rubberman

Mount to replace Grealish...meltdown!

Could be anything really, but 8-10 would be good.

Straw clutching - All is pretty much done as reported, but Wes is flying in to have a final go at persuading in person so there's a hold up.

Sure - be wary of it. But you can't sign a load of new players, or not do the photo shoots 'just in case' a bid comes in - what if it hadn't? I'm sure they have reacted as fast as they have been able to SINCE an official bid came in. But I kind of agree about the training thing - I'd have had him off doing gym work or something for a few days as soon as it was a serious possibility.

There wasn't a bid till Friday?

Puts a bit of a Debbie Downer on my 4 days camping with 2 City supporting families...

£10m richer today. Agents really are the scum.

Yeah - that last fixture is going to be extra salt, lemon and vinegar in the wound (probably).

Massively disappointed, but objectively we are 2-3 years behind the trajectory we'd need to have been to keep him. With maybe 4 years peak, possibly less with his injuries, for his career he needs to be playing at the top now. After 20 years at the club and sticking around through relegation, while I hate him going, I don't begrudge it. He's still awesome to watch play and I'm excited to see how he does (though not against us). It's still pretty amazing to me that a totally home grown Villa lad is the most expensive domestic footballer and one of the top 10 ever. Can't wait to see how we move on now - another new era and I'm confident we'll still be challenging the top end of the PL in the next couple of years with our investment in youth.

I admit it, I've cracked. Was doing well following the thread from Friday, feeling strong, but this morning I'm a broken man and just checked it wasn't in other football and clicked straight to the last page. 40 odd pages missed. I feel I've let not just myself, but everyone down.

Highly likely. City have probably structured deals for Jack and Kane to try to get both, but neither us nor Spurs are happy with the how the deals are laid out so it's stalled while they try to meet our requirements. <- Pessimistic hat. Or the lawyers are just re-writing Jack's new contract which has been upped since the bid and everything has to be signed off by Nas and Wes in different time zones before he signs. <- Optimistic hat.

ITSOTP (whichever one) or GTFO.

Nooooooo. I'm going camping with 2 City fans on Thursday for the weekend. Need resolution by then.

Possibly, but we would have probably heard. Unlikely. Again possible, but may just be that the clause /agreement said they would discuss things if £100m offer came in and Jack has already decided to go. His sources might not be as close to things as he thinks. If they are having the meeting now and he's off next thing we'll hear about is medical I guess. If he's staying there will probably be another day of contract stuff - maybe hear tomorrow?

Hopefully...New contract signed; we make progress up the table again and get into Europe; after the final game Jack does a big statement - I'm off on my hols and will be back for pre-season with Villa etc, etc.

If he was off or likely off and I was Dean, I'd have Jack doing gym and be working on playing without him. We Would need every minute to bed in the new guys and set new patterns of play without Jack so definitely wouldn't have him in normal training.

Still haven't heard anything more concrete about the bid - whether full 100m, or 90m+ add ons or 90m+ random youth player.

With claret and blue glasses off, it's a mid table side being offered the domestic record fee. It's not surprising non villa people would expect it to be accepted.

Well that's certainly an optimistic view for this weekend!

Maybe he didn't want out until a massive bid from City in the last couple of days. Maybe he still doesn't want out. He hasn't dropped any 'bombshell' that anyone knows about.

Yes we will. We are still a mid table PL club, with masses of cash and a plan to challenge for Europe. Still very attractive to most players even without Jack. But in any case, I still think he is going to stay.

Agree with this.

I don't get this. He's been at the club his whole life, stayed through relegation and obviously loves and supports the club. But he's being offered a move to pretty much the best current club, under the best manager in the world to play with some of the best players in the world for a record British fee. It's an amazing opportunity and anyone would consider it.

Surprised they haven't tried to drop in Josh Onomah somehow.

OK - £150m and Jack never plays against Villa.