Really depends what 'happy' constitutes. 'Happy to stay no matter what' and 'happy to stay if a big move doesn't materialize' are two different things. This is the problem with being in the Championship: none of our players want to be in the Championship. Leverkusen is in Europey, and that represents a major step for a guy in Tella who has yet to break through in a top-level league. I can't begrudge him for wanting that move...he's 24, it might not come along again.
I could be wrong, but I think Kicker has as much credibility as some of the "ITK's" that pop up on Twitter.
Good heavens. Three hundred pages of conjecture, hair-pulling, joy and despair, ecstasy and rage mostly fuelled by strangers on the internet telling us what they overheard in the pub last night. Who'd be a football fan? Vin
Yes, on one hand you can play alongside Florian Wirtz and managed by one of the best defensive midfielders to have played the game. On the other hand, you can play alongside Adam Armstrong and managed by someone who spent the majority of his career playing for Norwich. Tough call.
No doubt Tella might prefer to be at Leverkusen, but that's not the point. He is happy to stay and isn't forcing a move. The leverkusen link has been around a while now and he hasn't tried to force it. It's pretty clear if we refused to sell he would carry on as he has been. If we sell it is purely because we think €20m (or whatever the fee is) is too good to turn down.
I like Tella, and I think he's been good so far this season. But if selling Tella meant keeping Sulemana I'd definitely consider it.
I feel like im missing something with Sulemana. Did nothing for us in 6 months, apart from a decent showing against a half-arsed Liverpool team. Said he wanted out after the season, with question marks over his attitude. And here we have a winger in Tella who was one of the best players in the championship last season. Proven at this level, and (seemingly) committed and more than happy to play for us. It's a no brainer for me. I'd 100% keep Tella but i think we'll lose both if im honest.
Is it that clear? The link has been around, but Leverkusen may not have made a serious approach previous. It's an awful lot to ask of Tella shrug his shoulders if we deny him European football (and likely the chance to break into the Nigerian squad) on the basis of 'dunno, he seems like he'd put up with it'.
I think the jury was still out with Sulemana. He was never really given a decent chance in the side and when he did play he looked pretty good, only to be persistently benched by Selles, who at best was a questionable judge of footballers…
He didn’t say he wanted out, he made the same comment Charly made which was he would be back to help get us promoted, unless something better came along or words to that effect. he’s a huge talent
I felt, from the moments we saw him, that he could be a real boon to the side. Love to see more and properly judge. Vin
A boon is a really good thing, but a boondoggle is a really bad thing. That must mean that a doggle is the worst of all things, capable of not only offsetting the boon but swinging the pendulum far in the other direction.
Probably got lost a bit during a busy news day. Onuachu to Genk looks likely, just depends on Pantsil going somewhere. Saudis interested and Leeds allegedly
boondoggle /ˈbuːnˌdɒɡl/ INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN noun an unnecessary, wasteful, or fraudulent project. "he characterized the defense program as an unworkable boondoggle" verb spend money or time on unnecessary, wasteful, or fraudulent projects. "the only guarantees are higher taxes and bureaucratic boondoggling"
https://x.com/southamptonpage/status/1695163309144625470?s=46&t=QY3ZziiWzq0kjca97zP8tQ Has anyone got the Samaritans hotline for Saints Web, their Transfer Rumours section
