January Transfer Window

[Mister E]

We have given ourselves our great platform with the start we’ve made this season. I think signing a striker is really important for us to keep on improving and maybe stay around that top 6.
I wound try and sign someone to challenge Ollie for the starting spot. He’s been great and a wonderful improvement on Wesley last season, but he has only scored in 3 individual games so far. I know he’s been unlucky with VAR, but he does miss a fair few too.
Let’s cease the opportunity and go for it.

As I've said many times over the last year or 2, I think the days of relying on 1 or 2 centre forwards to score a fuckload and drag you up the table are over. The trend now is to have regular goals for 3-4 players and that's where we are. If Watkins and Grealish can get 10-12 each (which is easily in reach from where they are) and a mix of AEG, Barkley, Traore and Trez can get another 20 (again well within reach) and then the rest of the team get 20 between them that'll be 60+ for the season which is usually enough for being in the mix at the top so long as the defence is competent (ours clearly is with the number of cleansheets we've kept). I've purposely gone for the lower end on all of those as well, I suspect we'll finish the season with something in the 70-80 range because we look a massive threat every game right now.

I concur with your view, Paul. Any further forward signing needs to being something different and complementary to the capabilities that Watkins has: this would offer more in-game variety and tactical selections.
No idea who that might be, though!.

[TelfordVilla]

no reason why we couldn't sign a first choice centre forward and play Ollie off the left with JG playing 10. Plenty of flexibility up top then.

[mcgrath_85]

no reason why we couldn't sign a first choice centre forward and play Ollie off the left with JG playing 10. Plenty of flexibility up top then.

Yep. Exactly.

[darren woolley]

I wouldn't mind David Brooks of Bournemouth.

[OCD]

In the summer I was in favour of signing someone to play on the left and move Grealish to a number 10. Seeing him play as a number 10 though, I now think he's best on the left. So I think we would be better off buying Barkley and someone for him to compete against.

[Mister E]

I wouldn't mind David Brooks of Bournemouth.

Watched him last night (well, first half) and he wasn't particularly good. But - yes - he always seemed like one to watch.

[ChicagoLion]

In the summer I was in favour of signing someone to play on the left and move Grealish to a number 10. Seeing him play as a number 10 though, I now think he's best on the left. So I think we would be better off buying Barkley and someone for him to compete against.

i dont think we will buy Barkley.

[TelfordVilla]

Barkley has proven 2 things. He is a very good player. He is injury prone. How much would it take to sign him and how much of a financial risk is it.

[DrGonzo]

He has picked up an injury, that doesn't make him injury prone.  Also he has played a few games very well and that doesn't make him a good signing.  If we have the loan option for the season then there is no rush to make that decision yet. 

It is going to have to be a special signing to walk into the team this season, so I think any signings will be in terms of future development players that may also improve squad depth.  Hopefully some deadwood trimming may be achieved though.

[Lsvilla]

no reason why we couldn't sign a first choice centre forward and play Ollie off the left with JG playing 10. Plenty of flexibility up top then.

Yep. Exactly.

Might be dreaming - but imagine Diego Costa coming into that set-up

[Dave P]

no reason why we couldn't sign a first choice centre forward and play Ollie off the left with JG playing 10. Plenty of flexibility up top then.

I actually think Ollie will get more goals from that position.

[Percy McCarthy]

Villa's January transfer market according to the beeb:

Aston Villa
Don't expect any big-money moves here but manager Dean Smith may look at his attack. Ollie Watkins, the £28m club-record signing from Brentford, has been outstanding but Keinan Davis has not produced enough goals when he has had a chance.

January is a fraught market, especially for acquiring the priceless commodity of goals, as Villa discovered with the failed £8.5m signing of Genk's Mbwana Samatta last year. He is already out on loan at Fenerbahce.

Villa have long been linked with Werder Bremen's Milot Rashica but at this stage there are no plans for any serious spending.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55428143

A bit of me wants to think this might be a smokescreen. The missus has just asked me if I reckon we'll get anybody in, and midway through my explaining why I thought we'd not see much movement, something dawned on me. If you're our multi-billionaire owners, do you envisage a scenario in the next few years in which we're better placed to have a proper tilt at the title than we are right now in this crazy-arse season?

Exactly.

[Rudy65]

I wouldn't mind David Brooks of Bournemouth.

Watched him last night (well, first half) and he wasn't particularly good. But - yes - he always seemed like one to watch.

Decent player but looks a bit lightweight. Then again I said that about Modric when he signed for Spurs!

[jwarry]

Have we signed anybody yet?

[TheMalandro]

Have we signed anybody yet?

A 13 year old lad from Peterborough, according to my Peterborough supporting friend.