I'm not sure we are that different from other at the time relative clubs in terms of expensive poor deals. Look at Wesley and Lewis who we are linked with now as examples as transfers that did not work. I remember loads of other examples of transfers that didn't work out from teams like West Ham, Soton, Villa, Leicester and Everton etc. It's a gamble with some transfers generating a decent profit that pays for the loss on the duds with the hope that you get a big sale jackpot. The profit we generated on the players you mentioned plus a few others like Ighalo and Doucoure probably more than pays for the duds or at least not far off. Yeah we have definitely bought some duffers and deals that can be justifiably criticised but I'm not sure we are that different from a lot of other clubs in this respect and may even be better than some. We possibly have a higher volume of transfers and have rolled the dice more often than some.
Seriously doubt our sales cover all the duds. The minor ones I listed are £20m+ alone. Then you have Gray, Sarr and probably about 50 other smaller ones I’ve forgotten over the years. And that before deciding whether to include Success/Peneranda/pussetto etc which while intragroup removed tens of millions from our balance sheet. Need to then net Kamara of course if that is done. Janmaat/Jurado are a chunk. It’s not long before those profits are wiped out. And we ignore wages/signing on fees/agent fees in all this!
While I broadly agree with the sentiment that this hasn't worked out, the way Sarr is being written off as a dud is disrespectful, IMO. For four years he has been admired from the outside as our danger man - a feeling reciprocated by Watford fans for the vast majority of his time here. He was electric in 2019-20, to the point that our chances of success basically hinged on whether he was fit or not, and though we rarely saw that ability to terrorise a full-back again, it looked a worthy 'investment' to have turned down big offers and keep him to take us back into the PL in 2020-21, when he really was 'too good for the Championship'. That we've failed to capitalise on bouncing straight back is hardly his fault - and his confidence (a key word in his time here) has evaporated as a result of: - Being leaned on heavily throughout 2021, when we were as a close to a one-man team as is possible, particularly at the start of the start of the PL season - 10 HCs in four years, suboptimal for any player but particularly one so young, whose confidence is so fragile, and for whom the language barrier will affect most - The World Cup, which I do believe affected his mental and physical status throughout last season I think he's a player who needs the team to be geared towards his strengths to flourish but that's the case for plenty of top players, it's just that other clubs make decisions that ensure those conditions are in place consistently. It's also nonsense, IMO, to claim he didn't try or care. Just don't see the evidence for that at all. He stays down for ages when he gets a kick, that's football in 2023. It's a bit of a sad end - although less sad than it might have been, considering we seem to have negotiated a decent fee when it looked like he might be shoved out the back door on loan or to Udinese - but I'll still remember him as a player opposition feared and we hung our hats on, who delivered more often than most over the last four years.
Well said. I'm glad there are a few that appreciate him. He was instrumental in our promotion push and was our dangerman. Sure, he went off the boil, but he always had those "moments" in games, where he either scored, assisted, got a cheap penalty or something noteworthy. He was a match winner and opponents were always wary of him. He was a good guy and loyal to us. I think he was just misunderstood as he is very shy, which was mistaken as surly and moody.
European football ‘expert’ Kevin Hatchard says he thinks it’s a decent signing for Marseille, as he should fit in perfectly with Marcelino’s playing style. They’ve signed Aubameyang too I think? @VR94 couldn’t agree more. Really nicely put I don’t disagree with @fuzzy73 either. There will always be that nagging feeling that we could have seen even more from him. I think ultimately the crazy price tag hung like an albatross around his neck and he will always be judged on that. But I still think we should also be grateful for what he delivered and remember him fondly. A Watford side starting next season without him or JP will look very workmanlike and devoid of sparkle. Maybe some want a more consistent mediocrity, but I for one will miss moments like the West Brom goal (though not the missed penalty in the same match!)
He had two full seasons in the Championship and didn’t feature in the team of the season on either. The fact is he should have been the stand out player in this league and yet he still appeared uninterested most of the time. I recall only a handful of matches last season when I left there thinking Sarr was motm. I hope he goes on and has a successful rest of his career as he’s a nice bloke, but he’ll remain a frustrating, what could have been player in our history for me
Trouble is this can all easily be reversed and argued from the other side just as convincingly, which tends to suggest he's been very average overall. I don't hate him and based on his performances for Senegal he could well go on to really shine at Marseille. I just don't care what he does next as I've no affinity for him. I'm pleased with the mooted fee though - that's more than I thought we would get.
That's arbitrary, though, whereas we can use our objective judgement as people who watch every game to know that he was exceptional in the second half of that season. He scored four and assisted one of our six goals in the first six matches of April 2021 - including that brace v Reading which won a game we were second best in. That was a crucial period during which the team stuttered but he dragged us over the line. A great show of desire and character, surely. That's fair enough but I do think the 'what could have been' is on the club more than him.
Leventhal says fee is up to £15m, including add ons Does seem like initial fee is closer to £10m or £12m therefore
Well done Gino......mug of the year awarded to you. 10m ago Adam Leventhal· Football Writer Watford's Sarr set to sign five-year deal with Marseille Watford winger Ismaila Sarr is set to sign a five-year deal with Marseille after the two clubs agreed on a deal worth up to £15m. The Athletic reported yesterday that the 25-year-old is scheduled to undergo a medical on Monday. Sarr is currently in Germany, where Marseille are continuing their pre-season preparations, undergoing his medical. Final paperwork is scheduled to be signed following completion of medical. The precise structure of the deal is not known at this stage, however Marseille will pay an initial fee with add-ons subject to future performance targets. Watford declined to comment.
Surely that excuse can be applied to any player over the last ten years then? Pedro worked hard in the same environment and got a big money PL move, Sarr tossed it off and is off to France for more than £20m less than we paid for him.
Sarr could have had that big money move had we sold him at peak value. I'd have been interested to see the direction Pedro's career took if he'd been subject to a year or two too many of Chaosball. Also, yeah, it is an excuse for any individual over the last three or four years. We have been worse than the sum of our parts and it's not each individual's fault. And also, Pedro is probably better. That might just be the way it is.
If the fee is as ‘low’ as being reported this morning, you’d imagine a few English clubs will be asking themselves why they didn’t take a punt on him
If it's that low if a price, then it's disappointing but also unsurprising given our obvious lack of leverage and Sarr's performances last Season
That’s an awful lot of excuses for a player that ultimately had a choice in how he applied himself and where he wanted his career to go. At the end of the day he’s in control over how he applies himself on the pitch and more often than not he decides to hide away, that’s why he’s going to Marseille for about £10m and not a bigger club for about £70m which was the plan for him. The reason that hasn’t happened is largely down to him and blaming everyone else but the player for that is a bit strange.
I can't really believe it's that low, but a few reliable sources have now quoted it. The way AL implies is the fee could reach £15m if all add-ons are achieved. It's a terrible deal for Watford. Gino has really let the club down with the handling of the entire transfer. Buying at an inflated value then selling low because he had allowed the contract to run down. Dreadful management of the situation, and is no wonder the club is in such a financial mess. This isn't a one-off either. Money has been squandered on so many vanity projects. Gray £18m then allowed to walk on a free........and all these other silly signings around £5m all add up on players we never needed or used. AHHHHHH.
He's done very little to consistently show he's suited to the English game. The PL is only getting more physical and more intense and coaches are looking increasingly for players that can do different roles in different phases of play. What does Sarr offer on that front? Not a lot of robustness, not a lot of flexibility, limited defensive work and frankly not the brightest of footballing IQs. Back to Ligue 1 seems about right for him for now.
If we'd have managed to stay up in 2020, he'd have been well on the way to a big move, but as it was, nobody was going to spunk £40m in a Covid-impacted market
Yes it does. It will be a good move for him. But I still think a few English clubs will be looking at that price and thinking hmmmm
He would’ve been touted round every club in the PL like he was last summer, if any of them wanted to sign them they would’ve, but they don’t. He’s a bench option for a lower half PL team, so anything north of £15m for such a player just isn’t worth it.
Great move for him, potential Champions League football, managers that aren't sacked every 5 minutes, nicer location and probably a league more suited to his style of football . I imagine he's over the moon to finally get away from Watford. A lot of pressure on our attacking players to pick up those goals/assists contributed by Sarr and Pedro!
I can't have been the only person waiting for him to tumble down the stairs? Must be the longest he's stayed on his feet the past 2 seasons.
11m€ plus add ons being quoted in various places which is pretty dissappointing. Of course, with social media one dodgy quote can quickly become 'various sources'!
If true, more idiocy from Gino, not to include a sell-on. No doubt others will come back trying to defend it as a good thing......but hell, it's just nuts to sell him for this and to not include a sell-on, to a club we've been in dispute with for the past 2 years. Luca Bendoni @LucaBendoni One more detail about Ismaila Sarr's move to Olympique de Marseille: the final fee is €13m upfront + add-ons in the range of €4m. No sell-on clause included.
Not being able to get rid of Sarr had so far pretty much ****ed our entire summer window and broken down a lot of deals. Prolonging our inability do anything at all in the market for the sake of a sell on/a couple extra mil really wouldn't have been worth starting the season with half a team. This was a happy medium and the fee seems to be closer to Burnsy's than the ones Marseille are now clearly trying to leak.
This forum is so funny, a few pages back it's 'we'd be luck if we can even get £5m for him' when we sell him it's 'This is far too cheap'.
