Transfer Market Advice ...

[SpHSpH]

Hello - looking for some thoughts about the transfer market.

I just started my MM as Swansea (Championship). My manager guy is a 1/2 star and my negotiator is a [4]. I am curious if there is any consensus advice about how to attack the market as a "small" team.

The players on my roster are mostly 55-70 in their OVR (the average is 62). I am probably looking to improve my back-ups (get younger / cheaper / better) rather than replacing any of the "starters". So I am searching for players in the 60-65 OVR range.

Searching is a little overwhelming - there are a LOT of guys who come up when I search for "CM" and "60-70". It is sort of annoying that I have to "click into" each guy to see his salary demands and his interest in my team. It would nice if I could sort by that.

How does interest work? That is new in FIFA10. The highest I saw was ~40%. Should I not even bother going after guys with low interest? How low is "too low"? I made a few offers - the range of interest was 15% - 39%.

Should I boost up my negotiator right away - before I play the first game? Will this help me sign lower interest guys? Or does the negotiator only affect what the salary demands will be?

Does the game automatically give me any guy who says "yes"? Should I only pursue one ST ... or can I pursue three guys, have all three guys say "yes", and then only select one of them to be on my team?

Oh - is there any "bonus" for having a guy on your shortlist?

Thanks - it seems that I like to write long posts ...

[Qb]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpHSpH

Should I only pursue one ST ... or can I pursue three guys, have all three guys say "yes", and then only select one of them to be on my team?

I can't answer a lot of your questions as I've only begun to play MM. But they did add the option to have a final say on offers you make after it is accepted. I have an offer in cyber-limbo for Falcao right now awaiting the resumption of my MM, but I'm counting on selling one of my strikers for it to happen. I'm in the last week of August (with Borussia Dortmund), so we'll see if I can sneak them in before the window "slams shut" (thank you Sky Sports)...

And FWIW, I've gone for two players -- Angel di Maria and Eden Hazard -- and signed both successfully, although di Maria was in my first aborted attempt started before the recent squad update. I didn't raise my negotiator (I think he's a five by default) and of course my manager rating is 1/2 star since I just started. All I did was raise their salary and add a 5% goal bonus until interest wouldn't go any higher (about 80%) and offer about 500K to 750K more than the suggested transfer fee (both around 5M... I'm not one to fool around with haggling).

I realize this might not be possible with very small teams, but for those who said it's "impossible" to sign anyone, I'm not seeing it with a 4-star German team and terrible manager prestige...

[therizing02]

Quote: Originally Posted by Qb

And FWIW, I've gone for two players -- Angel di Maria

Nice! I just signed him to Roma. Probably overpaid even though my negotiator is an 8. Signed him to a 5 year deal.

The other one I was trying for was an 20yo CB rated 75-80? named Giuseppe Bellusci(?) with Catania. I tried in the summer and the winter window and he just played me against other clubs. Ended up in Germany.

When a player says that he doesn't think he can make the starting 11 do you offer goal bonuses? Has it worked?

[SpHSpH]

I have no chance at any of these guys until I get their interest > 75%?

Does a better negotiator help with the interest issue?

Does increasing the transfer fee improve the interest? Or just wages/bonus?

Interest = f (manager stars, team prestige, negotiator, wages, bonus ) ?

I am trying to keep my wages in (relative) check ... I try to keep the new signings to around "the current team average + standard deviation".

I like to look for "diamonds in the rough" guys ... sometimes there are a few guys with lower than expected salary expectations. I feel like they are from "stinky" leagues and are willing to play for less $$$. They are my "finds". I might be able to do the "big wage increase" thing with these guys and still stay "on budget".

[SpHSpH]

Is there any effect of going after a small number of players vs. going after a large number of players? I just got started, and I am sort of cleaning out many of my lesser guys.

Is it too much to get rid of 8-10 players in the first transfer window (and hope to replace them with 6-8 new guys)? That does sound a bit too ambitious. Hmmm...

My roster has 2GK / 7DEF / 12MID / 10ATT ...

I would prefer less ATT and more DEF. I play a 4-4-2.

I usually target 2GK / 10DEF / 11MID / 7ATT ...

[Salhus]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpHSpH

Is there any effect of going after a small number of players vs. going after a large number of players? I just got started, and I am sort of cleaning out many of my lesser guys. Is it too much to get rid of 8-10 players in the first transfer window (and hope to replace them with 6-8 new guys)? That does sound a bit too ambitious. Hmmm... My roster has 2GK / 7DEF / 12MID / 10ATT ... I would prefer less ATT and more DEF. I play a 4-4-2. I usually target 2GK / 10DEF / 11MID / 7ATT ...

The board actually won't let you get rid of a ton of guys. They say something about not wanting to break up the "core" of the team.

[Salhus]

I want to take a 2nd tier team in the EPL (City, Aston Villa or Spurs) and get them to join the "Big 4."

My ultimate goal would to follow Liverpool formula and get a great English MF (guy like J. Cole) and bring in an elite foreign striker (David Villa would be perfect.)

I've tried with Aston Villa and there is just no way I could get David Villa. Even after I unload Young, Carew and Agbonlahor his weekly earnings is outrageous.

Any suggestions? Try a different team? Or, am I just too deep into fantasy land?

[Qb]

Quote: Originally Posted by therizing02

Nice! I just signed him to Roma. Probably overpaid even though my negotiator is an 8. Signed him to a 5 year deal... When a player says that he doesn't think he can make the starting 11 do you offer goal bonuses? Has it worked?

The funny thing about me going after di Maria, I have to confess I never really heard of him before I searched the player database for a young left-sided mid/winger. Liked what I saw, signed him, and lo & behold, a few days later there are a bunch of stories linking him with big money moves. Weird...

Can't say with the second, as I've made two offers and both were accepted on the first attempt... I guess I'm very persuasive.. I only used the goal bonus to save a little on my weekly wage budget, although I didn't actually crunch the numbers, nor do I know how bonuses affect the budget. For example, if a guy with a 10K wage & 5% per goal bonus scores a brace (1K) and my wage budget was right at the limit, what happens? MM freeze? -$2B glitch? Does my 360 explode? Hired goons at the door?