In todays Argus there is a story saying our owner has put £1m into the club since he bought it last year and that the sale of James Collins our star striker looks inevitable. It also states the he has put nearly £300k into running the club and loaned it £700k interest free and will not needed it to be paid back until the club can afford it. So I cannot see him getting that money back any time soon. It states Collins has attracted offers from Coventry and Luton of six figures, if we sell him where will the goals come from and relegation looks a big possibility. I thought he wanted to progress not go backwards.
The figures the Argus are repeating are from the club's accounts to June 2016 which have just been filed (the same accounts that showed we made a profit of £14000 for the season, the first time in a long time I can remember that).
However the information is over a year old now, and financially the position may have changed. I don't think the conclusion that Collins will need to be sold is necessarily a logical one but if somebody offers serious cash then we will always be a selling club.
I would suggest that if a buyer offers £400/500k for a player we got for nothing a year ago then he will be sold. That's the reality of life at our level.
As much as I would want to keep him, all of our best players are sold eventually and I don't see Collins being any different. But given his age and goal record, I would be disappointed if we received anything less than £1 million. I would say he's as good, if not better than Tyrone Barnett, who went for £1.2 million. With 2 years left on his contract, it gives us a bit of bargaining power in any negotiations.
Would also be annoyed if sold to either Luton or Coventry considering they're in the same division. A top League 1 team or lower Championship team I could understand selling to but not someone at our level.
Will be interesting over the summer to see how much Mr Eren actually wants the club to progress against balancing the books!
Also bearing in mind our less than stellar signings in the summer (whatever Selim says is really just trying to put a gloss on some pretty routine dealings) selling Collins would put us well back on last season, meaning that rather than needing 3 or 4 decent lge 2 level signings that goes up quite a bit as we would be starting again from scratch on the goalscoring front aside from full backs, creative midfielder etc. Hopefully this has not been drawn out to ensure maximum season ticket sales, before any deal is done, but unfortunately that inference might be drawn by some if he goes, whether it is true or not.
Post by Red, Red & Red on Jun 26, 2017 20:17:00 GMT
What we paid for collins is totally irrelevant. What mattersvus he us a goal scorer he has proven himself at this level and demonstrated potential at league one. Why sell? We need a goal scorer and sell collins we need a replacement...who? Sell Collins goes totally against owners plans and if sold brings into question owners authenticity around their stated ambitions. The way the repeat squad from last season is shaping up....let me put it this way.... without collins last season we wouldve been relegated. Collins must stay.
As much as I would want to keep him, all of our best players are sold eventually and I don't see Collins being any different. But given his age and goal record, I would be disappointed if we received anything less than £1 million. I would say he's as good, if not better than Tyrone Barnett, who went for £1.2 million. With 2 years left on his contract, it gives us a bit of bargaining power in any negotiations.
Would also be annoyed if sold to either Luton or Coventry considering they're in the same division. A top League 1 team or lower Championship team I could understand selling to but not someone at our level.
Will be interesting over the summer to see how much Mr Eren actually wants the club to progress against balancing the books!
Top League 1 of lower Championship team? I have JC down as the best striker we've had since Tubbsy, but feel that's pushing it a bit, particularly when you look at his CV.
Collins has always hit 15 goals when in League 2, but there's a reason Shrewsbury ditched him last summer, and look where they finished last season.
It's crucial we keep hold of him, particularly with the transfer window closing in just over a month. It's great having potentially £500,000 in the bank but pretty pointless if he is flogged on the final day of the window and giving us little time to get someone else in. We'd struggle to replace him and even if we did get someone slightly worse, clubs won't want to sell that late in the day and we'd probably be held to ransom with those sides knowing we have the Collins cash laying about.
The rumours in the Argus about Luton and Coventry sniffing around Collins are weeks old. It's just taken the Argus a while to catch up. I've seen nothing from Mr Eren saying Collins is likely to be sold. Unless we get offered stupid money I expect the club to keep him, as he is under contract and there's little chance of us finding a decent replacement. People need to stop panicking about press speculation.
Post by In peace Hatter on Jun 27, 2017 12:23:44 GMT
I have followed this saga since March when it was being reported that Luton were interested in Collins.
From my role within football I'm led to believe that Luton bid initial £300k in full with 30% net profit add on from next transfer. Coventry bid £350k with a 25% add on but the 350k paid in three instalments.
I understand the pain suffered by supporters when leading players are sold, like Liton having just sold the best goal scoring midfielder in the division. The likes of them are harder to replace than anyone else in a team.
Unfortunately, when we play in fourth tier, clubs are always sellers.
Luton want promotion, like the other 23 clubs in the division do. Our board are always telling us fans that they want to take the club forward yet we still sell. We may be in the process of losing another player in the next few weeks who is under contract.
If we get the offer the club considers too good to turn down or if James Collins decides he wants to leave, for whatever reason, he will be sold. Loyalty in football is between the fans and the club nowhere else.
If we get the offer the club considers too good to turn down or if James Collins decides he wants to leave, for whatever reason, he will be sold. Loyalty in football is between the fans and the club nowhere else.
Jim Baker
Unfortunately though Jim that loyalty between fans and the club will be further tested if he does leave with even more disillusioned fans leaking away from the club as they have done over the last three or four seasons and until we can arrest the decline and get people interested again. Somehow we need a cup run and/or more exciting footy which becomes more difficult when you sell your one goalscorer. And getting our underperforming squad from last season to show up might help!? A bit of a vicious circle really. A nightmare if he does go, but god forbid if he does he goes to Coventry rather than Luton, that is as bad as anybody going to AFC Kingston?