Update on Defour

[Danitar]

SSN:

According to reports in Portugal, Fulham are now in advanced negotiations with Porto to sign Belgium international Steven Defour this month. Fulham are reported to have offered €5million (£4.1m) plus extras for the midfielder, with Porto demanding €6million (£4.9m) for a January sale. Defour is keen to leave Porto this month to secure regular first-team football ahead of the World Cup.

There is way too much info here for other clubs to swoop in and steal him from us. Just pay the difference, for the price of potentially staying up this seems like a drop in the ocean. Get on with it Fulham

I agree, we need to confirm this signing ASAP.

But you don't honestly think other clubs are relying on Sky Sports for their information do you?

No I don't but if clubs know we missing out on this player by 0.8 million looking at it from another clubs point of view wouldn't you think you jump straight in and take him from under the club. I would if I was a villa or a west ham. Seems ridiculous how much we are squabbling over

[Bassey the warrior]

I'll take Sipwell's word on this. If he's not a creative midfielder then I'm not sure why we're pursuing him...? What's to say we don't have the same balance issues in midfield due to still not having someone who can pass the bloody ball.

Whilst I agree that a creative midfielder does seem to be what we're lacking I am willing to go with Rene on this one. He seems to have a good knowledge of tactics so I'm sure he knows what he's doing.

[Jem]

Well, it was nice whilst it lasted! http://www.squawka.com/news/2014/01/22/defour-in-talks-with-fulham/2014012257778

Porto are unwilling to let highly-rated midfielder Steven Defour join Fulham, according to the Daily Mail.

Defour, 25, has seen his stock plummet in recent years after breaking through at Standard Liege. He was part of a team that included Marouane Fellaini that pushed Liverpool right until the dying moments of a Champions League qualifier.

The Belgian has only played 13 times this season and with the World Cup approaching, he'll feel that he needs some first-team action to force his way into the squad that travels to Brazil.

Last week his agent Paul Stefani told reporters: "He will tell Porto he wants to leave the club. Porto don't want to sell him and consider him as a player for the future, but with the upcoming World Cup, Steven has to play more games."

Until recently Anderlecht were the only club who had shown an interest in signing Defour, but Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reported that his agent and Fulham chief executive, Alistair Mackintosh, met in London on Monday to discuss a permanent transfer.

[Rupert]

SSN:

According to reports in Portugal, Fulham are now in advanced negotiations with Porto to sign Belgium international Steven Defour this month. Fulham are reported to have offered €5million (£4.1m) plus extras for the midfielder, with Porto demanding €6million (£4.9m) for a January sale. Defour is keen to leave Porto this month to secure regular first-team football ahead of the World Cup.

There is way too much info here for other clubs to swoop in and steal him from us. Just pay the difference, for the price of potentially staying up this seems like a drop in the ocean. Get on with it Fulham

I agree, we need to confirm this signing ASAP.

But you don't honestly think other clubs are relying on Sky Sports for their information do you?

No I don't but if clubs know we missing out on this player by 0.8 million looking at it from another clubs point of view wouldn't you think you jump straight in and take him from under the club. I would if I was a villa or a west ham. Seems ridiculous how much we are squabbling over

"According to reports..." and "Fulham are reported to..."

I take your point about it being sily to squabble over relatively small amounts of money, but let's wait for the dust to settle. Wages/terms may be the problem, while the valuation issue may be a smokescreen to maintain good relations with player/agent.

[Zu-Meister]

Defours agent this afternoon said about his client & Fulham "Initial discussions have gone well and he has a good feeling about the club"
He continued "all that matters to me is the interests of the player and that he plays regularly for his new club"

[grandad]

Defours agent this afternoon said about his client & Fulham "Initial discussions have gone well and he has a good feeling about the club"
He continued "all that matters to me is the interests of the player and that he plays regularly for his new club"

Sounds as if he wants a Berbatov clause. You have to play me if fit whether I am playing well or not.

[fulhamben]

Defours agent this afternoon said about his client & Fulham "Initial discussions have gone well and he has a good feeling about the club"
He continued "all that matters to me is the interests of the player and that he plays regularly for his new club"

Sounds as if he wants a Berbatov clause. You have to play me if fit whether I am playing well or not.

id imagine he would be first choice regardless anyway. our midfield has hardly been dominant in any game

[Danitar]

Defours agent this afternoon said about his client & Fulham "Initial discussions have gone well and he has a good feeling about the club"
He continued "all that matters to me is the interests of the player and that he plays regularly for his new club"

Sounds as if he wants a Berbatov clause. You have to play me if fit whether I am playing well or not.

Other than Parker I would say yes to the clause he's much better than most of the players we have.

[TheManOnTheBus]

I know its often repeated that there is such a clause in the Berba contract, but do we know for sure? (I know detractors will say "why else would he be picked week in week out?"

Do they in fact actually exist in any footballer's contract?

[cmg]

I know its often repeated that there is such a clause in the Berba contract, but do we know for sure? (I know detractors will say "why else would he be picked week in week out?"

Do they in fact actually exist in any footballer's contract?

I'd be very interested in being proved wrong here, but, I too, have always doubted the existence of this kind of clause in a player's contract.
I can't see how it would work on a practical basis and would massively undermine any manager's freedom of action. Obviously a player signed for significant money would expect to be a first team choice and might well be guaranteed a start on signing, but this could not go on indefinitely if the player lost form. Of course a manager who paid big money for a player is likely to want to play him, otherwise he would look a bit incompetent. At a pinch it is concievable that a player with a massive ego might require that he is said to be 'injured' if dropped, but that is a different matter.

[gang]

Mark Schwartzer wanted a guarantee to be first choice and Fulham refused hence his signing for Chelsea, a move that never made sense to me

[..Kya.ffc..]

Such a clause would undermine a manager.
How can one justify to the rest of the team = no matter how well you preform in traning / or how bad he preforms, you have no chance of knocking him off this team.

Can't see that. However it may exist, but would find it totally wrong.

Defour, would be a good upgrade. For 6.5 I say get it done.

[TonyGilroy]

I know its often repeated that there is such a clause in the Berba contract, but do we know for sure? (I know detractors will say "why else would he be picked week in week out?"

Do they in fact actually exist in any footballer's contract?

I'd be very interested in being proved wrong here, but, I too, have always doubted the existence of this kind of clause in a player's contract.
I can't see how it would work on a practical basis and would massively undermine any manager's freedom of action. Obviously a player signed for significant money would expect to be a first team choice and might well be guaranteed a start on signing, but this could not go on indefinitely if the player lost form. Of course a manager who paid big money for a player is likely to want to play him, otherwise he would look a bit incompetent. At a pinch it is concievable that a player with a massive ego might require that he is said to be 'injured' if dropped, but that is a different matter.

I agree.

Even if it's the case the manager could simply say that the player was not mentally fit - not in the right frame of mind or perhaps not quite match fit through tiredness.

And what would the penalty be? A fine? Release from contract conceivably but that's no use outside a transfer window.

A player may get "assurances" but I'd be surprised if there was a contractual obligation.

[Pluto]

Ah for God's sake Khan you have over 3 billion- just pay the extra 0.8m and let's get this guy in and training! The sooner we get him the sooner he'll be best placed to make an impact.

[fulhamben]

Ah for God's sake Khan you have over 3 billion- just pay the extra 0.8m and let's get this guy in and training! The sooner we get him the sooner he'll be best placed to make an impact.

its taking to long for my liking. can see this not happening

[PokerMatt]

He'll be off to Schalke. Who'll pay what Porto want.

[Furby]

I wouldn't agree to ANY player having that written into their contract. How can a player dictate when he should play no matter what he's playing like, what he does for team morale and us supporters. I'm sure we'd be the first to say drop him if he was playing scheizenberger, and cost us points on a regular basis.

[hovewhite]

A bargaining trick to advertise the player and engineer a bigger club to come forward,also I'm not sure about khan and I am waiting to see what he sanctions re player sighnings this window.

[Pluto]

With Schalke and Napoli at the table I feel this one is done guys :(

[Burt]

I know its often repeated that there is such a clause in the Berba contract, but do we know for sure? (I know detractors will say "why else would he be picked week in week out?"

Do they in fact actually exist in any footballer's contract?

I'd be very interested in being proved wrong here, but, I too, have always doubted the existence of this kind of clause in a player's contract.
I can't see how it would work on a practical basis and would massively undermine any manager's freedom of action. Obviously a player signed for significant money would expect to be a first team choice and might well be guaranteed a start on signing, but this could not go on indefinitely if the player lost form. Of course a manager who paid big money for a player is likely to want to play him, otherwise he would look a bit incompetent. At a pinch it is concievable that a player with a massive ego might require that he is said to be 'injured' if dropped, but that is a different matter.

I agree.

Even if it's the case the manager could simply say that the player was not mentally fit - not in the right frame of mind or perhaps not quite match fit through tiredness.

And what would the penalty be? A fine? Release from contract conceivably but that's no use outside a transfer window.

A player may get "assurances" but I'd be surprised if there was a contractual obligation.

And would he really launch a breach of contract claim if he wasn't picked for a match?