13 Jan 2014 09:13:17
Radio reporting that Arsenal are again looking at Lascelles. could a bid be in the offing?! i'm all for keeping the young talent we have but if its in the same region as their Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain figures it could be very difficult to turn down.

1.) 13 Jan 2014
We would not sell him no matter what. Fawaz and Bill are building a team to go up. With Fawaz we can be as big as Arsenal.

COOPERRED

{Ed034's Note - everyone has a price

2.) 13 Jan 2014
If this is true then would be difficult to keep hold of him. But the kid seems to have his feet firmly on the ground as he didn't want to go last time they tried to sign him. If we have to let him go then minimum £10m plus loaned back for the rest of the season. Plus we should put sell on and England call up clauses in. What you reckon Ed?

{Ed034's Note - you have got to consider selling him if the offer gets above £8m

3.) 13 Jan 2014
Funny how with a Billionaire owner we still might sell our most promising and able players. You will shout FFP back at me but there are probably ways around it (sponsorship being the most obvious).

{Ed034's Note - '...there are probably ways around it'. you havnt got a clue, so you are jut using this to have a dig at the owner.
no matter what club you are, you still have to try your best to balance the books. man utd, man city, barca, inter have all sold players in the past to do this.
even clubs who have been in the top flight for years still do it.
why do you just look for things to have a dog at the club for?? is that being a real fan??

4.) 13 Jan 2014
Think we would also have to take into account what he wants! Maybe he's more than happy where he is? Maybe he see's so many young talented players going for big money and not getting the career they wanted. He would only have to look at wickham a player who went for 12mil and nand now looking for 1st team football? Maybe he can see a prem futurre at forest with billy and fawaz? Having said that if he does see his future away from forest then yes 8mil upwards with clauses and add ons eould be a starting point

5.) 13 Jan 2014
1) if we can be as big as Arsenal why are we struggling to attract/afford championship level strikers. If we were replicating arsenal surely we would taking others young talent ings, wells! I am not convince we will spend enough to break into prem top 10.

2) to sell Lascelles would prove it. It will take 20 million to get a 26 year old experienced version of him in a few years. Selling him now at 8m would prove we are destined to be champ/lower prem.

If we fail to go up by end of next year only fair to sell him for his own development. Not want him to be another Zaha (who got loaned back). Actually let's swap him for Zaha, vidic and Ferdinand on way out?

{Ed034's Note - it would not prove that at all. some fans amaze me how they only look for negatives that happen, rather than all the positives that are happening at the club

6.) 13 Jan 2014
Cooperred is way off the mark. David Johnson is his agent and knowing Johno, if a big offer comes in, he will be gone.

7.) 13 Jan 2014
There are positives Ed, but we have lost 12 points to Leicester and ground to QPR because we have not managed to get a striker! This is since Fawaz said " the fans will be happy!". That is the reality, those are facts. The rest is your opinion!

{Ed034's Note - the only fact that matters is fawaz and billy both stated our aim this year is to progress, build and get in the top six. that has happened and that is a fact you cannot argue about. the rest is whatever you are happy with. I am extremely happy with the way my club are progressing, playing, league standing etc. we all know we need a striker, but that is the only thing we are missing

8.) 13 Jan 2014
Who are we struggling to afford or attract? Hooper and Austin for example. One plays in the prem and the other with favorites to win the league. Sako. wolves playing silly beggers and billy was not going to let them take the urine. Same with leadbitter. We've signed jara, lichaj, mackie, cox, abdoun. (The list goes on) since fawaz took over and got them all at bargin prices. It's not about how much you spend, it's about being astute. There's been changes to the city ground, changes to the academy. so we are going places. Just because we havnt spent £20m+ on a few players doesn't mean fawaz or billy aren't commited. Open your eyes and see the bigger picture

9.) 13 Jan 2014
But that only thing ed, can turn draws into wins and get us up.

{Ed034's Note - you are right.

10.) 13 Jan 2014
It would leave us in a bit of a hole defensively if we lose Lascelles at this point with the Hobbs situation still uncertain and Collins and Wilson still a few weeks away, Halford would be our only partially recognised Centre Half and we play him up top. However you can't blame the kid if he wants to leave, as stated before every player has his price and it's a once in a lifetime move when a club of Arsenals stature comes calling.

11.) 13 Jan 2014
To turn draws into wins you need a top striker

{Ed034's Note - correct

12.) 13 Jan 2014
I doubt he would want to go?

He seems like a confidence player who takes a good run to get settled. Maybe that's just my opinion because he seems to manage ok playing for England?

Stepping up to play in an Arsenal team and fighting for a start with some of the best players in the world may be a bit too much too soon and not for his ability but for his overall level of comfort?

I reckon he'd be better doing a Wes Morgan and staying put for a few years. ;)

13.) 13 Jan 2014
I really think the owners have the best interest of the club and supporters at heart here. Going up is eutopia but the long term future and viability of the club must come first. Do we want a team full of over paid premadonas that comes with high earning prem players. let's get there through endeavour and sensible dealings and wage structure. let's get there through merit and not buy our way up, as that could prove foolhardy in the long run. If for whatever reason our owners decide to pull out someway down the road then the club has to be on a stable footing and not seriously in debt. So I for one will be happy for us to show caution at this stage and have natural progression to the premier league!
Rutland Red

14.) 13 Jan 2014
Why don't some fans trust Billy and Fawas. since they've both come to the club, they've done what they think is best for Forest. If Lascelles wants to go, all they can do is get as much as they can for him. This is part of football and happens to every club. Do you really think Man U wanted to sell Ronaldo? Ideally, we need to keep hold of our young talent, but somethings are beyond control.

15.) 13 Jan 2014
Wow sum fans beggar belief. At the end of the day the young lad will be told of arsenals proposal, what they are offering ie first team football, squad player, one for the future, wages etc and what the future is for arsenal. He will also know of forests future and where they see him as part of that, then he can make a decision. Forest could be stubborn and say no way jose but I don't think they will if the lad wants offski. As ed says sometimes you got to balance the books and if a really gud offer comes in well you got to listen. Just because fawaz is loaded doesn't mean he wants to keep losing money constantly. don't forget we probably losing money annually which he has to cover and he isn't where he is with out being clever and astute. The lad goes, wilson comes back or we have another gem of a player come thru. See I too am happy with the way we have progressed over the last year and don't want to lose the lad but all clubs lose gud players at sum point. what eva happens gud luck to him for the future I just hope its with us, fingers crossed. I have said b4 that we got the best 3 centre halves outside the prem and need to do our best to keep them happy which i'm sure the club will do but let's just wait and see (mr maynard)

16.) 13 Jan 2014
The fact still remains that if we sell Lascelles, we're going to need another centre half (two if we can't keep hold of Hobbs) I think we're all agreed that we're not going to get promoted with Collins and Halford at centre half with Wilson still crocked. Remember we had to spend 3 mil to get someone of Wilson's quality so the net gain on Lascelles sale might not be that great.

17.) 13 Jan 2014
This lad will be a top international in a few years. you can see it. hang on to your stars look what man u did when giggs and co came through and diff offers came in, they said no. look what happened their.

cooperred

18.) 13 Jan 2014
Liverpool also interested in him, best we can hope for is some sort of bidding war.

If a big money offer comes in for him, they will sell him, it looks as if Fawaz is not prepared to splash his own cash, so the club have to sell before they can buy, that`s why Hobbs has not been signed yet or anyone else!

{Ed034's Note - what a ridiculous statement to make

19.) 13 Jan 2014
I used to deliver to a place up oakwood the guy there knows Jamaals dad and used to talk to him when he used to go in the bookies, I remember him saying when arsenal came sniffing around him last time that they (his parents and I'm assuming Jamaal himself) didn't want at that time to go to arsenal because he felt he would develop better at forest the big question for me would be, would he and they still feel that this is the case? I got the impression that he is very grounded and would assume still that whatever he decides would be purely in the interests of furthering his massive potential and career. I hope he stays for at least another season to see if he can help us go up, and then get him a new deal. however he is such a talent I'm not sure we can hold him back if we don't go up. I reckon we have the new rio Ferdinand in our midst (sorry for the comparison)

20.) 13 Jan 2014
Still losing 10 million a year, methinks Fawaz having bought or loaned in 40 players deserves somthing back,. it hurts him when we lose, just like us. you can see it, best deal for this season regards Jammal sell him for 8 million, loan him back for the rest of the season.

21.) 13 Jan 2014
I have a loathing of the term 'a bigger club'. So many wish were 'as big as Arsenal'. Well for my money we already are bigger than Arsenal and let's not forget how long it's been since they last won anything. We may be in a lower league (at the moment) but how many people will say Arsenal are a bigger club when we do get back in the Prem, especially after a couple of seasons.

22.) 13 Jan 2014
Hi ed, I would be happy if we got 8milion plus for lasselles, if we could loan him back for the remained of the season to help with is developement and help us secure promotion. This might be away forward if we kept hobbs and wilson returns from injury. Would you agree this would be a good idea yes, or no. What do you think would be good for our club if a offer was to come in. at least that way we could keep within ffp or further strengthen.

{Ed034's Note - its very good money and even though I would personally not be happy with that, I could understand them doing the deal

23.) 13 Jan 2014
13 Jan 2014 14:01:37
Personally I see selling Lascelles as unthinkable.
If we really want to grow and get to a much higher level as a club we have to start hanging on to our best young players, its as simple as that.
People get swayed by money, but how can we possibly replace this guy? Ill tell you one thing I can't see us signing Hobbs, if we were serious we would have offered the 600k by now.
So'ton have kept there best players and will only sell if they get a monstrous offer for their players and I see why, it scares a lot of clubs away. Because of that So'ton are now heading for the top 6-7 in the prem after only being there for two years. If Lascelles wants to stay, then he stays and we reject whatever comes our way and stay he is not for sale. If he wants to leave, then we talk him into staying and outline the vision of our club, then if he still wants to leave we demand big cash and squeeze every penny we can out of whoever wants him, that's how big clubs roll, we don't do a crewe alexandra and sell at the first offer that comes in.

{Ed034's Note - Southampton have done well selling players

24.) 13 Jan 2014
Pre-season Lacelles and Darlow were barely on the first team radar, now they are two of our most valuable players. To say we can't do without them is nonsense. We will find replacements or resource others from the youth system.

Really no need to panic. It would be great to see Lacelles at Arsenal in a Champs league standard squad. Of course I'd prefer him to do 15 years at Forest but if he's that good then it's inevitable he will go.

Think some fans soon forget how close we were to going out of business not so long ago. Fawaz has taken responsibility for our debt, so people are absolutely right when they say we need to balance the books.

25.) 13 Jan 2014
Lets make sure that it is a monsterous offer offer with add ons, a loan back clause and an5 other player on loan as well. We are in the driving seat on this one.

26.) 13 Jan 2014
Bigger club than arsenal! You've got to be joking? If you are joking you've got me hook line and sinker, if not you're barmy :-) it would take us at least 5 years in the prem to even get close to being amongst the big clubs alongwith an ongoing massive financial commitment from fawaz. i'm all for standing up for the club and backing it all the way but some statements on here imo (and i'm sure most peoples opinions) are ludicrous, red blinkers don't do any good for some fans.

27.) 13 Jan 2014
Noones saying we can't do without them, but replacing them is another story. In them both We've got two of the most exciting young english prospects in the football leagues, I'm so glad they've been given a chance and have more than taken their chances it's irrelevant whether they weren't anywhere near the first team at the start of the season they have stepped up and are now an important part of the team spirit and energy. I hope a couple more of our youth team get a go because having watched them there are several good prospects.

28.) 14 Jan 2014
We will have per mertersacker and Olivia giroud for him hahah