FFP

[tomd2103]

What does this actually mean then?  That we won't be able to play in Europe next season without a massive player cull? If so, we may as well not bother.

I’d consider that a bit too defeatist. My oft-repeated opinion (and I apologise for that) is that we’re in a really strong position regarding book value of players compared to their market value.

Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Watkins, McGinn are more or less pure profit. Digne, Buendia and Bailey are not far behind in terms of being amortised. Tielemans, Kamara, Ramsey, Bogarde are fully pure profit. Rogers, Kosta, Garcia cost negligible amounts.

We have plenty of options, and I think there will be a high-ish turnover of players that we could easily come out of in better shape squad-wise. But yes, there could be some uncomfortable realisation of assets ahead. How they are replaced is obviously key.

I've also got a feeling we might see a couple of our bigger names leave this summer.

[Percy McCarthy]

My concern is that we will have to sell either kamara or ramsey  (as they will be biggest profits makes) to fulfill these rules next summer as we likely wont have the CL money next season

Louie Barry is being fattened calf and would probably be one for player exchange sales or just completely sold.
I would think Juventus pair Junior and El Baron along with Nedlekovic be sold on if needs be.

Any of them before Ramsey or Kamara please.

I think Enzo will come back and not be sold until he’s worth an absolute fortune.

Barry probably won’t attract a fee that would tempt us yet. Although there was that summer when Archer and Ramsey II (and one other?) were sold for not much and saved us selling one of the Crown Jewels.

[Louzie0]

What do they pay them at Tottenham?
Chocolate buttons?

[rob_bridge]

Kamara is probably our best player (when fit) and I could see him playing for just about any club - any #70m bid isn't going to be turned down if we don't qualify for CL.

I think this our business model now. We may 10 huge steps forward with Emery to be at or near the top table, we may have to take a couple of steps back, regroup and rejoin. Just the way of the world.

[LostInMunich]

This sums up my biggest problem with FFP.

We've improved almost every player in our squad and would, if we sold everyone, make back far more than we've spent and yet nothing in the system recognises that value unless we break the team up. At the same time clubs like Man Utd and Chelsea have wasted huge sums on players that they can't even give away and have the league bending over backwards to let them fudge their way around the rules.

I know that potential value means nothing from an accounting perspective but from a sporting one how we've gone about things to build this squad is clearly a far better model than the path a lot of other clubs have taken. I just can't see why anyone who believes in 'fair play' would support a system that doesn't really give a fuck about how well run a team is from a sporting perspective. The whole sport has been hurt by clubs being turned into businesses when they don't really work as them.

Great post. Everyone can see the system has some perverse outcomes, but I hadn't thought about this aspect of it before.

[Olneythelonely]

I think Kamara will go this summer and Enzo will be his replacement. Ramsey will go in some sort of academy exchange with someone. Watkins will go to Arsenal.

[Dave]

I think Kamara will go this summer and Enzo will be his replacement. Ramsey will go in some sort of academy exchange with someone. Watkins will go to Arsenal.

I think Kamara will stay. The sort of clubs that would chuck £70m at us either wouldn't be an upgrade for him or probably don't really need a player in that position enough to justify the spend.

Ramsey - maybe. The logic is sound, but is there someone who would want Ramsey, where he would be happy to go, who has a player of not-dissimilar quality that we would want? It's a vanishingly small list of clubs and players.

Watkins. Reckon you're right. And I think it would work pretty well for all three parties.

The other one that I reckon could be put on the altar as an offering to the PSR gods is Konsa.

[rooboy316]

If Garcia keeps going the way he is, we’d get a decent wedge of cash for Cash. Ned/KKH (and our “false 2s” as someone called it: Konsa and Disasi) means we’d be pretty well stocked.

[Dave]

If Garcia keeps going the way he is, we’d get a decent wedge of cash for Cash. Ned/KKH (and our “false 2s” as someone called it: Konsa and Disasi) means we’d be pretty well stocked.

Feels likely that Ned goes to Leipzig though, doesn't it?

Aina is out of contract in the summer, so Cash back to Forest wouldn't be the worst move for all parties if Aina goes somewhere.

[Pat Mustard]

Garcia is already looking like first choice RB to me, so would make sense for Cash to be sold this summer as we're probably never going to get more for him - I'm sure there will be a few suitors.  Other than that it depends very much on what happens with the loanees. If Rashford and Asensio don't sign long-term then there is no way I would be letting Ramsey go - I think it would be a bad move anyway.

It does seem ridiculous though that we are still having to sell anyone for whatever rules are in place.  We've made a surplus on trading now two years in a row and turnover will be up by around £150 million this year, so if we are still unable to hold on to players then no-one has a chance.  It's even more piss-boiling when we see what the likes of Chelsea and Man C115y are getting away with.

[ChicagoLion]

If they genuinely want to cover excess then a wage cap is the most sensible way as it addresses the biggest financial problem in the game. FFP /PSR is not fit for purpose.

[PeterWithe]

I think Kamara will stay. The sort of clubs that would chuck £70m at us either wouldn't be an upgrade for him or probably don't really need a player in that position enough to justify the spend.

As much as I've thought for quite a while that Kamara is our best player and we should break the bank to give him a long term contract, I think he's the obvious one to sacrifice if we do have FFP issues. He's walk into pretty much every team in Europe so we'd get top money and, if we let him get into his last year, well he's already let one contract run down to get the most money from the next.

Love to get him signed up though, but if he doesn't.....

[rooboy316]

If Garcia keeps going the way he is, we’d get a decent wedge of cash for Cash. Ned/KKH (and our “false 2s” as someone called it: Konsa and Disasi) means we’d be pretty well stocked.

Feels likely that Ned goes to Leipzig though, doesn't it?

Aina is out of contract in the summer, so Cash back to Forest wouldn't be the worst move for all parties if Aina goes somewhere.

Ah yes, I’d forgotten they had a buy out fee included for Ned. Just checked transfermarkt, and he’s started on the bench for their 5 games so far. Come on in 3 of them for a total of 36 minutes.

[Dave]

I think Kamara will stay. The sort of clubs that would chuck £70m at us either wouldn't be an upgrade for him or probably don't really need a player in that position enough to justify the spend.

As much as I've thought for quite a while that Kamara is our best player and we should break the bank to give him a long term contract, I think he's the obvious one to sacrifice if we do have FFP issues. He's walk into pretty much every team in Europe so we'd get top money and, if we let him get into his last year, well he's already let one contract run down to get the most money from the next.

He's certainly good enough, but it's a bit like when Emi's value was at its highest after the World Cup, loads of teams would have liked him but he wasn't enough of an upgrade on what they had to justify putting that much money into the position.

Man City have spent £60m on someone in that position to add to Rodri. Bayern spent a similar amount on Paulinha last summer. Arsenal look like they want to sign Zubimendi, having already spent £30m on Merino. Liverpool look pretty settled in midfield although they could admittedly do with another body. Would that be the priority though ahead of what could soon be a complete rebuild of their defence? Barcelona can't afford him, and if they could they'd buy Nico Williams instead. Madrid are stocked there there already.

I guess PSG are the one to look out for, given their current "young and French" ethos. But they're struggling to fit Zaire-Emery into that position already, would they put someone else in his way?

[Dave]

If they genuinely want to cover excess then a wage cap is the most sensible way as it addresses the biggest financial problem in the game. FFP /PSR is not fit for purpose.

Who is doing the capping? The FA, Premier League or UEFA?

Because the only effect that would have is just pushing more players to Europe (in the case of the first two) or to the Middle East / MLS in the case of the latter.

I'd argue that "biggest financial problem in the game" is in the eye of the beholder. It's annoying for us, sure. But I'm guessing there are plenty of clubs that  don't really see it as much of a problem. Arsenal's wages vs revenue is 53%. Man City's is 58%. Liverpool's is 63%.

Reckon they're probably fine with there being no salary cap.