I don't think he would do a Lallana. But we don't know what he has been told by the club. People just need to accept it is how we get many of the players/managers here. Bring them in and say we will sell on when have big clubs interested in them.
I agree it's part of our business strategy. Which is why I don't buy the 'theres nothing we can do' argument. As I think there actually is things we could at least try, but the board have set their stall out and are happy enough to sell in most individual cases, so ignoring situations where a lot have already left etc. When a club enquire about one of other players I don't think we ever say 'not for sale' but 'he will cost x amount'.
We obviously can stop players going when we want. All depends if we feel Van Dijk is replaceable, it's just how the club is run. People will agree and disagree with it, but I don't mind. As long as the club is seen to be trying to build I am happy. The nothing we can do part for me is if we didn't have the business strategy we have , we wouldn't get a fair few of the players anyways.
IF this happens, at least we can all agree on this. There's no discussion to be had around the significance or the intent of signing players to long contracts. If we buy a player or sign a player or bring a player through the ranks its purely so we can sell them for maximum profit as soon as a good offer comes in. We are a shop window, always open for business. I hate it.
I've never been so happy to see our best player linked with a move away. Thank God it's not Liverpool.
Everton are close to completing a deal for Southampton's 27-year-old Curacao right-back Cuco Martina. (Independent) ? We released him so he's not our player....come on independent, do your research properly.
Only a small point but I believe the sell on is 10% of any profit rather than a straight 10%. And for what it is worth, I have had a few wagers up here that VVD will leave for a figure closer to £100m than £50m. It's just a case of waiting for all the really big spenders to join the race (as City apparently just have).
We need to take a leaf out of Spurs and Everton's book.....set a ridiculously high fee and stick to it. If the "Big Boys" want VVD that much then they will have to pay for him. That way we can finance buying decent replacements
We have sold players for the last 3/4 seasons I would surprised if Saints sell VVD. However if the Chinese deal has fallen through maybe they think we are back to square one and no future big investment. Therefore it is the only way of raising extra cash until we get the investment we need to move forward as Katrina doesn't want to put any more money in.
I still go back to the same point I did when VVD signed that deal. Why would he sign it? He had 3 years left (i think) at the time, was looking set for great things then so why we he tie himself down to a middling club like us for his prime years unless he was given some assurances about being able to go if a certain sized team bid a certain figure? I thought at the time that he was doing us a favour by adding an extra couple of years onto the deal so we could get more money, whilst there was an understanding that he would most likely be off a short way into the deal (and when he would've had only 2 years left on his previous deal, which is when we tend to sell our players anyway). He in return would've got, presumably, a nice wage hike for the year so it was a win/win for both parties. The only way I can see him here next season is if there are big question marks over this injury he has.
Our business plan is not to develop players just for sale to make money. We are developing players and selling some in order to finance and run a football club, whilst always attempting to move forward. And this has worked...look at where we are...a respected team expected to be in the top half of the EPL. Ignore the style blip this season....we do it by playing good football. We don't have vast income from elsewhere....we are trying to compete with the likes of Chelsea, City, United etc. This has to be done by creating our own identity....as a good club that finds and develops players. I bet most clubs look up when we sign player X and wonder if they have missed something. And it means good players are willing to come here...yes, we'd like them to come here for us alone, but it also helps us if they believe they will get a good move afterwards...because they will play well whilst here. And we have held onto players for another season when it doesn't suit us to let them go immediately. As the statement says...This is who we are. May be tough to live with sometimes, but Saints is a great club on a sound footing that is respected. I'm hoping we will hold onto VVD, but there is a price where what we could do with the money exceeds the value of his presence.
I would add to that the fact that as our position as a stepping stone club is well known, we don't get stiffed on transfer fees purely on the basis of us being a PL club. Those we buy from know that we don't have the resources of those who buy from us. Expectation levels on fees are, to date at least, pretty reasonable. Of course this is helped by most of our targets actually wanting to join us as they see us as a genuine and viable route to greater things. Player power helps us as well as hindering us in this respect.
We dont need them if we keep VVD though. We have the best CB in the Premier league. Two untried european players who have never lived in the UK and who have families that get homesick does not one VVD equal. We can afford to replace Fonte. Thats all we need to do. When I say all, I mean at CB only. god knows there are lots of other things that need done.
