Transfer Rumours Saints January Transfer Window Rumour Thread

This is one thing that has confused me and I posed the question in the Summer.

We constantly hear people saying there's nothing we can do to keep players.

Yet many us of believe, and noises come out of the club suggest that the buy low, sell high is infact a big part of our model.

So surely if the latter is true, then the former can't be?

 

I don't think anything has changed; I think this has been the plan from the beginning. What may change is how we on the outside view it; I've mentioned in the past that a lot of the frustration has come from the contrast between the stated aims of the club and the actions, most notably when we planted a big feature article about the fact that we didn't need to sell Mane...a week before we sold Mane.

On the flip side, it should probably reduce frustration toward the wantaways. If we're telling inbound players that we're happy to be a stepping stone to big clubs, there shouldn't be any animus when those players, having received offers from big clubs, want to pursue them.

 

Of course you're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to raise a question on that opinion. My not so hard earned money, pays for my season ticket too and I don't think its paying for dross. I thank you for respecting that opinion (which is what you said). I'm slightly different as I don't automatically respect an opinion even though I believe everyone is entitled to one.

Question: do you think we've been ambitious over the last few years? If so, does one year undo that?

If not, what could we do/have done to show you ambition?

 

For me, that's the natural order of what happens in football, which is probably why I don't have a groan at the club when they sell top players. I don't want them to go, but I understand this is what happens and that there really isn't much they can do. I still get miffed at the players going because that's the emotion when a player wants to go, but normally only angry if the manner they go is poor. I'm not sure anything in the short term will be any different as the wantaways don't always arrive with the view to be looking at us as a stepping stone (some do - but that's a way of encouraging them to join us) but they then get turned by their own success and the desire for greater riches and bigger things. This is what happens and I find it difficult to believe that people don't really see this. I think they do but want to put that to the back of their minds and kick out at the club.

 

Oh dear. It was all going so well.

Vin

 

What don't you understand here TLL? Are you saying that there can't be a buy low sell high policy and at the same time, it be difficult to keep players? Just checking what it is you meant.

If this is correct, both can be true.

 

Les Reed in April 2015: "We'd like to think we have the structure to [reach the Champions League] in the next five years. But it's important to be established as a top-six club over that period." (Link)

Les Reed in January 2017: "Of course, we are very demanding because we want to do that [improve young players] and be the ‘best of the rest’ as people keep calling it. We still want to be the top of the league we are in if you take out the mega clubs. That’s what we have to achieve. We might aspire to be above that, but what we have to achieve is to be at the top of that group on a consistent basis. That why when a season like last season comes along, we might be able to take advantage of it." (Link)

I guess there's a bit of wiggle room there depending on how you interpret "mega clubs", but it seems pretty clear to me that "established as a top-six club" is not the same as "best of the rest" so I'd say the club clearly aren't as ambitious now as they were less than 2 years ago.

 

Gazzetta saying that a loan deal for Gabbiadini could be done tomorrow. Loan for €2-3 with perm deal for €12-13 in the summer.

 

I understand who we are, and where we are. But what is upsetting is we can't even ask VVD to stay another season. Because we've told him that we can't fulfill his ambitions. Sure, we can pay a decent wage, but not what he'd command elsewhere. But also we'll sell anyone if a big enough offer comes in.
Do it, but don't say it. I can't even dream he'll be with us next season, and can't blame him either. Man, that sucks.

 

I think he's saying that we sometimes hear that there's nothing we can do to keep players (which suggests we'd like to keep our best players) and at other times we hear that "buy low, sell high" is our business model (which suggests that we want to sell our best players, albeit for a high price).

 

Gazzetta reporting 3hrs ago we are in pole position on Gabbiadani.

"Southampton, which at this time is in pole position, take Gabbiadini tomorrow in loan sale (two or three million) with the right of redemption (also set at twelve or thirteen, but conditional upon attendance) so as to "share" in some way with Napoli the risk of a major investment on a sure bet attacker and reliability but, as mentioned, has played little in the last eighteen months."

Is it time for a Saint ... ? thread?

 

Page 120 and we finally have a rumour.

 

Ian, you should try discussing and debating. All you do is post really long posts that are your opinion. I rarely see you engage in debate. It is really poor when this happens. People accuse me of being a happy clapper and I get under a lot of people's skins. I realise this. All I try to do is have a discussion. People that react like you have here and resort to abuse, should be banned. There is no need.

I've yet to see you discuss a pint of view, just post one.

 

No, I'm saying that when people say there is absolutely nothing we can do to keep players, then that contradicts the clubs stance.

I'd suggest our model says we don't tend to try that hard to, and that we (almost) actively look to sell (for want of better phrase) players when they are at peak value, which is why Virgil will almost certainly go in the Summer.

So in my opinion, it's wrong to suggest there's nothing we can do to keep players, when our model dictates we do almost the opposite.

That's not me slagging off the model at all btw, it's served us well so far.

Just something I thought about in the Summer (and had forgotten about until Schads post reminded me).

 

Yes I get that, I was asking if he thought that both couldn't live together and be true. We can be signing players at low prices with a view that if and when we sell it will be at a higher price. This doesn't not mean that the statement that we can't do anything to stop players leaving really, isn't true.

I believe that the former is sensible practise and the latter still holds true.

 

Fill yer boots mate

 

Thanks for clearing up your post, as I wasn't being sarcastic or anything just checking

As I said a post or two up, I don't think it contradicts the club's stance. This isn't a black or white situation.

 

Which if true, means we negotiated them down from €22m.

 

At the prices being quoted, looks a decent deal to me?

 

Same. The Italian journo I was talking to said €22m would be too much, but €15m-16m is a good price.