Shadow Puppets

There’s zero chance we sign Sesko and keep Isak. If the Sesko deal progresses it’s proof that Isak is going.

I just don’t understand why we’d want to keep a player who has been “left with little option but to play”. I don’t really see who’s gaining? I understand that how we handle it could make us look weak or strong, but to have an unhappy player hanging around for a year, with another year or speculation, media bullshit, overtures, and disruption… isn’t it better to just move on? I dunno… I can see both sides… I would just like to think we reward players and build a team that actually want to play for us. Having a star player whose heart’s not really in it would be shit, to me.

Agreed on what message it sends, but I don’t agree that singing Wissa and another player of similar quality would significantly weaken us, especially if said player has a good fitness record. Isak is a great player, no doubt, but having two “good” players instead of one great player is not significantly weakening us, in my opinion. It’s certainly not “writing off the season”.

Maybe I’m being defeatist, but I think anyone who thinks we hold all the cards here are completely delusional. The player / his agent want to move, specifically to Liverpool. Players and their agents, 9/10, get their way. The absolute best we can hope for is that we somehow manage to negotiate £150m+, but I think that’s massively unlikely, or tie him down to a massive new contract and go through the whole thing again next year. It will be Liverpool. I have zero doubts about that. They’re cunts, to us, I get it. But to players who want to make it to the very top, they’re an elite club.

I already told you who. Sesko + Wissa, or Wissa and another £30m-£40m signing as stop gaps until we can get out shit together.

My order of preferences… 1) we keep him, he somehow signs a new contract as is actually committed to it. 2) we sell him abroad now. 3) we sell him to a PL team now. 4) we keep an unhappy player, lowering morale, when we could have accepted a big money offer and moved on.

I’d agree with that.

In an ideal world I’d agree. But I don’t think anything you’ve said there is realistic or in any way likely to happen.

We’ll have to agree to disagree on Elliott. I like him. “Rotting in the reserves” is about the worst possible outcome to all of this. We don’t have a player and we don’t have any money, and probably a team morale issue in the background to contend with. As far as I’m concerned, he wants to go, and someone is likely going to offer £135m for him. A few hypotheticals to throw out there… 1) we turn down a big offer, he signs a new contract, he reintegrates with the squad, bangs in 20 goals… we’ll still go through the whole charade again next summer. 2) we turn down a big offer, he sits in the reserves. No money, no player. Pointless and damaging to morale. 3) we turn down a big offer, he gets an injury or a loss of form / his hearts not in it. We go through all of this next summer but with less money involved. 4) we sell him now for £135m+, and reinvest in the squad. Even if we don’t replace him with a “big name” immediately, we could feasibly build out the squad substantially. 5) we sell him now for £135m+, replace him with Sesko and replace Wilson with Wissa, and move on. Options 4 and 5 are, to me, the most appealing. This whole charade has burnt too many bridges. Ideally I wouldn’t want it to be Liverpool, but it’s going to be, so I’m not really sure what the point in arguing about it is.

We won’t get more than that, and I really think we’re deluded if we think we’re going to get more. The player is essentially on strike. This situation is paralysing the club. Just rip the fucking band aid off and move on. £135m is a realistic figure (ideally more but unlikely).

Elliot is a good player in a position we need more depth in. I really think we’re deluded if we think anyone in world football will pay £150m for Isak (I’d love to be proved wrong though). It’s Liverpool or no one by the looks of it. I agree, ideally we have a replacement (or at least one of them) in before sanctioning anything, but I’ve made peace now that he’s likely leaving, and likely joining Liverpool. I’d rather it just happened quickly so we can all move on.

Wissa + another… ideally Sesko. I’d even probably take two “stop gap” strikers for a year if necessary. If Sesko doesn’t happen, its pointless spending big money on any lesser targets for now. Just get some capable bodies in for the time being (in the Wissa ability and price range) and find our long term Isak replacement in January or next summer if necessary. I just don’t see the point in keeping him around now. If he’s made it clear he wants to leave, and his agent is going to play silly buggers until he does, we’re just prolonging the inevitable.

I really think we just need to sell and move on. It’s clear he’s not going to be here long term, whether we can squeeze one more year out of him or not, and keeping him just pushes the can down the road until next summer (which is when we all probably expected him to leave). We can’t possibly go through all of this again next summer. Obviously try to get as much for him as possible, aim for £135m (or something like that £120m + Harvey Elliot), and just move on to the next chapter in our development. I’m not convinced that keeping him at this stage leads to any real positive outcome.

I don’t even think we’re THAT much of a mess off the pitch. The Mitchell situation has certainly has certainly derailed a lot though.

Uninspiring, but if it’s a loan with an option I don’t really care. He’s a decent keeper (nothing more nothing less).

Get the distinct impression that this whole situation is completely paralysing our transfer efforts. If I was them, I’d be accepting that it’s over, accept anything over £120m for him, and just crack on. We can’t allow it to drag.

5 signings? Surely 3-4 is all we need (4 if Isak goes). Do we even have enough spaces to register an additional 5 players?

I think it’ll be around the £120m+ addons mark (maybe around £135-£140 total).

It feels like we’re closing the gap, but slowly. Still a long way to go to be able to fully compete with Liverpool, Arsenal etc.

Exactly. I’m not taking anything they say as gospel, but more of a view from within the industry. There’s a fans view, the media’s view, and an industry view. I’d argue, but don’t know for sure, that industry people are more likely to know what’s happening at the club, but it’s never going to be 100%.

😁 I doubt I’d have any sway in any sense. My communications with people in and around the club are purely social.

Plenty of people on here already know who my sources are privately, mate, and why I know them. I’m not about to broadcast it publicly. As always, just sharing what I hear. Don’t have any skin in the game.

I didn’t say with no Isak. Assuming the squad stays exactly as it is now (which it won’t), there will be an expectancy of a top 6 finish. Of course there will. Not from everyone, but 25%+ of the fanbase for sure. The point remains, we can’t afford a miss.

You know that’s not true man.

General expectancy I think, club… players… fans… media. I mean, it’s evident on this forum all year round. Even if Eddie can’t sign a single player before the end of the window, there’d be people on here calling for his head if we’re not in the top 6 come Xmas.