Stats can be deceptive, but these tell a story... http://anfieldbanter.blogspot.co.uk...ampaign=Feed: blogspot/iLsoL (Anfield Banter)
Forget the moneyball-esque logic; we should do what we can to keep him. That said, the much vaunted [apparent] release clause [of supposedly £8m] suggests that as the parent club holding his registration we have next to no control over the situation. We've not heard from the player, but I suspect EPL football is not quite enough and the lure of Champions League football will prevail.
Not a bad idea, we'd all feel a bit like Blackburn when they pulled off a similar coup with Jordan Rhodes earlier in the week. [Though we would have to conveniently forget those 'lack of ambition' jibes that might echo back to us! ] If we did go down this route, I strongly suspect he [or his representatives] would still negotiate an equivalent release clause. I'd love to see it happen; and be accepted. A real statement of intent. Let's face it, the only time we have truly expected him to pull on the hooped jersey was after we initially signed under the noses of Newcastle in the Spring of 2013.
You have to be joking, he's already on way too much. We should make him see out the contract and tell him we will only listen to offers over £25m.
I'm sure he'd have gone months ago if it was £8m. Either its bollocks or he's holding out for stupid wages.