January 2023 Transfer Rumours, Discussions and Done Deals Thread

[Risso]

Perhaps Unai doesn't do panic buying. He has the self confidence to wait until his targets are getable.

He'd be the first manager who ever lived not to want to strengthen then.

[pauliewalnuts]

I just don't agree with the "it's OK to leave it until summer" line at all. We've got a depleted squad now, and we need new faces. If we leave it until summer, we'll first of all have to fill the spots that need filling, and then also try to add some quality to what we've got as well if we want to improve. So if we do that, we're trying to integrate 5-6 new players all at once, or if we still only buy 2-3, we're standing still again at best. At least if we were to make a couple of signings now, there's half a season to bed them in.

Yep.

Fuck knows how many years in recent times we've done shit or no business in January and left it till summer, just writing off season after season.

If we're going to have a go at it, we need to drop this meek attitude of 'maybe later'. I know it is hard signing players now, but it isn't impossible. We should be doing everything we can to get what we need.

Carrying on with 'ah well, maybe next year' is the surest way to lose players like Martinez and Kamara, and TBH, who can blame them?

[Brazilian Villain]

Read elsewhere that we are trying to sign an experienced centre forward - could we be one of the clubs interested in Michail Antonio from West Ham?

I'd rather sign Mikhail Baryshnikov.

[Dave]

Perhaps Unai doesn't do panic buying. He has the self confidence to wait until his targets are getable.

So why reduce our attacking options (an area in which we were already short) by one while waiting for those targets?

[PaulWinch again]

I just don't agree with the "it's OK to leave it until summer" line at all. We've got a depleted squad now, and we need new faces. If we leave it until summer, we'll first of all have to fill the spots that need filling, and then also try to add some quality to what we've got as well if we want to improve. So if we do that, we're trying to integrate 5-6 new players all at once, or if we still only buy 2-3, we're standing still again at best. At least if we were to make a couple of signings now, there's half a season to bed them in.

Yep.

Fuck knows how many years in recent times we've done shit or no business in January and left it till summer, just writing off season after season.

If we're going to have a go at it, we need to drop this meek attitude of 'maybe later'. I know it is hard signing players now, but it isn't impossible. We should be doing everything we can to get what we need.

Carrying on with 'ah well, maybe next year' is the surest way to lose players like Martinez and Kamara, and TBH, who can blame them?

Yep it’s a nonsense. You can’t clear the decks in January and leave yourself short for the rest of the season.

[Beard82]

Im sure we have a list of targets we are working through - and I would imagine they will drop.  Its just whether from the page "First Choice Signings" - Or the "If all else fails get these" page. 

[Smithy]

I just don't agree with the "it's OK to leave it until summer" line at all. We've got a depleted squad now, and we need new faces. If we leave it until summer, we'll first of all have to fill the spots that need filling, and then also try to add some quality to what we've got as well if we want to improve. So if we do that, we're trying to integrate 5-6 new players all at once, or if we still only buy 2-3, we're standing still again at best. At least if we were to make a couple of signings now, there's half a season to bed them in.

I'm certainly not saying its "okay", just that the fact we've not been that active might be more than a simple case of the owners don't want to spend any more. It's not that we don't want to buy players. We need more players, obviously.  Our squad is definitely weaker than it was on 31st December, and I still think we'll bring a couple in - but I do think the summer is much more important in Unai's rebuild.

Maybe Unai is very clear in that he only wants the players he wants, and he'd rather wait and rely on what he's got that sign the 3rd or 4th choices for a gap he's got? I can't for one moment think there is anyone at the club thinking, "That'll do for this window, we're okay now".

[Risso]

We'll see by Tuesday 11pm I guess.

[Drummond]

We definitely need players, and so far we've brought in one striker and let two go out. We've let a midfielder go. We appear happy to send a defender back having brought one in.

Overall we need more for sure. Everyone wants new front players, and there aren't many about. We enquired about a couple of big names that haven't come off, but it doesn't mean we're not still looking.

I trust Emery, and his vision, but, yet again, we're a couple short. Let's hope we get it sorted.

[Drummond]

And I agree, there's no point in compromise and trying to fit a square peg in a round hole just because it's a nice peg.

[Beard82]

Cant we try and nick some of Leicesters players - I think Maddison or Harvey Barnes would be ideal for us?

[algy]

I just don't agree with the "it's OK to leave it until summer" line at all. We've got a depleted squad now, and we need new faces. If we leave it until summer, we'll first of all have to fill the spots that need filling, and then also try to add some quality to what we've got as well if we want to improve. So if we do that, we're trying to integrate 5-6 new players all at once, or if we still only buy 2-3, we're standing still again at best. At least if we were to make a couple of signings now, there's half a season to bed them in.

Well, the thing about buying players is that someone will have to be open to selling them, right?  Clubs who still have a reasonable shot European qualification (or win something) aren't so likely to want to scupper their own chances by letting a key squad member leave.  Clubs who're embroiled in a relegation battle aren't going to want to start waving the white flag unless they're well and truly down.  And at this stage of the season pretty much every club either thinks they might qualify for Europe or they might get relegated.

So, what are you left with?  Players that their clubs don't want (e.g. Drinky, Coutinho, ..), ones where you trigger the player's release clause (e.g. Moreno), and a handful where the league season is different from our own (e.g. Duran Duran).

I'd assume by signings nobody means Drinky Mk II, and players who play in summer leagues don't tend to be the premium ones.  Which leaves us attempting to trigger release clauses or paying well over the odds for players.

I just think maybe, if we finish the window with Moreno & Duran, we'll have done alright.  I know, this is a perfect opportunity to push ourselves forward and so I really do hope that there's a player or 2 somewhere that we're working on.  I do think if we were to sign (say) Nico Williams and Matteo Guendouzi we'd actually be in a situation where we might - whisper it - be in with a bloody good shot at needing passports next season.  Cos I think we've got a very decent squad already, don't have so many matches that we have to worry about 4th choice defenders or 2nd choice keepers too much, and potentially just getting a forward so that Bailey can move back on to the wing might be literally all we need to see us through to the summer (when hopefully we'll have European football, so will have better options in the 2nd choice keeper / 4th choice defender market).

But yeah.... one of them, innit?  Going to be difficult to find players to improve on what we have without getting our pants pulled down.

[Smithy]

Imagine if you were a Newcastle fan, sat in 3rd with a very real chance of Champions League football this season, with the richest owners in world football, and your only January signing so far is a £300k Aussie kid loaned immediately to Hearts.  AND you've loaned out the £25m forward you signed a year ago.

We are not alone in finding January hard. The only team really making significant improvements is Chelsea, whose owner is treating the transfer market like an episode of Supermarket Sweep.

I still think two more, one permanent and one loan. One of them a forward.  The squad will be slightly down in numbers, but hopefully slightly better in quality.

[Beard82]

Imagine if you were a Newcastle fan, sat in 3rd with a very real chance of Champions League football this season, with the richest owners in world football, and your only January signing so far is a £300k Aussie kid loaned immediately to Hearts.  AND you've loaned out the £25m forward you signed a year ago.

We are not alone in finding January hard. The only team really making significant improvements is Chelsea, whose owner is treating the transfer market like an episode of Supermarket Sweep.

I still think two more, one permanent and one loan. One of them a forward.  The squad will be slightly down in numbers, but hopefully slightly better in quality.

Thats a very good point - I also don't think we would be that excited by the idea of Gordon rocking up for 40m

[clash city rocker]

In the past we have spent millions adding numbers to the squad without actually strengthening it.