28 Aug 2026 17:14:52
Harvey Elliott to leave on loan, without an obligation or option to buy, and join Valencia for the season.
28 Aug 2026 19:02:21
Hmm, so we had no offers for him that he was interested in?
28 Aug 2026 19:10:55
He's out of contract next summer, so we are moving him on for free then, like Ramsay.
28 Aug 2026 19:11:30
Glad he is getting a move and hopefully get him game time.
Get him playing and get him in the shop window for clubs for next window.
28 Aug 2026 19:14:24
There's been another feck up.
28 Aug 2026 19:28:35
(Follow up) Hmm, can't see anywhere that we have agreed a loan without an obligation. A lot of sources (including the infallible Mr Romano) are stating that he prefers Valencia, but that a club to club agreement hasn't been finalised yet - the sources are The Standard, Yahoo Sports and a few others.
So, before we go calling the STC all sorts of names (like the STC!), let's wait to see what the deal is.
In the last year of his contract, coming back a bit unfit, I'd take £10-£20m in some shape or form (straight sale, loan with obligation plus a loan fee etc).
One bit of shenanigans that has shocked me is Martinez moving to Chelsea for less money than the starting offer from Juventus, and with 3 years left on his AV contract. Smells pretty fishy to me.
28 Aug 2026 19:38:05
The way transfers and contracts have been handled since Edwards took
over has been incredibly disparate and messy. Admittedly, the issues were bubbling away once Jurgen said he was leaving, but for an organisation who see themselves as captains of industry, it has been a
monumental pile of man milk.
28 Aug 2026 20:02:04
As uncomfortable as it feels typing it, modern football feels like it is just a huge money laundering tool.
28 Aug 2026 20:36:59
Can't be a loan, we just got 35 million EUR for Jones who is 3 years older and was also on his last year. 20-25 million EUR minimum imo.
28 Aug 2026 20:37:36
There's talk of Mbaye medical tom at Villa! I guess, we're still ironing out details for Barcola after 8 weeks. Lol.
28 Aug 2026 21:19:09
Funny, there were equally a sheep-ton of clickbait sites reporting the deal was done for Barcola and a medical booked for, hmm, around 8-12 weeks.
Depends what you want to believe, as no one knows for sure.
28 Aug 2026 21:31:56
Not sure there were! It was mostly ITKs here who had said that while the mainstream media was saying quite the opposite, i.e. big gap in valuation etc etc.
28 Aug 2026 21:35:49
Before anyone starts, that's not a dig at the ITKs, who are greatly appreciated.
28 Aug 2026 21:58:14
There actually were.
He was almost done (per the sites) for weeks.
28 Aug 2026 22:56:43
Fair enough. If so, I stand corrected.
29 Aug 2026 01:18:07
Had a good old chuckle to the suggestion that a club would loan Harvey Elliott with an obligation to buy him... his contract runs out in 12 months, why would anyone pay for him then!
Anyway, another player effectively leaving on a free to add to Ibou, Mo, Robbo and TAA in just the last 14 months.
Not to mention Ali and VVD will probably go too next summer. The running of the club has been absolutely diabolical over the last 4-5 seasons, complete and utter s*** show.
29 Aug 2026 06:05:49
They reckon at least 30% of the flow though in London is washed money, so some will end up in sports. The goings on we see with football deals are as much about PSR avoidance, I'd imagine, tax planning, and sports washing.