Yorkie

From Hope's latest piece.

The only way we catch them is by dramatically improving our PSR position. The only way we dramatically improve our PSR position is through sales. We're in between a rock and a hard place. As for the post of mine you quoted. If I've got PSR specs then you've got the blinkers on. Despite the not-for-sale position, the club has a price for Isak that works for us. If they can get it now they won't risk banking on getting it later. PSR encourages that mindset because it's so important to maximise trading out.

But it dictates every single decision we make so we're therefore constantly in a jam. If we're selling to Liverpool now it's because the decision makers at the club prefer the certainty of an enormous fee now, and the guarantees that brings, as opposed to an unknown fee in a year's time. Meanwhile it's Liverpool's own PSR situation which has them at the table now and not earlier/later. There's probably an argument that they'd think the same way without PSR tbh but its existence clearly softens the reluctance to sell.

PSR has the whole division pickled in aspic, let alone jam.

As far as the Premier League is concerned, I would agree. I'd fancy us against just about anyone in a one-off cup game, but in terms of sustaining Champions League qualifications - and certainly title challenges - this summer has demonstrated that we don't have a prayer as long as PSR exists in it's current format. Liverpool specifically has the double advantage of being incredibly well run on top of all the benefits aided to them by PSR. I hate the idea of losing our best players to Liverpool, I really do, but personally I don't think it's the scandal or demonstration of being bullied that KI presents, providing we get an astronomical fee. £150million is a ludicrous sum of money and a giant return on our initial investment; collecting that from any team is stomachable for me. Notwithstanding the sadness at seeing one of our alleged greats treat us with such disrespect.

You're pointless.

It sounds pretty negligible and therefore surmountable, but then why would it be in the press? If Leipzig have already laid out to buyers what the price is, there's no need to stoke a bidding war so it hasn't come from them. Just reads to me like Sesko's party are telling Man Utd to come for him.

Probably. Could be coordinated attempt to engage Man Utd with the Slovenian press stuff early in the day and now this from Yawnstein.

"Hi Manchester United, David here. Sesko's agent has just told me that Newcastle have had their bid rejected. These are the exact terms you need to agree with Leipzig. Do that and Sesko will be all yours."

Yep. Feels like an absolutely blatant attempt to stoke Man Utd's interest. Info probably came from the agent.

There we go lowballing again. Snarkiness aside, it sounds very surmountable if it literally just comes down to a sell-on fee. So surmountable that it's barely worth reporting unless you had a vested interest in him going to a different club.

The work experience kid landing a segue during the interview is easily the triumph of the summer so far.

Bless the media lads who've put this series together. There's being anxious for new signings and then there's what those lads will be going through.

If he really does end up staying then we don't want to be cutting our nose off to spite our face. If Howe wants to support him and pick up where things left off, that's good enough for me. Call it shit happens and move on.

Sounds like there's a bit of baggage around the guy which is why he wasn't at the top of our list, but I absolutely trust the decision-makers and feel comforted by knowing he's been on our radar for years. 2022 we were first talking about him on here. I also don't believe we'd commit such funds of Howe wasn't convinced. Fingers crossed it happens and suddenly we're looking like we've got a much stronger hand in all the shenanigans.

Encouraging stuff. Will look forward to the hindsight parade telling us we were wasting our time! [/snarkycunt]

I've tried to be in denial about this but can't deny that it does a little bit, because of the way he's carried on and because it's Liverpool. Certainly the moment when he scored anyway. Thankfully, as far as moments in the game go, Burn's was equally if not more momentous. Oh well, we'll just have to do it again.

God it's a fucking mad form of employment, being a footballer. You're duty-bound by your seven-figure salary to go on a multi-week corporate excursion, but you fuck off to Spain instead, without permission and without telling your line manager. And the result is that you're publicly showered with love and affection by said manager.

I mean Nike and Adidas make literally billions from shirt sales. It doesn't matter what shirts look like to 75% of customers. If it's got the badge on, that's that.

Getting way ahead of myself but it would be doubly amusing if he's loads better than Gyokeres.

How did the injury happen? Was it an impact one? Obviously he's injury prone but he's been incredibly lucky in that case. Heightens the need for a CM, as if we didn't already know. Really hope those Gallagher links were legit, he'd be perfect.

Before all the Isak stuff was going on it seemed like it was always the plan to go big on a second striker (Delap, Pedro, Ekitike). I don't get the impression we expected Isak to leave this summer so with all that considered, Sesko seems like a signing regardless of what happens elsewhere.

Hope it's true, would be a very exciting signing. Losing Isak is obviously a massive blow but the squad definitely needs a bit of a refresh; we already saw it going stale last year. You'd be expecting an unreasonable amount from Howe to keep it fresh yet again. Isak, Wissa and Almiron to Sesko, Wissa and Elanga is a fair shake-up.

Don't believe for a second that that's the end of the story, it's just a play in a very miserable game.

Are we just continuing this assumption that the decision makers are braindead imbeciles, then? That they've suddenly forgotten about PSR despite having every single decision be completely dictated by it for the last two years? If they want Watkins then I'll happily just assume we've got the headroom to do it.