Also depends what the injury is. Club statements seem to suggest it isn't that bad, just a lengthy healing process. Given we'd probably need two CBs if he goes (no, Yoshida still isn't good enough for where we want to be) I'm pretty sure the club will do whatever they can to keep him. Whether that'll be enough is another question.
I can't see us getting the kind of money being bandied about. That price would make clubs look elsewhere. I'm hoping the price will be reasonable enough for us to turn down.
Im hoping we get one more season out of virgil.seeing as he has not long put pen to paper on a new contract and been made team captain. Vvd would have know there would be interest in him at the time of his contract extention aswell. But as we all no by now,anything can happen ......
Think I agree, if he had done the second half of the season the same as the first then it could be different but he has missed a lot of the season.
As we have seen before the top teams don't bat an eyelid at throwing big money at the current flavour of the month as them blowing huge money is irrelevant due to the amount of money they generate. Just look at how much money City have spent in centre backs in the last few years, easily over 100m on Stones, Mangala and Otamendi alone off the top of my head, and they are still being criticised for their defence. I am as hopeful as anyone that we can keep VVD but I really see some big offers coming in for him this summer, too many of the big teams need centre back help for there not to be
Slightly off topic, but anyone know how Alex McCarthy is going in his record breaking attempt at the "world's longest hamstring injury"? Has Norris McWhirter been called in yet?
In the old days when men were men, a wet sponge would have had them fit in minutes. Wouldn't even have left the pitch.
Injuries did tend to be less severe in the days when players did most of their fitness training in the bar. There is, in all seriousness, a point at which the level of fitness makes you more vulnerable to injury. Professional athletes passed that point in most disciplines some time ago.
And the required level of fitness also means a longer recovery time is needed. Add in the value of players and it is hardly surprising that they take no chances. On the other hand, most outfield players retired at about thirty when I was young.
I wouldn't mind a friendly wager that as and when he does go, the fee is closer to £100M than £50m. My logic is simple - he's so good that only Europe's elite clubs will be in for him and more than one will want him hence a bidding war.
That's an excuse which covers us giving away a brilliant player. Seeing that VVD is a better defender and way better all round player than Stones, I would say that £50M would be an absolute minimum. I would be looking up around £60-65M as the 'OK, if you're stupid enough we can now talk' scenario. Everton didn't give a very good player away, so why should Southampton be any different when it's a brilliant player involved. Stones value was very much inflated by his youth. He's only 22 [23 in May]. Like Beefy, I would be annoyed if VVD decided he wanted to move this summer. I suspect there will be the usual clamour by the media to get him gone. They take zero notice of Southampton and VVD's assertions that he's staying for another season. One thing - uninjured, his valuation is probably as high as it's likely to get in the next 12 months. Currently he's 25 with a birthday in July, so a fully-fit VVD in 14-15 months time should easily command a fee of £50M or more, and frankly I would be disgusted if it was anything less.
Has he actually made any such assertion? For the record, I think he'll stay. But I can't recall hearing him say he intends to.
Stones has outstanding potential and was worth it, I'm sorry. For Van Dijk, 50 would be our opening value, but low 40s is a good result. I don't mind whether he stays or goes this summer, we will do fine either way.
