It really is a sad reflection, when we are supposedly striving to be the 3rd biggest team in Scotland, and we can't even afford 70k to bring in a player...

 

" Aberdeen have been priced out of signing Dutch midfielder Ferrie Bodde after Den Haag refused to lower their £70,000 asking price.

 

League 1 side Swansea City could complete the transfer of the 25-year-old next week.

 

Bodde is one of the highest earners at Den Haag, who have just finished bottom of Holland's Eredivisie. Relegation meant Den Haag were willing to let him leave for a reduced fee, but with two years of his contract at the Zuiderpark Stadion to run, would not allow him to move for free, as Aberdeen had initially believed.

 

Now Swansea, managed by former Motherwell midfielder Roberto Martinez, are ready to meet Den Haag's demands, with City's associate director John van Zweden, a supporter of the Dutch team, sanctioning the move for a player who had attracted interest from Champions League quarter-finalists PSV Eindhoven.

 

Frank Schouten, Bodde's agent, said: "The clubs have stopped negotiating because Aberdeen have said they cannot afford to pay any money for him.

 

"Ferrie is disappointed nothing is going to happen with Aberdeen now, but that is life. The situation is for the two clubs to resolve, but as far as I am concerned, the deal is now off.

 

"There are a lot of other clubs interested in Ferrie and I do not know where he will end up instead. But Swansea are very keen and he might end up going there later this week. We shall see."

 

Bodde, a former team-mate of Dons winger Jamie Smith, added: "I wanted to go to Aberdeen, but knew Den Haag would want a transfer fee for me and I can understand why, as I still have two years left on my contract."

I don't think it's a case of not being able to afford it, but more a case of not being willing to pay it. Europe hasn't been confirmed yet, and until/unless it is, I can't see us even thinking about making a cash offer for any player. Beat Celtic on Saturday, there's a good chance we might go back with an offer of £30k or something and haggle them down, throw in some clauses, etc.

 

How many clubs get exactly what they ask for first time when selling a player?

Relax drfeelbad,  Plenty of time on this yet - remember this is the guys agent talking.  Agents are paid to get top dollar for their client.  Higher transfer fee= Higher wage = higher commission paid to the agent.

 

There's time left here.  Don't panic,

This is a tough one - we stick it out, lose the player, and end up with a no use umpteenth choice player who does nothing (we've signed a few of them.) However, we stuck it out over the Lee Miller deal and got him for free - who would have ever thought we'd get him on a freebie. Saying that though, I'd rather Milne forked out some dough - the boy is a high earning club captain and from what I gather a respected player - 70k doesn't seem much for an experienced leader, and we certainly lack ballsy hardcnuts tough tackling leaders on the park.

the boy is a high earning club captain and from what I gather a respected player - 70k doesn't seem much for an experienced leader

 

Experienced in leading his team to relegation?! No thanks. We've had stacks of players who were more than qualified in that department. I'm happier that we're looking at winners rather than losers.

I dont think it is that we are unable to pay 70k, it is that the boy's agent told us that he would be free. Now if I was told that something was free, the sudden inclusion of 70 grand wouldn't exactly be a sweetener.

 

We do seem to have irons in the fire for once. We have one player on board already for next season, and from the sounds of things there could be at least another two more by the end of the month. I liked the sound of Bodde, but I won't weep salty tears if he goes to Swansea.

I dont think it is that we are unable to pay 70k, it is that the boy's agent told us that he would be free. Now if I was told that something was free, the sudden inclusion of 70 grand wouldn't exactly be a sweetener.

 

We do seem to have irons in the fire for once. We have one player on board already for next season, and from the sounds of things there could be at least another two more by the end of the month. I liked the sound of Bodde, but I won't weep salty tears if he goes to Swansea.

 

WTF, we're signing Davie Irons, thought he'd quit playing!!!!

How much of all this is smoke and mirrors though? Jimmy's transfer dealings and interviews about them always leave me a wee bit bemused though.

"Experienced in leading his team to relegation?! No thanks. We've had stacks of players who were more than qualified in that department. I'm happier that we're looking at winners rather than losers."

 

How many of our current team are winners? We should dump Anderson then since he's been with us for years when we were bottom six and crap. Don't get your logic at all - there are plenty of players on relegated teams who would be great additions to our team.

Anderson's probably the exception to the rule. But let's face it, Mackie's nae exactly catching the eyes of the winning clubs, is he? Neither's Clark. The players that we've signed who've made an impact with us all seem to have one thing in common ... they have come from clubs with a winning-mentallity. Severin came from a very successful Hearts team. Jamie Smith came from Celtic via Den Haag. Nicholson came from arguably the most successful Dunfermline side ever ... and he moved to Dunfermline from the nine-in-a-row Rangers squad. These are the sorts of player that I'd rather we targetted, rather than players who know how to battle it out at the bottom end, but have no notion whatsoever of consistency and don't really know what a winning-mentality is.

Sorry mate, think you are clutching at straws here. Nicholason couldn't get a game for Rangers and he's a winner because he played for Dunfermline (what did they win?) Smith couldn't get games for Celtic and left and I don't think Den Haag were winners/champions. Would you say Michael Hart has a winning mentality coming from Livi having previously been punted by us?I understand what you mean by a winning mentality but you don't have to leave a successful team to be a winner.

Forget this guy. Todays SoS has made a cheeky wee link to us and Gary O'Connor so we have bigger fish to fry. I mean, Loco Moscow won't want any fee for him as they hardly paid a penny for him 

Yeah, saw that article in The Times too! That'd be a crackin signing if JC could pull it off.

O'Connor would look great in Red!

£70k looks like it would have been a bargain, Swansea have just rejected an offer of £750k from Derby.

£70k looks like it would have been a bargain, Swansea have just rejected an offer of £750k from Derby.

 

Jesus Christ Slim..... talk about trawling the archives

And agree sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate

£70k looks like it would have been a bargain, Swansea have just rejected an offer of £750k from Derby.

 

It's the Aberdeen way.

 

Ten or eleven years ago Roy Aitken refused to pay up £50,000 for an up and coming Icelandic defender by the name of Hermann Hreidarsson.  Sheesh, we had a lucky escape there eh?

Me and Londonscottish had this very conversation in Munich. Both said he would have made a huge difference on our season and would have provided the grit in midfield we needed...nice one Aberdeen 

Jesus Christ Slim..... talk about trawling the archives

And agree sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate

 

Interesting that the original post was the author's only one on here. Was it Mr Bodde in disguise

£70k looks like it would have been a bargain, Swansea have just rejected an offer of £750k from Derby.

 

Chances are though we'd probably be releasing him after a season on the sidelines due to injuries and him just not settling in the North East.

Bodde's been injured for the later part of the season as well...

Watched Swansea -bristol rovers earlier this year and he looked a good player.

Would have been nice to have got him but I doubt he would have been worth 750k after a season with us.

£70k looks like it would have been a bargain, Swansea have just rejected an offer of £750k from Derby.

 

They are signing Kevin Doyle from Reading to play with him.