L Evening Standard: City were tonight close to completing a deal for Roberts

[Southdowns White]

Let him go and take the money now, the hype surrounding this player will become a distraction for everyone else, of course it's a gamble but would you like Fulham to invest this amount of money on a very young could possibly make it player. If he does make it The coaches at Fulham can use it as a carrot to attract more youth players to our club and use his example as a motivational stick for the young players already at our club. In 3 years time when he possibly ends up like most of the youth players of his age, how many people will be saying "we should have sold him when we had the chance"

[supersimmo123]

Let him go but get him back on loan for the season

[hovewhite]

From the players point of view it looks a good move,im not convinced hes going to be as good as everyone thinks as he looks lightweight as a player and don't believe hes ready for the championship let alone premier league Hyndman and lvc look like the young lads that are going to be important to the club in the short and longterm,so we get an offer of 10 mill take it and wish Roberts good luck playing in there development squad and thank him for his service to the club.

[filham]

I will be so sorry to see Roberts leave, to me he looks likely to be the best talent we have had since Haynes.

However, we have to face the facts of Championship life and admit that we cannot keep him if the likes of City are prepared to offer him a lucrative deal and a big future.

Lets just hope we us the money well, no more signings like Marlet, Mitroglou and Ruiz please.

[Rupert]

Agree with much of what has been said, stupid not to sell him if he won't sign a new contract.

I do love the OP's comment about Khan having to go, though. Who is going to buy him out, eh?  064.gif

[McBride78]

On the positive, it is good business for the academy to have so many young players drawings interest from big clubs.  Will help recruitment and development, as well create a model we can sustain.  Someone mentioned Southampton earlier and I must admit they just seem to reload from thier academy.  They do sell players (seems like they lost half the squad to Liverpool last year), but reinvest with smarts, and continue to bring more youth up.  The academy to some extent provides players and funds buys of needed players to keep them in the prem. 

I would put this batch of youngsters we have up against any group i have seen in the last 10 years at Fulham.  Betts, LVC, Hyndman, Dembele, Wood, Roberts...sure some will go.  Some we will sell, but a few will stay and grow into great players here. 

To the orignal subject matter, Roberts for 10 Million could be good business depending on how the negotiations are going on his contract.  We don't know, but if they are at a stalemate, you take the 10 million and reinvest.  10 Million invested correctly, with the transfer funds we already have, could make the squad extremely competitive immediately.

[Scrumpy]

Maybe they'll chuck Fofana into the deal?

I will be unhappy about Roberts going but not as much as if/when we sell LVC!
We've lost David (plenty been said on that already) but I thought he had real potential.
We've apparently  067.gif got that lot down the road sniffing around Betts.

It wont be long before we hear about Scouse, Spuds etc sniffing around LVC and Hyndman.

SO sell I hear some say - "for a little team like Fulham in the championship, these are good deals" 

Well not so in my mind. May as well stop the new stand planning as it will be wasted with only 5k in the stadium again!
We need to keep our best youngsters and build around them or at least use them regularly. We need to build the stand with promotion a must.
Otherwise I can see us going backwards to bad old days with managers like Dicks! 

Nice sentiments but if Pat won't sign the new deal being offered to him, what can the Club do? I am sure we've offered him a very, very good deal but if he wants to go, he wants to go. £10 million now or nothing next summer?

[Chesh]

Let him go but get him back on loan for the season

This would suit all parties, surely?

[Two Ton Ted]

He won't go for nothing next summer as the selling club is entitled to a fee up to the age of 24, but the fee would be significantly lower than if he was under contract.

If he doesn't want to sign a new contract the club has no option but to sell.

Regardless, Khan Out and Kit Off! I don't want to feel left out...

[God The Mechanic]

Let him go but get him back on loan for the season

This would suit all parties, surely?

What would be the point in getting him back for a season on loan?  Weren't there loads of complaints when we brought Fofana in as it would stop the progression of our own young players?  Roberts is not the finished article or anywhere near, why would we want to not play say Williams (when he's back fit) in order to play someone we have just sold?

[Apprentice to the Maestro]

Let him go but get him back on loan for the season

This would suit all parties, surely?

I don't think so. Roberts will have to step up a level to make even a reasonable contribution for us in the Championship next season. I would rather be developing our future players such as Williams and Plumain.

[Roberty]

He won't go for nothing next summer as the selling club is entitled to a fee up to the age of 24, but the fee would be significantly lower than if he was under contract.

If he doesn't want to sign a new contract the club has no option but to sell.

Regardless, Khan Out and Kit Off! I don't want to feel left out...

I got my Kit Off and my Khan Out, it got me arrested

[spikey norman]

According to ESPN  it is a done deal with Man City.
£5 million up front rising to £10 million with add ons

[Lighthouse]

Good luck to him if true. Sadly I doubt we will ever see 10 million. He is a way from being a first team player at Fulham let alone City.

[Syd Cupp]

In my opinion if Pat goes to city he'll become the new Scott Sinclair.

[epsomraver]

In my opinion if Pat goes to city he'll become the new Scott Sinclair.

:plus one:

[MJG]

In my opinion if Pat goes to city he'll become the new Scott Sinclair.

Does that mean he gets to go out with Helen Flanagan as well?

[FFCBerks]

Take the money - £5m + add-ons/£10m, whatever. Reverse the tables - we've got a stack load of cash to spend and Pat wants away from A.N.Other FC. Would we pay that much for him right now? Nope. So as much as I'd love to see him destroying the back line in a Fulham shirt,  to gamble on the potential greatness of one player against a much stronger squad is not the sensible thing to do. But when did sensible matter at FFC...

[nose]

Pat roberts is worth far more to us than what Man city are offering if he plays and is part of a successful team that gains promotion

In todays mad transfer system, the quoted values are far too little for a player with his potential..man city and the other big boys are gambling that we will just role over. We need to keep him and try for success. But he has to play and i don't see why he shouldn't.

If we fail to go up and he just leaves, well at least we gambled on being an improved team... if we let him go we are more likely to guarantee failure.

[BedsFFC]

I've had very lean times, ok times, some excellent times and the last 3 years have just been utterly drab. Had 2 season tickets in Jol's last season and went twice. It wasn't a rebellion, it was just so boring. Last season was also just so drab.

I'm a fan but I'm also a punter.

Our Academy has been the one shining light in 3 years. Staying up till 4am watching the Dallas cup online was fun. Being the most exciting team at academy level was fantastic.

Occasionally you get a player that gets you off your feet.

Occasionally you get a player that "is one of our own"

Patrick Roberts has been with us since he was 13. I have been so excited about watching him in a Fulham shirt.

I really don't give a monkeys about the cash. Its not like we are skint and desperate for a cup run to pay the wages. Our Chairman is the 6th richest Chairman in British football. The money for Saha, Smalling or Dembele made me no richer, happier or gave me better football to watch.

I really could do with some good news from this club.

Those individuals that oversaw our relegation have so much to answer for