my personal opinion it didn't exist (fabricated to sell papers and online advertising), or was tied into relegation ...
Maybe your correct, still the type of player i would love for MoN to try for. Proven in England and seems happy enough here, not a gamble on an unknown.
The clause has a number of factors, one of which supposedly being it could only be triggered by a CL club and anyway that's besides the point.. Why in gods name would he move to Sunderland?
"Why in gods name would he move to Sunderland? " - lol, I'm not going down that road with this one, I wanted debate not ridicule ! For all I question how highly rated O'Neill is (by a lot of other fans beside sunderland ones I might add) I still think he has enough wit to try and poach what's on his doorstep at that sort of price. Why on earth go for a 1 in 3 man for £12mil when you can go for a 1 in 2 one for £7mil ? I don't think the clause existed in the straight-forward form that has been suggested, though maybe it was tied into the success of either side in the deal.
TBF if you can get to speak to a player (which the clause allows you to do) then you have a fair chance of talking somone round... its just normally that first step which is making the palyer sit down and speak to you
Because we would have ended up with egg on our faces because he would have turned us down. Just because the clause is activated doesn't mean the player doesn't have a choice it just means the club can't stop him talking to another club. I am however shocked at Everton, Spurs, Liverpool, Tottenham, Fulham, Man United, Chelsea even and a host on European clubs. He's worth double that alleged 7m buy out clause
truth is i could see him quietly turning down Spurs, Everton, Liverpool etc, they don't offer anything we don't, at least this season and he has also stated he is happy where he is I would find it hard to believe that O'Neill wouldn't want him, when your team is short of strikers
Maybe it was the fact he scored 1 goal in the last 18 games that has alarmed many suitors? £10m for Fletcher who scored more in those last 18 games isnt thast bad is it? Scoring 16 in the first half of the season and bugger all in the second is no good and maybe shows that he cant play 2nd fiddle in a 2 striker set up. Also, I think that the craas got lucky with that knee. It could still go at any minute.
No-one doubts his worth, but like Cest says, it's those knees that worry people. NUFC took a gamble that has, so far, paid off handsomely. It would be a real shame if his knees started playing him up, as no-one wants that to happen to a player, but they must still put people off putting in a bid. Besides, we don't know what MON's plans are viz-a-viz forwards. I suspect he didn't fancy the prospect of giving Pardew the opportunity of knocking him back either.
Fletcher also got relegated whereas Ba got us into Europe! In fact, hasn't Fletcher been relegated twice? Third time lucky perchance?
Would he not still live in Newcastle and just commute? My travel to work is farther than Newcastle to Sunderland lol!
Stop being logical mate, it's a lost cause. I do over 40 miles each way to our latest job, on mental roads full of nutters and manic motorbikes...oh for living on the doorstep and travelling in a big flash fancy car to travel a few miles.
