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

[Toronto Villa]

you've had a 'mare with quote thing Paul

[AV84]

Other than the Acuña deal late in the summer where they had some gripe at us, to the point they played him when any other club wouldn't have, and he got injured sending the deal tits up.

[john e]

Just been having a hypothetical debate in our house
if you could take one which one would you take

Eze
Bowen
Smith Rowe

Eze is the most talented player in that list

I also went with Eze, although I think Bowen would be a safer bet

[paul_e]

you've had a 'mare with quote thing Paul

I don't know what you're talking about! ...

[SamTheMouse]

Just been having a hypothetical debate in our house
if you could take one which one would you take

Eze
Bowen
Smith Rowe

Eze is the most talented player in that list

I also went with Eze, although I think Bowen would be a safer bet

Bowen for me. He'd slot in perfectly in the same role that Bailey played last night, and could probably even stand in for Watkins in a pinch.

[usav]

Not a chance we are getting Bowen.

[Garyth]

Only on H&V etc.

Come for the 8th century religious puns, stay for the leg room.

😂👏🏼

[ADVILLAFAN]

Just been having a hypothetical debate in our house
if you could take one which one would you take

Eze
Bowen
Smith Rowe

Same order as above. Absolutely love Ezé.

ESR needs to prove he can stay healthy.

[Smithy]

Both Bowen and Eze would now comfortably break our transfer record, unfortunately.  It's the English/Prem premium.  They've also both signed new contracts in the last month or so, so their wages would be big and the release clauses (if they exist) would likely be massive. 

What is interesting though is that both of these players, who we're all confident would improve our squad, were Championship players until bought by premier league clubs in their early 20s.  It does make me wonder what diamonds Monchi can unearth for us.  Maybe not from the Championship, but a few potential superstars flying just below the radar.  I don't think we're yet in the market for top-class champions league-ready players who offer almost guaranteed performances from day one, but I'm excited to see who we do add, as I'm pretty sure I'll know bugger-all about them.

[Gareth]

If we are looking for an extra striker in Jan and working to the assumption that finding a good permanent option would be tough I’d be tempted by a 6 month loan for Timo Werner, his goal record at Chelsea was poor but he does have some of the attributes Emery likes in a forward in that he will press high and quickly so as a 10-15 minute sub could be useful option on a bench of 9.

[Dave]

Not a terrible shout at all, that.

[paul_e]

Both Bowen and Eze would now comfortably break our transfer record, unfortunately.  It's the English/Prem premium.  They've also both signed new contracts in the last month or so, so their wages would be big and the release clauses (if they exist) would likely be massive. 

What is interesting though is that both of these players, who we're all confident would improve our squad, were Championship players until bought by premier league clubs in their early 20s.  It does make me wonder what diamonds Monchi can unearth for us.  Maybe not from the Championship, but a few potential superstars flying just below the radar.  I don't think we're yet in the market for top-class champions league-ready players who offer almost guaranteed performances from day one, but I'm excited to see who we do add, as I'm pretty sure I'll know bugger-all about them.

I can think of a guy doing a fantastic job in the championship who could be one to make the step-up!

[LeeB]

Both Bowen and Eze would now comfortably break our transfer record, unfortunately.  It's the English/Prem premium.  They've also both signed new contracts in the last month or so, so their wages would be big and the release clauses (if they exist) would likely be massive. 

What is interesting though is that both of these players, who we're all confident would improve our squad, were Championship players until bought by premier league clubs in their early 20s.  It does make me wonder what diamonds Monchi can unearth for us.  Maybe not from the Championship, but a few potential superstars flying just below the radar.  I don't think we're yet in the market for top-class champions league-ready players who offer almost guaranteed performances from day one, but I'm excited to see who we do add, as I'm pretty sure I'll know bugger-all about them.

I can think of a guy doing a fantastic job in the championship who could be one to make the step-up!

Paul, we've already been burned with Scott Hogan once.

[Risso]

Not a terrible shout at all, that.

I can't think of many worse. Flopped at Chelsea, flopped back at Leipzig, why on earth would we touch him with a barge pole? Reportedly on £270,000 a week as well.

[Dave]

Not a terrible shout at all, that.

I can't think of many worse. Flopped at Chelsea, flopped back at Leipzig, why on earth would we touch him with a barge pole? Reportedly on £270,000 a week as well.

When he was doing really well at Leipzig it was in a style not too dissimilar to how we play, doing the thing that Bailey / Diaby does for us, but from from the left. Chelsea tried to turn him into a centre-forward. Since being back at Leipzig the likes of Simons and Openda are just doing the job that he used to do better than him (and Nkunku was too, last season).

I'd also fancy Emery to be able to do better with him than other managers have, like he seems to with pretty much every player that he touches.

And assuming we'd be adding in the context of "trying to stay in the top four", I think I'd be more keen on signing a player or two who could help us get there on a short-term basis and then adding bigger and better players in the summer rather than spending tens of millions in January, given the FFP risks.

Not saying that it would be the perfect signing, but if we did (and we almost certainly won't) I could see how it *might* work well.