The point is what money we would have yo spend from it, Verbruggen would not be an option for us brighton would want top money for him and we would not be ale to pay. I dont think we replace the quality we get from pickford if we sell him. You say is not an automatic relegation if we sell him like rich/dcl but well similar to rich/dcl then all walk into this side. No player we have bought in since rich is better than him and would be the same if pickford left.
I dont think weve made the best signings due to our stadium being built. If for example we used 100% of the fees from the sales then im confident we would have replaced Richarlison, Iwobi and suchlike with perhaps superior players.
I also dont think Verbruggen is as good as Pickford is now. But I do think he has a good chance of coming in and being 'good' for us and improving every season to a level better than Pickford.
I think Pickford will be top level until 35 and then his value will have dropped significantly.
Meanwhile Verbruggen would then be 26 and his ability and his value will both increase significantly.
In our situation we need appreciating assets, not depreciating ones.
If not Verbruggen then someone else with a similar profile whether younger / older.
If we had sold Pickford last summer and signed Verbruggen for £18mil I think the difference would have seen us sign a decent right back. So anything lost in one position medium term could have been gained in another.
But Donnarummas is an exception to the rule. It's why they say goalkeepers prime is 30+
The reason for the reference was, he has shown over many seasons the levels of performance he brings to us and England and has undoubtedly been unchallenged in both which is not normal for English goalkeepers.
I don't think selling any individual player is automatic relegation if we replace them well.
But I wouldn't put my trust in a 21 y/o with only 50 appearances to his name in goal, who can't prove he is a better option then Jason Steele who isn't even in the top ten English keepers right now.
De Zerbi has rotated his starting goalkeeper 14 times this season. It's time for him to stop doing so and start trusting Bart Verbruggen.
theanalyst.com
I wanted Verbruggen last summer. Not sure on the Steele or Verbruggen comparison. I imagine its because he wanted to ease Verbruggen in. Now after a season he can be 1st choice next i suspect.
Its a bit moot on the name but any other keeper with similar characteristics on the way up over the next 5 years rather than on the way down would make sense to me.
I think the trick is to sell players in their prime about to go downhill and bring in the next one on tge conveyor belt who begins a level higher than the last one started and leaves when on a level higher than the previous one ended.
Thats how to generate significanf value on the balance sheet.
In terms of Pickford being England number 1 then who else has there been to compete with him? Likewise at Everton he has never had any real competition.
Verbruggen would likely be 30 odd million and he hasn't been particularly fantastic in rotation with Steele.
Absolutely no way in hell I'd change him for Pickford.
Question, lets say you could go back 5 or 6 seasons and sell Coleman for a fee high enough to sign a young right back who would be good enough to start games and improve in his first season to be quickly made Holland right back.
Would you do it? Or would you be happier where we currently are?
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been exceptional for Utd today. If we could get him in the summer I'd be made up.
No thanks. Wages are obscene for Everton. We need to start becoming smart in the market.
Always liked Wan Bissaka. He'd be an ideal RB for us I think.
Imagine that defence:
Wan Bissaka - Tarkowski - Brantwaite - Mykolenko
That is as close as impregnable as you get in this league.
1 year on his deal. Offer him a 5 year deal on lower wages and he may prefer the security and game time.