Verumex

Let's not get too unrealistic here

Yeah but look on the bright side, now clubs in the EFL aren't going bankrupt! Right...?

I mean, it's not really anything to go on, you're right, but it is a bit odd. Unless he grew up with a signed Ricardo shirt on his wall...

I'm not saying we should have signed him, as I don't see what he would have added or where his place would be in our current system, but I thought he played well for us in a demanding role under Maresca. Not sure where the negativity is coming from tbh

"Likely". Based on what. Are you someone else claiming to have the in depth details of Leicester's financials that I'm dying to see. I'll say it loud for the people at the back. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINANCIAL STATE OF THE CLUB IS! We know they're not great. We know they're recovering from a bad few years. But what we don't know, is that we have to sell, despite what every armchair Kieran Maguire says. It's all assumptions at this point. The last few sales, all of which made tidy profit at the cost of players that didn't weaken the squad to lose, may have been more than enough to prevent any new issues arising. We don't know. What we do know, is that based on the sales so far, we've only sold players that we could afford to lose. Bilal does not fit in that category.

His agent. Same place all of the Tielemans stories came from every window, despite him clearly never wanting to leave the Midlands. It raises Bilal's profile, and helps a lot down the line when he is looking to move. And if a decent offer did come in this window, then bonus for them. His agent is his mum, and she's been doing a great job. That doesn't mean he's actively pushing for a move. He's still playing, he hasn't downed tools, and supposedly wants to help us get back up.

I keep sending an estate agents an offer of £20 and a box of Carling for a house, I think their resolve is starting to break. Any day now.

How does that make any sense? We don't want to sell him. If no one wanted him at £30m release clause, then anyone that wants him now will find the asking price increase.

What options does he have if he wants to play a double pivot?

Isn't his agent his mother...?

There hasn't been any sign that Bilal is pushing for a move. He'd probably be happy to move, if a bid is accepted, as has been said, but that isn't the same as wanting out. I do think that the squad size has been the bigger factor on players not coming in, over finances. We've been making a tidy profit on the outgoings so far, once all is added up, and it should be more than enough to deal with any PSR woes, especially if we make a few more small profits ala Choudhury. I could see Bilal going to Palace, but it won't be for a low balled offer. The Hutchinson sale has set the price of £37m, if Palace meet that, then I think the sale has to be made, unless there is no time of a replacement. But if the Joao Rego rumours have weight, as they seem to, then the replacement is already on the way. Either way, I see zero reason to panic on this one.

No up to date figures?

Seriously, please share the club's finances with us all, post sales. I'm waiting.

Elsewhere in a parallel universe: "Skipp? Again?! I'm going off Marti. I'd rather Soumare start over that plonker."

You got those up to date figures to hand, do you? We are not in a position to speculate.

Unfortunately for them, Disney+ isn't available in Bangladesh.

But why would any club go for Bilal? That's what I really don't follow. There's a lot of players out there in his position that have better stats, that would be cheaper, and stats is what recruitment looks at now. They haven't been watching him week in and week out, to know that "There's a player in there." All they have to go on is his 2 goals and 3 assists. It's not enough to justify the risk at that high a price, for any team that would be able to pay it.

No? A release clause means that we can't sell for more than X. Any team that fits whatever criteria are specified in the clause, can come in, bid X, and cut us out of negotiations because we would be forced to accept it. There would be nothing preventing a team offering £15m two weeks ago if they wanted to, we'd just bat them away. If it does expire today, then now we can bat away any offer below our valuation, which is likely closer to £40m, which most sensible recruitment teams would view as overpriced for him.

Tbf he's proven in two games just how well he's recovered from that injury...

If there is an expiry date for the release clause, then after that expires, we know that Bilal is staying here. No club wanted to pay the "cheap" price, when the clause existed to give the buying club more power, so there is not a single club out there that will come in for an offer that's worth more when we have the bargaining power. It's just not happening. I said on here over a month ago that Bilal has not done anywhere near enough to prove to another club that he would be worth whatever overpriced fee we would put on him, and so far that's held true. There has not been one single credible link to a club that hasn't been his agent shouting at every journalist that would listen to increase his profile. Unless he goes today in a very quick turnaround, then I'm 100% certain that Bilal will be a Leicester player for the next year.

That young striker at QPR looks good, Richard Kone. I reckon we could probably get him for about £15m. Would be great business.

Thankfully Thailand is quite stable atm. It's not like they're suddenly going to go to war with Cambodia or anything...

I know it's all hyperbole, but that's a bit harsh. Did you not see the Spartak Moscow game?

I think that's been reserved for Vestergaard's dog

I love that story. During that period he tried to get them to sign both Robertson and Maguire from Hull, he pointed out Evans on the same bargain transfer we snapped up, and famously had a 17 year old Haaland at Goodison Park ready to sign until the board put a stop to it because they didn't want to take the risk. That story reveals so much about the mindset of those in charge at Everton.