2024 January transfer window - hopes, needs, expectations and rumours.

[Rigadon]

1…Back up keeper please!

2…Dont sell Dougie

3…Cover/Replace Cash

4…Striker if an opportunity arises.

Spot on. I think 2 is highly unlikely. 4 would be ace, particularly if it’s an upgrade or at least challenges Ollie as a potential starter. I’m happy to be patient to get the right guy at the right price there, so a loan as a stop gap also works.

I no longer feel it is realistic to upgrade Ollie.  I've been a critic of his in the past, but right now I just don't think it's realistic to find a better striker who would contemplate a club of our stature.  He is absolutely crucial to how we play and much as there are strikers who I admire in the PL, the only one I'd swap him for would be Haaland (with Son & Salah too old)

Same here.  He's the best centre forward not playing in the CL at the moment.

[SoccerHQ]

Rumours now that Roma will offer him to Chelsea in part exchange for Lukaka. I'd say he's definitely on his way out anyway. Could be his agent trying to engineer something. The last day it was Chelsea, us, and Brentford being alerted to his availability. 

Didn't he do his ACL in June? Bit optimstic to think he'll be fully fit by even February so it's more a signing imo you wait until the summer and hope he can get some starts for Roma to get him up to speed.

Given Chelsea's endless woes infront of goal I can see logic in getting him back although if they improve they'll then run into the same issues as last time he was there, he's not a CF good enough to elevate them into title contention.

As for us a more experience version of Duran on loan seems a good bet to me. That Guissary guy pretty much scoring two goals every game at Stuttgart could be one to look at. He's 27 so probably of the age where current CL teams would pass up on him.

[Mister E]

If everyone were fit (unlikely, given the rigours of the game) the situation in attacking midfield / attack would suggest that we'd be making more tactical switches during games, using Watkins, Bailey, Diaby, Ramsey, Buendia, Zaniolo and McGinn interchangeably as each game demands. We'd also be gradually weaving Kellyman and Wilson into that mix (and A Ramsey, Philogene and Archer if any of them return).
We're incredibly well stocked with good-to-great players in the attacking midfield / attack department. I think we should rightly be more focussed on CB (someone above mentioned that Carlos and Mings will both be 31 next year), back-up at right back and a replacement for Dendonk.
For January, it is the last areas - RFB and DMF - that we could usefully put money against.

[Clark W Griswold]

I think the rumor in the summer was that we'd agreed a deal for Tammy and then he got injured. If so, i would expect there will still be interest once he's up to fitness again. I also seem to recall Tammy saying in an interview that he thought that his best position was cutting in from the left, he did get a few goals that way from memory. If we offload Traore and don't sign Zaniolo permanently i think it would be a good move for us, he's certainly a player that knows where the net is and would probably flourish in this team.

[Dave]

If we offload Traore and don't sign Zaniolo permanently i think it would be a good move for us, he's certainly a player that knows where the net is and would probably flourish in this team.

I can't see a scenario where we don't sign Zaniolo - didn't he only need to play something like 20 games to make it an obligatory purchase? Given his current frequency of appearing, it's hard to see how we don't hit that threshold.

[LeeB]

If he weren't made of glass Calvert-Lewin would be good option for me, but alas, he is.

[john e]

If he weren't made of glass Calvert-Lewin would be good option for me, but alas, he is.

I’d love that Nunez fella at Liverpool
I know it’s unrealistic but there was a time he wasn’t rated and they were overstocked up front

He’d be the sort of signing to break the bank for 80-100 mill and give us more power and options in attack

[AV84]

Rumours now that Roma will offer him to Chelsea in part exchange for Lukaka. I'd say he's definitely on his way out anyway. Could be his agent trying to engineer something. The last day it was Chelsea, us, and Brentford being alerted to his availability. 

Didn't he do his ACL in June? Bit optimstic to think he'll be fully fit by even February so it's more a signing imo you wait until the summer and hope he can get some starts for Roma to get him up to speed.

Yes. All of these rumours at the moment seem to imply a summer move. One suggested he'd go if Mourinho goes at the end of the season. The Lukaka one would be end of season too.

[Dave]

I’d love that Nunez fella at Liverpool
I know it’s unrealistic but there was a time he wasn’t rated and they were overstocked up front

Not sure that's true. He scored 15 for them in his first season and has started this one very well too.

[LeeB]

I do like him too, but he cost a bomb in the first place as well.

[Risso]

I’d love that Nunez fella at Liverpool
I know it’s unrealistic but there was a time he wasn’t rated and they were overstocked up front

Not sure that's true. He scored 15 for them in his first season and has started this one very well too.

John's right though, at the start of last season he was being joked about as being one of the biggest wastes of money ever.

[Toronto Villa]

I’d love that Nunez fella at Liverpool
I know it’s unrealistic but there was a time he wasn’t rated and they were overstocked up front

Not sure that's true. He scored 15 for them in his first season and has started this one very well too.

John's right though, at the start of last season he was being joked about as being one of the biggest wastes of money ever.

Well certainly compared to Haaland. He’s clearly not as good and makes more noticeable errors. But my Liverpool supporting mate says he’s a lot better for the unseen work than he’s given credit for.

[john e]

I’d love that Nunez fella at Liverpool
I know it’s unrealistic but there was a time he wasn’t rated and they were overstocked up front

Not sure that's true. He scored 15 for them in his first season and has started this one very well too.

John's right though, at the start of last season he was being joked about as being one of the biggest wastes of money ever.

Well certainly compared to Haaland. He’s clearly not as good and makes more noticeable errors. But my Liverpool supporting mate says he’s a lot better for the unseen work than he’s given credit for.

Yeah, don’t get me wrong I don’t think we would have any chance of getting him but he is the sort of player that would take the team forward

[SoccerHQ]

Jota would be a better fit for what we do.

He lived in the delights of Tettenhall Wood for 3-4 years so wouldn't have a hang up about coming to the West Midlands.

Might be a realistic signing if we make CL given he remains a squad player at Liverpool.

[Dave]

I’d love that Nunez fella at Liverpool
I know it’s unrealistic but there was a time he wasn’t rated and they were overstocked up front

Not sure that's true. He scored 15 for them in his first season and has started this one very well too.

John's right though, at the start of last season he was being joked about as being one of the biggest wastes of money ever.

I imagine that there were plenty of ManYoo supporting internet banter-merchants announcing that the new Liverpool signing was a disaster, like they always do. All those lovely, angry Liverpool fans clicking and engaging.

If anyone takes that as evidence of him not being "rated", then more fool them in my opinion.