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The "If we go down" thread

robp135 said:
Thoughts on how will players like Van de Ven, Romero, Porro, Vicario be looked at as returning players in 20 years time if relegated would it ruin the legacy built in Bilbao?
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This is a really good question...

The way I see it is, players who stay and fight to get us back in the Prem ...1st time around. Will be given a reprieve and and status maintained...
Those who are sold as it's necessary, or those who ask to leave...as a result of relegation are tarnished forever.

I might change my view in a few years, but that's how I feel right now.

I say, you fudged up, so fix it or fudge off forever.

I obviously didn't type 'fudged'...
 
I think this would be my plan for going down:

Sell:
Vicario - £25m
Porro - £35m
Romero - £40m
Dragusin - £25m
Takai - £5m
van de Ven - £65m
Udogie - £50m
Vuskovic - £60m
Gallagher - £30m
Maddison - £25m
Gray - £60m
Bentancur - £15m
Kudus - £50m
Solomon - £5m
Solanke - £35m
Richarlison - £25m
Veliz - £10m

= £560m for debt repayment

Leaving us with a squad of:

----------------------------Kinsky(Austin)
Spence(Hall)-Phillips(Dorrington)-Danso(Byfield)-Souza(Davies)
-------------------Bergvall(Abbott)---Sarr(Devine)
-----------------------------Simons(Donley)
---Kulusevski(Yang)----------------------------------Moore(Tel)
---------------------------Lankshear(Scarlett)

+Odobert (from December)
 
Gutter Boy said:
I think this would be my plan for going down:

Sell:
Vicario - £25m
Porro - £35m
Romero - £40m
Dragusin - £25m
Takai - £5m
van de Ven - £65m
Udogie - £50m
Vuskovic - £60m
Gallagher - £30m
Maddison - £25m
Gray - £60m
Bentancur - £15m
Kudus - £50m
Solomon - £5m
Solanke - £35m
Richarlison - £25m
Veliz - £10m

= £560m for debt repayment

Leaving us with a squad of:

----------------------------Kinsky(Austin)
Spence(Hall)-Phillips(Dorrington)-Danso(Byfield)-Souza(Davies)
-------------------Bergvall(Abbott)---Sarr(Devine)
-----------------------------Simons(Donley)
---Kulusevski(Yang)----------------------------------Moore(Tel)
---------------------------Lankshear(Scarlett)

+Odobert (from December)
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You would be stupid to sell Gray, Takai and Solomon as they are the most likely ones to be happy playing regularly in the championship (maybe not Gray but he wouldn't kick up a fuss). Vuskovic has to stay aswell.
 
It will be seriously incompetent if we signed Vuskovic and he leaves without ever having played a season for us. He’s a generational talent. That said I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens.

I think Abbott will get chances in our team next season if we go down. Looks a great prospect and played well v Arsenal.
 
Gutter Boy said:
We'll need to sell to keep servicing our debts. All the big clubs will be circling for him more than any of our players, so we can get a good bidding war going.
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Our debts are manageable at least for a single season. We only make a loss because the club manipulates the stadium depreciation to avoid paying more tax. I know there are rumours about the stadium debt being recalled but it’s always been said that’s based on profit margains not revenues so it can be managed.

We pay about £50M a year in stadium debt interest. Which doesn’t count towards PSR along with academy, women’s team etc. We will owe worst case £100M in unpaid transfer fees.

Current Expenditure 2025/26
  • Players - £250M
  • Net Transfers Owed - £100M
  • Coaches & Medical - £25M
  • General Staff - £50M
  • Running Costs - £100M
  • Interest repayments - £50M
  • Academy, Women, Community - £25M
Total - £600Million

Projected Revenues 2026/27 before sales
  • Domestic TV/Prize + Parachute: £75M
  • Matchday: $100M
  • Commercial: $150M
Total: $325Million
(Projected loss - £275Million)

We have the following players already leaving or with fees options already agreed. We get the entire wage of the books and about 1/3 of the transfer fee upfront.

Davies Free + £4M
Bissouma Free + £3M
Solomon £8M + £2M
Veliz £7M + £1M
Palhinha Return + £8M
Muani Return £8M
£5M + £27M = £32M

We then have players we would sell even if we stayed up.

Vicario £25M + £3M
Dragusin £15M + £3M
Richarlison £5M + £5M
£15M + £15M = £30M

You then have some marquee players that have been at the club for a few seasons and would command a high fee.

Porro £30M + £5M
Romero £40M + £10M
van de Ven £50M + £3M
£40M + £18M = £58M

Then you have recently signed players on big wages.

Gallagher £25M + £10M
Xavi £35M + £10M
£20M + £20M = £40M

So from the £275/£200M we need to make back we already have made back £160M which included the wage bill dropping to £150M.

Then you factor in the clauses we now know have been negotiated into the contracts. It’s been suggested 50% but let’s assume it’s 40% to be conservative and the wage bill is down to £85M. Plus some expenditure cuts across the board of about 20% where possible.

Projected Revenues 2026/27 before sales
  • Domestic TV/Prize + Parachute: £75M
  • Matchday: £100M
  • Commercial: £150M
  • Player Sales: £80M
Total: $405Million


Projected Expenditure 2026/27
  • Players Wages - £90
  • Transfers Owed - £100M
  • Coaches & Medical - £20M
  • General Staff - £40M
  • Running Costs - £80M
  • Interest repayments - £50M
  • Academy, Women & Community- £20M
Total - £400Million

Club is still making a profit and can go into next season with this squad. Even room to add a few players to help out.

Kinsky
Spence Danso Vuskovic Udogie
Bergvall Gray Maddison
Kudus Solanke Tel

Austin
Byfield Phillips Takei Souza
Sarr Bentancur Devine
Yang Lankshear Moore

Gunter, Dorrington, Abbot, W.Barnett backing them up.
 
Last edited:
Yiddo said:
You would be stupid to sell Gray, Takai and Solomon as they are the most likely ones to be happy playing regularly in the championship (maybe not Gray but he wouldn't kick up a fuss). Vuskovic has to stay aswell.
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I'd rather keep Gray and Vuskovic - they are our prize assets - but they are way too good for the Championship and their trajectories are steep. We won't be able to keep them when Bayern and Madrid and City and co come circling in a few months. If we can keep one of those two or Bergvall we'll have done well.

Solomon is a genocide apologist and I never want to hear his name again. Plus Fiorentina already have a buy clause

And Takai was signed for commercial reasons and sounds miles off the level required.
 
Yiddo said:
You would be stupid to sell Gray, Takai and Solomon as they are the most likely ones to be happy playing regularly in the championship (maybe not Gray but he wouldn't kick up a fuss). Vuskovic has to stay aswell.
Click to expand...

Solomon has played well enough for Fiorentina they will take up the option to bug him.
 
Gutter Boy said:
I'd rather keep Gray and Vuskovic - they are our prize assets - but they are way too good for the Championship and their trajectories are steep. We won't be able to keep them when Bayern and Madrid and City and co come circling in a few months. If we can keep one of those two or Bergvall we'll have done well.

Solomon is a genocide apologist and I never want to hear his name again. Plus Fiorentina already have a buy clause

And Takai was signed for commercial reasons and sounds miles off the level required.
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I think (IF it comes to it) we need to let them prove that next season in our colours.
 
The last thing we should do is sell our most talented young players unless absolutely forced to, regardless of if we're relegated or not.

For some of those younger players a season in the Championship playing for us, not out on loan, could be beneficial for their development. And could be a part of building a team for the future.

But some may (try to) force a move, some huge clubs may come in for some of them. But we definitely shouldn't be looking to sell.
 
Gutter Boy said:
I think this would be my plan for going down:

Sell:
Vicario - £25m
Porro - £35m
Romero - £40m
Dragusin - £25m
Takai - £5m
van de Ven - £65m
Udogie - £50m
Vuskovic - £60m
Gallagher - £30m
Maddison - £25m
Gray - £60m
Bentancur - £15m
Kudus - £50m
Solomon - £5m
Solanke - £35m
Richarlison - £25m
Veliz - £10m

= £560m for debt repayment

Leaving us with a squad of:

----------------------------Kinsky(Austin)
Spence(Hall)-Phillips(Dorrington)-Danso(Byfield)-Souza(Davies)
-------------------Bergvall(Abbott)---Sarr(Devine)
-----------------------------Simons(Donley)
---Kulusevski(Yang)----------------------------------Moore(Tel)
---------------------------Lankshear(Scarlett)

+Odobert (from December)
Click to expand...

I think your meds are kicking in a little too much.

Check the doseage.
 
Gutter Boy said:
Why? It would be turning a negative into a positive. Getting rid of the milestone that will be round our necks for the next 20 years.

We've currently got more than 40 players on our books, so cutting down to 24 or 25 should actually be relatively painless
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It’s not a milestone. The gross debt is £871M. Our revenue is £600M+ in the Prem.

To put that in normal terms it would be as if you make £60k per year and you have a £300 per month mortgage payment.
 
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