
He'd definitely need to lower his demands now as his stock isn't as high after a season in Turkey. Even if it has been a very good season. At a total guess maybe £250-350k a week would tempt him now?
{Ed001's Note - I would hope even less, as he had so little interest that he ended up in Turkey. I doubt he would get more than the bottom figure you estimate, at best.}
07 Apr 2025 13:05:42
Our superstar earners are on £300k+ (only Salah atm, may have been Trent if some rumours of what we offered are to be believed) .
Osimhen would be a great addition, IMO, and at £200-£250k (similar to Trent right now, Van Dijk etc) would fit into the wage structure.
Guessing at transfer fees, Osimhen's "£100m valuation from last year [is] reported to have been reduced" (Rousing The Kop article) and us being offered £70-£75m for Nunez from Saudi in Jan, we may be able to change Nunez for Osimhen with relatively little capital outlay, but obviously higher wages.
I'd be happy for that. Osimhen is 26 so entering his peak years and will want to prove the doubters wrong as he's been in the wilderness in the last couple of seasons.
I take your point about AFCON, Adam, but I hope we bring in someone else up top (Cunha, Bakayoko) as well as Danns and Doak coming back which means we have other cover too. I personally think we will keep Elliot, Doak, Danns and Gakpo, as well as Salah + 2. I can see Jota and Nunez going, as well as Diaz too, possibly.
07 Apr 2025 15:02:54
If were worried about losing two players for a month how about we keep our alltime 3rd top scorer and leave the big time charlie where he is? Simples.
07 Apr 2025 15:14:00
One of the reasons he's leaving Napoli is they're not willing to get anymore where osimhens demands and he is viewed as disruptive by some of the coaches there.
He is fast but his finishing is fairly erratic and he's not very clinical. I don't think he'd be what we need personally.
{Ed001's Note - I agree Nevada. He is extremely inconsistent.}
07 Apr 2025 15:24:35
Florian, I don't think anybody wants Salah to leave mate. I'm still hoping he stays anyway. It is something we should factor in though before signing another African forward.
I'm not sure Osimhen is a big time Charlie, by the way. I think he just didn't appreciate Napoli's social media admin posting racist content about him. He's actually displayed quite a humble attitude on the pitch by going to play in Turkey and still giving it his absolute best (28 goals in 32 games so far) . He could've easily sulked about it and put in minimal effort.
We can't judge his character based on wage demands. Maybe he let his agent get in his head? Maybe he wanted more money to invest in his home country like a lot of other African players? Judging him only on things that I can physically see, I can say that he's worked his socks off for Galatasaray and been the best player in Turkey by a country mile.
Before he fell out with the people at Napoli he was often put in the same bracket as Haaland and Mbappe. If we can get him, I think we'd be foolish not to. He's got 142 goals in the last 7 seasons from age 19-26. That is Salah level consistency.
07 Apr 2025 16:28:35
His finishing can be erratic at times but isn't that true of any striker? A player of his quality, his age and physical attributes, if you can get him for relatively cheap and at modest wages, you would at least have to give it a long hard think. I don't think he can offer anywhere near as much in overall play or movement across the front line as an isak, and he also doesn't offer the dribbling, the shots from outside the box, the cute feints and flicks and touches. I don't know how much he can offer off the ball, either, besides constantly making sprinting runs into space and channels towards the box. He is a very pure 9 and a finisher in the box like haaland, so there are question marks there, but if he offers value given his present predicament it's at least worth half a consideration.
07 Apr 2025 18:45:43
I’m surprised we aren’t linked with Gyokeres at all. I think he’s the best option that isn’t Isak but at near half the price and a better injury record he could well the best option. Osimhen would be a great signing depending on cost like Alvarez. The level of player after those guys (Sesko, Delap, Ekitike, Cunha) is getting into good 2nd choice striker territory rather than your starting number 9. Arsenal, United, Chelsea will all be in the market for a striker we must make sure we don’t miss out.
07 Apr 2025 19:54:52
Don’t rate Osimhen or Gyokeres.
Gyokeres is not fast enough
Osimhen is not good enough.
There are far better options out there.
07 Apr 2025 20:32:06
Ed001 I thought we missed the Napoli we should have signed in January. If reports are true think the fee was about £59m and we thought that was not good value for money with some of the players fees nowadays that was a steal.
{Ed001's Note - are you talking about Osimhen? I still wouldn't touch him for that personally. I am not a big fan, he is a bit too much like Jota for my liking, not good enough overall.}
07 Apr 2025 20:54:12
Does Osimhen wants pens? . Someone's tally is going to suffer significantly. Its a Swindon size roundabout swerve for me. One luxury player is enough, at least our current one puts the yards in!
07 Apr 2025 21:05:08
Lets please not even give that S Newspaper the time of day here. Cheers. YNWA.
{Ed025's Note - im with you KC, still on building sites in Liverpool any one with that scum bag paper has it ripped up in front of them mate..
07 Apr 2025 23:30:22
Think Grino means Kvaratshkelia Ed. Would have been some signing.
08 Apr 2025 07:08:12
Cunha would bring much more to our game, IMO.
08 Apr 2025 08:27:42
Ed001 I was talking about Kvaratskhelia I think we missed a massive opportunity there at that price best thing is we could have sold Nunez who is obviously not trusted in January to cover the cost. I think we would have still been in the champions league now. Thought that was so poor by the sporting director and above to not strengthen then I feel we should have pushed for a left back too as it’s been our weakest position all season. It’s a bit of the same old story though Ed we did this after winning the league never pushed on when build from a position of strength is so much easier than waiting then having to rebuild.
{Ed001's Note - he had no interest in joining us so there was no opportunity. It is just nonsense.}
08 Apr 2025 09:42:18
I must admit I DIDN'T grow up with FIFA, although my son is, but I did grow up with the various iterations of Championship Manager.
So, I do still have to remind myself that players are people, not pixels, and have their own opinions about who they do and don't want to play for.
That's not a slight at you grino, but just a general reminder to all of us that not all players would choose to play for Liverpool over other clubs, and that's fine. We need to get the best of those that do. Like I said, I need to remind myself of that all the time!
{Ed001's Note - you have to admit though, it would help if Slot played it more so he would learn that after every defeat and draw you simply go back to your previous save game and try again and again until you win. We would have had the title sewn up months ago if he had done that.}
08 Apr 2025 10:02:27
Yeah, definitely agree Ed001. It used to get boring how many times I did the Quad whilst scoring 114 points, but it sure was fun!
I used to play CM 16 quite a lot when I was commuting as it was playable without any internet. I'd max out on taking Liverpool through 10-15 consecutive titles, save up all of my money earned over the seasons and then take a team from the conference to prem champions! Happy days!
Unfortunately the game is now corrupted on my phone (I guess as they stopped supporting it 5+ years ago it no longer works with subsequent iOS releases) and haven't been able to find another one that is just so easy to play!
{Ed001's Note - I just never had the time to really play them much. I have had to give up on games like that. I never really got into that going back to a previous save though. I never played as Liverpool either, I always started at the bottom and tried to work my way up to get the Liverpool job. I guess that is because all the early games on the Speccy and Amiga worked that way and I just got to like it.}
08 Apr 2025 10:55:08
Sorry to the OP for hijacking this thread for computer game chat, but did you look at some of the later Champ Managers when it became an app?
I remember playing CM2 when I was at uni in the mid-90s. Used to have all nighters playing then. I remember I would occasionally find glitches in the software when, for example, Michael Owen was a 29 yo in the 95-96 season but would then regen immediately! They were time consuming, but I found that the app versions were much better. I had CM14, CM15 and CM16. CM17 got a bit too managery and less fun as a result for me!
The apps were handy as you could just play 5 mins here or there when on the tube or the bus etc.
Can't really get into FIFA as I just want to do the wheeling and dealing during the transfer windows, don't really care about playing the games - not unlike quite a few people on here!
BTW, made Boreham Wood champions of Europe in one of my iterations!
{Ed001's Note - I didn't know about this Zed. Never seen it as an app, though I like to do the tactics and stuff personally.}
08 Apr 2025 11:21:11
Ah that's a shame Ed001. I think you would've enjoyed CM17 which I think was the last of the app games before they stopped as that was pretty heavy into the tactics. My version still works on my phone so you may be able to download it still!
{Ed001's Note - oh I don't really like gaming on my phone. They still make football manager phone versions but it is just not for me. I prefer to not use my phone unless I have to.}
08 Apr 2025 12:43:27
Only a stab in the dark but I'd imagine players want to play for clubs to challenge for trophies and get paid well.
Going to Chelsea and even Utd these days means you're not challenging so players may be subsidising that by asking for even more money.
We seem to be able to offer players a very good wage and the opportunity to challenge and it does seem to work for us.
Not sure how many players we've lost out on due to just wages so would be interested to hear of who we did.
08 Apr 2025 12:58:32
Don't think there is much sense in getting rid of Nunez to sign Osimhen. They're the same basic player.
08 Apr 2025 18:06:07
ed001 I thought we was looking at him. And we pulled away because of fee but if you say he was not interested and he only wanted to go play for psg in the French league then he is not the player I thought he was anyway. Zx spectrum the Amiga was my computer era too Ed so am from Grimsby so always started in bottom league too on games to try and earn the Liverpool job lol. Match day was my game as a kid not quite FIFA ?.