Rafael Van der Vaart

[cwy21]

Did they really pull this off?

 

[timfrancis]

£8,000,000 - can't knock Levy's brinkmanship on this one!!!

 

[Kinger]

Where did you hear that mattylad?

 

[kaz Hirai]

:shrug:

 

[Kinger]

Hmm. The mystery continues...

 

[shortshelflife]

Both AS Futbol and Marca are reporting this as a done deal - 10-11m Euros.

Dunno what to make of it!

 

[t79boy]

Redknapp has confirmed the deal - still waiting for Premier League ratification.

Nice.

:shrug:

 

[mattylad77]

Where did you hear that mattylad?

SSN - interview about 15mins ago....

 

[ehalse]

:shrug:

He was on SSN just now

 

[bouncebackability]

HR has said that he was going to Bayern yesterday for 18 mil but it fell through?!

Daniel Levy...... Take a bow son....!

 

[JJ1978]

So out of all the ITK, none came through and we get this surprise package (hopefully!) - what a coup!

 

[kaz Hirai]

if it did happen where would he play anyway? i dont see him taking modrics place in central midfield, unless bale is going back to left back

 

[t79boy]

if it did happen where would he play anyway? i dont see him taking modrics place in central midfield, unless bale is going back to left back

exactly what i was thinking

Also this red tape stuff of him maybe not signing is killing me

 

[cwy21]

His wife looks worth 8m to me.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Grumbleweed here but if he was the right player for us why didn't we bid at £18M

Happy we got him but it seems like a fluke rather than strategy

 

[Damo1176]

Hopefully this will mean Bale will drop in at left back ala Ashley Cole and BAE can do his bambi on ice impressions in the changing rooms.

 

[donny1013]

Every top team has a goal scorer in midfield, something we have lacked, therefore relying too much on our forwards. VdV would give us that finally. I really hope this goes through, massive signing.

 

[mattylad77]

Grumbleweed here but if he was the right player for us why didn't we bid at £18M

Happy we got him but it seems like a fluke rather than strategy

You're dead right. We should cancel the deal right now.

 

[yanno]

We can now play a proper 4-2-3-1, with VDV behind the main striker and any combination of Lennon, GDS, Niko, Luka, Bale, buzzing around them.

I don't think VDV can play CM in a 4-4-2 in England. However, Redknapp may try him as the left-sided midfielder in a 4-4-2: keeping the shape when we're defending, and with a license to come inside when we're attacking.

If we pull it off, this is an excellent signing, and makes us much stronger.

 

[kaz Hirai]

Hopefully this will mean Bale will drop in at left back ala Ashley Cole and BAE can do his bambi on ice impressions in the changing rooms.

only way i see it, bale as left back, modric back on the left floating about, probably somewhat in reaction to the lack of creativity at home to teams that sit back.

so imagine if this does happen then it will just be for home games perhaps

with then a 4:5:1 away but then i dont see us having 2 creative types in central mid paired with huddlestone, or perhaps we do....oh who knows, seems like a panic purchase to me, but a potential decent one, better than rasiak or campbell anway