End of season sale - value the squad

[Nameless]

So Aluko will cost us something like £750k to £1.5m over the next year.

I'd say that puts his price at around -£500k.

Ie, if it got him off the wage bill, I'd pay a club £500k to sign him and we'd still come out ahead on the deal.

The Secret Footballer, in one of his books said the following, which I was surprised about.

If a player leaves and hasn't instigated the move theirselves i.e. asked for a transfer, then the selling club has to pay up the players contract in full. Now, I imagine there would be room for negotiation in this if it is in the players interests to move e.g. new club gives him more money/signing on fee/longer contract/more chance of playing, but if the player digs his heels in that means the club will take a hit to the finances if the transfer fee is below the cost of paying up the players contract.... maybe we'll end up paying him off over a number of years? (There was a story about Robbie Fowler still being Leeds Utds top earner years after he left).

As a player, getting your old contract paid off is great but you can then ask for a signing on bonus and a new longer contract, so it's a win all round, unless the club signing you is based in an undesirable location.

That is exactly why very few players put in formal transfer requests.

I have wondered in the past what one of these looks like.
Is there a downloadable form they fill in their name and club in the gaps ?
Do players scribble ‘I want to go’ on the back of an envelope and tuck it under the wipers on the manager’s car ?
Do the more sensitive players write long essays explaining their motivation and imploring the manager to let them go and fulfill their destiny.

In similar vein is there an actual ‘transfer list’ ? Is it pinned up on a wall. Or does the manager keep it tucked away in a drawer ?

Have these adapted to modern technology ? Is a Whasapp message formal enough to be considered a transfer request ? Can injury lists be spreadsheets ?

[Simmops]

The Secret Footballer, in one of his books said the following, which I was surprised about.

If a player leaves and hasn't instigated the move theirselves i.e. asked for a transfer, then the selling club has to pay up the players contract in full. Now, I imagine there would be room for negotiation in this if it is in the players interests to move e.g. new club gives him more money/signing on fee/longer contract/more chance of playing, but if the player digs his heels in that means the club will take a hit to the finances if the transfer fee is below the cost of paying up the players contract.... maybe we'll end up paying him off over a number of years? (There was a story about Robbie Fowler still being Leeds Utds top earner years after he left).

As a player, getting your old contract paid off is great but you can then ask for a signing on bonus and a new longer contract, so it's a win all round, unless the club signing you is based in an undesirable location.

That is exactly why very few players put in formal transfer requests.

I have wondered in the past what one of these looks like.
Is there a downloadable form they fill in their name and club in the gaps ?
Do players scribble ‘I want to go’ on the back of an envelope and tuck it under the wipers on the manager’s car ?
Do the more sensitive players write long essays explaining their motivation and imploring the manager to let them go and fulfill their destiny.

In similar vein is there an actual ‘transfer list’ ? Is it pinned up on a wall. Or does the manager keep it tucked away in a drawer ?

Have these adapted to modern technology ? Is a Whasapp message formal enough to be considered a transfer request ? Can injury lists be spreadsheets ?

I could imagine the F.a having some sort of Web page portal for clubs to go on, and adding players onto transfer lists then all the managers going on a weekly zoom call with the head of transfers to discuss who gets who and which team gets priority over which player in the lists

I hope transfer requests are like a sort of holiday request at work. You have to fill in your request and send it off for approval to your manager.

"sorry gaffa I need you to block out 12-1pm for me as I need to pop a quick zoom meeting in your diary"

"no problem Dave. Can you send me an agenda please?"

"yeaaaahhhhh..... Ummmm no"

[Wycombe Royal]

The Secret Footballer, in one of his books said the following, which I was surprised about.

If a player leaves and hasn't instigated the move theirselves i.e. asked for a transfer, then the selling club has to pay up the players contract in full. Now, I imagine there would be room for negotiation in this if it is in the players interests to move e.g. new club gives him more money/signing on fee/longer contract/more chance of playing, but if the player digs his heels in that means the club will take a hit to the finances if the transfer fee is below the cost of paying up the players contract.... maybe we'll end up paying him off over a number of years? (There was a story about Robbie Fowler still being Leeds Utds top earner years after he left).

As a player, getting your old contract paid off is great but you can then ask for a signing on bonus and a new longer contract, so it's a win all round, unless the club signing you is based in an undesirable location.

That is exactly why very few players put in formal transfer requests.

I have wondered in the past what one of these looks like.
Is there a downloadable form they fill in their name and club in the gaps ?
Do players scribble ‘I want to go’ on the back of an envelope and tuck it under the wipers on the manager’s car ?
Do the more sensitive players write long essays explaining their motivation and imploring the manager to let them go and fulfill their destiny.

In similar vein is there an actual ‘transfer list’ ? Is it pinned up on a wall. Or does the manager keep it tucked away in a drawer ?

Have these adapted to modern technology ? Is a Whasapp message formal enough to be considered a transfer request ? Can injury lists be spreadsheets ?

Bypassing all the sarcasm in there, it certainly used to take the form of a written letter handed to the club asking for a transfer, in much the same way as an employee hands in a letter of resignation. And yes I do have first hand knowledge of this from an ex-professional footballer. His request was torn up in front of him and thrown in the bin.

I'm sure some players will use electronic means nowadays, like Instagram

[Crowbar6753]

Is Meite really a good striker? would he have scored lets say 25 goals if he was in our 106 point record breaking team, with the amazing fast counter attacking wing playing system?

Good Q

I often think that a striker doesn't matter as much as the system and the service and our issues have been no proper shape/system or service (and the lack of wingers and crosses I keep harping on about), So based on that I'd say you are a very good striker indeed if you can get 17 goals in a team like ours. Like Morley got I can't remember 21 or 23 goals in a season where we were fighting relegation from the second tier.

So are both these guys therefore good strikers who'd walk into a Prem team and score 25 goals? Probably not.

I guess strikers excel in different setups i.e. some strikers may thrive on a team jsut playing shite and they use their strength and just fight hard and get goals. I remember Morley was hard as f**k.

Then you'd have players like Vydra, who will be different. Put them in a shit team and they're shit. Did he score like 3 goals in 31 appearances for us or something? What did he do after that? Went to a good team and scored a goal every 3 three games.

So my stab at yoru Q is he's probably not "good" in terms of being able to go into the PL against top teams and keep up, but in the champ he can use his strength and energy and get goals, and my guess is in the 106 team he'd get plenty too against teams at this level. Up in the PL though my guess is he'd suffer so he's probably not "good" in that sense.

But someone like Puscas is probably different. He's kind of struggled with this league but give him a better team playing to his strengths in a league playing better football and he'd probably flourish a lot more. I can see him scoring more in the PL with a good team around him than in the champ with a crap team around him.

Do I have any idea what I'm talking about though? Of course not, just a guess.

Well answered Millsy, i guess 17 goals is a great return in this squad and he probably would've scored 25 in the 106 team, however, back to his market valuation, we both agree thats he's not the greatest player but in todays market a 17 goal championship striker must be worth more than 3 million?

[Millsy]

Is Meite really a good striker? would he have scored lets say 25 goals if he was in our 106 point record breaking team, with the amazing fast counter attacking wing playing system?

Good Q

I often think that a striker doesn't matter as much as the system and the service and our issues have been no proper shape/system or service (and the lack of wingers and crosses I keep harping on about), So based on that I'd say you are a very good striker indeed if you can get 17 goals in a team like ours. Like Morley got I can't remember 21 or 23 goals in a season where we were fighting relegation from the second tier.

So are both these guys therefore good strikers who'd walk into a Prem team and score 25 goals? Probably not.

I guess strikers excel in different setups i.e. some strikers may thrive on a team jsut playing shite and they use their strength and just fight hard and get goals. I remember Morley was hard as f**k.

Then you'd have players like Vydra, who will be different. Put them in a shit team and they're shit. Did he score like 3 goals in 31 appearances for us or something? What did he do after that? Went to a good team and scored a goal every 3 three games.

So my stab at yoru Q is he's probably not "good" in terms of being able to go into the PL against top teams and keep up, but in the champ he can use his strength and energy and get goals, and my guess is in the 106 team he'd get plenty too against teams at this level. Up in the PL though my guess is he'd suffer so he's probably not "good" in that sense.

But someone like Puscas is probably different. He's kind of struggled with this league but give him a better team playing to his strengths in a league playing better football and he'd probably flourish a lot more. I can see him scoring more in the PL with a good team around him than in the champ with a crap team around him.

Do I have any idea what I'm talking about though? Of course not, just a guess.

Well answered Millsy, i guess 17 goals is a great return in this squad and he probably would've scored 25 in the 106 team, however, back to his market valuation, we both agree thats he's not the greatest player but in todays market a 17 goal championship striker must be worth more than 3 million?

Thanks Crowbar.

TBH I have no idea abotu value in the current predicament, which is why I haven't made a serious comment about anyone's valuation. It may even be the case that we should be paying someone to take him off our hands, who knows.

But to use pre-covid circumstances as a benchmark I'd be disappointed with 3mill for sure. I do not at all want to compare with Puscas, but come on, if we were paying 8mill for a championship-proven young big strong hungry striker with 17 goals in a diabolical relegation threatened team with goal stats improving year on year and not at his prime yet, I think a lot of people on HNA would say it's not an unreasonable purchase. Of course there'd be the usual sceptics pointing to his flaws they will have seen or read from forums but numbers don't lie probably most people wouldn't argue with money well spent.

Of course as I say with covid and our current financial situation, which I don't know enough about, who knows.

[Hound]

I think Meite's defensive work is under rated. He not only notched 17 but he has turned into a useful defensive winger

3m would be a ridiculous underselling, despite his obvious flaws

[Forbury Lion]

5 Million for McIntyre (First season, but i admit a great prospect) and only 3 Million for Meite (17 Goal striker/Winger). I'm pretty sure goal scorers with a good goal to game ratio tend to be worth more than defenders, however, it sometimes makes me wonder how Meite got 17 goals in this team when we are generally so poor at creating chances for our strikers.

Is Meite really a good striker? would he have scored lets say 25 goals if he was in our 106 point record breaking team, with the amazing fast counter attacking wing playing system?

I like Meite, but he wouldn't have got near the 106 team.

Kitson and Doyle were light years ahead of him and neither of them got 25.

Plus Lita and Long.

I reckon Meite would have made an impact in our second championship winning season, At least up to the point we signed Jason Roberts.

[Millsy]

Yeah hasn't he won more header duels than even Joao? Can't remember where I read that. Probably dreamt it.

[Notts Royal]

I think Meite's defensive work is under rated. He not only notched 17 but he has turned into a useful defensive winger

3m would be a ridiculous underselling, despite his obvious flaws

This is a good point. His all round game, especially his defensive work, has improved this season. He’s more valuable than we give him credit for

[Snowflake Royal]

I'd build the team around Morrison, Rinomhota and Meite. None of them the most technically gifted, but all consistent, good quality, hard workers.

[Jack Celliers]

Meite is our main asset - he is the kind of player championship clubs were paying more than £10 million for pre-covid.
Swift is also worth millions, but possibly no longer part of the future for a team like Leeds
Somebody might remember Moore being good and have a wage structure to match his current salary
In a few games Rinomhota has been a world-beater, so perhaps he could be one or two teams' idea of a player for the future
Puskas and Joao would demand a fee

I'm not sure who else would earn us any money. The main thing this summer is to get rid of or pay off as many high-earners as possible and start again with a tighter squad playing together with the familiarity that has sent Millwall up the table towards the end of a couple of seasons recently. We know what's going to happen though.

[SCIAG]

A year ago there was quite a lot of interest in Richards. He’s a better player now so again think we could get £3m or more for him.

McIntyre and Olise are probably worth even more, both have a pretty good chance of making it at a higher level.