Jephers coming to other Clubs attention

[Tugboat]

Hoping no scouts are watching him today

 

[jerryatricjanner]

Second in the League 1 scoring charts with Piggott now. Only Clarke Harris above and he has played 3 more games.
100 minutes per goal is better than the next best of Clarke Harris with 132 minutes per goal.
He hasn't a single assist though.

 

[philevs]

So many on here say it, but I don’t fully agree that Jephers “lacks pace“.
Over a 40-50 yard straight sprint, yes.
But he has pace where it is needed over short distances of 10-20 yards, and also because of his sense of anticipation and the cleverness of his runs he almost always gets to the ball first, and that is the important thing.
Raw pace like Byron Moore has, for example, is a completely different asset.
Will certainly be interesting to see who comes in for him in Jan. Personally I don’t think he’ll want to leave, because he will know that Argyle is the best place for his development.

 

[oldage]

So many on here say it, but I don’t fully agree that Jephers “lacks pace“.
Over a 40-50 yard straight sprint, yes.
But he has pace where it is needed over short distances of 10-20 yards, and also because of his sense of anticipation and the cleverness of his runs he almost always gets to the ball first, and that is the important thing.
Raw pace like Byron Moore has, for example, is a completely different asset.
Will certainly be interesting to see who comes in for him in Jan. Personally I don’t think he’ll want to leave, because he will know that Argyle is the best place for his development.

I don't think he will leave in January. Not the best time for us or him. If he continues to score he will be worth a lot more, if his form drops off he is young enough to bounce back. Also money is short at the moment so any offers are likely to be well below his true valuation.

 

[jerryatricjanner]

I'd be very surprised if he left in January, I think it would take a huge offer to tempt us which in the current climate is unlikely. I think Jephers would be in a great position to renegotiate his contract though as one of the division's highest scorers.

 

[Devongreenowl]

Does anybody actually know when his contract expires?

 

[Bermudian Green]

I believe he signed a two-year contract in the summer.

 

[xmastree]

I believe he signed a two-year contract in the summer.

Do you actually have the information on that? No one else seems to know and, given his advance this season, its pretty crucial info.

 

[jerryatricjanner]

I believe he signed a two-year contract in the summer.

Do you actually have the information on that? No one else seems to know and, given his advance this season, its pretty crucial info.

In view of his age and the goals he scored last season I would be amazed if it was anything less than a 2 year contract. The club might be wise to offer improved terms in the New Year, that's if his agent hasn't already raised the subject.

 

[xmastree]

I believe he signed a two-year contract in the summer.

Do you actually have the information on that? No one else seems to know and, given his advance this season, its pretty crucial info.

In view of his age and the goals he scored last season I would be amazed if it was anything less than a 2 year contract. The club might be wise to offer improved terms in the New Year, that's if his agent hasn't already raised the subject.

Totally agree from the club's viewpoint. But there are 2 parties to any contract, and young players can be influenced by agents who have their own agenda.

 

[Devongreenowl]

I believe he signed a two-year contract in the summer.

Should you have said ‘I’d like to believe……'?
Argyle never made the details public, so only someone with inside knowledge would know.

 

[Guiri Green]

So many on here say it, but I don’t fully agree that Jephers “lacks pace“.
Over a 40-50 yard straight sprint, yes.
But he has pace where it is needed over short distances of 10-20 yards, and also because of his sense of anticipation and the cleverness of his runs he almost always gets to the ball first, and that is the important thing.
Raw pace like Byron Moore has, for example, is a completely different asset.
Will certainly be interesting to see who comes in for him in Jan. Personally I don’t think he’ll want to leave, because he will know that Argyle is the best place for his development.

There's a bit of an obsession with pace - or the lack of it - these days. Luke's strengths are his positioning and anticipation. Reminds me of Teddy Sherringham and his ability to always be johnny on the spot. Look at Luke's movement for both his goals yesterday, the first he moved back from the goal to find the space to score, the second, he started running from the back of the cluster of players at the same time the ball was launched. He anticipated where it would go rather than just watching it.

That's where his value and recognition lies.

 

[Dan Ellard]

Britt Assombalonga spent the start of his career with a year at League 2 Southend, where he scored 16 goals. He then had a year in League 1 with Peterborough where he scored 33 goals. Nottingham Forest then signed him for £5 million rising to a potential £8 million, aged 21 - the same age Jephcott would be next summer.

Of course there are a few caveats - Assombalonga had more pace and power (like others have said, the old English obsession with physicality over technical ability!), plus he spent 2 years scoring goals for fun - Jephcott only has 1 year of that so far. Also, maybe Forest were desperate and overpaid for him. However, if Luke continues to score near to his current rate until the end of this season, plus when you consider how the market has become even more ridiculously "monied" since 2013, I don't think it's at all stupid to want a fee somewhere near to what Assombalonga fetched. It's certainly not "pie in the sky" or "far-fetched" to want any kind of 7 figure sum for him.

Right now, I'd want an absolute minimum £2.5m plus serious add-ons for him. If he keeps up this scoring rate until the end of the season, make that £3.5m.

 

[Dan Ellard]

I see others in this thread have quoted 500-750k as being acceptable... that's what we got for Ladapo, when we were effectively a League 2 club, he was 5 years older than Jephcott, he'd flopped at pretty much every club he'd been at before joining here, and, most importantly, his movement and link up play (which Jephcott is deceptively good at) was absolutely pish.

Why on earth would we settle for something similar for Luke?!

 

[Graham Clark]

I think the most useful comparison might be Olly Watkins. He went a couple of seasons without making much of a mark before being sent out to Weston Super Mare where he rediscovered some scoring form. His overall record for Exeter City was 21 goals in 68 appearances with 13 in 45 of his last season at St James Park. He went to Brentford for a reported £1.8m

Jephcott has scored 17 in 38 plus 5 in 18 at Truro City after following a similar path to prominence to Watkins.

As the last two games have shown his partnership with Hardie has flourished. As Sam Parkin observed their movement was difficult for Charlton to deal with. Add to Luke’s rare ability to find space and be in the right place, often just ahead of the defender in the six yard box we have a most promising partnership that’s hopefully will continue to deliver as they did for them latter part of last season.

The ‘fox in the box’ will appeal to some Championship clubs, particularly those in the lower reaches. However, very few teams these days play with a two (3-5-2 or 4-4-2) and I do wonder whether Luke will be so effective in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 which require a different requirement of a ‘front man’. It may be why he never was able perform under Derek Adams.

For me his career will benefit from staying at Argyle under the tutelage of Ryan Lowe under who he has improved immeasurably. What happens at the end of the season will depend on a number of matters not least Argyle’s finances at the end of this COVID wreckng season. May be then he might be tempted to follow in Watkins footsteps for a comparative price.i