dazby wrote:I've found it strange that no one has raided Shakhtar's team in the past, as the times I've seen them they've looked sparkling good.
I like this deal if it happens.
They got 'raided' a couple years ago with Elano, Matuzalem & Chygrynskiy leaving for considerable amounts & they sold Willian for £30m in January, but other than that, you're right. Of course, some of their players were constantly linked to top clubs in bigger leagues, even at a time they weren't this successful in the CL (Srna to Chelsea/Bayern springs to mind).
I think it's a combination of:
(1) a very good manager
(2) a loaded, but reasonable & patient owner, who also invests in academy & facilities
(3) top notch facilities as a result
(4) decent wages obviously
(5) domestic titles every year & good runs in Europe (even one UEFA Cup title in 2009)
(6) good scouting which results in a number of successful Brazilian players in the past years (Elano, Fernandinho, Ilsinho, Jadson, Matuzalem, Willian...)
(7) they never have to sell, because of (2) & as a result demand high fees for their star players, which few clubs are eager to pay, because those players are not "Prem proven' etc.
If you take all of that into account, I don't find it that strange actually.
Fernandinho always impressed me, he reminds me a bit of Ramires. Not your typical Brazilian showboating prima donna, but more of a dynamic box-to-box midfielder with good passing ability. Not sure if he's worth 23m tho, as he'll turn 28 in a couple of days & I don't see much room for further development. At least I wouldn't expect him to moan about the weather after 7 years in the Ukraine...