Prices are mental now though, incomparable to even 2 years ago. Plus, it's an investment for the future. Frankly you'd be paying more than that for a semi decent Championship cb these days. To be honest, I don't understand why fans worry so much about fees, if we think then they're the right player then get them on board (within reason of course). As long as the club isn't put at risk then I'm not really bothered by what we pay. It isn't my money.
7m is peanuts really. i am perfectly Happy with the club identifying talented youngsters at other clubs and taking a gamble. No one knows, he might be the next Mark Wright yet. People need to remember that hardly any players are Premier League standard to start, they grow into that status. I'm not surprised though, this is the modern fan.
Oh agreed, I'm not fussed in the slightest if the club want to pay it. I just wondered if it meant our plans for him were a bit more that two years of U23 football etc.
Don't know that anyone's moaning, just a few agape that this is where the market has gotten. But it has, and there's nothing particularly high about the price...you can't get a one-legged octogenarian for less than 5m these days.
Agree mate, a wise gamble on a young international at a modest price. I'm sure most of our fans would have rather we spent the money on someone like John Terry, a big name, at the end of his career. Not the Southampton way since Redknapp left, and I for one am happy about that.
Yep, Fergie wouldn't get a second season these days; I do winder how many potentially great players and managers we now miss because of an 'OK' first season rather than a brilliant one that instant gratification culture demands. To be fair, if anyone can complain, it's us. We've seen what happens if we fail to live within our means. However, this amount, for this player is well within our means - as an U21 his wages are probably also comparatively pretty low.
Like you say £7m is peanuts now really. I mean, ffs if their takeover goes through without a hitch then I wouldn't be suprised if the blue few spent around £5m on a player this Summer
6 months ago, what would the average Saints fan have valued Jack Stephens at I wonder ? He has progressed immensely, given a run in the team.
I must have a man crush for Stephens. 4th choice? He came in to the side, had a few dodgy games and then the partnership with Maya was defensively better than the VVD / Jose partnership. True he didn't get forward like VVD but I'm pretty sure Claude said " concentrate on defending son" and he did. Next year we'll develop your game. 4th choice pah!
As the season wore on, he was bringing the ball out from defence as his confidence grew, just as VVD does/did. I hope his progress isn`t hindered.