[BaggieSteve]

I'll reserve judgement on him for a few years and see how his career develops...

It's very disappointing on the surface. A young local talent who has scored a lot of goals.

But there's another side of me that thinks you can't bow to extortionate demands from someone who has yet kicked a ball at professional level. The fact he's already out for as much cash as he can get at his age might say a lot about his personality. Given our downfall, West Brom would be a good place to break through next season if he believed in his ability.

I've not seen any of his full games to forge any opinion on how much potential he has. I've seen highlights on Facebook and he's scored some very good goals but also missed his share of sitters too. I often take u23 stats with a pinch of salt as the standard is miles off the professional game. However, 7 goals at that level for someone just turned 18 is impressive.

But ultimately, our academy has yet to produce anyone who is Premier League class bar Saido Berahino who quickly fizzed out. Unless Cleary ends up being the exception to the rule, maybe we've offered him a fair deal and he'll just go on to be a drain on some Premier League club's wage bill like his greedy predecessors Izzy Brown and Jerome Sinclair.

Brown and Sinclair are both 25 now and will never make it as Premier League players (possibly not even Championship).

I almost forgot Nathan Ferguson. He's on Crystal Palace's wage bill but in 2 years he's made 1 sub appearance. I have a suspicion he might never make the grade and quite possibly could be an injury crock.

Of course Ferguson could still make it at the top level.. Likewise Cleary, Tim Iroegbunam and Louie Barry.. Or they might not...

(If they do, Cleary especially, I'll be gutted we didn't offer him more cash).

Whatever outcome, it does make you wonder if it's even worth having an academy. It must cost millions to run and it seems players either don't make the grade of where we aspire to be (Premier League) or leave for nothing. While we have received fees for a few of our academy players (Saido, Tyler Roberts, Sam Field, Leko) I very much doubt it has covered our costs. You do wonder if it would be more cost effective to buy young senior players and make money through increasing their value. It's almost like clubs just follow this cookie cutter approach of having an academy even if it doesn't work for them.

I agree, Slick, that there is absolutely no guarantee of any academy players making it at the highest level and the examples you cite are very relevant. I think my biggest beef - apart from the ludicrous situation of 18/19 years old players with no senior track record making exorbitant demands - is our inability to make us an attractive club in which to develop your young career. I appreciate this is the result of the growing pressure of elite clubs with massive reserves who are prepared to offer eye-watering deals to players with 'potential' and whose advisers only have an interest in the short term money benefits. But I'm coming round to your last point of the value of an Academy, although my understanding is that this is a requirement for the club, certainly if it wishes to be in the Premier League.