angelman

I am presuming that this was tongue in cheek, but maybe given that it was talkSport and the Express......http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/838861/Liverpool-transfer-news-Virgil-van-Dijk-Brendan-Rodgers

I guess it works with a bit of honesty. You tell them that they have fallen down the pecking order and that playing time will most likely be limited and if they want to find a new club then they can, or they can stay and fight for a place but not expect to get one. They might even be left out of the 25 man squad, which is the real kiss of death. As you say, they have a contract, and a contract is cast iron unless both parties agree on it. Koeman and Ross Barkley situation was wrong, or rather what Koeman said was 100% wrong. He said that unless he signs a new contract he will be sold. No, he will only be sold if he agrees that the contract can be broken. There is usually some pragmatism, as players don't want to sit on their hands. Of course there are exceptions - wasn't it Adebayor who always (rightly or wrongly) seemed to be criticised by Spurs for just sitting out his rather generous contract?

I think that judging by the pre season interviews etc that were on the club's website, that they have plans for PEH. Weren't Lazio after JC earlier on? The days of their big spending seem way way behind them (at the turn of the century).

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/635917/Virgil-van-Dijk-Liverpool-Transfer-News-Southampton-Transfer-News-Jurgen-Klopp

Derby County

Yup, let's see what he feels like in a year,

Probably as was on radio this afternoon.

Have to say that, to try and keep the price of potential CBs down.

At the current shiiity FX rate. If it went back up to the €1.30 that I got when settling my bills pre-Brexit, then that would take it down to £13m

"They have forged a reputation as a club that buys low and sells high" Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving - Billy Shakespeare

£85m + they can negotiate with Celtic what fee they get paid. We get £85m nett.

Heard Lamine Koné was being sniffed after as a VVD replacement.

Nah, if that's the case it should be Clasie as he can also change agent to Wasserman.

I wonder how many clubs in the PL outside of the top 6 will bother signing players being represented by Wasserman? I suspect Saints won't be dealing with them out of choice (ie only when a player changes an agent to them), and it is a pretty small industry so maybe other teams will think twice as well. We've had 2 dealings with them (both as a result of changing agent) and both times they have treated the club with contempt. Sure, they may make a lot of money in the short term, but long term, if they carry on being twonks then they might find a reluctance for people to work with them.

Romeu or Davies.

I got to "The first alarm bell should have been when this player changed agents, to the aggressive Wasserman Group. You should have known that they would have wanted an early payday. Mistake." and gave up. What complete and utter bull crap. Do you seriously believe this, that the player appoints Jansen as his agent and Reed has no idea what is going to happen. That he signs a 6 year contract and then changes agent, and doesn't know what is going to happen. **** me some of our so called supporters. You obviously think that Reed is a complete and utter moron.

I don't believe bridges are borken beyond repair. A contrite apology does wonders. The way to do it would be to sack his agent and reappoint his old one as he could then lump all the blame on Jansen/Wasserman. After all, its only a game of football, and no one has been killed.

I laugh at all the Scousers who thought that he didn't really mind if he didn't go to Barca, and that he wasn't going to make a fuss to force a move. Naivety was rather sweet.

Would be quite funny if Barca, whose bods are in the country at the moment, signed Coutinho then flew down to Soton and signed VVD. Not beyond the realms of possibility. The former IMO a given, the latter.....!

Money talks. CL doesn't pay you a huge amount more - maybe a small win bonus or appearance bonus. This European football excuse that players trot out, is just that, an excuse that is very much secondary to one's weekly wage.

Is Gibson better than what we already have? With CBs I think a bit might depend on Gardos. He has been injured the whole time so hasn't played for us, at least not properly. I did point out that the 11 PL games he has played in (admittedly some just a couple of minutes) we have lost just the once (vs WBA). He was bought for a reason, and for the not inconsiderable sum of £6m back in 2014 before fees got truly stupid.

As a supporter, I don't feel let down by Reed & Co. HTH

What complete and unmitigated bôllocks this is, as per usual. Les has done no PR. The Club has said nothing. The manager has responded very diplomatically to questions posed to him. So the rest of what you write is irrelevant. The only people saying things were Liverpool and now VVD. Who is whinging? To me that would be VVD.

Interesting fact about Gardos. He's only ever played in one PL game (not that he has played that many!!) where we have lost. Everyone is far too quick to write him off as being awful. I know that he had a bad injury, but...???

I can assure you my eyes are very dry. In fact I am all a wee bit ambivalent about this saga as with anything that I cannot control. Of course I have an opinion (don't we all?) but I have rather more important things in life to worry about rather than a player wants to act in a hugely disrespectful manner. But it still doesn't change the fact that people come to Saints because of the wages we pay. If you think otherwise then you are being overly naive. We do have the 8th highest wage bill in the league (or used to) and of course there is always the desire with these players to be able to earn more. Its the same with all players at all clubs, save for the increasingly rare local boy playing for his local club. Players go to the club that pays them the most. They don't come to us specifically because we are a stepping stone, even if that is the ultimate aim.