[NOT HAPPENING] Kieran Gibbs

You can pay me thousands of pounds a week to sit on a bench if you like !

 

In his defence, and it's not the choice I would make, but he could also be saying to himself that he only has a year left - sit it out and play about 5-8 games here or there, and then have a wider choice of clubs next summer when no fee involved and he'll be 28.

It's not the route I would choose but I'm sure it's entered his and his agents minds.

 

Exactly this.

Clubs often pay higher wages when it's a free transfer, for obvious reasons.

Moving now would probably cost him over a million pounds a year.

 

Good point and it's probably what he's thinking, although in a year he'll have to take the wages he's offered which will undoubtedly be less than he is on now, so he's basically sacrificing a year of his career to earn more for one year in the proviso he might get a better offer in a year due to no transfer fee. Who knows what might happen in the next year, he could get a serious injury. Like you I'd take the lower salary now and the extra year playing.

 

This is the point that we find out if he wants to play football or not. If he chooses to stay at Arsenal then it's about money. Can't blame him but probably not the kind of player we want.
Hope he makes the correct decision for his career as he is a very good player

 

Absolutely true , but you would think Arsenal would be wise to this and either loan him out for a year or sell at a cut down price , otherwise they end up footing his wages and not getting anything from his sale. When you think about it, its an expensive business , they could easily see £15m- £20m disappear down the drain because a player doesn't want (maybe reasonably) to take a pay cut

 

Would I move into a job where I have to do infinitely more work for £1m a year less?

Nope.

 

I guess for a younger player it might make sense, step back to move forward etc .

Although I thought they were actually supposed to enjoy playing football , so if the question was would I reduce my salary from £3m a year to £2m + play regular first team football, stand a chance of rejuvenating my career and being adored by 20,000 fans a week - becomes a trickier question

 

But if you're under 30, wouldn't you do anything - absolutely anything - to get on telly every week?

 

Good point, plucking a figure out of the sky, if he's on £80k p/w that's £4m a year, so if they don't sell him now he costs them £4m, if they sell him now whatever they sell him for, even if it's £5m that's £5m they make and £4m they save.

 

To a lot of footballers, it's just a highly paid job. There's been plenty of footballers who have said that they hated the game, they were just good at it and it paid well.

 

I think Holebas will have a lot to say about whether Gibbs, if signed, is likely to play regular football. Nothing is guaranteed and I expect Holebas push him all the way (with a bit of moaning perhaps). I also expect Holebas to start the first match or two (if fit) even if Gibbs signs before hand.

 

We can remove any ambiguity - there will be a lot of moaning.

And I'm a fan of Holebas.

 

In a broader view, there's a lot we just don't consider when buying a player who we expect to take a pay-cut to play regular football. I'm sure he is rolling in cash anyway but what about his mortgage? Maybe that is based upon the fact that he earns 80k a week - how does he explain that away if he suddenly earns half of that? I am in no way sympathetic to the huge amounts footballers earn but you still live by your means and I imagine there's a lot to consider when asked to earn less and I imagine getting 90mins once a week isn't top of the list. So long as he turns up to training and gives the manager the chance to play him, he's doing his job.

 

Players won't take a pay cut and also Arsenal wanting £16 mill for a player that will be on a free next season, drop the asking price if you really want rid of them.

 

Dunno man, their owner has a hunting fetish to satisfy. Needs all the pennies.

 

Maybe so but if Arsenal sell him before the end of his contract don't they have to pay off his contract or give him a slice of the transfer fee? So by moving now he could receive a lump sum.

 

yup - usually 6 months wages

 

Loyalty Bonus as he was sold without a transfer request?

 

Reports (The Express) claiming that he will be a Watford player this week after we have agreed a deal for £15mil. I hope that price is not true.

 

£15 mil is fine if he has accepted a decrease in wage (max £40k a week)

 

Why? Have the club asked you to fund some of it?

 

Yes they have

Edit: I said no, we have Mason

 

I personally think £15m is a bit ott for a player with one year left on his contract, it will be great business for Arsenal if they can get it. The difficulty is if we wait until January they'll probably drop the price to about £5m and we'll be competing with about 5 or 6 other clubs so if they really want him then it seems we are going to have to pay over the odds for him.

 

Save the money Gino, put it towards a striker and give Mason a chance. Most will agree Gibbs is an upgrade (but not a massive one) and the all round cost is too high. This one is taking so long I reckon it will go belly up.

 

£15 m ? Are arsenal throwing in wilshere as well or something?

 

Why are people even discussing the reported fee?

Hughes was described as an £8m 'pickup' by that Aston villa commentator on Saturday. There's a 120% margin for error in all reporting of transfer fees.

 

£15 million for an indifferent defender. Look how far we've come.

 

Happy to sign him but paying £15m may limit strengthening elsewhere.

 

Mason is nowhere near ready.

 

Solid if unspectacular premier league performer.
People are moaning about the fee but creaming themselves for buying an untested Brazilian who they've never even heard of.
Transfer fees gone mad but we desperately need a left back and in what works do people think Mason is anywhere near ready for a long stint un the team

 

Because it's immoral

£15 m could feed a 3rd world country like France for a year

 

Bloody hell, where did they find you?

 

That might mean £8m fee and a 3 year contract worth 45k / week.

 

Thanks Mrs Mason