Jake O'Brien

[brap2]

It's a fair old chunk for us to spend on a third choice CB tbh so I wouldn't be surprised at all of branthwaite goes, even though everything else suggests to me that he isn't.

[Jamokachi]

[Kerryblueboy]

It's a fair old chunk for us to spend on a third choice CB tbh so I wouldn't be surprised at all of branthwaite goes, even though everything else suggests to me that he isn't.

That’s my worry o Brien is a good prospect but miles off branthwaite atm united will come back again and we can only hope we can keep him

[blueforyou]

JOB's a good 'un

[TheRam]

Just forward planning isn’t it?

We know Brathwaite isn’t going to be here long term.

Tarkowski as good as he is, is older.

Get the replacements in early, give them time to bed in and get used to the club so they’re fully ready to step in when required.

It beats selling your best players then scrambling around for a replacement when everyone knows you have £70m in the bank.

[brap2]

Certainly is the optimistic angle and I for one am choosing to believe it.

But it would be odd for us to have £20m of new player sat on the bench all year.

[Shogun]

Certainly is the optimistic angle and I for one am choosing to believe it.

But it would be odd for us to have £20m of new player sat on the bench all year.

Hasn't stopped Dychey before https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45076206

^ He made 1 premier league appearance for Burnley, although he did actually score. Guess who against.

[Bluedylan1]

Pretty happy either way tbh. If we've bought him to integrate for the longer term, sound, and if we're bought him to replace Branners this season, also sound.

We either get a decent succession plan in place for next season, or we get our new CB in place and add £70m to the coffers to strengthen other areas this summer. Both good outcomes.

[TheRam]

Certainly is the optimistic angle and I for one am choosing to believe it.

But it would be odd for us to have £20m of new player sat on the bench all year.

I’d say more realistic than optimistic.

He’s costing £15m. Really isn’t that much considering he will most likely be first choice soon enough.

He’ll probably play quite a bit as well. Certainly around 20 odd games or more.

[AjaxAndy]

Yeah it's just good forward planning. Whatever happens with Branthwaite we have to remember that playing Weds / Sunday for our champions league matches the season after this will require a bigger squad.

Best to get him up to speed now so he can hit the deck running in our group stage matches against Real Madrid, Copenhagen and Sporting Lisbon in just over 12 months time

[brap2]

I’d say more realistic than optimistic.

He’s costing £15m. Really isn’t that much considering he will most likely be first choice soon enough.

He’ll probably play quite a bit as well. Certainly around 20 odd games or more.

That's a lot more than our 2nd/third choice CB played last year. In fact in general dyche doesn't rotate a great deal, but maybe!

[Bob Sacamano]

General Dyche

[TheRam]

That's a lot more than our 2nd/third choice CB played last year. In fact in general dyche doesn't rotate a great deal, but maybe!

Just takes one injury for him to play a lot.

He’ll play enough but it’s a long term signing so there’s no need for panic if he’s not being used that much next season.

This is a good thing. The club are being pro active in the market, I don’t see any negative to it at all.

Even if Brathwaite is sold this summer, we have the replacement ready in waiting.

[cassius]

And he'll have signed knowing the plan we have for him and how much he's expected to play so it's all good

[Raptor]

The figures mentioned are standard now arent they for British players, although it does seem a bit excessive for someone that got sold last summer for 1 million and has done 'ok in France'. Im assuming itll be 15m rising, I havent seen enough of him, he looks ok, but nothing overly special. With Godfrey going and Keane/Holgate hopefully on their way it makes sense to get additional backup in.
Its strange he never got a look in with Palace at all and they decided to sell him so cheap. Im assuming he'll fill a void of being big and good with his head for Dyche