Fabrice29

I think this just happens in the evenings so that they aren't caught out over night. Edit: In fact you can still bet on it.

Pretty sure Goztepe have a young talented keeper coming through they want to promote so that’s unlikely

I just think as much as we rightly rate KWP, any club looking at him could easily pivot to another versatile full back because he isn’t a stand out top full back that everyone is desperately wanting now, he’s a good solid squad option that would be nice to have. That leads to clubs stalling at £15m demands and saying we’ll just wait or get someone cheaper now. We recently bid 7m for Aarons who is fully contracted up presumably. I’m not sure KWP is really worth two Max Aarons to anyone else right now. Late circa 8-10m deal to Spurs or West Ham is my guess. Followed by the management team bemoaning it got to that situation in the first place and saying it was done as a thanks for not forcing it last year.

If I had to say which would get most money out of those it would be Alcarez, but yes fair point, KWP might be our highest sale but I guarantee people will be annoyed at the fee we eventually get.

I find it funny people think we’re getting big cash for a guy whose contract is nearly up and haven’t been able to sell for a year now. Be lucky to get £15 million.

You login via your laptop for a start.

Depends who told the journalist we are preparing a bid as to what it actually means.

I actually agree the club needs to show a better pathway but couple of points 1) The clubs youth plan has been slightly hampered by having two seasons (and now possibly 3) where we need immediate results. 2) It's also been hampered by not having the talent it's seemingly got now for quite a while. 3) The likes of Bazunu, Mara and Edozie have played and proved themselves at levels beyond what Meghoma, Dibling and SAA have. They had played at the top level of youth football, in the City boys case in Europe and domestically and in Mara's case internationally (I cba to look up his club level before he joined us). I think people forget our Under 21's are in the 2nd division of the youth level in this country and hardly setting the world alight at that level either. The reason the City boys were signed and drafted into the first team is not because of effort but because they were a level above the kids we have at their age in terms of proven experience.

In which case I’m even more convinced it’s all just agent talk.

Bazanu is ahead of Travers for Ireland.

Because it reinforces that good work is happening at the club and also shows our recruitment is good.

I’d argue the Alfie House tweet is less encouraging tbh. Just like the O’Riley stuff it reads very much as ‘quite a bit to do on this, so be prepared for when this doesn’t work out’. If we were confident of getting these done we’d be keeping it quiet and actually getting it done. Hopefully I’m reading both those wrong though.

Not sure how you treat your wife but normal people wouldn’t really compare a career to their love life.

Having people head hunted for bigger clubs and bigger roles is a good thing.

I'm going to assume that we as a club are not in the business of assuming 20 year olds in their first season in first team football will be the best they will ever be and ship them out on loan the moment we go up a level. It's not what we sold Shea himself and isn't exactly a shining example to any young players we want to sign or keep.

Literally says he’s gone mate. His contract has run out, he’s not at the club and the manager says he’s gone. Not sure we need to overthink this one.

Based purely on the contract situation if we get anywhere near what we are paying for Downes it’ll be great work.

The club disclose all sorts of stuff to journalists because it helps them control narrative. Maybe it was the agent in this specific case but either way, The Athletic have every right to publish it.

Is anyone still paying for the club content though, really? They have been open since we got relegated there would be no specific club content going forward so I’m not sure why anyone expects different. Like you, I still pay £1. There’s ways to keep that going once they stop offering you to stay. I don’t expect any Saints content though.

Probably worth remembering that even before joining us those untried City kids were playing at levels that were well above any of our academy players were.

I do enjoy a good old fashioned dismissal of players as "not PL proven" and even more so this season when people seem oblivious to the fact that our squad is littered with players yet to prove themselves at PL level.

I see everyone is going through the "looking longingly at random PL side transfer activity" stage of pre season now.

People are a bit weird about The Athletic aren't they? Acting like they owe the club anything and should be laying on content about them as if it's a given right.

So confidential that either the club or the agent told them.

Literally saw 1 penalty in this game.