[LOANED OUT] João Ferreira

It’s about lowering the cost base of Watford as a sellable asset I suppose?

Wages off the books, run costs and debt down etc.

 

But that’s also consistent with just becoming a more stable, sustainably run club.

 

That really wouldn’t help for a sale unless the players concerned were crap and had no value.

 

Let’s sell Asprilla and send Kone to udinese in that case. Surely there needs to be some balance. The activity so far is ridiculous now.

 

I’m not suggesting that we sell all our players. I’m just highlighting that reducing our cost base does not necessarily mean we are asset stripping, it could mean we are seeking financial sustainability. That’s all.

I also think we are trying to clear the decks to give us some flex to bring in good players in the last weeks of the window. We all recall how we missed out on Toney in August 2020 because we couldn’t shift Deeney. Getting players out the door and becoming certain about where the gaps lie is a good thing.

That said, this Ferreira thing doesn’t fit in with that. It is just a gamble that Andrews/Ngakia will suffice since it seems we won’t bring in someone else. I liked him and he has more going for him than Ngakia, but he didn’t exactly look particularly suited to the championship.

 

You know how it works. Hey presto, a loan suddenly becomes a permanent move.

 

Has anyone ever come back? Kamara doesn't count.

 

Ken Sema is one who comes to mind off the top of my head. But generally we have sent players there on permanent deals for which market or above market fees are reported to have been paid.

 

How does it work? Could you give an example of when this happened? I think Deulofeu moved on an initial loan and then Udinese paid a pretty high fee to make the deal permanent when no one else would buy him following his ACL injury.

 

Just Sema and Wilmot I think. Could possibly count Penaranda

 

Peñaranda is a slightly different case as he had to go on loan as he couldn't play in this country at the time, and Wilmot was a green kid, the chances of Ferreira coming back look remote

 

QSF

 

I am not so bothered about this player leaving. He did not seem that good a defender at championship level, and no doubt was in the upper quartile of player wages hence the move to Udinese.

However the quality of fullbacks available this year is an issue. I know once upon a time we got promoted with Jordan Stewart as a regular. But even so the current options are particularly poor IMHO for a succesful season.