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Tommy Watson ( ...off to Brighton)

This might come across as bitterness but I mean it genuinely. He's clearly behind Mundle right now at Sunderland so it would make sense that you'll have at least 2 or 3 players ahead of him.
Doesn't come across as bitterness at all, no. He's 18 years old, so it comes as no surprise. I think we're paying for the potential. I have no idea how the recruitment arm goes about deciding how and when to throw millions at kids, but I am not going to argue given the phenomenal success of the club.

It's weird being a fan of a club that hasn't really got anything to moan about. These days all we end up whining about on our board are the futility of the Fans Advisory Board, the club's handling of STHs who miss games, the shitness of Southern Trains and asking why the lids are confiscated off coke bottles.
 

Yep. Smart money on Mitoma. We'll get loads for him, and the club buying him will probably overpay. He's unplayable about 4 times a season, a very good Premier League winger 70% of the time and marked out of the game the rest. Those Chelsea or Tottingham muglets will probably pay about £150m and then ruin him.

Well I hope you're not expecting Watson to fill Mitomas shoes. The lad is a million miles away from him (even on a bad day).

Actually think if you sell Mitoma it weakens your side, so you'll need to spend some of the transfer money from him to bring someone of first team quality to fo straight in as a replacement, which won't be cheap.
 
Long time lurking Brighton fan here. (I think I've posted before)

If the last 10 years are anything to go by, our club is probably planning for 2027 or even 2028 with this signing. We rarely buy "squad ready" players for £10m. Minteh and Pedro were £35m players, Mitoma and Adingra were bought cheaply and then immediately loaned to USG for a season or 2 before coming back. The other three are interesting ones - they were all also bought cheaply and I think the club hopes to get a return on investment but will cut its losses if not. Enciso is a bit of a nob - he'll be in and around the squad, invariably being sloppy for several games running when he comes on (he doesn't look after the ball IMO). Then he'll score a worldie and we'll get 2 weeks of unsettling bollocks from his agent. Buonanotte is decent but not quite good enough for a starting spot at a club aiming for Europe regularly - he's knuckled down and done the business at Leicester (until horse-face turned up and showed what a shit manager he is). Sarmiento is a small step down from Buonanotte but has a good attitude and I suspect will be sold to a promoted club eventually (so hopefully not Burnley where he is now).

Anyway, I think I disagree with @Dan The Man if he thinks the player is going to walk straight into our squad. I mean he might do, but I'd be surprised. We've had kids like Evan Ferguson and Jack Hinshelwood step up from a young age, but at 18 I'd be amazed if he wasn't eased into the squad over the course of 1 or 2 seasons.

There’s a couple on here mate posting that his salary with Brighton will be north of £30k a week. Surely you wouldn’t pay that sort of wage to an 18 year old kid who has only played 20 games?
 
Why would Sunderland supporters be proud of someone who couldn't get out of the door fast enough?
The lads wore the shirt and been offered the chance to play PL football you clown
He’s probs trebled his salary and your assumption of getting out the door fast enough is bullshit.
We got money for him, wake up to the real world and stop believing these local lads should owe us, they don’t.
If we don’t get promoted in May get ready for more exits.
 
On the one hand ten million seems very good money for a player who’s played less than 20 first team games and not done all that much in them. On the other hand, he’s a young lad that has a lot of potential. Overall I just feel we sell our players a bit cheap - if someone like Bellingham, Rigg or Neil goes for less than £40 million this summer, we’re doing something wrong.
Neil for 40 million? 😂😂😂😂😂😂
 
Of course it’s the only way! Or did Ipswich find an alternat
Ipswich bought JC knowing that their turnover would dramatically increase as they'd been prompted and as such they'd they'd not breach FFP, it's exactly what we'll do if/when we go up. If you look at their transfer fees this season it's still less than they will get in prize money, plus all that lovely TV money so they're golden, plus they'll get a parachute payment.
 
The lads wore the shirt and been offered the chance to play PL football you clown
He’s probs trebled his salary and your assumption of getting out the door fast enough is bullshit.
We got money for him, wake up to the real world and stop believing these local lads should owe us, they don’t.
If we don’t get promoted in May get ready for more exits.
Probably more likely to play premier League if we get promoted, he will probably be loaned out next season
 
Not really but have you seen some of the posts on here

I know what you mean, it must the overused/misused word - I did a search for 'embarrass' and five full pages was returned.

The oldest was only two-weeks old - can you imagine how many pages 20 years worth would fill.
 
There’s a couple on here mate posting that his salary with Brighton will be north of £30k a week. Surely you wouldn’t pay that sort of wage to an 18 year old kid who has only played 20 games?
I've absolutely no idea what players are paid. My eyes gloss over whenever I read wage figures, regardless of who is being talked about.
 
I wonder how much the deal Rigg got has affected some players. Watson hummed and harred on his pro deal as 17 year old. Cotcher, its believed, didn't sign his because he didn't get the same contract as Rigg. If Watson was unsure about a pro deal at the age of 17 it seems likely that an agent has been whispering in his ear that he was worth the same as Rigg. Personally, I think we did the right thing with Rigg and ultimately we will probably earn about £40M between Watson and Rigg and this will enable us to get to the next level. Whether it works for Cotcher and Watson remains to be seen.
 
I wonder how much the deal Rigg got has affected some players. Watson hummed and harred on his pro deal as 17 year old. Cotcher, its believed, didn't sign his because he didn't get the same contract as Rigg. If Watson was unsure about a pro deal at the age of 17 it seems likely that an agent has been whispering in his ear that he was worth the same as Rigg. Personally, I think we did the right thing with Rigg and ultimately we will probably earn about £40M between Watson and Rigg and this will enable us to get to the next level. Whether it works for Cotcher and Watson remains to be seen.

If your thinking is right, then that's where Watson is going wrong. Contracts are relatively short these days, what should count at a young players age is doing the hard yards and progressing at such a rate that your club have to give you the big contract because the fear of losing such a talent for nowt becomes too big.

Watson has went and signed what he hopes will be his first big contract, but as we've seen with many young lads over the years, this deal with Brighton may be the biggest he ever gets, and he could end up further down the league tree again due to not living up to the expectations that Brigton have now placed on him.

Hopefully, the lad isn't thinking he's made it, as the hard work hasn't even begun for him yet.
 
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