Why didn't we sell Stephens?

Exile said:

On the other side of the coin - he's 28, has suffered two long term injuries in the last 3 years, and at the end of the January window, will have just 4 months of job security ahead of him. He'll hold all the cards in the summer, IF he reaches it fit and well. Risky game to play.

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Brighton, more specifically Bloom, "wants his cake and to eat it" and I'd be surprised if Stephens's agent will fall into the trap of advising his client to sign a new deal.

Unless it is a massively-improved deal (talking Premier League wages here), there is no incentive whatsoever for DS to give up his chance of being a free agent in the summer.

Brighton naturally wanted to keep the player for this season's promotion push but they also want to make sure they "cash in" if the player is sold in the next year or two. Stephens is at his peak as a player or nearing it, but Brighton - even if they are promoted this time - have denied him the chance of at least one season in the top-flight. Any new contract offer should compensate him for this.

Bloom rejected a reported £7 million bid and if the Seagulls fail to get promoted this season, the club will get "Sweet F.A" for Stephens if he lets his current deal run down.

Stephens and his agent can virtually hold Brighton to ransome if a new deal is to be signed....."I want £30k-a-week and a five-year deal otherwise I am off in the summer."

Maybe, Bloom might want to cash in after all in January if he can get £4 million or so. I'm only guessing but Burnley may have promised Stephens and his agent they will come back with a January offer or a lucrative July "package" if the player delays signing any new deal.

Burnley pissed around with half a dozen tin pot bids at a time when there was a possibilty we may have lost Kayal too, who is also in final year of deal.
Had they offered 7 million or so 6 weeks before the season started he would have gone no doubt, they only have themselves to blame on that front.

The same scenario will exist in Jan, both could leave....

Lets face it though we paid what ...£1 million in total for both Kayal and Stephens ( amazing business ).... I would keep both until end of season and see where we are.

IF IF we go up they will more than likely sign new deals. And if not... oh well ... we start again pre season.

At least if we do sell in Jan we have had time to identify targets to replace them.

lancyclaret said:

Stephens is at his peak as a player or nearing it, but Brighton - even if they are promoted this time - have denied him the chance of at least one season in the top-flight. Any new contract offer should compensate him for this.

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Your posts are generally well put together, but by god do you make a load of statements as if they were the gospel truth, when in fact they are simply your opinion.

At the end of the day, Dale has a contract with Brighton, we are currently holding him to that contract because we need his skills for our season. Burnley went about their business in a pretty odd way, but I suppose they thought that 'No' actually meant 'Not for that amount'.

In July he will likely be a free agent yes, but there is certainly the possibility that being a free agent does not help him. If he gets injured again, then he'll potentially be out of contract and it's not guaranteed someone will pick him up whilst he's hurt. So despite your adamant belief, he is running a risk (probably not a huge risk but you never know).

Cashing in is not the point here, and if we are still at the sharp end come January, I doubt we'll sell without a strong replacement. £4m is nothing if it costs promotion. And by £4m I of course mean £500k, £750k, £1.2m, £1.6m, £2m, £2.5m, £3m, £3.2m, £3.4m, £3.5m, £3.6m, £3.7m, £3.8m, £3.9m, £4m!