Daft Barkley fee only an opening stance


TRANSFER TALK


I see today that Everton are being reported as still talking about a daft figure for a player who only has a year left on his contract and is available for free next summer.

Ross Barkley is the man in question and the daft figure quoted is £30 million (€3.99m - AUS$5.91m - US$4.39m), a figure he might be worth if he had three or more years left on his contract instead of just one.

The length of contract certainly plays a part in the cost of a player as we saw with Saido Berahino. WBA were asking silly money for a player who had achieved nothing and although we agreed to pay it, we did so only if he achieved certain targets and as is normal in football, over the term of his contract offer.

They, of course, wanted cash up front so shot themselves in the foot. They were left with a player who didn't want to play for them, who was basically a waste of space for a season and who left for peanuts. Their chairman made a mess of the situation and cost the supporters and the club dear. The money could have been used to help build the club.

Everton are in a similar situation, will their chairman shoot the club in the foot and do a disservice to their fans, we'll wait and see.

At the moment it is all about posturing and trying to force a player to stay who doesn't want to stay. I don't think Barkley would go down the Berahino route though.

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