Didn’t realise we had the money to just keep players we don’t need on the books for a season just in case a youth prospect completely untried over a whole PL season explodes in value.
I can almost imagine the pitch to the lad now ‘please swap the chance of playing regularly every week for sitting on our bench instead. You probably won’t play much because we’ve got this other lad ahead of you who’s miles better but honestly you’ll be the main man in 12 months if he suddenly becomes a star and we sell him because we’re in utter financial ruin’