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

[AV84]

They're going to offer us Emile Smith Rowe in a player plus cash offer, is the latest story.

Wasn't Watkins agent supposedly talking to Arsenal's head of something a few weeks ago, and then he signed a new contract. Could be the same thing now.

[LeonW]

My Arsenal supporting friend said Douglas is a penalty merchant and not worth even 30m.

Great, let’s hope the Arsenal hierarchy think the same.

Why should we bother about what Arsenal think of our players?

Because if they think he's worth £150m then we'd sell him to them.

And if they think he's worth £50m then we wouldn't.

Or we might have learned from Ratboy and realised that a player so important to us is not for sale.

Although it should be said we did quite well getting £100m for that sideways passing merchant, p*sshead. We also did quite well getting £25m from Chelsea for that chuck fella who has done the square route of f*ck all in a year and a half. It could be said that we’ve got a lot better at selling players in recent times.

[nigel]

I wonder what the plan is for Digne now. By all accounts he had his bags packed and one foot out the door when the Acuña deal fell through.

I'd be happy to keep him, even on his supposed big wages. It might come down to whether Moreno gets straight back into the team and if Digne is happy to play a less prominent role.

He's done himself and us no harm if he does move on in January, or in the summer. I'd imagine he may have a few more offers on the table, and we might get a bit more for him.

He'll stay until the end of the season now anyway. Moreno has a job on his hands to get his spot back.

Agree
Digne has really upped his game since Moreno’s injury, so wouldn’t be surprised to see him stay

[Drummond]

We're in a much stronger position in a number of ways now. We're a win away from the top of the table after 30% of the season. He's on a long contract. He loves it here. We have a proper manager and staff. He's played every game under the manager. We're not desperate for cash. We're going well in Europe and challenging for the Champions League places.

As for Emile Smith-Rowe? haha. Maybe as a squad player but I can see him going somewhere like Brentford or Palace if he actually leaves his boyhood club.

[AV84]

As for Emile Smith-Rowe? haha. Maybe as a squad player but I can see him going somewhere like Brentford or Palace if he actually leaves his boyhood club.

I wouldn't mind having him but he'd probably be in much the same position as he is at Arsenal. Maybe he'd see a bit more game time with us but he's not displacing any of Luiz, McGinn, Kamara, Ramsey or Diaby for a starting spot. So if he wants to leave Arsenal to play more regularly, we're not the ones. (Although doesn't he have a pre existing relationship with Emery? We wouldn’t be swapping him for Dougie anyway.)

[pablo_picasso]

My Arsenal supporting friend said Douglas is a penalty merchant and not worth even 30m.

OK Tarquin!

No offence, but that means that when it comes to football, your Arsenal supporting friend is fucking clueless...

It is quite funny how often the media will link our best players with moves to "bigger" clubs, but then fans of these "bigger" clubs don't want them and think they're not fit to play for them.

Its the age old problem of arrogance mixed with ignorance.

Fuck Arsenal.

He is not for sale...

We should be looking at competing with Arsenal over the next few years to be honest rather than selling any players to them.

Exactly.

I think the owners eyed up Arsenal as a club that we should be targeting to surpass in recent years.

Of course, then Arsenal had a great season recently & that looked a ridiculously far away target when Gerrard was frauding himself out as a manager at our place, but for us to catch up to them in such a short space of time since Emery arrived, especially telling them to go fuck themselves when they came knocking for Douglas Luiz the past few times, is great & says that we should stick to our guns when it comes to our players & try & build on them to surpass clubs who have been frequently above us in recent years.

[Drummond]

As for Emile Smith-Rowe? haha. Maybe as a squad player but I can see him going somewhere like Brentford or Palace if he actually leaves his boyhood club.

I wouldn't mind having him but he'd probably be in much the same position as he is at Arsenal. Maybe he'd see a bit more game time with us but he's not displacing any of Luiz, McGinn, Kamara, Ramsey or Diaby for a starting spot. So if he wants to leave Arsenal to play more regularly, we're not the ones. (Although doesn't he have a pre existing relationship with Emery? We wouldn’t be swapping him for Dougie anyway.)

If Emery wanted him, then fine, but I think even Tielemans is ahead of him too.

[pablo_picasso]

Which is a bit different from "Let's hope they don't want him". Let's stop worrying what other clubs want.

This.

We have owners who I think would stand their ground if they really don't want to sell.

The only reason Grealish left was due to the engineered manner of his release clause.

As you said, I would have hoped that we have learned from that.

Let other clubs start to worry about what we want from now on...

[algy]

I do wonder what went on with Joe and the release clause sometimes.  I assume we must've agreed that if he stayed on for another season, we'd sell him if we got an offer of £100m.  Did he/his agent then hawk him around at that price?

Anyway, it's all in the past now.  I can't see us selling Dougie in January - we don't need to sell, it'd be far too disruptive, and we'd struggle to replace him.  I don't think many players will want to leave then (as opposed to summer) anyway if there's a decent chance they'll pick up a medal with us, which they will if we still look in with a decent shot at the Europa Conference.

IMO it's up to us to stay in contention for the Champions League places for 2024/5.  If we're in that, there's little incentive for our better players to seek a move elsewhere, unless it's to one of the teams likely to be bothering the European Cup trophy engravers.  Then the next aim will be to be considered amongst that group of clubs.

[Holte L2]

I'd love us to sign Eberechi Eze in January.  I think he'd be ideal under Unai.

[LeeB]

I'd love us to sign Eberechi Eze in January.  I think he'd be ideal under Unai.

He signed a new contract last week, good player though.

[chrisw1]

I'd love us to sign Eberechi Eze in January.  I think he'd be ideal under Unai.

The problem with signing PL based players is clubs want ridiculous fees.  Palace will ask for £60m+ for Eze.  I think we'll get better value in Europe and think that's where we'll be shopping.

[Clark W Griswold]

As for Emile Smith-Rowe? haha. Maybe as a squad player but I can see him going somewhere like Brentford or Palace if he actually leaves his boyhood club.

Wilshere Mark 2. It was always on the cards though, i was never overly keen on the idea of signing him a couple of years ago.

[Mister E]

I'd love us to sign Eberechi Eze in January.  I think he'd be ideal under Unai.

The problem with signing PL based players is clubs want ridiculous fees.  Palace will ask for £60m+ for Eze.  I think we'll get better value in Europe and think that's where we'll be shopping.

I've heard it suggested that Nico Williams is still in our sights...

[Holte L2]

I'd love us to sign Eberechi Eze in January.  I think he'd be ideal under Unai.

The problem with signing PL based players is clubs want ridiculous fees.  Palace will ask for £60m+ for Eze.  I think we'll get better value in Europe and think that's where we'll be shopping.

I think that Eze is that good that £60m+ is more than worth it. Especially considering that he's just signed a new deal.