Winter 25-26 Transfer Window - hopes, speculation, rumours etc.

[TheToffnar]

I'm one of these idiots who is rarely troubled by big players moving on. It's a short career and a lot of these guys are dragging them and their families up over the poverty line with their success. Even if that's not the case in most instances, Emi has every right to look for one last big contract before he retires.

The question then becomes whether he's 'throw in the towel', which I very much doubt is the case here. Mistakes happen, he's getting older, we have a decent second. Even if he had an absolute baller of a season this year, I'd still think most of us would think it was time to look for a new keeper in the summer.

[London Villan]

It's more maximising his personal wealth and playing in a different environment, don't really have a problem with him going to a different league.

End of the season, before the World Cup and get the revenue and his replacement sorted in good time before the start of next season.

There's also the possibility of Argentina having a good World Cup, and his value being maximised this summer...

I'd rather bank the money in this financial year and get ourselves set for next season. I doubt Argentina will win the World Cup and his value could just as easily go the other way.

[ChicagoLion]

His mistakes have become far more frequent.
Top goalkeepers do not make the number of mistakes he has made over the last 2 seasons.

[brontebilly]

Go find someone else though. A keeper with his stop stopping ability, distribution skills, presence, familiarity with our defence etc. Definitely not a change you need to make mid season.

[London Villan]

Not a chance i would sell him in this window.

[TheToffnar]

Go find someone else though. A keeper with his stop stopping ability, distribution skills, presence, familiarity with our defence etc. Definitely not a change you need to make mid season.

Bang on. We'd be asking for A LOT in a time where we have limited funds available, 2/3s of the way through a short window where no club will want to move a keeper on of any real quality. We'd get rinsed.

Then there's the process of integrating a new keeper to play our relatively specific system. If he has a few bad starts, the defense get's shaky and all of a sudden you're conceding 2, 3 goals a game.

[Ozzjim]

We have to simply manage his fitness and trust Bizot to play when he's out. If that means missing a couple of weeks to get his calf right, then we should do it.

Of the midfielders linked Onyedika is the one, if we could do it financially, that we should go for. Similar to Kamara and very much a player for the future, not a waste of a loan fee and big wages.

[ChicagoLion]

Go find someone else though. A keeper with his stop stopping ability, distribution skills, presence, familiarity with our defence etc. Definitely not a change you need to make mid season.

I agree it’s a problem we do not want or need, what we don’t know is how he is impacting on the morale of the squad.

[Clampy]

Bearing in mind how the season has gone so far (level on points with second in the league last time I looked) i'd suggest the morale of the squad is probably fine.

[LeeS]

How much would we get for Martínez ?

Around £20M ? In a slow decline and getting flaky injury wise? Never understood the fuss with him as he makes too many daft blunders in amongst his good performances. Inter would be perfect for him, and he'll be gone in the summer.

I think his best days are behind him but 'never understood the fuss with him' as a back-to-back Yashin award winner is a bit wild.

Yep, at his best, he was the best in the world (or the equal of those who were).  And we saw plenty of him at his best with us.  He's kept us in games at times.  Yes, in recent times he's not hit those highs, but in goalkeeping terms, he's certainly not "past it".  At 33, he could easily have another 2 or 3 years at a very high level. 

That said, I don't think it's a coincidence that Liverpool and Man City got rid of Alysson and Ederson, respectively, at 32 and 33.  I guess we'll see if Ederson is 'past it' this evening!

I think if we plan to 'make money' from Emi, this year is probably our last chance to do so.  From the summer onward, I'd think his value will fall precipitously.  That said, I'm not sure January is the time to cash in.  We won't get a replacement of similar standard (and we'd definitely need a replacement), and we have too much to play for in the second half of the season to risk changing such an important first-choice role.

I take your point, but Alisson is still Liverpool’s first choice keeper.

[Drummond]

Bearing in mind how the season has gone so far (level on points with second in the league last time I looked) i'd suggest the morale of the squad is probably fine.

I'm not sure. Remember what it was like when Buendia and then Mings got injured in quick succession? Well Kamara and now McGinn, our best player and captain respectively, are set for a spell out. Malen was well liked and he's gone. Lose our keeper too and that's a big hike to fill. I imagine the players are nervous and worrying.

[lovejoy]

🚨 Agent & brother of Emi Martínez was spotted yesterday in Milan — there has already been a first meeting.
@DiMarzio

Is that two people or one?