Insider..... What else do you know? Are they changing the carpets or colour scheme for the office walls?
Mapps may well best hang on ... a move to Udinese and playing in the Champions League would be a lot better than a one year stay in the Prem.
Reading fans just read the football rumours website and treat it as pure fact. They've made up all sorts of stories about us pretending to hold out for a better price and it being a 'done deal' and then some other rubbish about us verbally agreeing a deal and then going back on it to talk with Southampton What do they know?
Mail says that Wigan have renewed interest and are upping their offer to 2.5m http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2171184/Adrian-Mariappa-set-2-5m-Wigan-switch.html
Hopefully the new owners/manager will be able to have more resolve when it comes to releasing our assets at the right price and of Mariappa cannot be convinced that the club is moving forward and that he has a good future here then good luck to him ... it really worked out well for Sordell
Be interesting to see what Zola / pozzo do with this bid (if true). To be honest if he doesn't sign a new contract £2.5M is a good deal. Bearing in mind they want us promoted ASAP I'm sure they would be happy to re-invest that money this time around. Of course they may just replace him with some unknown from Slovakia that their scouting network has discovered.....all guess work but then that is actually part of the fun of supporting a team.
I personally think £2.5 million is a good fee and would let him go. I am sure Zola could reinvest this money to strenghen weaker parts of the team.
if he did reject then surely you could expect they would up his wages offer if they still wanted to seal the deal....with the added temptation of next season playing in the prem. From one Harrow lad to another I hope though you stay and play with us - soon also to be in the prem!
For £2.5m I'm happy if he goes or stays and signs a contract extension. If he stays without extending then he'll be off for nuffin.
Cash in now, we've got Taylor and Nynoz along with Bennett whose a like for like replacement for Mariappa if ever I saw one, we'd still have Hoban and Thompson as well giving us a total of 5 central defenders.
How a takeover changes things!! Just a couple of months ago there were posts on here about Mariappa not going for less than £4m and now were all ok for him to go for £2.5m.Why?
I know,but we now have new owners and a manager,they will obviously talk to him before letting him go surely.
Of course but we've got 5 other Centre Backs on the books so we are not short if he does go. It will give Bennett the chance to come through.
I like Lloyd and Bennett but if people are saying Lloyd won't be in Zola's plans becasue he's awful on the ball then I don't think Bennett has a chance either, he's just as bad. He's 23 now and if Zola doesn't like what he sees I reckon the club might try getting some money for him this summer before his contract is up at the end of the season.
At the moment its only speculation about Mapps going to Wigan and if this does happen, then I guess Zola feels we don't need him. What I am sure of is that if we do sell him then we will actually have some money that will go towards strenghening our team rather than paying off debts or disappearing somewhere else. Just read this on Clubcall website: - The Royals are also in the hunt and could make an attempt to snatch him from under Wigan's noses, while Newcastle could also enter the running after failing with a bid in January. Watford are not under as much pressure to cash in on the 25-year-old after the takeover went through and Zola may also try to convince him to stay for another season.
Personally, from chatting with Mapps in the past, I know he's a real Watford boy and it would be a wrench for him to leave. He was certainly going before the takeover, but now may have a change of heart. I think this type of challenge Watford are undertaking has a real chance of success and I would be surprised if he didn't want to be part of it. I am quietly confident Mapps will now sign a new contract.
Straight forward choice I guess...go to the Prem League next season, more money, more prestige but (with respect to Reading/Wigan etc) the risk of relegation again or Stick with us..help lead our side into an exciting new era, possibly challenging for promotion in May, meaning only one year behind had he moved this summer. I was very impressed with his whole attitude after his move to Newcastle fell through in January. Top bloke. Fingers crossed he stays. Excited about all the talk of new signings from both here and abroad..but we need to keep the base of last season's side too..and he (and Murray) is just about the most crucial part of that.
Also it depends if Zola and Nani think they can sell Mapps and get in a better player for less than what they sell him for. If they think they can then bye bye Mapps.
I'd like to think you have it spot on Malt! IMO the only draw back could be what our wage structure is going to be like? If we can offer him improved terms now with the promise of a reveiw if we reach the PL, then I would think he could well look at us as being a better longer term option than joining a lowly PL club such as Wigan etc. We could also offer him the captaincy, as I think JE might be a casualty of the new regime?
TVOR makes an interesting point. As we know, not least from VERY tiresome repeated jokes, wages have been an issue many times with potential signings. However, we don't know how the new owners feel about wages.
I'd offer him a new contract but I would also give him the captains armband. I love John eustace but mariappa is our future. Making him captain could be enough to convince him to stay.
I thought the Udinese fans said that they pay the lowest wages in their league? Whilst its probably higher than our current structure, I don't think we're going to be to paying massive wages.
