[Albion] Picking over the bones ...

[Gritt23]

'3x' was over the top, in hindsight. I'll scale that back to 2x.

Ours will be on close to £40,000. I'd be very surprised if Allen isn't on (and seeking) close to £80k.

He (apparently) has a release clause allowing him to speak to any top 6 club that offers £25m for him. He's good enough for top 6 squads too - question is whether he is happy to go back to being a squad player (as he was at Liverpool).

Could be seeking £80k, but I'd be surprised if he got it. Take Liverpool as an example, ....

According to this https://www.totalsportek.com/money/liverpool-player-salaries/ then you are looking at Liverpool paying:

Lallana - £65k
Oxlade-Chamberlain - £90k
Can - £70k

I think he would struggle to convince them to pay him more than Lallana and Can. I think £50-60k is probably his market. He'd be pushing to get £60k with offers more like £50k.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I wouldn't have any of them. They've all demonstrated a lack of commitment and passion to play as part of team in a dog fight. Some big name players here who have under performed and will now happily jump ship to take another dip into the Premier League gravy train rather than face up to life in the Championship. Our recruitment strategy is all about finding team players with the personality to slot into the existing squad mentality. Grafting and commiting to a team ethos is a major part of that. I would hope that we'll look elsewhere and get better.

This is a very simplistic view. Jack Butland and Charlie Adam of Stoke both highlighted the disastrous transfer policy that brought in players on top wages to their club who then didn't play - Berahino, Kevin Wimmer, Jese, Afellay - and how this killed the spirit in the dressing room. In their previous 9 seasons in the Prem they'd never finished lower than 14th.

I'd suggest that Stoke probably have a number of players that would thrive in a tight group of players all pulling in the right direction.

 

[Easy 10]

Mentioned previously, but Jonny Evans has a £3m relegation release clause in his contract. He clearly won't be on buttons, but that is an absolute STEAL for a quality CB who is still only 30. In the unlikely event of us losing Dunk this summer, I'd be all over that.

 

[rippleman]

Shakiri - then loan him to Leicester for the season so they get the excess weight off and return him thinner and trimmer as they did with our Leo.

In all seriousness, he is real quality and I could never understand how he ended up at the shithole that is Stoke; he was way too good for them.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Shakiri - then loan him to Leicester for the season so they get the excess weight off and return him thinner and trimmer as they did with our Leo.

In all seriousness, he is real quality and I could never understand how he ended up at the shithole that is Stoke; he was way too good for them.

I trust our fitness team more than I do any other. So, if we were to sign him (v. unlikely) I'd be happy with a full pre-season to get him into shape.

 

[Easy 10]

Shakiri - then loan him to Leicester for the season so they get the excess weight off and return him thinner and trimmer as they did with our Leo.

In all seriousness, he is real quality and I could never understand how he ended up at the shithole that is Stoke; he was way too good for them.

I trust our fitness team more than I do any other. So, if we were to sign him (v. unlikely) I'd be happy with a full pre-season to get him into shape.

A professional footballer at the highest level shouldn't NEED a 'fitness team' to get him into shape. There's no excuse for carrying timber, it shows a poor professional attitude. That's how he ended up at the shithole that is Stoke.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

I think any of the obvious names will be on 13 EPL clubs radars too and bound to be offered more wages than they are worth by a few of them. We either need to gamble on paying a lot for an under 21 who might develop or else continue to shop abroad.

Burke might be our one chance as RW is a position we need to consider and he clearly has talent and might have just had his worst season yet. Buy him low (relatively speaking as would still be mental money I'm sure) and give it a go. Established players like Shaquiri will be offered stupid money elsewhere.

Full backs are the other place we could afford to shop at home as they tend to be cheaper than other positions, but I'm certain there will be better value abroad. As others mention though it might be the place to pick up a homegrown player and improve our squad.

 

[Brightonfan1983]

Once Moore was in charge at West Brom I feel the majority of their players proved that they’re more than adequate for this division. Rondon would be a triffic signing. I’d also be keen on Gibbs, Livermore, Morrison and Hegazy.

I agree with this - though if Moore stays as manager, and he should, I wouldn't be suprised if most of their players stayed #together to get them back up. Had he had more time, he could have had a Steve Gritt moment!

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I do think sometimes people are easily misled by a few good games from a player at another club. Lots of these names mentioned are their clubs' star players, in theory at least, but if you speak to their fans who watch them every week, some of them aren't nearly as much of a catch as you're tempted to think.

Just looking at a few of the names mentioned already.....Rondon at WBA- had a good run a couple of seasons ago and works hard, but has a reputation now for not being able to hit a cow's arse with a banjo. A poor man's Benteke, perhaps. Ryan Shawcross is probably a couple of seasons past his best. Zouma was much better than him this season. Shaqiri is unbelievably talented, but maybe not your man for a relegation scrap. Mawson has had a poor season for Swansea by his previous standards, though in his case he's probably young enough to be worth a punt (and will thus go to somebody like Everton probably). Ki of Swansea also has talent but is maddeningly inconsistent and goes missing a lot, whilst neither of the Ayews have done a thing of note down there this year.


Of teams that weren't relegated, Richarlison of Watford springs to mind. Started the season on an absolute flyer, but disappeared after about October and has contributed little since.

All of the above are decent footballers, but they play for the likes of Stoke, Swansea and West Brom for a reason, and that's because they're missing an attribute or two which would recommend them to better clubs (see also Pascal Gross and pace).

Our philosophy seems to centre around players' characters as much as their ability, and I'd hope the days of signing the likes of Kemy Agustein are long gone. I imagine there will be a few more foreign excursions for the recruitment teams this summer, for some Gross-esque bargains, rather than getting into a bunfight for a few Premier League victims who are a season or two over the hill.

 

[theboybilly]

There's not one player from the relegated sides that I would go for, not one - certainly not Shaquiri. Let's go back to Germany, we've done so well there

 

[Whitley Bayster]

This is a very simplistic view. Jack Butland and Charlie Adam of Stoke both highlighted the disastrous transfer policy that brought in players on top wages to their club who then didn't play - Berahino, Kevin Wimmer, Jese, Afellay - and how this killed the spirit in the dressing room. In their previous 9 seasons in the Prem they'd never finished lower than 14th.

I'd suggest that Stoke probably have a number of players that would thrive in a tight group of players all pulling in the right direction.

Fair point and I was being a bit flippant but the gist of my post was that we should think very carefully about the mentality of taking any players from relegated clubs. The thing we've done really well is select new players that will jell with the existing squad and enhance the established style of play. I'd hate to see us lose that as that's what's kept us up.

 

[A1X]

Salomón Rondón

I've said it in every single one of these threads and I'm going to keep saying it because he's absolutely ideal

 

[Lurchy]

If we're short on home grown numbers then I'll rather we went after quality, young players from the Championship who missed out on promotion with their current club.

Saying that Joe Allen from Stoke or Tom Carroll from Swansea could be good additions for CM.