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

[chrisw1]

If we were to purchase any of the players that we sold last summer, they have to be better than what we have got, otherwise we are moving backwards. It isn’t going to happen.

JPB looks more ready than Rogers to me.  And given Zaniolo hasn't pulled up trees and Ramsey has been injured / off form, he could have been very useful this season.

[sid1964]

looks as though the young Iceland goal keeper is going to Brentford

[Drummond]

If we were to purchase any of the players that we sold last summer, they have to be better than what we have got, otherwise we are moving backwards. It isn’t going to happen.

Yes. Absolutely this.

Moving to the next level and being sentimental about players we already decided aren’t good enough for where we are now absolutely do not go together.

On the other hand, Archer is, effectively, only on loan. I think if he were  on an official loan we'd be having mixed feelings about his progress and the team he's in.

He's scored good goals, but isn't getting the service and Wilder is more old-school agricultural than Heckingbottom. If he had gone to Leicester he'd probably be scoring for fun, but that would be tempered by the fact he was in the division below, so the reality is we'll never know unless he played for us.

I think he'd score goals for us for sure, but would offer less than Watkins overall.

[ozzjim]

looks as though the young Iceland goal keeper is going to Brentford

Any good prospect keeper is going to take some convincing to be backup to Emi.

[pauliewalnuts]

On the other hand, Archer is, effectively, only on loan.

No, he isn't. That is the point.

Yes, we can have him back - that is where the similarities end - but we'd be buying him, plus someone has already given us £20m for him.

[pauliewalnuts]

looks as though the young Iceland goal keeper is going to Brentford

Any good prospect keeper is going to take some convincing to be backup to Emi.

Or they could think "he went from being a nobody to being the best keeper in the world at that club" and see the opportunity.

[Drummond]

On the other hand, Archer is, effectively, only on loan.

No, he isn't. That is the point.

Yes, we can have him back - that is where the similarities end - but we'd be buying him, plus someone has already given us £20m for him.

If they go down, the deal is we have to buy him back. And they were pretty much always going down. If they stay up we can buy him back at an inflated price, so that's where the (unlikely) choice element is.

[Dogtanian]

No idea how true it is, but seen talk of Chelsea being after Duran again.

If we got Rogers, do we think Duran will be let go? Rogers is more like Watkins, which is great as backup, but worse for doing something different when you need to.

[ozzjim]

looks as though the young Iceland goal keeper is going to Brentford

Any good prospect keeper is going to take some convincing to be backup to Emi.

Or they could think "he went from being a nobody to being the best keeper in the world at that club" and see the opportunity.

Would you look at a 30 year old Martinez and think "I'm going to get games there to show how good I am?". At 22-23 you need to be getting regular football, which is much more likely at Brentford. If he's brilliant there, he'll move on pretty quick, and may well look at Raya going to Arsenal as a path.

I'm much more concerned about how light we are going to be in midfield going into the second half of the season. We were light before Dendonker was off, now we're super skinny squad wise.

[pablo_picasso]

looks as though the young Iceland goal keeper is going to Brentford

Any good prospect keeper is going to take some convincing to be backup to Emi.

Or they could think "he went from being a nobody to being the best keeper in the world at that club" and see the opportunity.

Would you look at a 30 year old Martinez and think "I'm going to get games there to show how good I am?". At 22-23 you need to be getting regular football, which is much more likely at Brentford. If he's brilliant there, he'll move on pretty quick, and may well look at Raya going to Arsenal as a path.

I'm much more concerned about how light we are going to be in midfield going into the second half of the season. We were light before Dendonker was off, now we're super skinny squad wise.

I would rather our midfield be in a place where a talented youngster can get a few chances, rather than be overly stacked & then sell them off the youngsters for 57p & a packet of pork scratchings in order to satisfy some abacus using bean counter named Colin...

[Monty]

This whole FFP thing - sorry, can't say 'P&S', makes me think of ferries or creepy old theatre directors or something, while 'FFP' makes me think, appropriately, of swearing - it's all just made me even more pissed off with Gerrard and the whole Gerrard phase. Squandering all that money, forcing the sale of academy players we might've wanted to keep while reselling his duds at big losses...fuck all of that honestly.

[chrisw1]

Well Colin decides whether we get docked 10 points or not, so whether you want to or not we need to satisfy him.

[Sexual Ealing]

This whole FFP thing - sorry, can't say 'P&S', makes me think of ferries or creepy old theatre directors or something, while 'FFP' makes me think, appropriately, of swearing - it's all just made me even more pissed off with Gerrard and the whole Gerrard phase. Squandering all that money, forcing the sale of academy players we might've wanted to keep while reselling his duds at big losses...fuck all of that honestly.

Yep. Gerrard was a colossal error.

[Percy McCarthy]

This whole FFP thing - sorry, can't say 'P&S', makes me think of ferries or creepy old theatre directors or something, while 'FFP' makes me think, appropriately, of swearing - it's all just made me even more pissed off with Gerrard and the whole Gerrard phase. Squandering all that money, forcing the sale of academy players we might've wanted to keep while reselling his duds at big losses...fuck all of that honestly.

Yes, he was soooo shit wasn’t he?

That rumoured sale of Coutinho for a sizeable fee would have helped massively, as would a cheap replacement for Digne and consequently his sale. Carlos isn’t on huge money, although of course there was a hefty fee. Let’s hope Donk does well in Naples.

[pablo_picasso]

Well Colin decides whether we get docked 10 points or not, so whether you want to or not we need to satisfy him.

I understand that, but I would rather not satisfy Colin by selling the likes of Iroegbunam for a fast below his market value sale...