I have no idea what the "wage structure" is, but I don't think it should mean that all players get the same wage. I can't imagine that all Barcelona players expect to be paid as much as Messi, or that all Juventus players expect to get the same as Ronaldo.
This. Mowatt should be our highest paid player, he's earnt it in a reds shirt. If the others want similar wages then they need to do the same.
No, suspect there’ll be a range for key players (Woodrow, Mowatt) another for regular starters and so on. Each range will need to go up a bit if we don’t want this team to be broken up
I seem to recall that the club broke the wage structure at the time to sign Adam Hammill, although it was done with the full knowledge and blessing of the dressing room at the time. The danger with offering more, is it raises the bar for the next guy who’s had a good season and wants parity or more than the best payed player. Really crucial to look at a player with 24 months left on a contract, decide how important he will be to the team/squad over the next few years and offer an appropriate contract renewal. If the club gets the feeling that the player /agent are stalling, then that is the time to sell and re invest in the next player.
Neither can I, but I think there are a number of players who would fancy themselves as just as good and just as important to the team as Mowatt, with good reason. I like Mowatt, he's a good player, but he's not the entire focus of the team, head and shoulders above everyone else like Messi and Ronaldo.
Barnsley should NOT pay Mowatt 'what he wants' as some have suggested because of the financial precedent that others have pointed out. Like all players he is dispensable regardless of whether or not one likes him or dislikes him. The question is have the club got the right preparation in place for when he does leave (because they should by now be assuming that will happen). Is Kane, Palmer or Styles the eventual natural replacement or is the management waiting till summer to make another move? Barnsley has also don't forget in recent years been a good place for improving and developing players - I see no reason to think someone can't grow into Mowatt's role as and when necessary if recruitment is in house. Mowatt himself has improved since he first came after all.
I wasn't actually suggesting that Mowatt was that much superior to the rest of the team as Messi and Ronaldo are to their teammates, but I do think that he is our most important player. If he doesn't re-sign, then, in my opinion, we need to buy someone to replace him. The likely transfer fee, plus wages, would probably cost the club more than simply paying Mowatt what he could get elsewhere.
He was I thought this too. I suspect Mowatt wants to go back above Cauley, No one outside the club knows anything for certain. But as I posted last night, the club could pay Alex the same as Cauley ‘weekly’ to keep the integrity of the wage structure, but with a signing on bonus that when calculated over 3 years gives him the earnings he wants. The signing on fee would still be less than it’d cost for a direct replacement in the summer.
If Mowatt leaves for free in the summer then we would spend a million or 2 on a new midfielder. Up Mowatts wage to the top of our structure and give him a big signing on fee. We bring in our championship and TV money and if we can retain our squad and push the boat out to sign Dike or equivalent then we don't need many more signings in the summer to pay out for. In three years Mowatt will be 29 and still have some saleable value. Big Val staying would be the biggest signing make sure he is content with his money and club growth. With more success comes more rewards for the players.
Thought it had recently been said he wants to stay, but is looking for some non wage assurances from club? I took that to mean he was wanting to see the direction/ambition of the club.