Dale Stephens signs 4 year contract

[Nixonator]

Fair play and well done to you for persuading him to stay.

I am a little surprised but suspect he must be on a VERY lucrative new deal. He could have probably got a £5 million-plus signing-on deal with Burnley (we were willing to pay £7 million) or another club.

When he slapped in a transfer request last August, perphaps DS wasn't 100% confident you would get promoted?

Would his new 4-year deal contain a release clause?

He wanted PL football and made known that he wanted to leave at least a couple of weeks before the deadline. In answer to your question, it did not matter what chance he or anyone else gave us for promotion, he had made a long decision to leave for PL football and a PL contract because of his age. Unfortunately (for them) Hull's bids did not meet our valuation and your lot only met our valuation on deadline day which was far too late for us to seek a replacement. Our owner rejected and Dale was not very happy about it, citing rather moodily he will 'honour his contract'.

Since then he has been a pleasure to watch and a model professional in every sense of the word. He's knuckled down and showed his quality especially in the latter stages of the season where it was imperative we did not tail off, even in the last 3 games where many of his team mates were already on the beach with a title to be won (or lost). He has actually grown in stature this year, having to play alongside many midfield partners and with his key partner of the previous season, Kayal, injured and returning not anywhere near to the same form.

I don't think you had any chance of signing him this time round if that comes as any consolation and I'm sure your lot are saying it's no big deal and move on, but if I was a claret I would definitely be quite gutted that your club ****ed around with the transfer back in August and didn't offer the player's worth from the getgo. After all, he would be your player now if you did and worth every penny.

 

[mreprice]

My understanding is that wages are generally roughly equal to the transfer fee. So if Burnley were paying an eight million fee they'd also be paying £40,000 a week. Plus whatever share of the 8 mill he could negotiate as a signing on fee. At least £10m total over the four years.

 

[lancyclaret]

He wanted PL football and made known that he wanted to leave at least a couple of weeks before the deadline. In answer to your question, it did not matter what chance he or anyone else gave us for promotion, he had made a long decision to leave for PL football and a PL contract because of his age. Unfortunately (for them) Hull's bids did not meet our valuation and your lot only met our valuation on deadline day which was far too late for us to seek a replacement. Our owner rejected and Dale was not very happy about it, citing rather moodily he will 'honour his contract'.

Since then he has been a pleasure to watch and a model professional in every sense of the word. He's knuckled down and showed his quality especially in the latter stages of the season where it was imperative we did not tail off, even in the last 3 games where many of his team mates were already on the beach with a title to be won (or lost). He has actually grown in stature this year, having to play alongside many midfield partners and with his key partner of the previous season, Kayal, injured and returning not anywhere near to the same form.

I don't think you had any chance of signing him this time round if that comes as any consolation and I'm sure your lot are saying it's no big deal and move on, but if I was a claret I would definitely be quite gutted that your club ****ed around with the transfer back in August and didn't offer the player's worth from the getgo. After all, he would be your player now if you did and worth every penny.

Excellent post with which I agree 100%.......I have felt all along Burnley only have themselves to blame for being "penny-pinchers" last August. I was led to believe that we wanted Stephens and Hendrick (£10 million) not either or. Hendrick has done better than I expected and is a full international but I still think Stephens would have outshone him for the Clarets this season - especially after our best CM (Dean Marney) was injured again in January and missed the rest of the season. Fortunately, Barton & Westwood did an adequate job of covering for Marney. It will be interesting to see who Dyche now signs this summer especially as Defour (hugely-talented and the most skilful player on our books) does not have the physicality to play in Dyche's style/framework and will probably, and sadly, be sold.

Basically this means that Dyche will have to look elsewhere for a natural successor to the 33-year-old Marney who won't be fit again until Nov/Dec....if at all.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Fair play and well done to you for persuading him to stay.

I am a little surprised but suspect he must be on a VERY lucrative new deal. He could have probably got a £5 million-plus signing-on deal with Burnley (we were willing to pay £7 million) or another club.

When he slapped in a transfer request last August, perphaps DS wasn't 100% confident you would get promoted?

Would his new 4-year deal contain a release clause?

£5 million quid to sign a contract? That's not a thing at his level, surely.

 

[lancyclaret]

Yes...why not if the player's new club do not have to splash out a transfer fee?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Yes...why not if the buying club do not have to splash out a transfer fee?

Serious question, you think Dale Stephens would have been offered £5 million to sign a contact at Burnley?

 

[lancyclaret]

YES....maybe more, depending on wages. I think Brighton must be paying Stephens at least the same wages he would have got at Burnley plus the fact that DS would have been a FREE AGENT, means he should get a big chunk of whatever fee Burnley offered to Tony Bloom last August (the rumour was £7 million).

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Dale has made it clear he wanted Premier League football. Money is important, but not everything. Now he has got his wish, his wife and kids don't have to be disrupted from their home and school, and he is with the team, and boss, that he knows.

 

[Weststander]

Excellent post with which I agree 100%.......I have felt all along Burnley only have themselves to blame for being "penny-pinchers" last August. I was led to believe that we wanted Stephens and Hendrick (£10 million) not either or. Hendrick has done better than I expected and is a full international but I still think Stephens would have outshone him for the Clarets this season - especially after our best CM (Dean Marney) was injured again in January and missed the rest of the season. Fortunately, Barton & Westwood did an adequate job of covering for Marney. It will be interesting to see who Dyche now signs this summer especially as Defour (hugely-talented and the most skilful player on our books) does not have the physicality to play in Dyche's style/framework and will probably, and sadly, be sold.

Basically this means that Dyche will have to look elsewhere for a natural successor to the 33-year-old Marney who won't be fit again until Nov/Dec....if at all.

Or perhaps TB said DS wasn't going at any price?

The disruption in late Aug/early Sept of losing our best CM would have been telling.

 

[8th battalion East Lancs]

Excellent post with which I agree 100%.......I have felt all along Burnley only have themselves to blame for being "penny-pinchers" last August. I was led to believe that we wanted Stephens and Hendrick (£10 million) not either or. Hendrick has done better than I expected and is a full international but I still think Stephens would have outshone him for the Clarets this season - especially after our best CM (Dean Marney) was injured again in January and missed the rest of the season. Fortunately, Barton & Westwood did an adequate job of covering for Marney. It will be interesting to see who Dyche now signs this summer especially as Defour (hugely-talented and the most skilful player on our books) does not have the physicality to play in Dyche's style/framework and will probably, and sadly, be sold.

Basically this means that Dyche will have to look elsewhere for a natural successor to the 33-year-old Marney who won't be fit again until Nov/Dec....if at all.

Another clueless phrase in 'penny pinchers'. The transfer fee is just half of the battle.

It wasn't either or both of Stephens and Hendrick anyway, it was either or of Westwood and Stephens. We were chasing Westwood early on in the window last summer when we basically had just Marney and Jones, but the fact that Villa wanted to get players in first, meant he didn't come until January.

Barton and Westwood haven't been covering for Marney, both have as much or more Premier League experience as Marney.

 

[BensGrandad]

Football rumours. I know that sites reputation but do ocassionally get things right, reckon you have offered £15m for Will Hughes of Derby to join up again with Hendrick.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Serious question, you think Dale Stephens would have been offered £5 million to sign a contact at Burnley?

I'm with you.

Absolutely NOT A CHANCE. The attraction of an out of contract player, is that you avoid paying his full transfer value. You don't just pay it to him instead! What a downright ODD suggestion.

 

[8th battalion East Lancs]

Football rumours. I know that sites reputation but do ocassionally get things right, reckon you have offered £15m for Will Hughes of Derby to join up again with Hendrick.

Aye.

I may log on later to post about how Burnley have been alerted to the fact that Dale Stephens is wanting to move nearer to Bolton because he misses having gravy with his meat and tatie pie.

 

[Southern Scouse]

I'm pleased he's signed but am worried about his pace next year. He's great on the ball but not sure he's going to get the time he got in the championship. Hope he's not our star midfield player.

 

[Weststander]

I'm pleased he's signed but am worried about his pace next year. He's great on the ball but not sure he's going to get the time he got in the championship. Hope he's not our star midfield player.

A lot of his work is breaking up the moves of opponents, shielding the back four or covering for say Dunk making one of those rare runs forward (Fulham away). He hasn't got the pace of say a Baldock, but he's no slouch. I think his overall game will be an asset to our first eleven at PL level.

 

[Icy Gull]

A lot of his work is breaking up the moves of opponents, shielding the back four or covering for say Dunk making one of those rare runs forward (Fulham away). He hasn't got the pace of say a Baldock, but he's no slouch. I think his overall game will be an asset to our first eleven at PL level.

Calmly having time on the ball in hectic games is an asset that only very good players have, Stephens has it.

 

[ac gull]

Calmly having time on the ball in hectic games is an asset that only very good players have, Stephens has it.

Above is spot on - he creates space where there is seemingly none - always great to watch and admire

 

[perseus]

Dale has made it clear he wanted Premier League football. Money is important, but not everything. Now he has got his wish, his wife and kids don't have to be disrupted from their home and school, and he is with the team, and boss, that he knows.

Champions League.
39 pts, Then 50 pts, Still in contract.

 

[8th battalion East Lancs]

A lot of his work is breaking up the moves of opponents, shielding the back four or covering for say Dunk making one of those rare runs forward (Fulham away). He hasn't got the pace of say a Baldock, but he's no slouch. I think his overall game will be an asset to our first eleven at PL level.

Only time and the manager will determine if Stephens is an asset in the Premier League.

I mean who knew that Ashley Barnes could bully both an Argentinian and Belgian centre back until I saw him do it? Not me that's for sure.

It's still an all bells and whistles shitter version of the Championship, but what can you do other than hope that you play your part?

 

[OzMike]

One of the best signings we will make for next season, even though he is an existing player.
His skill and ability is good and not meaning to slight our existing players, but with better quality players around him the results will reap rewards.