After sleeping on it I am over the moon with 10 million plus for someone whos barely kicked a ball for the 1st team. It shows how well our academy is doing and makes it attractive to the young lads out there aspiring to be the next big thing. They are paying for potential and personally I dont see 10 million pounds worth of potential but what do I know, Ive only been watching the game for 50 years.
In all honesty, having imagined the scenario, winning at Wembley with a goal from him just wouldn't feel that special. "A great goal from MOTM, boyhood Sunderland supporter and Brighton signing, Tommy Watson!' Nah, just doesn't sit right with me tbh.
We are so threadbare that I think we have to keep him involved, even if only from the bench. Suppose what we don't know is what relations are like behind the scenes - I'd imagine Speakman is happy with the deal and if there is no issue with Watson's effort in training etc then there should be no reason not to keep him involved. If he had refused a contract and was leaving on a Bosman, then maybe another story, but the club have done well out of this £10m now and potentially another £10m in a few years time if he smashes it at Brighton.
It looks as though we've got £10m + 20% sell on,which sounds like a brilliant deal to me for a player who's made a fleeting contribution,playing only a handful of games.
Not the clubs fault if he wants to be away and won't sign his contract ,maximise our benefit from a financial stance and move on. . The risk from a development point of view his all his ,better for him to stay stum than try to play the social media game.Like his football he's raw at that as well. As we stole Jobe from Birmingham we can't moan about it ,we are in the very same game as Brighton .
Quite right mate, I'm just guessing as we all are. My thoughts are primarily with Mundle who is absolutely top priority, someone we need to look after and hold onto. If he plays well, and stays fit, that's the ideal scenario for me.
He is not the first to leave a club, having been in the academy, before giving his all on the pitch. At least here has got us £10m +. He could have sat tight, ran his contract out and we would be left with far far less. I could argue all the development we have put in has earned us big money, and he has earned a big move after the effort he has put in himself. His social media post was a simple thanks. Why the bother? I still dont know who put this story in the media, but whoever did put the kid in a ****e situation and the club in one too. For everyone hoping he doesnt play again this season. I really hope Mundle doesnt get injured. He would clearly be the player to come in if we are serious about promotion. Until June he is our player and we may still need him. Support him while he remains with us ffs.
Agree with that mind he’s on a hiding to nowt no matter what he does now I’ll back him while he’s on the pitch in red and white but can’t pretend to be gutted he’s going
It's a great deal for the club. I'm disappointed, and disagree, in the decision Watson has made whilst also understand it. He's hardly scum as a result. Players will leave and sometimes we'll agree and sometimes we won't. I fully back him to play and play well for the rest of the season, although he will clearly be a sub option behind Mundle when fit. And then I hope he smashes it at Brighton and nets us a hefty sell on fee in a couple of years. And as I said immediately when it happened, and others have said, the fact this has been announced early is a surprise and a disappointment. Can only imagine something forced the hands of the club or Brighton to do it. There's no way the club WANTED to announce something like this when they had no need to.
I honestly hope you are right mate , and I think we should all get behind Mundle who is an exciting prospect by any standards . I was raging last night tbh, as Watson has been outstanding at U21 level, hence my assessment, but we will see how things develop.
Yeah. Mundle gets all the minutes possible for me. Watson only gets to sniff the grass if Mundle can not.
Some fans just think as hes local he should stay and dont see the bigger picture, and are adding this to thier anti Speakman agenda selling "our best players" for peanuts. why keep a player that doesnt want to be here, and 10m with a 20% sell on clause is a magnificent deal. we need to stop being so sentimental and let players leave when the time is right. as said, Watson wanted to go in Jan, Brighton came in but only offered 2.5, going up to 4m.
Disappointed he has gone ,but onwards and upwards, speakman and the club will have there plans in place for a replacement
The Northern Echo are reporting the deal to be nearer £11 million: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/25056019.sunderland-agree-deal-sell-tommy-watson-brighton/ ...The deal, which is understood to be worth around £11m, will officially go through when the window reopens on July 1. ....with the 18-year-old set to enter the final year of his current contract this summer, Black Cats chiefs have decided that this is the right time to accept Brighton’s latest offer. Watson had shown no willingness to sign a new deal on Wearside, and the Sunderland hierarchy did not want to allow him to enter the final 12 months of his contract with his future uncertain. They believe the £11m deal is a good one for a player who has only made seven senior starts in the whole of his career to date. The Black Cats are also understood to have secured a lucrative sell-on clause as part of the agreement with Brighton.
11m for someone who really hasn’t played, isn’t our record ndong for 16m games change an awful lost since they moyes relegation