Summer transfer, gossip, speculation and the usual butter ollocks thread

[Pat Mustard]

I think as a few other posters have noted that it may be more to do with wages than transfer fees. I read recently that the wage bill came down from >100m to around 65m last year. If that’s true and it is to be sustainable then we’ll have to play hardball with the agents. Doesn’t seem much of a coincidence that the first signing we’ve made was for a player who seems to have wanted to sign for reasons other than money primarily, judging by his comments.

I think it’s too early to say whether ‘the bubble has burst’ yet, but the PL China deal collapsing may be something we look back on in a few years time and think, that’s where it all started to unravel. For good or bad depending on your viewpoint.

Yeah, this.

Also, if we start overpaying for players and acting like the richest club in the league, the price tags we pay will rise accordingly, as will the wages. In that sense we need to follow the Spurs model more than the Man City one - drive hard bargains & keep our costs low enough that we don't end up forking out £100,000 a week in a third choice keeper. I mean, what would that make Jack's wages? Something like £250,000 a week at least .... it's a slippery slope.

All well and good re wages and not overpaying. But we still have the question of purchase price.
 
Brentford would be looking at the benchmark we've set for ourselves (with Cash) and saying that W & B have to be worth £20-25m apiece. And, Bournemouth - who have already mugged off Ake and Ramsdale for high prices - will look at the Cash buy and say that Wilson (England player in the prime of his career) is worth over £20m, too.
Haven't we created our own problem here? Or, maybe the delay is not in the price but the finer details.

I think the Cash deal is precisely why we are saying to Brentford and Bournemouth that their valuations are over the odds. We’ve paid £14 million (rising to £16) for the only just 23 year old best player of a team that finished a few points below Brentford. How does that make both Watkins and Benrahma worth double what Cash is. Similarly, how is the 28 year old, injury prone Wilson who scored as many goals as Wesley last season worth £20 million plus when this is effectively the last big contract of his career?

[Risso]

I think the Cash deal is precisely why we are saying to Brentford and Bournemouth that their valuations are over the odds. We’ve paid £14 million (rising to £16) for the only just 23 year old best player of a team that finished a few points below Brentford. How does that make both Watkins and Benrahma worth double what Cash is. Similarly, how is the 28 year old, injury prone Wilson who scored as many goals as Wesley last season worth £20 million plus when this is effectively the last big contract of his career?

That's all well and good,  but then we'll miss out on those players to other teams like we did with Maupay last season, and another poor transfer window and season of struggle will be the end result.

[ozzjim]

I think the Cash deal is precisely why we are saying to Brentford and Bournemouth that their valuations are over the odds. We’ve paid £14 million (rising to £16) for the only just 23 year old best player of a team that finished a few points below Brentford. How does that make both Watkins and Benrahma worth double what Cash is. Similarly, how is the 28 year old, injury prone Wilson who scored as many goals as Wesley last season worth £20 million plus when this is effectively the last big contract of his career?

That's all well and good,  but then we'll miss out on those players to other teams like we did with Maupay last season, and another poor transfer window and season of struggle will be the end result.

Pessimist. There is 4 weeks left and all is rosy.

[N'ZMAV]

Fucking 'ell.  Is Doug Ellis back in the building and doing the negotiating? 

Robbie Keane. £500k - the rest is history.

[LeeB]

I think the interest in him has been pushed by Albion to puff out their chests and say we beat Villa too him I really do.

The bid for Wilson has been reported by pretty much most of the mainstream media that are usually quite reliable, so not sure why you doubt that one too much.

Has it? I've not seen anything.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/sep/04/aston-villa-15m-callum-wilson-bid-rejected-by-bournemouth-transfer-news

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11743/12063410/callum-wilson-aston-villa-bid-for-striker-rejected-by-bournemouth

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/09/02/aston-villa-win-race-sign-matty-cash-nottingham-forest-16m/

I didn't see it in this week's Castle Bromwich Gazette so I'm standing my ground.

[stussyboy]

Wilson - 7 goals from 35 (20%) age 28

Wesley - 5 goals from 21 (24%) age 23

The latter is also still finding his feet in a new team, league and country.

Not saying we don’t need another striker but I’m not sure Wilson is the answer

[Mister E]

I think the Cash deal is precisely why we are saying to Brentford and Bournemouth that their valuations are over the odds. We’ve paid £14 million (rising to £16) for the only just 23 year old best player of a team that finished a few points below Brentford. How does that make both Watkins and Benrahma worth double what Cash is. Similarly, how is the 28 year old, injury prone Wilson who scored as many goals as Wesley last season worth £20 million plus when this is effectively the last big contract of his career?

Benrhama  - over-priced, if the press is to be believed.
Watkins - EFL player of the season and scorer of 26 goals in the season (about the same as Tammy for us, who would have cost us £25m if Chelsea had been willing to sell)
Wilson - 28 is not old; England player; good for 10-12 goals a season. As importantly, he makes space for others, is strong and quick.

I'd love to get Watkins and Wilson in - I think they'd be a very potent pairing alternating between being wide and central.

[aev]

Wasn't there talk of us being interested in Eze but then being put off by his wage demands?

I appreciate there is time left in the window, but in an ideal world you would get your targets done and dusted early on. It takes time for players to settle in, both on and off the pitch.

If we'd have finished 10th i'd be far more relaxed.

[simboy]

I think the Cash deal is precisely why we are saying to Brentford and Bournemouth that their valuations are over the odds. We’ve paid £14 million (rising to £16) for the only just 23 year old best player of a team that finished a few points below Brentford. How does that make both Watkins and Benrahma worth double what Cash is. Similarly, how is the 28 year old, injury prone Wilson who scored as many goals as Wesley last season worth £20 million plus when this is effectively the last big contract of his career?

That's all well and good,  but then we'll miss out on those players to other teams like we did with Maupay last season, and another poor transfer window and season of struggle will be the end result.

Proven goal scorers (in whatever division) are at a premium. For every Jimenez at 30 mill there’s several Joelinton’s at £45 mill.

[Dante Lavelli]

I think as a few other posters have noted that it may be more to do with wages than transfer fees. I read recently that the wage bill came down from >100m to around 65m last year. If that’s true and it is to be sustainable then we’ll have to play hardball with the agents. Doesn’t seem much of a coincidence that the first signing we’ve made was for a player who seems to have wanted to sign for reasons other than money primarily, judging by his comments.

I think it’s too early to say whether ‘the bubble has burst’ yet, but the PL China deal collapsing may be something we look back on in a few years time and think, that’s where it all started to unravel. For good or bad depending on your viewpoint.

Yeah, this.

Also, if we start overpaying for players and acting like the richest club in the league, the price tags we pay will rise accordingly, as will the wages. In that sense we need to follow the Spurs model more than the Man City one - drive hard bargains & keep our costs low enough that we don't end up forking out £100,000 a week in a third choice keeper. I mean, what would that make Jack's wages? Something like £250,000 a week at least .... it's a slippery slope.

All well and good re wages and not overpaying. But we still have the question of purchase price.
 
Brentford would be looking at the benchmark we've set for ourselves (with Cash) and saying that W & B have to be worth £20-25m apiece. And, Bournemouth - who have already mugged off Ake and Ramsdale for high prices - will look at the Cash buy and say that Wilson (England player in the prime of his career) is worth over £20m, too.
Haven't we created our own problem here? Or, maybe the delay is not in the price but the finer details.

I think the Cash deal is precisely why we are saying to Brentford and Bournemouth that their valuations are over the odds. We’ve paid £14 million (rising to £16) for the only just 23 year old best player of a team that finished a few points below Brentford. How does that make both Watkins and Benrahma worth double what Cash is. Similarly, how is the 28 year old, injury prone Wilson who scored as many goals as Wesley last season worth £20 million plus when this is effectively the last big contract of his career?

At any given time I’d guess that the world record fee for a striker is at least x2 the record for a full-back.  On that basis what Brentford are asking is about the going rate.

[RamboandBruno]

I think the Cash deal is precisely why we are saying to Brentford and Bournemouth that their valuations are over the odds. We’ve paid £14 million (rising to £16) for the only just 23 year old best player of a team that finished a few points below Brentford. How does that make both Watkins and Benrahma worth double what Cash is. Similarly, how is the 28 year old, injury prone Wilson who scored as many goals as Wesley last season worth £20 million plus when this is effectively the last big contract of his career?

Benrhama  - over-priced, if the press is to be believed.
Watkins - EFL player of the season and scorer of 26 goals in the season (about the same as Tammy for us, who would have cost us £25m if Chelsea had been willing to sell)
Wilson - 28 is not old; England player; good for 10-12 goals a season. As importantly, he makes space for others, is strong and quick.

I'd love to get Watkins and Wilson in - I think they'd be a very potent pairing alternating between being wide and central.

I was hoping this would happen. Older head supporting younger up and coming player as well.
Not sure why being 2 mill short of Bournemouth’s valuation means the deals dead and he’s definitely going to Newcastle, unless that was our one and only offer. Would of thought if smith wants him, they’d be willing to have another crack at it?

[Steve67]

So we need to get on with it then and stop penny pinching.  Two weeks before we kick off and yet again, we are under-cooked, under-prepared and going into the new season with the same crap strike force that we had last season.  Big week ahead, got to get some business done.

[algy]

I think as a few other posters have noted that it may be more to do with wages than transfer fees. I read recently that the wage bill came down from >100m to around 65m last year. If that’s true and it is to be sustainable then we’ll have to play hardball with the agents. Doesn’t seem much of a coincidence that the first signing we’ve made was for a player who seems to have wanted to sign for reasons other than money primarily, judging by his comments.

I think it’s too early to say whether ‘the bubble has burst’ yet, but the PL China deal collapsing may be something we look back on in a few years time and think, that’s where it all started to unravel. For good or bad depending on your viewpoint.

Yeah, this.

Also, if we start overpaying for players and acting like the richest club in the league, the price tags we pay will rise accordingly, as will the wages. In that sense we need to follow the Spurs model more than the Man City one - drive hard bargains & keep our costs low enough that we don't end up forking out £100,000 a week in a third choice keeper. I mean, what would that make Jack's wages? Something like £250,000 a week at least .... it's a slippery slope.

All well and good re wages and not overpaying. But we still have the question of purchase price.
 
Brentford would be looking at the benchmark we've set for ourselves (with Cash) and saying that W & B have to be worth £20-25m apiece. And, Bournemouth - who have already mugged off Ake and Ramsdale for high prices - will look at the Cash buy and say that Wilson (England player in the prime of his career) is worth over £20m, too.
Haven't we created our own problem here? Or, maybe the delay is not in the price but the finer details.

I think the Cash deal is precisely why we are saying to Brentford and Bournemouth that their valuations are over the odds. We’ve paid £14 million (rising to £16) for the only just 23 year old best player of a team that finished a few points below Brentford. How does that make both Watkins and Benrahma worth double what Cash is. Similarly, how is the 28 year old, injury prone Wilson who scored as many goals as Wesley last season worth £20 million plus when this is effectively the last big contract of his career?

At any given time I’d guess that the world record fee for a striker is at least x2 the record for a full-back.  On that basis what Brentford are asking is about the going rate.

Also, Bournemouth have a hefty wage bill that's going to cripple them if they don't reduce it. Brentford have a brand new stadium to pay for, which will be operating well below capacity for the foreseeable.

Now is exactly the time to be driving hard bargains with those two. We shouldn't turn down the opportunities afforded to us by the crisis, namely that we have the cash that other clubs need to weather this storm. As ruthless as it feels, we have to clean them out whilst we, but few others, can.

[Sexual Ealing]

And we could also get rid of Lansbury if someone could agree to pay his wages.

[VinnieChase84]

So we need to get on with it then and stop penny pinching.  Two weeks before we kick off and yet again, we are under-cooked, under-prepared and going into the new season with the same crap strike force that we had last season.  Big week ahead, got to get some business done.

This