But sadly not surprising. Almost makes me ashamed to be a fan sometimes. At least I can see where the Daily Mail gets it's readership from.
Bloody agents at it again. He's supposedly only earning around £7k with us at the moment (although I don't know if there was a promotion wage rise) Still, his agent will know full well that he could be earning £20k (probably more) at Newcastle or Villa, so he'll expect the same. Provided we actually bother to stick relegation clauses in this time, it shouldn't be too much of a problem - if you consider what a big player he could be for us.
He's been on **** money since he signed, he should have got better terms after his first season. He was told he was going to, then the offer was withdrawn, it was one of the issues Barmby had with the Allam's. Rather ironic to see people on here taking a pop because he hasn't accepted the terms offered, without having a clue what those terms are. If they're £10k a week, then I don't blame him, if he's refusing to accept £20k then fair enough. It seems that we're keeping a tight rein on the wages, which is fair enough, it's probably a good thing, though if it costs us the signings of Chester and Elmo, then we'll only have to replace them with other players, who'll probably expect exactly what Chester and Elmo expect.
If not more. So many inflated wage packets going around at the moment that if he was, for example, demanding £25k, we should probably snap his hand off. Figueroa supposedly after £40k.
In all seriousness, I dont think we should give anyone a 30k a week contract unless it has a 50% reduction for relegation. If that means he doesnt sign then you have to draw the line somewhere and move on.
We should have had Chester's contract sorted 2 years ago. I was thinking the same thing, it's all right being careful with money but we can't go too far and miss out on the signings of two of our own best players, let alone from outside the club.
I said earlier, the club can sort out contract extensions and improvements at their leisure. Let them quietly sort it all out during June without people turning the pack hounds upon our players.
I appreciate the need to keep a lid on wages as well as the absolute requirement for relegation clauses. HOWEVER! The most salient fact here is HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPLACE CHESTER WITHOUT A REDUCTION IN QUALITY? Give him the £20k, which surely the new TV deal would permit, given it is the accepted minimum for a Premier League first team player.
If chester is only been offered less than 20k a week, you can't blame him, we're now a premier league club and he has made over 100 apperances for us and 20k is well below the average premier league wage
That's the problem, players and agents know there's this extra premier league money this season and they will want it. It won't go anywhere else. If you buck in to one "oh we've got all this extra cash anyway one deal won't hurt" then everyone else will want a piece and before you know it, it'll be like Duffens wage structure. We'll end up sitting here in September scratching our heads at a long list of "one more won't hurt"'s and wondering where their wages are going to come from. Though I'd give Chezzy 30k p/w just to keep Alexia Bruce out the team, but the greedy ****ing pig should be happy with 1k per week, that's still a cracking good salary for a 24 year old.
I think some people are getting carried away. I was saying he should get no more than 10% above anyone else I agree if he is well below then that is fair enough but without numbers avaliable this is all academic really.
I think it's also worth noting that some are quoting Macca's wages. The reality is Macca's renewed contract was cut if I remember Bruce correctly... Paraphrasing but something along the lines of. "I will offer him a new contract init but it will be not a drop on his current one like, some muppet Duffen was playing silly buggers and give him far too much pet"
