Originally Posted by
Insidious
On the money side. Let's say we extend him on the same terms of his current contract (£120k-per-week, £6.24m or so per-year) for 3 seasons. I know there's be the hidden cost of an agent fee, but 3 years of Keita for less than £19m in the current climate where so many go for over £50m hardly seems like terrible business if we can keep him reasonably fit - replacing him probably costs £35m+ in transfer fee and then we have wage money to find.
I also look at the (potential) ins/outs and the (potential) pecking order. I occasionally list our 8 mids, sometimes with "Milner/Keita" as I think it's subject to debate which is 4th-pick - Milner certainly trusted more. Let us say, for argument's sake, that it is (roughly) this -
Fabinho
Thiago
Henderson
Milner
Keita
Elliott
Jones
Ox
Now. Let's present a scenario where we are able to go and get a top target (we'll use Bellingham) but the powers that be say "your mid was very expensive, promote from within if you want another" much to the groans of Reds everywhere who (probably rightly!) would want to see 2 purchases.
In this scenario, it's a year from now. Milner has left, Ox has left, Elliott has continued to develop - meaning he is breathing down Keita's neck in the pecking order. Having spent money on Bellingham for the first-choice three, we start weaning Henderson into Milner's old "filling-in" role and we promote Morton into Ox's 8th-pick role in the pecking order as Curtis Jones has been doing alright. The new pecking order might look like this -
Fabinho
Thiago
Bellingham
Henderson
Keita
Elliott (pushing to take Keita's spot)
Jones
Morton
- that's if we are funded in such a way that we get the "bare minimum" of one midfield addition without promoting from within and already that looks better. Keith would be 5th-choice and if Elliott continued to develop he could push Keita into 6th-choice. Again, this potential scenario is if we only bring one guy in - we might bring two.
On the squad consistency side, you're keeping a player who knows the system, knows the pressing triggers and isn't under pressure to be constantly fit as he is pushed hard in the pecking order, be it by Elliott, Jones, new transfers or whatever. It prevents you from changing 3 mids in one Summer after a window of changing 3 forwards in one Summer and it's not terribly expensive to do.
If we decide to move on from him I won't be devastated - but I don't think he needs pushed out - particularly if he can make his appearance records resemble last season more often than not, as he made more appearances (all comps) last season than any other with us.
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