Abacus

And it seems they had basically agreed to pay a similar amount for Ekitike as well, in the only other potential transfer that looks like it was a solid link.

I wonder if Cornet is playing for Burnley? Given his release clause, be interested to see how he does, if so.

They did the same with the installments due on Chris Wood's transfer fee. https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/burnley-accounts-macquarie-bank-pace-23880335

It makes no real difference. If you're committed to pay £10m, then it doesn't matter too much as to when you actually hand over the money. So, it would be £10m over 5 years no matter how you structure the payments. There are other benefits to paying later - like if you had to borrow the cash to pay upfront and got charged interest on that borrowing. That interest would affect FFP. But assuming you don't need to borrow, no. The other thing with paying up front is that you might get them cheaper to start with if the selling club needs cash. I.e. if you're paying up front, a club might be happier to sell for £9m rather than £10m in the first place.

No, what I'm saying is, if you bought 10 players for £100m, the minute you do that is when it gets recorded for FFP reasons regardless of whether you pay the cash up front or in installments later on. For FFP, it's treated more or less identically. There are complications of course, but this is why I thought of a different thread, rather than bore the arse off everyone with numbers chat.

Yep. There are complications, of course, but basically that's right.

He is correct here, though. When you actually pay the cash doesn't matter. Likewise people talking about debt with Chelsea etc. I'm wondering if a separate FFP or football finances thread might help, as it seems to derail other threads quite often and means most people can ignore it if they're not interested. There might already be one mind - I'll have a look first.

He might well believe that, but I think Howe was just saying what he has to re strikers. If you come across as desperate then you're held over a barrel in negotiations, for one thing. Besides, whatever he does privately think, he couldn't very well come out and say that he can't rely on Wilson and doesn't rate Wood, or else what sort of message would that send? Likewise re saying St Max and Joelinton are options, when they probably aren't. We might well not be able to get the right striker this summer, or at a price we're willing to pay, so we might well need to rely on some or all of those options for at least a while. If so, for squad morale, then there's no point in him publicly saying he doesn't think that's good enough.

How's the crusts, did ye say? Anyway, from Birmingham live - a quote from Bruce about a youth team goalkeeper they were thinking of sending on loan. “I’ve wanted to see the young one. I’ve not seen him play either. He’s going to be some goalkeeper, the young lad, I have to tell you. Really, really pleased. Everything about him. He’s got a wonderful stature...he’s done very, very well.” 1. Really non-specifically pleased with him and he's going to be some keeper (although he's just said he's not seen him play). 2. Seemingly doesn't know his name (the Bruce brain clicks in, saying "just call him the young lad"). 3. Wonderful stature. (? I don't know either) 4. I have to tell you. (No, you don't Steve. You don't have to tell me anything. You really don't).

RTG fan fiction really should be a new Kindle category.

Ah man! I'd never watched one of his videos before. I didn't like the idea of him hanging around the training ground pestering players, so I was expecting to hate him. But he's actually very likeable. In the earlier video on his way to the friendly, I just loved the roundabout route he had to take to get to the game, how he got to the airport hours before he had to and then starts commentating on Greggs and WHSmiths, before dissing the duty free prices on Baileys. And his trip to the Eiffel tower ? The whole thing made me laugh, so good luck to the fella, it's obviously something he loves doing.

It was really interesting reading his comments on working with Levy. I can't stand Levy and would be very wary of dealing with him on any player transfers, but you can't deny that he's effective. From that article, Eales also seems to have been a bit of an all round fixer for him, sorting out difficult or complex contract and transfer negotiations as well. So there may be a bit of that too, good to get more experience and know-how. Anyway makes a difference from Charners and his special unplugged transfer phone. What's that you say? A cow says moo? Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo-moo? Looks like you win this round Mr Agent MacDonald. Now I'd like to enquire about Mr Duck.

I'm sure that's the party line - tempering expectations and sending out the message that we won't overpay. I'd be worried if he'd come out and said, flipping heck lads I've got a big secret I can't tell you about!

Well, I think it's very sad that him and his agent have been killed in a drunken car crash. And the political correctness brigade can take that in the eye.

I don't think there was any excitement when he joined. On page 10 of this thread you had Mick MacCarthy giving him a glowing recommendation. But I seemed to remember he actually played pretty well in his first match and I remember thinking we might have a decent player after all. In fact, looking back, you can see that reaction here from page 12. Unfortunately, he then carried on playing and ruined all his good work.

Short answer is, probably not. We bought him for £10m on a 5 year contract back in 16/17. (Edit, I'm talking about Gayle here rather than Clark. Clark was £5m but the same applies.) So that fee should all be written off by now and it shouldn't affect us if he goes for nothing. There's just the complication of any wages on the remainder of their contracts. If you take Gayle, on £2m a year, I'd be surprised if all those were covered by the buying club and so you might take a one-off hit for the difference. But you never know - depends on the deal.

Even leaving aside FFP, I'm not sure we have much option other than a slow build. Top players will be hesitant to join us, and you can't blame them until we get some sort of European spot. Anyway, I'm quite enjoying the sensible approach taken so far - seems the opposite of the scattergun recruitment that caused Everton a lot of bother. At the same time as starting to sort out the infrastructure and the back office, it just feels like we're going in the right direction. A couple of exciting attacking players and I'd be very happy indeed.

I'd just be disappointed if we had a genuine chance and we didn't take it. But I wouldn't be disappointed in general, if we get who else we're after. I'm still like a kid at Christmas. Admitedly, a kid who might still have a sugar induced tantrum before bedtime.

I loved that pointless sending off in a friendly! There was really no way back after that and it still makes me laugh. But yes, a good player for us at the time and in the situation we were in. I'd love to see him have some late success with an ambitious Championship team.

I imagine it would be on interest free credit, where we don't have to pay the first installment until 2024. But actually yes, if true that would make a great club shop and / or museum.

If there's any chance I'd love to sign him. Just being able to debate people's best positions and how to accommodate them would be much more fun than discussing how to keep certain players out of the team. Imagine Bruce trying to convince him to join, and explaining his ideas of using him as a false Number 10 (or whatever it is).

I like Dubs and would hope he can still be persuaded to stay and fight for his place. Like most others, that's mainly through fear of having to rely on Darlow for long periods. But even as someone who thinks he is a decent keeper, I'd have to admit that Dubs was a bit shaky at times last season. Maybe it was the effect of injuries, but whatever, it wasn't his best. So OK, if he wants to go and we get an offer for what we think he is worth, then fine, let him go. But if we don't get a decent bid, as has been pointed out, we don't have to sell. I'd be tempted to tell him he's going nowhere until January at the earliest and to see how things play out. That would still give us time to find a younger replacement to come in then if he's still not happy.

Speaking of sports scientists, there's a report that West Brom have appointed a new medical director. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-arsenal-confirm-signing-24400492 This one had previously worked with Bruce at Sheff Wednesday (the club he abandoned), you see, and they are keen to avoid an injury crisis at West Brom, so that's great news. Farbeit for me to suggest it's simply another old pal that Brucey turns to rather than having any new ideas or doing any work at all. But anyway, I wonder what the injury situation was like at Sheff Wed, because it must have been much better. Well, oh no! Incredible bad luck seemed to have struck him again! Here's Steve Bruce on his injury crisis at Shef Wed; "I’m sure most of the supporters are absolutely fed up to the back teeth and think ‘why’. Are we just unlucky or is there something underneath it all? When you see the problems the club have had, it is really obscene." Well, I can think of one obscene problem the club had who was underneath it all. But surely the unluckiest man in football couldn't be partly to blame by rushing players back or some other stupidity? Well, here he is on that exact same day talking about Adam Reach not being fit. "Adam hurt his knee last week. He did well to go out and play on it. Typical Reachy. “He wanted to go and play on it but he was not himself and we could see that but at least he wants to play.” Yes, good old Reachy. Everyone's mate, this manager, with his clever nicknames. But it's Reachy's fault really, since he asked to go out and play. But it's somehow also a good thing that he did, so he could be sent out to play when unfit! Silly old Reachy! How unlucky Bruce is!

I think we should have upgraded the squad by getting in a player who is a bit worse than Dubravka, in case he got upset. This whole new idea signing of trying to sign better players will come back to bite us.

Ekitike and Botman were both known targets from January, with their clubs and agents very publicly playing things out. Target was actually a bit of a surprise (most here including me thought we'd moved on), and Pope happened quite fast from initial rumours to being done too. It's a bit annoying in a transfer rumours thread, but I really doubt we're doing nothing in the background. But maybe it's just that less is leaking out, and I do wonder if that's partly Ashworth's influence. Anyway, I'd love someone like Diaby. A genuine threat on the other wing means you can't risk doubling up on St Max on the other side quite so much. And if you flip the wingers to the opposite sides every now and then, you pull their defence everywhere. But it sounds like they're all over that anyway. A striker and an attacking wide player (whether bought or some loan structure), plus anyone else we think might be good and too good to pass up and that's a great window.