2023/24 Kevin Thelwell

[Gilbert..]

Relegation is so disastrous anyway that there's not much choice but to partially mortgage the future to get players in, even if it hampers future windows. In our situation you can only cross these bridges when you come to them.

Player sales will be a big factor in these future windows, this money doesn't disappear into thin air, it gets you assets. We've got a lot of instalments still to pay on Onana, but even with a fairly modest first season on paper we'd turn a profit if we sold. That covers off the instalments on him, obviously, but also on other players for whichever window he is sold. Then you reinvest in more young talent, grow your assets, rinse repeat.

Ultimately it's about investing in the right players and making a profit rather than how you pay for them. If you make a profit on them you'll be fine. Thelwell at least seems to be investing what little we have in players in the right age group (Onana, Garner, McNeil, Chermiti and Beto all 25 or under) to develop and turn a profit on. If we were mortgaging the future to bring in a bunch of 28+ year olds with no sell on value as we did in the past I'd be more worried.

Its the only way to go now. Trading players at a profit. Sad as you want to see them here rather than sell them on if they become wanted. Not that we get many. Richarlison apart who have we bought and sold at a profit.
I mean Brighton are killing that model right now. You wonder though how long they can keep on doing it.

 

[Daytripper]

Who can we get rather than what we need and who is willing to accept the least down payment possible. That’s the strategy. That’s not to be applauded.

 

[thirdmantackle]

Do we look at selling Pickford to fund other purchases?

 

[DrEFC]

It’s not zero though is it?

No payments till next financial year was what I read at the time.

 

[Tony’s Carp]

Who can we get rather than what we need and who is willing to accept the least down payment possible. That’s the strategy. That’s not to be applauded.

Just a coincidence then that the striker we got was the one we've been tracking for 12 months and who stylistically fits perfectly as an alternative to DCL in our system.

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

I’ll wait til I see Beto kick a football before I decide on that.

What dross has he moved on?

Wouldn't surprise me if he's another Rondon.

We've moved on Holgate (only on loan at this stage), Simms, Davies, Townsend, Kean and Coady. Would love more to go, but it's hard to sell trash unless you're selling to Everton.

 

[Daytripper]

Just a coincidence then that the striker we got was the one we've been tracking for 12 months and who stylistically fits perfectly as an alternative to DCL in our system.

That would be nice if true.

 

[Blue83]

Its the only way to go now. Trading players at a profit. Sad as you want to see them here rather than sell them on if they become wanted. Not that we get many. Richarlison apart who have we bought and sold at a profit.
I mean Brighton are killing that model right now. You wonder though how long they can keep on doing it.

Lookman ?
Vlasic ?
Onyekuru ?
Kean ?
Nkounkou ?
Digne ?
Gueye ?

That's only going back 3 years

We technically made profit selling Bernard for £1mil when we got him for free and £8mil for Rodriguez too

 

[Zatara]

If he isn't being given the tools and authority to do his job then he should resign

In terms of outgoings, maybe clubs would offer money for our players if we weren't so willing to loan our players out while paying their wages. We set a really terrible precedent with that. Why should teams offer actual cash for our players when we've shown we will cave in negotiations and hand out our play on loan if they cover a fraction of the wages.

If money is so tight, why did he spend about 50m last summer on midfielders when were desperate for goals. Why did he do the Beto deal only now when we've been interested for over a year.

I can't see any measurement under which you can say he's doing a good job.

Why didn’t he buy Beto for £5m last summer?

…this time last year we paid £12m for Maupay. At the same time Almeria paid £8m for Bilal Toure who we recently bid £27m for and Udinese paid £5m for Beto who we’ve just paid £27m for. That’s not working within financial restrictions.

i don’t think anybody should be congratulating Thelwell. Fingers crossed Beto is worth what we’re paying.

El Bilal Toure: Bobble has already said (and its been written on this forum countless times) that Thelwell was overruled last summer by Kenwright and Moshiri.

Beto: He's been at Udinese for TWO seasons. The first was on loan with a €7mil obligation. That would not have been the price we could have paid to get him.

I'm not sure why this narrative is continuing...

 

[Eggs]

El Bilal Toure: Bobble has already said (and its been written on this forum countless times) that Thelwell was overruled last summer by Kenwright and Moshiri.

Beto: He's been at Udinese for TWO seasons. The first was on loan with a €7mil obligation. That would not have been the price we could have paid to get him.

I'm not sure why this narrative is continuing...

…because a player we’re paying £27m for was bought last summer for £5m when we paid £12m for Maupay

 

[Zatara]

…because a player we’re paying £27m for was bought last summer for £5m when we paid £12m for Maupay

Well, no he wasnt actually. The actual deal was agreed TWO years ago due to the OBLIGATION clause in the loan deal.

As i wrote in the last post it was €7mil.

A 1 minute google search would have explained that.

 

[AussieToffee11]

…because a player we’re paying £27m for was bought last summer for £5m when we paid £12m for Maupay

I understand your gripe with this, but aren't you blaming the wrong person?

Thelwell identified Beto, the board (Mosh/BK) overuled him and signed Maupay for £12m.

What would you like him to have done in that circumstance? Outside of quitting, I don't quite comprehend how he could have changed the situation.

 

[GoldenToffee]

Do we look at selling Pickford to fund other purchases?

He wouldn't be a huge loss imo if we bought in a steady keeper to replace him. Steady keepers don't cost the earth - Yann Sommer just moved to Inter from Bayern for £5m, terrific goalkeeper good for another 3-4 years yet.

 

[Look to the future]

No payments till next financial year was what I read at the time.

Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, the eyes, the eyes, not around the eyes, don't look around my eyes, look into my eyes, you're under.
You will accept my cleverly constructed payment plan and feel extremely happy about it.
Three, two, one... You're back in the room!

 

[Eggs]

Well, no he wasnt actually. The actual deal was agreed TWO years ago due to the OBLIGATION clause in the loan deal.

As i wrote in the last post it was €7mil.

A 1 minute google search would have explained that.

…..the point is, there are players out there who represent value.

We paid £12m for Maupay when there was better available for cheaper and we’ll look back on this window and see the same. It doesn’t matter if the fee for Beto was agreed two seasons ago, a club had the foresight to pay £5m for him last summer, 12 months later we’re paying £27m.

Only time will tell if Beto is a £5m or a £27m striker. We shouldn’t be congratulating Thelwell for finally signing a couple of strikers, fingers crossed they are good enough to fill the void.