That isn't really true though, is it. Thiago played in our 2nd, 5th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th League games and ended up playing 24 of our 38 League games.
It's not about how many games he played, it's how much time he missed due to injury that would have helped him settle quicker and better, that made the settling part far more difficult than what it would have been otherwise. He also didn't have a pre-season with us. All the things that Gini won't need to deal with.
Come on their options in midfield and in the 10 role are far from average. We are talking about 7 or 8 full Internationals. Is Gini going there to be a nailed on starter, or is Veratti the nailed on starter and Gini fighting for the 1 or 2 places alongside him.
Being a full international doesn't mean you're a top class player. There's a shit loads of players who are full internationals but average players, either because they're inconsistent or because they're past it.
He's better than Herrera who is past it, [not called up for Spain] better than Sarabia, who prefers playing out wide than he does playing in the middle of the park, better than Idrisa Gueye, better than Paredes who isn't even a regular starter, better than Di Maria [a player who excels in wide areas and not in a 2 man midfield], better than Drexler who has been underwhelming since he left Schalke [and is more of a winger than he is a central midfielder].
There's a clear level between him and those listed.
You talk as if Gini will just turn up and not have to adjust and start week in week out. It might happen or he might struggle like he did at Newcastle initially.
Again none of that makes any difference to a point you made about them having quality options in midfield, which they don't. Options yes, quality, not really.
The quote you bring up is also less relevant, given that Gini is coming to a side who have high expectations, he isn't going to a club like Newcastle where the standards are different. It was also 6 years ago, I'm sure he's matured tremendously as a footballer and as a person in that time. There are no guarantees that he settles in right away, but we are talking about his ability presently compared to the other midfielders not named Verratti, he's clearly the 2nd best midfielder based on ability right now at this moment.
Clearly you have some issue with the bloke, seeing as you've already tried to paint a picture of him being a difficult person to deal with in terms of us negotiating a contract, despite knowing sweet fuck all what transpired between us and him and what he was asking for.