The Mail Bag
Why so quick to get rid?
Comments (6)
One thing that strikes me about the Manuel Fernandes saga... if he's really worth £12M why are Benfica so desperate to loan him out? They loaned him out to Pompey at the start of the season and when that didn?t work out they were happy for us to take him. Now the Echo?s saying the door?s still open for him to return to us on loan because no one, as yet, is willing to pay the asking price.
I can understand them wanting to cash in (on what is still only potential) if they found a buyer... but they haven't. Surely a £12m midfielder would be good enough to challenge for a first team place in the Portugeuse League?
Don't get me wrong, I'd take him back on loan in a flash, just seems strange that Benfica are so keen for him to leave.
Paul O'Hanlon, Posted 22/06/2007 at 12:47:14
Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
Michael
I git the impression it was the player who wanted the English experience... and I don't have the facts to support this but I very much suspect that he has a fairly low real value in the Portugeuse market, and they are eyeing the silly money soon to be on offer in the hugely over-inflatyed English market. They see the chance to cash in.
The high valuation comes from the fact he is owned partly by a third party so we would have to buy out that contract plus paying Benfica.....without all that we’re probably talking 5 to 7 mill tops. Which I think Moysey may well of had a dabble at. And as much as I’d love to keep him I am behind the club not getting involved with a potentially messy transfer saga with an inflated price.
I actually was told by a benfica fan that he fell out with the board over and injury and since then he was no longer in the team. I also think Michael is right about him wanting Premiership experience. He his actually well thought of up there by Benfica fans and rival fans. If his contract wasn’t messed up then we would probably have bought him now. I understand where benfica are coming from because if the sold him for say six million then they would only get half.
I couldn’t find out much info on why and how he’s part-owned by Kia but I’m guessing Joorabchian snuck under Benfica’s nose and got him. Benfica probably feel cheated and are determined to get his full worth paid to them, even if that means doubling his price. I wonder though, with these players who are part-owned by someone else, who pays their wages? Anyhow, if the Premier League didn’t see anything wrong with us loaning Fernandes for the final half of the season despite him being part-owned by a third party, why couldn’t we just pay off Benfica and sign him? Kia and Everton could then own him. As far as I’m aware, there’s no problem with that unless the third party has any say in whether he plays? I’m not sure about this but I’m assuming it’s true considering West Ham were fined and Portsmouth and Everton were not.
Given the issue over Tevez this would be a bad time to get caught in the middle of a contractual mess. A season long loan would be fantastic but I don’t think £12M is worth gambling.
As someone who lives in Portugal, I can tell you that Manu is something of a forgotten man amongst supporters across ALL clubs, not just Benfica.
As you have seen in the U-21 championship and the Portuguese players plying their trade around Europe, the country has a rich vein of talent coming through.
Manu is a close friend of Nani, the guy on his way to Manure, and whilst he played in the U-21 championship (did you notice it was his penalty miss that cost Portugal the Olympic place in a play-off with Italy...), he ISN’T regarded as "the future of Portuguese football" as some more outlandish claims on here have made.
Within Portugal, NO clubs pay the sort of money being quoted for Manu and so young talent is regular sold to the Premiership, Spain and Italy. Manu’s price is hugely inflated because of the ownership confusion. Whilst he is recognized as being talented, there are a lot of Benfica fans (and the club President...) who despise him, I can assure you, for some Rooneyesque behaviour in the wake of Benfica winning the title a couple of seasons back.
He could have a very hard time of it back in Portugal, just getting into the Benfica team. So... the happiest arrangement would be to sell him, but no one is willing to pay the price demanded.
Second best scenario is yet another loan spell... now... who would be first in line for that, given Manu’s flattering comments about the club this week?
And don’t his comments rather undermine some commentators on here who condemn Moyes for trying to turn him into a workhouse and robot? He played for two teams in the EPL last season, but chose to praise just one of them...
A compliment to the club, me thinks.
As you have seen in the U-21 championship and the Portuguese players plying their trade around Europe, the country has a rich vein of talent coming through.
Manu is a close friend of Nani, the guy on his way to Manure, and whilst he played in the U-21 championship (did you notice it was his penalty miss that cost Portugal the Olympic place in a play-off with Italy...), he ISN’T regarded as "the future of Portuguese football" as some more outlandish claims on here have made.
Within Portugal, NO clubs pay the sort of money being quoted for Manu and so young talent is regular sold to the Premiership, Spain and Italy. Manu’s price is hugely inflated because of the ownership confusion. Whilst he is recognized as being talented, there are a lot of Benfica fans (and the club President...) who despise him, I can assure you, for some Rooneyesque behaviour in the wake of Benfica winning the title a couple of seasons back.
He could have a very hard time of it back in Portugal, just getting into the Benfica team. So... the happiest arrangement would be to sell him, but no one is willing to pay the price demanded.
Second best scenario is yet another loan spell... now... who would be first in line for that, given Manu’s flattering comments about the club this week?
And don’t his comments rather undermine some commentators on here who condemn Moyes for trying to turn him into a workhouse and robot? He played for two teams in the EPL last season, but chose to praise just one of them...
A compliment to the club, me thinks.
Art, thanks for your insightful comments. It is always good to get the info from someone closer to the action. I am still left wondering exactly what Manu did or said to upset a highly respected club such as Benfica.
As for the Moyes critics, they have long been discredited. Their constant whinging is getting more and more pathetic.
As for the Moyes critics, they have long been discredited. Their constant whinging is getting more and more pathetic.
© ToffeeWeb
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
