I feel like playing Smallbone there against higher calibre opposition is asking for trouble. But maybe in such games both him and Charles play. But if JWP and Lavia both go I expect them to both play anyway. Leaving us with the same issue of needing depth in defensive midfield for injury or fatigue
I wish they'd just stop twatting about and get it done (because it will get done eventually). It's not doing us any good either.
For some reason they feel like they need to be able to have the press report that they didn’t pay 50m. I don’t really know why. But you know that is what will happen - regardless of what the eventual fee with all the add ons ends up being
I just don't see that washing with Wilcox or Ankersen. It will be 50mill or **** off and eventually they'll relent.
It will be the final week of the window I reckon. And I don’t think it will be Liverpool. I think when they have agreed the structure of the deal Chelsea and maybe another will match it
Exactly, he’s hardly played in pre-season and one assumes that unless we get desperate we’re not going to play him. This is not good for anyone and it’s only Liverpool’s arrogance holding it up and if someone with the moral compass of Jamie Carragher can see that, then it’s a worry.
It really is stupid. As they have offered £45m, we all know it will get done at £50m. So by delaying it they are making life difficult for themselves, us and also the player.
Don't think so. Brighton are flat out refusing to sell Caicedo unless they get a ridiculous fee for him. Saints and Liverpool aren't far apart - a deal isn't far away from happening so will do Lavia no good to refuse to train.
I’d suggest that the difference is that we have made the asking price abundantly clear for Lavia. A club just needs to meet it. As far as I can tell Brighton have just kept rejecting massive bids and I don’t recall seeing a mention of what they want. But the fee is getting close to the Rice fee which is just stupid because at least with Rice he had loads more PL experience and English player premium. Brighton are taking the piss. Liverpool fans would say we are doing the same but I don’t think it is just bias to suggest that we aren’t and the situations aren’t the same That said Caicedo was pretty stupid to sign a new contract with no release clause. Unless it has one for CL clubs and therefore Chelsea can’t trigger it
Can see why he might be kicking off in that case. The fee is not tethered to any sensible benchmark. Ours for a Lavia is based off of a clause we have with Man City and a bid we rejected from Chelsea last year after just signing him. Indeed it is the same as that bid
I note I requested Wilcox not sign players whose names could be made into a list of terrible puns. So instead he has just decided to sign players with the same name as famous people. Fantastic!