I think a few people need to calm down. Our new owners have a very rich man behind them but we don’t know what our budget is and Bowyer/Gallen don’t strike me as a pair that will spunk money for the sake of it.
I think it’ll be a bit by bit process of adding cover and quality in key areas. New contracts and making loans as perms will be what January is all about, then in the summer we start again with better loan offers and a couple of real quality signings.
Does also depend on the ambitions of the owner though... Its his club at the end of the day If he wants us competing with Man City eventually then I imagine he'll want money to be spunked If he's happy be able to compete in the Championship on our own before making a decent attempt at the Premier League then I'd agree
Jonsson Clarke-Harris wouldnt be a bad shout either - Wasnt he another we were interested in over the summer? Get Tom Lockyer on the blower to him to persuade him
I think a few people need to calm down. Our new owners have a very rich man behind them but we don’t know what our budget is and Bowyer/Gallen don’t strike me as a pair that will spunk money for the sake of it.
I think it’ll be a bit by bit process of adding cover and quality in key areas. New contracts and making loans as perms will be what January is all about, then in the summer we start again with better loan offers and a couple of real quality signings.
Does also depend on the ambitions of the owner though... Its his club at the end of the day If he wants us competing with Man City eventually then I imagine he'll want money to be spunked If he's happy be able to compete in the Championship on our own before making a decent attempt at the Premier League then I'd agree
That's the million dollar question, or the billion dollar one. I think it's safe to say they aren't buying us to be a "championship club with Premier league ambition". If they want us competing at the very highest level, they will want to get there ASAP. That means a top half Premier league finish as quickly as 2022. If that's what they want it won't be built on league 1 gambles.
I think a few people need to calm down. Our new owners have a very rich man behind them but we don’t know what our budget is and Bowyer/Gallen don’t strike me as a pair that will spunk money for the sake of it.
I think it’ll be a bit by bit process of adding cover and quality in key areas. New contracts and making loans as perms will be what January is all about, then in the summer we start again with better loan offers and a couple of real quality signings.
Does also depend on the ambitions of the owner though... Its his club at the end of the day If he wants us competing with Man City eventually then I imagine he'll want money to be spunked If he's happy be able to compete in the Championship on our own before making a decent attempt at the Premier League then I'd agree
Competing with the likes of Reading, Hull and Blackburn is a more pressing priority! Survival is what matters most this season especially as with all the injuries things will get worse before they get better!
I think a few people need to calm down. Our new owners have a very rich man behind them but we don’t know what our budget is and Bowyer/Gallen don’t strike me as a pair that will spunk money for the sake of it.
I think it’ll be a bit by bit process of adding cover and quality in key areas. New contracts and making loans as perms will be what January is all about, then in the summer we start again with better loan offers and a couple of real quality signings.
Does also depend on the ambitions of the owner though... Its his club at the end of the day If he wants us competing with Man City eventually then I imagine he'll want money to be spunked If he's happy be able to compete in the Championship on our own before making a decent attempt at the Premier League then I'd agree
Competing with the likes of Reading, Hull and Blackburn is a more pressing priority! Survival is what matters most this season especially as with all the injuries things will get worse before they get better!
Oh completely agree... Dont think the owners will approach January looking to spend quickly and so see if we can make a late push for the Play-Offs - that aim could require a number of players and to signing them halfway through the season could upset the team unity that Bowyer has built this season and so backfire - My Q was more of the longer term aims from the owners, the takeover press conference (I presume there will be one) will be interesting
I'd love us to keep Field too, he's been a huge miss
I must have been watching a different player
Watch the Nottingham Forest game (our best 45mins of the season for me) He was untouchable and instrumental to everything we did, not just that game but when he finally got fit after 4/5 games he was class
Toneys goal in the FA cup was ridiculous. Getting him and Leko on perms with Taylor signed up would be brilliant. Those 3 and Bonne as our 4 strikers is very good for this level
I think West brom will want a fair slug for Leko, probably 4-5 mill - he is very highly rated there.
If West Brom think anyone will pay 4-5 million for Leko they are kidding themselves. Far better players than him out there for that sort of money.
He's still only 20, has top flight experience, is playing regularly in the championship and has played at every youth age group for England up to U20. I don't think 4-5m is an unreasonable fee for them to ask in todays market when you consider Peterborough are asking £12m+ for a guy who aside from 2 games for Newcastle has never played higher than league one.
4-5m for Leko is a bargain in today’s market. Yes he’s frustratingly inconsistent, but he’s only 20! If Bowyer can improve his decision making and final ball, then he’ll go on to play for much bigger clubs than Charlton and West Brom. I think Leko has already massively improved since the start of the season, imagine him at 22.
Toneys goal in the FA cup was ridiculous. Getting him and Leko on perms with Taylor signed up would be brilliant. Those 3 and Bonne as our 4 strikers is very good for this level
4-5m for Leko is a bargain in today’s market. Yes he’s frustratingly inconsistent, but he’s only 20! If Bowyer can improve his decision making and final ball, then he’ll go on to play for much bigger clubs than Charlton and West Brom. I think Leko has already massively improved since the start of the season, imagine him at 22.
How frustrating was Robert Lee when he first came in the side, always caught offside then he blossomed into a great player.
Kind of hoping we don't go bonkers in the transfer market. A mid table wage budget and some money to convert loans into permanent signings. Additions to the squad to fill some gaps (left back and centre back a priority, we've been lucky with injuries so far in this area) and new contracts for key players and staff would make us feel like a proper, stable club again. Leave all the talk of building a promotion capable squad to the summer, lets just put down some foundations and make sure we stay in this league.
Kind of hoping we don't go bonkers in the transfer market. A mid table wage budget and some money to convert loans into permanent signings. Additions to the squad to fill some gaps (left back and centre back a priority, we've been lucky with injuries so far in this area) and new contracts for key players and staff would make us feel like a proper, stable club again. Leave all the talk of building a promotion capable squad to the summer, lets just put down some foundations and make sure we stay in this league.
For this season yes we just absolutely have to stay in this division.
From next summer onwards - sod that.
You only live once. I want to live the dream I'm not afraid to admit it. Real life Champ Manager - I want our turn buying the best players and being a footballing superpower!
All signings need to be as good or better than our top 4 or 5 players - taylor Cullen and Williams secured, an aerially dominant centre half, a striker to replace and better hemed and a replacement loan for kyal - that will do it
Leko is frustrating but much better in every department than Grant at the same age.
I disagree. Considering Grant is only about 18 months or so older than Leko, and Grant has scored 38 goals in his last 75 league appearances, dating back to his loan at Crawley in 2018. I assure you Grant is far, far better than Leko in finishing and is quicker than him too.
Leko is frustrating but much better in every department than Grant at the same age.
I disagree. Considering Grant is only about 18 months or so older than Leko, and Grant has scored 38 goals in his last 75 league appearances, dating back to his loan at Crawley in 2018. I assure you Grant is far, far better than Leko in finishing and is quicker than him too.
I will stand corrected but I also remember poor Grant shot of all confidence and hiding from the ball . He only reached hero status the same season he left. Think Leko is better than I ever saw Grant prior to his last season with us. Not that it matters that much of course.
1. Bowyer contract 2. Taylor contract without a release clause 3. Cullen on a Perm 4. A decent left-sided centre back 5. Leko/Field on a Perm 6. Some proper Wing Backs 7. Another striker on loan
BEWARE: Below is a massive transfer thought exercise. So yeah. It's long.
So, let's assume we are financially secure come January 1st. I hope that's a reasonable assumption, especially looking at Tahnoon Nimer's financial connections. We've been told that:
1. The priorities are Bowyer and Taylor's contracts;
2. We will have money to spend;
3. Southall is keen on Leko and Cullen as permanent deals.
Great.
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Let's assume Bowyer and Taylor get signed up for a few additional years, and that the figures below are halfway accurate.
We give Bowyer £20k a week (so £1m a year, just over double his current wage, as press reports at the time of the extension u-turn indicate his current deal is £400k for 2019/20), while Taylor gets £12k a week (trebling his current wage - again according to reports around the time of the Brentford saga).
That would equate to, for 2020/21, £1.6m. Chuck in some signing on fees, plus them being on that wage from Jan, and it's something like £2.5m-£3m. (Call it £3m.)
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Leko: I think around £5m would be a reasonable fee - possibly a slightly conservative one - taking into account the footballing financial climate; current ability; and his potential. He looks like he could be a really good player, but this is yet to be realised.
According to this random source I found online, he's on £3k a week. Let's assume we double that to £6k a week, maybe a bit more, plus a bit of a signing on fee, so £500k (to be generous). Rounding up... if he's signed in Jan, until the end of the 2020/21 season, let's presume that's an outlay of £6m.
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Then there's Cullen: nearly out of contract, I think £5m is a reasonable transfer fee. But then his wages are relatively high, according to Spotrac, who are somewhat more authoritative than most other sources on wages. I'm going to guess we offer him a slightly better deal, bit of a signing fee - so perhaps £10k a week and a couple hundred grand signing. ... Rounding up, again, until the end of the 2020/21 season, another outlay of £6m.
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So before we've turned around, securing the above on deals will cost us £15m. This is based on what could be complete conjecture (a la Napa). I also think that given how player transfer fees are currently amortised over a couple of years at least, that in terms of FFP, this would prove to be a smaller number than bolded above.
I don't think this is unreasonable spending, but equally, we need to be careful thinking about how much we can spend at any one time, or in any one window.
Thankfully, given how little I imagine we have spent this season so far, there's probably - if the new owners are as fiscally endowed as we think - room for another couple of signings in there. If so, I would prioritise a centre back, striker, and right back in that order.
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In theory we would then be left with around 16 first team players under contract (not including any potential new signings in January):
Not including Doughty/Vennings/Davison for the time being.
Of these, I'd expect us to try and move on at least Aneke, loan out Morgan again, possibly Lapslie, and maybe one other.
However, I'd guess we may wish to re-sign at least one of Solly/Matthews; possibly Sarr; and we'd want to evaluate what could be done with Field/JFC/Gallagher.
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So we'd still be looking for RB/CB/ST (as I said above), a left back, and probably at least one midfielder.
If we're looking at four or five players in the ballpark of Cullen/Leko's fees again, then that's easily another £20m on new signings, at least, I would hazard a guess at.
Do we have that money? ... Possibly. Maybe even probably. Either way, I don't think we should be thinking about splashing loads and loads of dosh about, if my numbers are even halfway close to the potential reality. But we could see some very decent improvement if Bowyer and Gallen are cannier than I!
Good post Paddy one thing I can’t see though is 5m for Cullen, if he’s out of contract in a few months time, surely closer to 2/3 million.
I may have overestimated, given it's the Championship and not the Premiership, to be fair. You're probably right in that it would be closer to this sort of mark - but then I guess it might be partially offset by Cullen asking for a little more money if he knows the deal is a bit cut-price?
Even so, let's say it's the bottom end at £2m - still looking at an outlay of £12m to commit to four people (Bowyer, Cullen, Leko, Taylor) through the end of 2020/21 (I wrote the post in the context of FFP to an extent).
Comments
If he wants us competing with Man City eventually then I imagine he'll want money to be spunked
If he's happy be able to compete in the Championship on our own before making a decent attempt at the Premier League then I'd agree
Get Tom Lockyer on the blower to him to persuade him
I don't think 4-5m is an unreasonable fee for them to ask in todays market when you consider Peterborough are asking £12m+ for a guy who aside from 2 games for Newcastle has never played higher than league one.
From next summer onwards - sod that.
You only live once. I want to live the dream I'm not afraid to admit it. Real life Champ Manager - I want our turn buying the best players and being a footballing superpower!
https://twitter.com/skysportsnews/status/1201427996038574080?s=21
1. Bowyer contract
2. Taylor contract without a release clause
3. Cullen on a Perm
4. A decent left-sided centre back
5. Leko/Field on a Perm
6. Some proper Wing Backs
7. Another striker on loan
Aston Villa have been linked with a £10m January move for Millwall's English winger Jed Wallace, 25. (Birmingham Mail)
So, let's assume we are financially secure come January 1st. I hope that's a reasonable assumption, especially looking at Tahnoon Nimer's financial connections. We've been told that:
1. The priorities are Bowyer and Taylor's contracts;
2. We will have money to spend;
3. Southall is keen on Leko and Cullen as permanent deals.
Great.
----------------------------------
Let's assume Bowyer and Taylor get signed up for a few additional years, and that the figures below are halfway accurate.
We give Bowyer £20k a week (so £1m a year, just over double his current wage, as press reports at the time of the extension u-turn indicate his current deal is £400k for 2019/20), while Taylor gets £12k a week (trebling his current wage - again according to reports around the time of the Brentford saga).
That would equate to, for 2020/21, £1.6m. Chuck in some signing on fees, plus them being on that wage from Jan, and it's something like £2.5m-£3m. (Call it £3m.)
----------------------------------
Leko: I think around £5m would be a reasonable fee - possibly a slightly conservative one - taking into account the footballing financial climate; current ability; and his potential. He looks like he could be a really good player, but this is yet to be realised.
According to this random source I found online, he's on £3k a week. Let's assume we double that to £6k a week, maybe a bit more, plus a bit of a signing on fee, so £500k (to be generous). Rounding up... if he's signed in Jan, until the end of the 2020/21 season, let's presume that's an outlay of £6m.
----------------------------------
Then there's Cullen: nearly out of contract, I think £5m is a reasonable transfer fee. But then his wages are relatively high, according to Spotrac, who are somewhat more authoritative than most other sources on wages. I'm going to guess we offer him a slightly better deal, bit of a signing fee - so perhaps £10k a week and a couple hundred grand signing. ... Rounding up, again, until the end of the 2020/21 season, another outlay of £6m.
----------------------------------
So before we've turned around, securing the above on deals will cost us £15m. This is based on what could be complete conjecture (a la Napa). I also think that given how player transfer fees are currently amortised over a couple of years at least, that in terms of FFP, this would prove to be a smaller number than bolded above.
I don't think this is unreasonable spending, but equally, we need to be careful thinking about how much we can spend at any one time, or in any one window.
Thankfully, given how little I imagine we have spent this season so far, there's probably - if the new owners are as fiscally endowed as we think - room for another couple of signings in there. If so, I would prioritise a centre back, striker, and right back in that order.
----------------------------------
In theory we would then be left with around 16 first team players under contract (not including any potential new signings in January):
Amos (assume option), Phillips, Lockyer, Oshilaja, Pearce, Purrington, Cullen, Pratley, Lapslie, Morgan(?), Aneke, Oztumer, Leko, Williams (option), Taylor, Bonne
Not including Doughty/Vennings/Davison for the time being.
Of these, I'd expect us to try and move on at least Aneke, loan out Morgan again, possibly Lapslie, and maybe one other.
However, I'd guess we may wish to re-sign at least one of Solly/Matthews; possibly Sarr; and we'd want to evaluate what could be done with Field/JFC/Gallagher.
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So we'd still be looking for RB/CB/ST (as I said above), a left back, and probably at least one midfielder.
If we're looking at four or five players in the ballpark of Cullen/Leko's fees again, then that's easily another £20m on new signings, at least, I would hazard a guess at.
Do we have that money? ... Possibly. Maybe even probably. Either way, I don't think we should be thinking about splashing loads and loads of dosh about, if my numbers are even halfway close to the potential reality. But we could see some very decent improvement if Bowyer and Gallen are cannier than I!
Even so, let's say it's the bottom end at £2m - still looking at an outlay of £12m to commit to four people (Bowyer, Cullen, Leko, Taylor) through the end of 2020/21 (I wrote the post in the context of FFP to an extent).