Today it has been announced that Elijah Adebayo has received interest, and an enquiry from Scottish Championship side, Hearts. It has been greeted with mixed view from the fans, and as ever, there are pro’s and con’s to both selling, or keeping him. So what are they?
Money vs Contract
Darrell Clarke has only been able to sign free loans this transfer market, and with money tight, the transfer offer for a player will tempting. It all depends on the offer. We know that an approach has been rejected, but if Hearts really want him, and come back with another bid, then the board will have a difficult decision to make, especially given how our hands have been tied with recruitment so far.
This is where the contract part comes in to play. Gaining income from a player, with sell-on fees and future fees potentially involved, could prove valuable for Walsall. Having the funds to recruit during this transfer window, and avoid losing a player for free over the summer may be in Leigh Pomlett’s thinking. This is all dependant on factors that only the board will know, and they will no doubt have a figure in mind for every player, and if that is hit, a decision will need to be made.
Promotion vs Form
Walsall Chairman Leigh Pomlett, has discussed in videos that he wants promotion, and that means keeping a hold of key players. Adebayo has been leading the line in recent weeks, and with Josh Gordon being utilised behind, or out wide, and Lavery out of favour, options for a striker are limited. Many feel that if Adebayo is sold, then the club are giving up on hopes of a play-off push, unless that money is reinvested, unless the recent additions are to play a more prominent role.
Then there is the discussion of form. Adebayo has been leading the line, and holding the ball up, well of late, but he has not scored in his last six games. Elijah is a confidence player, he will go on a run of goals, and then hit a dry spell. With the interest in him, a slight concern will grow that his heart is not longer at the club, and the spells of goal-scoring will be few and far between. Form is not just regarding Adebayo, the whole team is low on form at the moment, and losing a key player won’t exactly help that, which is something the board, and of course, Darrell, will have to decide.
The board and management will have to look at the form and promotion chances, ad work out whether their goals are better achieved with Adebayo at the club, or the funds from him leaving. Promotion will play a big role in his future. Gain promotion, and the chances of him staying greatly increase, as it will be a higher league, probably a higher wage, and the chance to show you can perform on a slightly bigger stage. Not achieving promotion will increase the risk of him leaving for free.
Trust
This is a little more ‘under the surface’ than the other points. Elijah makes up a key core of the squad that fans have been calling to be signed up longer term. Fans will be expectant that if he remains at the club, every effort will be made to secure Eli for a long term stay at Walsall. This goes back to the promotion element, but it is the relationship between fans and club, rather than Eli and the club I want to look at.
Under Jeff Bonser, we would probably have seen Hearts sign Adebayo by now, but Leigh Pomlett is standing firm. This is the first public enquiry we have known about (Josh Gordon and Burton seemed more like a rumour rather than anything concrete), that could see a player leave. Pomlett and Clarke have made the right decisions when it has come to keeping players at the club, with McDonald, Holden, and Rose signing, or re-signing.
We will see the patience of fans tested either way. Keeping Adebayo means fans will expect more of a play-off push from the side, losing him will see fans calling for a replacement.
Adebayo
The biggest point above all of this, is the player himself. If Pomlett recieves an offer that he sees fit, it is up to the player if he decides he is better off staying at Walsall, or moving away. He seems to have found a home here, and his game has improved working with this setup.
It depends who comes in for him. Hearts look set to return to the SPFL, and will have their eyes set on a return to European football within a couple of years too. That is a much bigger stage than a side looking to achieve League One security in the same time period.
Time will tell, and we are set for more of these stories, and decisions with a lot of the squad out of contract this summer.
