Bridcutt sold £3.25million. (with Sunderland kit picture)

[Westdene Seagull]

I don't know why people get so worked up about things like this.

If a player wants to leave a club they are the worst in the world. Yet on the flip side of the ledger football clubs can make a man unemployed as quick as you can click your fingers.

When clubs do that fans seem to accept it without battering an eyelid.

And it took 6 pages to get to this sensible post.

 

[Bold Seagull]

After watching Lee Catermole in a few recent games, I can completely understand why Gus is making Liam a priority.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

And people moaning about Poyet's derisory offer should realise that, once he and the director of football have sat down and identified targets, Poyet will have next to nothing to do with the bidding process.

 

[British Bulldog]

Also, I guess we don't know what was said when Crystal Palace bid in pre season. For all we know he might have been given assurances by the club they wouldn't stand in his way if another Premier League club came in for him later.

Very good point, Whatever is happening behind the scenes I just hope it gets sorted asap and we get a good fee for him and then we can all move on.

 

[Springal]

And yes, by doing so he may well lose any loyalty payment meaning the Albion get more of the potential fee. But presumably he could just waive that anyway without handing in a request.

I know it is part of modern football. But that does not mean it isn't a shame. I'll still wish him well, I'll still clap him if he comes back. But won't remember him quite as fondly.

I understand the sentiment here, but why would you sign a contract, and waive some of the conditions. Especially if you could be owed £100,000's ? Not like he is some youth teamer, or some local lad that absolutely loves the club. He's a professional footballer, with a family to provide for, in a career that might only last another 10 years.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I understand the sentiment here, but why would you sign a contract, and waive some of the conditions. Especially if you could be owed £100,000's ? Not like he is some youth teamer, or some local lad that absolutely loves the club. He's a professional footballer, with a family to provide for, in a career that might only last another 10 years.

Well of course you would waive conditions if it helped you get the move you wanted if you felt the club you were contracted to weren't going to let you go. An obvious bit of leveraging I would think?

 

[symyjym]

Do we owe any sell on fee to Chelsea out of the money we get for Bridcutt?

 

[B.W.]

I was really OK with him leaving providing we got £4M or £3.5M plus add-ons; he deserves his chance in the Prem. But this request kind of dents my positive thoughts on his fantastic contribution to the Albion cause. Worse, it no doubt means we'll get less of a transfer fee now.

 

[B.W.]

Or we could just do a Liverpool and tell him where to stick his request...

 

[LamieRobertson]

I was really OK with him leaving providing we got £4M or £3.5M plus add-ons; he deserves his chance in the Prem. But this request kind of dents my positive thoughts on his fantastic contribution to the Albion cause. Worse, it no doubt means we'll get less of a transfer fee now.

why does it mean we will get less of a transfer fee?

 

[nwgull]

Do we owe any sell on fee to Chelsea out of the money we get for Bridcutt?

No. His contract at Chelsea had expired about 2 months before we signed him - he was effectively unemployed.

 

[B.W.]

Do we owe any sell on fee to Chelsea out of the money we get for Bridcutt?

No.

 

[Acker79]

Edit: already answered.

 

[B.W.]

why does it mean we will get less of a transfer fee?

Because he has weakened our bargaining position.

 

[Acker79]

Because he has weakened our bargaining position.

Not really. We don't have to accept his request, and with 18 months left on his contract we're in no rush to sell so can wait for other offers or just not accept any.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Because he has weakened our bargaining position.

Hmm..i dont necessarily agree..it depends on the clubs reaction to the request ....we r still under no pressure to sell considering he's got 18 months left on his contract (reportedly)..u hav an unhappy player yes..but i can still see the club only selling when the figure they want is reached

 

[LamieRobertson]

Not really. We don't have to accept his request, and with 18 months left on his contract we're in no rush to sell so can wait for other offers or just not accept any.

thats the way i see it

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I understand the sentiment here, but why would you sign a contract, and waive some of the conditions. Especially if you could be owed £100,000's ? Not like he is some youth teamer, or some local lad that absolutely loves the club. He's a professional footballer, with a family to provide for, in a career that might only last another 10 years.

I am not saying he should. Just that that was one reason offered for handing in a transfer request. Say Sunderland were only bidding £2.5million and Bridcutt was due £250,000 of it as a loyalty payment, by waiving it he would basically increase the bid by £250,000 potentially making it more appealing to the Albion.

My point was that if this is his tactic, he could presumably waive it without needing to hand in a transfer request.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Let him go.

I don't think this is the same as the Elliot Bennett scenario. Bennett was, at the time, a third tier player being tempted by a move to a (then) Championship side. He was told by the club that they'd let him go in the summer, and he knuckled down and earned us promotion as much as anyone in that team did.

Bridcutt, on the other hand, is being offered a Premier League contract, albeit one that's likely to be Premier League only for another five months. I can't blame the guy for being tempted. We all work for a living, and if they're offering him far more money than we'd ever pay him, along with the chance to work with a boss whom he obviously likes and respects, who wouldn't want that? While he isn't officially allowed to talk to the Mackems until the Albion say so, the way of the world now is that he will know exactly what they're prepared to offer him (including, no doubt, a nice lump sum to cover that loyalty bonus he'll have lost from the Albion by demanding a transfer).

His last two performances have been below par by his own impeccable standards, with his passing far more ragged than we've come to expect (I think the move that led to Bournemouth's utter shithouse penalty came from a bad pass by Bridcutt, unless my memory is playing tricks). Maybe at first I thought he was still adjusting to the pace of games after a few months out, but perhaps it is the case that his head's turned, and he doesn't want to jeopardise any move by getting injured or whatever.

I'm not going to slate the guy- who knows, if Bloom and, potentially, Sunderland, play hardball with each other, there is still some prospect that he'll end up staying anyway. I doubt that will be a great outcome for any of us, and I hope if that does happen to be the case, he finds it in himself to crack on and concentrate on what he's good at.

It's just a shame it's not a better team than Sunderland- clearly he's not going to go to Man United, but it would have been nice to see how he got on in a mid table sort of side [edit: I've just realised that's what United are, and he'd probably do a better job than Fellaini or Cleverley], rather than the joint-worst team in the top flight. Get a good price, Tony, don't let Poyet take the piss, and send him on his way with our best wishes. If Poyet and Bridcutt could actually keep that miserable side in the Premier League, then they'll deserve all the plaudits they'll get.

 

[B.W.]

Not really. We don't have to accept his request, and with 18 months left on his contract we're in no rush to sell so can wait for other offers or just not accept any.

Hmm..i dont necessarily agree..it depends on the clubs reaction to the request ....we r still under no pressure to sell considering he's got 18 months left on his contract (reportedly)..u hav an unhappy player yes..but i can still see the club only selling when the figure they want is reached

I hope you're both right, but the unhappy player thing will be used by bidders for his services IMHO.