09 Mar 2025 22:45:35
JB (agent) will apparently demand £150,000 a week. If true I cannot see Freidkins agreeing to that and to be honest good for them.
10 Mar 2025 07:54:49
Depends how ambitious the club want to be. If we don't pay it there are plenty of other clubs will pay that and more.
You are talking about a future England player and already one of the best centre backs in the country. Get him on a five year contract and with him and O'Brien you have the makings of a solid central defence. Both big lads, but both can play with the ball at their feet.
150k is not a lot in footballing terms. If we want to bring success back to the club then this is the sort of money we need to pay. And unlike the Moshiri days were we bought poorly, we already know this lad is a quality player.
10 Mar 2025 09:37:34
The problem is if you have one player on 150K then everyone else wants to be on a similar wage or slightly less. As a club I don't think it would be sustainable. If you looks at Bretford Bournemouth and Brighton there top wage is around £100k. We have the perfect time for a reset on the wage front in the summer. Additional JP is on £125k and JB is nowhere near his level yet. As for if we don't pay the wage we are not ambitious enough well that's the sort of thinking that helped get us into the financial mess we are in, in the first place. JB could double his salary and be on a great wage, more than enough for a player of his calibre.
10 Mar 2025 11:26:09
We need to adopt a sustainable model where the couple of top earners are our top players. If 100k is out top wage, JB will have to take it or leave it. If he won't sign, sell to the highest bidder. We should be looking to sign top young players from around the World who would only be earning 10k-40k in their leagues and offer them 50-60k.
10 Mar 2025 12:14:24
The issue is, is that we have been happy to pay absolute dross players like Kean, DCL and Doucoure over 100k a week - madness.
JB is worth the money considering the level of club that is after him and his attributes. If we don't want to offer him that and keep him, then it is a case of selling him for 70/ 80m.
Players can moan about not being on the same but when they are nowhere near the level of JP and JB, it is a case of improve and reach their level or stop crying about it.
10 Mar 2025 12:16:55
He's worth every penny but we will probably be happy to cash in north of £70m so it's really not one to pay much thought to. And if we can't afford a few of our prime cuts to earn £150k pw then we are really in big trouble.
10 Mar 2025 18:52:22
If you truly want to compete at the top level then, i'm sorry to say, these are the wages players will want. We just need better recruitment so the correct players are identified first go round.
10 Mar 2025 20:11:36
BN is right if players want to earn the same money then show us why. JB is worth as much as JB because he has youth and longevity on his side.
And just because you buy a player from abroad and put him on 50k doesn’t mean he is going to be any good.
If we want to improve then we have got to stop selling our best players.
11 Mar 2025 08:59:15
I am sorry but the argument that is we don't spend we can't compete is a myth of hype. That in itself generates higher costs for everyone. What gets me some are happy to say we need to spend big on players yet do not see that if the current trend continues then the only way clubs can continue to survive is by passing cost back to the fans via higher fee's whether that be ticket prices merch or media subscriptions which we have seen already and it will only get worse. This will by default lead to a super league as numerous clubs will be fighting for limited resource so the clubs with the largest perceived fan base will be favoured.
11 Mar 2025 14:41:16
No clubs can generate a lot more income by playing European football. It's not just about how much you spend on players, it's getting the right players that counts, and yes some of these will come at a premium. But the goal should always be European qualification, and the addition income that generates.
12 Mar 2025 13:52:41
It's a double edged sword for me. On one hand, JB is one of our better players and should be up there with the top earners at the club. Especially when we see some of the wages handed out by the last regime, he's arguably been one of our top players for the last 18 months or so. He also has a bigger transfer fee attached to him than most of our squad.
The thing that pisses me off is that these footballers get paid well over the odds for what they do, obviously through no fault of their own it's just the way the game has gone. But when they are demanding obscene amounts per week when people in the local area are living hand to mouth, some relying on food banks, it doesn't really sit right with me.
Football isn't the same these days really, money has ruined it to a large extent.
12 Mar 2025 16:34:53
No BP the owners and agents have ruined it. Starting with Abramovich at Chelsea.
12 Mar 2025 17:14:43
I'd say they are all culpable mate, they've all played a significant part in grabbing the riches.
As for blaming Abramovic, I'd say there's always been teams in the top division that spent considerably more than the others. In the 80s, Everton and Liverpool were known as the mersey millionaires, Blackburn spent a pretty penny in the lead up to winning the league. Money corrupts at the end of the day mate and it's us fans that ultimately pay the price.
{Ed025's Note - i agree BP..