That's the point though - £40m would likely be able to buy and wage a player younger with similar ability (I don;t think there is a "like for like" as such ut if someone offered £40m for a 34 year old, he's gone - as long as the money was given to Moyes to find the right replacement, I'd be happy with that much (And I'd reckon Moyes or his scouting team would know someone for that sort of money)
I would only sell him for say £40 million. But only if we have at least 3-4 quality players lined up before the Defoe deal would be done. Theres no way we should sell him then suffer a mad dash to replace him, throwing bids about willy nilly. Have 3-4 players nailed on, one a striker with potential to score goals, thats the only scenario where I would sell him. Given the choice between keeping him and relying heavily on him, or selling him, spending the money on quality, and spreading the load throughout the team? Thats the puzzler. If we sell him, do I trust that we would spend the money wisely? Do I ****. Thats why I would say keep him. Theres no way West Ham would pay what he is worth to us anyway, so unless Defoe himself chucks his toys out of the pram big style, or Short accepts relegation then I cant see any deal being done.
He's not worth £40 million to anybody but us. The almighty panic stricken upheaval that his departure would cause is worth £40 million, not the player himself!
I know all this is hypothetical and the club have stated JD isn't for sale at any price. But, lets all be honest here for a minute. Historically we have always struggled to attract players, even if we have tossed money at them, so there's no way we are going to be able to attract a quality £20+m player to come when we are rooted in the bottom 3 with massive injury/squad problems. It just isn't going to happen. For me, if Defoe does go, we are ****ed, there just isn't enough goals in the rest of the squad for us to survive.
I look at it like a game of Russian roulette. Put 3 rounds in the barrel. You have a 50% chance of surviving. Sell Defoe. May as well add the last 3 rounds. Game over.
And me. And IF there is a £40mil striker out there who will score at the rate of one every two games and is a lot younger, I would have thought that a Club such as West Ham would target them first. In reality I doubt very much if this mythical striker exists, never mind his being prepared to come here.
Charleyfarley Danny graham ooh I forgot all bout him man, we would have to get Lakaku or Rashford in to replace him but they will want £400,000 a week so that's them out.
Zlatan cost us nowt, so with that in mind, I'd say sending Defoe to West Ham should cost you no more than £5m.
David Moyes says Defoe is 'priceless'; that sums it up for me. Without his goals we go down. If we go down, under the current ownership, I think we will stay down. With Defoe in the team, we always have a chance. If Moyes and Short and Bain have any sense they will make this transfer window about battening down the hatches and digging in for the battle that the rest of the season will be. I'd rather they spent all of whatever meagre transfer budget we have on paying Defoe to stay than they even contemplated selling him.