Liverpool FC Forum

by **bigmick** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:51 pm

You know the story. Nicked out of the reserves at PSG I think for 500k, sold a couple of years later for 23 million. Doesn't half help the balance sheet, especially when you buy Henri for 11 mill out of the proceeds.
I was just wondering, who has been our best value for money signing over the last decade? I suppose I'd go with Hyppia, i think we paid 2.5 mill and he was probably worth 10 at the hieght of his powers a couple of seasons ago. I'm racking my brains but can't think of many others. Hamann wasn't a bad shout at 8 mill, Kewell even though he hasn't done it was stolen. Baros I suppose is the other, about 3 mill and I suppose we'd get perhaps double that now. Am I missing any obvious alternatives?

by **murphy0151** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:58 pm

Looking back now I think we done well out of Fowler. I no we didint pay anythng for him but, god we had some good years out off him. An then when he was in free fall we got rid for some good dollar.

At the time mind dew I was fuming that we got rid off him but looking back now, I think GH done well with this deal.

by **spud** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:03 pm

Great question Big Mick. I've racked my brains and cannot think of any player whom we made a killing on.

This tells me a lot. Maybe some will surface thro the thread.

The best player that cost us little that added huge value in recent times is Gary Mac.

by **bigmick** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:11 pm

Fowler? now there was footballer. Mind you, for the purposes of this thread he doesn't really qualify although I'll concede that O'leary proved there's one born every minute when he shelled out 11 mill for him. Made it back on ferdinand though I guess.
No this thread is about value for money purchases. Like I've posted elsewhere, I don't think Cisse is value at 14 million. Bizarrely, Traore at 500k probably is. Fowler doesn't count, nor do Owen and Gerrard.

by **Redrider** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:00 pm

Mick, we have not made a good display in the buying and selling Dept over the last ten years.
I think our biggest success was buying Stan Collymore for £9m and selling him for damn near the same figure after we had discovered that he kept his brains down his underpants. But at the same time grabbing a wonderful 12 months (or so) of entertainment from him.

by **mynameisred** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:14 pm

Good post, good point, wromg club. For a start were not a selling club and secondly GH was in charge of the purse strings for 6 years. Hardly likely to make money from transfers are we.

by **parchpea** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:23 pm

Due to the stature of our club I guess its normal they leave for less money than we paid. Generally if they are going its because we dont want them any longer. This means a smaller club will take them for money they can afford. If a player is pinpointed by a bigger club like Real Madrid, we are likely to see a profit as they are taking something we dont want to part with.

by **Red Macgregor** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:32 pm

parchpea wrote:Due to the stature of our club I guess its normal they leave for less money than we paid. Generally if they are going its because we dont want them any longer. This means a smaller club will take them for money they can afford. If a player is pinpointed by a bigger club like Real Madrid, we are likely to see a profit as they are taking something we dont want to part with.

That theory has been dumped. What happened to our Selling Dept' with McMannaman and Owen ?

Don't agree that RM are a bigger club, they just think they are and tell the rest of the football world that they are.

by **parchpea** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:41 pm

We made a profit on Owen. We could have taken a fee for Macca but the board trusted his word then he left on a Bosman. As for Madrid, these deals are a cases in point because they have taken two of the best players we had on our books at different periods. If they come knocking for another its likely they will take them too.

by **Red Macgregor** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:51 pm

I don't think you can say we made a profit on Owen. His physio bills must have been £8m when he was with the club.
No seriously, £8m for Owen is not good business, £18 maybe, but £28m should have been the price.
LFC are not very good at striking a hard bargain !!

by **Cool Hand Luke** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:57 pm

I think this is a very thought provoking thread. What I mean is that what is going on at the top with the likes of Moores and Parry, they don't seem to be very good business men, buying rashly and overpriced, and selling cheaply.

From what I have read, Parry is thought of as one of the nicest men in football, but nice is not what you need at the top, we need someone with a strong business head, NOT A YES MAN.

by **bigmick** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 7:24 pm

In fairness I sort of covered the 'we're not a selling club' angle when discussing Hyppia, Baros, Hamann etc. You don't have to sell a player to confirm you have had value for money. All of the above still play for the club. In the case of Hamann he cost 8 million and we won't ever recieve a fee for him but as we've had his top-class services over the last few seasons I would venture that while not being a snip by any means, he represents not bad value. Traore, at 500k for a capable enough fringe/squad player whom someone is prepared to pay 1.5 mill for, definately represents value. Don't rate the bloke myself, but I'm not the one bidding 1.5 mill for him. Unfortunately, we haven't made really inspired signings over the years. The Sheringhams, Solskjaars, Keannes, Annelkas, Henrys etc etc. Now I know Ferguson has signed duds as well, so has Wenger but they have struck gold on a few occasions. Unfortunately, we haven't so therefore find ourselves miles behind.

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