I did read the entire discussion and hence called out your apparent "logic". I don't understand how you refuse to see why clubs wouldn't go for the likes of Lingard/Pereira for that sum. It's easier to look at it with benefit of hindsight but did it seem obvious smalling would do well at Roma or Lukaku or Young after their performances over the last year?
Clubs often look at the bigger picture and the last season though important isn't everything. Lingard is 27 and has more than a few years left. 20m in todays market is reasonable. Pereira is better (from a buying standpoint) - can play multiple positions and is younger. Jones can easily do a job and will be good for any PL club (except top 6) I mean it is not written in stone but to not consider it a possibility? Presumptuous at best.
I agree we probably can't get all of these over the line but the clearances since Ole should point to how it is definitely possible even though not obvious. Roma doesn't want to meet Smalling valuation? Well it'll be their loss considering a lot of PL teams will swoop for the sum we are expecting.
Lastly try having a mature discussion without all this shit about reporting posts or bringing up football manager and "logic". It's your viewpoint and frankly not a well educated one; It's basic tripe to assume Lingard is a nobody, perreia can't make a decent pass and Jones is injury prone. Thankfully football teams have more long term thinkers/planners who'd see value where it is not apparent rather than go for the popular opinion. Getting 50m for these 3 is reasonable.
Edit: also transfer fee is one way for reccuperting the sum. Wages like Sanchez/Lingard are on, will take a lot of our books in the long term.
You said you read the entire discussion and yet you are still referring to the Lukaku & Young situation despite of my explanation in the discussion that their situation are different to the ones that we have at the moment. Both Lukaku & Young were still performing for us compared to others, thus why it's not as difficult as the others to find club who wants to meet their valuation. Agree?
However, when you look at the likes of Lingard & Pereira who are considered as attacking midfield, they have been so incredibly under-performed with no end product to offer. The likes of Jones & Rojo are injury prone while Smalling is going to turn 31 years old. There is no reasonable reason for clubs especially the mid table & low table team to take a risk to meet the valuation (see below quote) at this stage.
Shall I remind you of what happened to Darmian? Even with Smalling performing well with Roma, they are still hesitant to meet our 20m valuation. You are speaking about clubs often look at the bigger picture, and yet I don't understand how yours & the poster's reason is so narrow.
You need to understand when spending such a money on players who are not performing, club will look at the chances of the players to recover their form or career and whether they can be worth the money for long term or selling them later on. Player like Memphis was regarded talented and at young age, Lukaku still managed to be our 2nd highest top scorer last season, while Young has such a small valuation that club has no issue to pay for it, clubs will be willing to take a risk to meet the exact or similar valuation. Never mind all of these, you also need to see what the covid 19 will impact financially on the club's transfer budget which makes them to think even twice to spend the money. Agree?
The likely chance to happen is that we need to lower the price than what their actual value, otherwise they are not interested to buy but only aim to go for loan deal to play safe and ensure whether the player is worthy. Lot of these clubs are smart enough to see that we need to sell the players, and they will take the advantage to bargain.
Comparison with Lukaku & Young situation are way off & expecting clubs will take a risk to pay such a money on players that majority are under-performed and some of them are in their 30s based on Transfermarkt & having Manchester United players in their CV show lack of the bigger picture in the discussion, on top of it the amount of business that are made in short period of time is strengthened my point that it becomes more unrealistic as we will expect club try to do negotiation to get lower price and it'll take time. Thus, I see no logic, you can agree & disagree though regarding being disrespectful but to me the poster's excuses/reasons are so narrow and he/she keep repeating the same thing in every post which pulled the trigger.
This is the poster's valuation for him to get his dream of Sancho, Grealish & Koulibaly:
Smalling: 20m
Lingard: 22m
Pereira: 20m
Jones: 9m
Rojo: 10m