[VANDERLEI]

Got to admit, I'm a bit confused with Rakeem, he does show flashes of brilliance, but I think he's far from the finished article.

I think Sam Field is better suited to the sitting role, & I've yet to see any consistency from Rakeem in an attacking role.

Pretty sure he's capable, but he seems to lack self confidence.

I think you are right about the self confidence. He still seems a bit tense when he plays. When he can relax and let things flow, he will start being more effective in making things happen. All in all, a fantastic start to his 1st team playing career and a very exciting prospect.

[AlbionFan]

Rekeem has been called up to England’s U19 squad

Well done Rekeem

[TheJacko2000]

He's a box to box midfielder. Needs to work on his finishing but he's got everything else required, bite in the tackle, superb passing range, time on the ball, good vision and good positioning. Closest thing to a Steven Gerrard you're likely to see coming through at Albion.

[Wigmore]

Got to admit, I'm a bit confused with Rakeem, he does show flashes of brilliance, but I think he's far from the finished article

Perhaps you could bear in mind the guy is (just) 19 years old.
I have never seen the 'finished article' in ANY player of that age.
Give the kid a break!

[overseas baggie]

He's a box to box midfielder. Needs to work on his finishing but he's got everything else required, bite in the tackle, superb passing range, time on the ball, good vision and good positioning. Closest thing to a Steven Gerrard you're likely to see coming through at Albion.

All of those things - yet remarkably in 3 months time he’ll have walked away as a free agent.  Gross negligence on the club’s part.

[Wigmore]

All of those things - yet remarkably in 3 months time he’ll have walked away as a free agent.  Gross negligence on the club’s part.

And just how was the club supposed to force him to sign?
The days of indentured servitude are long gone.

[baggiejohn]

Perhaps you could bear in mind the guy is (just) 19 years old.
I have never seen the 'finished article' in ANY player of that age.
Give the kid a break!

Not sure what you mean by "Give the kid a break"?

I said later on in my comment that I thought the lad had tallent, but  he needs to work on his confidence.
Is it no longer OK to give constructive critisism?

[OldburyWBA]

Played 73 minutes for the England U23, despite the criticism he gets on here and elsewhere he's obviously doing something right

another Baggie Nathan Fergsuon was an unused sub

https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2019/march/harper-involved-for-young-lions/

[overseas baggie]

And just how was the club supposed to force him to sign?
The days of indentured servitude are long gone.

Not force - incentivise. Should have been offered a better deal 12 months ago, one that he wouldn’t have hesitated to sign. But this club and the concepts of strategy and forward planning are total strangers.  The club’s hierarchy is a desperate shambles.

[Topman]

I assume the general consensus is that this lad won’t be signing now? If that’s the case can anyone tell me how much we are likely to get for him please?

[johnny Cash]

I assume the general consensus is that this lad won’t be signing now? If that’s the case can anyone tell me how much we are likely to get for him please?

Probably no more than a couple of million at best and a sell on, given past tribunals if he does leave.

[TiptonThrostle]

i could be wrong but surely how long this is dragging on is because he wants a certain salary and albion wont pay it ?

we need to be careful about giving him a 3-4 contract on too much money as it could just all go to his head and from what ive seen of harper this season he is a good prospect but not really set the world alight. he has done "okay" i would say.

it should be a gradual increase on his salary depending on performance and improvement IMO.

[KN22]

i could be wrong but surely how long this is dragging on is because he wants a certain salary and albion wont pay it ?

we need to be careful about giving him a 3-4 contract on too much money as it could just all go to his head and from what ive seen of harper this season he is a good prospect but not really set the world alight. he has done "okay" i would say.

it should be a gradual increase on his salary depending on performance and improvement IMO.

I totally agree with you Tipton. However, such is the mad world of football in this country he will no doubt have an advisor telling him that he can get him a far better deal elsewhere. So we either pay up or risk losing a very good young prospect (again!)

[Atomic]

Harper is a good prospect but he's not worth paying crazy money for.

Yes he's very young and he can and probably will continue to improve but we have to use our heads and offer him a deal that reflects what he is, a good prospect but he's not a 16 year old Wayne Rooney or a 17 year old Michael Owen. IF and I stress IF he and his advisers want more money than what is reasonable then let him go and re-invest the money elsewhere.

[chipperclark]

  He is "ONE OF OURS" so lets look after him and just get rid of the "deadwood" pulling wages because they had "mates" in management.

We have to build the team around great prospects from our "Youth" academy....even if it means another 12 months in the Chumps....some of these "kids" have the potential to "walk" this league next season.

[Albionic]

He is "ONE OF OURS" so lets look after him and just get rid of the "deadwood" pulling wages because they had "mates" in management.

We have to build the team around great prospects from our "Youth" academy....even if it means another 12 months in the Chumps....some of these "kids" have the potential to "walk" this league next season.

The words "some" and "potential" aren't quite enough though !   I think I may just have taken the bait, dammit !

[Mister AT]

It's a tricky situation in all honesty.

Yes he has a great amount of potential, we have clearly offered him a deal, from what I have heard we have improved the offer based on his continued involvement in the first 11. He knows whats on the table, his agent will obviously be talking to other interested parties to see what other deals he can get Rekeem, at this point no doubt he will try to force the club into offering a little more.

As a club we have to look at this as a business, yes he does have potential, but he has been involved with the first team squad for as long as Field, granted he has started more but you could argue Sam has had more input on games (goals, assists etc) from memory I don't think Harper has contributed any assists?

We have obviously offered him a deal, I would imagine of around 3/4 years with an option, on around 10k a week. Should we be bending over and giving him more? I'm not so sure.

If he believes the grass is greener elsewhere then so be it, he only has to look at Berahino, Izzy Brown, Yan Dhanda, Jerome Sinclair to know it doesn't always work out.

[iwastherein68]

It's a tricky situation in all honesty.

Yes he has a great amount of potential, we have clearly offered him a deal, from what I have heard we have improved the offer based on his continued involvement in the first 11. He knows whats on the table, his agent will obviously be talking to other interested parties to see what other deals he can get Rekeem, at this point no doubt he will try to force the club into offering a little more.

As a club we have to look at this as a business, yes he does have potential, but he has been involved with the first team squad for as long as Field, granted he has started more but you could argue Sam has had more input on games (goals, assists etc) from memory I don't think Harper has contributed any assists?

We have obviously offered him a deal, I would imagine of around 3/4 years with an option, on around 10k a week. Should we be bending over and giving him more? I'm not so sure.

If he believes the grass is greener elsewhere then so be it, he only has to look at Berahino, Izzy Brown, Yan Dhanda, Jerome Sinclair to know it doesn't always work out.

In my very humble opinion he is better than all of those, and he has already proved it .
Of course we could always borrow somebody like the Pole and pay him £100K per week, or evan Tosin at £54K for no commitment to the club whatever.

[stuvetti]

In my very humble opinion he is better than all of those, and he has already proved it .
Of course we could always borrow somebody like the Pole and pay him £100K per week, or evan Tosin at £54K for no commitment to the club whatever.

It is speed of thought that marks out the really top class players and Harper has that in abundance.
When you add that to pace and his physical attributes you have something special. At is age he is the best I've seen since Bryan Robson..... although in fairness our youth set up has been pretty poor until recently.

[darbolina]

The only question we should ask is - can he play in the first team? Answer - yes. Therefore, pay him what a young first team regular player is worth, sign him up long with triggers to uplift based on appearances and what division we're in and with a big release clause. I guess only if it were that easy...............

A big point for me is why we keep being in this position with promising young players, imagine if we'd taken the time to properly keep and develop the likes of
Chris Woods, Kemar Roofe, Izzy Brown, Tyler Roberts, Berahino (maybe unsavable though tbf)......

We're now in a position with a couple/ few new promising lads so lets see if the club are in a better place to deal with them................?

[iwastherein68]

It is speed of thought that marks out the really top class players and Harper has that in abundance.
When you add that to pace and his physical attributes you have something special. At is age he is the best I've seen since Bryan Robson..... although in fairness our youth set up has been pretty poor until recently.

Indeed he is mate. I watched Robbo as a kid on Saturday mornings in the Birmingham Intermediate League (Third Team) and you could see he had it all, but i genuinely think Rekeem can be as good. Of course it is all about how he handles himself. BR did not have the temptations that will be put in front of Rekeem, but even at age 19 his movement is better then Robbo's ever was, and he looks to have all the attributes. Sadly I am beginning to think he will be moving on. 

[Atomic]

Wow! Some of the comments in here are incredible. Harper is nowhere near as good as Bryan Robson was. Robson is possibly, probably, the most complete midfielder England has ever produced. Harper is very promising, but he's not in Robbo's league.

[Albionic]

Wow! Some of the comments in here are incredible. Harper is nowhere near as good as Bryan Robson was. Robson is possibly, probably, the most complete midfielder England has ever produced. Harper is very promising, but he's not in Robbo's league.

Have to agree about Robbo one of the few truly world class players this country has produced in last 40 years. Is Rakeem capable of reaching those standards ?  its far too soon to say !

[AlbionFan]

Wow! Some of the comments in here are incredible. Harper is nowhere near as good as Bryan Robson was. Robson is possibly, probably, the most complete midfielder England has ever produced. Harper is very promising, but he's not in Robbo's league.

Absolutely right, but I do hope Rakem aspires to “Pops” level of greatness. If he does, he won’t be with us long though.

[TiptonThrostle]

Wow! Some of the comments in here are incredible. Harper is nowhere near as good as Bryan Robson was. Robson is possibly, probably, the most complete midfielder England has ever produced. Harper is very promising, but he's not in Robbo's league.

exactly this.

comparing the two is just silly to be honest. you cannot compare Harper when he has only been in and around the squad since January.

its silly comments/views like this that put unnecessary pressure on kids.

like ive said, hes a good prospect, but hes not exactly set the world alight in my opinion.

different types of players but harper is 19, barnes is 21. lets see first if Harper is as good as barnes in 2 years. i will say no but i hope he is.