ECFC Transfers, in/outs Summer of 2018

[007]

As Stockley said last night his wife is expecting in two weeks - I don't foresee him leaving.....................yet !

OR the extra mouth to feed and all the added costs of a new born will make the lure of a larger wage packet RAPIDLY more desirable

 

[Red Bill]

Good call , pay up or shut up.
If we did sell though for a million or two wonder who would be available to us with us having cash to splash?

This is the really important question!

For once in our history we don't have to sell any player for any amount simply to edge us back from the financial precipice. In Stockley we have a player who despite terrible service and often cutting a lonely figure up front, got us 25 goals last season, I can't remember the last City player to get 25 in a season (Rowbotham maybe?) and for once he's on a decent length contract to mean we're in a strong position if we want to keep him. Suffice to say a 25 goal a season striker in league two is a rare thing and they don't often stay in L2 for long. So lets say we put a £1M price tag on him and someone from the championship comes in to buy him for that price and we decide to spend all that money replacing him. I would guess we'd have to pay at least £5k per week for such a player, so £250K per year over three years comes to £750k and leaves £250K out of the £1M left for his transfer fee. Does anyone really think it likely that a 25 goal a season striker can be bought for £250k even if they are willing to play for a league two side? Ok these are made up figures and I've ignored the cost saving on Stockley's wages, but for me selling him now when he still has two years left on his contract and could well be an instrumental player in a promotion challenge, makes absolutely no sense, either financially or practically.

I think those who say "if a player wants to leave, there's not much you can do to stop them" are talking nonsense. He's contracted to us for the next two years and if we decide to keep him we can turn down any offers. The usual argument against this is "what and have an unhappy player playing at 50% or not at all on your hands". I think this is rubbish, Stockley is a young player who will have been noticed for his goal tally last season, is it really likely that he'd deliberately play badly or not at all for the next two years? He want's to move up the league and will know that to do that he needs to keep grabbing people's attention, he won't want to look like a one season wonder or a disruptive and petulant child in the dressing room. As Snoop says stick £3M tag on him, if someone is willing to stump up then maybe it might be worth it, but any less and I can't see we could afford to replace him. We shouldn't even consider a bid from another L2 club, even if he does prefer concrete cows to real ones!

 

[Grecian Max]

Apparently he has a release clause below a million.

 

[Moomin Grecian]

Apparently he has a release clause below a million.

How far below? And how would anyone know that?

 

[Red Bill]

Apparently he has a release clause below a million.

Well thank god we've had Perryman and his amazing negotiating experience helping us out. ffs!

 

[Temporarily Exiled]

Apparently he has a release clause below a million.

According to who?

 

[007]

Well thank god we've had Perryman and his amazing negotiating experience helping us out. ffs!

Given we paid a ' club record fee' which was ? Makes a mill even by our standards l just plain dumb..

 

[007]

Apparently he has a release clause below a million.

Also depends on the wording of the clause .. some clause s allow a player to talk to other clubs if a certain figure is met but no commitment.that we'll sell at that price. others clauses that if the figure is meet than release is garunteed but we'll c

 

[ExeterCitysRealDeal]

Apparently he has a release clause below a million.

If that is true then I think it helps support the 3 year contract by way of there being little point in a release clause on a 2 year contract but a 3 year contract where by the player could have a great 1st year and then attract interest but not be able to move as the club prices him out of it and be stuck for the next 2 years of their contract, but this way both parties have an advantage in that the player knows he can leave for a certain price and the club can protect their asset for a longer period i.e. a longer contract so they make sure they get a fee at some point if all goes well. Having said that if it is something like £500k then whoever did the contract needs their backsides kicked......

If at all possible the club should be looking to give him an improved contract with better terms to put another year on the contract and either get rid of the release clause or at the very least put it up significantly at a minimum. Of course at the same time there might not be any release clause at all and the club are either going to have a top League 2 marksman or another significant injection of cash to build the club going forward with my preference being to keep JS of course.

 

[Grecian2K]

Assuming (big assumption!!?) we don't lose anyone before the summer window slams shut the likely first choice line up now looks pretty damned impressive to me. With some quality back-up too...although, perhaps, in need a little "bulking up" in a couple areas.

But, a line up that has so far been assembled (as far as I know) without a single transfer fee spent so far on newer replacements.

Matt will surely be allowed a "honeymoon period", at least for a while at the start of the season? And with the Storey money (and other dosh from recent transfers) still mostly intact.

If things need tweaking a bit when we get to the winter window there should be a bit of money still available to take a view and strengthen if and / or needed.

Until we get to then, isn't it better to assess our strengths (and those of "the enemies") and, as they say in military circles, "keep our (financial) powder dry until we know where it can be of greatest benefit?

And, just remember before undue panic sets in, the season before last we were rock bottom in November yet still made the play-offs by May. Patience can be a valuable virtue.