Free Agents - Wilders Wild Card.

[Ron_Justice]

Jairo, Bamford, COH, McGoldrick, Bash, McCullum, Campbell, Enda, Bash.

Don't think I've seen this discussed in depth, but with the recent Jairo wrangling it got me thinking about Free Agents.

While not seen as being as high profile and luxurious as a Marque, high cost signing, we've had remarkable value and quality from the Free Agent market. Ings and Mee aside, in recent years, we've pulled some absolute gems. I suppose the down side is that Free Agents are inherently late window acquisitions - they're shopping themselves around for the best deal - but the upside isn't to be sniffed at. Players earn a wedge, the club saves Transfer fees and presumably agents fees are kept to a minimum. Look at the names listed, Bash and Didzy went on to become Club legends. Who've I missed? What about the past? Any notable players we could look at this window?

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

You can add Flecky to the list.

 

[Ron_Justice]

You can add Flecky to the list.

Yeah, couldn't remember if we paid for him. Good shout.

 

[CPB]

Jairo, Bamford, COH, McGoldrick, Bash, McCullum, Campbell, Enda, Bash.

Don't think I've seen this discussed in depth, but with the recent Jairo wrangling it got me thinking about Free Agents.

While not seen as being as high profile and luxurious as a Marque, high cost signing, we've had remarkable value and quality from the Free Agent market. Ings and Mee aside, in recent years, we've pulled some absolute gems. I suppose the down side is that Free Agents are inherently late window acquisitions - they're shopping themselves around for the best deal - but the upside isn't to be sniffed at. Players earn a wedge, the club saves Transfer fees and presumably agents fees are kept to a minimum. Look at the names listed, Bash and Didzy went on to become Club legends. Who've I missed? What about the past? Any notable players we could look at this window?

Put Bash in twice because he's extra nice?

We could have signed McBurnie last summer on a free too.

Mark Duffy free too.

 

[Back post bob]

With The current squad we have a lot of championship teams would love to have at this point of pre season.
Add a couple of purchases a couple of free agents and a couple of quality loans and we have a squad to challenge the top six.
Especially center half's ffs

 

[247Blade]

With The current squad we have a lot of championship teams would love to have at this point of pre season.
Add a couple of purchases a couple of free agents and a couple of quality loans and we have a squad to challenge the top six.
Especially center half's ffs

And then i woke up

 

[joe casey]

Just had a quick look on transfermrkt at the frees - plenty of big names on there I haven't included but a few to pick out who you could possibly see us looking at:

• Jack Hendry (31) - CB
• Jonathan Panzo (25) - CB
• Dennis Cirkin (24) - LB
• Matt Targett (30) - LB
• Will Smallbone (26) - CM
• Dan Barlaser (29) - CM
• Ryan Kent (29) - LM
• Jed Wallace (32) - RM
• Conor Chaplin (29) - ST/CAM
• Ross Stewart (29) - ST
• Elijah Adebayo (28) - ST

 

[CPB]

Just had a quick look on transfermrkt at the frees - plenty of big names on there I haven't included but a few to pick out who you could possibly see us looking at:

• Jack Hendry (31) - CB
• Jonathan Panzo (25) - CB
• Dennis Cirkin (24) - LB
• Matt Targett (30) - LB
• Will Smallbone (26) - CM
• Dan Barlaser (29) - CM
• Ryan Kent (29) - LM
• Jed Wallace (32) - RM
• Conor Chaplin (29) - ST/CAM
• Ross Stewart (29) - ST
• Elijah Adebayo (28) - ST

We could finally sign Ryan Kent!

 

[jt64]

Players earn a wedge, the club saves Transfer fees and presumably agents fees are kept to a minimum.

Why would you think agent fees would be lower? Hunting around for the best deal when the player doesn't currently have a job is probably the biggest part of their work - as if their client isn't getting paid, they're not getting paid. The player wages are typically higher, the signing on bonus is typically higher, and the agent costs certainly are not lower. Everything outside of the transfer fee is higher - usually not as much to offset the total cost of ownership, but for the sorts of players we're likely to be in for, it's probably not massively lower than if we buy someone

 

[BLADEBOY55]

When did Wilder sign Bash?

 

[S5Blade]

With The current squad we have a lot of championship teams would love to have at this point of pre season.
Add a couple of purchases a couple of free agents and a couple of quality loans and we have a squad to challenge the top six.
Especially center half's ffs

Top 8 this season, not top 6,.

 

[Cheeky Blade]

Said on telly John Stones is a free agent.
Get him in and Walker back , stick the dad’s army theme on and ‘promotion is soon’.

UTB.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

When did Wilder sign Bash?

So crazy to me that it was Clough who signed him. Completely insane journey in his time with us.

 

[Ron_Justice]

Why would you think agent fees would be lower? Hunting around for the best deal when the player doesn't currently have a job is probably the biggest part of their work - as if their client isn't getting paid, they're not getting paid. The player wages are typically higher, the signing on bonus is typically higher, and the agent costs certainly are not lower. Everything outside of the transfer fee is higher - usually not as much to offset the total cost of ownership, but for the sorts of players we're likely to be in for, it's probably not massively lower than if we buy someone

Could be wrong, just figure the agent can only put a mark up on one end of the deal. Maybe that'll mean the fees are higher. I dunno, just a feeling that the overall package is lower, so the ratio being syphoned off to the Agent would in turn be lower.

Per your other points, is it accepted practice for wages to be lower in a paid deal? I can accept that a signing on fee will add a column on the spread sheet, but lets take CO'H. Did he get a notably higher wage than if we'd bought him from Cov? I can't see him going from 10K p/week to 20k p/week for example.

I'm sure you're right, the removal of the transfer fee probably doesn't result is a direct £7M saving for example, but the I'm sure we're taking 6 figure saving on these deals.

 

[Ron_Justice]

When did Wilder sign Bash?

No, but he did utilise him and turn him onto a Legend. A player with no fee going to an other club, a player, unlike Bamford of Callum O'hare in that he presumably wasn't seen as a particularly valuable asset by Blackpool where as Bamford and CO'H would have had suitors.

 

[jt64]

Per your other points, is it accepted practice for wages to be lower in a paid deal? I can accept that a signing on fee will add a column on the spread sheet, but lets take CO'H. Did he get a notably higher wage than if we'd bought him from Cov? I can't see him going from 10K p/week to 20k p/week for example.

He will have likely got higher. The player/agent knows the club is not paying a fee to Cov for the player's registration and so will demand higher wages accordingly. How much, I don't know, I'm not an agent (although O'Hare is basically guaranteed to be on more than either of those figures you quote, and would have been if we had bought him as we did with Hamer)

 

[Ron_Justice]

Undoubtedly more, agreed, the figures I chose were to illustrate a point, not what I think he's on - double the wages by going free agent.

Obviously, there's a reason clubs use the system and ultimately money talks.

 

[KMC-1889]

All managers transfer records look good if you ignore all the shite ones.

 

[CPB]

All managers transfer records look good if you ignore all the shite ones.

True. Which ones did Selles manage to bring in?

 

[raul]

Barlaser considered NGE after a season for the 5th placed team in the SPL which, as we all know, is the equivalent of Northern Counties East, so one to swerve.

 

[Aston max]

Just had a quick look on transfermrkt at the frees - plenty of big names on there I haven't included but a few to pick out who you could possibly see us looking at:

• Jack Hendry (31) - CB
• Jonathan Panzo (25) - CB
• Dennis Cirkin (24) - LB
• Matt Targett (30) - LB
• Will Smallbone (26) - CM
• Dan Barlaser (29) - CM
• Ryan Kent (29) - LM
• Jed Wallace (32) - RM
• Conor Chaplin (29) - ST/CAM
• Ross Stewart (29) - ST
• Elijah Adebayo (28) - ST

Out of that lot
Smallbone yes
Cirkin yes ( but we have 2 LB,s already)
Panzo maybe
Stewart if it wasn't for injury record yes

The rest no interest

I think there's a few that may come up after the world cup.
It all depends on the budget we're going to be working with.

 

[Tom Bott]

All managers transfer records look good if you ignore all the shite ones.

Let's make a list of all the managers who have never signed a bad player.






Your turn.

 

[jt64]

Undoubtedly more, agreed, the figures I chose were to illustrate a point, not what I think he's on - double the wages by going free agent.

Obviously, there's a reason clubs use the system and ultimately money talks.

Well, let's talk through a possible negotiation. My client, if sold while under contract when players are typically sold, would expect to go for between £5m and £10m depending on how long he has left on his current deal. Let us split the difference and say £7.5m. Now let us split that saving in a friendly 60/40 percentage in favour of the club. Of that 40%, 10% is a fee for me brokering the deal, 10% will be a signing on fee, and the other 20% will go to increased wages for my client compared to what he would have been otherwise paid. 20% of £7.5m spread over a three year contract comes out to (checks notes) £10k extra a week for my client. Sign here please Bettis?

 

[Ron_Justice]

All managers transfer records look good if you ignore all the shite ones.

Not really a thread about Wilder as such, more the concept of value from Free Agents, a market which is often seen as lesser than the more widely discussed and celebrated paid for transfers.

 

[Champagneblade]

Just had a quick look on transfermrkt at the frees - plenty of big names on there I haven't included but a few to pick out who you could possibly see us looking at:

• Jack Hendry (31) - CB
• Jonathan Panzo (25) - CB
• Dennis Cirkin (24) - LB
• Matt Targett (30) - LB
• Will Smallbone (26) - CM
• Dan Barlaser (29) - CM
• Ryan Kent (29) - LM
• Jed Wallace (32) - RM
• Conor Chaplin (29) - ST/CAM
• Ross Stewart (29) - ST
• Elijah Adebayo (28) - ST

Ron_Justice great idea for a thread. It often seems the less money we have, the better the dealing!

On the potential out of contract ones listed, I think I read somewhere that Hendry was in the process of agreeing a new deal with his club over in the Middle East.

We won’t really be in for a left back unless we opt to sell Burrows.

Panzo wasn’t really making it at Brum so not convinced he would be a target.

Smallbone apparently has a few Chsnpionship clubs chasing him and might be the type we’d look at. We were linked before but as with many he has had time out injured. No idea if he’s over that. Can imagine him ending up somewhere like Preston.

Kent doesn’t seem to have played much football recently and I can’t work out if there were circumstances or if he’s just not been performing.

You can half imagine Wallace being picked up late. He might be a decent impact player. Probably still got some quality. Similar to when we signed Glenn Little.

It doesn’t really make sense for Stewart within the current squad unless someone is leaving. Not saying he is like for like but if Campbell went then I suppose you’d need the extra body. Elijah Adebayo had one good PL season scoring 10. He seemed to miss a lot of games last season and notched just 5 the prior year in the Championship so a few red flags there in terms of direction of travel.

 

[Ron_Justice]

Just had a quick look on transfermrkt at the frees - plenty of big names on there I haven't included but a few to pick out who you could possibly see us looking at:

• Jack Hendry (31) - CB
• Jonathan Panzo (25) - CB
• Dennis Cirkin (24) - LB
• Matt Targett (30) - LB
• Will Smallbone (26) - CM
• Dan Barlaser (29) - CM
• Ryan Kent (29) - LM
• Jed Wallace (32) - RM
• Conor Chaplin (29) - ST/CAM
• Ross Stewart (29) - ST
• Elijah Adebayo (28) - ST

I'll be honest, I don't really pay attention to players that aren't at United, so I'm in the dark about those names, but I will say even after compiling that brief list, it's still surprising to see players under 30 appearing as Free Agents, even more so those at or around 25. Clearly, my perception that Free Agents are coming towards the end of their career is wrong. Need to recalibrate my expectations.

 

[Rodley]

Barlaser considered NGE after a season for the 5th placed team in the SPL which, as we all know, is the equivalent of Northern Counties East, so one to swerve.

Agreed. Remember Scougall and McNulty being identified as top prospects up there. Think James “Heart of Pea” Wilson had 30 SPL starts and Michael Higdon won SPL Players Player of the Year!

 

[FriethBlade]

These newer, more draconian financial rules are going to be a wake up call for a lot of players agents. Given the biggest spend by far at clubs is on players and fees they are the ones who are going to take the biggest hits.

My guess is that pressure on wages will be downwards at all but the PL teams and also that sides will run with smaller squads. This equates to lower wages and less jobs.

We might find that as we approach the start of the season wage demands fall and as we go past the end of the window free agents end up accepting a lot less money or dont find a club at all.

 

[LBA_Blade]

Jairo, Bamford, COH, McGoldrick, Bash, McCullum, Campbell, Enda, Bash.

Don't think I've seen this discussed in depth, but with the recent Jairo wrangling it got me thinking about Free Agents.

While not seen as being as high profile and luxurious as a Marque, high cost signing, we've had remarkable value and quality from the Free Agent market. Ings and Mee aside, in recent years, we've pulled some absolute gems. I suppose the down side is that Free Agents are inherently late window acquisitions - they're shopping themselves around for the best deal - but the upside isn't to be sniffed at. Players earn a wedge, the club saves Transfer fees and presumably agents fees are kept to a minimum. Look at the names listed, Bash and Didzy went on to become Club legends. Who've I missed? What about the past? Any notable players we could look at this window?

I would say Mee was a good free signing pre-injury then isolation out of the squad. Especially when we had that back 4 of Seriki, Tanganga/Bindon, Mee, McCallum - we started to look comfortable in defence. The biggest loss to us last season was McCallum, then when Mee "disappeared" it left us short of options at CB with only McGuinness as cover. Not forgetting Mee played the full 90 against Ipswich at home, although I wouldn't but him on the same level as the ones mentioned, Mee would be in the next level.

 

[Back post bob]

These newer, more draconian financial rules are going to be a wake up call for a lot of players agents. Given the biggest spend by far at clubs is on players and fees they are the ones who are going to take the biggest hits.

My guess is that pressure on wages will be downwards at all but the PL teams and also that sides will run with smaller squads. This equates to lower wages and less jobs.

We might find that as we approach the start of the season wage demands fall and as we go past the end of the window free agents end up accepting a lot less money or dont find a club at all.

Fully agree with the above and we should all remember that agents unsettle players at clubs where the player is reasonable happy all for there own greedy benefit.
We only have to look at the young players who left far too early in there career and then never made it.