Chez

I'll answer it on his behalf. The club accepts a bid, demonstrating to the the player that he's no longer wanted. That forces the players hand. Of course, the player can still stay, but in reality, his pride won't allow it, he doesn't want to be where he is not wanted (who does?) and he thus leaves. It's other side of the coin to a player going on strike. In that circumstance the club can dig their heals in, but in reality you cant keep an unhappy player, so you end up selling.

that was what I was getting at. If there is an injury, is he good enough right now to play games at this level? Hopefully there wont be an injury and we wont need to find out, but there is a slight gamble there. There always is, I suppose, but for all the excitement, Perraud and the two Chelsea signings haven't actually made us a better side immediately...and going on the second half of the season form we need to see a big improvement.

Great to see us buying young talent. It's the essential for a self sustaining club. But it would be nice to have seen him play some senior games out on loan. U23s football, especially when you dominate opponents like Chelsea's u23s do, is not the same as playing for Saints first team. Doesn't mean he won't thrive when stepping up, but you dont know until they play. Is he good enough to start from day 1? We might need to give him some time to find his feet. Interesting that £5m bought us Cedric with almost 70 games for Sporting Lisbon and capped by Portugal.

If our academy can't bring the quality of player through, attracting talent from Chelsea's makes a lot of sense. Hope they cut the mustard. We certainly offer them a route to the first team.

Leeds have been heavily linked with Doig for ages.

Palace have sent £35m on two new centre backs. There is probably a reason for that.

No matter what value you put on him, it seems a very big amount for any championship club to pay considering the financial difficulties they all have due to covid. No one has any money to spend. So far, Fulham have spent £12.6m on Harry Wilson. Stoke £1.5m on Ben Wilmot, QPR £1m on Dozzel, Swansea £1.8m on Piroe and Boro £780k on Ikpeazu. That's pretty much it. Lots of free transfers. Blackburn aren't spending £6m on. Not a chance.

I'd be amazed if they didn't. You don't open with your `final' bid. I guess it explains why we have apparently been enquiring/interested about Delaney.

Wilma already has pearl necklace. Im guessing Fred gave that to her.

What I've never understood is, if the powers that be in China didn't want money leaving China for another English football club, why did he continue to buy the club using his own money? If they didn't want more clubs, why buy one, and why invest in one you couldn't really afford? Why didn't he just back out? I guess it matter little.

the modern day Dixon and Speedie

£47m according to the BBC website. But still...

I just cant get my head around these figures in the current climate. We have had to take out at £70m loan to pay the bills. Every other club has had the same financial hit, yet prices seem to be rising. I guess there are few clubs that are covid-proof due to the affluence of owners

No matter how good your recruitment is, you will still only get a percentage right. So the danger is always that you go backwards.

fag packet maths...and I know it has little bearing on reality, but... Grealish £100m Buendia £38m Bailey £30m JWP £35m???? Can't see that being enough

£65m. That seems like bonkers money to me. You could well be right about Villa's ceiling being below our valuation though.

Fair point, but Villa have a way to go before they reach the Man City level of the football pyramid. Leicester have sold their best player about three years on a row, but they seem to be getting better...going places?

they look all set for the start of the season next week. 😂

I plucked that number out of the air and if that was the figure, it would just be the interest payment. The debt wouldn't go down. How about we pay £25m a year? Is that still nothing?

do you really think he is worth £50m? If we were Villa and had their money, and looking to progress, would you spend £50m of JWP?

the fact we are linked to midfielders but keep saying we are not signing one, suggests we will play hard ball with Villa over JWP, but eventually sell, probably two minutes after announcing a new midfielder.

in five years time, unless we have made payments it will be well over £100m. Imagine going down with that millstone round our neck. No matter how you put it, the budget (wages and transfer fees) is less if you have to pay £10m??? each year on repayments that you didn't before.

its a good thing that teams come in for our players. When they don't, it means we have fuck all talent. Sell high, buy cheaper. A self sustaining club relies on deals like this. The question will be, can we bring in talent that is of an equal standard or maybe even better given time.

I can live with him going. I can live with all players going so long as we get lots of wedge nd we buy the right replacement. our financial model depends on it. if the recruitment can be trusted then these sales are a godsend. I actually see the club playing it pretty hard ball here and demanding a very decent fee. Villa will have the cash, but they will have to spend it. Villa seem to be going forward, so no reason why JWP wouldn't want to join them, but at the same time I don't see him forcing the move. Me being naive again perhaps. I have been critical of JWP in the past, but in the last two years he has upped his game and moving him into the middle has meant his lack of pace across the ground is not exposed. He actually impacts opponents now where before he used to just do doggies between players. there are a lot comments about his lack of forward passing, but he is a very good footballer. Not irreplaceable, but don't underestimate his ability.

I didn't see Bridge leaving us. Broke my heart seeing the story in the paper that he was joining Chelsea. Didn't imagine Lallana would leave either. Thought he was going to take Le Tiss' mantle and be a one club man. I guess I was pretty naive on both occasions. These days I expect players to depart as soon as they have a good season. Why on earth wouldn't they? More money, more prestige, more money...I suspect the thing that helps retain players most (at a club like us) is their family life. It certainly isn't loyalty. Doesn't exist, either way.