"Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce that Sam Amo-Ameyaw has signed his first professional contract until 2026" ... this time last year he was given a 3 year deal
Did we get a loan fee from them last season? If so, effectively the total fee over time is higher because they've already contributed.
Both? Armstrong plays right wing for us so 12m seems steep when we probably have backups that aren’t too much different in ability to the palace lad
The issue is that he is not good enough to start in the premier league and won’t be for some time. Especially without games. He wasn’t even really good enough to start in the championship - at least in a world where we were really under pressure for results
Valid view and probably right, but it would make a change to see a potential problem turning into a possible solution!!
He didn’t leave Spurs to play for our youth teams, so can see him wanting out to play first team football. These sort of transfers are going to become more and more common place I think. The top 6 hoover up all the talent in the country at 16 from other academies then at 17/18 the ones who aren’t making it at the top 6 look to leave to smaller teams for more opportunities
Fact is Meghoma must have watched many of Manning's performances last season and thought 'I deserve a chance'. Then when Manning was effectively dropped he still wasn't given an opportunity and now in the PL he knows he'll not be used. I think we can be better about being brave with young players (think the same with SAA when we were looking for impact of the bench at times last season and chose Mara or similar) and showing them that there is a pathway. I think if we'd done that they'd be more keen on a loan away this season with the view of competing for a first team spot next. As it is I don't blame them for wanting out. At the end of the day it's hard to criticise RM etc because we went up. But I'll do it anyway!
Tbh we just aren’t the club for developing these sorts of players who we don’t think are good enough right now. The best clubs would be mid table Championship clubs who can give them playing time, hoping they turn into a gem and sell for a lot of money/help them break into the playoffs for the PL. There is too much to risk financially at the bottom of the PL (of which basically any of 10 teams could find themselves if they have a bad year) or those at the top of the Champ trying to get back into the PL to be playing young players who you hope will be good enough, when you could sign/play a more proven player
Yep, there's a reason Bristol City have been/are good at this in the last 5-10 years. It's because they've been absolutely bang average and bobbed along in the middle, fairly content with it.
As I mentioned before I think there are going to be a lot more opportunities for Lavia/Livramento type deals in the coming seasons as the top teams sign every talent in the country at 16 and they want away at 18/19 for more first team action. These guys who have just left our academy could quite easily be available when they reach their later teens unless they are truly exceptional (which you could argue Lavia and Livramento were and they still left)
In fairness wasn't the Academy most productive when we had young players we'd recruited/developed in the Premier League but were playing in the lower leagues?
