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

[Lamb_Stockmix]

Carragher played (and played well) for Liverpool last night. Surely the only way he'd consider a move right now would be if he wasn't getting a look in.

Agreed. Same with Hangeland. He captained Fulham last night so I just can't see him moving.

[Brend'Watkins]

Right eastie QPR might well stay up, but their spending means that if they don't they will go under. I want Villa to spend, but it needs to be sensible. Just because QPR have rich owners now doesn't mean they won't just walk away. I'd rather we signed a couple of players for sensible fees and sensible wages and survived if we went down, rather than spend an insane £12.5 million on Chris Samba and gave him over £100K a week and folded as a club if we went down.

Exactly. Redknapp is doing the only thing he knows and that's stupidly spend his way out of trouble.

Samba at 28 years of age and £12.5m is crazy.  When he's 32 they won't get back even 1/3rd of that, then there's the £6m wages every year for 4 years.  That equates to practically all of next seasons TV money spunked out on Samba.

He is a good player but is he £100/£120K a week good?  No he isn't.  If they go down will they be able to off load him?  If they stay up how can they afford him and the rest of their recently recruited mercenaries? 

[Greg N'Ash]

Just can't see an old head arriving with lambert in charge. What is his oldest signing btw? Papermache Ron?

[Clampy]

Carragher played (and played well) for Liverpool last night. Surely the only way he'd consider a move right now would be if he wasn't getting a look in.

Agreed. Same with Hangeland. He captained Fulham last night so I just can't see him moving.

Hangeland is out of contract in the summer though so a couple of million might tempt them.

[paul_e]

Relegation would cost the club many times what a few million today could - we must get players in to give us a chance of survival.

but only the right players.  Signings for the sake of spending money won't help.  We need players with the right skills and character.  I want us to find those players and spend the money but if the option is sylla and nothing else or him and a danny graham/Kenwyne Jones style signing then I'm happy enough if we don't spend the money.

Given that we seem to have found a big strong midfielder we now need a central defender and we could really benefit from another central midfielder, a left back and a winger who can play left and right (and has a bit of pace and trickery).

I don't expect Cylla and 4 more so I'd focus on the defender for the time being, we need to start keeping clean sheets, we have strikers capable of taking chances but we shouldn't need them to score 2-3 every game to stand a chance, which is the case currently.

[olaftab]

We think TATA to take over? Or just JLR as sponsor?

Neither will happen. Being associated with a football team in UK  , being it is the biggest market for the company, adversely effects sales. You isolate a very large population of potential customers.

[fbriai]

TATA?

Rumours from where?

It would be JLR as our sponser.   My source via India reckons its in talks.

You sure they aren't confusing it with this?

JLR owner Tata in takeover talks with Aston Martin, claims insider

[Concrete John]

Just can't see an old head arriving with lambert in charge. What is his oldest signing btw? Papermache Ron?

This 'kid' thing bothers me a little.

OK, some where.  But KEA, Holman and Vlaar are all 25+ with international and Champions League experience.  Guzan he re-signed at something like 29 years old.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Houliier on Sylla

French under-21 international Yacouba Sylla will become Villa’s first signing of the transfer window today – with another arrival expected before tonight’s deadline.

Sylla, a 22-year-old defensive midfielder, has been given a promising endorsement by former Villa boss Gerard Houllier following his £1.75 million move from Clermont Foot.

Houllier claims the powerful six-footer, who was linked with Queens Park Rangers and Fulham earlier in the transfer window, is highly thought of in their natvie France.

Sylla arrives from Clermont, who are 14th in Ligue 2, and his capture continues boss Paul Lambert’s policy of recruiting young players hungry to prove themselves in the Premier League.

“He’s a good defensive midfielder, sometimes he can play a little bit further up,” Houllier told the Birmingham Mail. “He is very strong and powerful and he is one of the best players in their team.

“The French Ligue 2 is a similar standard to the Championship. I have spoken to one or two people at Clermont and they say that he can play at a higher level, certainly at Ligue 1 in France.

“He can either play in front of the defence as a sitter or he can play in a defensive midfield triangle.

“Clermont have a good reputation for supplying players for Ligue One in France and he would have made that step up next season.

“In England , in the Premier League at Aston Villa it will be a massive challenge for him, but he is thought of in France as a very promising player.”

Villa were priced out of a move for France international and former Houllier target Moussa Sissoko, who instead made his debut in Newcastle’s victory at Villa Park on Tuesday night.

They are still hopeful of pulling off another incoming deal before the window shuts at 11pm.

Stoke have enquired about a swoop for Darren Bent, signed by Houllier for a record fee two years ago, with Tony Pulis believed to have tentatively discussed the striker’s availability with Lambert.

But there has been no bid made by the Potters and it is thought they would only pursue their interest if they were to sell either Kenwyne Jones, who is now expected to stay at the Britannia Stadium, or Peter Crouch, whose mooted return to QPR has hit a snag.

[eastie]

Carragher played (and played well) for Liverpool last night. Surely the only way he'd consider a move right now would be if he wasn't getting a look in.

Agreed. Same with Hangeland. He captained Fulham last night so I just can't see him moving.

Hangeland is out of contract in the summer though so a couple of million might tempt them.

Maybe but would he want to come to a club 19th in the table?

[Phil from the upper holte]

Maybe Carragher  on loan? He isn't a regular at the 'The Mighty Reds YNWA'

[Greg N'Ash]

Just can't see an old head arriving with lambert in charge. What is his oldest signing btw? Papermache Ron?

This 'kid' thing bothers me a little.

OK, some where.  But KEA, Holman and Vlaar are all 25+ with international and Champions League experience.  Guzan he re-signed at something like 29 years old.

yeah but 'keeper's are different. You've got 5+ years left at 29. I just can't see him buying say a 31year old defender with no re-sale value at the end of his contract.

[Clampy]

Carragher played (and played well) for Liverpool last night. Surely the only way he'd consider a move right now would be if he wasn't getting a look in.

Agreed. Same with Hangeland. He captained Fulham last night so I just can't see him moving.

Hangeland is out of contract in the summer though so a couple of million might tempt them.

Maybe but would he want to come to a club 19th in the table?

Who knows.

[PaulWinch again]

Right eastie QPR might well stay up, but their spending means that if they don't they will go under. I want Villa to spend, but it needs to be sensible. Just because QPR have rich owners now doesn't mean they won't just walk away. I'd rather we signed a couple of players for sensible fees and sensible wages and survived if we went down, rather than spend an insane £12.5 million on Chris Samba and gave him over £100K a week and folded as a club if we went down.

Exactly. Redknapp is doing the only thing he knows and that's stupidly spend his way out of trouble.

We will see how stupid when they stay up and pocket the multi millions in tv rights.
He is bringing in some quality players , cant fault him for that, . Samba and remy will improve them greatly.

The increased TV revenue won't help them that much. I can fault him for that and look at some of his previous clubs for proof of what happens after he's gone.

[Irish villain]

If we could get Riise and a strong centre back I would be reasonably happy. There aren't any links at the minute but we need to beef up the back-line.