Semi Ajayi update

[caytonmiller]

I think that we have a stronger group of better players but as you have said in fewer numbers.

I'm not worried about the missing numbers of players being in place in time.

And this

[caytonmiller]

I am absolutely delighted for him, the club, the management team and everyone else involved in this.

We took a young man on loan, then signed him on a punt really because he was as raw as players come.
We turned him into a good championship player and gave him the place to develop into an international player.

He was always going to be a wanted player in this transfer window but we hoped that he'd stay.

We have developed a talent and sold him for a huge profit with add ons.

We now develop others and repeat so that we can continue to support what is becoming the club we could only dream of being!

Plus this

[caytonmiller]

Think we’ve done well with fee tbh , more than what we were suppose to be asking

Kinda this. Don't think a club would pay more than we were asking especially as the 2nd club was Barnsley

[PerigordMiller]

Ultimately no, TS /RS and the finance Director have the final say.
Paul Douglas is a ‘ gopher’ for the club and has a remit to work to.
Paul Douglas does not negotiate and accept the final offer.

Exactly.

I would think with input from PW on what he thinks a player is worth (eithe buying or keeping)

I think Douglas sometimes gets too much criticism for thing he is not in control of.

[caytonmiller]

My bit
Close to 4 million in the bank from 2 players plus another 2.5 in possible add-on's. That's great business for rufc or any league 1 club <---------- yeah we're a lg1 club. In fact over 5 years we have sold agard,ward,valkes, ajayi for a potential 9 million. Not bad for a club thats not known as a developing club.. ow and there's the purrington fee
Wonder how much our club has paid out over 6 seasons NYS era?

[CTMilller]

The sale of Ajayi has obviously polarised opinions on here.

I'm with the "disappointed it's not more but ok with the deal" crowd.

What's he worth to potential buyers?
I'm sure all the clubs in the Championship were aware of what was happening. If we are giving him away at a bargain price why hasn't another club joined the bidding?

What's he worth to us?
I suppose it depends on how far you buy into the "guaranteed promotion with him - no chance without" him scenario.
Of course we don't exactly know the details of the deal. Assuming the "add-ons" or at least some of them are based on realistically achievable targets we could be looking at it costing us £2million plus to keep him for one season. In that case it would cost us about £50,000 a match for his services.
Could that money be better utilised? In my opinion - yes
Will it be? - We'll have to wait and see.

Good post. About where I'm at as well. Also, I can't help thinking that if we had kept him despite this offer, there might be several times late in the season when he has one of his games where he goes AWOL for a bit, or drops yet another of his clangers, and we'll have our head in our hands saying "I can't believe we gave up nearly one point five million quid for this!!"

[Brin]

Good post. About where I'm at as well. Also, I can't help thinking that if we had kept him despite this offer, there might be several times late in the season when he has one of his games where he goes AWOL for a bit, or drops yet another of his clangers, and we'll have our head in our hands saying "I can't believe we gave up nearly one point five million quid for this!!"

CT, cracking point. How many times was he criticised throughout last season for his ‘wobbly’ performance? I even input my twopenneth on him for his inability to sort out his threepenny bit head.

1.5 million will hopefully be released to help strengthen the squad further, due to the revenue lost dropping a division. Hopefully, who ever we recruit, may well make us a far stronger unit to retain Championship status, should we gain promotion.

[flourbasher]

He actually went awol for the last five games or so of last season

[Gainsbro_Miller]

Yes but in those 12 are you including David and Dom Ball, Potter, Purrington, Bray, Onariase? Players who played little or no football for us last season. We're not going to miss them because we never really had them last season anyway. You can throw Palmer and Yates in there too because they barely featured.

And the other four who were allegedly our 'wingers' (but actually wide players), we're better off without cos they either couldn't beat a man, ran around like a headless chicken, couldn't cross a ball or couldn't last more than 60 minutes (or a combination of those!!!)

It looks to me like we have got rid of loads of 'dead wood' (saving quite a bit in wages) and got fees for three of our better players that we would rather have kept.

[mellowmiller]

Ultimately no, TS /RS and the finance Director have the final say.
Paul Douglas is a ‘ gopher’ for the club and has a remit to work to.
Paul Douglas does not negotiate and accept the final offer.

Paul Douglas does negotiate, it's part of his remit. Or at least, according to the man himself it is.