January 2016 - Transfer Rumours, Speculation & Suggestions

[Brend'Watkins]

Someone totally obscure with the size and ability of Benteke would do nicely.

[Boz]

Striker and Goalkeeper

We still have Okore to come in at centre half

and the options of Ilori & Gardner have to be exhausted in defence/midfield before go out buying more in my opinion

Agreed

[Boz]

Reckon it'll be some forward from Ligue 1 who most of us won't have heard of but who will actually sound quite decent as more reports come out about him.

Hopefully that process is already well underway.

I thought Remi had indicated no more players from France at the moment

[cdbearsfan]

I'd like another ball-winning midfielder. I think Sanchez and Gana are absolutely vital to our prospects but it's unrealistic to expect them to play every game without getting knackered/injured/banned so we need someone else in their position, even if it's just back up.

I don't think we need a right-back or centre-half. We have Okore to come back and have Ilore and Crespo as options.

So:

Goalkeeper £10m
Left-back cover  £2m
Nutcase midfielder cover £3m
Centre-forward £20m

Is all we need.

[brian green]

I suspect that is to put the spies from other clubs ie Leicester off. Remi will be being watched like a hawk in January if he does know a new Benteke playing for FC Ordures in Ligue 3.

[fredm]

I'd like another ball-winning midfielder. I think Sanchez and Gana are absolutely vital to our prospects but it's unrealistic to expect them to play every game without getting knackered/injured/banned so we need someone else in their position, even if it's just back up.

Maybe Gardner can be that back up.  Personally I have always thought he was lacking in pace to be an "up and down" midfielder but I think he has the mentality to be coached into a holding position and undoubtedly has the ball playing ability to pass it accurately.

[not3bad]

Guzan worries me nowadays so I'd make a goalkeeper top priority in January.  Other than that I think we need to see how the players get on with Garde as manager and once players like Okore and Kozak have had a go. 

[ADVILLAFAN]

Maybe Marshall from Cardiff City? Hutton probably knows him from the Scotland team.

A 20 goal a season striker would be nice, can we get Benteke on loan?

[not3bad]

Benteke's started scoring for Liverpool so I think we can forget about that.

[john e]

Benteke's started scoring for Liverpool so I think we can forget about that.

I'm not sure he's settled in all that well,
he missed a sitter yesterday and the scousers didn't want him in the first place so they will be tight on his back if he doesn't get on the score sheet regularly

I know there's no chance of him coming back,
but if we were going to spend 20 mill + like D Bent days, which I doubt , but if we were we might as well spend 30 and give him and them a choice to make

this team and this manager with the big man up front again would be dreamland

[IFWaters]

I do hope Remi gets the most out of the current squad, and I believe in most cases he will.

But given the size of the challenge we have , and the risk that we would do a Leeds if we failed it, I think there is a lot of sense in Lerner properly coughing up for some short term loans in January. In addition, in a couple of spots we are arguably at risk of an injury ruining the whole thing - even if Guzan does well, if he gets injured we are really down to bare bones.

Of the players currently in the wilderness in their own squads and likely to be available on Jan 1st for a 6 month loan, I think Valdes and Remy fit the bill perfectly. I know it doesn't address the long term but if we survive then bids for Lacazette can follow in the summer.

Looking at the fixtures we have a nice little run from Christmas to mid Feb when we need to really rack up the points :

- West Ham home and away
- Norwich home and away
- Sunderland away
- Palace at home
- Leicester at home
- Baggies away

plus FA Cup from frankly we should field reserves for that - Gabbys last appearance etc...

[Villa in Denmark]

I do hope Remi gets the most out of the current squad, and I believe in most cases he will.

But given the size of the challenge we have , and the risk that we would do a Leeds if we failed it, I think there is a lot of sense in Lerner properly coughing up for some short term loans in January. In addition, in a couple of spots we are arguably at risk of an injury ruining the whole thing - even if Guzan does well, if he gets injured we are really down to bare bones.

Of the players currently in the wilderness in their own squads and likely to be available on Jan 1st for a 6 month loan, I think Valdes and Remy fit the bill perfectly. I know it doesn't address the long term but if we survive then bids for Lacazette can follow in the summer.

Looking at the fixtures we have a nice little run from Christmas to mid Feb when we need to really rack up the points :

- West Ham home and away
- Norwich home and away
- Sunderland away
- Palace at home
- Leicester at home
- Baggies away

plus FA Cup from frankly we should field reserves for that - Gabbys last appearance etc...

But we're not in the same situation as Leeds. Randy wrote off all the debt owed to him last year, converting it to equity (essentially selling shares to himself to the value of the debt.)
Leeds owed money to all and sundry through finance deals that essentially mortgaged their expected CL earnings to pay for players.  (Ray Ransom - one of Randy's competitors - was broker for most of the finances if I recall.) Leeds were screwed by missing out on CL for one season and not making their mortgage payments.

We've got no mortgage payments to make.
It would purely be a question of how much Randy was prepared to finance to have a go at getting back up.

[Grande Pablo]

There was a love in on WM for Jordan Rhodes tonight which whilst logical as a pairing with Gestede - & as much as I like thee latter - I don't think this is the answer.

[four fornicholl]

mr ellis kept us as a liquid club for several years and still we aren't drowning in debt
lerner seems to be doing the same but we have to speculate to accumulafe
alexander lacazette even at 30 million is a no brainer if it keeps us up

[pauliewalnuts]

mr ellis kept us as a liquid club for several years and still we aren't drowning in debt
lerner seems to be doing the same but we have to speculate to accumulafe

Lerner is only stopping us from drowning in debt because he has written them all off.

If any of that money had been owed to someone not quite so benevolent, we'd be totally fucked by now.