Brentford linked with Styles

Excellent. I suppose we should’ve expected interest in him to start pretty soon.

 

hopefully the board stick to their guns and tell them to go away. We shouldn't be taking anything less than 10 million + a sell on fee

 

Is it February yet?

 

Boo.

Sack the board.

etc.

 

Just spite because we stopped them getting automatic promotion

 

I know he doesn't have that many 1st team games under his belt. But he is a very versatile player, shown fantastic ability in his defensive duties as well as being one of our most creative players.

I would argue given our current form and league position along with how he has developed, 10m would be a steal now. We should honestly be telling clubs to go away unless they are talking in excess of 13m plus sell on %. He is under a lengthy contract so we have no rush at all, I can only see him getting better.

If a prem team came along, which I think a this stage doubtful, we should also insist we keep him until end of season. No if's, no buts.

We have to start talking serious money if we are to increase standard in this league. 3m for players is ok when trying to develop an excellent league 1 side but this is exactly how the plan needs to evolve.

I would prefer however just to say not for sale.

 

It’s a difficult situation for the club. If we stick a £10 million price tag on someone, they then expect to be paid like a £10 million player. See Brian Howard for details.

I prefer the ‘not for sale’ sign, but at the end of the day we’re a selling club - that is our business model.

 

Mowatt goes it's understandable due to contract situation, Styles goes for anything less than 10 to 15 million upfront plus sell ons and it's a sign of a weak board with a complete lack of ambition.

 

I don't think they will be willing to pay the eight figure transfer fee he's worth.

 

Other clubs stick 10 million price tags on players and get it. Board need to go a pair it's no good being a selling club and constantly failing to get value for players sold.

 

Made me laugh a bit this, nothing bad... but how is 10m a steal but you decide 13 is ok

you are right 10m is a steal however id be looking for far far more.

 

I feared the scenario where James went back to Leicester, Mowatt was sold having refused to sign a contract and we were tempted with a "significant" bid for Styles.

 

We have a year in our favour to take it to 2024. If they want someone as good as Styles with three and a half years left with us it's going to have to be more money than we've got for anyone ever.

 

Anyone thinks we would get anywhere near 10 million for Styles is in dreamland. If a bid of 5 comes in we'll sell.

 

Absolutely! Brentford don’t have the financial clout to even think about signing Styles. That we will lose him at some point in the future is I fear inevitable but it should be at a fee only a premiership club could consider and probably a top six one at that. Only such an outcome would soften the blow in so far as I am concerned

 

Well that's that sorted then.
Undisclosed but believed to be in the region of 2 million.
The main problem is that it starts to unsettle the player when these "enquiries" appear. All we need is a Prem team to come sniffing then he's as good as gone.
I wonder if other teams are ever worried about "enquiries" from Barnsley?

 

This is the test, isn't it?

I'd be gutted if we sold him, but I wouldn't necessarily despise the owners for doing so.

If it happens, though, they need to make Brentford bleed. It needs to be for so much money that Ismaël can go and spend a few million on three central midfielders - to replace Styles, James, and give us an extra option we currently don't have - with enough left over that we are financially secure for the next couple of years of no-crowds football. If he goes this window, use some of the funds to give Mowatt his payrise.

The model requires that we sell. In the case of Styles, we hold all the cards. I feel a lot more positively-disposed towards the owners. They have made mistakes, but, crucially, they have shown signs of learning from them. Inevitably, he'll leave at some point. The manner of his departure, whenever it comes, is likely to set the direction of the club for the foreseeable future. If we get ripped to bits again, a la 2017 (there's no sign of that happening, thankfully) then people will lose hope.

If we hold onto him for a bit longer - until the end of next season, say - and properly cash in when he leaves, then that still hurts. But it shows a club which has learnt its hard lessons, and is in a position to kick on.

What you gonna do?

 

Nightmare

we must keep hold of this lad at all costs

 

No because unless they want to sell at the price we offer they say no eg Doncaster with Whiteman our board should try it for once.