January Transfer Window 2024

[Jareth]

9 hours ago, useless said:

Football fans talking about FFP, amortization, balance sheets, players wages, this and that value on the books, and accounts in general, reminds me of the sad spectacle of the lyrebird mimicking the sound of the chainsaws that have come to help destroy it's habitat. 

Hey I'm not in agreement with the whole point, but that was just a beautiful sentence 

[Mazrim]

I think Villareal's right back is perfect for us. But that's 'Foyth in' talk.

[TRO]

15 hours ago, useless said:

Football fans talking about FFP, amortization, balance sheets, players wages, this and that value on the books, and accounts in general, reminds me of the sad spectacle of the lyrebird mimicking the sound of the chainsaws that have come to help destroy it's habitat. Some football forums even have special threads to talk about other club's finances, and they're in there wishing peril on their rivals whilst studying their accounts, it's no longer enough just to hope that they lose on the football pitch. You wouldn't have to go too far back in time when the idea of all this obbsession with accounts would have seemed most alien and strange and not befitting of the spirit of football.

Plucked from the Annals of Mark Twain.

[TRO]

I am sceptical of the consistency, but one or two of Bournemouths players caught my eye.

One or two, give us something to think about.

do we really need to spend c £50 mill every time.....or is that the price for consistency?

[MWARLEY2]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

I am sceptical of the consistency, but one or two of Bournemouths players caught my eye.

One or two, give us something to think about.

do we really need to spend c £50 mill every time.....or is that the price for consistency?

I think that if we wanted a Bournemouth player it would cost us £50 mill. The Premier league tax and the fact that they will turnover probably 140 mill this season means that they can ask what they want.  Thats why we buy from outside these days. Its the conundrum of value vs experience. Especially as we earn less than every other team competing for the top 8 bar Brighton. 

[alreadyexists]

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Plucked from the Annals of Mark Twain.

[mikeyp102]

On 04/12/2023 at 00:03, VillaChris said:

Is Lenglet actually injured?

He's played a few games in europa for us yet isn't even making the bench for premier league. Can see Barca recalling him in January as he's playing way less than he was for Spurs 12 months back.

 

No chance Barca recall him, he’s not some young prospect, they don’t care if he plays or not, it’s wages off the book for them.

[TRO]

I think Solanke, could be good cover for Ollie...and Unai's coaching, be even better.

[sne]

1 hour ago, mikeyp102 said:

No chance Barca recall him, he’s not some young prospect, they don’t care if he plays or not, it’s wages off the book for them.

They want to sell him due to his ridiculous salary. Was linked to Bayern earlier in the week due to them having a couple CB injuries.

[Tomaszk]

1 hour ago, sne said:

They want to sell him due to his ridiculous salary. Was linked to Bayern earlier in the week due to them having a couple CB injuries.

They so stupid aren't they. Did they not stop and think....is this player worth £12m a year? 

Idiots. It's a shame the age of the idiot is ending. Once the top clubs sort themselves out, there won't be much left for everyone else. Super league will happen because we'll end up with every champions league side 30 points clear in domestic leagues.

[MotoMkali]

On 03/12/2023 at 16:20, rodders0223 said:

We won't be buying in January, we aren't selling our brightest and best to overpay in a January window.

I really don't think we have too much wiggle room for splashing the cash. Another marquee signing in the summer I'd think and not much else.

I mean I don't see why we wouldn't have wiggle room in terms of cash. We still have grealish sale on the books and this is the last year of that. We have spent about 100 mil quid every season we have been in the prem and whilst our wage bill has increased I don't see any reason why with extra revenue from European competition we should at least be able to get back to 100 mil. Right now we've spent like 80 mil if Diaby And Torres meet all their bonuses, about 63 mil if not.

I think a RB is a clear priority. And a replacement DM I stead of the Donk if we don't rate Tim for that. Those 2 would then replace Dendoncker and Chambers in the squad. 

[MotoMkali]

On 03/12/2023 at 16:41, Leeroy said:

Rubbish that we can’t spend any money. 

 

And we didn’t sell our best and brightest, Aaron Ramsey, Philogene and Archer would have got very little game time here hence the clubs where they ended up. Aaron Ramsey can’t even get a game at Burnley FFS.

 

Anyway a right back that is good defensively and offensively has to be a priority in January.

Ramsey has been hurt for what it is worth. 

[MotoMkali]

On 03/12/2023 at 16:58, Demitri_C said:

Still want frimpong if that 40m clause is true its a no brainer

For sure but the release clause seems to be for the summer not January and they would not sell given they can potentially win the league this year. 

[sne]

OK. Here is my semi-realistic shopping list for January if I were playing real life football manager. Will be really difficult to find better value for money out there but obviously there is nothing to say we could beat the competition for their signatures.

• Nico Williams €47m release clause (LW)
• Arnau Martinez €20m release clause (RB)
• Serhou Guirassy €17.5m release clause (FW)

Since I'd also love some Swedish talent at Villa I'd like us to bring in 2 of our brightest youngsters in:

• Lucas Bergvall 17 y.o CM who already has a full season of top flight football and has been called up to the national side for the January camp. He's from that Brommapojkarna 2006 youth team that destroyed every other club in the world until they got split up.

• Roony Barghji 18 y.o RW/ACM who's already a regular starter for FCK and playing in the CL. Also been called up for the national side for January.

Obviously it won't happen but one can dream.

[alreadyexists]

6 hours ago, TRO said:

I think Solanke, could be good cover for Ollie...and Unai's coaching, be even better.

Solanke would be excellent. If we could get him I’d be very chuffed with that

[thabucks]

Is that the same Solanke who has 17 goals in 110 prem games … WTF 

[DJBOB]

You know, ironically enough - Joe Gomez fits the profile of a RB/third CB too. Wonder if Gerrard would help us just a bit this time.

A few others that fit that profile - Klostermann and Simakan from Leipzig. 

Hickey from Sheffield would have to pay the prem tax for but can play LB/RB either going forward or staying back.

[Zatman]

3 minutes ago, thabucks said:

Is that the same Solanke who has 17 goals in 110 prem games … WTF 

But he scored against us so must be great like Leroy Fer or Neal Maupay

[DJBOB]

Solanke is a great counter-attacking CF and very physical against some CB's like Torres and Stones.

He is below average at linking play, holding up the ball, passing and is an even worse finisher than Ollie.

People talk about upgrading over Ollie - they'd have a coronary watching Solanke play week in/week out in Unai's system.

[paul514]

8 hours ago, thabucks said:

Is that the same Solanke who has 17 goals in 110 prem games … WTF 

Thats the one being suggested