.....and more importantly, how much would it cost to replace him? Touch and go this one given his injury issues. Do the maths add up? My opinion.........give him what he wants.
Every player has his price. The point of this thread is to discuss how much he is worth to us, whether it is likely he wants more than that and how much it would cost to replace him. I think it's likely he wants more in the region of £35-40k and we are not willing to go over £30k. However, when you consider a comparable player from another Prem Club would probably not come to us for less than £35-£40k and would cost us more than we will get for Aluko, given he only has 6 months left on his contract it would make sense to give him that much unless it is considered a good idea to erode the quality of the squad. The joker in the equation, though, is his injury. Difficult one for City.
I think we offered him something around 30k to 40k in the last deal which he turned down. The use of the phrase 'fabulous offer' by Brucey himself sort of gives of this impression.
It might not be the wage he's not happy with, I think its likely it could be over a release clause. I reckon he saw us as a stepping stone and wants to be guarenteed the opportunity to move in to a bigger club should the chance arise.
Spot on. 2 year contract with a release clause. If City stay up, and he has a good season (providing he overcomes his injury) this year, more leverage for him & City at the end of this or next season. I'd agree with give him what he wants within reason for salary(30-35k), but with a release clause in his favour (4 -5 million quid offer ? Maybe a bit less). If we go down - 2 million offer...Heaven forbid ! It'll be tough to find someone right now to replace him for a reasonable price (< 3 million and 35-40k per week).
I don't know what ceiling on salaries the club has set, but l get the feeling it is £40K, so if his expectations are above this, know ing now AA mind set, he will not budge and pay above this figure.
Quite simply he is worth bugger all given how long he has spent on the side lines. We has the potential to be great but it is fading fast. I would be amazed if we offered anything more then 10-15k with a decent appearance bonus. I would also be amazed if he turned our next offer down - if we make one. I dont see him being sold in January, and I dont see any club offering him more than what we are come the summer either. He is too big a risk now.
A 2 year contract means we will be held to ransom again next year and his market value would be low again because he would only have a year left. We need him on a 3 year contract at least and after one year either get him to extend it or sell him with 2 years left. If he only signs a 2 year contract we should sell him as soon as the ink is dry to get a decent fee to replace him.
Aluko is undoubted quality but is also in the treatment room too often, I know it's a different scenario to Bullard but it does have its similarities, and thinking that there may even be a possibility of us ending up in a similar situation makes me think that we should, at least, not be held to ransom by either him or his agent. For me, if he goes, he goes, and as long as Steve Bruce stays I'm confident that we will find a replacement.
If he wants more than what is set as our highest wage don't give him it simple, we are already making a loss this season, we can't afford to have players stuck on large wages again. However you have to factor in a replacement will cost similar wages along with a transfer fee. He is a good player, but his end product hasn't been that amazing that we can afford to give him ridiculous wages, if he was banging them in he would be worth far more.
Bruce's value for money recruitment has been superb and gives us the confidence to refuse to be held to ransom by any player.
Another problem in Aluko's case is the 25 man squad ruling. SB has to name his squad a day or so after the January window closes. If Aluko isn't fit by then (and it might be touch and go) does he still give him a place knowing he's only been fit for 3 months out of the last 12 ? If he does and Aluko breaks down again he'll be taking a valuable squad place. There are lots of different permutations, eg if Graham goes we can get another striker on loan but what if SB has to decide to either bring in a new striker or gamble on Aluko getting and staying fit ?- it's a big decision. Personally I think Aluko will go, not necessarily because he wants to leave but purely down to the timing of his injury - that's football.
I just think value versus number of games has to be considered. For me has demonstrated that he's a great player, but he's just too injury prone.
Somebody talking sense at last. £30K-£40K FFS. i wished I got paid £30k pa for sitting half the time on my a rse. We big these footballers (OR SHOULD I SAY SICKNOTE) up too much and that's why football is dying. The average guy in the street (excluding the fan) has lost interest in actually going to a game. It doesn't help when you charge £30 to see 1 match. Add all the other stuff (beers, food, travel) and £50 would not seem excessive. Football needs to wise up before the game actually dies.
Well here's another quandry. Right now, it seems only Palarse are interested. If we are to cash-in in January to avoid him walking in the Summer, do we do so with a club we could well be competing with to avoid relegation?? What if they are the only club to state an interest come 10pm on Jan 31st?
I don't think he'd go to Palace regardless, I reckon if they were the only club willing to pay a fee in January he'd just wait until his contracts out and move somewhere better. I can't remember off the top of my head, but I think some of the choices he had when he joined us were a better proposition than Palace are right this minute, and now he's only likely to have better offers so I doubt we'd have that decision to make anyway. Chiltons diddlypoms - I think if you have players to take up spaces you have to name them in your squad. I don't think you're allowed to just leave players out when there spaces, but I'm not certain about it.
We deny our rivals players at all costs. The potential transfer fee for a sicknote with 6 months on their contract vs the change in income if we went down due to his involvement for them in the last month or so of the season isn't worth it.
You have to name them, but we already have 25 players named, if we sign a striker in January then someone from the current squad needs to be left out. Do you name Aluko in case he might be fit enough to play, or say Fryatt who's not as good but will be available? (Considering you may want to rotate the squad so the likes of Sagbo aren't ****ed for the most important games)
