By my reckoning there are up to eleven players in our first team who may not be here next season…
Out of Contract: Adrian, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner, Arthur (Loan), Firmino
Potential Sale/Loan Out: Kelleher, Williams, Phillips, Matip, Carvalho
Things change and I don’t think we will see all of these players leave but even just the OOC ones is likely to be about 400k-500k per week in wages leaving the club. I’m not sure last time we had a clear out like that?
Edit: Maybe 2016? Benteke, Allen, Skrtel, Sakho, Balotelli, Toure and Markovic left. Maybe similar in wages?
I reckon that figure could be pushing closer to 700k which would be well in excess of the 2016 clear out. Bobby is on close to 200k. Naby, Matip and Ox are all over 100k. If we were stupid enough to pay Arthur’s wages in full then that’s going to be over 100k as well.
Milner is the only one from those lists who has a chance of staying I reckon. Kelleher, Williams and Phillips should raise a decent amount of funds and a loan for Carvalho makes sense.
Probably true, but teams will usually seek to charge a higher fee for their key players in winter windows to compensate for the disruption it causes them.
Find it hard to believe we haven’t been linked with him yet. Exactly what the midfield needs, could work in our new structure or the old one, the right age, profile and ready to take the next step up. His numbers are outstanding and he passes the eye test.
A Jorge Mendes client apparently, so perhaps we’ve been able to keep it quiet (wishful thinking).
I am generally dubious of defensive mids who make their names in other leagues. I think it’s an area where the different pace of the game is most impacted, but he seems to be Mascherano like.
Jurgen sounds as though he going back to pressing teams into submission… The clue we should be looking for, whoever we bring in, will have two pair of lungs showing up on their medical x-ray chart.! :0)
