Miralem Pjanic

[mil1lion]

Seems like the wrong time of his career to come to the premier league. Having said that Moutinho joined up with Nuno and Wolves at 31 and did rather well. Has not had much opportunity at Barca because I don't think Koeman ever wanted him. If he cost nothing and we don't loan Bale again then it could be a shrewd move. He's great at free kicks with a good range of passing. Put it this way, he's going to be way better than Winks or Sissoko.

 

[rawhide]

Completely disagree. The club operated such that it doesn’t have a magic money tree: every pound it spends on a shit transfer is a pound it doesn’t later have to spend on a good transfer

Found Levy’s alt account…

 

[Huddlebone]

Currently Pjanic isn't better than Ndombele or Lo Celso. He wouldn't be guaranteed starter so paying >200k for backup player wouldn't be smart.

Non of Ndombele or Lo celso have the ability to controll, set game tempo or pick out perfect long passes. We saw it in every game before with Eriksen aswell. Non of Dembele or Wanyama had the dynamic passing so Poch solved it with Diers (good) passing fot or sometimes with Eriksen droping deep to link up in the buld up play. This season Harry took that role, because non of Winks, lo celso, Hojberg or Ndombele are able to break the opponents lines with their passes, because they lack tempo and use to many touches.

Ndombele does not solve problems he makes them happend by attracting pressure, but he does not use it to open up other spaces for teammates to run in. Most of the times just playes a short pass and sets the next guy in a shitty situation or (needs) to dribble to solve the shit he has done with 45 touches in the middle of the park....

Just look at Pjanic, Modric, Kroos, Brozovic or the king of game setup and 1-2 touch king Huddlestone. Not many midfielders today with that quality. (that cost)

 

[worcestersauce]

I'm sorry but this don't fly. Barca apparently paid 60 million euros for him last year and now they're giving him away gratis? That dog don't hunt, what's behind it?

 

[tiger666]

I'm sorry but this don't fly. Barca apparently paid 60 million euros for him last year and now they're giving him away gratis? That dog don't hunt, what's behind it?

He's on a big wage, they're skint and want to give Messi a new deal.

 

[he is you know!]

I'm sorry but this don't fly. Barca apparently paid 60 million euros for him last year and now they're giving him away gratis? That dog don't hunt, what's behind it?

Dodgy accounting combined with Barca trying to keep Messi.

 

[leray]

I'm sorry but this don't fly. Barca apparently paid 60 million euros for him last year and now they're giving him away gratis? That dog don't hunt, what's behind it?

It was basically an 'accountant's transfer'. They bought Pjanić for 60 mil, sold Arthur to Juventus for a similar fee. Then amortised the cost over his contract and wrote the fee from Arthur as income.

 

[belsunz]

Deep lying playmaker? Is that actually a thing in the Prem? Who would you count in that category? At a push, I’d say Henderson, maybe Xhaka? Both rely on their physiques and athleticism. Name me a lightweight, deep lying playmaker in the Prem.

Jorginho

 

[OPModric]

That would be paid with any transfer regardless.

But no resale value with a guy in Pjanic age either. Compare that to a young player that may raise in value.

 

[Franchise60]

But no resale value with a guy in Pjanic age either. Compare that to a young player that may raise in value.

correct, there will be no future resale value on the player currently being offered around without a transfer fee.

 

[Montalbano]

Currently Pjanic isn't better than Ndombele or Lo Celso. He wouldn't be guaranteed starter so paying >200k for backup player wouldn't be smart.

I see Pjanic as a completely different profile of player than Ndombele and Lo Celso. For me, Pjanic is a deep lying playmaker while Lo Celso and Ndombele are primarily best used as press-resistant / ball carrying midfielders.

Like you, I am interested in where Pjanic would be used in the squad if he is a transfer target. It’s currently hard to grasp where our exact needs in the squad lie until we have a greater understanding of how Nuno plans to set up the team. I do think it’s fair to say that this squad has a very big Christian Eriksen-sized hole in its playmaking department though — however I’m not sure prioritizing a deep lying playmaker would be in our squad’s best interest at this time.

I’m currently in the camp that a dynamic, versatile playmaker in the mold of Eriksen such as Sabitzer or Pellegrini would be a key addition to the squad (in a fictitious world it would be Jack Grealish). For me, a number 10 with an elite passing range and playmaking capabilities high up the pitch could get the best out of Kane, Son and most so Dele — like Eriksen did for so many years. It would also mean our current midfield crop of Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Lo Celso, and Skipp can be primarily utilized as central midfielders. Neither Tanguy or Lo Celso have the passing range to be a permanent number 10 IMO.

In the same vein, Pjanic is one of the best deep-lying playmakers in world football. You could count players who can ping the ball better than him on one hand. It hasn’t necessarily worked out for him at Barcelona thus far, but he’s also been competing with the likes of Busquets and de Jong. Paratici will also know his talents well from his successful spell playing for Juventus. If we’re prioritizing a deep-lying playmaker, he would be an unbelievable addition IMO. We certainly don’t have a player like him in the squad.

*Also worth noting that deep-lying playmakers notoriously have greater longevity in football. At 31, I don’t think his age is a concern.*

 

[IamSpurtacus]

Really want this to happen just so I can call my fantasy team Pjanic! at the Disco

I prefer the old Smiths classic Pjanic on the Streets of London…

 

[Franchise60]

I think a player like Pjanic would be a good fit in our midfield. I’d rather we go get Locatelli, but if this is the cheap alternative it’s a pretty good option for two years or so.

 

[tiger666]

I think a player like Pjanic would be a good fit in our midfield. I’d rather we go get Locatelli, but if this is the cheap alternative it’s a pretty good option for two years or so.

How is it cheap? We'd have to offer him a deal worth more than the £42m he's getting at Barca for him to even consider us.

 

[Huddlebone]

I see Pjanic as a completely different profile of player than Ndombele and Lo Celso. For me, Pjanic is a deep lying playmaker while Lo Celso and Ndombele are primarily best used as press-resistant / ball carrying midfielders.

Like you, I am interested in where Pjanic would be used in the squad if he is a transfer target. It’s currently hard to grasp where our exact needs in the squad lie until we have a greater understanding of how Nuno plans to set up the team. I do think it’s fair to say that this squad has a very big Christian Eriksen-sized hole in its playmaking department though — however I’m not sure prioritizing a deep lying playmaker would be in our squad’s best interest at this time.

I’m currently in the camp that a dynamic, versatile playmaker in the mold of Eriksen such as Sabitzer or Pellegrini would be a key addition to the squad (in a fictitious world it would be Jack Grealish). For me, a number 10 with an elite passing range and playmaking capabilities high up the pitch could get the best out of Kane, Son and most so Dele — like Eriksen did for so many years. It would also mean our current midfield crop of Hojbjerg, Ndombele, Lo Celso, and Skipp can be primarily utilized as central midfielders. Neither Tanguy or Lo Celso have the passing range to be a permanent number 10 IMO.

In the same vein, Pjanic is one of the best deep-lying playmakers in world football. You could count players who can ping the ball better than him on one hand. It hasn’t necessarily worked out for him at Barcelona thus far, but he’s also been competing with the likes of Busquets and de Jong. Paratici will also know his talents well from his successful spell playing for Juventus. If we’re prioritizing a deep-lying playmaker, he would be an unbelievable addition IMO.

*Also worth noting that deep-lying playmakers notoriously have greater longevity in football. At 31, I don’t think his age is a concern.*

Mate, if you just look 10 posts back and read you would have saved yourself some time haha

 

[Montalbano]

Mate, if you just look 10 posts back and read you would have saved yourself sime time haha

Lmao fair play mate. We’ll just say I came in to provide some additional color.

 

[YB123]

Well the key difference there was that Bale came in on loan.

Its the principle. People complaining about a free transfer coming in on big wages, Bale was potentially coming in for 2 years on big wages....

 

[HYT]

Some context is probably needed on this one. Pjanic was signed, as mentioned above, purely to balance last years financial numbers. Otherwise Barcas debt/turnover would have been so bad that Bartomeu would have to call an election (in the end Messi made him do it antways, but thats a different story). So they signed Pjanic, and swapped Neto for Cillessen in the same manner.

Now the situation is slightly different. La Liga have their own FFP-rules (not the same as the UEFA rules). Under these ffp-rules, the league defines a maximun wage cap for each team, based on their turnover (a bit more complicated than that, but I simplify it a bit now). As Barcelonas income fell a lot last year, the wage cap is also a lot lower than last year. Meaning that if they are to register a certain Lionel Messi (as well as new signings Aguero, Depay, Garcia and Emerson), they HAVE TO reduce their wage bill dramatically. Busquets and Pique is reportedly ready to cut their wages in half, and Alba would problably have to do the same as well. Dembele has been offered a new contract with 50% wage reduction, and so on. In this picture it makes a hell of a lot of sense to sell a player that didnt contribute shit last year and is clearly out of Koemans favour.

So Pjanic (like Coutinho, Umtiti and possibly Griezmann) is there to be signed, either for free or for a very low transfer fee (or through a loan). But he really was a nothing player last season. Not given a lot of minutes though. Personally I don’t want him. But if we are skint, he might do.

 

[yankspurs]

Well the key difference there was that Bale came in on loan.

We are looking at a loan here too.........

 

[Tucker]

Its the principle. People complaining about a free transfer coming in on big wages, Bale was potentially coming in for 2 years on big wages....

And how long a contract on big wages do you suppose Pjanic wants?