January 2023 Transfer Rumours, Discussions and Done Deals Thread

[SoccerHQ]

I'm usually the first to want us to sign people and see us move forward, but there are a couple of things that makes me very relaxed at the moment. Firstly, we have 2 players across the back 4, from the end of Feb with Carlos returning. We were never likely to replace Olsen in Jan either, so shrug on that one until the summer. But it means at the back we are well covered. In central midfield we have Kamara, Luiz, Dendonker, McGinn and Ramsey if need. So we'll be OK without Guendouzi till the summer if it saves £10-15m waiting it out. Out wide we have Ramsey, McGinn in the Emery world, Buendia and Coutinho, plus Young if need be. So reasonably covered in the current formation. Up top we have Watkins, Bailey and Duran, which is light, and could do with a body ideally, but you don't want to pay big wages and Watkins start every game till the end. We might get 3-4 bad injuries and be screwed, but the club seems to actually be acting like it knows who and what they want in each position for once, and are happy to execute that in time. Emery is clearly driving that conversation too.

I'm with you mate

It’s more the opportunity to really push on that is at risk. I’m not saying that it’s spurned if we don’t sign anyone. But we will all look back and wonder if we shouldn’t have gone for it and we slip up late on. We are in touching distance of Europe and it’s not just about possible injuries. It’s more about quality and depth. When you go into a PL game with two keepers that’s a real sign that we need to add quality bodies. Now, the goor thing is we have a super manager so I have faith he will make the very best irrespective of who he has to work with. And he’s brought back some of the players on loan to study and use. But while it’s not the end of the world it would be negligent not to invest from what has turned into a surprisingly very positive position given our start and our recent run.

20/21 was a far better opportunity. Only signed Sanson in that window. You know who got injured a few weeks later and that was it for a serious europa league challenge when we generally had a rock solid backline.

To much derision West Ham signed Lingard and he played a big part in them getting 6th in the end.

Ironically last January we do go out and make interesting signings but were too far back under a poor manager to seriously have a go at top 7.

It's just a risk for me. Big plus for Ollie is he's such a robust player and misses so few games but we had the issue in 19/20 when we left ourselves so short upfront and after Wes got hurt we had to stick likes of AEG and Trez up there.

It's a struggle to take a challenge for europe seriously if we're having to put out a front two of Duran and Bailey, they might link up amazingly but completely unproven.

[SoccerHQ]

Is there any truth in links to Jack Harrison or more his agent trying to get a new deal for him? For 20m or so he would be a good punt.

Given he's about half as good as the winger we have on loan in Turkey, about three-quarters as good as the winger we sold to PSV in the summer because we didn't want him, and about half as good as the sort of player you could buy from the continent for £10m, why on earth would spending £20m on a player who isn't good enough for Leeds be a good punt?

Short of buying Ings back for £8m more than we just received, I can't think of a worse way to spend £20m to be honest.

16 PL goals in open play over last two seasons would suggest Harrison is a fair bit better than either Trez or AEG. Send on a list of players "from the continent" that you could get for 10m instead.

Feels he's hardly done anything there since Bielsa left.

El Ghazi hit double figures in 20/21.

[N'ZMAV]

I'd take Harrison over AEG or Trez, without a doubt.

[ozzjim]

Last thing we need is the Europa league next season. Season after, yes, but it would kill us next season for little reward. I want us to finish as high as possible obviously, but we are out of both cups and only have 1 game per week. Running a small squad for that period is not as mad as it seems, especially if it allows Emery to really work with the group and work out exactly what we need in the summer.

[SoccerHQ]

Zaniolo might be worth a look at.

Roma offering him out and he's not involved in their squad. Turned down Bournemouth the other day but would surely consider us.

Very highly rated two years ago before he did his ACL.

Roma want to sign Dusan Tadic as his replacement so those experienced 18 month type stop gap signings are out there.

Edit; Scored the winner in europa conference final so if we want to be competitive in europe in the near future these are sorts of players we're going to have to take a gamble on.

[algy]

Last thing we need is the Europa league next season. Season after, yes, but it would kill us next season for little reward. I want us to finish as high as possible obviously, but we are out of both cups and only have 1 game per week. Running a small squad for that period is not as mad as it seems, especially if it allows Emery to really work with the group and work out exactly what we need in the summer.

I agree on the small squad thing. I'm fairly relaxed about it all, I think it's as likely to go very right (no injury problems, group of closely bonded players who are deeply immersed in Emery's philosophy) as very wrong (injury crisis). We don't need to rotate much with our schedule.

A striker/wide forward/winger would be nice but I'd rather wait until summer to get the right one than buy squad players now. Think one of the problems Gerrard caused was to fill the squad with players who didn't offer anything unless someone else was injured.

As for Europe, at some point we need to make the step up, and whilst we're not in Europe we'll never assemble (& keep) a squad large enough to make a proper impact. I'd go all out for getting in something, even if it means we have to play the U21s in every European game.

[paul_e]

Harrison is one in a very long line of wingers who have a good 12-18months and then people work them out and they become increasingly less effective. At 26 he should be coming into his prime rather than struggling to start for a team in the relegation battle. He'd be a similar mistake to Barkley for me.

Harrison has started 17 out of 19 games so still a regular there. The emergence of Gnoto seems to have moved him away from his favoured spot on left wing. No comparison to Barkley who was in semi retirement for a few seasons before he joined us. Harrison is a very durable sort with the amount of games he managed under the likes of Bielsa across two divisions.

If he joined you'd soon be giving 4s and 5s every week and the comparison was more that he's getting less effective as he reaches his 'peak', because in my opinion he's a bit of a 1-trick pony.

[VILLA MOLE]

Speaking of pony , doesn’t he have a man bun ?

[KevinGage]

Last thing we need is the Europa league next season. Season after, yes, but it would kill us next season for little reward.

I don't think players like Martinez and Kamara would see it as too soon and I'm not sure they'll be content to stick with a club happy with its lot in life pissing about in mid table.

Also, what's the point of having billionaire owners if they don't step up and provide more cover should we make the Europa League.

In the promotion year we had one set of targets for the Championship and another if we made it back. I expect we'll have similar contingencies for Euro football>no Euro football.   

[Ian.]

Speaking of pony , doesn’t he have a man bun ?

Don’t think so, probably why they are selling him.

[Toronto Villa]

Speaking of pony , doesn’t he have a man bun ?

Don’t think so, Not any more, probably why they are selling him.

Fixed

[pablo_picasso]

He doesn't have that barnet anymore. He slicks it back with shit shaved into the side. Even worse...

[Mister E]

I’d go back for Sarr.

yep

[Brazilian Villain]

I’d go back for Sarr.

yep

No thanks, Guendouzi please.

[Ian.]

I’d go back for Sarr.

yep

No thanks, Guendouzi please.

Yep, definitely, that’s the one who I really want us to get.