The leverage moves toward the buying club as the contract diminishes. Even then though, with a special player, desirable by all the top teams - who all have deep pockets, you might still see a silly fee being paid as the contract winds down.
€150M fee and I can’t see us in the race. Never say never, but I can’t see it at that point.
Kone, Gomes, Caicedo, Sucic, maybe one or two others, but if Bellingham is beyond our reach I see two from a list like that.
Depending on how many outgoing midfielders, we might arguably add a third, say Tielemans on a Bosman, but the priority will be better athletes than him, who can also play.
Nothing solid that I’m aware of, nor was I implying there was. However, signing an extension would be a sign that he isn’t itching for a move to us or anyone else for that matter.
Referenced Salah and Gerrard a few times & probably liked a few of their instagram posts, that’s all you really need these days to get people out of bed and onto their toilet seats with their knobs out.
Is that like the Ronaldo conversation though? Would he have played with us the same amount as he did at Dortmund? If not, would he have developed into the supposedly 100m+ player he is now? Could we have justified that much money for a player on that altered trajectory?
At some point, if it hasn’t happened already, Jude will tell Dortmund where he wants to move to. It will then be up to that club and Dortmund to agree a fee.
It’s clear our model is based on overpaying after a player has fulfiled his potential to a point elsewhere, rather than take the risk ourself of them not developing.
The more grinding point of that article says we tried to sign him before he went professional at Birmingham and would have had to pay £9k compensation… Imagine that!
Haaland repeatedly left money on the table at every step of his development to take the steps he thought were better for his development, and to allow him to retain control over his development. It’s partly a reflection of the confidence he has in himself, but partly the sort of long term career planning and salary deferment that tends to only be available to kids of wealthy parents.
Even if it were just one I think that kind of fee is nuts and beyond what we’d entertain.
Certainly think it needs to be at two though with Ox, Naby, Milner and Arthur currently not contracted to be here next season. If that is the case we’re going to need to find a bargain to come in alongside Bellingham or start planning moves elsewhere.
I agree. I was just using language similar to James Pearce, as it is the vernacular around transfers. But yes, the reality will likely be as you say - Bellingham has a preferred destination, and leaves it between clubs to agree a fee.
Dortmund saying the asking price is €150M is a negotiating tactic.
But if the buying club know that Bellingham wants to go to them, they have some leverage to knock Dortmund down on that ridiculous fee.
I honestly do feel we need to consider an evolution to a double pivot to get more attackers on the pitch, and also to protect against the counter attack, given our attacking fullbacks.
Further, a double pivot is easier to buy for, as you don’t quite need to unearth the rare-as-rocking-horse-shit-specialist-superstar, in order to have a perfectly good double pivot.
Edit: you might also get some additional useful longevity out of some of our older players - Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho - if they are playing in a double pivot.
And regarding 150m, while I personally do not think Jude is worth that money despite all the potential and performances he has, it is ultimately left to the other idiot clubs what they are going to offer. If for example, Real is willing to offer 150m and even if Jude tells Dortmund that he will only go to Liverpool, that does not mean Dortmund’s arm is going to be twisted for say if we offer 70m citing that he is into the last year of contract. Its more likely we will need to close the gap to what the other clubs are willing to offer. Its not going to be an easy negotiation that hopefully will define Ward’s era but that is on the premise that Jude specifically wants to come to us or else if he is open to clubs like Real etc, we are going to be blown out of the water with these reckless club spendings and I will be on the side of the club even if it means losing out on a very good player.
