You may be right, but from Saints perspective we’d need to be confident/know that he will sign a new deal after next season as we won’t want to risk losing him for free in 2 years time. From his perspective he may see a year in the Championship as good for his development, or he might think moving to a PL team where he played regularly as better. Or moving to a big club where he then gets a loan to another PL team for his development. I think there would be more appealing options than playing for Saints in the Championship, but who knows what he is thinking
I don't think that's the case at all. He's a lot stronger than he looks - very difficult to knock off the ball and he's hardly been injury prone so far.
He has had a contract on the table for months, he clearly isn't planning on being here next season or he would have signed it to get the pay rise immediately. He will be sold in the summer and after seeing us get £40m and £50m for Tino and Lavia I have faith SR will demand a similar sort of fee.
Wasn’t there talk of him being fatigued quite easily? Also is he not out for 6 weeks due to injury? In the games I’ve seen him in, he has faded a little in the latter stages.
Both of those had longer left on their deals. I think £40m is realistically the max we can expect, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it was lower. Lavia had 4 years left and wasn’t Livramento more like £30m and I think he had 3 years left as well. Anyway nothing we can do about it but sit and wait. There is the scenario where we keep him and hope he gets duped if we get promoted by the feel good feeling around the club that comes with a promotion season and signs a new deal when we are winning all the time
Our fans on a bunch of wheeler dealing market traders looking for the best deal. If we are ever going to amount to anything we have to hang on to our better players. But then I am old school so what the **** do I know about anything.
Thought Tino was more than that but we had to give some to Chelsea due to a sell on %. Contract length doesn't make much difference until it is 1 year as no club will wait 2 years to maybe sign a player on a free. It sounds like most of Europe want him so we should get a good fee.
I agree about the waiting 2 years but, it’s more the “how hardball can we play this” conversation Saints will have knowing that if they stand firm at too high a price their negotiating position next summer (when he does have a year left) is basically nothing. I think they will get a good fee for him, but can predict people being ****ed off if we don’t get £50m+ for him which I can’t see happening
Sell Dibling but with an immediately loan back to us for the Championship campaign. He gets game-time to develop as a player, rather than warming a bench.
Just hard to get excited with players anymore. After our run of 6-8th places finishes (a decade ago)we know that if we have any good players or go a good run then our players are just going to be poached. One of the reasons, along with VAR, oligarch/state owners and the cost of attending, why I am totally disillusioned with top level football
I fully agree. I am longer enthused about going to a match and most Saturdays I show no interest in football at all. Next season someone could end up with a good seat at St Mary's and I could be £600 better off and far happier.
A very bad buy. I would sell immediately as he will never be good enough for first team football. Too small.
I can't say I blame him. If I'd spent the last 2 and a half years in the physio room at Staplewood I think I'd want a change of scenery too.