It all depends on him really. If he wants to stay or at least won't agitate for a move then we are fine to do as we please. If he goes the other way Rafa has said previously he doesn't want players here who don't want to be here. Player power means you can't just sit and say you're not leaving anymore. They cause too much damage. 40-60m? There has to be at least 80m plus surely. The amateur accountants on here assured me.
Can't be arsed with this all summer already. The guy who sold Carroll for 35m is guna let Lascelles go for the ludicrously reasonable price of 30m, 7 years later. Call Mike what you want (I do, freely) but he isn't that level of idiot. We'll be setting a price nobody will risk meeting this window.
I don't think we'll buy a CB, Klopp is happy with Lovren and VVD Matip as backup Gomez as further cover.
I personally would accept this. You get Kenedy - bonus Buy a replacement CB - even if it is £20M(shock horror). Then £10M on either a RB or LB and we still haven't spent any of Rafa's budget.
I think if Van Dijk was worth £75m, Lacelles is younger and english (which always inflates the price) and is captain of his team we need to be getting closer to that larger figure. Maybe £40/50m + Kenedy... one thing we do know is Ashley won't let him go on the cheap. (The rumoured cheap Mbemba deal is a mystery to me though)
Going to bet that he is a Chelski player sooner rather than later. Going for a swap - Lascelles for Kenedy, Zouma, Abraham and Loftus-Cheek. No cash.
Think the logic will be if Rafa doesnt want them then Mike happy to get the salary costs off the books. He has built an empire flogging things at a discount - its in his blood.
To be fair I'd take that if we did have to lose him. The sum of all parts is greater than one individual.
Love Jamaal, but that I'd take absolutely all day. We'd never get it though. Reckon Rafa would be delighted with that too, definitely rates at least three of that lot.
I'd be gutted. Fkin money ruining everything as usual. Let's just become Southampton and be feeder club for everyone else. Chelsea can do one and stick Kenedy on a plane to Newcastle while they are at it. We battered them last day of the season yet as usual the so called big clubs think they can take who they want.
Lascelles is the single most important player to us as he is not just captain but the best example of the kind of spirit we have lacked in previous seasons. £45m isn't enough when you realise that players like Grealish are being bandied about at not much less (£35-40m). If he goes we need to make sure we get 2 quality players for the same price just to tread water - Zouma and Kenedy would be fine by me so if it means dealing with Chelski then they are our best shot. If I was Lascelles I wouldn't pick Chelsea though until I was sure Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool and Tottenham weren't interested. On balance I just hope we keep him. Slow progression, 2 or 3 key improvements this summer and we're on the right track. Evolution not revolution.
