Player Suggestion Ollie Watkins

[Mouth of the South]

He looks a decent prospect but L2 to Champ is a big jump for a 21 year old to make, especially as many will be expecting him to justify his transfer fee (£2m + an additional £2m in add-ons apparently) straight away.

 

[FriethBlade]

True mouth but for our sake I hope Stevens and Thomas can make that jump. The financial gain of any 4th tier player making the jump is massive as a young British player proven in the championship becomes worth a lot of money. The upside is obviously less the more you pay in the first all 3 could be worth a lot more money by the end of next season.

 

[Houso]

It's a smart signing for Brentford.

If he scores 10 goals he'll be worth £60m this time next year at this rate.

Brentford did it with Scott Hogan, signed for about 800k, he did his cruciate ligament twice, and they still went on to sell him for £8m.

The rewards on offer for just a brief good spell in the Championship are beyond belief. Signings like this are becoming very safe investments.

There's nothing safe about it. Peterborough who invariably develop strikers very well bought Luke James for between 500k and 1mil and he's just left them a couple of years later for Forest Green Rovers on a free.

I love a good fairytale young lower league signing as much as the next, but they come with plenty of risk. Some just do it better, and Brentford have done it impressively in recent years.

 

[Ricky]

There's nothing safe about it. Peterborough who invariably develop strikers very well bought Luke James for between 500k and 1mil and he's just left them a couple of years later for Forest Green Rovers on a free.

I love a good fairytale young lower league signing as much as the next, but they come with plenty of risk. Some just do it better, and Brentford have done it impressively in recent years.

If you take Peterborough though, look how much they made on Assombalonga. That sale funded the signing of James in 2014, and they can afford the odd loss like that. They also have other current assets as a result of similar recruitment.

It becomes safer the more you sign. Fee/value inflation is so great that if 1 out of 3 perform well you'll probably end up in profit.

It's a very ideal transfer policy IMO. Spend decent but not stupid money (£2m limit for example) on well scouted, good young players fully expecting at least half of them to succeed, but knowing that if less than half do you still have a great chance of at least recouping your money.

For example, sign Connor Ripley, Marcus Maddison and Omar Bogle for £1m apiece. I'd be confident their combined value would surpass £3m in the future.

 

[sufcboy95]

Hammond
Nosworthy
Stewart

None of them are from recent times? The market has exploded in the past 2 years

 

[I should coco]

None of them are from recent times? The market has exploded in the past 2 years

Hammond 'played' for us last season.

It was a jocular post to disprove your point that everyone was worth a fortune. Not my funniest, I'll grant you, but the principle still stands. How much did we get for Scougs / McNulty et al?

 

[sufcboy95]

Hammond 'played' for us last season.

It was a jocular post to disprove your point that everyone was worth a fortune. Not my funniest, I'll grant you, but the principle still stands. How much did we get for Scougs / McNulty et al?

Scougs contract had ended and mcnulty was signed for peanuts. I accept that you can't do this with everyone, but the majority of players will be worth more next season than this

 

[BushBlade]

It's the championship that's gone mental. And the PL obviously. Because that's where the money is. L1 and 2 players won't significantly rise in value. But any player who proves himself to be championship or above and is under 30 becomes worth £3m to £10m+.

Brentford have good scouting systems in place so there's a fair chance he'll succeed. If he does, they've got a player worth at least £8m, probably more.

So, if you assume the scouts/DoF have around 75% success rate, you've got a £2m cost to buy a 3-1 risk in your favour with a return of maybe 5-2.

 

[BigBed]

Keep seeing this lad at Brentford, I really think he would be a perfect fit for us, likes to have a shot, pretty quick, seems to have abit about him for a young lad?

 

[Liaminho9]

Keep seeing this lad at Brentford, I really think he would be a perfect fit for us, likes to have a shot, pretty quick, seems to have abit about him for a young lad?

Spurs interested for £15m - £20m... so yeh, i would say he does have something about him for a young lad.

 

[BigBed]

Didn't realise, best get in quick then!!

 

[nopigfansintown]

Didn't realise, best get in quick then!!

Wilder and Knill wanted him from Exeter but couldn't afford the fee (under 2 million). It was in a RS interview at the start of last season. Looks a big miss now.

 

[Ricky]

We would've already sold him anyway, for under £10m. And not replaced him.

 

[Bladesman]

Should have signed him when he was at Exeter.

As we should have signed Callum Wilson when he was at Coventry.

For us we tend to have one chance to sign a player at the right price and we sometimes miss the boat on those deals.

 

[Harrisblade]

Should have signed him when he was at Exeter.

As we should have signed Callum Wilson when he was at Coventry.

For us we tend to have one chance to sign a player at the right price and we sometimes miss the boat on those deals.

How many would we have to sign before one did the business on the pitch?

 

[SUFC Guy]

We would've already sold him anyway, for under £10m. And not replaced him.

 

[bongleblade]

bump on this... wouldn't be disappointed with a £15m speculative bid, exactly the kind of player we should be looking at

 

[bertieblade]

AK acknowledged him as being the best player in league 1 but could not afford him at the time.
He has been watched and is obviously admired by our management team.
Fits into the way we play, seems a good character unlike mcburnie and will improve as only young.
He and the Brentford no 7 would be top of my list.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

bump on this... wouldn't be disappointed with a £15m speculative bid, exactly the kind of player we should be looking at

He’s far from Brentford’s best player - wilder is not gonna go in with a £15m bid straight away. Try 5-6 and go from there, otherwise our budget will soon be gone.

Let’s use brooks as a benchmark here

 

[bongleblade]

He’s far from Brentford’s best player - wilder is not gonna go in with a £15m bid straight away. Try 5-6 and go from there, otherwise our budget will soon be gone.

Let’s use brooks as a benchmark here

Of course, but yeah I reckon we'd end up paying around 15m for the lad after initial bids, and I don't see why not, given that he could have a big future resale value.

I think Maupay is more likely to be the big money player (£20-25m) and at the moment he is up there with Brentford's best... which is why I think he's out of the question for us, but I reckon Watkins will end up even better tbh... he looks ace

 

[Ricky]

Would prefer him to Maupay. Cheaper. More flexible. Less foreign.

He could easily have a Che Adams season next season.

Now could be the time to move for him. It wouldn't surprise me.

Be interesting to see whether Brentford cash in or not. Tricky decision for them.

seems a good character unlike mcburnie

Is it the low socks?

 

[bertieblade]

Nope it’s his interview, so far up himself seems so far away from a guy who will fit in with our one for all and all for one attitude.

 

[Ricky]

Nope it’s his interview, so far up himself seems so far away from a guy who will fit in with our one for all and all for one attitude.

To me he seems like a grounded type who has more characteristics that would help him fit in than ones that wouldn't.

We have been rumoured to be interested in him too so if that's the case I assume he passes Wilder's character test.

 

[BridBladesman]

Not sure he’d want to move up North

 

[bongleblade]

Not sure he’d want to move up North

Brentford though...

 

[Chali 2na]

bump on this... wouldn't be disappointed with a £15m speculative bid, exactly the kind of player we should be looking at

£15m is a lot of money for a speculative bid.

 

[bladesadviser]

£15m is a lot of money for a speculative bid.

Not when it's someone else's money

 

[Bruce Wayne]

He's a winger anyhow, Sawyers would be my choice, he's a rolls royce player.

 

[Weasel]

Its a no from me. Not pushed on as much as he should have, and whilst he would be a good un for the right price, invariably he wouldnt be cheap cos hes English and still youngish. Will cost too much money for what he would bring to the table compared to other potential targets.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]