January Transfer Thread: Speculation, Lies, Absolute Cr*p and Bosman Rumours

[Mazrim]

Henderson is a goose necked gobshite. We have better already and more promising coming through. I'd be disgusted if we signed him.

[eamonn]

Goose-necked gobshite...gotta be a chance to use that on someone. Fantastic!

[ozzjim]

Sinclair is a good call. Would add pace and a good goal threat from wide.

I can see Henderson being offered in some kind of makeweight for Bent. Maybe him and 6-7 million for him. Not that we will accept, I can just see it being offered.

[JJ-AV]

Riise and Sinclair both good shouts. Latter would only be a loan though, I imagine.

Not Henderson, clearly lacks drive and bet he's on big wages.

[Mazrim]

We're better off going for somebody like Zaha or Ince (or both) than Sinclair. Somebody we can keep for instance.
Most likely there will be fellows from the continent we've been looking at though.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

We're better off going for somebody like Zaha.

I'm all for that, so we can sing
'Knowing me, knowing you ZAHA'

[nigel]

We're better off going for somebody like Zaha.

I'm all for that, so we can sing
'Knowing me, knowing you ZAHA'

Would be nice, but, I doubt if Holloway would sell to us

[nigel]

Can't we just persuade Chelsea to do a straight swap Bent for Torres?  :-) sure it would never happen but it would suit both clubs they need a poacher and we need a striker who can work off Benteke.

Still firmly believe there is a cracking player in Torres, just needs to find himself at the right club

Mentioned that on another forum and got slated by a few.
I totally agree, though, he just needs to 'find himself' again

[Mazrim]

If he left Chelsea he'd find himself back in Spain.
I'd love him here but it's just not at all likely and I'm a hopeless optimist.

Even if we could afford it (he's probably on 150k per week or more and would cost upwards of £20m) I think the MO is develop our own superstars now. Which I'm in favour of.
What we need to do is go and find the next Torres, who is maybe 20-21 now. Then use whatever financial muscle we have to make it happen.

[paulcomben]

This speculation thread has lost its lustre, since PL is not allowed to pay the wages required by any of the players that any of us has actually heard of.  Loans: OK. Signings: look down the leagues or overseas for players.

[Mazrim]

Well, I dont see why he couldn't pay relatively big wages to a player if it was required but I just don't think he wants to.
And I'm not too bothered if I haven't heard of a player. Unless you're an absolute authority on world football there's bound to be loads of players coming through that you haven't heard of. I also think it's more interesting.
There was a certain mystique and intrigue around Benteke for instance.

[tomd2103]

We're better off going for somebody like Zaha or Ince (or both) than Sinclair. Somebody we can keep for instance.
Most likely there will be fellows from the continent we've been looking at though.

Doubt we would get either in the January window, yet both would be good targets for the summer.  Sinclair on loan would be a good stop-gap from January until the end of the season.  I can't say I have seen a lot of them, but from what I have seen, Ince looks more of a goal threat (likes to cut in from the right and shoot with his left foot) than Zaha, but Zaha looks stronger and more direct.     

[Mazrim]

Why couldn't we get either of them in January?

We'll probably have a bit of money to spend and represent a big step up.
Money talks.

[garyshawsknee]

Don't think a player can be registered for three teams in one season. So that counts out Sinclair.

[spaf]

Who are the latest viking lunatics who would rather cough up their own ribcages than let goals in? Find us one of these gentlemen.

I'm pretty sure you are looking for Pontus Jansson (Malmö FF). 21 years old (I think?) CB, tall, strong and has a bit of Martin Laursen about him. Made his debut in the full national side in the Zlatan vs England game. He played something like the last 10 mins or so. Wont probably come cheap, but not overly expensive either. My guess around 2,5-3 m£.

zlatans bicyclekick you know about these other guys I scouted in ten minutes from Transfermarkt:

Even Hofland - 23 (born feb), 3 caps for Norway, recovering from ACL rupture, sign him up.

Vegard Forren - 24 (feb), 5 caps for Norway

These guys play in the backlines of Molde FK, the best team in Tippeligaen and haven't too many caps and are still in Norway so don't know.

Stefan Strandberg - 22 (jul), Rosenborg FK, no caps (21 U21), any good?

Juhani Ojala - 22 (jun), Young Boys Bern, 5 caps for Finland, great passer, played little under a year on higher lever (than Finnish league)

Daniel Höegh - 21 (jan), OB, in danish national squad, no caps yet

Jores Okore - 20 (aug), FC Nordsjäelland, in danish national squad, no caps yet, shortest of the bunch with 183 cm

I guess it'd be more expensive to buy someone from Switzerland than Scandinavia, but had to have a finn there as well. I didn't look at the players already in the money leagues.

What do you think about Joel Pohjanpalo? I think he could be gettable and he is highly regarded. From the current crop of young finnish players Teemu Pukki is probably the best one but would probably cost about 4-6 million pounds, if he'd even be willing to move from Schalke.

Pohjanpalo (18 yrs, born sept)will play at a decent level depending on how he can fulfill his undoubted promise. He sees the game well and contributes to play also outside of the box. Pohjanpalo's a cultured forward who feels the best role for him is the one Robbie Keane played for Villa. He's certainly got what it  takes but I haven't seen enough (few matches in the league and some U21s) of him to have a definite opinion on his best position. Pohjanpalo can finish with both feet and head.

He would have scored most likely even more last season (11 in 29 in the league / 19 in 43 in all positions) if he hadn't played with minor instep injury that requires surgery now and forces him to the sidelines for two to three months. Well, now he can build strength in the mid section, Forssell can help him with that.

For the national team's and his own sake I hope he first goes to Netherlands or lower level team in the Bundesliga where he'd get full games at a higher level for a season or two. Wouldn't mind him at Villa either, though. I believe he could also play the Weimann role after a season or half on a higher level than Finnish league.

Liverpool offered him a contract before last season, but as a smart lad he'd rather fight for a playing spot in HJK Helsinki and a chance to play men's matches instead of most likely youth games in Liverpool. He has a good head on his young shoulders. Lure of big league academies often proves to be irresistible for Finnish youngsters.

Ojala looks like a younger meaner Mellberg.
So without having seen him play, sign him up.


Pukki used to play for a team called Koo TeePee. Are they in the Jawa league?
His record is so so. If we're looking to get a young scandinavian striker I'd look towards John Guidetti.

Ojala's playing style is more like young Hyypiä's, a few years in Young Boys will work wonders for him. I don't want to get too excited about him yet. He's only just become a starter for Young Boys and the national team. He's a great passer of the ball, but as he's young he's also prone to mistakes. As Yoda most likely would say about him: a very good player can he be.

KooTeePee used to be KTP, The Worker's Ballplayers of Kotka, now many disparagingly refer to them as the vowels.

Pukki's like Jermain Defoe although not as good as him (yet ).  Guidetti would probably suit Villa better.

edit. fixing me language