Fabian Delph - Signed for Manchester City

[old man villa fan]

No, I would not be happy and it all revolves around Bosman.  Before this case, how many players allowed their contracts to run down.  The ruling for some players at the lower end being held when their contract expires until someone buys them has had a massive game changing effect at the top end.

Contrary to it's original purpose, it has lead to the top clubs moving away from the rest, almost as much as the CL.

And until it was brought in, players had no control over their own careers and their own futures.

A player who was out of contract and wasn't being given a new one wasn't able to play for any other club until a transfer fee had been agreed. If a club was feeling particularly spiteful they could just leave a player uncontracted, underpaid and sitting in their reserves indefinitely with nothing that the player could do about it.

It's such a ridiculous scenario that it's amazing that it took until 1995 to change it.

If Delph does leave this summer because of an artificially low release clause, it's not the fault of the Bosman rule - it's the fault of the club for not sorting his contract out sooner.

In British football we had the transfer tribunal before Bosman to prevent what you said.  A player was allowed to leave at the end of his contract but a transfer fee was agreed by tribunal.  It wasn't perfect but it left more money in the game with the clubs, rather than going into players' pockets.  £100k a week or whatever, do they deserve it.  Just look at the majority percentage of expenditure for clubs and see why clubs outside the elite few are struggling financially.

[Witton Warrior]

Any sign of the flag yet?

[Toronto Villa]

I reckon you're closest to the truth.

I think we are all hoping it is that. And if it is that's pocket change to a club like Man City so why didn't they just sign him the minute the season was over? England international, right age, English player squad criteria box checked etc

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

I reckon you're closest to the truth.

I think we are all hoping it is that. And if it is that's pocket change to a club like Man City so why didn't they just sign him the minute the season was over? England international, right age, English player squad criteria box checked etc

Think next week will tell us more, when we go out to Portugal for pre season friendlies. Surely Man City would already have Delph on board to prepare for their season ??

[Nastylee]

If it's as simple as meeting an £8m release clause then why has the richest club in our league not done it yet?

[Leicester_Villian]

If it's as simple as meeting an £8m release clause then why has the richest club in our league not done it yet?

Because I think its a done deal in their mind so where is the rush for them ........
Disappointing but to be honest can you blame Delph? At least he made sure Villa got a fee when he left at same time that his contract would have expired

[Villa in Denmark]

If there's any release clause at all, I would expect it to be '£8 million if Villa are relegated' seeing as how we were hurtling towards the bottom three at the time of him signing. Journalist gets hold of that figure, twists it into a story to fill column inches, sees it get picked up by every other media outlet, moves onto the next 800 words of bollocks.

For what it's worth, I think if there is/was a release clause it's more likely to be of that nature.

I was purely arguing about why we wouldn't have been in a position to stipulate a higher figure as Delph and his agent held all of the aces (and the Kings and least 3 Jacks and 2 Queens.)

[Toronto Villa]

If it's as simple as meeting an £8m release clause then why has the richest club in our league not done it yet?

Because I think its a done deal in their mind so where is the rush for them ........
Disappointing but to be honest can you blame Delph? At least he made sure Villa got a fee when he left at same time that his contract would have expired

there's no such thing as deals done in their mind though. If it was done it would be done (as in actually signed a contract) wherever the player is. Liverpool just flew to South America to sign Firmino. Maybe it is the optimist in me but there's more to this than meets the eye, or least what we have read so far with no quotes from either club or the player/agent.

[Taylor]

Delph seems to me to be a totally grounded individual. He must see the risk of signing for Man City. His England career hasn't suffered for being a Villa player, it might do though if he's sitting on their bench.

I have no idea what Benteke's thoughts are at the moment, but if he is in two minds about signing for Liverpool or Spurs, his mind would be swiftly made up if Delph buggers off.

It's a depressing thought but without those two next season would be very scary.

[Toronto Villa]

Thing with Benteke it isn't anything he's said. It's his fucking knob of an agent who is way too public. I have no idea who any of the agents are that represent our players, and that's how it should be.

[old man villa fan]

I do not go with the 'contrived contract agreement' with both parties knowing that he would leave in the summer and that Delph was being a good boy in allowing Villa to get something out of a deal.  In this day and age when secrets last 5 minutes, it seems beyond belief that there would be such duplicity in the magnitude of the announcement of Delph signing a new contract and the facts getting out after the event, causing damage to the image of the player and club.  To hype up the announcement to the level they did when it could have been relatively low key and not expect a backlash, would have been naïve to say the least.

[villadelph]

If it's as simple as meeting an £8m release clause then why has the richest club in our league not done it yet?

Because I think its a done deal in their mind so where is the rush for them ........
Disappointing but to be honest can you blame Delph? At least he made sure Villa got a fee when he left at same time that his contract would have expired

Where are people getting this idea..? I'm yet to really see any evidence that a move is imminent.

[Villa in Denmark]

Delph seems to me to be a totally grounded individual. He must see the risk of signing for Man City. His England career hasn't suffered for being a Villa player, it might do though if he's sitting on their bench.

I have no idea what Benteke's thoughts are at the moment, but if he is in two minds about signing for Liverpool or Spurs, his mind would be swiftly made up if Delph buggers off.

It's a depressing thought but without those two next season would be very scary.

You really think Spurs would cough for £32.5M? Come back in 5 years when football inflation has made that £20 in today's money.

Liverpool show no sign of offering the release clause, so at the moment whatever thoughts he may have about playing for either of those clubs are about as relevant of any dreams I may still have of being our next No. 9.

[Clampy]

I do not go with the 'contrived contract agreement' with both parties knowing that he would leave in the summer and that Delph was being a good boy in allowing Villa to get something out of a deal.  In this day and age when secrets last 5 minutes, it seems beyond belief that there would be such duplicity in the magnitude of the announcement of Delph signing a new contract and the facts getting out after the event, causing damage to the image of the player and club.  To hype up the announcement to the level they did when it could have been relatively low key and not expect a backlash, would have been naïve to say the least.

I can't exactly remember what Delph said at the time he signed but I do remember it being along the lines that he wanted to re-pay the faith the club had shown whilst he was out injured. I'm not sure the club would have gone through with the big fanfare that they did if they knew there was a huge possibility he could leave just a few months later for £8m. It doesn't make sense.

[old man villa fan]

Delph seems to me to be a totally grounded individual. He must see the risk of signing for Man City. His England career hasn't suffered for being a Villa player, it might do though if he's sitting on their bench.

I have no idea what Benteke's thoughts are at the moment, but if he is in two minds about signing for Liverpool or Spurs, his mind would be swiftly made up if Delph buggers off.

It's a depressing thought but without those two next season would be very scary.

You really think Spurs would cough for £32.5M? Come back in 5 years when football inflation has made that £20 in today's money.

Liverpool show no sign of offering the release clause, so at the moment whatever thoughts he may have about playing for either of those clubs are about as relevant of any dreams I may still have of being our next No. 9.

If Spurs got to the point of bidding £32.5m for him, Benteke would be on to Fox to add another £5m to the release clause.