MelvinBragg

Club stating that the length of time he'll be out for will only be known once he's had the operation. Didn't know Scott Mullen now did horoscopes for the paper as well now.. Figures I've heard in 3 to 6 months. 6 months would be Christmas so I guess being back before that would mean he would be at the lower end of rehab time. Which would be lucky for him. You see, there's your story there: guy out for 3-6 months, if he's back before the 6 months, it'll be good luck for him. In other news, water found to be wet...

The game last night showed how thin the squad is. It's good that Cornelius, Devine and McAlear got game time, but are they ready to be part of the first team squad? Concern would be that the club were banking on some of the Turnbull money for signing on fees and it may hold up or derail plans. At least 3 or 4 players short to my mind...

Positives are he doesn't go to Celtic this summer. Will they come back in? Depends on whether they are able to get any of the other targets they were apparently going to move on to. If anything, his injury should at least mean we don't see the spectacle of Scott Brown going for his 'dodgy' knee at Fir Park second game of the season... Negatives? How long will he he out for? Will he be the same player? It's early to have this conversation but it's a serious question. Even with a successful outcome, does this issue affect other teams' willingness to take a punt on him next summer. £3m is a lot for Motherwell to miss out on. Don't expect the usual suspects on here to give the club the credit they deserve for standing their ground but you can't have everything...

Identified how?

It looks like we're bending over by simply negotiating, that would be some people's opinion. And the newspapers are reporting that the two clubs are negotiating. I'm coming round to the idea that we simply say "£3m plus or fuck off? Simple choice...

Couple of thoughts. Turnbull has played pretty much every game since October so I can only assume it's not an injury but something that looks like it could become a problem. Any player can get injured at any time though so we shouldn't be entertaining a discount on that basis. I find myself wondering if the Norwich deal fell through on this basis rather than him choosing Celtic. However if we keep him, do we then send him for any treatment/operation required and then see no benefit as we sell him in January? My fear is that this drags on through the summer and affects our preparation for the new season....

Personally I'm starting to look forward to the meltdown on here when the number 9 jersey is handed to an unproven trialist...

Pearson second time round was worth it if only for the playoffs...

What's your 3 in midfield in this scenario? Just curious as I reckon we're quite light in there...

Tell him Allan Campbell...

I agree that 4 more signings would be a minimum I'd expect. We've lost our 9 or 10 first team players this summer. Look particularly thin in midfield and attack...

Hope it's just a turn of phrase, note Steven Robinson on SSN saying we hoped to add "a couple more" signings Really hope we're looking for more than two more players. ..

We have made it perfectly clear that he's for sale. If there was serious interest from down South, they should have made a bid. You say that we gave in to the first larger bid. You make it sound like we took a bid of £800k. We received and accepted a bid of £3m for a player that has made 30 first team appearances. Doesn't seem unreasonable to me...

Aye, probably means it's true. He'll need to hit the ground running as I don't imagine he'll be universally popular with fans there given the carry on of the last week...

I don't realistically see the sale of Turnbull changing our budget. And it shouldn't...

I know we're still looking to add players, particularly in the forward areas but having looked again at the squad numbers, what struck me is how thin we are in midfield. Unless Polworth is earmarked to replace Turnbull, or Donnelly and Grimshaw are seen as viable defensive midfield options, we have only two centre midfielders in Sloth and Campbell. Or are we expecting Semple or Cornelius to step up. A big ask... Starting to get a bit concerned about the upcoming season. I know there's over a month til the league season starts but even games against Morton and Queen of the South could be tricky without a working midfield...

Interested to see squad numbers announced and numbers 9 and 11 still up for grabs (and probably 7 as well). Expecting Aribiyi to take 11 but looks like the main striker hasn't arrived yet...

Tinfoil hat on. Wouldn't surprise to Celtic come back in 2 or 3 weeks if there's no other offer, offering far less than £3m hoping that we panic and also that Turnbull drops his demands due to lack of concrete interest elsewhere.. Obviously hoping this isn't true but would be a kick in the balls...

I suspect he'll end up at Celtic but it does make me laugh that Scott Brown saying how great a place Celtic would be to play his football is him 'welcoming' Turnbull to Celtic...

Getting the impression that not many Motherwell fans want a 'bidding war'. They simply would rather he didn't sign for Celtic. Whether that's because they don't want to see him sign for another Scottish club or they feel a move down South or abroad would be better for his development or that they feel a sell on from another club would be more lucrative, I don't know. I suspect it's a combination of all those reasons...

I suspect that even with the money available down South, the fact that he'd not be seen as first team ready might mean a fee of less than £3m. Particularly if we are then getting him back on loan. Whether £2.25m with an increased chance of a decent sell on bonus later on (his value will grow ridiculously quickly if successful in England - or even if unsuccessful, look at Solanke) might be better long term than getting nearer £3m now and a smaller sell on when he leaves Celtic? That's a separate question. There may be interest elsewhere but it may be that Burrows is right when he says that only Celtic are offering the larger fee for the initial sale with other bids perhaps promising more further down the line. Are we willing to roll the dice and gamble on more money down the line. .?

I had heard £20k a week was on offer. Don't believe that, suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle...

Trying to think of players we have had on loan from other Scottish clubs. Sheridan Elliot Gomis McBride Sammon Can't think of any more right now (red wine a factor? ) but those names are hardly a ringing endorsement...

Not saying it would be the case but given how 'transformative' the sum of money was, if a player decides he wants to go to a club offering a £1m lower transfer fee, how popular is that player going to be with the board? It's a possibility, that's all...

Likewise. No other club matches the fee, he's made persona non grata at Fir Park so ends up at Parkhead. That's what my gut is telling me...