A better option that Vardy or Austin

A better option that Vardy or Austin

There are better alternatives to Jamie Vardy and Charlie Austin. We are developing English youngsters, but neither of these two are youngsters any more. There are players out there who will score just as many goals and are young enough to increase in value or give us more years service than either of these two can. 


The game we live in now nobody stays in a job. The era of a job for life has gone, now we have a workforce that travels from company to company. Football reflects that and players move from club to club now, A Steven Gerrard, a Ledley King, a Steve Perryman are rare. That has to be built into any transfer speculation when assessing its worth.

Brazilian Alexandre Pato, however, does have time on his side. He was only 25 in September, has a proven scoring record in major footballing leagues and can increase in value. The talk from Brazil is that his representatives are flying to London (Yahoo Brazil) to discuss a deal with Spurs. I would point out that he already has a deal with Liverpool agreed in principle, which everyone seems to have forgotten. 

West Ham are said to be interested but refuse to deal with Kia Joorabchian, one of his representatives, so they have been discarded. He is also being scouted by Barcelona and Joorabchian has offered him to Borussia Dortmund after Joorabchian met with Pato in a Brazilian restaurant in October, when Pato asked him to arrange a transfer.

It is common for a player to have an agreement in principle with several clubs for when the circumstances are right for a transfer. Clubs don't just buy a player, they buy, when they have an agreement to sell their existing player or if other targets haven't materialised, targets who may be waiting to see if a situation unfolds at another club.

Pato has refound his form and scoring touch in Brazil after injury problems in Italy, where he initially did very well for AC Milan. He is being touted as a striker, yet he plays from the wing, in the same manner that Chadli, Lamela, Son and Njie can do. He can also play central and did in Italy so he has the versatility that Pochettino requires in players.

Pato is on £60,000-a-week and owns 40% of himself, Corinthians own the other 60% so this third party deal is not quite as complicated as most. Plenty of figures have been thrown at this story, but we keep returning to sensible figures, given he only has a year left on his contract after December.

There seems to be something lost in translation with websites regurgitating that his representatives have come to finalise a deal. The report suggest Corinthians are hopeful a deal can be finalised soon, they want his wages off the books and there seems to be no love lost between player and club. The report seems to say though that the representatives have come to hear more details of an offer we have previously made.

In effect, they have come to thrash out a deal in principle, the same as Liverpool already have in place. Let's not forget that Manchester United tried to sign him on the last day of the transfer window so may well still be interested and it would make sense if his representatives met with them as well. Everything may not be as cut and dried as is being suggested elsewhere.


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