Is Whiteman's contract running down or something? Surely we'd be looking at £7/8m maybe even 10m otherwise, which I just can't see us paying?
Believe it runs to summer 2024. Apparently they signed him for £1.6m so maybe £4/5m would tempt them if he's indicated he wants to leave and won't renew?
When one PNE fan suggested a fee of 2-5m he was laughed at by fellow Lillywhites or whatever they're known as.
Seems to be changing his tune. Claims he’s been threatened by the club or something. Reckon he’s a WUM. As you were.
The fact that they have felt the need to go public with it suggests there actually is something in it in my opinion. Rumours are flying around all the time, it’s part and parcel of the window, so why feel the need to go public with this one? Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more to do with Preston not having the replacement lined up yet. Also I guess they can play the “player power” card now as well and accuse us of tapping him up now they have gone public.
Also it's not exactly "the club have told us he's categorically not for sale", just they apparently haven't had any contact from us.
On this point, I wonder who was the last player we signed that the selling club genuinely didn't really want to lose? It's usually clubs who are happy to get their second or third choices off the wage bill, or Belgian clubs trying to keep a straight face as we offer several times the asking price.
Have said it on here before, but having worked in football for a bit i've seen it... Agents have a ridiculous amount of power. A lot of foreign players don't even know who they're signing for, they just do what their agent tells them to do. Hence why clubs need to have agents on side. If you piss off an agent, that could be 30/40 players off the table. Said it before but Dawson only signed for West Ham because they wanted Benrahma and their agent said if you take Dawson for a couple of mil, i'll guarantee you Benrahma over a host of other clubs.
Is this a case of Preston wanting £5m for Whiteman and Pozzo offering a Mars bar and a picture of Giarettas missus with butterfly carefully positioned. Let's just say Pozzos ZOPA wasn't much higher than 5 quid.
Derby fans were gutted when we bought Hughes. That’s the most recent transfer that springs to my mind, back in…2017. But there’s probably one or two others, like Pedro leaving Fluminense. Majority of muffins didn’t want Gosling to leave, but I think they were divided, mostly because they didn’t want to do anything that might help us get promoted. Oh…hang on: The bitterest pill was swallowed by Burnley fans where they set up roadblocks and burned home shirts in protest of the looming Andre Gray departure. I think it was when Dux mentioned, with delighted bewilderment, that the Burnley board were very willing to let him leave, that things boiled over for their fans. I was so happy to be the right side of that one. In the words of Dexy’s Midnight Runners: Oh woah Gino
Given that Edwards personally requested Bayo in the summer, he may be keen to reunite with him? On the other hand, we know Edwards has many sleepless nights over the rule of 11
West Ham activated their signing of Dawson 6 months after Benrahma signed on a perm. Didn’t Dawson do well on his loan spell and £2m was considered a no brainer?
I think Whiteman is a good player and seems to show up well statistically (according to those who deal in those areas!) - but I’m not sure I agree that his signing would be a ‘game-changer’ as was touted. But I’m basically all for any CM coming in that would mean Kayembe gets further away from the team.
As I understood it, point being literally not a single PL club would take Dawson in any capacity as he was a disaster for us so agent said he'd get them Benrahma if they took Dawson. Think it may not have been publicized at the time, but (I was told) they would have had to sign him whether they wanted to or not.
I see. We should have tried that with Bayat. “Mogi. Line us up with Dennis please and we will buy Kayembe and Bayo off you next summer. “ Maybe that is what happened actually!
