St Chalet

I trust the club to get a deal done at the right price. They won't be mugged into paying over the odds and if Spurs want to then so be it, the black box will have other targets that represent better value. The club, under our new regime haven't been adverse to paying £10-12m for players that suit us (Tadic, Long and Mane) and Toby clearly falls into this bracket of performance. So as long as Levy doesn't turn it into a Dutch Auction I think he'll come to us.

So Spurs pay £11m to Athletico then in reality they are only receiving £9.5m because we have had our money back. If we bid £9.5m + repay the £1.5m that I would suggest this puts us in a much better position and as such I am a lot more confident. Athletico effectively have a £1.5m incentive to sell to us, look at it that way, But I am not surprised they are playing hardball as they know we want the player. Based on the above and if the player is neutral - WE ARE IN THE BOX SEATS. In my role we get a fair few commercial issues where both sides are not prepared to budge on principle, but after a while the commercial reality of needing to get a deal done bites and both sides will give ground. If I was mediating this as a dispute I'd propose meeting in the middle. Saints pay £750k over the Spurs bid (leaving them £750k up), that way AM save face and retain more cash (£750k) than the Spurs deal. PS if Sir Les is reading this and goes with my solution I expect a signed TA shirt.

Pap approached me about being a Moderator but Steve refused to sell me. 5 amazing years ruined in one private message

+1. My enduring memory was the ref handing his shirt back like it was a bag of dog crap before brandishing the obligatory yellow card.

You assume footballers pay tax as an employee would.

From the brief ITK snippets I get from people associated with the club: Toby wants to join us, we want him, it depends on the price. Given that RK said this as well it gives me hope.

If you discount Lallana failing a medical there after his first strop. (Wonder if the TheVMan will deny that)

No infractions if it is about the whispy bearded turncoat.

There must have been an advantage to us paying up / writing off his contract. I suspect a write off of wages is treated as an exceptional item and thus won't be an operating cost on our wages line.

Athletico may need some cash https://mobile.twitter.com/1RobBeasley/tweets also this guy (who seems very CFC connected) is very confident they won't sign Toby.

Jeremy Wilson claiming the £25m figure. As we well know he does get fed the things the club wants out there.

Liverpool have obviously borrowed the standard Pompey template when it comes to new signings.

No need for the insult, the rest of the post was spot on.

Spurs paying €25m (£17.7m) would be the surprise for me in that story.

Don't like the prices, don't go.

Sorry, just seen you had posted same link. Decent read, he seems very decisive on dates and amounts which does lend a certain credibility.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/andy-mitten-how-morgan-schneiderlin-9559352

Couldn't get his ego into the cubicle.

Source?

Anyone know if Morgan was training today?

Once the Clyne deal (and possibly Schneiderlin deal) closes I would expect to see things move in respect of Toby.

[Awaits article in Daily Star with you described as 'close sources']

Connor, what you are describing there is not journalism. Crook has basically allowed himself to become some cukold clickbate marketeer, so please don't label him a journalist. He merely peddles public domain information and passes it off as 'news'. If that's what it takes to make a living these days the so be it, just don't pretend it is anything more. Can't imagine Woodward and Bernstein / Washington Post giving up just because the White House didn't like the truth and instead focussing on WAG stories about the First Lady because it got more hits. PS he also blocked me on Twitter after calling him our last Summer.

I genuinely think that Arsenal have moved on.

Don't get excited, it's the hope that kills.