I did see referenced somewhere that a signing on fee might be a sticking point. The whole cost equation for the club is Transfer Fee + Agent Fee + Signing On Fee + Wages.
The first element is 0 for both us and Real. The second two will presumably be similar. Currently we are at a slight advantage on wages because the top rate of tax in the UK is 45% whereas in Spain it is 47%. However, I don’t know if there is some financial jiggery-pokery that could reduce that.
I wonder if Trent’s brother is waiting until the UK budget to see if that alters the equation?
Nah…I’m not facing that - I think he signs a new deal still, although I think that’s the hardest to get over the line of the three who’s contracts are ending.
Apart from all that already mentioned , La Liga rules stipulates that each club can have a maximum of three non-EU players. So there really isn’t much space, even with this dual passport thing trick they’re using.
The whole thing might also depend on other signings/outgoings btw
I still think Salah is the one who goes. Getting paid the most, he’s older and his performances are not great despite his excellent goal and assist output. He’s the most replaceable.
yeah, hes certainly justifying his spot in the team on his numbers, but no one could hand on heart suggest his performances are as good as they always have been…
i guess its just his age plus his contract value plus his ‘career arc’ that people are picking him for this hypothetical question on who we would begrudgingly let go out of the big three still to sign…
i dont think anyones disrespecting his current status or his legacy…
I don’t think that’s anything new? He’s been slated for the last few seasons about this, and yet somehow he’s also some valuable asset that we cannot afford to lose.
I feel that people just feel as though he has to be the man of the match and be everywhere on the pitch every single game, otherwise he’s obviously angling for a move to Madrid.
I would genuinely like to know the reasons why Real Madrid are after him. I feel he’s a top class player who’s been playing a level or two below his very best for past two years and who, on that form, isn’t an upgrade on Carvajal, who was getting better with time until he did his ligaments. Are Real Madrid simply being opportunistic or they genuinely feel they can get him back to his very best or even better?
Simply just because he is a top-class player, who, even when his form is down, is still great. As I’ve already said, his standards are just so high now that it seems that any game where he’s not contender for player of the match is a game where he’s seen as not having done well.
No doubt in hindsight when his career is over, there will be the revisionism that he was simply brilliant game in game out.
He’s a vital part of our team, and it’s also why it bemuses me that sentiment seems to simultaneously be that he’s not that great a loss compared to Salah and van Dijk, but yet also important enough to be retained. Like I said, it does seem to be premature emotional compensation for potentially losing him.
To be honest, I saw a lot of Liverpool fans give Salah both barrels when he wasn’t on his best game. It’s something we just do, I guess…
I have no doubt that Trent was the best right back in the world at one point (and for me that one point was 2018-2021). However, Van Dijk has been the best centre back in the world during almost his whole Liverpool career, including now, and Salah, if we’re talking solely about his position, was probably behind only Messi during his Liverpool career.
That coupled with Trent’s loss of form/inconsistent form is my reason behind choosing Van Dijk but it’s definitely not a slight on Trent, I desperately want him to stay and see him hit the same heights again.
