[Albion] Losing Macalister & Caicedo

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I’d be interested and delighted if we banked £100m. Has a non attacking centre midfielder ever got anywhere near that?

Arsenal went to £70m. It was rejected not because of the valuation, but TB/RDZ wouldn’t allow them to ruin our mid season dreams.

To me he’s worth it. The buyer’s getting a midfield beast for the next 10 years.

I agree, he's absolutely worth it but he'll be absolutely worth it in a years time too.

Rice is going to go for somewhere around 100m. Caicedo is, I think we'll probably both agree, a better player. What he lacks in 'English tax' he makes up for in being 3 years younger and a better player.

I have no doubt that every team in the league would want Caicedo, I just think at the price he will be that the most likely buyers might shy away this summer because of the price, their needs elsewhere and the fact that they can buy him next year and they'll still have that midfeld beast for the next 10+ years.

 

[The Fits]

I’d be interested and delighted if we banked £100m. Has a non attacking centre midfielder ever got anywhere near that?

Arsenal went to £70m. It was rejected not because of the valuation, but TB/RDZ wouldn’t allow them to ruin our mid season dreams.

To me he’s worth it. The buyer’s getting a midfield beast for the next 10 years.

Enzo Fernandez.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I know I’m sailing this ship alone, and I get what you’re saying. His pressers are always interesting, I just wish he’d rein in publically supporting the best players leaving

I fear the De Zerbi tenure will end badly because of it….

99% of manager stints end badly one way or another, worrying about how it happens is like worrying about what make of car just ran you over.

 

[Icy Gull]

99% of manager stints end badly one way or another, worrying about how it happens is like worrying about what make of car just ran you over.

I would actually care about that

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I would actually care about that

I thought you would, and briefly considered trying to think of an alternative before deciding you'd get what I meant anyway.
I'll be pissed off if I'm killed after being hit by a Kia.

 

[GJN1]

we need a new stadium! could sell another 10k if we had ability

The financial model is the right one for a club like ours, we lucked out massively with Potter going and RDZ coming in, the problem is it wont last for ever, sooner or later RDZ will go, sooner or later, when you sell best players you'll get an Ali J and Locadia type slipping through the algorithm.

Trust in Bloom implicitly, but I dont personally think we can keep doing this and sustain PL position as well.

A time will come (like Stains) when it goes a bit pear shaped imho. Though there is no easy answer though for clubs of a relative size as ours, we can only do what we are doing, as if we try and hold players to contracts against their will from the bigger clubs, not only will we lose potential high transfer values, but the cream of South American youth wont come. Mac and Caicedo going is good PR to get the next new stars, it just doesnt help fans aspirations.

Its a bind for sure.

It's an interesting point. The only way you can stop players going is by paying them the kind of wages that the big clubs pay and we're so far off that it's not even an option. I think you're right in that we can only keep this conveyor belt going for so long. Eventually it's going to break down. But, for now, let's just enjoy the ride on said conveyor belt (subject to Health & Safety assessment).

 

[pocketseagull]

I totally accept that we are not and never will be a big club, I just don’t like our manager telling the press regularly our players deserve to play for a big club, that’s all

Said this before but really think if we're capable of managing players able to finish top half of the table than ultimately those same players deserve the chance of earning wages that can be offered by bigger clubs. I guess RDZ gets that.

 

[Weststander]

I agree, he's absolutely worth it but he'll be absolutely worth it in a years time too.

Rice is going to go for somewhere around 100m. Caicedo is, I think we'll probably both agree, a better player. What he lacks in 'English tax' he makes up for in being 3 years younger and a better player.

I have no doubt that every team in the league would want Caicedo, I just think at the price he will be that the most likely buyers might shy away this summer because of the price, their needs elsewhere and the fact that they can buy him next year and they'll still have that midfeld beast for the next 10+ years.

I do think Caicedo’s better than Rice. Rice is a great player and talisman in an often poor team. But on kumb their perennial complaining Cockney’s have very often slagged him off after a defeat … although they’ve gone all nostalgic now .

Whereas is a football monster who that age is only going to get better.

 

[Weststander]

Enzo Fernandez.

What’s his best position?

(I don’t watch Chelsea)

 

[dangull]

If its any consolation, there is now only 6 to 8 clubs in this division who can plunder our squad whenever they choose too

 

[Mancgull]

Our strength is our transparency that we are a stepping stone for young talented players wanting to make it in the Premier League.
Let’s never forget that we nearly went out of existence because of poor financial decisions in the 80s which led to parasites looking to asset strip in the 90s.
Tony bloom’s vision is a long term one and if that means selling a player, I’ll always be behind it.
Our huge statement of intent was saying no to Arsenal and Moises in Jan.
I’m still optimistic that we can get another year from Moises but if it doesn’t happen then so be it.

 

[Machiavelli]

I’d be interested and delighted if we banked £100m. Has a non attacking centre midfielder ever got anywhere near that?

Arsenal went to £70m. It was rejected not because of the valuation, but TB/RDZ wouldn’t allow them to ruin our mid season dreams.

To me he’s worth it. The buyer’s getting a midfield beast for the next 10 years.

All good points. If it counts, Chelsea spent c£106m on Enzo Fernandez who, in my book, is a DCM.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

we need a new stadium! could sell another 10k if we had ability

The financial model is the right one for a club like ours, we lucked out massively with Potter going and RDZ coming in, the problem is it wont last for ever, sooner or later RDZ will go, sooner or later, when you sell best players you'll get an Ali J and Locadia type slipping through the algorithm.

Trust in Bloom implicitly, but I dont personally think we can keep doing this and sustain PL position as well.

A time will come (like Stains) when it goes a bit pear shaped imho. Though there is no easy answer though for clubs of a relative size as ours, we can only do what we are doing, as if we try and hold players to contracts against their will from the bigger clubs, not only will we lose potential high transfer values, but the cream of South American youth wont come. Mac and Caicedo going is good PR to get the next new stars, it just doesnt help fans aspirations.

Its a bind for sure.

I think it's a given that there will be periods where it goes a bit pear shaped.

Every club in the country goes through those periods. For the biggest of beasts it results in scrambling around in mid table for a year or two. For clubs like us those pear shaped periods will result in us fighting relegation and occasionally succumbing.

The way I see it there are three relegation spots for realistically 13 teams. To not only forever avoid relegation in that situation but maintain a position in the top two or three of that thirteen is impossible. Relegation will come to all of the teams sooner or later.

I think the idea is that the structure of the club is strong enough and the track record good enough that we bounce back quickly and suffer minimal loss rather than go into free fall and semi permanent decline. At least that's how I see it.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

What’s his best position?

(I don’t watch Chelsea)

Benfica, by all accounts

 

[Javeaseagull]

All good points. If it counts, Chelsea spent c£106m on Enzo Fernandez who, in my book, is a DCM.

Not sure Chelsea counts when it comes to spending fees. They paid 60 million for Cucu ffs!

 

[The Fits]

What’s his best position?

(I don’t watch Chelsea)

He's a DM or at a push a DLP.. definitely not an AM. So he's a reference point imho. If he and Rice are worth over £100 million Moises is too.

 

[Munchkin]

Mac Allister and Caceido are off in the summer. I think we all have to accept that.

I never thought we would get an upgrade on Bissouma (I was wrong) I didn’t think we’d be able to replace our player of the season last year (I was wrong), I didn’t think we’d get a better option than Trossard (I was wrong)

I felt the same way when Glenn Murray left, when Bridcutt left, when Dale Stephen’s left…. I could go on.

Moral of the story. Players come and go, we keep being able to replace them, without doubt they are both world class players, but don’t ever write off the exceptional recruitment of our football club and in TB I totally trust to bring in replacements.

 

[The Pilsbury Echo]

We all (most of us) knew this was coming though. It is the entire model of our transfer business. Buy low, develop, sell at “peak” price in the market, reinvest portion, repeat. It will always be the same under Bloom and Barber and it’s working extremely well for us.

Highest ever finish, best ever football, beautiful stadium, European football for the first ever time, FA Cup semi final, and several players worth in excess of £70m apiece. We are the envy of practically every owner in the world for how we operate.

So yes, Moises and Ale are both going. And next summer probably a few more of our best performers too, if we continue to hit the heights we have next season.

WTF!!!
So yes, Moises and Ale are both going. And next summer probably a few more of our best performers too, if we continue to hit the heights we have next season.
Jcdenton
I've only just got my head round Moises and Ali Mc leaving but now your telling me the club have decided to get rid of Ale. I hate lager!

 

[zefarelly]

As others have said, Mac Allister is possible to replace. Caicedo is a once in a generation type player. I really, really hope he changes his mind and chooses to stay for the European Tour. Please Moises!

In truth, he could go into ANY top team in Europe, playing any style, and be world class (and I don't use that word lightly) in breaking up play.

Bissouma was a similar player, we replaced him . . . Fear not.

 

[Stato]

It's an interesting point. The only way you can stop players going is by paying them the kind of wages that the big clubs pay and we're so far off that it's not even an option. I think you're right in that we can only keep this conveyor belt going for so long. Eventually it's going to break down. But, for now, let's just enjoy the ride on said conveyor belt (subject to Health & Safety assessment).

It is all about money. I'm happy that Bloom won't commit the club to unaffordable contracts. What irritates me is all this guff about 'deserving to play at a higher level' Mac Allister and Caicedo both played in the World Cup Finals this year. They would both be playing European football were they to stay with us next year. They are competing week in week out at the same level as the teams they will be signing for. Technically, if it's about 'playing at a higher level' then the ECL clubs should be the only possible destinations. They are not going to a higher level, they are going to a higher pay packet. Fair enough. You could argue that in a meritocracy, the best players should earn the best wages, but let's stop pretending that this is about 'levels'.