Summer window

I don't believe a word of that tbh.

 

I think that’s a decent move for him. Hopefully he plays 40+ games.

 

Saudis have activated the release clause

 

I hope you're right but Fishpaste clearly gets the inside track on what's going on at the club nowadays and I always found him to be a pretty decent bloke so personally don't think he'd make it up (that's not to say that he may not have been fed duff info).

 

I am sure I read something from Ian Harte saying every player has a price in relation to Clarke recently, which of course is correct. I know why people think £10m is too low, and it is, but I also think there comes a time when if a player does fancy the move a compromise is probably best. It is all speculation right now, but if we take emotion out of it for a moment based on his form and performances of last season, we probably should expect him to move up a level now.

 

It's not a stretch to believe that these players from PL clubs that we have signed have been told that if PL clubs come back in and safc are not in the PL then they can go. However, it has to meet the clubs evaluation. I don't believe for a second someone has been silly enough to tell Clarke and Harte that 10m was the number.

 

He flopped as a £10m teenager though and his value when we bought him was way lower than that. I think he is worth more than the figures suggested personally, but it isnt as easy as saying we only sell if our valuation is met in my opinion.

 

We should but we should also expect to receive his worth (I appreciate that's subjective and you and I are a bit apart in terms of what we see as his value in the market).

 

I think most fans on this forum have pretty much bought into "The Model" on how the club wants things to progress...in as much, buy young, promising players and SELL when we get suitable offers in. It does make me smile when some of these players start getting noticed and other clubs start placing bids. Some of our fans saying "we can't sell him" We need him to stay" etc etc. Thats not how this model works. Also, the price. If a club offers a certain price and SAFC decide thats acceptable, then the player goes. Sadly we will have this scenario every window if these talented kids turn in great performances on a regular basis...much like Clarke and Ballard. As fans, we have to accept Premier League clubs will cherry pick any of our players if the price is right for them...Not what our fans think the price should be.

 

The danger with the sustainability model...

Ie selling your best players for a profit...

Means remaining very average and not progressing much...

 

They shouldn't have been, I agree, but it would help square the circle for me as to why Burnley's offers have been so derisory which is something I was really struggling to understand.

 

Funnily enough I believe all of its a total load of s hite,

 

Like Brighton and Brentford have?

It doesn't mean that at all if it's done right.

 

No it doesn't.

You buy 5 players for £2m each (for example). You sell 2 of them for £15m each and now you have £30m to invest in the playing squad (compared to the initial £10m outlay that got you these players in the 1st place)
So, now you are shopping in a slightly better market, for better players than might come in at £10m each, whom you then sell 2 years down the line for £25m each, not to mention selling off the rest of the initial purchases for £10m each and suddenly you have around £80m from your initial £10m investment with which to improve the sqaud still further

 

Big difference with both those clubs, they are premier league side who can attract a different class of player, Also willing to play the wages, something I believe Sunderland are not.

 

Brighton is the absolute blueprint.

Can anyone be arsed to look up their early sales?

Brentford a good yardstick as they started ‘trading’ in the Championship.

 

Sounds like pyramid selling, more likely to fail, than not.

 

I feel a lot of clubs know we need strikers so are asking for more than the real value as which we see it

 

This will keep happening until we go up. So the answer is, with a bit of balance, stay strong enough and replace well enough to go up.

 

One of the challenges is we arent on a level playing field. Burnley have the premier league draw. So do Palace and Brentford who have been rumoured to be interested. I can see why Clarke would be interested in a move to any of them. The money will be much better and he will feel he is now ready to take the premier league on. Maybe even get a crack at an England call up. All of those things weigh heavily against us right now. I honestly dont knie if Clarke is feeling miffed or not, he seems like a decent enough lad to me. There might well be a time when he does want to take the opportunity though, and if Burnley think that might be the case they will test our resolve. I just feel in that scenario a compromise deal usually gets sorted, we drop our valuation a bit, they bid a bit higher, extra add on etc.

I also dont know enough about our financial situation. Maybe we are limited on bringing in others until we bring in some money and free up wages.

It is all a balancing act for the club I think and I am speculating they may accept less than they feel he is worth, if other factors are in play.

One thing for sure, if anyone is sold it will be for an offical price tag of 'undisclosed'.