[SOLD] Will Hughes

I hope he doesn’t turn out to be a poor Louza.

 

I don't think anyone can blame Hughes for wanting to leave, there's a decent chance we'll be relegated next season with the squad we've got.

Chalobah is the one I'm more pissed off with, at least I will be if he uses pre-season to get himself fit and then leave at the last minute after making us wait all summer. At least Hughes has given us an answer.

 

'He’s known to have impressed team-mates and 'It’s likely he will occupy one of the central midfield positions' according to Leventhal. What I'd like to know is whether the plan is to use him in either the Hughes or Chalobah roles, or as a more advanced midfielder? I suppose it in part depends on whether we can get a replacement for Hughes and/or Chalobah. Also begs the question, who is gonna be our advanced midfielder?

 

Played the #6 role vs Brentford apparently. Makes sense if Hughes is off, we need someone who can receive a pass under pressure on the half-turn and get us out of our own half. Etebo seems more of a high-energy ball winner and we know Cleverley/Gosling are not that player.

 

Oh dear.

Fairly disastrous stuff. Gonna have to sell them for peanuts as well. Losing Hughes is a massive blow, though I'm not as concerned about Chalobah- he's only given us one good half-season and aside from that has done **** all since we signed (injuries, yes, but he's looked out of his depth in PL).

Need quality replacements ASAP (and probably another CM on top of that), and based on our recruitment so far this summer, I don't see that happening.

20th place it is, then.

 

Time to start convincing ourselves that Gosling and TDB are prem quality.

 

Some on here have already convinced themselves of that!

 

Don't forget Quina!!! He'll be like a new signing!!!

 

I'm already there and I'm now throwing Gray into that bracket after his comments convinced me.

 

Not forgetting Deeney in a new no. 10 type role @Burnsy

 

Luckily Louza seems like a pretty versatile midfielder, seems a decent option as a #6, #8 or #10. Who is going to play alongside him or in front of him, I have no clue

 

I can't really blame Hughes. He is a PL quality player and deserves PL wages.

Staying in the PL with the squad we have is going to be a real ******* battle and we are demanding a 50% wage cut on relegation. At his age signing a 5 year deal is probably the last big contract he gets. If we are relegated he has a long term deal on comparatively low wages and it is very hard for him to force a move with 4 years left on his deal.

Chalobah never really proved he is a PL quality midfielder. We were patient enough to wait 3 years for him to get fit again and then as soon a he is fit he is trying to force a move. He was captain for large chunks of the season and seemingly does have a lot of love for the club. There really can't be a lot of belief in the squad that we are good enough to stay up.

 

Hopefully Brandon Williams. With his outstanding passing figures surely he can play anywhere?

 

I have seen suggestions we play him as a deep lying playmaker.

 

*deep frying playmaker.

Apologies Troy.

 

Piemaker

 

You are the 2nd person to mention the #6 role. I always think of a #6 as one of the two centre backs, what am I missing?
Before squad numbers 5 and 6 were always the centre backs.

 

Maybe Zinc or Pedro as the advanced midfielder.

I quite fancy the idea of Pedro behind a no. 9.

 

Not just down to him is it ? I completely understand why he wouldn't want to risk a 5 year deal with 4 years on reduced champ salary if clubs like AV are sniffing around. However I don't understand why we won't offer, or he won't sign, a 5 year deal with a buyout in the event of relegation. Presume he already has a deal on the table from another club which he will accept but is just checking he can't get even better, ie there is zero chance he will sign with us.

 

A relegation buyout clause doesn’t help him if he does his ACL next May, we go down and he’s stuck rehabilitating for 12 months on massively reduced Championship wages.

 

Now we'll know how Derby felt when we bought him for pittance!

 

True but reasonably unlikely. Seems the best compromise if both parties had really wanted him to stay. As I say I guess he just has a great offer from AV or another and it's just a case of agreeing the fee or him seeing if he can get even better.

 

There was at game at Everton (possibly in the Cup) when the fans were singing "Will Hughes, in the middle of our team." to the tune of Our House by Madness. I quite liked it, but it never caught on.

 

Can't wait to see which injury plagued dross we sign to replace Hughes/Chalobah.

Going to end up signing Delph on loan aren't we?

 

I would make them both fulfil their contracts as we are not going to get much for either of them anyway if we allow them to leave now. We should also offer them a take it or leave option on the new contracts they have been offered and leave them on the table should they change their minds.

Hence they might take up the contracts on offer after all, or we get the most playing time we can out of them on the pitch this season before releasing them on a free at the end of it when their contracts run out.

 

Or Drinkwater .....who allegedly does anything but.

 

An option but an uninterested Hughes & Chalobah would mirror the uninterested Perreyra, Doucs and Capoue of 2 years ago. Better to sign up or sell.

 

Loan? You wish. Three year deal incoming.

 

We may as well get £10m for the both of them now and spend it on a decent replacement or two surely?

 

The way I see it, they would need to play up to their usual standard otherwise their stock would probably go down and they would not be able to better themselves at the end of the season, they might even end up worse off than they would staying with us should they not play up to scratch.

 

**** the pair of them. Get them out the door.

 

Lets face it, if Capoue and Doucs were still at the club both Hughes and Nate would be on the bench. I’d like them to stay but won’t shed a tear if they go.

 

Objectively speaking what makes you think Hughes would ever have wanted to stay though? He’s had a relegation season, a season in the championship, and now probably another struggle at the foot of the table. We change managers like the wind so he never knows where he’ll be next, and he’s often been played out of position the entire time he’s been here.

Your relegation release clause only really makes sense if he was desperate to stay, but putting myself in his shoes I can’t possibly fathom why he would be.

 

Sure. If he absolutely never intended to even consider staying, then it wouldn't be an option.