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EFC_FRANCIS
Player Valuation: £35m
That's probably what he's worried about!
Needs to give his head a wobble. He's 16 years old and expects to be playing regularly in the Premier League? Would hope Carlo can talk some sense into him, otherwise, it could be the agent turning his head.
Although the lack of any youngsters coming through our academy in the past 5 years+ is a concern and he's probably fully aware of that too.
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
Whats interesting with Small is that lots of other younger players are with the 1st team squad. Onyango is on a regular bsis, so too is Isaac Price. Small has been. If you are good enough, you will be, it may be they just feel others are a bit ahead of him?
It doesn't read to me like he's defintely going. It could be the agent wants a big payday. It could be that the lad is trying to send a message. No idea really.
It would be a shame to lose him, but if the club got anywhere bwteen 1 rising to 4m as well as a sell on, it's one of them. I suspect it's probably about a bit more than just training with the 1st team.
It would be an odd move, I'm not sure most of the team on the list have brought through as many players as we have.
It doesn't read to me like he's defintely going. It could be the agent wants a big payday. It could be that the lad is trying to send a message. No idea really.
It would be a shame to lose him, but if the club got anywhere bwteen 1 rising to 4m as well as a sell on, it's one of them. I suspect it's probably about a bit more than just training with the 1st team.
It would be an odd move, I'm not sure most of the team on the list have brought through as many players as we have.
EFC_FRANCIS
Player Valuation: £35m
I think this is hyperbolic to what his actual demands are. He wants more first team involvement rather than game time. At times this season we have named less than the allotted on the bench and consistently named 2 keepers, named players like Broadhead who will be released at the end of the season. His age has no bearing on the fact he should probably get on the bench ahead of Broadhead, a second sub keeper and literally nobody.
To me this is the agent listing the demands in order for him to not go and they're pretty fair considering current circumstances. We've had it with Gordon, Astley, Gibson and Onyango of them maybe leaving the only difference is this time he's threatening to drop down a level rather than go to a big club
Then you have our recent track record of promising young England youth internationals making it to U23 and hitting a brick wall in terms of development and pathway + a great team for development like Brighton sniffing around + the fact he owes Everton no loyalty given he only joined us 5 years ago from WBA and isn't from here. Obviously I hope he doesn't go but if I were in his shoes I'd be tempted.
...it could be a case of looking who’s ahead of him in the queue, especially as Digne has signed a new long-term deal & Nkounkou has impressed.
Playing abroad (Germany) seems a popular route for highly rated youngsters, so perhaps he fancies that path.
The vast majority of 16 year olds will be released by clubs so I have no problem with youngsters doing what they think is best for them. Saying that, a 3 year deal at Everton will make him a wealthy young man so it must be a major temptation to sign.
That's quite an odd take.
Whether he owes us anything is surely something only he (or the club) can say. That being said, 5 years is quite a long time in the life of a 16 year old I would have thought. He doesn't play in the same position as Broadhead, so he isn't competing with him for a place on the bench. He's competing with Nkounkou effectively, there's really not a lot much more point having both of them on the bench than having 2 keepers. A fair question would be whether the signing of Nkounkou was actually necessary if Small was going to be around the first time at this stage.
Ring master
Player Valuation: £90m
The Winners of the 4th Round FA Youth Cup Game between Man City u18s and Everton u18s 2pm kick off will be away to Chelsea u18s or AFC Fylde
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Everton game is available to Season Ticket and Official Members, coverage starts at 1.45pm on Saturday, While the game is also Live on CITY TV which is a free 30 day trail or £2 for the month [ if you have used CITY TV before, whatever way make sure you cancel as soon as you sign up so your not auto charged the £2 after the 30 days
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While Chelsea website is showing their Cup game Live Tomorrow with a 12.30ko
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Everton game is available to Season Ticket and Official Members, coverage starts at 1.45pm on Saturday, While the game is also Live on CITY TV which is a free 30 day trail or £2 for the month [ if you have used CITY TV before, whatever way make sure you cancel as soon as you sign up so your not auto charged the £2 after the 30 days
---------------------------------------------------------
While Chelsea website is showing their Cup game Live Tomorrow with a 12.30ko
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
The Small thing is an odd one, and I do have sympathy with the club. He is a very young 16 year old (August born) and is a regular in the 23's, has trained with the 1st team squad and has been given 1st team exposure. Literaly no player at his age has ever had that before.
I don't mind that he's ambitious, in fact I like that but you also need to have a sensible head on your shoulders too. Ok Digne and Nkounkou are ahead of him, but he was brought on to play on the left hand side of midfield when he played, so there's a way into the team there. Brighton have a highly rated 21 year old at Left back who's just made a debut, and Arsenal/United have big money players too. Wherever he goes, he will have competition.
Currently Onyango and Price are trainign with the 1st team squad, as well as Astley, Broadhead, Small on and off etc. We have Holgate, DCL and Davies who have been broyght through who are core members of our team. Brainthwaite and Gordon who have been given exposure as well in the last 12 months. We have also played Lukaku, Deulofeu, Barkley, Stones etc as young players as well as given games to Kenny, Galloway, Browning etc. I know it's omn vogue to say the academy is poor, but very few teams can match all of that.
Outside of Lewis Dunk, who have Brighton ever brought through?
It's up to him, but if I were him I'd be getting my head down and looking to build at a club where I have been given some exposure and not been on the loan merry go round for the next 4 years.
Unfortuntely, you always sense agents are involved with this sort of stuff. I hope it's a bit of a moan to the media to want to be wth the 1st team squad more, and that gets resolved, but I can see why the club would wonder what more they could do for the player.
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
Why are Brighton suddenly a great team for development though? Who have they actually brought through and developed to PL standard? How many 16 year olds have they given game time to this season?
EFC_FRANCIS
Player Valuation: £35m
Whether he's thinking on leaving or the reasons why are things only he can say and yet here we all are discussing it. He does owe us no loyalty the same way Everton would have no qualms releasing him if he wasn't up to the standard. So we can't just assume because he left another club for us he won't consider his options now. No footballer owes the club anything but sometimes with the young local lads you can lean on it a bit as they grow up supporting us and such. I very much doubt Small grew up only wanting to play for Everton unlike say Davies.
As for the bench it's fairly obvious that no matter the game scenario Small, Broadhead and Tyrer pretty much are not getting on at any point barring 4-0 up or having both keepers sent off. So in my view it would be more beneficial to have the one with a definite future at the club involved with the squad on a match day. You're kidding yourself if you think Ancelotti is turning to broadhead at any point when he barely even looks at King. So the competing on the bench thing is kind of a moot point, none of them are being used it's purely just experience.
I don't think the Nkounkou signing wasn't unnecessary as the club wouldn't have predicted a 16 year old to kick on this much and can't just gamble on that happening. I'm also not entirely convinced Small is going to end up a LB, his 3 mins for us were at LM and he does look extremely raw defensively even in U23 football. He could well move up like Bukayo Saka. Another point is that Ancelotti doesn't even trust NK. He's played Godfrey there instead making Small essentially 4th choice there
catcherintherye
Player Valuation: £80m
Ah ok fair enough, thats shut me up!
Most of those minutes though will be Solly March and Lewis Dunk. I think the 3rd is Ben White. All of them have had to go out on a lot of loans and didn't break through for a long time. I just find it odd people would view Brighton as like miles better than Everton for a 16 year old lad looking to be involved in the 1st team.
Pabbers
Player Valuation: £60m
Feels like this too me also.
All goes to plan and he is 2nd choice for 10 years maybe!?!
he leaves and does a Lamptey, boom. Lads already ahead of Nkounkou
EFC_FRANCIS
Player Valuation: £35m
No 16 year old but right now I'd fancy making the break through there given how they treated Lamptey over how we developed Kenny. And I know Lamptey isn't their own. Brighton do have a young squad, I'm not saying Small definitely makes it there but off the top of my head Potter gave chances to Alzate, Lamptey, Connolly. That's more than just Tom Davies for us. Then you factor in they don't even have a left back which helps him. I'm not claiming Brighton are some development gods but there and Brentford have a clearer path to first team football atm mainly because they do play at a lower level