MessiWillSignForVilla

To be fair, that was a very conservative estimate, assuming Covid takes a bit off the fee, and Grealish pushes for a move too, but you're right, I reckon it would actually be much closer to £100m we'd want, which I think makes it even more unlikely he'll leave.

That's that then.

For me I think the biggest thing about whether he leaves will be the potential buyer. I think if we get a decent offer, we will sell, and Grealish will join a team playing in Europe/with European ambitions, but I really don't know who will buy him. Utd are most heavily linked, but they also want Sancho for £100m + and have been linked with James Rodriguez which'll be a decent sized fee, so will they be willing to part with £50m+ (conservative estimate) for a player that'll likely be a backup? I don't think Liverpool will be interested, for similar reasons, I don't see them spending that much on a backup. Man City would spend that much, and he would be a good fit, it's just whether they're interested. Chelsea have Mount/Pulisic/Gilmour that occupy similar positions, and are bringing in Werner and Ziyech, so again, not sure they'll spend the money. Spurs possibly, but Levy is a tight arse and I think Mourinho wouldn't want him. I think that only leaves Arsenal as a realistic option for a long term step up in England, and whilst I think he would be perfect for them (suits their team, would walk in to their starting XI, the type of player they should be after), I think they would need to be in the Europa League to justify; 1) the transfer fee, and 2) Grealish agreeing to join. I'm still ready to accept he'll leave this summer, but the more I think about, the more it makes sense that he'll stay. Plus that tweet gives hope he's staying, although it might be reading in to it. It will probably be announced he's leaving tomorrow now!

Because Bellingham wouldn't have joined otherwise.

Yeah it's stupid, but that's the reasoning I think.

To be serious for a second depite how hilarious and ridiculous I find all of this, Bellingham had the opportunity to leave on a free as he is 17, but he demanded that any team interested in him would negotiate a transfer fee with Blues, which has eased their current financial issues, I think they owe something like £90m to their owner. It's still ridiculous, but I think that's the jist of why the number was retired.

That video would suggest he's Left footed. Primarily dribbles with his left, most passes are with his left and his few goals are left footed. If he's right footed then the miss is more concerning as he had time to shift on to his right.

That's all just way too convenient to be remotely true. Levy may be well known for being tight, but he also recognises a good deal when it's on offer, no way he put off signing Grealish to force his fee down by just £1m, only to have his tactic was scuppered by us completing a multi-million club takeover within 11hrs? It just has to be bullshit. God I wish the Sun would just **** off.

No he doesn't. The club have confirmed that none of our players have release clauses. I believe they have done so several times.

A player can only request to change which national team once. Fifa statement from the switch: "The single judge decided to accept the request of the Football Association and the player Jack Grealish based on article eight paragraph one in conjunction with article five paragraph three of the regulations governing the application of the FIFA statutes." The specific rule: "If a player has more than one nationality, or if a player acquires a new nationality, or if a player is eligible to play for several representative teams due to nationality, he may, only once, request to change the Association for which he is eligible to play international matches to the Association of another country of which he holds nationality." By commiting to England he used up his one time switch.

He can't, the switch he made was a permanent one.

Not really. We have the 18th highest wage bill in the league, and in professional sports success is closely correlated with how big our wage bill is, so if anything, we're overachieveing.

No it wasn't. Grealish got injured against City in October and the England team wasn't announced until two weeks later. He missed both the Liverpool and Wolves games which were the two games before the break.

The biggest fallacy in sports, that past success = future success. Benteke is 29. He's in his "prime". He has scored 4 goals in 3 seasons. Injuries have ruined him, he's a busted flush.

Three different players have go at foulng Grealish, when one of them finally brings him down, it's somehow not a foul?

Not to mention he is actuallycelebrating, you can see him punching his fists.

And we're 1 point behind with Brighton at home next, we could be above them in two weeks, when's the last time that happened outside the first 2/3 games of a season?

I really shouldn't have underestimated how shit Man Utd are...

Rojo on and Tuanzebe was moved to RB, is the fourth official sure he wasn't given that change by Bruce?

Bruce hasn't beaten Utd in 22 games, and has only gotten 5 draws, he just rolls over and gets his belly rubbed when playing them. Man Utd are the only team Bruce has faced more than 3 times as a manager and not beaten, no way that changes today with this Newcastle team.

Norwich have just absolutely fallen to pieces!

Mental game so far...

Don't let players on hat-tricks take penalties, has Smith never played Football Manager?

Hourihane assist to Wesley, so happy VT doesn't pick the team

No he's not, hes injured