[Albion] Virgil van Dijk for £3 Million! (and why we didn't sign him)

stewart_weir · May 1, 2019

"Gus Poyet has revealed to talkSPORT he could have signed Virgil van Dijk for just €3million when he was manager of Brighton.

Only, the south coast club couldn’t afford it!"

https://talksport.com/football/535926/brighton-liverpool-virgil-van-dijk-gus-poyet/

Beach Hut · May 1, 2019

Gus has revealed a lot of shit in his time

portlock seagull · May 1, 2019

Then it matters not because we couldn’t afford Messi either!

Wozza · May 1, 2019

3m EUROS, not pounds.

We made a couple of bids. Highest was £2m, I think.

He went to Celtic a few months later for around £2.6m.

Thunder Bolt · May 1, 2019

Beach Hut said:
Gus has revealed a lot of shit in his time

It was the Palace coach driver.

Icy Gull · May 1, 2019

Beach Hut said:
Gus has revealed a lot of shit in his time

One thing he could do was spot a talented player. Absolute shit at spotting forwards though

He attracted players that were totally out of our league and although he was an egostistical **** who irritated the **** out of me with his touting at every opportunity you won’t hear me say a bad word about his ability to talk players into coming to the Albion

I think the alleged refusal of the board to sign Van Dijk hurried along his desire to leave too

DJ NOBO · May 1, 2019

I remember this . File alongside Roy Keane and Ian wright.

We're the Stripes · May 1, 2019

Gary Dicker on Albion Unlimited podcast this week said Virgil "turned us down" - which is more in line with my recollection of it. Both us and Celtic had bids accepted, didn't we?

Stat Brother · May 1, 2019

All very pointless as he only ever would have played in defense, anyway...

...oh.

Thunder Bolt · May 1, 2019

We're the Stripes said:
Gary Dicker on Albion Unlimited podcast this week said Virgil "turned us down" - which is more in line with my recollection of it. Both us and Celtic had bids accepted, didn't we?

Probably on wages. Celtic would've offered higher wages.

Easy 10 · May 1, 2019

He had a choice of either a newly promoted 2nd division club, or a spell in the MTL along with Champions League football to boot. he was always going to go north, whatever they offered will have blown us out of the water at the time.

hoveboyslim · May 1, 2019

We're the Stripes said:
Gary Dicker on Albion Unlimited podcast this week said Virgil "turned us down" - which is more in line with my recollection of it. Both us and Celtic had bids accepted, didn't we?

That's how I remember it too (but my memory isn't great). I thought at the time both we and Celtic were going for him and that we actually stood little chance of getting him, with Celtic being a far more attractive proposition

Stat Brother · May 1, 2019

Easy 10 said:
He had a choice of either a newly promoted 2nd division club, or a spell in the MTL along with Champions League football to boot. he was always going to go north, whatever they offered will have blown us out of the water at the time.

Exactamondo.

I believe in that particular Champions League group Celtic had Juve, Barca and Ajax.

Not a bad place to advertise your wares.

Wozza · May 1, 2019

Icy Gull said:
One thing he could do was spot a talented player.

There is ZERO evidence to suggest that Poyet discovered Van Dijk is there?

stewart_weir · May 1, 2019

We're the Stripes said:
Gary Dicker on Albion Unlimited podcast this week said Virgil "turned us down" - which is more in line with my recollection of it. Both us and Celtic had bids accepted, didn't we?

Scotland's Daily Record says .. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/how-brighton-almost-beat-celtic-14977659

Tim Over Whelmed · May 1, 2019

This type of "with the benefit of hindsight" story really grips my sh1t, no we didn't bid any more because at the time we were fighting for our financial lives.

Icy Gull · May 1, 2019

Wozza said:
There is ZERO evidence to suggest that Poyet discovered Van Dijk is there?

He didn’t discover Bridge or Vicente either but he talked them into coming here. Although it all blew up in our faces he also managed to convince CMS to join the “small club” when much bigger clubs wanted him.

He knew a good player when he saw one and the fact that he was happy to promote young players to the first team and instill believe in the helped us enormously in our rise

Do you think we’d have got them regardless of who our manager was?

I’m no Poyet apologist and was delighted when he was shown the door after the way he treated the club, but that doesn’t take away that he was very good at many aspects of managing us.

His press conferences were a “must watch” too :smile:

Wozza · May 1, 2019

stewart_weir said:
Scotland's Daily Record says .. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/how-brighton-almost-beat-celtic-14977659

It's based on the same TalkSport article with the same euro/pound mistake.

From 2013:

https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10205612.van-dijk-remains-poyets-top-target/

https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10343499.van-dijk-still-on-the-radar/

https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10477732.albion-drop-out-of-hunt-for-dutch-defender/

Thunder Bolt · May 1, 2019

Tim Over Whelmed said:
This type of "with the benefit of hindsight" story really grips my sh1t, no we didn't bid any more because at the time we were fighting for our financial lives.

Not in 2012/13 we weren't.

Wozza · May 1, 2019

Icy Gull said:
He didn’t discover Bridge or Vicente either but he talked them into coming here. Although it all blew up in our faces he also managed to convince CMS to join the “small club” when much bigger clubs wanted him.

He knew a good player when he saw one and the fact that he was happy to promote young players to the first team and instill believe in the helped us enormously in our rise

Do you think we’d have got them regardless of who our manager was?

I’m no Poyet apologist and was delighted when he was shown the door after the way he treated the club, but that doesn’t take away that he was very good at many aspects of managing us.

You said "One thing he could do was spot a talented player" in a thread about van Dijk.

I'm merely pointing out that Poyet would not have been the one who discovered him.

Poyet's ability to attract/land players is a different matter.

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[Albion] Virgil van Dijk for £3 Million! (and why we didn't sign him)

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