The difference is his managers haven’t called him out its all well saying this is what I’ve seen.
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I think the Saudis offered a sum in that sort of ballpark for Nunez in January.
We’re all just guessing, but I would say that in a normal world, as things stand Nunez is a 40M player. If the Saudis come back, we might achieve the sort of sum I’m suggesting.
Reading quite a few comments that Joshua Zirkzee is the closest thing there is to a Bobby Firmino… if there is the slightest truth in that, then what are we waiting for - Go and get him :0)
Although, coming back down to planet earth… maybe it is just wishful thinking by many
The more time passes, the more likely this list looks to me. I won’t be debating price tags but I expect these particular players to leave in the summer - depending on homegrown rules, that is, because I think that Kelleher, Morton and Elliott will affect that quota.
Nevertheless, that should probably be a good time for a major squad shake-up, regardless of how this season ends in terms of trophies. Provided Van Dijk and Salah extend their contracts, I’d expect the club to buy a centre back, a left back, a right back, a left winger and a centre forward. I don’t see any of these coming in from the academy at this moment - the likes of Danns, Koumas and Doak are probably another loan more or two away from featuring in Slot’s plans.
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No way we’re getting £25m for Kelleher. For years now our bar was set at £20m and the best offer we got was £8.5m from Forest on January deadline day 2024. In the last year or his contract this summer also.
I think £25m is very realistic. He will be hugely in demand and would immediately improve loads of teams in this league. Just think of the fucking clown Wolves turned up between the sticks on Sunday.
I think there will be something of a bidding war over him.
I dont see Elliott leaving, i think he is happy to be a squad player, and given the expected churn within the squad i dont see the club being in a rush to sell either.
As for Diaz, i think he pretty much wants Madrid or Barca, so not sure he will be in a rush to leave this summer unless they are willing to pay up.
All that would’ve happened by now. And now he’ll have a year left, I think the peak in terms of business is gone. I’m not saying we’ll sell for the last (known) bid we rejected, but no, I’m not expecting £25m either.
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Diaz is 28, so time is not on his side if he dreams of Barcelona. Do they really need/want him? Can’t see any other move that would make sense for him.
They’re the club i’ve seen mentioned when there is talk of a move, or why he is not signing a new contract. I dont know if there is genuine interest there or not, but i’m not sure who else would interest him other than perhaps PSG (and Saudi clubs if his interest is only money?). And Barca had wanted him when we signed him.
I think he only has 18 months on his contract doesnt he? So leaving on a free at 29 still gives him time in his peak years there, if that is where he goes.
All these players with contract winding down, ffs! If this is how its going to go, we’re going to need to start signing a lot more free agents on the other side
Eh ?
I tried to be fair on the prices we might get, but obviously we are all just guessing.
The further down my list went, the more uncomfortable I was getting with it. I could have kept going, as Joe Gomez was borderline with a departure last summer, and he might want to leave to play more elsewhere. His injury might hinder that.
Konate is not guaranteed to stay either. He has not signed a new deal. Paris is his home town. PSG are interested.
Even the likes of Doak might leave. We had two Prem teams offer 15/16M and we told them to do one. We saw Summerville step up from the Championship to the Prem for double? the price, so we must have that sort of sum in mind if we are going to sell. If he keeps impressing on loan someone might pay it.
It would be a huge surprise if all of these players were to depart. Football doesn’t work like that.
But it is not difficult to see the circumstances coming together for a summer with lots of changes, outgoing and incoming.
It will be fascinating to see how Slot and Hughes shape it.
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Kelleher and Konate also talked about as having 12 months resulting in us potentially receiving less for them or losing them for free (respectively).
Of our first team squad, only the following are nailed on to be here next season:
Ali, Bradley, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gakpo.
All the others have a question mark of some sort whether it be large or small.
That’s a lot of planning and negotiation needed.
We will definitely need at least:
one CB,
LB (sorry, AR is in decline),
CM (if Endo isn’t good enough, we need someone to rotate),
CF (can’t see a future for DN with us).
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I wouldn’t be so sure.
We’ve signed Mamardashvili, don’t forget. And Ali has looked far from his imperious best this season.
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Ok, even fewer then.
It’s a very good point, there’s a huge amount of uncertainty floating around beyond the three contract issues.
We don’t want a huge turnover of players in one window, nor do you want to go into next season with either players Slot has shown he doesn’t really trust still hanging about or another set of contract issues to worry us.
I think we’ve got some decent sellable assets to raise funds. Nunez is the biggest of those if there is a Saudi offer out there. Morton, Doak, Kelleher are all likely to go and you’d hope to be hoping of upwards of £50m. Wouldn’t rule out Bajcetic and Elliott either and probably Endo too.
Chiesa is anyone’s guess, mine would be back to Italy on loan with an option to buy. Don’t see us letting Diaz or Konate go. Robertson stays but Tsimikas goes with a new LB coming in. Ali has a big question mark for me too with the big Georgian shadow looming.
If you keep Mo and Virg then I think you’re shopping for a good squad type RB, a starting LB, at least one but probably two mids and a CF that could ideally do a bit out wide too. Maybe an experienced back up keeper if Ali does move on. And in an ideal world one of the full backs could do bits a CB too.
Anything more just feels like too much upheaval. If we lose more than one of Trent, Virg and Mo then the task becomes infinitely harder and more expensive.
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Fuck that.
We sell him (at a loss if necessary even though he was cheap) or we keep.
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This is the ‘who would you sell?’ thread