[Albion] Where is Alexis going? (Liverpool - for an undisclosed fee...)

[Weststander]

Is that true ? Was Bissouma & Trossard top prices given their form / record for us ?

Were their contracts heading towards the latter stages?

 

[spence]

I'll be very surprised if it is less than 50 million knowing how Bloom works and how highly rated Alexis is

 

[nwgull]

@nwgull and others can also get an objective good idea from later published accounts. Either in the subsequent events note or the year after that intangible assets note, where the spend on a tiny group of additions in a period is disclosed. There are sometimes other ways too.

Definitely, but as with all transfers the value is going to be leaked way before then.

One thing I’m certain of is that as Mac Allister was already a key player for us when he signed his new deal, we won’t have put a release clause in for less than what we sold Cucurella for. And as I said before, any player wanted by the big-6 is by definition worth 60m+.

 

[Weststander]

Definitely, but as with all transfers the value is going to be leaked way before then.

One thing I’m certain of is that as Mac Allister was already a key player for us when he signed his new deal, we won’t have put a release clause in for less than what we sold Cucurella for. And as I said before, any player wanted by the big-6 is by definition worth 60m+.

I've always believed that you can get a very good idea of all fees paid. When a broadsheet backed by Sky Sports both state the same figure post transfer, that's good enough for me.

 

[nwgull]

Were their contracts heading towards the latter stages?

Bissouma had 1 season. Trossard had 18 months. So yes, not comparable.

 

[Weststander]

Bissouma had 1 season. Trossard had 18 months. So yes, not comparable.

Exactly.

2 years or a bit less is the last chance saloon to grab significant value.

 

[The Wizard]

To be fair, I love Alexis but he’s not worth as much as Moises for me, Moises is a truly elite level player I think Ali Mac is just below that tier level, very good but not one of the best in the world in his position where as I think Moises already is.

I can’t see a possibility of it being less than £60m tho, maybe about that price is what I thought, where as Moises I think is 80+

 

[Hiheidi]

My gut feeling is we are going to be surprised at how low Mac Allister's sale price is, but I think it's part of the club's strategy for keeping players for longer. Thus telling them if they want to leave after one season, the buying club will have to pay over the odds, but after a set amount of time the price will be reasonable and we'll help them move to their dream club.

 

[nickjhs]

I'll be very surprised if it is less than 50 million knowing how Bloom works and how highly rated Alexis is

I think we would be insulted at that price.

 

[southstandandy]

Loads of Liverpool fans seem to think they are getting MaCallister for £40 to £45m and consider that a steal. Surely Bloom wouldn't let him go for that little (relatively speaking). I would have thought his value would be nearer £60m or am I wrong?

 

[BiffyBoy100]

Loads of Liverpool fans seem to think they are getting MaCallister for £40 to £45m and consider that a steal. Surely Bloom wouldn't let him go for that little (relatively speaking). I would have thought his value would be nearer £60m or am I wrong?

I agree. Just can't see him going for less than 60m.

 

[nwgull]

Loads of Liverpool fans seem to think they are getting MaCallister for £40 to £45m and consider that a steal. Surely Bloom wouldn't let him go for that little (relatively speaking). I would have thought his value would be nearer £60m or am I wrong?

You’re not wrong. He signed a new contract in late October, and whilst he may have been under the radar to the rest of the PL at that point, he was an automatic choice at BHA and everyone at the club knew how good he was. Therefore. If there is a release clause - which I remain sceptical of - it’s going to be in excess of 60m.

 

[GT49er]

Loads of Liverpool fans seem to think they are getting MaCallister for £40 to £45m and consider that a steal. Surely Bloom wouldn't let him go for that little (relatively speaking). I would have thought his value would be nearer £60m or am I wrong?

Well, certainly loads of Liverpool fans are bang on the money if that is the case. It's not as if we're gettng Mo Salah or TAA or VVD coming the other way as a makeweight...... err .............. is it?

 

[American Seagle]

There is every reason for him to go if he wants too. Apart from the wages, Liverpool are a bigger club than Brighton. Give me one good reason why any ambitious and talented young footballer wouldn't want to step up to the next level.

One reason, ok: Because for next season it is not a step up. It's the same level and he knows he is central to operations here and can perform well here.

 

[American Seagle]

You can't fight it.

Some of these clubs have £600m annual income and a worldwide fanbase, therefore colossal commercial income.

For better or worse, football's a meritocracy based on money. It wasn't as bad as this when I was a kid, Derby, QPR, Ipswich for example came first or second in England, without sugar daddies.

But Tony Bloom doesn't get melancholy about these issues. He just plans for us to get better, banking these vast sums and reinvesting in an unrivaled recruitment process.

I disagree. I think we have to fight it or we are dooming ourselves to it getting even worse. We are doing it the right way and have to channel that anger to defeat them!

 

[dazzer6666]

I disagree. I think we have to fight it or we are dooming ourselves to it getting even worse. We are doing it the right way and have to channel that anger to defeat them!

How and why would you fight it ? Doing so would destroy our whole ethos around player recruitment, reward and development and our aim of long term financial sustainability. We aren’t going to stop players going to ‘top’ clubs who will pay 2-3 (or more) times what our wage structure allows. What we can do is manage the timing (as we have with Caicedo) and the price, and only sell when we think the time and price is right.

 

[Weststander]

I disagree. I think we have to fight it or we are dooming ourselves to it getting even worse. We are doing it the right way and have to channel that anger to defeat them!

I’m very relaxed and sanguine about the Albion’s future. UEFA/PL have never truly got to grips with the arms race on illegal spending, that’s a disgrace. But regarding the Albion, these days I take the Tony Bloom view of just looking at what we can do and it’s wonderful. Plus it’s funny to watch spending go spectacularly wrong - Chelsea and Everton.

 

[HP Seagull]

To be fair, I love Alexis but he’s not worth as much as Moises for me, Moises is a truly elite level player I think Ali Mac is just below that tier level, very good but not one of the best in the world in his position where as I think Moises already is.

I can’t see a possibility of it being less than £60m tho, maybe about that price is what I thought, where as Moises I think is 80+

I disagree. I don’t want this to become and Ronaldo-Messi style debate as they’re both incredible, but I think Mac Allister would be more difficult for us to replace.

His greater quality on the ball, ability to see a pass, calmness under (physical and psychological) pressure, and goals/assists make him an elite performer. As well as the fact he’s a World Cup winner.

A perfect example is his pass for Ferguson when he blazed over against Villa. He took the ball from Steele, turned away from a Villa player and played a perfectly weighted through ball to Ferguson, who should have scored. From one end of the pitch to the other in ten seconds. That will be very difficult to replace.

 

[Motogull]

I haven't bothered with this thread because it seems a bit obvious, and has been for some time.

All I will chuck is timing. If there are tax planning benefits for the sale to go into next year's accounts, then maybe that is when it will happen.

 

[brighton_tom]

My gut feeling is we are going to be surprised at how low Mac Allister's sale price is, but I think it's part of the club's strategy for keeping players for longer. Thus telling them if they want to leave after one season, the buying club will have to pay over the odds, but after a set amount of time the price will be reasonable and we'll help them move to their dream club.

It’s a nice sentiment, but when Mac Allister has openly said he’s fine staying here if no deal happens I can’t see this being one where we’d willingly let the player go for cheap. On other deals maybe, but this one I can’t see it. Our World Cup winner is our current crown jewel who is fine staying here. In a world of FFP it doesn’t make sense for it to willingly be a cheap deal nor would anyone expect it to be. I personally think all this stuff about it being a lower fee than we might expect is either nonsense, or some lost in translation stuff where the initial fee is lower but there’s a bunch of add ons.