I think we will agree a fee with Liverpool, agree the broad outline of a deal with the player, and then be matched or bettered by another club and 'tekers will end up there.

To me, Bolasie going and Benteke coming are linked so it will be a pain on that level if we can't do this.

We should have said final offer to Liverpool about two weeks ago, set a response deadline, and meant it.

(All this assumes broadly accurate reporting which might not be the case.)

If you want to live in a world full of kindness, respect and love, try to show these qualities.

I guess part of this is "welcome to top end player negotiations" we have a budget where "bigger" clubs can just chuck money about without to much though (pogbas 25 million to his agent for example) it's a learning curve for our management at this lvl .. Hopefully we can get him over the line though !

Arrgghhh. We're going to sign Marco Gabiadinni. AGAIN!

I agree with you. Its very ugly and all the extra PL millions seem to have done is greatly inflate prices and wages for players, especially strikers, and its depressing to see how agents are getting their snouts in the trough. I think SP as always is trying to obtain maximum value for money for Palace and its easy to forget what great business Palace have done, in terms of getting in early with Tomkins, Mandanda and Townsend. I think the Benteke saga has soured things bigtime for many of us. But clearly Palace are really trying to upgrade the spine if the team, from goalkeeper to striker, and are having to hang in there with bigger, more established and prestigious clubs. I Think its still worth trying to get 'bargain buys' in like HRK or Niasse, in the hope they may come off, but getting a genuine PL talent in like Benteke seems almost impossible, so we shouldn't get too heated if its taking a long time . Personally, I'd prefer us to kick all the hassle over Benteke or Berahino into touch, and try our fortune with a couple of promising/very good strikers playing for european clubs like Zaza or Babacar - or Slimani

Just a big scouse conspiracy!

Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

They should make it a FA Premier League regulation that all EPL players have to represent themselves and not allowed to have an agent. Now this would be an amazing law!

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