Jack Butland ... £30m ?

[Clarets4me]

" Telegraph " reporting that Stoke are looking for offers of £30m for Jack Butland, in the summer ... It's behind a paywall, but article text is .....

Stoke City will demand a fee close to £30m for England goalkeeper Jack Butland this summer.

Butland is emerging as a target for Bournemouth and Crystal Palace, and Stoke are expecting bids to come in for the 26-year-old shortly after the end of this season. His future will be in the spotlight after it emerged Gareth Southgate has told him he needs to be playing in the Premier League, or one of the top leagues abroad, to be assured of staying in his plans for the England team.

Stoke are under no pressure to sell Butland, who has over two years remaining on his contract, but recognise that the prospect of a top-flight return will make it difficult to keep him. However, the Championship club will refuse to accept a cut-price deal and are seeking a fee close to the £30m paid by Everton for Jordan Pickford two years ago. Pickford was a record signing for an English goalkeeper, with Everton paying Sunderland an initial £25m, and Stoke believe Butland deserves to be valued in the same price bracket.

Butland has nine caps with England and played over 75 games in the Premier League with Stoke after joining from Birmingham in 2013 for £3.5m.
Stoke are expecting other departures this summer, with Wales international Joe Allen likely to be a target for Premier League clubs including West Ham and Watford. Nathan Jones, the manager, is ready to make a number of changes ahead of next season with Senegal international Badou Ndiaye set to return after a loan spell at Galatasaray.

Record signing Giannelli Imbula and Kevin Wimmer, who cost over £35m between them, are also expected to return from loan spells at Rayo Vallecano and Hannover 96 respectively, but it is understood they are unlikely to figure in Jones’ plans. After the 2-2 draw with leaders Norwich on Easter Monday, Jones said: “The owners here are superb and we will change this. We will make sure we are on an upward spiral.

“We’ve had to change a lot around the environment and the training ground and we’re getting there. It’s going to be a big summer but we’re ready for a big summer and we’re looking forward to a big summer.”

[ClaretAndJew]

About right for a current England International goalkeeper

[GodIsADeeJay81]

£35 million on 2 players who were then loaned out and won't feature in the managers plans...

Some people on here would be having an absolute fit.

Sensible price for Butland too.

[Vegas Claret]

Pope has to be worth at least the same then

[FactualFrank]

Thankfully, it's not a position we'll need anytime soon so long as Heaton remains fit and ready. The best keeper in the Premier League.

[claretblue]

"It’s going to be a big summer but we’re ready for a big summer and we’re looking forward to a big summer.”

there's going to be a big summer!

[randomclaret2]

Is there such a thing as an 'Upward Spiral ' ?

[FactualFrank]

Is there such a thing as an 'Upward Spiral ' ?

It's a progressive rise or fall, so I guess so.

[LeadBelly]

Is there such a thing as an 'Upward Spiral ' ?

Logically, I guess so but the jargon opposite of "downward spiral" is usually "upward trajectory".

[No Ney Never]

Pope has to be worth at least the same then

Come and join me in cloud cuckoo land Vegas, that's where cricketfieldclarets believes anyone who thinks Pope is worth 30m lives.

[boatshed bill]

Come and join me in cloud cuckoo land Vegas, that's where cricketfieldclarets believes anyone who thinks Pope is worth 30m lives.

I'm there too. But Nick Pope needs to be playing to attain that sort of market value.

[FactualFrank]

We need to keep hold of Pope. We're knackered if Heaton got injured next season and Hart had to step in. Sell Hart and keep Pope until a suitable replacement is made.

[kaptin1]

I'm there too. But Nick Pope needs to be playing to attain that sort of market value.

Perhaps we should loan him to Stoke when they sell Butland to maximise his value...

[boatshed bill]

We need to keep hold of Pope. We're knackered if Heaton got injured next season and Hart had to step in. Sell Hart and keep Pope until a suitable replacement is made.

Sell Hart? Good idea if we can find a buyer. Would Stoke be interested?

[mikeS]

Buy him. You can never have enough keepers.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

Buy him. You can never have enough England keepers.

Fixed that for you.

[dsr]

We need to keep hold of Pope. We're knackered if Heaton got injured next season and Hart had to step in. Sell Hart ...

For £35m.

[dsr]

Is there such a thing as an 'Upward Spiral ' ?

I believe many spiral staircases go up as well as down ...

[FactualFrank]

For £35m.

Go on then.