Dale stephens

[Stat Brother]

We'd all do the same?! There are thousands of footballers every year who DON'T do the same - let alone us. I think it's a bit greedy and selfish personally. Just my opinion. Footballers will often sign (no doubt improved) contracts at a club and it's not that common that players who are good let their contracts completely run down. Maybe I'm harsher than you then...

DS is/was rather stuck in that 10 (ish) team mini league at the bottom of the haves and the top of the have nots.

He's 27 due another contract, which in turn will be his peak years deal.
The gulf between those contracts is massive, and he's gambled on himself to make the step up next season.

Sure in trying to get into bed with team of penny pinchers he pooped in it, at the end of the last window.


But I don't begrudging him wanting to test the water elsewhere, as he shouldn't get arsey if the club were to hold his feet to the fire the moment a new contract is put in front of him.

 

[Count Otto Black]

Yet just a week ago:


and You need to either
a) stop listening to the shit you're hearing
or
b) stop talking shit
or
c) both a and b.

just passing on the information im getting from someone who works at the club, granted he may not be 100% right but thats what he is hearing ,many more people on here have purposefully shared bullshit, but if u dont want me to share then I wont and keep the info i get to myself, thank you and good night.

 

[bhanutz]

Yet just a week ago:


and You need to either
a) stop listening to the shit you're hearing
or
b) stop talking shit
or
c) both a and b.

You are on one recently...I think you have too much time on your hands... I have some admin work you can do for me if you like...

 

[Nixonator]

DS' Premier League contract would only be available for a week after promotion. If he's not signed by then he can fook off.

But he's had 18 months of 'thinking' time, there's no way I'd allow him more time to look elsewhere.

Totally agree but that's fan talk really. The club will want him to sign on merit, even if it goes on longer than the week you suggested.

I would be very disappointed if DS did not sign a deal very speedily, IF we go up.

 

[junior]

I guess we're all hoping/expecting he'll sign a new contract if we get promoted, but i don't think it's the foregone conclusion that some people think it is.

 

[durrington gull]

Totally agree but that's fan talk really. The club will want him to sign on merit, even if it goes on longer than the week you suggested.

I would be very disappointed if DS did not sign a deal very speedily, IF we go up.

What makes us think we couldnt get better than DS if we do go up?? - oh the irony....

 

[Billy the Fish]

He's 27 due another contract, which in turn will be his peak years deal.
The gulf between those contracts is massive, and he's gambled on himself to make the step up next season.

I think this is quite an important point. The next contract Dale signs will be the most lucrative of his career. The difference between a premier league contract and a Championship contract will be huge, probably 6 figures on a 4 or 5 year deal. It's basically a lottery win that means he'd never have to work again once he retires, I don't blame him for wanting to get it right.

 

[Nixonator]

What makes us think we couldnt get better than DS if we do go up?? - oh the irony....

Because it would cost us potentially more than double what a signing on fee would. Unless TB wants to be vindictive enough to reduce our transfer budget if we go up - doesn't strike me as such.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Well if we get promoted we'll have plenty of other options anyway, so no need to stress about it then.

 

[durrington gull]

Well if we get promoted we'll have plenty of other options anyway, so no need to stress about it then.

This. he'll be begging for a contract and we'll have plenty of other options out there - whole new ball game then

 

[junior]

This. he'll be begging for a contract and we'll have plenty of other options out there - whole new ball game then

Errr not really, I suspect DS will have a few other offers on the table as well as ours. I strongly suspect he'll go to Burnley this summer.

 

[Springal]

I guess we're all hoping/expecting he'll sign a new contract if we get promoted, but i don't think it's the foregone conclusion that some people think it is.

Agreed. Other clubs will be happy to pay him a signing on fee, in lieu of paying us a transfer fee. We'll end being restricted in how much we will want to pay, because if we pay him a big signing on fee then likely other players will expect the same.

I think regardless of which league we are in we will be in a disadvantaged position to capture his signature.

 

[Triggaaar]

You are on one recently...I think you have too much time on your hands...

Recently?

I have some admin work you can do for me if you like...

Sure, happy to help.

 

[Triggaaar]

Am I missing something?

Yes.

He's on record as stating he wants PL football. If he signs a contract with us, no matter what reasonable clauses are inserted or agreements are made, he would then become subject to our valuation. Which for Dale means uncertainty whether clubs will value him at that.

Unless we stick in a minimum release that is well below our estimation he won't sign a contract.

And what would be wrong with putting a £5m to a PL team release clause in his contract? It's lower than his value, but it's £5m more than we'd get if he doesn't sign a new contract.

 

[bhanutz]

Recently?
Sure, happy to help.

Cheers.... It is faxing the FA with some transfer forms....Will let you know when you're needed!

 

[LlcoolJ]

Agreed. Other clubs will be happy to pay him a signing on fee, in lieu of paying us a transfer fee. We'll end being restricted in how much we will want to pay, because if we pay him a big signing on fee then likely other players will expect the same.

I think regardless of which league we are in we will be in a disadvantaged position to capture his signature.

But we don't know what signing on fees we generally pay anyway and also it's a totally different situation to other players if they aren't also out of contract.

I would have thought the major factor if this situation arose would be if he wants to stay down South or not.

 

[Springal]

But we don't know what signing on fees we generally pay anyway and also it's a totally different situation to other players if they aren't also out of contract.

I would have thought the major factor if this situation arose would be if he wants to stay down South or not.

I'd suggest from Glenn Murray first time round it gives us a good idea.... But if you start paying massive sign on fees, then there is no incentive for players to renew contracts and we end up in this situation for all our star players. Run down contracts and go for the biggest contract they can get.

This type of negotiation is very difficult and on a tightrope as to what you do on both sides. The reality is, Dale Stephens probably does not have much loyalty to us and will likely go to the highest bidder in July.

 

[LlcoolJ]

I'd suggest from Glenn Murray first time round it gives us a good idea.... But if you start paying massive sign on fees, then there is no incentive for players to renew contracts and we end up in this situation for all our star players. Run down contracts and go for the biggest contract they can get.

This type of negotiation is very difficult and on a tightrope as to what you do on both sides. The reality is, Dale Stephens probably does not have much loyalty to us and will likely go to the highest bidder in July.

Possibly. I'm not that fussed either way though. As others have said, although he's vital to us right now, in that situation he wouldn't be.

 

[NooBHA]

Errr not really, I suspect DS will have a few other offers on the table as well as ours. I strongly suspect he'll go to Burnley this summer.

If we go up then what we will be able to offer / will match or better Burnley's - Time will tell on this one really. Time and circumstances change many things in life.

The benefit we have is that he already knows how highly the current manager here rates him - The downside may be that he might still feel slightly let down by what happened in the summer, who knows ; however, even that might all get forgotten with the help of a good Promotion Party in Birmingham after the Villa match on the last day of the season, following a small Champagne or twenty.

 

[Nixonator]

Yes.

And what would be wrong with putting a £5m to a PL team release clause in his contract? It's lower than his value, but it's £5m more than we'd get if he doesn't sign a new contract.

Because he's going to want a signing on bonus and we are not going to pay that out now. Sign on fee aside, what you suggest has merit short-term but If we go up, we will then have to renegotiate a new deal in the PL to feel secure enough in his services. When we take out the 5M clause he's going to want another bumper in wages.

Of course we could put in x fee IF we go up but it becomes convoluted and somewhat of a 'please help us' desperation contract.

TB already cut his losses with Stephens in August, I don't think we'll be scraping around for a deal such as this. We obviously have a deal on the table now which DS/his agent are not happy with and we/he are not budging.

It could have been a lucrative (250k>8M) move-on, but it was a calculated gamble and could very well return 150m+ instead.

That said, I would be very confident of him signing very shortly after a potential promotion. It's being confident about the promotion itself that i'm most concerned about.