Transfer Rumours Rumours, goss 'n tosh - Jan 2020

Roberts departure confirmed, he has joined Middlesborough

 

As Bruce said “didn’t he do well?”

 

There was a lot of excitement when we got him on loan, I for one was looking forward to seeing him play after watching some very good displays at Celtic.

I wonder why it didn’t work out? he was never given a chance, even when Hernandez was injured he couldn’t get on the pitch, And recently couldn’t even get on the bench!

Strange one! I’m sure he will now go and light up the championship!

 

He had let himself go during the Summer and was very unfit.

That was from DF

 

I wonder whether there might be an attitude problem when things aren't going his way. Everything went well at Celtic and he thrived, but having seen him in cup games and as a sub a few times, I couldn't see much to drop Buendia, Cantwell or Hernandez for.

 

We can only assume Roberts just wasn't performing on the trainig pitch. Bags of potential it appeared, but he will be far from the last youngun who goes out on loan and makes zero impact. Yes, he shone in a one team 3rd rate SPL. But the PL as many have and will find out is a big step up. Couple that with our own players stepping up well and it is easy to see why he has struggled for game time. Attitude or fitness issues seem to have little evidence and likely just speculation in reaction to his failure to make an impact.

Bah!

 

It also seems that no other PL team wanted to take him on loan, which could be why he's dropping down to the Championship.

 

'The Boot Room' is quoting interest in Cantwell for £30m.

https://tbrfootball.com/tottenham-hotspur-todd-cantwell/

and Aarons is now reportedly worth £45m:

https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/snack-poll/do-you-trust-jose-mourinho-to-spend-money-wisely/

 

Was Cantwell ever tied down to a longer term contract? I thought we had to excercise the option of a years extension and he was going to be out of contract this summer. But probably wrong?

Bah!

 

Apparently his contract is until 2022

 

30.06.2022.
Market value graph is interesting after half a season in the top flight!

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/todd-cantwell/marktwertverlauf/spieler/332341

 

Farke comments (which are always going to be niceties about a departed player) was that there was never an attitude problem, and realistically when he was signed there was never the expectation that Cantwell would come on like he has. His lack of defensive work ethic, rather than an attitude issue, has been cited by some.

Opens up a loan spot in the squad, I believe we're allowed two domestic loans - Amadou doesn't count? Would be surprised if somebody doesn't come in on loan - CB or CAM?

 

Sounds a similar case to Passlack last season, not a bad issue to have where our own player steps up and performs to keep a loanee out of the team

 

So, if we have a flash sale in the summer and we go down, we are looking at:
Godfrey 40m
Cantwell 30m
Buendia 35m
Aarons 30m
Lewis (?) 20m
Pukki 30m
Hernandez 15m

Total: 200m + Parachute Payments.

 

So replace them for 50 million and then build a new stand to get the capacity up to 30-35k

 

I could think of worse things to spend the money on.

 

Isn't it dis-spiriting to possibly invest so much time in development just to see some big fat cheque club swoop in and buy them, probably to warm their overpaid benches. I would feel sorry for DF because he has to go back and start all over again without passing GO and not collecting £200. Has Christmas finished yet?

 

Yes it is frustrating, but even if we go down, I don't think we would sell them all, at least some would be persuaded to stay until Jan 2021 to see if there was a decent chance of going up

 

Frustrating yes, but there could also be an opportunity. With Roberts and Heise leaving, we have spaces in the squad. If say Aarons left this window for £30m and was loaned back to us for the rest of this season, we could use that money to bring in 3 quality players, like Jarod Bowen, for example. That just might help us achieve the 'miracle' and survive this season while also hanging on to our other players.

 

For me, it's not frustrating as long as the bigger picture makes sense.

Selling Jacob Murphy so we could afford to pay the wages of Mulumbu and Naismith - very frustrating.

Selling Maddison to fund a squad overhaul, and see him excel at a higher level, to me isn't frustrating at all.

When some of this current crop are sold, the finances are now sufficiently well-managed that the proceeds shouldn't be immediately allocated to inflated, pointless wages. It can be used for improving the club on and off the field.

Without a wealthy owner, the only way we can become an established Prem club is through player sales, so as long as I can see that real improvements are being made, and our pipeline restocked with potential assets, I'm ok for now. If in 5 years time we've sold £300m worth of talent and are the epitomy of a mid-table championship side, I'd be frustrated.

Local lad Cantwell being sold and generating the funds to allow his team to increase Carrow Road to 35k capacity would be a wonderful story.