Danny Ings

[Matthew Le God]

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I didn’t say that. opps wrong again

 

I did not say you said that. It was showing the context of my original post by quoting the point I was replying to. 🙄

 

Edited 18 January, 2021 by Matthew Le God

[Lee On Solent Saint]

You also need to take into account where Ings has come from. Even though he didn't set the world alight with the Scouse, he would have been in and around the squad, even with his injuries and when they started to get successful he would have got a taste for it. He may well decide that being with a team with more chance of winning something and getting the odd game here and there is a better prospect than staying with us and playing regularly. That may have been his thinking all along. He strikes me as being someone who despite his injury record is pretty confident in his own ability. If you look at it from that angle, you could say that his plan all along was to spend a season or two with us, getting back to optimum fitness and having regular game time, before making another big club move. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but it all just seems a bit pre-meditated to me.

[Chez]

10 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

You also need to take into account where Ings has come from. Even though he didn't set the world alight with the Scouse, he would have been in and around the squad, even with his injuries and when they started to get successful he would have got a taste for it. He may well decide that being with a team with more chance of winning something and getting the odd game here and there is a better prospect than staying with us and playing regularly. That may have been his thinking all along. He strikes me as being someone who despite his injury record is pretty confident in his own ability. If you look at it from that angle, you could say that his plan all along was to spend a season or two with us, getting back to optimum fitness and having regular game time, before making another big club move. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but it all just seems a bit pre-meditated to me.

You may be over thinking it. He wasn't wanted at Liverpool. We wanted him. He came. 

It's now a new landscape. His agent will be asking £200k. We will want to pay £90k. Now its simply about how high we will go (to satisfy his expectations) and who else will offer him close to that original £200k (and afford the fee). Simples. If there isn't anyone willing to pay a fee, then they (ing and agent) will readjust their wages expectations or sit it out and wait for that free transfer. In short, it will be all about money. He didn't come here to win things. He came here because we were the next best to Liverpool (at the time).

Edited 18 January, 2021 by Chez

[CB Fry]

16 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

🙄

My post was responding to the claim...

"We’ll sell this summer whether Ings wants to leave or not".

That is the context of my reply! That is the point my post was responding to, not the twisted version CB Fry and yourself think I was talking about.

If he does not want to leave, then he would not sign a contract with another club. A club can't force a player to sign a contract against his will.

It's not me twisting anything.

"We’ll sell this summer whether Ings wants to leave or not"

is exactly the same as I am saying.

We can accept a bid, and Ings can accept that we're skint and he accepts to move on. It doesn't mean he wants to leave.

In human world, where  humans live, thats a fairly normal course of events in football and in life.

No idea why you are twisting it to him being "forced" to do things "against his will". 

You've done more twisting than Chubby Checker my old son.

[Medrurkin]

51 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

If he does not want to leave they can not force him. They aren't holding a gun to his head!

Exactly, in terms of the clubs who might be interested and the deals available, he can afford to wait until this time next year, when he will be free to talk to whoever he wants. Man U could do with him, they routinely buy "older" forwards and get a lot out of them for relatively little outlay. Martial continues to disappoint, and Cavanni won't be tearing up the games like he still can do now. Big money, top club, European football, and maybe a PL title or two and a cup or two.

[Matthew Le God]

4 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

You've done more twisting than Chubby Checker my old son.

Singing about twisting isn't twisting... it is singing 😋

Edited 18 January, 2021 by Matthew Le God

[Chez]

3 minutes ago, Medrurkin said:

Exactly, in terms of the clubs who might be interested and the deals available, he can afford to wait until this time next year, when he will be free to talk to whoever he wants. Man U could do with him, they routinely buy "older" forwards and get a lot out of them for relatively little outlay. Martial continues to disappoint, and Cavanni won't be tearing up the games like he still can do now. Big money, top club, European football, and maybe a PL title or two and a cup or two.

good point. If the price is right, most would take him to strengthen squad. He is very different asset now to the one Liverpool sold.

[woodsaint1]

Will be a kick in the teeth if he refuses to extend, particularly after the big risk we took on him given his injury record. Sadly it wont be surprising given the lack of loyalty in today's game. No doubt it'll be sold on here as being the club's fault - lack of ambition, didnt give him enough money etc. The player holds all the cards unfortunately

[danjosaint]

But if he wants a shot at the euros he needs to be scoring not sat on a bench 

[bpsaint]

18 minutes ago, danjosaint said:

But if he wants a shot at the euros he needs to be scoring not sat on a bench 

Unfortunately he’ll probably get more minutes for England being a bench warmer at a big club than scoring for us.

[CB Fry]

Just now, bpsaint said:

Unfortunately he’ll probably get more minutes for England being a bench warmer at a big club than scoring for us.

Nah. He's a long way from being a nailed on part of the squad. If he's not regularly playing and regularly scoring then he'll easily slip down the pecking order. Southgate's default position is to go for younger players.

[Barsiem]

43 minutes ago, woodsaint1 said:

Will be a kick in the teeth if he refuses to extend, particularly after the big risk we took on him given his injury record. Sadly it wont be surprising given the lack of loyalty in today's game. No doubt it'll be sold on here as being the club's fault - lack of ambition, didnt give him enough money etc. The player holds all the cards unfortunately

What lack of loyalty?  He’s signed a contract - he’s well within his right not to sign a new one if he doesn’t want too.  As long as he doesn’t throw his toys out the pram ala vvd he’s shown all the loyalty we’re due

[Dry Toast]

I love the continued dumbfoundedness at our transfer policy. Surely we're used to this by now. A player does well then they leave whilst we can make a return. We buy X player cheap, in the hope they turn good, bed them in; rince and repeat. Obviously we've fucked this up many times recently. If only Ings stated that he'd had enough of the bullshit merry-go-round and he's happy here until he cannot make it in the prem then will angle for a move to the championship. If he goes he goes, we'll go on to the next, there is nothing we can do to change this so I don't waste a minute worrying about it.

[Ultimatt]

9 hours ago, Turkish said:

To be fair you need one or two players like Long around the club. Been here a while, gets the club, bit of a role model for the youngsters. Was a bit like Kelvin Davis to towards the end, was only ever going to play in an emergency but his experience and commitment to the club meant he was important even if he wasn't up to it anymore. 

This is true. I also think no one will pay Long anywhere near what he earns here as with Forster so they'll both see out their contracts. The remnants of a disastrous policy by the board to tie up every player to long contracts to meet their KPI, instead of doing long contracts based on performance.

[Sarnia Cherie]

15 hours ago, Turkish said:

To be fair you need one or two players like Long around the club. Been here a while, gets the club, bit of a role model for the youngsters. Was a bit like Kelvin Davis to towards the end, was only ever going to play in an emergency but his experience and commitment to the club meant he was important even if he wasn't up to it anymore. 

I'd be committed to a club who paid me thousands of pounds a week for doing very little. 

[MarkSFC]

24 minutes ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

I'd be committed to a club who paid me thousands of pounds a week for doing very little. 

"Doing very little" is a unfair opinion unless you know for a fact this is what he does throughout throughout week at training. If he did "do very little" in training it is very unlikely Ralph would use him at all. 

Footballers are paid for training and if they do not play sobeit, that's not their fault as such. What I think lots of people forget is that the training pitch and classroom is where the performance on match day comes from. This requires lots of hard work and deliberate practice. This cannot be achieved by "doing very little". 

[st alex]

16 hours ago, Saint Matty 76 said:

It's a bit of a mess how public this one is.

Dan's latest tweet, combined with another from earlier stating that "he wants to stay", makes me think it's all down to the club not providing Ings with the necessary assurances about our ambition. If that is the case, no blame to Danny whatsoever.

Would have thought we look far more ambitious now than when he joined us from a team that was about to win the league. If he wants to play week in week out for a club he supports then he's in the right place.

Personally I can't see why he'd want to go back to being a rotation player at 'big' club just to get paid a bit more. He did the Liverpool thing and it didn't work out. He's played in this league long enough to have earned enough to set him and his family up for a very comfortable life. I've no idea what his wages will be but really what can't you buy if your on £30k a week that you could buy if you're on £60k a week? Are there teams out there that can still afford big wages - surely all clubs finances have taken a massive hit? Spurs have got huge debt from a stadium that's made them no money so far.

Saints have resurrected his career, so to leave a club he supposedly supports feels quite disingenuous and ungrateful to me. To think of the stick that the likes of Lallana (who was not local and never claimed to be fan) got for wanting to leave after years of service in the lower leagues, and now when Ings possibly wants to leave, after what 1 year, people seem to be incredibly forgiving and understanding?

[BARCELONASAINT]

Understandably INGS wants a contract that rewards his value to the team and that protects his future.

IMHO we are financially suffering like every other club and cannot match INGS wage demands/length of his contract.....again just my personal opinion but i will be surprised if we are even close to matching what he wants.

He is doing what is best for him and waiting to see if there is any interest from a club prepared to meet his pay day demands (and a signing on fee)

Normally for a 28 year old i would not say his age is a factor. However add his very unfortunate injuries into the mix and he may feel he has 1 last chance for a big pay packet.

Depressed this morning! 

[Sarnia Cherie]

2 hours ago, MarkSFC said:

"Doing very little" is a unfair opinion unless you know for a fact this is what he does throughout throughout week at training. If he did "do very little" in training it is very unlikely Ralph would use him at all. 

Footballers are paid for training and if they do not play sobeit, that's not their fault as such. What I think lots of people forget is that the training pitch and classroom is where the performance on match day comes from. This requires lots of hard work and deliberate practice. This cannot be achieved by "doing very little". 

Ralph isn't exactly spoilt for choice. You say the training pitch and classroom is where the match day performance comes from. Shane Long hasn't turned in a decent match day performance for a while now. Many of the players have upped their game under Ralph but this doesn't apply to Long at the moment.

[SaintsLoyal]

We cant pay him top six striker salaries as theyre near and over £200,000 a week

I suspect we have gone to around £120,000 and i bet hes wanting £150,000+ odd

Our wage bill is 90% of all income, which isnt good.

I dont see anyone up north so its down to a london club and unless they sell a striker either Spurs or Arsenal.

Lacazette is maybe off from Arsenal in the summer.

The concern has to be that Ings valuation has dropped because of a reduced contract. 

 

 

Edited 19 January, 2021 by SaintsLoyal

[SKD]

3 hours ago, BARCELONASAINT said:

Understandably INGS wants a contract that rewards his value to the team and that protects his future.

IMHO we are financially suffering like every other club and cannot match INGS wage demands/length of his contract.....again just my personal opinion but i will be surprised if we are even close to matching what he wants.

He is doing what is best for him and waiting to see if there is any interest from a club prepared to meet his pay day demands (and a signing on fee)

Normally for a 28 year old i would not say his age is a factor. However add his very unfortunate injuries into the mix and he may feel he has 1 last chance for a big pay packet.

Depressed this morning! 

It’s got nothing to do with the salary, that’s been agreed. Bumper pay rise and will be our highest paid player, understandably so. 
 

it’s a release clause they cannot agree on. Danny’s side want it to be sub 20m we want it to be plus 35m. Or at least was the case a couple of months back. 
 

Only my opinion, but I suspect, he’ll sign and will leave in the summer for somewhere in the middle. That being said, I expected it to have been signed by now though, so who knows. 

At 28 with 2 dodgy knees, He basically sees it as a final chance to play in the champions league. It’s not money related as I understand. 

[SKD]

Keep your eyes on the north London clubs. 

[Barsiem]

8 minutes ago, SKD said:

It’s got nothing to do with the salary, that’s been agreed. Bumper pay rise and will be our highest paid player, understandably so. 
 

it’s a release clause they cannot agree on. Danny’s side want it to be sub 20m we want it to be plus 35m. Or at least was the case a couple of months back. 
 

Only my opinion, but I suspect, he’ll sign and will leave in the summer for somewhere in the middle. That being said, I expected it to have been signed by now though, so who knows. 

At 28 with 2 dodgy knees, He basically sees it as a final chance to play in the champions league. It’s not money related as I understand. 

If he wants a good crack at the champions league he should go abroad.  One of the Italian or German clubs would be good for him I would think.  He’d be a bench warmer for an English CL team unfortunately.

Edited 19 January, 2021 by Barsiem

[VectisSaint]

29 minutes ago, SKD said:

It’s got nothing to do with the salary, that’s been agreed. Bumper pay rise and will be our highest paid player, understandably so. 
 

it’s a release clause they cannot agree on. Danny’s side want it to be sub 20m we want it to be plus 35m. Or at least was the case a couple of months back. 
 

Only my opinion, but I suspect, he’ll sign and will leave in the summer for somewhere in the middle. That being said, I expected it to have been signed by now though, so who knows. 

At 28 with 2 dodgy knees, He basically sees it as a final chance to play in the champions league. It’s not money related as I understand. 

Glad someone has noted that its nothing to do with salary, this was stated explicitly yesterday (By Ralph?) yet so many on here seem to keep banging on about the money, suspect that his wage demands are nowhere near what is being bandied around on here. I agree it seems likely that it is a release clause issue. People also seem to be a bit blinkered about him going to a Top 6 club, maybe his thoughts are further afield, perhaps Ronald is trying to tempt him to Barca to replace Messi or perhaps he fancies a go in Italy or Spain. There's still a long way to go to the Summer, lots can happen between now and then, I'm not going to worry too much until this season is over, I still think his affinity for Southampton FC is a bigger factor than some credit. 

[CamSaint]

26 minutes ago, SKD said:

Keep your eyes on the north London clubs. 

While this has been a bit of a strange season, it is difficult to imagine that Arsenal would finish top 4. Not impossible, of course, but probably unlikely. So unless they win the Europa League, they wouldn't be able to offer CL football next season. So that would just leave Spurs, who have more than a decent chance of finishing top 4.....

[Lord Duckhunter]

26 minutes ago, Barsiem said:

He’d be a bench warmer for an English CL team unfortunately.

Players don’t see it like that. They’ve big egos and you need bags and bags of self confidence to make it in the top flight. He won’t be thinking “I’ll be behind Harry Kane” he’ll think he’ll play so well Jose will adjust and play both of them. Players will think playing with better players will make me better and I’ll make the side. Look at Jota at Liverpool, he hasn’t gone there to sit on the bench. 

[DT]

Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a move for Southampton striker Danny Ings, and are monitoring his situation ahead of a potential summer bid #saintsfc 
 

and there it is. 

[SKD]

8 minutes ago, CamSaint said:

While this has been a bit of a strange season, it is difficult to imagine that Arsenal would finish top 4. Not impossible, of course, but probably unlikely. So unless they win the Europa League, they wouldn't be able to offer CL football next season. So that would just leave Spurs, who have more than a decent chance of finishing top 4.....

Arsenal are a huge club. They’re going’s through a rebuilding process at the moment, but they have a young team who have significantly more chance of winning something in the next 3/4 years than we do, and ultimately what looks better on your CV at the end of your career..? Arsenal and a couple of FA cups or Southampton. 
 

I think he’ll go to tottenham though. Kane isn’t fit enough to play every game and they need a solid back up if they’re looking to challenge for the PL. 

[DT]

Kane will go to PSG or Barca, leaving Spurs with gazillions, of which they will give us hardly anything for their replacement (again)

[Chapel End]

While we all hope Danny stays but we`ve been here before with bigger clubs after our best players  and will be here again in the future sadly.+

 

[saintwbu]

It’s always felt like Spurs would be the one. Kane surely won’t be there forever, and Ings would be a good replacement and has shown he’s more than happy to do the defensive work that Mourinho requires. 

[cloggy saint]

I really can't think why any 'top 6' club would come for Ings. As far as I can see they're all pretty well sorted in the striking department plus they will be aware that he is still quite brittle.  Maybe he could be tempted abroad for a swansong?

[Medrurkin]

17 hours ago, Barsiem said:

What lack of loyalty?  He’s signed a contract - he’s well within his right not to sign a new one if he doesn’t want too.  As long as he doesn’t throw his toys out the pram ala vvd he’s shown all the loyalty we’re due

Exactly the logic used to exit Burnley probably.

[Medrurkin]

1 minute ago, cloggy saint said:

I really can't think why any 'top 6' club would come for Ings. As far as I can see they're all pretty well sorted in the striking department plus they will be aware that he is still quite brittle.  Maybe he could be tempted abroad for a swansong?

Man U would take him on a free at the end of his contract. All he needs to do is carry on the same as now.

[Bewildered]

All seems to be leading to us selling him in the summer for less than we paid to get him. Unfortunate, but only 12 months left on his contract come summer time, we are going to be in no position to play hardball on negotiations.

 

[Saint Garrett]

18 minutes ago, cloggy saint said:

I really can't think why any 'top 6' club would come for Ings. As far as I can see they're all pretty well sorted in the striking department plus they will be aware that he is still quite brittle.  Maybe he could be tempted abroad for a swansong?

Really? One of the best strikers in the premier league? Arguably available for a bargain fee? £20m is the price of an unknown ST from Europe these days. I'm going to go through "top 8"...You could make an argument for each of them...and if he's available for a cut fee there makes complete sense for both player and club..

 

Arsenal - he could easily slot in there, especially if Lacazette is going to be off

Spurs - they have one striker, they need an alternative

Chelsea - Have Abraham, Werner and Giroud, been trying to sell Giroud for the last 18 months, and Werner is misfiring.  They could choose to lose Giroud and Werner and bring in Ings

Utd - Probably wouldn't go there unless Cavani leaves

City - If Aguero goes, which there is talk of, he could be a great option for City - he's better than Jesus

Liverpool - Lots of talk of their front 3 being broken up, could easily play the pressing game Klopp wants, may not want to go back there though.

Leicester - Could be a great alternate to Vardy, or play alongside him in a 2. Got money to burn

Everton - Basically have one striker in DCL, could be a good option for him.

[Saint Matty 76]

6 hours ago, st alex said:

Would have thought we look far more ambitious now than when he joined us from a team that was about to win the league. If he wants to play week in week out for a club he supports then he's in the right place.

Saints have resurrected his career, so to leave a club he supposedly supports feels quite disingenuous and ungrateful to me. To think of the stick that the likes of Lallana (who was not local and never claimed to be fan) got for wanting to leave after years of service in the lower leagues, and now when Ings possibly wants to leave, after what 1 year, people seem to be incredibly forgiving and understanding?

His personal circumstances aren't remotely comparable from where he joined to where he'd be supposedly leaving. He has every right, as the clear best player in our team, to seek assurances that he wouldn't be wasting his prime years here, when he'd clearly have the interest to go elsewhere. It's a nice idea to think he'd like to stay here after we gave him the opportunity, but if he's getting the impression from the club that we're not looking to invest and will sell other players, at 28 why would he stay?

Lallana's stick was driven from the comments he made and the way he left, that's well documented. If Ings were to do the same, then I'm sure the reaction would be the same.

[Monk]

Got Spurs all over it.

 

However, I thought Ralph made it clear this isn’t about salary/wages in the presser?

[HarvSFC]

1 hour ago, Saint Garrett said:

Really? One of the best strikers in the premier league? Arguably available for a bargain fee? £20m is the price of an unknown ST from Europe these days. I'm going to go through "top 8"...You could make an argument for each of them...and if he's available for a cut fee there makes complete sense for both player and club..

 

Arsenal - he could easily slot in there, especially if Lacazette is going to be off

Spurs - they have one striker, they need an alternative

Chelsea - Have Abraham, Werner and Giroud, been trying to sell Giroud for the last 18 months, and Werner is misfiring.  They could choose to lose Giroud and Werner and bring in Ings

Utd - Probably wouldn't go there unless Cavani leaves

City - If Aguero goes, which there is talk of, he could be a great option for City - he's better than Jesus

Liverpool - Lots of talk of their front 3 being broken up, could easily play the pressing game Klopp wants, may not want to go back there though.

Leicester - Could be a great alternate to Vardy, or play alongside him in a 2. Got money to burn

Everton - Basically have one striker in DCL, could be a good option for him.

West Ham got £20m for Haller and he scored just 10 goals in two years.

[cloggy saint]

1 hour ago, Saint Garrett said:

Really? One of the best strikers in the premier league? Arguably available for a bargain fee? £20m is the price of an unknown ST from Europe these days. I'm going to go through "top 8"...You could make an argument for each of them...and if he's available for a cut fee there makes complete sense for both player and club..

 

Arsenal - he could easily slot in there, especially if Lacazette is going to be off

Spurs - they have one striker, they need an alternative

Chelsea - Have Abraham, Werner and Giroud, been trying to sell Giroud for the last 18 months, and Werner is misfiring.  They could choose to lose Giroud and Werner and bring in Ings

Utd - Probably wouldn't go there unless Cavani leaves

City - If Aguero goes, which there is talk of, he could be a great option for City - he's better than Jesus

Liverpool - Lots of talk of their front 3 being broken up, could easily play the pressing game Klopp wants, may not want to go back there though.

Leicester - Could be a great alternate to Vardy, or play alongside him in a 2. Got money to burn

Everton - Basically have one striker in DCL, could be a good option for him.

Nope, sorry, I don't see it.

[Saint Garrett]

53 minutes ago, HarvSFC said:

West Ham got £20m for Haller and he scored just 10 goals in two years.

Exactly my point, we should be able to get £30-40m for him this summer with a year left, if he doesnt sign.

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, Monk said:

Got Spurs all over it.

 

However, I thought Ralph made it clear this isn’t about salary/wages in the presser?

It has and he did. It’s alluded to above that the sticking point is a release clause.

[nta786]

I hope we have considered a replacement at the very least or have an idea of who we want to buy- I think the Blackbox used to do this.

Leicester must be coming to a stage where they will try to replace Vardy - we should try and hack their scout/database and steal their transfer targets

Although I suspect Leicester's replacement of Vardy will be in the £20m to £35m and we will be looking in the £8m to £15m market. 

[Matthew Le God]

3 minutes ago, nta786 said:

I hope we have considered a replacement at the very least or have an idea of who we want to buy- I think the Blackbox used to do this.

Heading back to Salzburg for attacking talent would be good if (and a big if) at all feasible...

 

[Donatello]

I think it's more than likely that he's 'gone', for whatever reason (his personal ambition, club needs, etc) Few teams have the ability to retain their best talent long-term, and when clubs like Dortmund get 'preyed' upon by their direct rival(s), and they themselves then 'prey' upon the rest of the Bundesliga, it puts things into perspective. 

What I don't understand is why we don't use options in our contracts, like some of the bigger clubs, to wrestle a modicum of power back. 4 year deals, with an optional 5th year. (or 3 and 4). Would certainly give the club more strength in these situations, and wouldn't necessarily prevent a player from leaving after 2 years (of good performance), but could potentially limit clubs like Spurs from coming in and inevitably trying to take the piss. 

[Matthew Le God]

3 minutes ago, Donatello said:

IWhat I don't understand is why we don't use options in our contracts, like some of the bigger clubs, to wrestle a modicum of power back. 4 year deals, with an optional 5th year. (or 3 and 4). Would certainly give the club more strength in these situations, and wouldn't necessarily prevent a player from leaving after 2 years (of good performance), but could potentially limit clubs like Spurs from coming in and inevitably trying to take the piss. 

Because players may not want to hamper their chances of a move. Signing a 4 year contract rather than 5 gives them more flexibility to move on sooner. I have no problem with us being a stepping stone club for very talented young players. It is better to have great players for 2 years and sell, compared to plodding along with players other clubs don't want.

[nta786]

8 minutes ago, Donatello said:

I think it's more than likely that he's 'gone', for whatever reason (his personal ambition, club needs, etc) Few teams have the ability to retain their best talent long-term, and when clubs like Dortmund get 'preyed' upon by their direct rival(s), and they themselves then 'prey' upon the rest of the Bundesliga, it puts things into perspective. 

What I don't understand is why we don't use options in our contracts, like some of the bigger clubs, to wrestle a modicum of power back. 4 year deals, with an optional 5th year. (or 3 and 4). Would certainly give the club more strength in these situations, and wouldn't necessarily prevent a player from leaving after 2 years (of good performance), but could potentially limit clubs like Spurs from coming in and inevitably trying to take the piss. 

I agree to an extent but it is very hard to get right- giving 4/5 year deals to Lemina, Elyounoussi, Boufal, Carrillo, Hoedt etc etc had completely shot us in the foot and hindered us so badly as it makes it so difficult to get rid of them.

Personally, and perhaps we will from now, but the balance is to only accept players who will take on £30k to £40k (on a 4 year deal), and offer them £75k or more after showing a good performance after 2 years. If they don't sign- then we should try to sell them on a profit. If they end up terrible- we try and recoup and it is far easier to do so when they are on lower wages.

The downside is a player might not want to sign for us on an initial £30k/£40k wage; but then I'd argue players lose their hunger or something. The only time it'd be fathomable to offer a player £75k instantly would be if we had an amazing pedigree in the top 4/5 European leagues and was worthy of that.

However I will admit it is a very tough balancing act for the club.

Edited 19 January, 2021 by nta786

[Saint86]

Sell him for £30-40m in the summer and sort out a deal to sign Daka immediately.

[Matthew Le God]

24 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Heading back to Salzburg for attacking talent would be good if (and a big if) at all feasible...

 

 

Just now, Saint86 said:

Sell him for £30-40m in the summer and sort out a deal to sign Daka immediately.

You like my suggestion then? 😇

[Dusic]

6 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Because players may not want to hamper their chances of a move. Signing a 4 year contract rather than 5 gives them more flexibility to move on sooner. I have no problem with us being a stepping stone club for very talented young players. It is better to have great players for 2 years and sell, compared to plodding along with players other clubs don't want.

Thats very true. The frustration with Ings is that we would probably end up selling him for the same or less than we paid for him, which given his huge increase in performance level and the current level he is at, is somewhat disasterous for our business model as we will be really hampered in replacing him, and in his case it is undeniable that he has been solely responsible for a good chunk of points.

Also his standing in the fanbase and fact he is a local lad would make it even more of a blow, as he has a genuine connection with the club and fans and that is rare to find these days.

Not a huge amount we can do about it, but it would be a massive blow, on and off the pitch.