When the big boys come a knockin'

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Mahrez just signed a new contract in summer so it'll take a lot to prise him away.

 

 

Unless there's a clause written into it - release clause for side in Europe or something.

[Danizen]

dont think we need to worry about Vardy too much, I think Mahrez's departure is inevitable next summer

You just know that whoever buys Mahrez will piss us about all summer. They'll start with a bid of about £5.50, steadily increase it all summer, finally put in a decent offer about an hour before the transfer window closes and then they will hardly play him.

[Basingstoke Fox]

If we're serious about becoming a force at this level, we need to be on the search for people who can step in at every position. On the pitch and off it, from the coaching and recruitment staff to potential replacements for Mahrez and Vardy.

 

Obviously we want to keep everyone, but people will leave or could get a career ending injury. We need to prepare for every eventuality!

[Donut]

Not sure they will come knocking in all honesty.

[VLC86]

Mahrez is 34, right guys?

I heard he called the Yak to get a new passport a year or so ago so probably yeah.

[nlukka]

To think back in January some people wanted to sell Vardy to West Brom for £5m...just imagine if we had done

[Benguin]

January window looms faster than you think, and the bigger boys want to play!

The likes of Bony and Benteke have been ripped away from their clubs. Sorry to piss on the parade but the better we do the more interest we generate.

I now believe that this season will be glorious and relegation is far behind our level of performance and I'm bloody loving it!

We have never been in this situation before in the modern football world. But every club/man has a price. Vardy and Mahrez will be watched by envious eyes; and slowly but surely they will draw their plans against us.

Do we have the "Stones" to keep what we have.

DU DU DUUU badabah badabah du du DUUU badabah badabah

If they succeed with their plan.....

We'll start all over again bidadahh bidadahh

[Thracian]

Every player has a price but I don't think we're so desperate for money that we need to sell anyone. Nor do I think we lack the ambition to keep good players interested, quite the contrary.

 

Our problem, more than many, is that we're a work in progress and our top players need to stay a little patient while we step up to the next level.

 

It can't be done all at once. It seems to me roughly a three or four players a season progression is about par and the main thing is to get the right three or four and try not to make mistakes. Any development youngsters for the future are a bonus.

 

We've done okay but no more over the close season. Kante's a gem, Fuchs seems to be making a decent impression, Benny looks to have something to offer and loanee Dyer has already made his mark with more to come I trust.

 

On the flip side Shinji's been a disappointment, so too Inler and I've no idea why we can't make something worthwhile out of Kramaric.

 

For me that adds up to rather more wasted wages than necessary but no-one gets it right all the time and, overall, I'd say what we've got now is worth far more than what we paid with Kante a steal and people like Mahrez and Vardy increasing their value dramatically day by day. And, there's still time for both Shinji and Inler to show some improvement.   

 

I agree with a previous comment that Vardy somehow represents our spirit and would love to keep him.

But whoever we sell, if anyone, the vital thing is to have as good or better replacements lined up. Whatever fans might like or think, football is a trading business. You buy low and sell high to fund more good players while hopefully keeping at least some of those who can continue building your club's reputation and status.

[ozleicester]

Cant see too many above us wanting Vardy and i think he likes what we have given him...so i expect he will stay.

 

I think Kram is better than we've seen and he has high expectations of himself and his club, so i expect he will go (whether on loan or sold , we shall see)

 

Mahrez, is the real fear, can see a number of clubs being interested, and understand him looking for a big move. I think we might lose him for 12-15 million in Jan.

[Sampson]

Mahrez is worth more than £12mil ffs! That will only buy you a Championship striker these days. He's just signed a 4 year deal. Id be surprised if he went for anything under £20mil.

[Guest Col city fan]

Do people come 'a knockin' when they want to sign a player then?

I'd imagined, given 21st Century technology n that, they'd send an email?

Which door do they knock? If it's one of the big blue ones at the ground, no-one will be in? They'll be stood there for ages.

Unless it's Saturday.

[AKCJ]

Sorry but that touch/give and go from Mahrez to set up Vardy for the chance he put over the bar has put an extra 30m on his price tag.

Utterly orgasmic.

[Stevosevic]

Vardy will know himself he takes time to settle and adapt.

He won't want to sacrifice his place for the Euros by moving in January

[MC Prussian]

These players need to be retained at the club at all costs, and when I say at all costs, they are to demand a hefty transfer fee if they should ever leave:

 

Mahrez

Vardy

Kanté

Schlupp

(Drinkwater)

(Schmeichel)

 

I do include Drinkwater in that list, because potentially - yes, potentially - he could become as influential to our midfield the way Scholes was for Manchester United.

(Disclaimer: I am not saying Drinkwater has the same talent than Scholes or could ever be as good as Scholes - I'm simply making a relative comparison)

[Babylon]

If a player wants to go, not many clubs will stand in there way. It becomes of case of how much you can get, only if the buying club takes the piss will the selling club refuse now days.

 

Vardy I can't see going purely because of his age and how much money we'd want for him. The figures just wouldn't add up for a player so reliant on pace. Mahrez is obviously the likely one, it would be a shame to lose him, but if we managed to get Dyer and another Decent Winger in I think we'd cope.

[MC Prussian]

To think back in January some people wanted to sell Vardy to West Brom for £5m...just imagine if we had done

I think looking back, at the time he came under some deserved scrutiny.

 

Also, it's all hypothetical, as we don't know whether he'd have blossomed someplace else the way he has been and is currently doing for our beloved club.

[Bayfox]

Do people come 'a knockin' when they want to sign a player then?

I'd imagined, given 21st Century technology n that, they'd send an email?

Which door do they knock? If it's one of the big blue ones at the ground, no-one will be in? They'll be stood there for ages.

Unless it's Saturday.

Course they do, they still have a fax at the FA.

[Monk]

Can't see Vardy going anywhere tbh for many reasons but losing Mahrez is a risk. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go abroad for a big fee next summer. January tends to be for teams desperate to fill a gap in their squad - can't see any of the top 4 wanting to splash 25m+ on Riyad just yet.

[ramboacdc]

think of it this way. we have an england striker playing for us. that adds 15m on now straight the way. no one is gasping for a striker yet apart from liverpool and cant see klop being interested or willing to fork out for him.

i hope he signs a new contract January 1st! 

[whoareyaaa]

We shouldn't even be thinking of selling, if we want to win trophies then we have to keep ALL our better players and keep progressing.

 

Can't see Vardy going anywhere and Marhez seems pretty happy at the moment.

 

I think a lot comes down to the players and the clubs ambition, if the club want to push for trophies and obviously the players want trophies then betters players must stay and the club needs to keep building upwards.

 

You need to keep players like Marhez, Vardy and Kante for at least 2/3 seasons to give yourself a chance of winning something and the players need to believe in this too.

[filbertway]

I don't think we have to worry about losing Vardy, aside from Liverpool he doesn't really suit the playing style of any other team that's worth leaving us for.

 

Mahrez is a different story, I'd argue he's good enough to be a useful player for anybody in this league as well as top teams around europe. Though I'd have thought he would stay in England as there aren't many foreign teams that would be willing to pay the £25 million+ that we'd surely be demanding for him. Would be incredibly shocked if he's still with us come the start of next season.

[Carl the Llama]

I'm not overly concerned about Vardy - you know the bigger clubs will baulk at paying what we'd demand for such a key player at 29 years old with 3 years left on his contract.

 

Mahrez on the other hand, I fully expect him to be sounded out by Klopp who'll want to stamp his mark on Liverpool by bringing in hungry, talented players just like him.  I doubt he'll be gone in January (our record transfer fee received would be absolutely smashed if he does though), so it all depends on how well we finish this year.  We've just got to finish in the top 5 and he won't want to leave.  Simples.

[foxfanazer]

I wouldn't take less than £40m for any of our players tbh.

Dean Hammond?

[ScouseFox]

remember how sure everyone was that riyad would leave us last summer after we went down, good times

[TrentFox]

Vardy's experience with England will make him think twice before ever leaving, playing in any other way than the way we do will leave him isolated frustrated and exposed.

But also whilst away, they will have swapped notes on what kind of a deal their contract offers them. For someone who may only have two or three top seasons left, a double/ triple your money offer would be impossible to turn down for the lad. Much as I'd hate it, I could never blame him if he took it if one comes along.