FFP

[chrisw1]

If he's got a year left come the summer, would we be better served loaning him again until it expires if we cannot achieve a £5.6m fee as a minimum to break even on the balance sheet?

I believe his deal is up in 2026.

It is, remarkably. Given the subsequent changes in direction of success with regards to Villa and Coutinho, that night at the end of season awards when Purslow dropped the "good news" of securing Coutinho's future looks bizarre and a bit cringe. We outgrew him when we were previously grateful for him to wow our other players in training.

absolutely awful signing £17m and probably close to £10m a year salary, no wonder the accounts are a mess

I can't recall many people complaining at the time.  It was the signing that was going to launch us towards the elite.

[London Villan]

I think most people would have seen it as a £17m gamble - which for a player that was sold a couple of years previously for +£100m was worthwhile.

As soon as his mate was sacked, then his days were numbered. Pity we can't at least get some of that £17m back...

[Somniloquism]

If he's got a year left come the summer, would we be better served loaning him again until it expires if we cannot achieve a £5.6m fee as a minimum to break even on the balance sheet?

I believe his deal is up in 2026.

It is, remarkably. Given the subsequent changes in direction of success with regards to Villa and Coutinho, that night at the end of season awards when Purslow dropped the "good news" of securing Coutinho's future looks bizarre and a bit cringe. We outgrew him when we were previously grateful for him to wow our other players in training.

absolutely awful signing £17m and probably close to £10m a year salary, no wonder the accounts are a mess

I can't recall many people complaining at the time.  It was the signing that was going to launch us towards the elite.

I think I raised it as no. Simply because the injuries and the poor displays once Gerrard had chance to "coach" him during the loan period.

[Stu]

He doesn't know anymore here, as its the same report Smirker posted that we all dissected. Can't see how we've lost that much, but we'll see.

Hey, that was my scoop!

[Ads]

Apologies

[Brazilian Villain]

I can't recall many people complaining at the time.  It was the signing that was going to launch us towards the elite.

Agreed.

[Brazilian Villain]

He doesn't know anymore here, as its the same report Smirker posted that we all dissected. Can't see how we've lost that much, but we'll see.

Hey, that was my scoop!

Are you accusing Ads of stealing your pint?

[eamonn]

Well, we're all easily seduced by a bit of Brazilian magic.

[danno]

I can't recall many people complaining at the time.  It was the signing that was going to launch us towards the elite.

I was definitely on the fence, and in hindsight we probably had to give him a long deal because his Barcelona wages were so high. A bit like when we signed Shay Given.

His age does concern me, just because of how other very good "number 10's" have fared after they turned 30.
Juan Mata and Mesut Ozil are two recent examples.

Not against the signing (far from it) I just hope we don't go full Paul Faulkner and give a 30 year old a five year deal.

[Brazilian Villain]

Well, we're all easily seduced by a bit of Brazilian magic.

You're too kind.

[Ads]

He doesn't know anymore here, as its the same report Smirker posted that we all dissected. Can't see how we've lost that much, but we'll see.

Hey, that was my scoop!

Are you accusing Ads of stealing your pint?

No I said Smirker said it as I thought it was him that brought it up.

[Risso]

I can't recall many people complaining at the time.  It was the signing that was going to launch us towards the elite.

It also massively boosted our profile at the time, and possibly helped with retaining our better players and signing people like Kamara.

[VillaTim]

If he's got a year left come the summer, would we be better served loaning him again until it expires if we cannot achieve a £5.6m fee as a minimum to break even on the balance sheet?

I believe his deal is up in 2026.

It is, remarkably. Given the subsequent changes in direction of success with regards to Villa and Coutinho, that night at the end of season awards when Purslow dropped the "good news" of securing Coutinho's future looks bizarre and a bit cringe. We outgrew him when we were previously grateful for him to wow our other players in training.

absolutely awful signing £17m and probably close to £10m a year salary, no wonder the accounts are a mess

I can't recall many people complaining at the time.  It was the signing that was going to launch us towards the elite.

bar his debut and the Leeds game he's been largely crap. His injury record and wages etc and a 4 year deal ! raised eyebrows . Anyway its backfired massively.

[SoccerHQ]

One thing that does give me confidence we aren't heading back to financial apocalypse....surely we wouldn't have handed Bailey a new long term deal?

He's played very very well for most of 2023 and started this year fine so you're talking a player who we could sell for what we signed Diaby if we'd wanted to given his productivity.

Given it wasn't that long a contract extension perhaps the plan is just to get another 18 months and then sell him in summer 2025?

We have very credible people running the football side of things so I think there is a plan but it might not be one people are too happy with to meet our FFP requirements.

[aev]

I thought his wages were covered by his loan spell/fee?