I suspect that range should start around the mid-teens. Can you imagine the fall out when he goes for 13m plus add-ons.
Given Pritchard went for a similar fee, it wouldn't be too surprising. There's mad money chucked around in football, but rarely do we seem to be on the receiving end of it!
I've heard a rumour that you have been looking at our "Golden boy of the 2014/15 season, but since been injured for the last 3 seasons" Teddy Bishop. Possibly as a replacement for Maddison, though I'm not sure if there is any truth in it. His contract is set to expire this summer (though we are expected to offer him a one year deal) I cannot think of a transfer that would be more likely to cause simultaneous meltdowns in equal measures from both sets of fans He was absolute class when he burst into the team and Arsenal and Liverpool were interested after that season. He's since been injured on and off and played about 20 times in the last 3 seasons (most last season where he was pretty average, bordering on poor) but he is still highly thought of and if he can get himself fit would be a great player at this level.. Just hope that never happens in a Green & Yellow shirt
I still think we could have got another £2-3m had we held out to see if anyone other than Huddersfield were interested. Hopefully SW won't show the same soft underbelly when it comes to Madders departure
IMHO, we should have kept Pritchard as he was under contract. I understand why AP wanted to put his Norwich chapter behind him, but we could have said "play well and we'll move you on in the summer." SW likes to say that we don't want a player who doesn't want to be here; I don't think that was a good philosophy in this case.
I guess part of the auction is going to be who offers us the most tempting financial package, with more as a lump sum than in bonuses. That cash will likely be spread across several payments though, as is common. Hopefully we're sufficiently financially secure that we don't feel we have to take the offer with the most paid this summer, if another offer to spread payments comes to more money.
I still doubt such massive funds are going to be paid for a player without PL experience. I also doubt that we will sell for less than £20m which is why he may still be with us next season. His value is higher than Pritchard's because he's 3 years younger and IMO a better player. No PL team tried to buy Pritchard when he was at Spurs and Huddersfield were the only suiters last season. On loan to WBA for a season, he only played in 2 games. If we held out, Huddersfield could have moved on and we would have had a much more limited restructuring. Given that, £11m + £2m in add ons seems good business, especially as it was another PL wage off the books.
Very true, he will go but all the other interested parties should push the destination clubs bids up. In the same way his agent will be using the other offers to secure himself his big pay day (Oh and Madders better wages). Up front or further spread, we have restrictions on what we will pay in fees and more pertinantly in wages, would we splerge on a star outside of that wage structure any more with it up front or spread over 3 years, Which might well be the splergee's contract length? Upfront certainly would give us more options and the ability to take a gamble, but are we any sort of gambling club? No, so I think it'll make little difference and long term we are better off getting the most in, not the quickest large proportion. I hope Citeh's interest is true, we might well get the biggest fee and fast then. (Plus there would be that ever so slender chance that, they would loan him or Angus back next season, as neither I think would be ready for Citeh's first XI.) Even if Madders thought he wouldn't play straight away, who wouldn't want to try to learn from Pep and aspire to play for the team who might well dominate for the next however many years Pep and the owners are there? Edit: And play with the superb players at Citeh Bah!
Excellent reply General - though I see Citeh fans are not TOO impressed at the thought of JM joining them. #idiots I like your thinking that both he and Angus might be loaned back!
And play with the superb players at Citeh We could but hope. If I were a Citeh fan I wouldn't be overly impressed either. They are shopping in vastly different waters now, pinch Sessegnon from Fulham or Neves from Wolves and they still probably wouldn't be excited. Their squad has been littered with the next bright young thing for several years, with some making it others not. Madders as much as we love him, could very easily just be another of those, such is the jump from Star in a mid-table champioship side, to one of the most dominant PL champion sides is enormous and much as I think he's mustard, I don't know if he's that good. hardly excellent either, with my errant splerging! Bah!
Well General, he wouldn't be the first player who has failed to make the step up. However - I'm VERY confident that he can.
I think he might, but think like others he has a big choice. Go to for example Citeh and maybe not play to start with or even ever, but be coached by Pep and his team, get rich and maybe better or fade like so many others? Who knows, like you though I think his attitude and skill is such that he will only improve where ever he goes, I just want to see him play and so think maybe a Leicester or everton might currently be a better bet. Star as I'm sure he can and then the top six will be his oyster. Bah!
COMPLETELY agree General - I'd love to initially see him go to a club such as Leicester and replace Mahrez with Vardy in front of him - show what he can do in the PL and then have Spuds/Citeh/Loserpool etc battling over him. I'm sure he can slaa be a key player for Engerland in the future as well. From today's presser - http://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/canaries-maddison-responds-to-transfer-speculation-1-5485370