Loyalty in football seems to be at an all-time low, with finances ruling the roost, and Delph becoming the latest example.
However, it seemed as though this statement was untrue for this promising Villain, that’s after hearing Delph’s comments less than a week ago. After all, Delph claimed that loyalty did still exist in football – “I’m not leaving” – the words of Delph only days before his departure.
Was Delph using this statement in order to get a better deal out of Man City? Ultimately playing hard to get?
Both Micah Richards and Scott Sinclair have become official Villa players recently, both of whom didn’t make it for the giants over in Manchester. It’s actually hard to think of an English player that has done amazingly well at Man City, and that’s something Micah spelt out to Delph. After all, sitting on the subs bench for most of the season rarely encourages your chances of securing an England place for the national team.
Did Benteke have an influence?
The same day that reports claim Benteke has more-or-less joined Liverpool, was it just coincidence? Could this have caused Delph to have a radical re-think? It’s hard to guess, but it’s possible, although it seemed fairly obvious that Benteke was outbound.
Did Man City return with an irresistible offer?
Reports suggested that Villa were ready to offer Delph a much greater wage within an extended contract, which was apparently with the condition that the get-out-clause would be greatly increased. Perhaps Man City’s offer was within a similar region to this offer, but maybe Man City returned with a much greater offer, tempting Delph to join.
There’s no doubting that Man City have bagged a bargain, and a quality England international. It seems as though the £8 million contract get-out-clause was generally based on the fact that Delph could have become a free agent – and Delph might have made the demand of such an amount. That’s when the contract clause becomes less of a puzzle.
However, Delph’s future depends on many factors, will he be the exception? Or is he destined to be another long-term sub without a true England career? Only time will tell. But, one thing is clear – loyalty feels like a word that shouldn’t be included within Delph’s vocabulary.
I can imagine many Villa fans purchasing the new t-shirt with Delph printed on the back, all based on Fabian’s promise to remain at the club. How disheartening for anyone in this situation and it would be nice for Delph to address that issue personally, somehow.
What are your thoughts on the situation? How do you feel? Leave your comments and feedback in the comments.