timeEd32

The problem is the only way we wouldn't end up regretting Watkins and Wissa is if we win the league or it's the reason we go far in the CL / make the CL two years running from that. Literally any other outcome is going to end badly because it kills our already limited financial flexibility.

The easiest solution to this problem is: 1) put Isak on a private jet to KSA 2) Sit down with Yasir and Eddie 3) Agree a new contract that provides him a straightforward (but expensive - let's say £115m) out to any non-PL club next summer. Maybe include a wink, wink Saudi League promise if needed. 4) Isak speaks to the team and apologizes for the distraction 5) The fans stand behind him Just make it happen.

Bingo. It’s very likely that Watkins + Wissa would perform really well this season, but then we’d be stuck with aging players that clubs are less and less interested in. We do not have the luxury of making short term decisions and, unfortunately, the clubs with a lot more money than us have mostly stopped buying older, expensive players. Selling our best player to the best team in the league at a reduced fee and then spending a chunk of that money on a near 30 year old from our most immediate rival is just about the dumbest 1-2 punch I can think of.

If we sell Isak for £120-130m and then spend that same amount to buy a 30 year old and a 29 year old I’m going to be greatly disappointed. And I don’t care about the amortization benefit in this scenario as we will have basically thrown it away anyway.

Yeah, that was meant to be "expand the damn stadium in whatever way makes sense." I've always thought we need a new stadium to compete unless there's some architectural breakthrough.

It also just takes time no matter what shortcuts you try to take. Forget selling the women's team, loaning players from KSA, and even the week-to-week results / year-to-year results. Get shovels in the ground on a new training ground, pour money into the academy and staff, and expand the damn stadium.

It was definitely spent. Liverpool did slow their spending to the point that before they won the title there were rumblings that FSG needed to go. It’s very annoying they brought through some kids, Salah went off, they won the title while banking record revenues and now can spend big.

£4m is at the low end of what came to mind with “sizable.” This is perfectly reasonable. More now please.

If this unlocks us to move forward / commit a bit more money to other positions then I'm all for it.

This is true, but it was also fairly predictable. Our transfer planning seems to have ignored or underestimated the possibility of competition from richer clubs.

There's little doubt in my mind that if we were to sign him we'd be ridiculed and then 18 months later Eddie will have done it again. The fees being thrown around are crazy though.

We have more than a month. It will be far from ideal if we show up to Villa Park without other new signings and an unhappy Isak, but we have more time than it seems.

0% chance.

I think that's mostly based on their wage capabilities and our perceived incompetence thus far.

This board endlessly downplays the pull that Man United has.

I hope we get so frustrated with this window that Eddie just goes "Hey Suds, what you got?" and we sign five gems.

In the context of professional athletes he is. Should be on double at minimum.

I can get behind this if the plan is something like: Loan Ramsdale (though the high loan fee sounds terrible) Sell Dubs and/or the Greek Re-allocate planned GK spend to other positions Revisit long term keeper decision next summer

The price is going to be the problem. I guess this means Pope is our keeper.

It needs to be noted that these are two very different windows. Last summer we were out of funds; this summer we've failed to execute, created a mess of our own making, and ran out of ideas (to this point).

The club but not Eddie is how it seems, which is more of an indictment of Eales.

Speed

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a throw in taken so far from the spot.

Eh, I’ve liked some of his running that seemed missing for most of last season.

Wanted him more than any player that’s realistic. But better at Forest than Spurs.