Clubs already sniffing around our young talent.

[yellowforever]

Paul Sturrock and another chap were sat behind us in the bench on Saturday...I assume Sturrock is scouting for someone nowadays?
Good to see him looking very well.

I think Sturrock attends our games regularly anyway, or so I have been told.

But yes, I've heard fairly strong rumours of a league 1 team being particularly interested in Luke. They haven't disclosed who the team actually is though, but it's hardly surprising.

Still, I think most teams would see it as a huge gamble to take a player from the conference who would only really have been a key part of a team for 5/6 months when January comes.

Also with him being our captain and talisman, I think, or at least hope, that we'd resist the temptation to sell mid season as it could potentially cost us 000s of thousands should it lose us a promotion push.

He's a talented player who will no doubt play in League 1 and higher at some point during his career, I just feel he needs a bit longer maturing being a central cog in a team playing good football. We said the same with Eunan, who I'm sure could've jumped ship earlier to a weaker team (Bristol Rovers anyone?), and it worked out pretty well for him too.

[Jerry]

I'm sure I read when we signed him that a League 1 club (Colchester I think) were interested in the summer but he wanted to stay closer to home.

[SteveDeckchair]

He's a Devon bey who is in no hurry to move away and is really enjoying his footy with us at the moment.

My only worry if that Bristol City is close enough for him to commute and they are playing a style of footy that suits him as a player.

It would need to be a massive offer for us to sell him in January though. Think of the extra income from promotion vs staying in the Conference and as long as the board hold their nerve, his value shouldn't drop too much between January and August.

[ferrarilover]

He's a Devon bey who is in no hurry to move away and is really enjoying his footy with us at the moment.

My only worry if that Bristol City is close enough for him to commute and they are playing a style of footy that suits him as a player.

It would need to be a massive offer for us to sell him in January though. Think of the extra income from promotion vs staying in the Conference and as long as the board hold their nerve, his value shouldn't drop too much between January and August.

Not if Bill **** Phillips answers the phone, it won't!

Matt.

[mike86]

With Hargreaves saying it will take a large offer to sign Luke Young, what sort of fee realistically would Torquay be able to push for if young was to decide to leave seeming he would only have a season and a half left on his deal? also out of interest which over players do people think are likely to be receiving offers in January. Macdonald? Pearce if still not playing? Downes if is still transfer listed?

[ferrarilover]

Only a season and a half? Curious use of the word "only". That effectively gives us 18 months to butter him up for a new deal. Young is our only valuable player. No other player among our squad is worth any money. Sure, on days when they turn up, guys like Richards and Ajala are good to watch, but they do it so infrequently (because they are young, more than likely), they're worthless on the open market. Young'll go in January. What we get for him depends solely on who Thea sends to the negotiating table. If Chuckles sticks his oar in, I can quite honestly see us getting £15,000-£20,000 for him. If we can keep him occupied with a puzzle or colouring book and crayons, we could get ten times that. Bristol City, Swindon, Peterborough, someone like that'll have him off us. He'll be a minor hit, then go to Derby County where he'll stay for a couple of years until he is released and picked up by Sheffield United. He'll go to L2 York City on loan and sign a permanent deal there that summer.

Matt.

[Dave]

Six months into a two year contract, Luke Young can not decide he wants to leave TUFC the decision at this stage of his contract is not Luke's to take, basically at the moment the club has full ownership of Luke Young's registration. The club must be aware of this and use that to it's own advantage in any potential negotiations over a possible sale of the player.

Our club has to start getting a lot more hard nosed, the deal that took Eunan O'Kane to Bournemouth was a total joke, our club must become hard nosed with both our players and potential buying clubs. Our club is duty bound to inform Luke Young of any clubs interested in signing him, but, as said, six months into his contract TUFC also has the power to say, we are not looking to let you go at this time.

Of course our F.A cup failure and the loss of any parachute payment at the end of this season is going to have huge impact on our clubs already limited finances, so it may be difficult to avoid selling him, however any approach for Luke Young should be met with a response like; We have no wish to sell the player at this time. That's not saying you wont, but your indicating it's going to take a good deal to prize the player away.

And to our board, do not get carried away with £50,000 and the thought of a lovely sell on clause, get it through now, sell on clauses can be worth less than nothing, Eunan O'Kane scores in the League cup Wednesday can not get into the Bournemouth match day squad Saturday, what does that, in fact what should it tell us about his future at that club, must likely going to end up going to a League 1 club for a piece of silver and a bag of footballs, so any sell clause we have is going to end up netting us the some total of sweet f/a.

[friendlygas]

Truth is it doesn't matter whether a player is on a long or short contract if they want to go they will go. You can't hold out for big fees when you are in the Conference because you just are not going to get them. The big problem is that once a player hears of interest from Football League Clubs whatever division then if you stop the player going you will end up with an unhappy player who doesn't play to his full potential. It wouldn't surprise me if Young already has something in his contract to say that if a league Club comes in for him then he can go for a nominal fee.
The times of clubs holding on to a player to a Contract are long gone and big fees are pretty well gone to and its clubs like ours that lose out in ALL ways these days.

[supergulls]

Truth is it doesn't matter whether a player is on a long or short contract if they want to go they will go. You can't hold out for big fees when you are in the Conference because you just are not going to get them. The big problem is that once a player hears of interest from Football League Clubs whatever division then if you stop the player going you will end up with an unhappy player who doesn't play to his full potential. It wouldn't surprise me if Young already has something in his contract to say that if a league Club comes in for him then he can go for a nominal fee.
The times of clubs holding on to a player to a Contract are long gone and big fees are pretty well gone to and its clubs like ours that lose out in ALL ways these days.

you cant hold out for big fees ? thats funny Peterborough offered 500k for Madison at Gateshead but they held out and got 700k

[arcadia]

I think Sturrock attends our games regularly anyway, or so I have been told.

But yes, I've heard fairly strong rumours of a league 1 team being particularly interested in Luke. They haven't disclosed who the team actually is though, but it's hardly surprising.

Still, I think most teams would see it as a huge gamble to take a player from the conference who would only really have been a key part of a team for 5/6 months when January comes.

Also with him being our captain and talisman, I think, or at least hope, that we'd resist the temptation to sell mid season as it could potentially cost us 000s of thousands should it lose us a promotion push.

He's a talented player who will no doubt play in League 1 and higher at some point during his career, I just feel he needs a bit longer maturing being a central cog in a team playing good football. We said the same with Eunan, who I'm sure could've jumped ship earlier to a weaker team (Bristol Rovers anyone?), and it worked out pretty well for him too.

Sturrock sat behind me last home game.

[arcadia]

Hi have the Reserves got a game at the ground tomorrow night can't see any fixture anywhere but it was advertised in the Independent. There could be some sniffers about.

[bobby93]

Bristol City, Swindon, Peterborough, someone like that'll have him off us. He'll be a minor hit, then go to Derby County where he'll stay for a couple of years until he is released and picked up by Sheffield United. He'll go to L2 York City on loan and sign a permanent deal there that summer.

Matt.

That's some crystal ball!