10 Jun 2026 11:30:34
With Konate signing for Madrid for a supposedly 400k contract, you are not telling me that Liverpool didn't know he'd be tapped up n had no intention of signing a new deal anyway, so what do they do about things like this, carry on with their head in the sand or sort it out properly, by getting in a replacement n not playing the player like Konate in any games unless we have an injury crisis etc.
Id go as far as training with the youth teams. We can't keep letting players run down contracts or take the piss.
{Ed001's Note - you can't force a player to train with the youth team, it would be seen as constructive dismissal iirc.}
10 Jun 2026 12:14:47
Every player that enters the final 18 months of his contract should be told that if they do not sign a new deal the club will be selling them. It's not always going to work, as they can easily reject a proposal from another team, but at least it would push the issue into the public realm. I would have happily taken £30m for Konate, knowing that he wouldn't sign a new deal, and moved on.
It's the BS from the players that I don't like. Just be honest. It's absolutely fine with me if you want to go elsewhere, just don't try and convince that you wanted to stay when all you were doing was chasing money.
10 Jun 2026 12:40:31
The reality is, when a contracted player has their head turned, there isn't a lot you can do about it. Telling Konate to play in the youth side because he doesn't want to extend is ridiculous, and also puts off any future signings. We could accept £30m, but he can still refuse to move. For me, he might not have had the best season, but didn't down tools, so wish him well and move on.
Just speculating, but from what Jacquet has said, he might have influenced his decision somewhat to sign for us. Rhys Williams is also leaving on a free, but he's crap so nobody cares. They both signed a contract and honoured it.
10 Jun 2026 12:47:04
Why are people so emotional about players running down contracts? If you don't want the player to be able to walk away for free after 4 or 5 years, give them a longer contract when you sign them. If a player commits to 4 or 5 years and decides they want to see out the whole contract and then move on for free, I really do not see the problem. They've honoured their end of the deal and given you a significant portion of their career. They've earned the right to move on for free.
Clubs shouldn't be worried about how to stop players leaving for free. What they should be more concerned about is their own stupidity to pay crazy transfer fees in the first place, that make them desperate to balance the books through player sales. Develop your own talent or accept that from time to time you'll lose a valuable asset for free.
Why the fans take it so personally is completely beyond my comprehension.
10 Jun 2026 14:03:50
Just out of curiosity, I was wondering. Since England is out of the EU (Brexit) now, is the Bosman rule still applicable? I would think not, but then maybe the FA is still following it out of synergy with other European federations? Anyone know?
10 Jun 2026 14:12:36
Aray, yes it does. We may be out of the EU but our football federations are still part of UEFA.
10 Jun 2026 14:35:54
CharliesGrumpyDad, You can't force a player to leave if they don't want to. A player may not accept 250k a week from a club that has to pay a transfer fee when their agent is telling them they'll get 400k if they hang on for another 18 months and join RM on a free.
Sure, we could refuse to play them if they don't sign a new deal, but then we have a six figure sum sitting on the sidelines and providing nothing. It's a game of brinksmanship that either the club loses, or both the club and player lose.
10 Jun 2026 16:04:40
No8, the only ridiculous thing I can see is players running down contracts for their own gain. MK, what are you on about? Are you happy that the club is losing out on big transfer fees? Nothing to do with emotions, it is common sense. You're on here all the time about buying this player n that player, where do we pay for all this? They've fleeced us fans enough.
They're always looking for investment, but isn't a £50 million pound transfer fee an investment? And this narrative about not a good look for future players signing is a complete load of nonsense. Do ppl think they won't sign because we want a transfer fee for them in the future.
{Ed001's Note - investment in the club is billions not a few million.}
10 Jun 2026 16:09:50
If Guehi had been bought earlier on in the Summer window last year, it's likely Konate would have gone sooner. It also makes us look extra silly with our lack of impetus chasing him in January.
{Ed001's Note - not true. Konate was waiting out his contract regardless. The only difference is that he would have been dropped due to his abysmal performances. Well, maybe. Hard to tell with Slot, he might have decided Guehi was just not his type and left him on the bench until the 89th minute of every game.}
10 Jun 2026 15:54:48
ED001, We got to do something along those lines though.cant have repeated running down of contracts.we will be out of business if that continued.
{Ed001's Note - nonsense. It is not that important if they run their contract down as you have already had the value from them over the course of it. People get so wound up about something so unimportant. It really shows that people do not understand and are overreacting and panicking due to lacking understanding of finances.}
10 Jun 2026 17:12:54
Actually, Strom, if you ask any poster on here, I have always been a massive advocate against mega expensive signings and giving our own academy players more opportunities.
10 Jun 2026 17:13:30
Strom, players talk to each other. You can't just treat people poorly because they don't want to extend. Can you honestly say you would rather have one of your better players training with the youth team rather than playing each week because they don't accept your current offer? VVD and Mo left it very late to extend, we wouldn't have won the league if they weren't playing every week, same goes for Trent, yes, it leaves a sour taste, but if they are capable of contributing then they should.
They should not be cast out from the senior team.
10 Jun 2026 18:09:37
It's not that simple. You can't force a sale anymore; the players hold far too much power for that now. Not to mention, a sporting director doesn't have the power to bench somebody who refuses a contract renewal, and no manager is going to do it either.
They will play their best team regardless. It's up to the execs to either secure extensions or find adequate replacements. It's not the managers' job to punish players on behalf of the suits if they fail to secure extensions.
10 Jun 2026 18:16:20
Thanks, Zed.
10 Jun 2026 18:33:27
ArAy - I asked the great Ed002 about this. He said it would be possible to remove it from UK law but it would be unlikely to happen as it would make the Premier League less attractive to the top players.
Also most of the EU labour regulations were written en block into UK law because our civil servants and lawyers could not possibly unpick them one by one.
10 Jun 2026 19:47:44
Strom, you simply can't make players do these things anymore. Nor can you punish them for not doing what the clubs want. The rules have been changed to protect players in this realm, where clubs back in the day (like 30 years ago) would just refuse to play players who didn't wanna sign a new deal (esp.
African players suffered from this) and just make them "rot in the reserves". It is what it is.
10 Jun 2026 19:52:49
ED001, well if that's the case why don't we just let them all leave on a free if its unimportant, n get players on free's, i'm sure the lower leagues will be happy as Larry with that, .No8 what if they are treating the team that pays their wages poorly, like ya know running down contracts that makes us look weak, do we just let them, Chewy, I know you can't force sales but you can make it difficult for them at the club if they are going to take the piss, n to me running down contracts when already tapped up is taking the piss.
{Ed001's Note - you are being deliberately obtuse now. Pointless this conversation. You are so wound up about it that you will never listen to reason.}
10 Jun 2026 20:35:59
Hughes to Slot "Konate hasn't extended yet, let's make it difficult for him so we don't look weak. Even though we pay him extremely well and are short on defenders, I'm ordering you to drop him to the youth team until he learns his lesson."
Pigheaded nonsense.
Let's agree to disagree, mate, and be thankful we don't conduct ourselves in this way.
10 Jun 2026 23:06:49
No8, pig headed nonsense, that's is what you are chatting., ED001 how is that being obtuse, because my opinion doesn't agree with yours, it a known fact for years that teams buy players n 95% get a transfer fee if they don't sign an extension, they usually get sold, but all of a sudden the player get a contract n run it down, we lose millions but that ok is it, its unimportant as you say.so Trent 70 mill, konate 50 mill, even robbo n salah n a few more do you think that's sustainable
{Ed001's Note - give it up, I am not going to waste my time as you clearly have no idea about finances. We wouldn't have got anything like 70m, even if we sold him for 70m. You really are running your mouth off without a clue about reality. Even if you ignore the fact (which you clearly are) that there are multiple costs involved, such as paying off part of the contract and the 5% cut the player gets of the transfer fee, solicitor's fees, taxes, fees on changing money etc, you should be asking yourself why most clubs sell transfer liabilities off if the money is so important. You get the transfer fee in lieu of the service they would have provided over the rest of their contract. That is the price you are putting on a player - the amount them staying for the rest of the term of their contract is worth to the club. So if they see out their contract, they have worked their value. If you don't believe, check the accounts, where their book value at the end of their contract will be a big fat zero.}
11 Jun 2026 00:11:31
Well, every time I see a transfer for 70 mill, nobody talks about 5% going one place n solicitor getting fees etc, even if we all know this, we say it's 70 mill, so no, I'm no financial expert but there is money slipping through the club's finger if they allow players to run their contracts down, never mind the nitty gritty about X amount goin here n X amount going there, fact is we end up with nothing, end of.
11 Jun 2026 03:31:25
Strom, I think bloviating about it the way you are, as if this is a strategy, is what is the most frustrating about you going on and on about this. It isn't a strategy.
It is just one possible outcome that plays out. The club doesn't seem too fussed about it. It hasn't stopped our transfer business, so I wonder why it's so important for you?
There have been some notable departures for no transfer fee over the last few years - KDC, B.Silva, Stones, Coleman, Jorginho, T.Silva, Gundogan, Tielemans, Rudiger, Pogba, Aguero and so forth.
FSG get a lot of stick for only buying players to sell for a profit. Yet, there is far more evidence to the contrary, and actually, I hear more from fans about losing players for no transfer fees than I see the club selling off a player for massive profit.
So for me, it is what it is. Arguably, the club could take positions to freeze players out, but are we really that kind of club?
I would hope not, so I don't mind how we have been dealing with these contract situations.