January Transfer Window 2024

[Leeroy]

1 minute ago, sne said:

Youssouf Fofana (Monaco) supposedly available for £26m or so according to Rudy Galetti. He would be a fantastic signing and as we know Monchi does like to shop in France.

A lot of big clubs sniffing around but why shouldn’t we be competing with them.

 

Fofana seems to be ahead of Kamara for France, although I think Kamara is slightly better myself so no guarantees Fofana would start here. Would be an excellent signing at that price though.

[MSvillain]

I could give each member 20 guesses and I don't think anyone could come up with who this panel have 'recommended' for us to sign in Jan.

Still massively disrespected as a club but per my post on the Emi thread, likely all to drive engagement.

 

[TRO]

1 hour ago, Leeroy said:

We’re in a fantastic position, we really should be willing to invest this month if we can bring in the required quality. If the only options are squad fillers then leave it.

 

My choices would be:

1. Right back: Frimpong 

2. Winger: Pedro Neto

3. Holding midfielder: Vermeeren 

 

Sell Dendoncker, Chambers and potentially Traore and send Zaniolo back if he isn’t going to be used. 

I think that is a contentious Issue in emboldened text....your suggestions are good, but a tad ambitious for January is my guess....I would like Wan-Bissaka, but hey ho.

However, One mans squad filler, is another mans prudent signing.....eg..John Mcginn, could have been one mans squad filler.

If we want a right back, the first thing to establish, is what you want him to do?....personally, for what I want them to do FWIW, I don't envisage spending big money....but its not my call.

If you want a player who doubles as a winger, we have them already...how many do we want?.....It seems we are having to play centre backs there, to get any semblance of defensive work.

If you want a player, who can defend first, and play out second, we might be able to seek one out, with not too much expense....I guess the recruitment team is on it.

Edited December 31, 2023 by TRO

[paul514]

31 minutes ago, Leeroy said:

I’d pay the £37m for Frimpong even if that was the only signing we made.

 

Would probably mean moving more to a 3-4-3 though with Kamara dropping into a back 3 with Konsa and Pau and Frimpong and Moreno/Digne playing as wide midfielders when we have the ball. 
 

Not too dissimilar to how Emery has set up away from home with Cash anyway, but with Frimpong a big upgrade on Cash particularly going forward.

Like you say, we do that sometimes anyway.

personally I don’t think it is needed and he will be perfectly fine in the current system 

[Derryvillan]

2 minutes ago, MSvillain said:

I could give each member 20 guesses and I don't think anyone could come up with who this panel have 'recommended' for us to sign in Jan.

Still massively disrespected as a club but per my post on the Emi thread, likely all to drive engagement.

 

"I do work on a transfer show,so there's been interest the last 2 windows".

What a cockwomble.

[beasley14]

2 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

Excellent:
Martinez
Konsa
Kamara
Luiz
McGinn

Very Good:
Torres (could easily be ‘excellent’)
Mings
Digne
Watkins
Diaby
Bailey

Good:
Ramsey (perhaps a little harsh)
Tielemans
Cash
Moreno (perhaps a little harsh)

Average:
Dendoncker
Buendia
Duran (still young - will improve)
Lenglet
Carlos

Rubbish:
Zaniolo
Traore
Chambers
Olsen

This is my current view of our squad. Probably missed a couple. We need to try and shift the rubbish in Jan/Summer as well as moving Dendoncker on too.

We need a right back most importantly. Konsa is a superb centre half and a good right back but I’d prefer him centrally. Cash isn’t favoured by Emery clearly. 

I could swap a couple of players but overall a pretty accurate assessment.  Thought you'd be a bit harsher actually.

[beasley14]

14 hours ago, ender4 said:

That IS the strategy!

It's a poor one imo, I don't see why they swap perfectly good academy players for unproven foreign ones 

[useless]

Chelsea's strategy had served them well for a long time, but that was when they were selling 'academy players' to fund the signing of proven top class players, recently they haven't been as wise with signings.

When I've watched them this season Gallagher has looked one of their more accomlished players, and their fans seem to like him too, so from that sense it seems a strange decision to sell him if that's what they're doing, and especially to Spurs.

If it was the old Chelsea would be more understandable, but in their current guise, they probably should be keeping him, even if they plan on buying better, I would have thought there are others they can sell instead

[VillaChris]

11 hours ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Can't see anyone being signed 

O.k that could happen. Just don't moan about our players being gassed in March/April then when we're playing high intensity games every 3 days and most of our line up have already played 40 games a season.

[Pongo Waring]

We should go for Juan Foyth. He is the RB we need. Strengthens our 11. Emery's man. Just pay the money. Also covers CB if ever needed.
Maybe we can get Alex Baena too to strengthen our left side. Very highly rated player who Emery knows all about.
Villarreal are 13th in La Liga so I think would be willing to sell both.

Alberto Moleiro could be alternative to Baena and one that would be willing to get mins from the bench.
Thiago Almada would be gettable in January another to help us with creative who can play 10 and the wing positions. 

Plenty of options out there. 

[Steero113]

2 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

Excellent:
Martinez
Konsa
Kamara
Luiz
McGinn

Very Good:
Torres (could easily be ‘excellent’)
Mings
Digne
Watkins
Diaby
Bailey

Good:
Ramsey (perhaps a little harsh)
Tielemans
Cash
Moreno (perhaps a little harsh)

Average:
Dendoncker
Buendia
Duran (still young - will improve)
Lenglet
Carlos

Rubbish:
Zaniolo
Traore
Chambers
Olsen

This is my current view of our squad. Probably missed a couple. We need to try and shift the rubbish in Jan/Summer as well as moving Dendoncker on too.

We need a right back most importantly. Konsa is a superb centre half and a good right back but I’d prefer him centrally. Cash isn’t favoured by Emery clearly. 

How in Paul McGraths name have you only got a man with 19 PL goal contributions in 20 games as "very good". 

What world are you living in? What are your standards?

[VillaChris]

39 minutes ago, MSvillain said:

I could give each member 20 guesses and I don't think anyone could come up with who this panel have 'recommended' for us to sign in Jan.

Still massively disrespected as a club but per my post on the Emi thread, likely all to drive engagement.

 

Against my better judgement I gave that a watch...content creators eh?!

Antonio been a solid player at prem level for many seasons but he's well past it now and injured so would be like us signing Drinkwater. Get the feeling one of the guys is West Ham fan and just wants payback for us dumping Ings on them 12 months ago.

[nick76]

22 minutes ago, useless said:

Chelsea's strategy had served them well for a long time, but that was when they were selling 'academy players' to fund the signing of proven top class players, recently they haven't been as wise with signings.

When I've watched them this season Gallagher has looked one of their more accomlished players, and their fans seem to like him too, so from that sense it seems a strange decision to sell him if that's what they're doing, and especially to Spurs.

If it was the old Chelsea would be more understandable, but in their current guise, they probably should be keeping him, even if they plan on buying better, I would have thought there are others they can sell instead

Yeah but if you listen to the more informed Chelsea fans they believe this is the strategy and it’s not about winning trophies but increasing the value of the club.  I didn’t believe how that could work but some of their astute financial fans think it is the plan.

I guess at a high level it would be buy £2.5bn, spend £1.5bn, sell for £5bn within 5 years.

Edited December 31, 2023 by nick76

[beasley14]

28 minutes ago, useless said:

Chelsea's strategy had served them well for a long time, but that was when they were selling 'academy players' to fund the signing of proven top class players, recently they haven't been as wise with signings.

When I've watched them this season Gallagher has looked one of their more accomlished players, and their fans seem to like him too, so from that sense it seems a strange decision to sell him if that's what they're doing, and especially to Spurs.

If it was the old Chelsea would be more understandable, but in their current guise, they probably should be keeping him, even if they plan on buying better, I would have thought there are others they can sell instead

I think the problem here is they have to sell him to comply with FFP.  Own goal when he's turned out to be one of their key players, something Mason Mount would still be if he was there.

[Jas10]

1 hour ago, cheltenham_villa said:

Anyone any idea of likely budget? The selling of young players for ffp and reliance on loans in the summer had me believing very little could happen right now. I certainly wasn't expecting us to be grappling for c40m right backs. 

 

We spent around £30m on Pau, initially around £30m on Diaby but around £50m if add ons are met, that’s not small change Key additions.

Wages and sign on fees won’t have been insignificant either and that includes Tielemans.

We only have Zaniolo on loan (with a view to permanent transfer and deal agreed for that if we choose to activate it) and Lenglet (an extra option we needed as we were short in central defence). 

Our transfer activity is thought out, planned and strategic these days. We don’t and won’t sign any old crap while Unai is here and now assisted by Monchi. No more Bednareks and Augustinssons, for example…

We’ve also managed to shift the “deadwood” too, even if only temporarily for a couple but some permanently too. Players that aren’t up to the level Unai demands and requires will not be sticking around and stinking up the place…

We don’t need filler or bodies, we just need the right enhancements or tweaks to what is an excellent base - look what we achieved with it (those players) last season once Unai arrived… We have some excellent players who he has elevated and even transformed.

No one outside the club truly has an accurate view of our finances and standing with FFP. It’s just guesswork really.

Maybe the youngsters weren’t just sold for that reason but also to get some proper game time and development?  And maybe that will allow us more capacity and capability to strengthen in this and future windows as well as our current standing in the league and progress…

E.g. Unai would have liked to retain JPB but he wanted regular first team football.

I think, we just make moves when and where necessary these days rather than being reckless or thoughtless.

An absolute quality not quantity approach which is exactly what we need… with the manager making all final decisions…

Edited December 31, 2023 by Jas10

[Delphinho123]

16 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

How in Paul McGraths name have you only got a man with 19 PL goal contributions in 20 games as "very good". 

What world are you living in? What are your standards?

Opinions my man, opinions. You could argue Watkins is excellent, yes. 

For me, he’s a little streaky. Very good player though. 

[Steero113]

Just now, Delphinho123 said:

Opinions my man, opinions. You could argue Watkins is excellent, yes. 

For me, he’s a little streaky. Very good player though. 

All for opinions, but in terms of goal contributions this season he's the joint best player in the league with Mo Salah as it stands. 

I'd say that's the category above excellent. 

[Delphinho123]

3 minutes ago, Steero113 said:

All for opinions, but in terms of goal contributions this season he's the joint best player in the league with Mo Salah as it stands. 

I'd say that's the category above excellent. 

Yeh, fair point.

 

[PerryBarrPet]

1 hour ago, MSvillain said:

I could give each member 20 guesses and I don't think anyone could come up with who this panel have 'recommended' for us to sign in Jan.

Still massively disrespected as a club but per my post on the Emi thread, likely all to drive engagement.

 

The cult of “bellendery” seems to be growing at SKY.

[MSvillain]

54 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Against my better judgement I gave that a watch...content creators eh?!

Antonio been a solid player at prem level for many seasons but he's well past it now and injured so would be like us signing Drinkwater. Get the feeling one of the guys is West Ham fan and just wants payback for us dumping Ings on them 12 months ago.

Sorry I put you through that, I only watched the 30 seconds related to us