I’m very curious to see which clubs are interested in him. Legal issues notwithstanding, he’s getting on in years and we’ve proved that injuries can still be an issue for him. That being said, we’re probably never going to offer him a new contract, so if there’s a market for him then selling makes good sense.

It might hurt us on the pitch but I think selling him for a reasonable fee this year is the way to go. When he’s on, he moves our team up a level in a way that will be hard to replace. But the mix of his injury record with us, periods where his levels dropped quite noticeably last season, and the legal troubles that will continue to hang over him mean that this might be a good time to cash out on him, especially if we’re trying to overhaul our midfield and if there’s a market for him. We might lose out on the short term (experienced player and his fee probably won’t match his worth) but it could make it a forward-looking move if we get someone young with strong potential.

And then we gazump Chelsea for Caiceido!