Jordan Henderson

[BootRoom]

I doubt it.


Most people will still have the same opinion they already have, be it positive or negative, of him as a Liverpool player should he leave, and then the same people will have an opinion on him, again positive or negative, as a person based on whether he moves to Saudi or not.


Part two of your post I agree with 100%

That's my exact point; rationalisation from his adherents, justifying how their multi-millionaire hero of superior moral virtue and probity should be commended while shacking up in a country, and with a regime, that is diametrically opposed to the social values said hero has proclaimed, all for an even bigger pile of cash. Also, note how his contribution to the past success of the Club will be wildly exaggerated, implicitly diminishing the contribution of other team members.

But, more seriously, let's not ****ing jinx it.

[BobTheCharmer]

He's going to stay.

[Exiled_red]

I think we'll go for Lavia, and a more experienced No.6, who can also play as a No.8. It'll probably be someone completely out of the blue.

We need to have 2 specialist DMs. Lavia shouldn't be coming in as a guaranteed starter, where we are now I could see him 'learning his trade' for a year in the squad alongside someone like Fabinho, Fabinho is getting on a bit so Lavia would be a successor.

If Fabinho leaves now you are relying on Lavia being first choice, or you bring in someone else who is as close as you can get to a guaranteed starter. Do that and a move to LFC for Lavia doesn’t make as much sense, he would likely be competing with a much younger DM and his path to the first team is more difficult.

From the club point of view keeping Fabinho and signing Lavia costs £50m, selling Fabinho brings in £40m but a replacement likely costs £70m+ so a first choice plus Lavia requires the club to find £80m (an extra £30m), in that scenario it's easier to cut back on the 2nd choice, so not buy Lavia...

[Phoenix07]

Lavia if we want him sounds like the fee will be £50m reports seem to suggest City have a £40m buy back clause next summer and a 20% sell on fee. If that's true Southampton are unlikely to sell for less £50m fee guarantees them what City could have him for next summer. He is a decent project player but I would be concerned him he was our main/only DM going into the season (so if Fabinho leaves) he's a good 2nd or long term option but if Fabinho leaves we need someone else as a first choice and I suspect that scenario makes Lavia too expensive. Henderson shouldn't be kept as a 6

I think we'll go for Lavia, and a more experienced No.6, who can also play as a No.8. It'll probably be someone completely out of the blue.

[danperkins]

Caicedo is the most “gettable” at the right price but I think Tchouameni is a better fit but difficult to get

Would take either in a heartbeat. The Saudis coming into the market might be a blessing in disguise. I've always love those guys.

[baitman]

Agree it's too much too soon, but we have dithered for about two years and now it's come to this...
It needed doing, and it's piss poor it got left so long that the rot was setting in.
Can't keep henderson for his off the field influence as it will undermine the new captain (vvd) and spilt loyalties.
Clean slate. A couple of kids to fill the squad will be like new signings.

[Exiled_red]

Lavia if we want him sounds like the fee will be £50m reports seem to suggest City have a £40m buy back clause next summer and a 20% sell on fee. If that's true Southampton are unlikely to sell for less £50m fee guarantees them what City could have him for next summer. He is a decent project player but I would be concerned him he was our main/only DM going into the season (so if Fabinho leaves) he's a good 2nd or long term option but if Fabinho leaves we need someone else as a first choice and I suspect that scenario makes Lavia too expensive. Henderson shouldn't be kept as a 6

[Phoenix07]

If we are getting rid of Henderson and possibly Fabinho, we really need to get our incoming business spot on as there will be little room for error with no experienced heads to fall back on. Can't be failing to get our targets again or waiting until January/next summer.

Also fear that if we more one or two more midfielders on the prices for midfielders that we want will go up really need to get deals done before selling.

I don't think it'd affect a Lavia, but if Fabinho decided to go, it wouldn't surprise me if a new midfielder was announced before allowing him to leave for the sands of Arabia.

Henderson will likely be a very quick move, but if we lost Fabinho and Thiago, I'd expect them to "drag on", while we sort out replacements first.

[Exiled_red]

If we are getting rid of Henderson and possibly Fabinho, we really need to get our incoming business spot on as there will be little room for error with no experienced heads to fall back on. Can't be failing to get our targets again or waiting until January/next summer.

Also fear that if we more one or two more midfielders on the prices for midfielders that we want will go up really need to get deals done before selling.

[Irishnev]

Should offer madrid 70m for him- maybe they need the money to fund mbappe

Caicedo is the most “gettable” at the right price but I think Tchouameni is a better fit but difficult to get

[Buzzo]

Will be some epic rationalising going on if this comes to pass. Lock the thread now so as not to jinx it!

More seriously, I think the only "statement" Stevie would be making with this signing is: "I'm not a very good manager".

Why can’t you just accept that some people have a different POV than you without being so relentlessly sarcastic and antagonistic?

If he leaves then good on him, he has been an incredible servant to the club and delivered more than we could have dreamed of when he signed. If he stays then he adds value from a more peripheral position within the squad. His time at elite levels is definitely on the wane.

Anyway, queue more “bull****”. And a revisionist take on his immense contributions of over the last decade.

[Mr Pink]

Too late to buy Jude?

Should offer madrid 70m for him- maybe they need the money to fund mbappe

[Norbs]

a desperate attempt be me to seem diplomatic when really I'd love us to sell him so we can get a better player in

[Charly]

Who can we buy for £20m?

I suppose if we amortise 100m over five years its 20m a year. A problem for next year.

Too late to buy Jude?

[Exiled_red]

Last season we had a group that knew each other well and have played many games together, and for the most part they weren’t good enough.

All of the leadership and experience that these players supposedly bring wasn’t particularly evident either.

Ideally we would have rebuilt the midfield in stages over the past few years and phased the new players in season by season. But we ignored that opportunity.

I think we’re at a stage now where it doesn’t particularly harm us to make wholesale changes. It’s probably preferable to the alternative of persisting with too many players in the squad who are past their prime.

I'm not suggesting that we keep playing a midfield unit that doesn't work, clearly there have been issues with the midfield I have been saying that since Wijnaldum left if not before, Henderson clearly isn't a regular for the long term, but if him and Fabinho were here this season, I could see at least one of the starting in the midfield for at tlleast the first couple of months of the season, I don't think Klopp would want to chuck a new midfield unit in every game because you are more likely to get inconsistency, An experienced head such as Henderson or Milner would level that inconsistency out even if the peak level is lower, and that is typically how the squad evolves.

No matter how good the players we bring in are I would expect an up and down start to the season while the new players settle