As far as I'm aware, Saints stance on speculation and rumours is to not comment. As far as I'm aware the stories of Poch, Lallana, Shaw, Lovren etc are speculation and rumours, hence no official word. Now I'm not saying there's no interest but if there was a bid, what's to stop the other team letting slip that they're interested? For heavens sake, someone reported that it was Lovren, not Lallana that Liverpool want...WTF! I for one am staying calm about the whole thing until there is something more concrete than speculation.
Lallana leaving is a "done deal", just like last year Bale leaving us was a "done deal", even before a bid had been made, no point in deluding yourself just because nothing official has come out yet.
I am certain that the board intends to keep most of the team together....in fact they have said so. Most of the rumours are just that...you want a CB, Saints have one, QED you want Lovren. The board could say that they will sell no one, but they won't...after all, Real Madrid may want Shaw for 50 million (that is not true by the way ). It's going to be a long summer.
There was no "done deal" with Bale. Spurs could have said no thank you but they made a conscious choice that they wanted the money instead. The way everyone is talking about "done deals" is like we are collectively being drugged and signing papers in a deluded star of delirium or something. We don't HAVE to do anything if we CHOOSE not to.
It was a "done deal" as the move was always going to happen and only the deluded believed he (Bale) would stay. Same applies to Lallana, he's leaving and yes you have a right to cling onto the hope he stays until its officially announced but he will be sold.
No one will meet our valuation....25% sell on plus what he is worth to us... Can't see anyone meeting it.
That is, unfortunately, how it works. Agents essentially complete the deal behind the scenes and the bid is usually a formality which takes some time to iron out. That being said, doesn't mean Lallana has instructed his agent to work on concluding a deal of this type on the same way that Bale had last year..
It's a completely different situation. Bale was a done deal because Spurs spent the proceeds of the transfer before it went through. They must have been assured it would happen earlier or they'd have been in a huge financial mess.
If its 25 million then compared to the fees paid, such as we paid 28 million for Soldado then 25 million is a fair price for Lallana, if you compare to other signings made. Man Utd paid 27.5 million for Fellani! Or is the inflated fee even higher?
The point I was making as carried on by Saintjoey, is these deals are generally concluded behind the scenes and the final bid is a formality. Not that the situation is exactly the same as Bale but comparison in the sense its just a matter of time before the player is sold.
Yes, if there is a deal then they are often agreed in principle earlier than they actually happen. To suggest that is the case with Lallana with any certainty is foolish, considering it's far from certain any deal will go through at all. Spurs made the decision to cash in on Bale, that doesn't imply that we will do the same.
....So you're not sure! If Lallana is sold for 30 million then we can both (attempt to) claim to have been ITK.