“ MEHMET DALMAN SPEAKS ABOUT FINANCES / JANUARY WINDOW “

This is from Scott Johnson’s website, an interview he has done with Mehmet Dalman:



Wednesday 21st February 2024


MEHMET DALMAN:

“I think we’ve had two very good windows with Erol on board. I think the summer window was one of the best windows we’ve ever had, with the EFL handcuffs we had. We got quality players in Dimitrios Goutas and Manolis Siopis, for example. In January, we didn’t panic. We had targets, but they were evolving.”

“We have the 6th highest wage bill in the Championship.”







SJ: This was a very strange window in that Profitability and Sustainability fears saw Premier League clubs only spend about £50m, down from about £800m last year and there is a trickle-down effect from that for EFL clubs. Were the club expecting this sort of window, or did that come as a surprise?

MD: It came as a surprise. We’ve been through a number of windows and this was the most inelastic one I’ve ever seen. How many transfers were there in the Championship during the first two weeks of January? It’s not that we didn’t go after players, they were just not available.

SJ: Much was made of Cardiff’s partial embargo being lifted and the club being able to spend. January is traditionally a conservative window, but was the intention to spend, given the opportunity?

MD: I had a discussion with the manager that if we find the right target, we will make funds available, but we’re not going to pay £50,000-per-week salaries in the Championship. We had to make sure our books were balanced correctly for the EFL, so we had limitations for spending money.

SJ: Erol Bulut appeared to suggest in one of his press conferences that the financial goalposts moved late on in the window and that affected what deals you could get over the line. Can you explain what he was referring to?

MD: There were two points that Erol made. The first one was that he wanted players in the first week of January, not in the last week of January. We all did, but they were not available. We approached Bournemouth about Kieffer Moore in December and he wasn’t the only player we approached in December. The club wanted us to match their salary, but that is £40-50,000-per-week. If we could, we would have. I understand he went to Ipswich on that sort of salary.

The second point relates to the way the EFL operates. You submit a budget and they decide whether its realistic or not. We put in what we considered a realistic budget around Christmas and they took the view that it wasn’t. It needed to be refined and it took time to refine it. We submitted a revised version mid-January and reached a conclusion.

SJ: Kieffer Moore was talked about quite openly in the lead up to the window opening. Can you explain Cardiff’s intentions with regards to that move. Was the aim to try and buy him, or was Cardiff’s offer always a loan?

MD: We wanted the best of both worlds; a loan with the option to buy.

SJ: Was there ever any attempt to try and bring in Kieffer’s Welsh international team-mate David Brooks?

MD: We tried for Brooks and Moore. Brooks was a definite no to us, so we were surprised to see him go somewhere else. They were open for discussion on Moore and we were in discussion until the very end of the window.

SJ: There were quite detailed reports from Norway suggesting that Cardiff were prepared to make a significant financial investment to sign Valarenga striker Andrej Ilic, who eventually joined Lille. Was there any truth in those reports?

MD: I found it difficult to pay that much money for an unproven striker. He looks good, but that was big money for a club like us on an unproven player. We also couldn’t have got him even if we wanted him anyway because of our EFL restrictions.

SJ: Similarly, Cardiff were strongly linked with a move for Trabzonspor’s Anastasios Bakasetas, who eventually joined Panathinaikos, despite Erol insisting that Cardiff couldn’t afford him. Were the club ever in talks to try and sign him, or was that a similar situation to Ilic?

MD: There were tentative talks, but then we found out what he was going to cost and it was a massive amount of money.

SJ: Erol stated his desire for six new arrivals and credit to the club, they delivered in that regard. It went down to the wire in the end, but were the club always confident that they would secure their targets? It’s safe to say that panic had well and truly set in by that point!

MD: I think we’ve had two very good windows with Erol on board. I think the summer window was one of the best windows we’ve ever had, with the EFL handcuffs we had. We got quality players in Dimitrios Goutas and Manolis Siopis, for example. In January, we didn’t panic. We had targets, but they were evolving.

SJ: How do the strict new rules now in place affect Cardiff going forward, in terms of the summer transfer window and beyond?

MD: If you look at the league and the wages being paid out, we’re about the sixth highest. We’re not trying to build on the cheap. This summer should be pretty much up to us in terms of how we behave. There are no EFL rules we should worry about because we will have met them with the budget we set out. Then it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market.

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Worcester

Pitty he was'nt asked whats gou g to happen with a rebuild if you are not prepared to spend big as yoi see it
Won't we just end up with what we have now cheap loans on a low budget ?
There comes a time when you have to bite the "bullet" and go for it
if you want promotion
but i cannot see any rebuild in his comments its all about money budget
and imo we will see no rebuild next season.

Quite funny also was his statment about the norway striker
I found it difficult to pay that much money on an unproven striker?
He had the option of signing a proven striker but chose not to match other clubs in the transfer window because he was not prepared to pay for a proven stiker either
Talks a load of b.ll.cks.

6th highest wage !!!!!!!!!! straight from the horse's mouth, i thought it was internet sites best guessing

Not sure if its fraud squad or FCA but someone needs to be looking at money laundering because if that the 6th best squad then I am off to city road for a haircut, fast food, nails done, and buy a championship footballer because some of our players are like George Weah's cousin

6th highest wage !!!!!!!!!! straight from the horse's mouth, i thought it was internet sites best guessing

Not sure if its fraud squad or FCA but someone needs to be looking at money laundering because if that the 6th best squad then I am off to city road for a haircut, fast food, nails done, and buy a championship footballer because some of our players are like George Weah's cousin

Wow...the 6th highest paid squad in the league and after all the so called cost cutting over the last few seasons. Just unreal...they all need sacking!!!

Mehmet is very politically minded but if he is on the level, this sounds good...

Quote MD: "If you look at the league and the wages being paid out, we’re about the sixth highest. We’re not trying to build on the cheap. This summer should be pretty much up to us in terms of how we behave. There are no EFL rules we should worry about because we will have met them with the budget we set out. Then it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market."

We hope so but time will tell, Mehmet; time will tell...!

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Don't think it pays as much as the CCFC CEO

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Why would our budget be bigger in the summer? As far as I know we won’t have any more income coming in and there’s not that many players out of contract and moving on??

More bullshit, just fuk off and take the rest of the board with you. Sick and tired of the bullshit.

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Why would our budget be bigger in the summer? As far as I know we won’t have any more income coming in and there’s not that many players out of contract and moving on??

I'm not a financial expert but it has been alluded to previously that 'conditions' would be 'better' in the summer...

Whether that is because the market will be more fluid (as alluded to by Mehmet) than in the recent window, or maybe the cycles that dictate the FFP limits of £39m over a 3-year period are 'refreshed' for a new season...?

Whatever it is, we will see and 'Profit and Sustainability' appear to be more important than FFP going forward...

Hooefully, someone with a financial knowledge will be able to break down what Mehmet said...

Quite funny also was his statment about the norway striker
I found it difficult to pay that much money on an unproven striker?
He had the option of signing a proven striker but chose not to match other clubs in the transfer window because he was not prepared to pay for a proven stiker either
Talks a load of b.ll.cks.

He didn't have that option though unless you know something the rest of us don't & don't say KM, it's already been said plenty of times by several people that he wanted to go to Ipswich & we couldn't or wouldn't be able to offer him the same bonuses as we're nowhere near promotion anyway. KM went with the money & nobody can really blame him for that as footballers have a very limited time to ply their trade, especially in his position where he probably didn't earn much before us.

Understood what he’s saying and I am pretty okay with it. Nobody spent and it looked like we weren’t gonna get the targets with the prices or wages.

I am disappointed with the Ilic response, labelled as unproven yet won’t pay for proven (will cost you a lot). Rather take a punt on a player with his traits than go with the rubbish we have up front.

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

I’m no fan of Tan, Dalman, Choo and the rest, but Tan has had his fingers burned by managers wasting millions. You do realise that don’t you?

Under Tan we have been in the PL twice, and wasted millions on mediocre players. Malky, Ole, Warnock all wasted a fortune on playing staff. Think before you post, Mr Moderator

This season has always been about next summer, we just need to start executing on the pitch to stay where we are ahead of that. It appears that MD is saying that FFP/PSR will not be a problem but he's dangling that a decent budget maybe. Who knows?But it seems the former isn't going to be the issue. We shall see.

But medium and long term, it will be the usual firefighting and I don't speak to any fan who doesn't think that things will not change until Tan sells or does something radical for him but obvious to many.

Possible reason for bigger budget is fact that we drop a season in regards to ffp? because of several years of austerity next season could mean a lower loss for the previous 2 seasons to be used for ffp purposes.... but won't hold breath this is case and we have decent budget.

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

I’m no fan of Tan, Dalman, Choo and the rest, but Tan has had his fingers burned by managers wasting millions. You do realise that don’t you?

Under Tan we have been in the PL twice, and wasted millions on mediocre players. Malky, Ole, Warnock all wasted a fortune on playing staff. Think before you post, Mr Moderator

I have already thought about what im posting, yes we spent a few million on players but you do realise the money you get for promotion right ? Plus most of thr big money players got sold back on for the same price.

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

I’m no fan of Tan, Dalman, Choo and the rest, but Tan has had his fingers burned by managers wasting millions. You do realise that don’t you?

Under Tan we have been in the PL twice, and wasted millions on mediocre players. Malky, Ole, Warnock all wasted a fortune on playing staff. Think before you post, Mr Moderator

Just look at Fulham how much they have spent they seem to be doing OK?

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

I’m no fan of Tan, Dalman, Choo and the rest, but Tan has had his fingers burned by managers wasting millions. You do realise that don’t you?

Under Tan we have been in the PL twice, and wasted millions on mediocre players. Malky, Ole, Warnock all wasted a fortune on playing staff. Think before you post, Mr Moderator

Just look at Fulham how much they have spent they seem to be doing OK?

Spent £200m + to get where they are.. and relegated twice on way

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

I’m no fan of Tan, Dalman, Choo and the rest, but Tan has had his fingers burned by managers wasting millions. You do realise that don’t you?

Under Tan we have been in the PL twice, and wasted millions on mediocre players. Malky, Ole, Warnock all wasted a fortune on playing staff. Think before you post, Mr Moderator

Just look at Fulham how much they have spent they seem to be doing OK?

Spent £200m + to get where they are.. and relegated twice on way

not a bad turn over though promotion money twice doing ok now

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

Hmmmm, I think you are wrong. The way the game is run has changed and even more so on 1st February just gone (only 75% of revenue spent on player wages) so it may be our club is ahead of the game...?

I want to think there is a 'plan' but's just a thought and only time will tell. In the meantime, it's just personal thought; or maybe not...!

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

Hmmmm, I think you are wrong. The way the game is run has changed and even more so on 1st February just gone (only 75% of revenue spent on player wages) so it may be our club is ahead of the game...?

I want to think there is a 'plan' but's just a thought and only time will tell. In the meantime, it's just personal thought; or maybe not...!

sven, we always get told there is a plan but there never is the promotion with warnock was just down to how good he is at getting the best out of players other than that we have done nothing. We dont ever bring in proven quality managers its always ones we gamble on who buy rubbish season after season. i want to be wrong and this summer things change and we actually have a game plan and a bit of ambition, i just dont see it though i think he wants to sell up

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Like Boris Johnson for example?

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

I’m no fan of Tan, Dalman, Choo and the rest, but Tan has had his fingers burned by managers wasting millions. You do realise that don’t you?

Under Tan we have been in the PL twice, and wasted millions on mediocre players. Malky, Ole, Warnock all wasted a fortune on playing staff. Think before you post, Mr Moderator

Just look at Fulham how much they have spent they seem to be doing OK?

Spent £200m + to get where they are.. and relegated twice on way

not a bad turn over though promotion money twice doing ok now

Yes doing OK now sometimes you get lucky with way chips fall. Forgot to say they had £250m debt written off by alfyhed to help them. Plus having multi billionaire owner comes in handy..... anyway they've made most of the situation unlike us unfortunately.

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

I agree a change is needed but do you ever come up with an original post?

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

I’m no fan of Tan, Dalman, Choo and the rest, but Tan has had his fingers burned by managers wasting millions. You do realise that don’t you?

Under Tan we have been in the PL twice, and wasted millions on mediocre players. Malky, Ole, Warnock all wasted a fortune on playing staff. Think before you post, Mr Moderator

I have already thought about what im posting, yes we spent a few million on players but you do realise the money you get for promotion right ? Plus most of thr big money players got sold back on for the same price.

Which ones?

His answer to the last question doesn’t make any sense it full of contradictions

In one breath he says it’s up to us what we spend in the summer window but then says we can only stay within our limited budget

he should run for pm as he is very good at talking crap

Really...?

Or maybe he's just saying the budget will be better in the summer but still subject to some restrictions...?

In his words, (quote) "it comes down to our ability to create a budget in order to be able to spend in the market"

Does anyone really think we are going to spend £millions on transfers...?

Far more likely to chase better players at the end of their contracts and pay them decent money (for the Championship) as we do now...

Nope we won't spend millions because this board are as ambitious and a goldfish. The club are never going anywhere with this board

Hmmmm, I think you are wrong. The way the game is run has changed and even more so on 1st February just gone (only 75% of revenue spent on player wages) so it may be our club is ahead of the game...?

I want to think there is a 'plan' but's just a thought and only time will tell. In the meantime, it's just personal thought; or maybe not...!

sven, we always get told there is a plan but there never is the promotion with warnock was just down to how good he is at getting the best out of players other than that we have done nothing. We dont ever bring in proven quality managers its always ones we gamble on who buy rubbish season after season. i want to be wrong and this summer things change and we actually have a game plan and a bit of ambition, i just dont see it though i think he wants to sell up

Think it depends who is actually running the show dalman or Tan? Dalmans more likely to have a plan than tan... on face of it getting bulut showed dalman was thinking about having better manager than tans efforts over past 5 yrs or so ...