Dyche still after Stephens

[fosters headband]

There is another factor that you seem to be overlooking too - Stephens' personal finances. In the January window, he will be 3 months away from a MASSIVE signing on fee, which he will only get if the buying club are trying to tempt a free agent. Stephens himself might refuse to move in January!

If you read post 166 I have already made this point.

Is it? He say's he wants Premier league football so which club does he sign for Burnley or Palace both considered now by the bookies as amongst the relegation favourite's and maybe get 3-4 months Prem football. Or does he stay at Brighton who are currently 4/11 to go up and sign a new contract. Any of the three clubs could be in the Championship next season and would Palace or Burnley then still be keen to sign him? If it is money he is really after, like so many players these days, then becoming a free agent in the summer could be his answer. Little help to Burnley or Palace who are obviously looking at him as a player to increase their chances of staying up .

Personally if there is a bidding war that nets the Albion around 8-10 million, I would let him go in January. With Kayal due back, Sidwell playing out of his skin at the moment, Norwood getting better every game, plus Towell back in contention. It would be a no brainer for me, let him go in January and put the money towards a top class striker.

 

[sydney]

Its a ridiculous opinion.

mate , you are weeing in your own face here ...he is obviously only here under sufferance , he wants away , there is no doubting he is a decent player but in my opinion he isn't prem level , what we have here is a cohesive unit of players that know each others game and a really good chance of getting promoted from this league , if he really wants to drag his family up north on the slim chance of still being in the prem next season then fair do's to him , but seeing as he has said that he will honour his contract here would appear to mean that we have 8-10 million coming in or he's staying put........a committed player is worth 5x a player who wants out any day of the week ...innit..?

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Its a ridiculous opinion.

Agreed. He's been great the last couple of games after a bit of a slow start to the season and has said he is committed to us for the season. I don't understand why some people on this thread are so keen to get rid of a key part of the team when we are second in the league.

 

[sydney]

Slightly harsh I feel. He had his head turned, but his disappointment has passed and unlike, say, Joey Barton he has knuckled down and performed every bit as well as he did last season. I hold no grudge towards Stephens at all.

hmm...hmm...it's only hughtons management that leads me to believe that he's settled again ....i hate northerners anyway.

 

[fosters headband]

Agreed. He's been great the last couple of games after a bit of a slow start to the season and has said he is committed to us for the season. I don't understand why some people on this thread are so keen to get rid of a key part of the team when we are second in the league.

I agree he has played well and would love him to sign another contract, but I don't also want to see our club lose out on possibly £8 mill that could be used to bring in player/players equally as good as him. The bonus being TB also does not have to put his hand in his pocket to replace him.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Its an interesting one, we have it rammed down our throats how much the club is losing, Tony Bloom spending £200m etc, yet talks of rejecting £6m-£8m bids for a player with 6 months left who probably won't be with us next season

We did it even when we were stoney broke. Hoddle at Spurs wanted Zamora in January but we refused and held on until the summer.

Elliott Bennett put in a transfer request in the January, but we held on until the summer although we were a bit better off by then.
Tony Bloom has said none of our stars are for sale in January. He's the one losing money, so he calls the shots.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

I agree he has played well and would love him to sign another contract, but I don't also want to see our club lose out on possibly £8 mill that could be used to bring in player/players equally as good as him. The bonus being TB also does not have to put his hand in his pocket to replace him.

Having gambled to this point, it is very unlikely that TB will gamble on losing a potential £100 million plus from promotion and sell Stephens. We're gambling £8 million to get a possible £100 million. Given our current position and squad, I would say we have pretty good odds.

 

[fosters headband]

We did it even when we were stoney broke. Hoddle at Spurs wanted Zamora in January but we refused and held on until the summer.

Elliott Bennett put in a transfer request in the January, but we held on until the summer although we were a bit better off by then.
Tony Bloom has said none of our stars are for sale in January. He's the one losing money, so he calls the shots.

Did either of those players leave for nothing?

 

[Springal]

We did it even when we were stoney broke. Hoddle at Spurs wanted Zamora in January but we refused and held on until the summer.

Elliott Bennett put in a transfer request in the January, but we held on until the summer although we were a bit better off by then.
Tony Bloom has said none of our stars are for sale in January. He's the one losing money, so he calls the shots.

Good, that is fine. Hopefully the club can stop going on about how much the club is losing at every opportunity then !

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I agree he has played well and would love him to sign another contract, but I don't also want to see our club lose out on possibly £8 mill that could be used to bring in player/players equally as good as him. The bonus being TB also does not have to put his hand in his pocket to replace him.

£8 million is pennies when you consider Tony's next £18 million season loss bill arrives next year ( and in all following years ) if we don't go up.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Did either of those players leave for nothing?

No, we still got a fee, but reduced.

 

[fosters headband]

Having gambled to this point, it is very unlikely that TB will gamble on losing a potential £100 million plus from promotion and sell Stephens. We're gambling £8 million to get a possible £100 million. Given our current position and squad, I would say we have pretty good odds.

Lets also hope he doesn't get a Buckley or Bridcutt (sulky) type injury around January now he knows bids are likely if our promotion depends on this one player.

 

[n1 gull]

I'm impressed how everyone has iterated and reiterated the exact same points for 20 pages now. Well done, everyone.

and you felt the need to add to the thread?

 

[fosters headband]

No, we still got a fee, but reduced.

Yes but not selling Stephens means no fee, we still got good fee's for those two when they went.

 

[Nixonator]

Obviously you are welcome to your opinion, but with those four I really don't think we would miss him and the rare as rocking horse shit 20 goal a season striker could be found and the money used to secure him, would make us a far better promotion prospect in my view.

Wouldn't miss him? Madness. We've already missed him this season in a short period before the window ended.

I'm sure in football manager if you slap a much lauded "20 goal a season striker" in the team next to Muzza you might get results, not sure it works like that in the real world. He has to settle in this team, and what sense is weakening our midfield for that gamble?

In addition, what good are the extra funds anyway? We are already seeking a striker, and TB won't be penny pinching if he sees it as the missing piece to take us over the line. When you consider the TV money if promoted, and if not promoted the huge amount of money that we will receive for our stars who wish to move on, any large outlay in Jan will be offset at the end of the season anyway. If TB is already prepared to pay circa 10m for a striker, what would 18m buy us? Moreover, would a striker worth 20m even want to come to us on the gamble of being promoted?

Sorry, but there are literally no positives that can come out of selling DS in Jan, none. If he is causing issues and upsetting team morale then that is another matter, but I seriously doubt he will, especially when you consider the position we are in and the fact he's gone on record saying he's committed for the season.

 

[brightonrock]

I'd be amazed if he stays in the summer, even if we do go up. He'll be able to get similar wages from Burnley if they also stay up, plus a signing on fee, and still be in the Prem. Ultimately we're holding him here when he wants to go, so if it's a point of principle for him (plus a chance to net a seven figure signing on fee), it's a no brainer. The only way I see him staying is if we go up AND no other Prem team is interested.

If would need to be ~£10M for Tony to sell and use the money to replace him and fund a striker - not even in this silly money age would a club pay that for a 27yo centre-mid with no top level experience and only 6 months left on his contract.

 

[Biscuit]

and you felt the need to add to the thread?

Well, I thought it was a welcome break to the circle jerk. But please, don't let me stop you,

 

[ferring seagull]

Well we had better try and hang on to whatever we can as the reports are that Villa are in for Kayal and Burnley still after Stephens

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

January is going to be shit isn't it? Thread after thread about Kayal/Stephens/Knockeart/Dunk being sold or wanting out.

Thank God for the World's Hardest Creature 10th anniversary bonanza that will be taking place that month...

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

January is going to be shit isn't it? Thread after thread about Kayal/Stephens/Knockeart/Dunk being sold or wanting out.

Thank God for the World's Hardest Creature 10th anniversary bonanza that will be taking place that month...[emoji106]

Yes, and the same dull posts suggesting that we can't wait to take the money, or that some ridiculously low fee is 'great business'.