Mostly played as a CF, scored 9 goals in 38 games in League One last season. I don't think I need to say anything else.

Don't worry - it says competition from other clubs for his signature, so it won't happen.

Sarcasm? If not, check the date on that tweet.

The rest of the post, that you ignored. (Also sidenote, I never implied Eustace would threaten to quit, it was an example, nor is there any suggestion anywhere that he doesn't want to sign him...these two things are what promoted you from just missing the point to my being almost impressed by how much you missed the point).

That absolutely isn't the point I was making whatsoever. Like, not even close. I'm almost impressed.

Because if you had been paid to post it, you would totally admit that if he asked you...

He will be cheaper now than he was in January, as his contract is finished at the end of December. It's abundantly clear that whether Eustace and Park want him or not, we can't get him because of his public comments that we would have to offer him a very high contract to consider us after our absolute fuckup in January. We are blatantly not giving that kind of offer to anyone. McGuire is old news, not happening even if Eustace threatened to quit if he didn't get him.

I think our best hope would be a scenario like that, yes, without him breaking fully into the first team. Then hopefully he sees it as enough first team football to help his development, and signs a deal before he has caught too much of the eye of teams above. I know they know about him anyway, but there'd be a big difference between a talented 17 yr old available to them for (let's say 1 mill compo) who has maybe 10 sub appearances, and one available for one mill who has a dozen starts and 10 sub appearances, with say 6 Championship goals under his belt. The former attracts contract offers that the player may potentially reject in order to become a Championship regular the next season, the latter attracts silly 20-30k p/w contracts we'd get nowhere near. Of course, if/when we get relegated we likely lose him either way tbh.

If Tyjon is the next big thing for us this season, we won't make much money off him. He's too young, we don't have him on full professional terms yet. If he becomes a regular or semi-regular fixture for us this season, chances are he's off on cut-price terms by the summer. Think Ash Phillips before he signed that full pro deal with the 2.5 mill release clause, which was seen as a win for the club because we'd have got less for him without it.

The most impressive thing about Elliott for me was the intelligence of his game-reading given his tender years. Closely followed by very refined technique.

But since he's a year older than Elliott was and barely gets into the Northern Ireland U19s, significantly less talented. I assume you just meant that style of player?

If there is one, we'll find out.

He does strike me as the kind of man who wouldn't last 30 seconds.

It's a bad idea, because the fee may be correct at the time, but too low in the future. Szmodics has definitely become more valuable since his contract was signed. Asking too much would still get us offers above the release clause. The release clause is never going to be the exact maximum we are able to get. They're a terrible idea for a club unless they're necessary to secure a player who is almost out of contract, or if they're set at a stupidly high level (as most are in Spain, where minimum fee clauses are mandatory).

We can't afford any Charlie. Might be able to scrape some remnants off Balaji's coffee table I guess.

Ah yeh, that journalist whose name sounds like he wants you to steal his toilet. I forgot about him.

It's a bad idea because we lose negotiating power if our valuation changes.

We're often of a mind, but I completely disagree. He won't be scoring 27 goals in the Prem obviously, but I don't think any player since we came down has been as impressive as Szmodics this season. The only question is whether the form was temporary or he has permanent class because he's now peaking. I think he would need to be fitted into a team up there in a similar role to what he has played here, but he's already shown even playing for our shabby lot that he can score against Prem sides. He is clinical as hell, full-hearted, works his absolute ass off, pressing like a madman, reads the game well and is a decent player technically. He has much more to his game than Rhodes, and is a more all-round player than Armstrong, who was lightning fast but had absolutely nothing else on Szmodics. One of Armstrong's main flaws was sheer selfishness, shooting at every opportunity from stupid distances. Sammi on the other hand is a real team player, balanced with that dash of selfishness and ruthlessness that a high scorer needs. Like I say, I don't think he'd tear the league up, but I think he'd be a good signing for anyone up to mid-level in the Prem. Well, not necessarily anyone, as I said, like most players he needs to go to a club where he will suit the system. However, he'd be better going to a side like Ipswich, where he's less likely to find himself benched if he doesn't light the league up after three games (if I recall, that's kinda what happened to Armstrong, I think he got a few starts and because he hadn't impressed other than scoring on his debut, he found himself in and out of the team...momentum is crucial in football).

We wouldn't be over any kind of barrel if he hadn't extended. There would still have been two years to go on his existing contract. Also, inserting a release clause in the contract is never a positive for the owning club, why would it be? It can only ever lower your negotiating position as there is a maximum you can ask for. The only way this could be seen as a positive is if his existing contract had a release clause and a new contract raised it.

What French lad?

What measure have you used to decide it doesn't quite work?

And none of them really matter.

He has already practically admitted he is more invested in his local u10s.

That's not how it works. Undav gets his wages paid regardless, as they're his contracted wages. The only question is who pays them, in what proportions. Brighton were happy enough with our contribution to accept our bid, the player simply decided to stay and fight for a place in a Prem team. Whether we paid 0% or 100% of his wages made no difference to Undav.

Might be a cup game, or Michalski I'm thinking of, and perhaps Khan is in my head because I was surprised he appeared in an u21 game or something.