(DM) Axel Witsel

[Iceman]

Witsel didn't show up for pre-season training. I think a ball is rolling. Hopefully it rolls the right way.

any fear he may have been tapped up Nicko? which is why he hasn't pitched up for training?

[rebelmswar]

Sign him up sign him up sign him up! I've seen him play for Liege a couple of times. Just what we need if JJ doesn't return. Like someone has already mentioned... he ticks all the boxes! £8m and we have ourselves a bargain!

I am in a state of dispair here, do we really have so much money and such a flow of constant cash that we can now see 8 million as a bargain?

I don't know much about the lad at all, but for 8 million at our club shouldn't that be considered a big signing?

[John]

8 million just a small fraction of the whopping 50 mill burning a hole in Kean's pocket!

Not really seen much of him play but sounds like a decent potential signing plus his name suggests he is a nutter.

[alexanders]

I am in a state of dispair here, do we really have so much money and such a flow of constant cash that we can now see 8 million as a bargain?

I don't know much about the lad at all, but for 8 million at our club shouldn't that be considered a big signing?

This guy will be a big signing. Loads of potential would fit the premier league with his agressive style of play and give him 2-3 years and he will most likely be worth the double. Wont ask for the biggest wages either.

[DE.]

I can't see his value going down if we signed him for around £8M, so in that sense it would be a shrewd signing. He's still very young and I can't imagine he'd be on massively high wages, unless another club came in for him and started an auction...

[joey_big_nose]

Come on guys, a bit of realism here. If Milan are interested we are going to really struggle to get him.

[AspRover]

I am in a state of dispair here, do we really have so much money and such a flow of constant cash that we can now see 8 million as a bargain?

I don't know much about the lad at all, but for 8 million at our club shouldn't that be considered a big signing?

He would be a very big signing, one of the biggest (if not the biggest - still waiting on that striker) in this window. The 'Bargain' tags people are throwing around are not because he's cheap overall, but because if the guy is as good as a lot of people say that he is then in the current market £8m would be something of a coup.

[Amo]

With the prices being banded around for JJ, surely Witsel is a snip at £8-11m?

Make it so, Venkehs!

[alexanders]

He wont play many games in Italy getting carded every match.

[alexanders]

Will Axel be staying in Belgium?

Translated with google:

French to English translation

Axel Witsel: gone to stay?

End of the season ended with a bang for Axel Witsel, many observers saw the Liege in another club than Sclessin for next season. But today, a transfer does not seem to the agenda for the median Rouches.

The clubs interested in Red Devil 22 years (Lazio and AC Milan) would not put more than ten million on the table, which is insufficient for the management of Liège. The Standard dreams, behind the scenes to rebuild a blow to Marouane Fellaini, transferred to Everton for 20 million in 2008.

Blackburn offers 8 million

Yet this is not the shortage of offers. The latest? The English club Blackburn have expressed interest in proposing a budget of eight million euros, "only," the English daily Mirrorfootball. It is not enough for the Standard.

Axel Witsel is it really more than ten million? The question is on everyone's lips. One thing is certain, there remains a small month clubs eager to engage the services of playmaker Liege. Otherwise, the star of 22 years would remain in Belgium until January, at least ...

[bluebruce]

I am in a state of dispair here, do we really have so much money and such a flow of constant cash that we can now see 8 million as a bargain?

I don't know much about the lad at all, but for 8 million at our club shouldn't that be considered a big signing?

You can buy a rubbish album for 50p and have been ripped off, and you can buy an all-time classic for £10 and it be the best money you ever spent in your life. Actually no, that's not a good enough analogy...let's use a house (even though I'm a strong opponent of comparing football matters to houses...but I think it works here). You could buy a house cheaply in an area of town that is getting worse, and in a couple of years its value has plummeted. Or you can buy an expensive house in a well-to-do area that is only on the rise, and double your money in a few years. The point obviously being, you can spend big and still be getting a bargain.

Even taking out re-sale value...a 22 year old player can probably be expected to have 10 years in the game at roughly the same level he is at now. He will probably get better for some of that, and probably get worse for a little bit of it too. But the point is, 8 million (though I'd expect it'll be more like 10 if we get him) averages out as less than a million a year over his career, which is an average player's wages. Then you consider that football prices and wages seem to be constantly inflating...by the end of that ten years, that may only be half an average player's wages, and hell, you may even be able to sell a decent 32 year old, declining mid for about 4 million by then. So if he's as promising and currently talented as he's meant to be (I should stress that I acknowledge I haven't seen him), it really could turn out to be a bargain.

[rebelmswar]

You can buy a rubbish album for 50p and have been ripped off, and you can buy an all-time classic for £10 and it be the best money you ever spent in your life. Actually no, that's not a good enough analogy...let's use a house (even though I'm a strong opponent of comparing football matters to houses...but I think it works here). You could buy a house cheaply in an area of town that is getting worse, and in a couple of years its value has plummeted. Or you can buy an expensive house in a well-to-do area that is only on the rise, and double your money in a few years. The point obviously being, you can spend big and still be getting a bargain.

Even taking out re-sale value...a 22 year old player can probably be expected to have 10 years in the game at roughly the same level he is at now. He will probably get better for some of that, and probably get worse for a little bit of it too. But the point is, 8 million (though I'd expect it'll be more like 10 if we get him) averages out as less than a million a year over his career, which is an average player's wages. Then you consider that football prices and wages seem to be constantly inflating...by the end of that ten years, that may only be half an average player's wages, and hell, you may even be able to sell a decent 32 year old, declining mid for about 4 million by then. So if he's as promising and currently talented as he's meant to be (I should stress that I acknowledge I haven't seen him), it really could turn out to be a bargain.

I get that but are we in the business of buying players to sell on? If so we need to change our name. Jones leaving was tough enough without buying players you know that will be moving on.

We can look at the news right now and see how well speculation fairs right now. Another good thing about your housing analogy there Bruce is that a lot of fools got talked into buying houses that they could ill afford the upkeep on, never mind the mortgage, and look what happened.

I am not saying that the owners are fools but I am reserving judgment on that one.

[Hekla]

Has a bid been made? I know Nicko says that this move should go through.

[47er]

Definitely has to be named "the Axe" hasn't he?

[callumrovers]

Someone has commented on the LT's Hoillet story that, "We have been told you up our bid to £10 million euros?"

[Fraserkirky]

Someone has commented on the LT's Hoillet story that, "We have been told you up our bid to £10 million euros?"

Which is what, 9m quid?

No Brainer, do it!

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Couple of Portuguese sites reporting that Rovers had offered 5 million euros for Witsel. Surprinsingly it appears that was rejected... Benfica willing to offer around 8 million euros apparently. Linky

[Oklahoma]

The source of those news is a belgium newspaper.

I doubt Benfica wants another defensive midfielder, they already have 3 and only use 1 in their tactic.

And their priority is to buy someone to replace Fabio coentrao at left back.

[leerovers1980]

The source of those news is a belgium newspaper.

I doubt Benfica wants another defensive midfielder, they already have 3 and only use 1 in their tactic.

And their priority is to buy someone to replace Fabio coentrao at left back.

maybe its witsel club trying to get rovers to up there offer, I'm thinking 8 million would get there man

[The Rover of Finland]

maybe its witsel club trying to get rovers to up there offer, I'm thinking 8 million would get there man

And we should go for him! That´s just half of Jones money. Sell few and use the profit and another Jones half on striker. I doubt Witsel´s wages are too high. Big earner for Rovers though.

[leerovers1980]

of all the players we been linked with this summer witsel's is the one i would want to go threw the most he is a must, he young and got the best years left in front of him, and at 8 million what a steal

[neophox]

Sign Witsel and make him our new captain!

[Lurid Coat]

And we should go for him! That´s just half of Jones money. Sell few and use the profit and another Jones half on striker. I doubt Witsel´s wages are too high. Big earner for Rovers though.

Agreed. Hopefully Rao spoke the truth when he said that the Jones money will be spent on new players. However, according to BPF, we don't have a pot to p1ss in.

[Tom]

For me 8m Euros is a no brainer, this is the guy I'd go all out to get. If we really want him and can't stretch to 8m then something is badly wrong

[Parsonblue]

The Daily Mirror is today reporting that Witsel will sign for Benfica for a fee of £7 million. The Rovers were only prepared to bid £4 million which was clearly insufficient. Looks like it's time to draw up another list of targets in a lower price band.