22 Feb 2026 12:28:46
Joshua Abe has been offered just under £40, 000 a week at Man City. If Liverpool don't match it he is gone which is unlikely.
Just passing on what I've been told.
YNWA.
22 Feb 2026 12:53:45
There's no way even City would offer a kid 40k pw at 15. That's insanity. I hope that is not true, otherwise it would really set a very bad precedent.
22 Feb 2026 12:56:09
40 grand a week for a 15-year-old is just crazy. No doubt his parents will be looked after too. No way are we matching that. Good luck to him if he goes there.
22 Feb 2026 13:07:12
That's not true.
22 Feb 2026 13:29:50
Can a 15 yr old sign a 40k pw contract, or any professional contract?
22 Feb 2026 13:40:16
I think players need to be 17 before they can sign a pro contract. Max Dowman is on £350 a week, but has a pre-contract signed, so when he turns 17, he will get £35k a week.
22 Feb 2026 13:47:33
This is untrue. He won't sign a professional deal until 17. A lot of clubs then cap the wages for the first year. Someone is having you on, Sami. If he doesn't sign the offered scholarship deal by June 1st, he can talk to other clubs.
22 Feb 2026 13:47:44
I smell BS, another ITK.
22 Feb 2026 14:12:58
There's no such thing as a 'pre-contract' in English law. Presumably you mean a conditional contract.
22 Feb 2026 14:58:24
I am not trying to present myself as an ITK. I am simply sharing information that was given to me directly by someone working at City. The figure is £36, 000 per week, to be exact. City are currently progressing through the formal five-step process, and are confident. As an example, Rio previously agreed a £27, 000 per week with us - the deal became active on his 17th birthday.
That structure is completely normal and standard within the regulations. I have worked at academy level and now operate within a senior setup, so I am familiar with how these processes work in practice. Ultimately, it comes down to whether Liverpool choose to match the offer. The idea of a strict Liverpool academy wage cap is overstated. It has been exceeded before for elite level prospects.
22 Feb 2026 15:01:29
I did read that he was intentionally stalling on signing his scholarship during the week. If there have been as many issues with Slot and the academy as rumoured, I wouldn't be surprised if he decides another club would be best for furthering his career. He's highly sought-after and has no loyalty to us, apparently he's an Arsenal fan. D-day - No, pro contracts are for 17yrs and up. Scholarship contracts for U16, but clubs can add "pro" style terms onto scholarship contracts for players deemed to be exceptional prospects.
40k seems highly unlikely at 15, but I'm certain City would have no issue offering him a hell of a lot more than what we are. He could have been sold the promise of 40k when he turns 17, and be well taken care of in the meantime, or a deal worth 40k between his pay, accommodation, parents, travel costs, etc.
22 Feb 2026 15:02:52
Cheers for the clarification, Sami.
22 Feb 2026 15:05:00
Rio is on £52k a year plus bonuses.
22 Feb 2026 15:13:18
Ernest, Capology is not reliable. As we have seen before, including with the figures around Luis Diaz's deal, they are wrong. My information on Rio comes directly from his agent and people at the club.
If you genuinely believe he turned down significant offers from Chelsea and Manchester City to sign for £1, 000 a week, that is your view. I just do not think that reflects how these situations happen.
22 Feb 2026 15:22:30
My information comes from Liverpool, as a club, having a salary cap on the first year as a professional. This is the reason Nyoni signed an improved deal a year after his first professional contract.
22 Feb 2026 15:32:23
Agree to disagree. That's the biggest myth.
22 Feb 2026 16:19:02
Thanks for the rumour, Sami. I'm a proud IKFA, so I won't comment on the believability of it. But, imo, if he wants to leave us for 40k per week, then he can go. I can't recall a single youth player who has fulfilled their potential after getting a mega deal like that at a young age.
They usually lose their appetite to improve, and think they have already made it. If he does leave us for that kind of money, I think he'd end up the same way as either Tom Ince or Bobby Duncan; loads of potential but ultimately unfulfilled.
22 Feb 2026 16:55:16
I agree, the biggest figure I have consistently heard this time is £36k. Before this, the largest academy number I had personally been told about was Christensen at Chelsea being given £30k a week. City are going extremely aggressive for the top prospects at the moment. McAidoo was offered a substantial package as well, including strong sign on terms. The numbers across the top 6 right now are huge. Personally, I think the Premier League needs to look at introducing a proper cap, because the sums being discussed are getting out of control. On Will Wright, he is not on £1k a week. I actually wish Rio was on £1k, but that is not the reality. He has a very good team around him and invests properly in his development - professional support for diet and fitness with Tom Joyce (I believe) and 1 to 1 technical work with Saul.
I am a massive Liverpool fan. I do not want any of this to be true. I am only sharing what I have been told so that, if something happens in June, it does not come as a complete shock. Whether Liverpool decide to match £36k is another question entirely. I would be surprised if they did, but we will see. All I am asking is that people can say it sounds unlikely if they want, but not dismiss it outright. I can understand why the Eds get frustrated at times. Hopefully the next update is a positive one. YNWA.
22 Feb 2026 17:02:40
Last one for today - I agree with Dracred. I genuinely think the Premier League should consider stronger restrictions around academy packages, because the numbers are escalating quickly. In my view, one of the biggest factors is parental influence. Families understandably want to secure financial stability as early as possible. When a club (Man City) can say to a 14/15-year-old and his family that they cannot guarantee he will break through, but they can guarantee he will become a millionaire, that becomes incredibly persuasive. For players coming from difficult financial backgrounds, that offer is hard to turn down.
I do not blame the families at all. Anyone would want security for their child. But, from a development perspective, it is not always aligned with long-term career growth. When financial rewards arrive before a player has achieved anything at senior level, they can destroy motivation and progression. I also think this culture contributes to why England underperforms at senior level. Too many players are financially comfortable before they have been properly tested. Hunger, resilience and patience are harder to maintain when that sort of money comes at 17.
22 Feb 2026 17:27:16
Hopefully, he looks at the wingers today and realises there is a clear pathway to the first team he's been with since he was 4.
22 Feb 2026 17:41:18
Sami, you are plainly making it up.
22 Feb 2026 18:27:57
Absolute rubbish. Any such contract offer is illegal until after he is 17, and even then it would lead to a huge arbitration fee being due to LFC for his development.
22 Feb 2026 19:27:06
I can see why the Eds get frustrated at times. It is not illegal to agree pre-contract terms. It is very common at academy level for a player to sign a scholarship and a pre-agreed professional contract that activates at 17 at the same time. That is standard practice across the league for top prospects. Saying it cannot happen just shows a misunderstanding of how the academy system actually works.
I am not making anything up. There is nothing for me to gain. I am not on Twitter, and I am not trying to build a following. I simply wanted to contribute and support what the Eds have built. If people want to disagree, that is fine. But constant provocation from those who do not understand the structure makes it pointless to contribute. I am happy to step away if that is how it is going to be.
22 Feb 2026 19:32:19
If you want examples, just look them up. Wayne Rooney agreed a pre-contract before 17. Sterling did the same with us. Jadon Sancho at City is another one, and that deal included a reported £200, 000 payment to the intermediary (Emeka - EPG).
Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are further examples. This stuff happens all the time at the very top level. So, before calling someone a liar, please do a bit of research first.
22 Feb 2026 19:36:34
Mad how we've all got links to top clubs now. Mental.
22 Feb 2026 20:12:31
So, legally, I believe you can't enter into a legally binding contract until you are 18. You can sign all the pre-contracts you want, but as far as I am aware, you can change your mind anytime until you are 18.
22 Feb 2026 21:41:18
Thanks, Sami, for the info. Please continue to share and post anything that you think might be of interest. That's why the vast majority of us visit the website.
22 Feb 2026 22:08:30
Ok, Sami, backtracking your figures already. Sigh. I work for a huge oil company. Does that mean I know what the price of oil will be tomorrow?
22 Feb 2026 23:01:21
I agree with Sami on the hunger part. I remember reading a certain Ed said the same thing quite some time ago. Come to think of it, at work, we tend to push ourselves a lot more when we have certain goals: promotions, a raise, or even acknowledgment. When you start to feel satisfied or content, you tend to be stagnant, sometimes even worse - nonchalant.
23 Feb 2026 00:23:42
If Rio Nguhmo gets enough minutes and does well, he will easily be on 5x his current 52K salary, or whatever it is. What a great performance by him. Some shocking players today, Gakpo, Salah, Jones, Gravenberch, and if McAllister didn't score, he would have been at the top of the list.
23 Feb 2026 06:26:25
Sailor, I have an unbreakable connection to club sandwiches.
23 Feb 2026 06:53:40
We should match the offer, then when he is 17 or 18 or whatever, sell him to the highest bidder. Presumably he's going to be a worldie. ✌️
23 Feb 2026 12:36:35
Can see why Ed02 always blocked talks on the numbers side of things..