Well we've finished up the transfer window, and this vidya covers TRANSFER MADNESS! Some major offers from big clubs unsettled several of my players. I managed to calm down Jorginho and Callejon to keep them without much work. I managed to calm down Koullibally from a couple of huge offers, but it required me to give him a major pay raise basically doubling his salary. He's a "Key Player" to my club and he was being underpaid, so I had no problem with this. Allan and Gabbiadini were both so unsettled that they demanded a transfer, so I got what I could for them and did fairly well. Dries Mertens was a bit different, as I responded to an offer by demanding WAY more than I felt he was worth (knowing I could easily replace him with $30M) and the other team accepted.
With those players leaving the squad I added several more players. My ASS'Corch doesn't have as high of an opinion of some of them, but I'm pretty confident in my 20/20 judging scout who filled several reports and watched these players for a the month. Ideally I'd have liked to have more time, but my scouting network isn't fully built yet and I was placed in a bind for attackers by the Gabbiadini/Mertens transfers and the fact that I was a bit short staffed at the ST and CAM positions to start.
Out: (approx $90M in guaranteed transfer with approx 16M in potential performance based/games played escalations)
Dries Mertens
Allan
Gabbiadini
Giacherrini
In: (Approx 61M spent with approx 10M more in potential performance based/games played escalations). Most of these guys are rotational starters who are younger and I was able to sign them to good salaries. They are all at least 2.5 stars at some current position/role and most of them have potential to get into the 3 or 3.5 star range with training improvements. My scout believed they all had the possiblity of a bit of potential growth as well, though my ASS'CORCH seems a little more pessimestic. Mostly I'm pleased to have added some good young depth while adding some money to the transfer budget and getting these guys on good salaries. I added 3 attackers + a 4th who will join us in the summer transfer window, the good news is that other than Babacar all of them are very versatile players who can play several positions. This will give me the depth I was missing at the ST position which will allow me to potentially add a 2 striker formation and allow me to withstand any further transfer raids this summer without having to panic.
Khouma Babacar - 3/3.5 STARZ, Rotational Starter, ST - Complete Forward, 3.2M/Year
Muhamed Besic - 2.5/3 STARZ, Rotational Starter, CDM/CM - Ball Winning Midfield, 2.3M/Year
Mbyia Niang - 2.5/4 star, Rotational Starter, ST/RAM(LAM with Training) - Complete Forward/Winger, 2.85M/year
Luan - 3.5/4 star, 1st team player, ST/CAM/LAM/RAM - Complete Forward/Inside Forward/Playmaker, 5M/year
Also signed a free transfer who will join us in July.
Saido Berahino - 3-3.5/3.5-5 (fog of scouting) STARZ, 1st Team Starter, ST - Complete Forward but can also play CAM/LAM/RAM in a pinch, $3.2M/year. This guy is more of a poacher type with good pace/acceleration... look to see him used as a super sub.
I've still got a good bit of budget left in both wages and transfer and I'll probably look at some of the free transfers to see if I can find some more interesting young players. I'll likely need to add another CM/CDM and a CB in the summer transfer window but I think I should be okay for this season (and then I'll also have to make up for whoever I lose in the summer).
After I go over the transfers I also play the quarterfinal of the Italian Cup against Torino. This game was a super lack of offense bore and went deep into extra time at 0-0, but I'll let you watch to see the outcome.