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Sales

I do think this not fulfilling their talent thing tends not to bother footballers, it's no different in the real world for the masses. I can draw my own comparisons, from school age I was labelled as intelligent but lethargic and that continued right through to working age in the city where I haven't gone quite as high up yet as I could have, had I really knuckled down.

But I've done well enough to earn decent money and have a comfortable living, and I sleep just fine. For the likes of NDombele? They are me x1000 never having to worry about anything financially and all whilst playing the game they love.

It's only the smallest percentage of professional footballers that reach the very top levels of football. And for those that have the ability to but don't get there, most of them I doubt it bothers them in the slightest. If it did, they would have done something about it....

You may be correct and 10m a year will certainly cushion the blow for him. I'd imagine it could be a bit different for footballers compared with Ordinary Joes like us though...

Football is something all players have to be passionate about. Otherwise they'd never have made it given the dedication it takes to make it as a pro. I know money can turn heads and ruin motivation but at some point, all these lads wanted to be footballers just to be footballers, not because of the riches it offered.

The dream of playing in Champions League finals, the dream of playing in World Cups. Ndombele had the ability to do all that and it looks like it'll go unfulfilled. There was some crazy stat about the number of ex players whose marriages fall apart within a few years of retiring. The percentage was huge and I don't want to misquote it. People assumed that the wives were money grabbers and got fed up when the money stopped rolling in. It turned out that in the majority of cases, the ex-player couldn't cope with not being a footballer anymore and became unbearable or developed addiction problems.

It'd have to eat away at you IMO...
 
You may be correct and 10m a year will certainly cushion the blow for him. I'd imagine it could be a bit different for footballers compared with Ordinary Joes like us though...

Football is something all players have to be passionate about. Otherwise they'd never have made it given the dedication it takes to make it as a pro. I know money can turn heads and ruin motivation but at some point, all these lads wanted to be footballers just to be footballers, not because of the riches it offered.

The dream of playing in Champions League finals, the dream of playing in World Cups. Ndombele had the ability to do all that and it looks like it'll go unfulfilled. There was some crazy stat about the number of ex players whose marriages fall apart within a few years of retiring. The percentage was huge and I don't want to misquote it. People assumed that the wives were money grabbers and got fed up when the money stopped rolling in. It turned out that in the majority of cases, the ex-player couldn't cope with not being a footballer anymore and became unbearable or developed addiction problems.

It'd have to eat away at you IMO...
Interesting mate and I don't doubt it would bother some. But I don't buy the whole cliche thing about how every pro footballer kid was dreaming about world cups etc but that's another matter.

Specifically with NDombele he strikes me as a very laid back character (to say the least:D) and I just don't see him being bothered about it and way more likely to look back proudly that he forged the career that he did. Like I say, if it bothered to him why does he not work at achieving his apparent potential? If his dream was being in World Cups etc

But I must say as much as I love watching NDombeles ball skills I question this constant theme that all he has to do is be fitter/work harder and he would be some sort of world beater. I'm not convinced he would be, of course being fitter is always going to help but he does strike me as simply a maverick street footballer type and in the modern game especially the PL there just isn't room for those anymore. If he focused more on his fitness it might take away from what he does on the ball, just playing devils advocate.

But either way, I'm with you it's a shame his career here hasn't panned out as hoped....
 
He was playing in the Estonia team when he was about 18.

Last 2 or 3 years he has hardly played, but did managed to get involving a few pre seasons and maybe European games with the first team.

Actually saw him in a few preseason games, thought there was something there, not sure how much injuries have damaged but felt there is a decent player there
 
He was really highly rated at one point, but Phillips and Dorrington have kind of taken his mantel

Hopefully he goes and has a decent career over there like Velkjovic made for himself
Velkovic went to Germany, and is still there. Amazingly, he's still only 27 - feels like longer ago
 
I guess a lot of our sales depend on whether we can sign our targets in January.

PEH, Lo Celco seem the most saleable. Lloris and Dier on their wages will likely sit out their time with us, unless they consider a Middle East move. Maybe Gil could be shifted, but can’t see any Spanish team paying more than 10m for him.

I don’t think there are any others we’d sell? And there is a lot to be said for keeping PEH and Lo Celco until internationals and injuries clear.
 
I guess a lot of our sales depend on whether we can sign our targets in January.

PEH, Lo Celco seem the most saleable. Lloris and Dier on their wages will likely sit out their time with us, unless they consider a Middle East move. Maybe Gil could be shifted, but can’t see any Spanish team paying more than 10m for him.

I don’t think there are any others we’d sell? And there is a lot to be said for keeping PEH and Lo Celco until internationals and injuries clear.
I agree they are the main 4, but also Sessegnon.

And maybe we could try and shift some of the 6 senior players who are on loan on permanents, to try and get ahead of that backlog for the summer
 
If Dier and Lloris don't go this window, may as well release them and pay them off so they can get on with it, or a loan with a compulsory buy.
Loris maybe, but it makes zero sense to release Dier until we have adequate backup. There won’t be a compulsorily buy for either as they will both be free agents in the summe.
 
I guess a lot of our sales depend on whether we can sign our targets in January.

PEH, Lo Celco seem the most saleable. Lloris and Dier on their wages will likely sit out their time with us, unless they consider a Middle East move. Maybe Gil could be shifted, but can’t see any Spanish team paying more than 10m for him.

I don’t think there are any others we’d sell? And there is a lot to be said for keeping PEH and Lo Celco until internationals and injuries clear.
In the summer I hope we can sell Reguilon, Rodon, Lo Celso and Gil.

I would personally add Romero, Bissouma, Sessegnon and Richi to the summer list.
 
Loris maybe, but it makes zero sense to release Dier until we have adequate backup. There won’t be a compulsorily buy for either as they will both be free agents in the summe.
Dier wont leave unless we agree a free transfer to save on wages

He won't forfeit a signing in deal in Jan.
 
In the summer I hope we can sell Reguilon, Rodon, Lo Celso and Gil.

I would personally add Romero, Bissouma, Sessegnon and Richi to the summer list.

Romero has such composure on the ball. He’s dynamite in the tackle but only 25. One of the best CBs we’ve ever had if he doesn’t get sent off too often.
 
If he can play, even for two months, might be worth it top keep him to the end.

Might not have been the player of his prime but he creates lots of assist and can be a game changer at back end of games.
He's out till June and our last game of the season is 19 May.

So it's just about where he does his race to make the Euros squad regime at
 
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