What's your view on Paul Faulkner now?

[eastie]

If Benteke does go - and realistically if he did want it, there's not much that could stop him - what fee would make you feel the board did as well as they could?

Certainly no lower than £25m but I'd hope for £30m if possible - do you think he will go then dave?

[not3bad]

If Benteke does go - and realistically if he did want it, there's not much that could stop him - what fee would make you feel the board did as well as they could?

Well if they got the £40 million asking price they've put on his head they'd have done OK in my eyes.

[Concrete John]

I think £25m is a realistic figure, so if they did get £30m+ that would represent them driving a hard bargain.   

[danlanza]

35 million would do it.
He is going nowhere this season, nowhere at all.
I do think we are selling ourselves a bit short here by the way. We are on the way up, who wouldn't want to be part of that ?
Benteke wants success and that is what he will get at Villa.

[Mister E]

If Benteke does go - and realistically if he did want it, there's not much that could stop him - what fee would make you feel the board did as well as they could?

£30m has always been the threshold for Benteke, in my head.

I do think we have a strong hand in terms of the negotiations with both the player and prospective buyers, but - in the end - you're right that in an all-out stand-off we'd lose.

The comments made by Okore about wanting to play regularly are key to Benteke's next season: if we get the new wage level right, I think he'll stay.

[Lastfootstamper]

Have we got the vending machines yet ? If not then he is still a twunt, if we have then he is a great bloke.
Oh, and by the way, good signings and a great new kit. Bless him, maybe he has realised what he has to do, at last.

Spotted a vending machine in the upper Trinity towards the end of the season.
And, whilst expensive, even by modern football ground prices, the "posh" coffee bar is excellent.
"Chocolate sprinkles on that for you, sir?"
Don't mind if I do!

[rob_bridge]

If Benteke does go - and realistically if he did want it, there's not much that could stop him - what fee would make you feel the board did as well as they could?

Jeeps Dave that is a can of worms / lob a grenade in to the mix comment.

I'd say £17m + good add ons (Apps/Success of team etc..). If it is cash mega-rich club (Cit-eh, PSG, Chavski or Monaco) then we'd get it up front and more of it.

[eastie]

If Benteke does go - and realistically if he did want it, there's not much that could stop him - what fee would make you feel the board did as well as they could?

Jeeps Dave that is a can of worms / lob a grenade in to the mix comment.

I'd say £17m + good add ons (Apps/Success of team etc..). If it is cash mega-rich club (Cit-eh, PSG, Chavski or Monaco) then we'd get it up front and more of it.

£17m ? - no way would that be acceptable!

[danlanza]

If Benteke does go - and realistically if he did want it, there's not much that could stop him - what fee would make you feel the board did as well as they could?

Jeeps Dave that is a can of worms / lob a grenade in to the mix comment.

I'd say £17m + good add ons (Apps/Success of team etc..). If it is cash mega-rich club (Cit-eh, PSG, Chavski or Monaco) then we'd get it up front and more of it.

£17m ? - no way would that be acceptable!

For Darren Bent it would be though.

[robbo1874]

We may have a squad of more than 12 players for the first time in a decade.

we only really need 14! Well, it's been done before ; )

[rob_bridge]

Going back to Faulkner it wasn't wise to hire someone like him who had and continues to have so much on the job learning to do. Credit Card Marketing Manager to Football CEO. Too many differences (even taking aside the experience)

Houllier was a poor appointment (health and how long he had been away from the game). That is before he decided 'shock' and'awe' was the order of the day to a squad who whatever their limitations had had 3 comparatively good seasons.
McLeish was disastrous on too many levels. There wasn't a single thinking football fan who thought it was wise.

As Chief Executive he must have had a large say in those appointments. Not sure whether he pursuaded Lerner away from the OGS appointment or encouraged it.

I don't know how his income generation compares to those of his peers at other clubs. How is the shirt deal compared to e.g. Spuds, Newcastle or Everton. Anyone got such details?

[RussellC]

I wouldn't take less than £30m for Benteke. Regardless of what the market's doing and whether or not he wanted to leave I think (hope) that the most valuable lesson Faulkner could have learned is how negative an effect frequently selling your best players has on your fans (customers).

Whilst I can understand why we sold Downing for the money we were offered, doing so in the same pre-season as Ashley Young and not fully re-investing the money resulted in one of the longest doldrums I've seen at Villa in a long-time.

[rob_bridge]

If Benteke does go - and realistically if he did want it, there's not much that could stop him - what fee would make you feel the board did as well as they could?

Jeeps Dave that is a can of worms / lob a grenade in to the mix comment.

I'd say £17m + good add ons (Apps/Success of team etc..). If it is cash mega-rich club (Cit-eh, PSG, Chavski or Monaco) then we'd get it up front and more of it.

£17m ? - no way would that be acceptable!

£17m + add ons (Rooney's amounted to £7m which I was thinking of). Should have been more 

'Acceptable' from a board point of view would be about that. Obviously from our perspective then only £150m would be acceptable if we are being silly.

Suarez is 'valued' at or around £40m and (although I can't stand in) is a proven consistent top class performer. 35m for Benteke is not realistic.

Just my opinion.

[eastie]

If Benteke does go - and realistically if he did want it, there's not much that could stop him - what fee would make you feel the board did as well as they could?

Jeeps Dave that is a can of worms / lob a grenade in to the mix comment.

I'd say £17m + good add ons (Apps/Success of team etc..). If it is cash mega-rich club (Cit-eh, PSG, Chavski or Monaco) then we'd get it up front and more of it.

£17m ? - no way would that be acceptable!

£17m + add ons (Rooney's amounted to £7m which I was thinking of). Should have been more 

'Acceptable' from a board point of view would be about that. Obviously from our perspective then only £150m would be acceptable if we are being silly.

Suarez is 'valued' at or around £40m and (although I can't stand in) is a proven consistent top class performer. 35m for Benteke is not realistic.

Just my opinion.

Forget the add ons , £30m would be a good price, £25m would be minimum acceptable - and payable on our terms not theirs .


As for bent , newcastle have a cheek saying villa need to lower the £6m asking price , after the way they skanked liverpool for £35m Carroll.
Can only see benteke going if he kicks up a fuss and forces the issue which I would hope he doesn't.

[Dave]

Suarez is 'valued' at or around £40m and (although I can't stand in) is a proven consistent top class performer. 35m for Benteke is not realistic.

But Suarez has, maybe four years left until he starts to decline, Benteke probably has more like ten/twelve (given their respective styles of play).

Whoever takes Benteke off us in the next couple of years will be getting half a decade of a great striker and if they then decide to sell him are probably looking at getting more money from the next club to buy him. That's very unlikely to be the case with Suarez.

Van Persie was £24m because ManYoo won't get a huge amount of money when he ultimately leaves them (and because of his contract length), which is why Benteke will earn us more money than Van Persie earned for Arsenal when he does leave.