Alexandre Mendy (transfer rumour)

[Di Canios Knees]

He’s steadily held a value of around £2.0m for a while, which has increased to £3m > £3.5m > £4.0m over the last three seasons, where he’s been scoring regularly. The transfer fee will be interesting, if we get it over the line. We could’ve just got him at the end of the season, had him moved into a house, family over, settled, etc.; with a full pre-season with the rest of the squad. But that would’ve meant paying the asking price.

Not necessarily.

He had agreements in place with the previous owners that he could leave this summer and we had a deal with the old owners too, had the club not changed hands it would have been done before now.

New owners have appeared to come in and moved the goalposts, which they are within their rights to do.

 

[sir rowell cummins]

Not necessarily.

He had agreements in place with the previous owners that he could leave this summer and we had a deal with the old owners too, had the club not changed hands it would have been done before now.

New owners have appeared to come in and moved the goalposts, which they are within their rights to do.

We then have to judge whether he is a good value for a player who is 30plus. Player wants to leave which helps but I’d be looking elsewhere. Spending 4million on someone with years ahead of them yes. I dont think we should pay 4mill or near for Mendy. Their club could end up with an unhappy forward because no one will pay it.

 

[Walmo]

Not necessarily.

He had agreements in place with the previous owners that he could leave this summer and we had a deal with the old owners too, had the club not changed hands it would have been done before now.

New owners have appeared to come in and moved the goalposts, which they are within their rights to do.

Indeed, you have to bare in mind this isn't a case of agreeing something and moving the goalposts, this is rather uncommon in that due to a takeover all parameters have changed. That isn't a fault of the new owners, and we have no agreement with them.

 

[Deleted member 56673]

Why does it have to be so unbalanced?

Why is everything so extreme?

We need a striker and DM, and the failure to sign these two players is ridiculous.

But we can also acknowledge that the club have made a few canny, more experienced additions, have hired an interesting coach who would struggle to do worse, have signed the hottest property in youth football to professional terms and have also so far kept all our players, including the 20 goal a season winger who 67% of threads on the board last year started with “WHEN Clarke is sold”.

I’m not sure where I’m being “extreme,” as you described. I’m extremely happy we’ve hung on to Rigg. I’m happy we’ve got Brown, who is an upgrade on Ekwah. I’m also very happy we’ve hung onto Ballard, Clarke, Patterson, Neil, Hume, etc.

I’d also like to get promoted to the Premier League. Which needs a bit more ambition with signings, to get over the line.

 

[CraigyLee]

Waited all this time and he'll probably be shite anyway.

That’s the thing longer this goes on the more pressure he will be under

 

[Father Jack Hackett]

He’s barely played is my point.

There’s a reason for that. He runs around but his runs are shocking - straight lines into poor areas and when he does get the ball, has the strength of a young girl.

 

[sir rowell cummins]

I’m not sure where I’m being “extreme,” as you described. I’m extremely happy we’ve hung on to Rigg. I’m happy we’ve got Brown, who is an upgrade on Ekwah. I’m also very happy we’ve hung onto Ballard, Clarke, Patterson, Neil, Hume, etc.

I’d also like to get promoted to the Premier League. Which needs a bit more ambition with signings, to get over the line.

We all want a striker but do you think 3 million plus for 30 year old Mendy is the right approach?

 

[LondonMackem]

What’s the latest?

 

[rubberface]

It’s the same people who were queuing at early hours of morning to buy a shirt saying how brilliant the club was for having a shirt like that
We have zero ambition compared to clubs like Boro, Coventry Hull it’s a joke

Pretty sad hearing the ambition some of our fanbase have become tbh.

 

[Northumberland Rocks]

Did you read my full post?

Not having a competent striker for 18 months is bad management then.

 

[Deleted member 56673]

Not necessarily.

He had agreements in place with the previous owners that he could leave this summer and we had a deal with the old owners too, had the club not changed hands it would have been done before now.

New owners have appeared to come in and moved the goalposts, which they are within their rights to do.

I this is what has held everything up, then a lot of this is out of our hands, so you’re right. Ideally we should’ve identified him last season, had a deal in place, which went through on the first day the window opened bank up. Forward planning (for a forward).

The biggest issue for me is that this is one centre forward. We should’ve been investing in two forwards of this calibre. We should already have at least one signed. We are putting all our eggs in one basket, with Mendy, at the moment.

I know there’s still a month left to sign players, but there’s enough variables to contend with this season in:
- new manager (signed late)
- new tactics
You want key players in key positions in for as much of pre-season as possible. The Championship, when it kicks into gear, has mid-week games, which cut down on your coaching time massively. If I was a DOF I’d want to give my new manager — who I got into late — to have key personnel (like the number one striker) there for him on day one of pre-season.

 

[Di Canios Knees]

We then have to judge whether he is a good value for a player who is 30plus. Player wants to leave which helps but I’d be looking elsewhere. Spending 4million on someone with years ahead of them yes. I dont think we should pay 4mill or near for Mendy. Their club could end up with an unhappy forward because no one will pay it.

I don’t know this for a fact but I think any deal done can be done for less than 4 million.

The structure of the deal that was agreed with the previous owners was 1 million up front with add ons, I don’t know what the add ons were or if they were guaranteed or performance related. Now consider that new owners have come in and the fact that the Bordeaux situation (they had a sell on clause) has changed, the new owners probably just want a bit more upfront.

 

[parsonjohn1985]

So by agreeing a deal for Mendy back in June only to be halted by a sale of the club, isn't doing exactly what you're asking?

No. Because there shouldn't just be one. You don't have to wait. That Slovenian went pretty quickly once he became available. We should have multiple strikers we are trying to sign

 

[Bears Beets]

Another day with the same arguments, can’t wait.

 

[parsonjohn1985]

When you try sign a player it makes perfect sense to negotiate and hold out for a good, sensible deal. However, there's a point where your opposition know how utterly desperate you are that you effectively lose that right due to your own incompetency, lack of forward planning and neglect. We are at that point. There are times you need to pay a bit more than you were prepared to, and this is one of them, otherwise we're just doing more damage to ourselves.

Absolutely. Another reason why only having one striker on the go is a mistake. If we already had another one signed then we'd be in a stronger position (similar to Hemir and Mayenda last year. Though hopefully better quality)

 

[Deleted member 56673]

We all want a striker but do you think 3 million plus for 30 year old Mendy is the right approach?

Unfortunately Man City, Chelsea and other clubs have fucked the transfer system value for everyone; including all the teams further down the pyramid in England and across Europe. So fees are silly, for what these players are. So unfortunately it’s the ‘going rate’ for a lot of these players. Which is why there are so many loans and free transfers done.

Certain positions you just have to pay the money. The plus points on Mendy are his goal-scoring record is consistent over the last three seasons, at Ligue 2 level, and his injury record is good.

Overall, the aim for us as a club is to get out of this league. £3m is a drop in the ocean, if it gets you £120+ for a single season in the Premier League.

 

[SAFC Wilks]

What’s the latest?

A lot of anger and a lot of shouting.

 

[Lonz]

He's not coming is he.

 

[Deleted member 56673]

I don’t know this for a fact but I think any deal done can be done for less than 4 million.

The structure of the deal that was agreed with the previous owners was 1 million up front with add ons, I don’t know what the add ons were or if they were guaranteed or performance related. Now consider that new owners have come in and the fact that the Bordeaux situation (they had a sell on clause) has changed, the new owners probably just want a bit more upfront.

If we agreed a deal for £1m plus add-ons, then that is excellent value in today’s market. It’s a shame it’s been held up.

 

[Disco_Pants93]

Pretty sad hearing the ambition some of our fanbase have become tbh.

Do you not reckon part and parcel of this is demographic? Most fans that I know that are slightly older expect us to be a premier league side as a bare minimum. People younger than that have seen us not in the PL for longer than they've seen us in it. I'll say we (as i'm in that bracket) have also never seen us win a trophy. So when you put that together the ambition may not be quite as high. For me, we are a PL club in terms of size but I don't expect us to be there. The modern game and it's financial dependencies aren't understood by most either and I think that's obvious. Put that all together with the 'model' in which we operate now I think the way the club is being ran is completely un-aligned with how the majority want the club to be ran but there is no easy solution to that.