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

[pablo_picasso]

Is there any universe in which we could get Coots back to help our oush for glory this year? I know we all think that ship has sailed but he has so much quality, such a shame he can't seem to produce it regularly enough now.

Fuck no.

He has been past it ever since his move to Barca...

[TonyD]

Incoming. 

Heskey has just booked a room on the 6th January at the Belfry. 

[Bad English]

I've seen... YouTube... and... the people doing them all think...

That's nice!

[AV84]

If it's just one player though, and we don't have any glaring gaps in the first 11 (which we don't), then you have to look at the drop-off in quality from the first choice to the second choice.  That means Ollie, or Emi, because Konsa is a perfectly capable right-back with Cash - not ideal, and not his preferred position, but he can obviously play there and cover that position pretty well.  I don't think the same is true of Duran or Olsen coming in for Ollie or Emi.

I think not getting another specialist forward in during January would be borderline negligent.  We've been very lucky that Ollie is apparently made of granite, but all it needs is one bad tackle, or one tweak of a tired hamstring, and our whole attack would look far less threatening.  It would also be nice to have a genuine alternative on the bench to play the last half an hour of some games to keep some miles out of Ollie's legs.

One of the points made was that playing Thursday/Sunday football is different when it's knockout football, as opposed to group stages. There will still need to be some rotation but there's obviously less room for that when they're all must win games. So in that respect, when it comes to forward options, we probably do need someone else between Durán and Watkins, in terms of level.

[Baldy]

Liverpool are sniffing after Leroy Sane from Bayern. Always thought he got a raw deal at Man City. Should we check him out?

[AV84]

Just one of the BBC gossip things but AC Milan have apparently asked Barcelona about the situation with Lenglet's loan.

I find it a little bit surprising that two top teams in Europe are now interested in him when Barca couldn't give him away in the summer?

[OCD]

I've not seen anything about an injury to Lenglet either so with Bayern and Milan apparently pursuing a deal for him, it makes you wonder whether we're about to lose his services. Which you would think would make a left sided centre back a priority for the January window. Someone who we can bring on loan to provide cover for the rest of the season.

[AV84]

I assumed Lenglet was brought in as a reaction to Mings' injury. Not to say he's not a good player but it felt like we wanted 4 options there and suddenly we were down to 3, so it was a case of who can we get in the last days of the window. But it's possible that given a few months to look at long term targets we've identified someone new to go for in January on a permanent basis.

He and Carlos mostly played the European games, Konsa played LB a few times, and Torres barely played at all. Potential injuries aside, we don't have to worry too much about rotation again until March.

[OCD]

Emery basically wanted one settled team for the league and another for Europe but then realised the European side needed some help from the better players.

Presumably had Ming's injury not happened, Mings would have played in the league and Pau Torres in Europe. Certainly for the first few month before he started to put pressure on Mings for his place. Lenglet was definitely signed in response to the ACL.

I'd imagine we would prefer a temporary solution. Unless we've spotted a young talent who could replace Mings long-term. Otherwise, the only way I see us going for a permanent left sided centre back would be if we were worried that there would be a high risk of Mings having another long-term injury.

As an aside, I was talking to someone last night who did his ACL and he was told to stop playing football as there was a high risk of it happening again. Given Mings has done both ACL's and one of those, twice, and that he's in his 30's now, there must be concerns.

[AV84]

Yeah, I can definitely Mings' recovery influencing how we approach signings in that position.

Obviously we don't know what the terms of Lenglet's loan are but if we kind of went for him in a hurry, and have since been able to have a look around and make a more informed decision on someone else, we might be quite happy to let Barca recall him to sell him on.

[Holy Trinity]

The closer we get to Jan the more I think we need to get another striker in as an option. Duran is a great raw talent but I'd have rather been bringing on someone with a bit more nouse. Right back still a priority for me as genuine competition to Cash and stop us having to move Konsa to R/B.

[AV84]

I'm not writing them off but neither Diaby or Zaniolo have worked out, so far, as players who can play in multiple positions across the front. Which is what they were billed as when we signed them. So as much as I have no idea who we should be going for, I'm more inclined to agree with striker as a position we should be treating with equal importance to RB this window.

[DrGonzo]

3 goals and 4 assists in your first 17 games for a club isn't bad.  Don't knock Diaby.., you can keep swinging at Zaniolo though

[AV84]

3 goals and 4 assists in your first 17 games for a club isn't bad.  Don't knock Diaby.., you can keep swinging at Zaniolo though

I'm not knocking him, but the idea that we didn't need to sign another out and out striker came from the idea that Diaby and Zaniolo could be played instead of Watkins if necessary. That's clearly not the case at the moment, and so I wouldn't be against signing an actual striker in January.

[London Villan]

Someone like a Giroud would be perfect. Not sure who fits that profile?