KentExile

Signing a midfielder to replace a centre back would seem to be a slight misstep on Crewe's part 😉 https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/lewis-leigh/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/747367/plus/0?saison=2023&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=

That is exactly how it "works" . Higher wages tend to correlate with higher transfer fees with the exception of Bosman frees where the money for the transfer fee is instead paid in higher wages/signing on fees. * Note the words "tend to correlate". I am not saying this always happens, or it is a rule

I wish they were, along with exact structure and breakdown of transfer fees

Apart from Hyams reputation did not include a Championship relegation (and subsequent wage decrease) 😉

My guess would be that Brittain (as well as Szmodics) when we signed them had just been relegated from the Championship Hyams Coventry had stayed in the division (finished 12th and 5 points behind Rovers in 8th) so could be seen as a safer bet on higher wages (proven that that can do a job in this division) https://www.google.com/search?q=championship+table+21%2F22&sca_esv=596560865&rlz=1C1RXQR_enGB1071GB1071&sxsrf=AM9HkKl8B89JCgBkJ5nr3DxCO9MWfbYjng%3A1704725529271&ei=GQycZa-aEKXr7_UP3LuNqAc&ved=0ahUKEwjvivK8hc6DAxWl9bsIHdxdA3UQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=championship+table+21%2F22&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiGGNoYW1waW9uc2hpcCB0YWJsZSAyMS8yMjILEAAYgAQYigUYkQIyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBhAAGBYYHjIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yBhAAGBYYHjIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB5InQdQAFiEBXAAeAGQAQCYAWqgAfACqgEDMy4xuAEDyAEA-AEBwgILEAAYgAQYigUYhgPiAwQYACBBiAYB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#sie=lg;/g/11r9n1dh31;2;/m/0355pl;st;fp;1;;;

based on this mornings discussion re wages, Szmodics going from £5-6K/week at Peterorough, to £10K/week at Rovers when he moved (all figures before bonuses), sounds life changing to me (doubled his money) and is far from unbelievable

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/20595301.peterborough-uniteds-praise-sammie-szmodics-professionalism/ Rovers paid Szmodics "life changing money" in the words of Peterborough's chairman. And that was when we signed him, not including his recent new contract

Yes, I am sure Szmodics was on about what you say at Posh (who had just been relegated from the Championship with Szmodics far from proven at this level) and he was probably on 10k/week when Rovers signed him But following the last 1.5 years and especially this season. His new contract a month or so ago would have included a very significant wage increase. And look at the wage bills that all clubs in the division post, I agree that Rovers wage bill looks mental!, and its still one of the middling wage bills in the division

Yep, he was a regular Championship performer with Coventry Also Siggy an a free will mean he will be at the higher end of the Rovers wage scale, and is anyone seriously kidding themselves that the top scorer in the division would sign a new contract last month on £10K/week. And as I said before, this would be before any bonuses.

Oh yes, he would be great to get on the end of all of those crosses that the wingers we do not have are constantly swinging into the box 😉 Moore is a good player at this level but would be wasted in this Rovers team under JDT

Yep, he also played for Bournemouth earlier this season, so cannot sign for anyone else Assuming that he doesnt perform so well back at Bourenmouth that he becomes a genuine first tieam option rather than just cover, it sounds like a (one horse) race even Rovers could win for his signature 😉

Yep, the finances of football in this country in general has gone off the rails

It is times like these when I think I have spent too much time idling, but to the tune of the chorus from Rupert the Bear https://www.flashlyrics.com/lyrics/jackie-lee/rupert-the-bear-56 His name is Sammie, Sammie Szmodics, Everyone knows his name! His name is Sammie, Sammie Szmodics, He scores in all his games!

I wasn't entirely serious, but maybe the brummies' fancy chartering him a private jet?

Teeside International? https://www.skyscanner.net/routes/mme/bhx/teesside-international-to-birmingham.html

If only we could

Yes, and the silver lining there is that Gally rarely would have got much more than his basic 😉

And as ridiculous as these amounts may seem, then factor in that Rovers are a lower/mid wage payer in the Championship, I think the last set of accounts had them at about the 12th-14th highest payers)

Appearance money, goal bonus, win bonus etc, add an extra 25% to the player wages (Rovers did ok in the year the accounts are from)

The site (https://salarysport.com/football/championship/blackburn-rovers/) just lists "basic" wages.. not appearance money, goal bonuses etc (so a good season can add an extra 25-30% on top of what wage is shown there), and as others have mentioned previously, Rovers have cut their wage bill in recent years.

Even as apprenticeships, they cant legally pay that little. But I think that if we are looking at Championship wages, we do not need to be looking at what kids in the academy are making. Ignore the below unless you care what U18 apprentices make per hour 😉 https://www.acas.org.uk/national-minimum-wage-entitlement £6.40/hour minimum wage for U18s (including apprentices) apparently, which equates to £256/week over a 40 hour week

With the exceptions of Adam Wharton, Szmodics and Pickering (who are surely on more since their recent extensions which do not look to have been included), pretty realistic in my honest opinion (as in their weekly wages are no more that a couple of thousand out in each individual case) Edit - The U18 players (Nsangou, Michalski, Doherty etc) are way out though, UK minimum wage laws mean that nobody can legally be paid £60/week. They are all surely on £250/week (https://www.acas.org.uk/national-minimum-wage-entitlement link for UK minimum wage requirements) just because the law dictates as such

Pretty much spot on in my view It is why Rovers now look to sign players from League 1 and 2 (Szmodics, Brittain, Pickering, Ennis, new Crewe lad), Premier League Academy's (Markanday), Scotland (Hedges), and "lesser leagues" (at least in terms of their financial clout) from abroad (Tronstad, Telelovic, Wahlstedt). As these players are unproven, their initial contracts can be circa £5-7K/week and if they develop, then a new contract is offered on Championship level wages (£10-15K/week)

I think many of us severely underestimate just how high Championship wages are. (and I do not just mean at Rovers) Whilst Hyam may not be on quite as high a wage as Ayala was (Ayala who moved to Rovers on a free which would have meant higher wages), that will probably change if and when Hyam signs an extension (his injury and lack of form in recent weeks might do Rovers a favour in negotiations there). Dack signed his big contract with us whilst injured the first time around, whereas Szmodics signed his whilst he was the top scorer in the Championship. The recent extensions to Pickering, Adam Wharton , Sigurdsson, and probably JRC in the summer, who have all proven that at the very least are relatively reliable Championship performers would very likely be on more than £8K-£10K/week. Remember, if Rovers don't pay these figures, there are plenty of clubs at our level who would happily do so. Which is why Rovers are looking at the ,lad from Crewe.

Absolutely! Although my post was mainly a response to the assertation from a previous poster that