Douglas Luiz - Confirmed confirmed

[ChicagoLion]

I think it was a big back the manager move. Gerrard had made it clear he wanted to keep him and the owners obliged.
It also reduces his excuses if he fails to turn things around.

[chrisw1]

For us to turn down £25m to use him as a bit part player then lose him on a free next summer is #classicvilla.

Letting our best No8 and second best No6 go on the final day for peanuts without a replacement would have been more classic Villa.

With our net spend, money isn't the key issue here.  Have the most competitive squad possible for the season is the priority.

[pauliewalnuts]

He isn't a nailed in starter.
He's had 100+ games to show that he's indispensible, but we're none the wiser as to whether he's a 6, 8 or 10.
He wants to leave.
He hasn't signed a new contract, despite there being one on the table for some time.
£25m declined now.
How much will his value  have fallen to by January.

Having missed out 9n a move to Arsenal, what will his form be like on the coming months.

Think we've dropped one by keeping him.

We can't play £25m in cash in midfield, and I doubt it could score directly from corners. Although I'd consider giving it a start over McGinn.

With £25m in, say, 50p pieces, you could at least form some sort of protection in the middle of the park.

I wonder what denomination of coins would be most effective.

[paul_e]

He isn't a nailed in starter.
He's had 100+ games to show that he's indispensible, but we're none the wiser as to whether he's a 6, 8 or 10.
He wants to leave.
He hasn't signed a new contract, despite there being one on the table for some time.
£25m declined now.
How much will his value  have fallen to by January.

Having missed out 9n a move to Arsenal, what will his form be like on the coming months.

Think we've dropped one by keeping him.

and if we'd let him leave with no time to sign a replacement you, and many others, would be moaning that we'd made a mistake by leaving ourselves short in midfield until January. It's a no win situation for the club and, because everything is shit, whatever happened was always going to be moaned about.

[olaftab]

With £25m in, say, 50p pieces, you could at least form some sort of protection in the middle of the park.

I wonder what denomination of coins would be most effective.

I would use 20p coins as you can form a more intricate formation and better chance of confusing the opposition.

[paul_e]

He isn't a nailed in starter.
He's had 100+ games to show that he's indispensible, but we're none the wiser as to whether he's a 6, 8 or 10.
He wants to leave.
He hasn't signed a new contract, despite there being one on the table for some time.
£25m declined now.
How much will his value  have fallen to by January.

Having missed out 9n a move to Arsenal, what will his form be like on the coming months.

Think we've dropped one by keeping him.

We can't play £25m in cash in midfield, and I doubt it could score directly from corners. Although I'd consider giving it a start over McGinn.

With £25m in, say, 50p pieces, you could at least form some sort of protection in the middle of the park.

I wonder what denomination of coins would be most effective.

2p I reckon, 1.25bn of them and given they're more than double the size of a penny they'd be the most area covered.

[pauliewalnuts]

He isn't a nailed in starter.
He's had 100+ games to show that he's indispensible, but we're none the wiser as to whether he's a 6, 8 or 10.
He wants to leave.
He hasn't signed a new contract, despite there being one on the table for some time.
£25m declined now.
How much will his value  have fallen to by January.

Having missed out 9n a move to Arsenal, what will his form be like on the coming months.

Think we've dropped one by keeping him.

We can't play £25m in cash in midfield, and I doubt it could score directly from corners. Although I'd consider giving it a start over McGinn.

With £25m in, say, 50p pieces, you could at least form some sort of protection in the middle of the park.

I wonder what denomination of coins would be most effective.

2p I reckon, 1.25bn of them and given they're more than double the size of a penny they'd be the most area covered.

Imagine how slow it'd be to change coin midfield shape, though, having to shift 1.25 billion coins.

It would be almost as slow as our actual midfield.

[LeeB]

He isn't a nailed in starter.
He's had 100+ games to show that he's indispensible, but we're none the wiser as to whether he's a 6, 8 or 10.
He wants to leave.
He hasn't signed a new contract, despite there being one on the table for some time.
£25m declined now.
How much will his value  have fallen to by January.

Having missed out 9n a move to Arsenal, what will his form be like on the coming months.

Think we've dropped one by keeping him.

We can't play £25m in cash in midfield, and I doubt it could score directly from corners. Although I'd consider giving it a start over McGinn.

With £25m in, say, 50p pieces, you could at least form some sort of protection in the middle of the park.

I wonder what denomination of coins would be most effective.

The 50p pieces would also be at least as accurate as our current players when heading or shooting at goal.

[Tayls_7]

He isn't a nailed in starter.
He's had 100+ games to show that he's indispensible, but we're none the wiser as to whether he's a 6, 8 or 10.
He wants to leave.
He hasn't signed a new contract, despite there being one on the table for some time.
£25m declined now.
How much will his value  have fallen to by January.

Having missed out 9n a move to Arsenal, what will his form be like on the coming months.

Think we've dropped one by keeping him.

We can't play £25m in cash in midfield, and I doubt it could score directly from corners. Although I'd consider giving it a start over McGinn.

With £25m in, say, 50p pieces, you could at least form some sort of protection in the middle of the park.

I wonder what denomination of coins would be most effective.

The 50p pieces would also be at least as accurate as our current players when heading or shooting at goal.

I'm onboard if it means we give no quarter.

[Sexual Ealing]

Ladies, gentlemen, you're wrong-headed with all this talk of coins. What's needed is a big charity cheque to shield the defence.

[pooligan]

I wonder  if the Smith Rowe saga last summer had a part to play in us being determined to not let him go to Arsenal

[Drummond]

Ladies, gentlemen, you're wrong-headed with all this talk of coins. What's needed is a big charity cheque to shield the defence.

Laminated obviously.

[eamonn]

The 50p pieces would bring back memories of Nathan Baker and all our other 50p-headed players over the years.

[cdward]

I wonder  if the Smith Rowe saga last summer had a part to play in us being determined to not let him go to Arsenal

I had the same thought. Plus £23M for a 24 year old Brazilian international in todays market is too low, he would be double that.
Glad we told Arsenal to shove it, just hope Dougie feels the same, at least he can take his time and choose where he wants to go.

[gpbarr]

If we get the right manager in, adapt our style to the squad we have, and climb the table, hopefully Dougie may decide this is the place for him to be after all