Iheanacho

[VLC86]

3 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

There's no reason they can't both be here. 

 

The more players "far too good for that level" the better, we want to absolutely leave no doubt and walk to a 100+ point promotion if possible surely. 

 

He has no divine right to leave, we have him under contract and that goes both ways.

 

There's two questions - do we think he's unprofessional and dishonest enough to refuse to do his job? And do we think his value sold exceeds his value retained? 

 

Personally I think the answer to both is no. Whilst I don't doubt he'd be an asset to Brighton or Brentford, we have to be willing to sell and I personally think we'd be crazy to. 

We will probably see how much shit we are actually in if/when players like KI leave for small fees.

[AKCJ]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

There's no reason they can't both be here. 

 

The more players "far too good for that level" the better, we want to absolutely leave no doubt and walk to a 100+ point promotion if possible surely. 

 

He has no divine right to leave, we have him under contract and that goes both ways.

 

There's two questions - do we think he's unprofessional and dishonest enough to refuse to do his job? And do we think his value sold exceeds his value retained? 

 

Personally I think the answer to both is no. Whilst I don't doubt he'd be an asset to Brighton or Brentford, we have to be willing to sell and I personally think we'd be crazy to. 

It's more that I think we'll get an offer we won't be able to refuse. He'll want to leave and we'll get a decent price.

[The Doctor]

26 minutes ago, TMELcfc said:

Surely we need to sell one of those three... Or are we not quite in such a mess financially as what some have claimed? Madders + one other I thought would be a minimum in terms of generating money, but we will also end up having a much lower wage bill once all the contracts have expired. 

I think it's inevitable that Barnes is the one other, but I guess the argument is you can afford to keep Barnes by selling at least 3 of Castagne, Praet, Soumare, Vestegaard and Ndidi. problem is of course it's more economical to keep one or two of them and cash in on Barnes when you consider the need to then get replacements 

[fazzyfox]

Brentford will be without Toney until January I believe, might they see Nacho as an option?

[Finnegan]

1 minute ago, fazzyfox said:

Brentford will be without Toney until January I believe, might they see Nacho as an option?

 

This gets thrown around a lot but it's a risky career move isn't it if you're Nacho. 

 

He's been stuck here behind Vardy forever. So he goes and has a good few months at Brentford, what happens when Toney is back? 

 

I really like Nacho but I don't personally think I'd pick him over Ivan Toney to start at 9 under Frank personally. 

[Stadt]

44 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

There's no reason they can't both be here. 

 

The more players "far too good for that level" the better, we want to absolutely leave no doubt and walk to a 100+ point promotion if possible surely. 

 

He has no divine right to leave, we have him under contract and that goes both ways.

 

There's two questions - do we think he's unprofessional and dishonest enough to refuse to do his job? And do we think his value sold exceeds his value retained? 

 

Personally I think the answer to both is no. Whilst I don't doubt he'd be an asset to Brighton or Brentford, we have to be willing to sell and I personally think we'd be crazy to. 

We can't let everybody who wants to leave go either. We have 7 out of contract, Maddison, Barnes and Castagne are the obvious departures. So we're down to ~ 15 players already. Some players we'll have to keep hold of.

[Finnegan]

Just now, Stadt said:

We can't let everybody who wants to leave go either. We have 7 out of contract, Maddison, Barnes and Castagne are the obvious departures. So we're down to ~ 15 players already. Some players we'll have to keep hold of.

 

Exactly this. 

 

There's a bunch I can see WANTING to go, in fact basically all of them. 

 

JJ - England ambitions 

Faes, Praet, Castagne - all want to be in the Belgium squad. The latter two will fancy returns to Serie A. 

Barnes, Maddison - obvious. 

Kristiansen - could probably easily have gone to a mid table Bundesliga team and likely still could. 

Daka - was wanted by a lot of Europe, likely still is. 

Ricardo - easily good enough for a decent move it fit. 

Soumare - wouldn't struggle to get a move to top half in France. 

Wilf - still has enough reputation to easily secure a solid upper mid table move round Europe. 

 

I could name fewer I think would choose to stay? Thomas and KDH probably fancy their chances of playing every week for their local side, Iversen knows he's nailed on #1, Souttar was in the Championship anyway and recently upped his wage. That's probably about it. 

 

So some are just going to have to be told no. Images of Vichai holding Mahrez by the ears. 

[Devonfox1884]

Get Michael Duff in and keep Kel as part of his 3-5-2/3-4-1-2 formation. No need to recruit wingers which are our biggest problem area and we’d have a good chunk of the team ready to go before any signings are made.

 

Iversen 

 

Faes

Souttar

New CB

 

Ricardo/JJ

New CM

KDH

Kristiansen

 

New AM

 

Kel

Daka

 

If there’s a player worth gambling on by not selling, I think it should be Kel.

[STUHILL]

9 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

So some are just going to have to be told no.

Absolutely. I often think fans believe that these players in contract are just going to leave, whether we like it or not. 

We still hold the control on many of these players, and with all the outgoings due to contracts expiring and the inevitable sales of players like Maddison and Barnes. 

Unless we want to not have a starting 11 by the start of the season, then we will have to deny moves for many of these players that are in contract.

As much as it makes me shudder, we should probably hold onto a back 4 from the current lot, and Daka and Iheanacho, and then we can focus on signing a completely new midfield 3-4 players, which is actually essential to us with all the outgoings from there. 

Lots of work to do this summer in regards to signings, so lets not make it even harder on ourselves by allowing players in contract like Justin, Ricardo, Iheanacho etc to all leave. 

[STUHILL]

Just now, Devonfox1884 said:

If there’s a player worth gambling on by not selling, I think it should be Kel.

100% this. 

 

He will score a load in the Championship and I actually think he will relish starting every game for a change. 

[Stadt]

7 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Exactly this. 

 

There's a bunch I can see WANTING to go, in fact basically all of them. 

 

JJ - England ambitions 

Faes, Praet, Castagne - all want to be in the Belgium squad. The latter two will fancy returns to Serie A. 

Barnes, Maddison - obvious. 

Kristiansen - could probably easily have gone to a mid table Bundesliga team and likely still could. 

Daka - was wanted by a lot of Europe, likely still is. 

Ricardo - easily good enough for a decent move it fit. 

Soumare - wouldn't struggle to get a move to top half in France. 

Wilf - still has enough reputation to easily secure a solid upper mid table move round Europe. 

 

I could name fewer I think would choose to stay? Thomas and KDH probably fancy their chances of playing every week for their local side, Iversen knows he's nailed on #1, Souttar was in the Championship anyway and recently upped his wage. That's probably about it. 

 

So some are just going to have to be told no. Images of Vichai holding Mahrez by the ears. 

Some players I think we're better off shifting. Especially players with previous interest in them like Castagne and Soumare but for Faes, Pereira, Daka, Kristainsen et al a combination of the fee we paid, the wages they're on, their injuries or total lack of for means nobody is coming in with an offer we'd consider.

[Ted Maul]

He'd be the best player in the division if we manage to keep him.

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

Not only do I think it's an absolute fairytale to think we'll keep Barnes, I don't think we can really afford to. 

 

I'm normally one of the first to roll my eyes at people (including nationally renowned journalists) claiming to know the inside scoop on our finances because our owners are famous for keeping their cards close to their chest. 

 

But it seems fairly undeniable that we owe a decent amount of money to Macquire. Even though I imagine we'll restructure that loan and people acting like their isn't a relegation contingency for it are probably a bit naive, it's a fair bet we probably will lose most of the parachute payments. 

 

Given that Maddison and Barnes represent about a combined 100m even if you're being pessimistic, we probably can't afford to keep them given we need significant depth throughout the squad. 

Whilst it might be unlikely, because of the drop in wages it’s far easier to lose other squad filler now. As I said, it should be a priority to keep him. If we can’t, we can’t, but we just don’t know right now. 
 

 

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, TMELcfc said:

Surely we need to sell one of those three... Or are we not quite in such a mess financially as what some have claimed? Madders + one other I thought would be a minimum in terms of generating money, but we will also end up having a much lower wage bill once all the contracts have expired. 

Maddison, Praet, one of JJ, Ricardo, Castagne and then Vestergaard. That going to see a return of at least £60m, plus a large drop in wages. 
 

What we owe the bank, before any refinancing, equates to about £20m a season. I’d imagine KP are just going to have to take over that debt if they are serious. 

[Babylon]

11 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Some players I think we're better off shifting. Especially players with previous interest in them like Castagne and Soumare but for Faes, Pereira, Daka, Kristainsen et al a combination of the fee we paid, the wages they're on, their injuries or total lack of for means nobody is coming in with an offer we'd consider.

If players wages drop by 50%, they are far easier to shift as people will be willing to take more risks and find them easier to finance.

[Stadt]

Just now, Babylon said:

If players wages drop by 50%, they are far easier to shift as people will be willing to take more risks and find them easier to finance.

The wage drop cause was floated as between 35-50%, I'd suspect more players would be affected by the lower bound figure. Lots of midtable foreign clubs will struggle to afford £40k or £50k pw and a reasonable fee. Take Faes for example, Reims can't stump up the £10m+ fee it'd take for them to buy him back. The sort of clubs that could afford him, e.g Leverkusen or Villarreal, most likely aren't dropping that dough on relegated CB.

[foxinsocks]

I asked ChatGPT what we should say to nacho:

 

To persuade Kelechi Iheanacho to continue with Leicester City despite their relegation, the club can make him an offer that highlights their long-term vision, commitment to success, and the important role he can play within the team. Here's a proposal that could be presented to Iheanacho:

Dear Kelechi,

We hope this message finds you well. First and foremost, we want to express our appreciation for your contributions to Leicester City and acknowledge the incredible talent and dedication you have shown during your time with the club.

As you know, we have recently faced the disappointment of relegation, a setback that has affected us all deeply. However, we firmly believe that adversity can be a catalyst for positive change. Our vision for Leicester City remains unwavering, and we are committed to restoring the club's place in the Premier League and beyond.

Kelechi, we see you as a vital part of our future success. Your performances on the pitch have been outstanding, and you have showcased your immense talent, professionalism, and goal-scoring prowess. We firmly believe that you possess the qualities and ability to help us regain our position in the top flight.

With that in mind, we would like to extend an offer to you to continue your journey with Leicester City. We recognize that you have one more year remaining on your current contract, and we want to demonstrate our commitment to you and the belief we have in your abilities.

Our offer to you includes:

1. Long-term Perspective: While we are currently in the Championship, we have a clear vision to return to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity. We want you to be a central figure in our journey back to the top flight and play a significant role in our future successes.

2. Competitive Package: We understand the importance of recognizing your talent and value to the team. As part of our offer, we are prepared to discuss an improved contract that reflects your contributions, both on and off the pitch.

3. Clear Development Plan: We are dedicated to your continued growth and development as a player. Our coaching staff, along with our focus on individual development, will provide you with the resources and support necessary to enhance your skills and reach your full potential.

4. Ambitious Team Building: Relegation has given us an opportunity to reevaluate our squad and make strategic additions that will strengthen our team. We are committed to assembling a competitive squad capable of challenging for promotion and achieving success in domestic and international competitions.

5. Fan Support and Adoration: The Leicester City fanbase is renowned for its unwavering support and passion. You have become a fan favorite, and your contributions have endeared you to the supporters. We believe that with your continued presence, you will not only receive their support but also inspire and motivate them to rally behind the team during our journey back to the Premier League.

Kelechi, we recognize that this decision is crucial to your career, and we respect whatever choice you make. However, we hope that you can see the potential in our future and the opportunities that lie ahead. You have become an integral part of Leicester City's history, and we would be honored to continue this journey together.

Please let us know if you would like to discuss this offer further or if there are any specific considerations you would like us to address. We look forward to your response and remain excited about the prospect of seeing you in a Leicester City shirt next season.

Best regards,

[Chairman's Name] Leicester City Football Club

[dmayne7]

13 minutes ago, foxinsocks said:

I asked ChatGPT what we should say to nacho:

 

To persuade Kelechi Iheanacho to continue with Leicester City despite their relegation, the club can make him an offer that highlights their long-term vision, commitment to success, and the important role he can play within the team. Here's a proposal that could be presented to Iheanacho:

Dear Kelechi,

We hope this message finds you well. First and foremost, we want to express our appreciation for your contributions to Leicester City and acknowledge the incredible talent and dedication you have shown during your time with the club.

As you know, we have recently faced the disappointment of relegation, a setback that has affected us all deeply. However, we firmly believe that adversity can be a catalyst for positive change. Our vision for Leicester City remains unwavering, and we are committed to restoring the club's place in the Premier League and beyond.

Kelechi, we see you as a vital part of our future success. Your performances on the pitch have been outstanding, and you have showcased your immense talent, professionalism, and goal-scoring prowess. We firmly believe that you possess the qualities and ability to help us regain our position in the top flight.

With that in mind, we would like to extend an offer to you to continue your journey with Leicester City. We recognize that you have one more year remaining on your current contract, and we want to demonstrate our commitment to you and the belief we have in your abilities.

Our offer to you includes:

1. Long-term Perspective: While we are currently in the Championship, we have a clear vision to return to the Premier League at the earliest opportunity. We want you to be a central figure in our journey back to the top flight and play a significant role in our future successes.

2. Competitive Package: We understand the importance of recognizing your talent and value to the team. As part of our offer, we are prepared to discuss an improved contract that reflects your contributions, both on and off the pitch.

3. Clear Development Plan: We are dedicated to your continued growth and development as a player. Our coaching staff, along with our focus on individual development, will provide you with the resources and support necessary to enhance your skills and reach your full potential.

4. Ambitious Team Building: Relegation has given us an opportunity to reevaluate our squad and make strategic additions that will strengthen our team. We are committed to assembling a competitive squad capable of challenging for promotion and achieving success in domestic and international competitions.

5. Fan Support and Adoration: The Leicester City fanbase is renowned for its unwavering support and passion. You have become a fan favorite, and your contributions have endeared you to the supporters. We believe that with your continued presence, you will not only receive their support but also inspire and motivate them to rally behind the team during our journey back to the Premier League.

Kelechi, we recognize that this decision is crucial to your career, and we respect whatever choice you make. However, we hope that you can see the potential in our future and the opportunities that lie ahead. You have become an integral part of Leicester City's history, and we would be honored to continue this journey together.

Please let us know if you would like to discuss this offer further or if there are any specific considerations you would like us to address. We look forward to your response and remain excited about the prospect of seeing you in a Leicester City shirt next season.

Best regards,

[Chairman's Name] Leicester City Football Club

Hahaha, that's worryingly good (and human for ChatGPT!)

[foxinsocks]

Just now, dmayne7 said:

Hahaha, that's worryingly good (and human for ChatGPT!)

I bet it is better than anything Jon Rudkin writes!  Maybe we should have Chatgpt as the director of footballl - it's the future you know.

[Bluearmyfox28]

I hope he stays, but Brentford just makes way too much sense for him and them. Fits they’re style, team player & will likely cost around £15m.

[The Doctor]

19 minutes ago, Bluearmyfox28 said:

I hope he stays, but Brentford just makes way too much sense for him and them. Fits they’re style, team player & will likely cost around £15m.

does it though? Toney is out until January but then will be back in. A short term loan makes sense for Brentford but Iheanacho won't be available on that

[Bilo]

On 30/05/2023 at 13:52, Finnegan said:

 

There's no reason they can't both be here. 

 

The more players "far too good for that level" the better, we want to absolutely leave no doubt and walk to a 100+ point promotion if possible surely. 

 

He has no divine right to leave, we have him under contract and that goes both ways.

 

There's two questions - do we think he's unprofessional and dishonest enough to refuse to do his job? And do we think his value sold exceeds his value retained? 

 

Personally I think the answer to both is no. Whilst I don't doubt he'd be an asset to Brighton or Brentford, we have to be willing to sell and I personally think we'd be crazy to. 

This is it for me.

 

We have enough players who will probably be a step above most players in the Championship for us not to have to sell all of them. Maddison and Barnes alone could bring in enough money for us to make up for the lost revenue of the Premier League, as well as the scythe taken to the wage bill as contracts expire.

 

A couple more could leave too, say Ricardo and Praet, and we'd still have more than enough talent for most of the league to look at Leicester as a 'bonus game' where avoiding a pasting and playing for a draw is the priority. 

[scinnell]

17 minutes ago, The Doctor said:

does it though? Toney is out until January but then will be back in. A short term loan makes sense for Brentford but Iheanacho won't be available on that

Surely Iheanacho plays up top with Toney when he's back?

[coolhandfox]

On 30/05/2023 at 15:26, Stadt said:

The wage drop cause was floated as between 35-50%, I'd suspect more players would be affected by the lower bound figure. Lots of midtable foreign clubs will struggle to afford £40k or £50k pw and a reasonable fee. Take Faes for example, Reims can't stump up the £10m+ fee it'd take for them to buy him back. The sort of clubs that could afford him, e.g Leverkusen or Villarreal, most likely aren't dropping that dough on relegated CB.

I can see us having to loan a few out.  

[Stadt]

1 minute ago, coolhandfox said:

I can see us having to loan a few out.  

Dependent on their contract length yeah. We dropped a bollock by faffing around with Torino when it came to Praet and we paid his wages, let his contract further run out and barely played him. Masterstoke.