Mase wrote:nottsblue wrote:Mase wrote:“If he could be swapped for Phillips with an Academy boy thrown in..”
Lavia was the perfect academy boy you refer to. He was bigged up by a lot of the players, including Kev. If Pep didn’t do it with Lavia he’s not going to do it with the others unfortunately.
He was sold. Is that not the whole point? That we use a lad who is unlikely to feature prominently for us to dangle as a carrot in a deal to get a player who does fit our profile?
And this could be for any player, not just Rice.
Would that not have been perfect for Lavia? Use him when Rodri needs resting and in the cup whilst being at the best club in the world learning from the best?
I think you agree but I’m guessing you’re missing my point?
I agree that Lavia could have been that player. I get this point.
But my original point was we use an academy lad in part exchange, along with Philips who for whatever reason has not turned out to be signing we hoped/wanted him to be, to get an established International player. Now, if that academy lad turns out to excel for West Ham and Rice doesn’t for us, then we may have another scenario like the Phillips and Lavia scenario we’ve seen this season. So be it
West Ham, certainly Moyes in particular, are valuing Rice in the £100M bracket. For me, I haven’t seen enough in Rice to suggest he’s worth that. But if we value Phillips in the £45M bracket, ie getting our money back, and if we chuck in an academy lad who we value in the £10-15M bracket, then I think the total of £60M for Rice would be worth it. Whether West Ham would accept it is entirely a different matter.
We can’t keep all the Academy lads and having just won the league their values and stock will be high, hence suggesting we utilise one of them