Jackie Broon

It seems unthinkable, but there have been reports that he would consider it.

Maybe that's why he's possibly willing to go to Saudi?

My thinking the main reasons he wants out are possibly: Lack of support on the pitch always being played as an isolated lone striker. The club not matching his ambition. The burglary making him feel unsafe in the area - it's notable that, although players have been getting burgled regularly for years, the club announced that they would be introducing new security measures in late May, right around when rumours of him wanting to leave started.

I think the thread title changes need to stop for the sake of all of our sanity.

Yeah, but I know from my own experience how being burgled can sour your relationship with a place, whether that is rational or not. His own words in May: “The attack on my home has left me with a sense of unease and I fear it could reoccur.”

Pure speculation but I wonder how much the burglary of his and other players houses has affected his happiness here? (not that it would be better in Liverpool!)

I don't think they have had a hands off approach, that's the issue, they reportedly require every decision to be signed off by them, that's the opposite of hands off.

I can see the 'Isak money tax' excuses for us not signing anyone now.

Ultimately, we could potentially have signed those players if we had acted more quickly and decisively. We put in lowball offers that we knew would be refused and that just alerted other clubs, giving them time to come in and get the players. Maybe that would still have happened if we had gone straight in with an offer that might have been accepted, but it would have given us a chance.

... and then walk away grumbling about 'Newcastle tax'.

Or us saying 'take or leave our £35m offer', and then Spurs signing him for £40m.

I can't see it. I don't think she's someone who wpuld be interested in being an employee.

I think there was an element of trying to dispel the image that we had unlimited money, but in the documentary when we were negotiating for Gordon, Staveley was constantly pushing at PIF... Earls was literally in the back seat. I wish him all the best, but he comes across as a bit of a yes man. Unfortunately, I don't think PIF will appoint anyone who challenges them like Staveley did.

I think it's more at this stage

Transfer fees in count towalds incone for three years for both PL PSR and UEFA FFP.

Yeah, he's been isolated and run into the ground on the pitch by us, in a better team with more support and service he could be a potential Ballon d'Or contender. We just haven't done enough to build a team to match and make the most of his ability.

His form at the end of last season was clearly down to more than carrying an injury in hindsight.

I think you're getting mixed up with UEFA's restriction on sale of assets being considered as income (such as Chelsea's hotels). Sales of players to related parties would be required to be fair market value, as they would by the PL, but I think the PL are stricter on that than UEFA are.

So frustrating that he was reportedly keen to join us but we've been haggling over him for over a year now, while his value has just continued to go up and up, and now he's out of our range.

Still against the rules: T.3. Any Club which by itself, by any of its Officials, by any of its Players, by its Football Agent, by any other Person on its behalf or by any other means whatsoever makes an approach either directly or indirectly to a Contract Player except as permitted by either Rule T.1.2 or Rule T.2 shall be in breach of these Rules and may be dealt with under the provisions of Section W (Disciplinary) of these Rules.

If he signs a new 5 year contract his transfer fee amortisation would fall from roughly £12m per year to £4.8m. He is reportedly currently on £120k per week, technically we could increase that to £260k without it costing us anything extra in PSR terms. It would probably be a bit more complicated than that with signing on fees and other stuff but £300k wouldn't be likely to be out of the question financially.

But he coukd have a 'groin injury' all season.

I doubt it, this is direct from Lisa Nandy: "the regulator will not have responsibility for profit and sustainability rules, it will protect and promote the sustainability of English football more broadly, in the interests of fans and the local communities football clubs serve. Ultimately the Premier League is responsible for implementing its own profit and sustainability rules."

Crazy money for a kid who could easily be another Jaden Sancho or Temo Werner.