Dale Stephens

[Triggaaar]

Not sure, it depends... but it is much more than a 'sign on fee' of a player extending their contract.

Yeah, but it's not £7m. And I would suggest a 'sign on fee' of a player extending their contract is actually quite high if they've only got a few months left. Of course he'd have got less if he'd extended a year ago, but then he'd have been on higher wages for the last year, and we'd have been taking the risk on him getting injured, instead of him

If the club break their model to pay Stephens a sign on fee to compete with other clubs vying for his signature then you then have a problem with the rest of the squad expecting that or just running down their contracts to negotiate a larger fee.

Not really. The rest of the squad already know they could run down their contracts and get a good fee from another club. The danger is they get injured and are without a club for a year, paying for their own medical team to help them recover. And what exactly is the club's current model? Equally club's like Burnley don't want to upset their squad, the squad that has got them to the PL and kept them there, buy giving millions to a Championship player.

This is ultimately the problem the club have and why I think Stephens is off regardless.

I can't say I'd be shocked if he left, but then I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed. He's showing quite a bit of effort and emotional involvement for someone who's decided to leave. Either way I'll be grateful to him.

 

[Triggaaar]

TBH it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the best offers for Stephens, this summer, came from Championship clubs.

Any chairman hopeful of promotion should be crawling over broken glass to get DS's signature, and that club knows they'd have a lot of competition for him.

Do many challenging Championship teams play 442? (genuine question).

The same can't be said of the Premier League.

Of course more Championship teams would want him, but they have a lot less money. And Dale wants to play in the PL, there's no way he'll go to a Championship side.

 

[Machiavelli]

As a final prediction....I think the chances of Stephens being a Burnley player next August are ONLY about 40/60 but the chances of him being a Brighton player are only 10 per cent.

I'm willing to bet on this.

You're on. I'll stake you a tenner for bet 2 (you'll have to give me £100 if he is a Brighton player), and you can stake me whatever you want for bet 1 (and I'll repay you 3.5x your amount).

 

[B.W.]

TBH it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the best offers for Stephens, this summer, came from Championship clubs.

Any chairman hopeful of promotion should be crawling over broken glass to get DS's signature, and that club knows they'd have a lot of competition for him.

The same can't be said of the Premier League.

They can crawl all they like, he won't be playing in the Championship next season IMHO...

 

[sparkie]

They can crawl all they like, he won't be playing in the Championship next season IMHO...

The big, big deal that is made about him wanting to play in the PL suggests he wouldn't sign for any championship club.

 

[Nixonator]

As a final prediction....I think the chances of Stephens being a Burnley player next August are ONLY about 40/60 but the chances of him being a Brighton player are only 10 per cent.

I'm willing to bet on this.

Blimey, those are good odds. I'll take that bet right now.

The 'wanting to move north' thing is absolute bollocks, and was rumoured when he was a bloody Charlton player before he moved 70 odd miles south.

Disagree about a large signing on fee upsetting the apple cart, our squad would be delighted he'd be staying more than resentment over a lump sum... especially when you consider he has been on a wage for the last year unrepresentative (in today's market) of his footballing ability and importance to this promotion push.

As someone has previously mentioned, I think it will be down to how many, or if any bridges were burnt at the end of August. I would hope that time is a healer, he has definitely enjoyed the last 8 months.

 

[Weststander]

We don't get bullied with him on the pitch, absolutely key and integral to potential promotion.

The best first signing we could make if we get over the line, along with Stockdale.

Nicely summed up.

Opposing midfields are unable to bully us with Stephens in the team, plus he's a good to great passer of the ball. His instinctive pass for the middle goal against Reading was incredible. When De Bruyne or Ozil set a goal up like that, the media embark on a w**kfest.

 

[Weststander]

Blimey, those are good odds. I'll take that bet right now.

The 'wanting to move north' thing is absolute bollocks, and was rumoured when he was a bloody Charlton player before he moved 70 odd miles south.

Disagree about a large signing on fee upsetting the apple cart, our squad would be delighted he'd be staying more than resentment over a lump sum... especially when you consider he has been on a wage for the last year unrepresentative (in today's market) of his footballing ability and importance to this promotion push.

As someone has previously mentioned, I think it will be down to how many, or if any bridges were burnt at the end of August. I would hope that time is a healer, he has definitely enjoyed the last 8 months.

I think you're right about signing on fees. With PL money we can more than match any signing on fee the likes of Burnley would offer. Stephens is worth it.

The Board would have learned the lessons of childish Poyet not wanting to reward Murray for his brilliance, who walked on a free.

 

[Machiavelli]

Blimey, those are good odds. I'll take that bet right now.

The 'wanting to move north' thing is absolute bollocks, and was rumoured when he was a bloody Charlton player before he moved 70 odd miles south.

Disagree about a large signing on fee upsetting the apple cart, our squad would be delighted he'd be staying more than resentment over a lump sum... especially when you consider he has been on a wage for the last year unrepresentative (in today's market) of his footballing ability and importance to this promotion push.

As someone has previously mentioned, I think it will be down to how many, or if any bridges were burnt at the end of August. I would hope that time is a healer, he has definitely enjoyed the last 8 months.

I like [MENTION=28805]lancyclaret[/MENTION], and don't think Burnley will go down this season, but it's now you, I and [MENTION=4019]Triggaaar[/MENTION] that have taken up LC's kind offer. All he needs to do is extend his hand of friendship, give it a shake, and we're quids in.
I'm of the view that there's a good chance of securing Stephens if we get promoted. The PL obviously appeals far more than the north for him. I wouldn't underestimate the familiarity that he has with our set-up here, and his ability to reflect that he's more likely to actually play (i.e. get selected in the first 11) with us than most other PL clubs.
On a separate but related point, I'm somewhat sceptical that we'll play 4-4-2 regularly in the PL. If we do go to something like a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1, I think both Stephens and Kayal will be able to adapt to that well, ideally supplemented by one of Cairney or Siggurdson (if Swansea get relegated, which is more likely than Burnley suffering the drop in my view).

 

[SweatyMexican]

I trust Hughton not to have burnt too many bridges with Stephens. If we get to the Premier League, I think the likelihood of Stephens signing a new contract is reasonably good.

I mean, I can't claim to know how Stephens feels about all this, so it's all ifs and maybes. We'll see what happens.

 

[NooBHA]

But if we do manage to stay up, I think Stephens will be wearing Claret & Blue in August (either for us or Aston Villa).

DS would be an excellent long-term successor to our most important midfielder Dean Marney (aged 33).

His £5-7 million "signing on" bonus is burning a hole in our chairman's pocket.

g

Well it's not an Australian Bushfire hole in your Chairmans pocket because it's not a very big hole. You only wanted to pay in instalments. There are people on the dole making ''larger percentage of their income'' minimum credit card payments on their outstanding balances, in comparison to Burnley's annual income.

Dale Stephen's may have been pissed off by what happened in the summer but what we turned down from YOU LOT has been multiplied by 20 in terms of what Dale has contributed to Brighton this season.

If he stays then all well and good. If he goes then that's fine too because he has helped get Brighton to the PL, I am sure of that.

What you will have to offer in the summer to come is no more than we will be able to offer him come June. In fact, we will offer more if we go up. The only reason he will go is if he holds a grudge on what happened last year but when a group of players go through a Promotion celebration in a few weeks time he might be willing to forgive and forget. Only Dale knows the answer to that because he has knuckled down and put it behind him at least for now.

I say thank you to the lad for that and if he goes I would wish him well because he will have made everyone at Brighton very happy and he can be replaced. If he stays then even better. Either way from me ''Well done Dale - I salute your professionalism in the last 8 or 9 months''

 

[singing4seagulls]

I don't believe some of the comments here that he'll play for a Championship club next season - even if they do offer him the most money. He's made his intentions very clear - he wants premier league football.

I'm not sure if he'll play for us next season, I hope he does but I think he'll get some good offers. More importantly, I heard that he is keen to move back up north - I can't fathom why, but there it is.

Personally feel we as fans need to make him feel loved and wanted as possible. The more settled he feels here then less likely he'll uproot is family to a new club....

 

[Nixonator]

As a final prediction....I think the chances of Stephens being a Burnley player next August are ONLY about 40/60 but the chances of him being a Brighton player are only 10 per cent.

I'm willing to bet on this.

Blimey, those are good odds. I'll take that bet right now.

The 'wanting to move north' thing is absolute bollocks, and was rumoured when he was a bloody Charlton player before he moved 70 odd miles south.

Disagree about a large signing on fee upsetting the apple cart, our squad would be delighted he'd be staying more than resentment over a lump sum... especially when you consider he has been on a wage for the last year unrepresentative (in today's market) of his footballing ability and importance to this promotion push.

As someone has previously mentioned, I think it will be down to how many, or if any bridges were burnt at the end of August. I would hope that time is a healer, he has definitely enjoyed the last 8 months.

Oh....

Wise not to take the bet I guess.

 

[whitelion]

Oh....

Wise not to take the bet I guess.

Good bounce.

I've always thought he'd stay with the Albion.

 

[T.G]

Just wanted to big up Stephens for a moment. He wanted a move to the Premier League with Burnley and had the door shut by the club. Instead of doing a 'Bridcutt' he got his head down had a great season and played a large part in our promotion. At the end of a successful season he had decided to stay loyal to his club. I'm, sure money has a role to play in all these decisions, but how refreshing to see such a professional and committed approach.

 

[neilbard]

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