It appears that Cardiff are looking at Uche to improve their attacking options.Apparently he has a £500,000 release clause. Hopefully no truth in the rumour.
This is one of those we really want to avoid, needless to say!
I always find the choice of the word 'monitoring' odd in these cases. How do you 'monitor' someone you want to potentially buy?
The "source" can only really be his agent if he exists, and if you're keeping an eye on someone with a buy out fee you'd want to be kept informed if anyone jumps in before you.
I know it's not necessarily as simple as this, but if Ainsworth could do what he did with barely a pot to piss in, he should be able to do even more special things with a proper budget for the first, well, ever. If we become a smaller scale version of Brentford in the grand scheme of things then I'm all for it.
And letting the agents of those others on the list know that if they cut up rough there are other options that may or may not be already well advanced.
We cannot know Uche's mindset but I would have thought a season banging them in in L1 might be more attractive than third choice at Cardiff?
He'd be the back-up to Kieffer Moore, so he'd get a not insignificant amount of minutes I'm sure. I guess we'll have to wait and see - could be quite a busy summer...
Uche has got to be worth £500k - he's hitting his prime age, scores some screamers, has proven that he's tough for Championship defenders to play against. If Cardiff don't come in for him now someone surely will given someone is leaking his buy-out clause all over the place...
I'd have thought Uche will have turned a few heads towards the end of the season so maybe we might even get a bidding war. I'd hate to lose him but as mentioned, imagine who Ainsworth could attract now we have a decent budget.
Uche did an interview earlier in the year where he seemed to have a huge debt of gratitude to Ainsworth and Wycombe. I know money talks a lot of the time but I have a feeling he isn't going anywhere.
@MindlessDrugHoover said:
I'd have thought Uche will have turned a few heads towards the end of the season so maybe we might even get a bidding war. I'd hate to lose him but as mentioned, imagine who Ainsworth could attract now we have a decent budget.
If someone stumps up £500,000, doesn't that make a bidding war impossible, though? Multiple clubs could trigger it and then it comes down to wages, but I don't see how we'd get any more for him than that.
I don't know how it works. I guess if that 500k is the release limit but another club comes in with an offer of 600k it would be down to the player where he wanted to go. A club could offer a lower transfer fee but higher wages and get the signature.
@ReturnToSenda said:
I know it's not necessarily as simple as this, but if Ainsworth could do what he did with barely a pot to piss in, he should be able to do even more special things with a proper budget for the first, well, ever. If we become a smaller scale version of Brentford in the grand scheme of things then I'm all for it.
This is so spot on. The idea of a smaller scale Brentford is really the perfect ideal for where we are. We are well positioned, too - having some of the best talent identifiers and developers, pound for pound.
To be sustainable, I think the two most obvious areas are talent development/selling on players, and gaining a stronger international following, both of which the club are clearly working towards.
@MindlessDrugHoover said:
I don't know how it works. I guess if that 500k is the release limit but another club comes in with an offer of 600k it would be down to the player where he wanted to go. A club could offer a lower transfer fee but higher wages and get the signature.
That's true - at least I'm hoping release clauses don't mean the player has to go somewhere against his will!
@MindlessDrugHoover said:
I don't know how it works. I guess if that 500k is the release limit but another club comes in with an offer of 600k it would be down to the player where he wanted to go. A club could offer a lower transfer fee but higher wages and get the signature.
That's true - at least I'm hoping release clauses don't mean the player has to go somewhere against his will!
Yeah, they can't make him go, £550k would secure him if true, so nobody will pay over that.
I think maybe our lot will feel they haven't got the best of him yet and want to see more but it's not really up to them. Totally agree we'd be well placed to replace him if it comes to it.
That would work out as a decent addition to the wage bill if we can find someone cheap or free. I'd imagine we'd be looking anyway with Fred gone and Bayo ageing and uncertain.
Agreed! Uche can run hot and cold a little, but I am convinced he would absolutely destroy L1 at times.
The only players I can imagine a similar level of buzzkill over are Stewart, Stockdale, JJ, Curtis and Mehmeti, though I also think it would be a real problem to lose Taffs, McLeary, Gape or McCarthy.
I think Uche stands above all of those. He's the figure head of the post Bayo years and is irreplaceable..
I thought Pierre was a huge loss but we replaced him pretty well in the end. I think it's that sort of boat for all our other players..but Uche would take one heck of a replacing.
@Shev Some of those the Gasroom has been resigned to losing every season since...well since we signed them! I'm working on the theory that we will start the next L1 season with a very good set of players...whoever they may be!
I do think it is vital not to stand in any player's way of clearly better opportunities (for well documented reasons) too. Our management team have shown they can work wonders, and as long as we are getting significant funds in return for the departing players, it is helping build the club in a different way.
If we could get Humphrys and Biamou (or similar) with the money, that would be great business for League One imo. We wouldn't be able to replace Uche with someone of his calibre - but we wouldn't need a player of his calibre to get out of League One. Someone strong for the level who we could develop to become the next Uche would be ideal. But I'm getting too far ahead of myself now...
I think we are underestimated what getting out of League 1 this coming season actually requires. There are some big teams who will be spending big money and it is going to be very tough and without Uche it will be even more difficult.
I for one really hope he stays. If he goes it will be a massive set-back.
Comments
Cheers @davecz, just looked it up.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/cardiff-city-transfer-news-bluebirds-20758500
This is one of those we really want to avoid, needless to say!
I always find the choice of the word 'monitoring' odd in these cases. How do you 'monitor' someone you want to potentially buy?
You are basically letting his agent know it's time to start negotiations...
The "source" can only really be his agent if he exists, and if you're keeping an eye on someone with a buy out fee you'd want to be kept informed if anyone jumps in before you.
This would be shit, obviously, but that's a serious release clause.
There goes my theory of a darkened room with analysts watching blinking red dots on a big screen.
"Boss - Uche has just gone into a Tesco. Any action required?"
"Keep monitoring for now."
On a serious note, Uche has to be towards the top of any list of 'Players we can least afford to lose'.
Better than the 20p and a bag of crisps we usually get but still not particularly welcome.
I know it's not necessarily as simple as this, but if Ainsworth could do what he did with barely a pot to piss in, he should be able to do even more special things with a proper budget for the first, well, ever. If we become a smaller scale version of Brentford in the grand scheme of things then I'm all for it.
And letting the agents of those others on the list know that if they cut up rough there are other options that may or may not be already well advanced.
We cannot know Uche's mindset but I would have thought a season banging them in in L1 might be more attractive than third choice at Cardiff?
He'd be the back-up to Kieffer Moore, so he'd get a not insignificant amount of minutes I'm sure. I guess we'll have to wait and see - could be quite a busy summer...
Uche has got to be worth £500k - he's hitting his prime age, scores some screamers, has proven that he's tough for Championship defenders to play against. If Cardiff don't come in for him now someone surely will given someone is leaking his buy-out clause all over the place...
I'd have thought Uche will have turned a few heads towards the end of the season so maybe we might even get a bidding war. I'd hate to lose him but as mentioned, imagine who Ainsworth could attract now we have a decent budget.
Uche did an interview earlier in the year where he seemed to have a huge debt of gratitude to Ainsworth and Wycombe. I know money talks a lot of the time but I have a feeling he isn't going anywhere.
If someone stumps up £500,000, doesn't that make a bidding war impossible, though? Multiple clubs could trigger it and then it comes down to wages, but I don't see how we'd get any more for him than that.
I don't know how it works. I guess if that 500k is the release limit but another club comes in with an offer of 600k it would be down to the player where he wanted to go. A club could offer a lower transfer fee but higher wages and get the signature.
This is so spot on. The idea of a smaller scale Brentford is really the perfect ideal for where we are. We are well positioned, too - having some of the best talent identifiers and developers, pound for pound.
To be sustainable, I think the two most obvious areas are talent development/selling on players, and gaining a stronger international following, both of which the club are clearly working towards.
That's true - at least I'm hoping release clauses don't mean the player has to go somewhere against his will!
Yeah, they can't make him go, £550k would secure him if true, so nobody will pay over that.
I think maybe our lot will feel they haven't got the best of him yet and want to see more but it's not really up to them. Totally agree we'd be well placed to replace him if it comes to it.
That would work out as a decent addition to the wage bill if we can find someone cheap or free. I'd imagine we'd be looking anyway with Fred gone and Bayo ageing and uncertain.
There was a bit too much moaning at Fred going, but if Uche went it'd be the biggest pre season optimism killer since Bell went.
Agreed! Uche can run hot and cold a little, but I am convinced he would absolutely destroy L1 at times.
The only players I can imagine a similar level of buzzkill over are Stewart, Stockdale, JJ, Curtis and Mehmeti, though I also think it would be a real problem to lose Taffs, McLeary, Gape or McCarthy.
I think Uche stands above all of those. He's the figure head of the post Bayo years and is irreplaceable..
I thought Pierre was a huge loss but we replaced him pretty well in the end. I think it's that sort of boat for all our other players..but Uche would take one heck of a replacing.
@Shev Some of those the Gasroom has been resigned to losing every season since...well since we signed them! I'm working on the theory that we will start the next L1 season with a very good set of players...whoever they may be!
No one is irreplaceable. It's crap, but it's the nature of the game, especially as a relegated club with good players.
I do think it is vital not to stand in any player's way of clearly better opportunities (for well documented reasons) too. Our management team have shown they can work wonders, and as long as we are getting significant funds in return for the departing players, it is helping build the club in a different way.
If Moore moves on this summer then Uche would walk straight into the Cardiff team, so that'll be worth keeping an eye on.
The only positive if there is truth in this would be it happening now, leaving us time to get a replacement.
We don't want a Beavon style situation where they go near the end of a window and we rush to get a panic signing in.
If we could get Humphrys and Biamou (or similar) with the money, that would be great business for League One imo. We wouldn't be able to replace Uche with someone of his calibre - but we wouldn't need a player of his calibre to get out of League One. Someone strong for the level who we could develop to become the next Uche would be ideal. But I'm getting too far ahead of myself now...
I think we are underestimated what getting out of League 1 this coming season actually requires. There are some big teams who will be spending big money and it is going to be very tough and without Uche it will be even more difficult.
I for one really hope he stays. If he goes it will be a massive set-back.