Fabio Coentrao (Benfica)

We should not let Newcastle hold us to ransom yet again, £15m for an OK left back who will have a year left on his contract - that is a very high price to pay under the circumstances.

We should not let Newcastle hold us to ransom yet again, £15m for an OK left back who will have a year left on his contract - that is a very high price to pay under the circumstances.

I doubt that we will pay anything near that amount ... Enriquie would cost in the £7-8 million region, considering his contract situation ...

Coentrao, Benfica: "I just want to go to Madrid"

Google Translate Link

Fabio Coentrao has the decision and has told Benfica: "I just want to go to Real Madrid." Sources close to the player and at the same Benfica match it. Between the lateral and the entity exists an oral agreement which was agreed to leave him out this summer despite renewed last few dates to 2016 (keeping the clause of 30 million and taking a million per season).

For the player, of very humble origins (Vila do Conde, north of the country, a small fishing village), Madrid is the chance of a lifetime. The problem is that other teams like Inter, Liverpool, Bayern or the City that are bidding for him. But the player made it clear to President Vieira. Prefer to avoid bids and reach an agreement with Madrid.

The same environment of the player believes the time has come that Coentrao out. In fact, according to AS has confirmed a source close to Vieira, the president of Benfica, "try to convince him to be paying more, but knows it will be harder to convince his agent." Vieira rejected through the press office to be interviewed by AS Benfica. But speaking to Sky Sports: "Fabio will leave Benfica only 30 million, its market price." Real Madrid will not pay more than 25.

Hugo Almeida, who was close to signing for Madrid last winter, said yesterday: "The best defense handed the world. Better than Marcelo. Anyone would be happy that Madrid would like. It would be an excellent recruitment.

If that is true, I rather not sign him, then.

Don't get me wrong i would definitely love him at the club but i would rather have Enrique and Mata than just Coentrao because if we sign Mata i can't see us signing Coentrao as well and i would definitely prefer Mata than Coentrao.

If that is true, I rather not sign him, then.

Might as well have said, "I just want to go sit on the bench." 

''Balague: Liverpool are interested in Juan Mata and Jose Enrique but Fabio Coentrao is a no-go''

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/kickoff/blog/2011-05-26/balague-liverpool-are-interested-juan-mata-and-jose-enrique-fabio-coentrao-no-go

balague no longer has his source at the club so knows F**k all

balague no longer has his source at the club so knows f**k all

I wouldn't be so sure ... He still has a contact with Reina ...

balague no longer has his source at the club so knows f**k all

I said that too but he got the Torres one right

The more i think of it id rather Jose Enrique, we'll get him for half the price and he has a lot of PL experience.

Don't get me wrong i wouldn't be too upset if we got Coentrao.

I said that too but he got the Torres one right

The more i think of it id rather Jose Enrique, we'll get him for half the price and he has a lot of PL experience.

Don't get me wrong i wouldn't be too upset if we got Coentrao.

I'm sure you wouldn't be

Coentrao: "I want to go to Real, is the best club in the world"

Google Translate Link

"Of course I talk to Pepe, Carvalho Cristiano but am not yet of Madrid. Just change the Benfica for Real," said the player in the concentration of the Portuguese.

"What I want is to play for Madrid. It is the best club in the world and the only change on the Benfica," said Fabio Coentrao from training camp in Portugal in Oeiras. The player will receive two days off and return to work in Obidos, on Sunday to prepare for the match against Norway on June 4, valid for the Euro 2012 .

"Everything is fine. He likes to Real Madrid and it is normal to be very happy. Still nothing done. We must have peace. Madrid is the best team in the world with the best players in the world and there are many of my friends But as I say, nothing is done, though of course I like the Madrid and I hope that the signing go ahead, "he added Coentrao.

"Better as a lateral"

Coentrao is willing to accept the enormous challenge: "A player must be prepared for everything. And I am for football and everything in my life. I will face it with all my strength."

Regarding his position on the field, said: "I am a football player, either as end or as a defense. I have to respect the decisions of the coach and I have done at Benfica. I have highlighted as a winger but I played all my life end. Now I have two years of side and want to go there "

Christian Pepe and Carvalho

He also confessed that his team-mates will recommend the target: "Of course I've talked to Cristiano , Pepe and Carvalho of Madrid, but I'm still a Benfica player, but my interest is to play for Real. I'm in a great club and will only Change for Real, because it has the best coach and is the best team in the world. "

Of the alleged competition deriving Marcelo said: "I wanted to be, first, Madrid player. I know that Marcelo is a great player, but I work to play. "

He also spoke of his money: "Money transfer to me I do not compete, but I intend to be a good deal for Benfica. Here I had two spectacular years and I will be grateful all my life. The Benfica understand my decision" .

Lock it up, he's basically said he won't leave Benfica for any one other than Real.

Coentrao quashes Liverpool rumours

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/media-watch/coentrao-quashes-liverpool-rumours

Benfica defender Fabio Coentrao has revealed he wants to join Real Madrid - quashing reports in the Portuguese press today he has signed a deal with Liverpool.

Tabloid newspaper Correio da Manha had claimed the left-back had agreed a big-money deal with the Merseyside club, however the 23-year-old has expressed his desire to seal a switch to the Bernabeu.

Speaking at a training camp in Portugal, Coentrao said: "What I want is to play for Real Madrid. It is the best club in the world and the only place I would leave Benfica for.

"Madrid has the best players in the world and I have many friends there. Nothing has been done but I hope the signing will go ahead.

"Benfica understand my decision and I intend to make it a good deal for them. I will be grateful to them all my life."

Coentrao's decision to leave Portugal has been in-part fuelled by the influence of his international team-mates already playing for Real, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Carvalho.

"Of course I have spoken to Cristiano, Pepe and Carvalho. I'm still a Benfica player but my interest is to sign for Madrid."

Surely if he's not good enough, he's not good enough; irrespective of cost?

Precisely. This is how I view every transfer or potential transfer. I don't know why people are so obsessed with prices. Granted, I'll comment on the prices (allegedly) quoted by selling clubs if I think they're taking the piss but as long as we get the players we want, I couldn't give a rats ass whether it's at an inflated price or not.
Good enough / not good enough. Simples. Let Henry and Werner worry about signing the cheques.

Precisely. This is how I view every transfer or potential transfer. I don't know why people are so obsessed with prices. Granted, I'll comment on the prices (allegedly) quoted by selling clubs if I think they're taking the piss but as long as we get the players we want, I couldn't give a rats ass whether it's at an inflated price or not.
Good enough / not good enough. Simples. Let Henry and Werner worry about signing the cheques.

Maybe I shouldn't care about prices, but I do.  I don't want us to emulate City and pay over the odds for players.  It sends out the wrong message.  I would rather us try to find value in the market, and I don't feel Enrique for anywhere near 15 million represents value.  I think Enrique for around 7-10 million is a good value.  If we can land him for 5 million plus Ngog, then we'll have done incredible business! 

I do agree that we should work hard to land our preferred targets, but we still need to be smart about the money being spent. 

But to be honest, players prices won't reflect their abilities anymore due to Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Man United inflating the prices like crazy in previous seasons and ourselves on Andy Carroll.

Just imagine, we paid for Alonso 10.5 million 7 years ago and players like Gareth Barry and Michael Carrick, whom IMO, are nowhere near Alonso's standard cost 12 mil(?) and 16 million. Man United are one of the biggest culprits. Remember Ferdinand saying how we overpaid for Carroll but at that stage, 35 million was pretty acceptable and not 29.1 million for a defender back in 2001!!

In truth, I would price Enrique around 7-10 mil, Coentrao maybe 15-ish million and Young/Mata/Sanchez around the 20-ish million mark but they are gonna cost 5-10 million more now.

Maybe I shouldn't care about prices, but I do.  I don't want us to emulate City and pay over the odds for players.  It sends out the wrong message.  I would rather us try to find value in the market, and I don't feel Enrique for anywhere near 15 million represents value.  I think Enrique for around 7-10 million is a good value.  If we can land him for 5 million plus Ngog, then we'll have done incredible business!  

I do agree that we should work hard to land our preferred targets, but we still need to be smart about the money being spent.  

Harry I understand where you're coming from, I really do.

Enrique may turn out be either very good or bad. He could end up a F***ing star for all we know; a revelation, the player of the year or he may end up as poor as Poulsen. The thing is we don't know if his cost represents value until he plays for us.

If he were ready to sign (for argument's sake) for an 'undisclosed sum' all we'd be asking - Is he a good signing?

Personally I believe he'd be a better signing than thon pansy Coentrao    but unless we sign the two, to compare, we'll never know.

Maybe I shouldn't care about prices, but I do.  I don't want us to emulate City and pay over the odds for players.  It sends out the wrong message.  I would rather us try to find value in the market, and I don't feel Enrique for anywhere near 15 million represents value.  I think Enrique for around 7-10 million is a good value.  If we can land him for 5 million plus Ngog, then we'll have done incredible business! 

I do agree that we should work hard to land our preferred targets, but we still need to be smart about the money being spent. 

I totally agreed harry mate.
 

If he badly wants to play for Madrid, he can forget about coming here because there is possibly other left sided players who want to come here.

He's going to Madrid, I think he's overrated anyway, and is an attacking fullback, we need a defending one

If he wants to to to Madrid then let him.

We'd have only spent all of our time correcting the spelling of his surname anyway.

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/7916/9/man-united-face-battle-benfica-left-back

This looks off then.

Hopefully we'll look into signing Cissokho, wouldn't believe with Comolli we wouldn't.

The guy seems made for United a complete egotistical tw*t.