Bebe- The Manchester United Player and "Net Spend"

[Samson]

My first ever thread on SC!

They supposedly paid £7.4 million for him, and this is generally considered a bit steep. But it's also true that the club never said that they had paid that much for him (neither Man Yoo or the Portuguese side). Isn't it possible, probable even that they paid much less but put out the story to get their "net spend" up in the light of fan protests?

Which brings me to my bugbear. The figures on "net spend" that fans and journalists usually quote are almost invariably drawn from specualtion in the newspapers, and rarely if ever from the accounts. Which makes them bullshit, yet they are taken as some kind of hard fact.

Not sure there is much to discuss here (reason why I don't start threads) but it's good to unburden myself.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

Interesting thought (no, really!).

Sometimes deals can be announced for 'full consideration' or just the up front amount. Which is why Sunderland are claiming Gyan is their most expensive signing, even though their 'total consideration' (as disclosed to the stock market) for Darren Bent was much more (16m to Gyan's 13m).

On reflection, it is entirely possible that Manchester United could have spent, say, 2.4m on Bebe and then agreed to pay 1m more in 2 years time and 1m after 50 appearances and 3m incentivised against goals he will score in the next 2-3 years and the trophies they win (as long as he plays a part).

That would have the positive spin for all concerned that you intimate.

 

[mike_l]

Wasn't the fee deduced from the idea that they simply met his contracted buyout clause to avoid pissing around with negotiations? I assume that this figure in the contract would be quite easy for journos to establish correctly and if FM has taught me right then this fee is only met when offered as one lump sum, rather than incentives.

Of course the initial story could have been a journalistic invention in the first place, but I think we can all agree that it seems a bag of Prawn Cocktail Walkers would have been too steep.

 

[ChRiStOpHe]

I have a West Ham supporting mate with good links into the club. The undisclosed fee paid for their 'record signing', Savio Nsereko, was rumoured to be around £9m. This fella reckons the fee was closer to £2m!

The high rumoured fee was fed into the media outlets to put positive spins on the transfer for both sides. Brescia made a healthy profit on the player, and West Ham were finally splashing the cash post-Egg Head.

 

[mike_l]

I have a West Ham supporting mate with good links into the club. The undisclosed fee paid for their 'record signing', Savio Nsereko, was rumoured to be around £9m. This fella reckons the fee was closer to £2m!

The high rumoured fee was fed into the media outlets to put positive spins on the transfer for both sides. Brescia made a healthy profit on the player, and West Ham were finally splashing the cash post-Egg Head.

Now he was shite, and didn't even have the excuse of being homeless.