January Transfer Window 2025

[aintforever]

35 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

If we sell THB, Dibling, Ramsdale, Fernandes, Sulemana, kwp and Onuachu then we'd still be able to line up with 

Bazunu/new keeper

Bree/Sugawara Bednarek Woods/Edward Taylor/manning 

Downes Charles/Smallbone 

Aribo/Lallana

Armstrong Amo-Ameyaw/Fraser

Archer/BBD

I'd probably bring in another winger and a striker but otherwise we really don't need to spend anything. People saying we will struggle are overestimating how much of a step down the quality is. We may struggle inexplicably but at the moment we'd be amongst the favourites for promotion and rightly so given our proven championship quality in virtually every area of the pitch (even weaker areas from last year should be stronger such as a more experienced Charles, a more clinical championship striker in Archer and hopefully a new and improved keeper. In fact the only area where we may look weaker is at rb. 

This. If managed right we should be in an excellent position to challenge for the title next season. Should be much better prepared than last time, we’re loaded with decent Championship players and have plenty of time to get the squad ready to hit the ground running.

This season is already a write-off, any activity in the January window should be with next season in mind.
 

 

Edited 30 December, 2024 by aintforever

[saintant]

11 minutes ago, aintforever said:

This. If managed right we should be in an excellent position to challenge for the title next season. Should be much better prepared than last time, we’re loaded with decent Championship players and have plenty of time to get the squad ready to hit the ground running.

This season is already a write-off, any activity in the January window should be with next season in mind.
 

 

The two sides relegated with us will both be stronger than us. Add the top four or five Championship sides who miss out on promotion and will  be looking to put that right plus another couple of surprise packages and a swift return to the Premier League looks anything but straightforward. Will we be ready for another punishing stint in the Premier League anyway? Maybe it's time to take stock, regroup and build a team that is more ready and better equipped for our next battles in the top league.

[OldNick]

18 minutes ago, aintforever said:

This. If managed right we should be in an excellent position to challenge for the title next season. Should be much better prepared than last time, we’re loaded with decent Championship players and have plenty of time to get the squad ready to hit the ground running.

This season is already a write-off, any activity in the January window should be with next season in mind.
 

 

Im concerned that we think we have a squad that will just roll over the other sides. It wont be like that and if you think it will you will have a bit of a jolt

[aintforever]

18 minutes ago, OldNick said:

Im concerned that we think we have a squad that will just roll over the other sides. It wont be like that and if you think it will you will have a bit of a jolt

I agree that it’s never easy to get promotion from the Championship but we should be in the mix if we are managed right. The owners, for all their faults, have shown they are willing to invest when needed. Our manager has more time to prepare than Martin did and we have a squad full of Championship players.

[Gingeletiss]

I smile when I see posts saying who we should sell/get rid of. These players are under contract, and will only move, if it suits them. This is not FM, this is real life.

[Fabrice29]

2 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

I know people want us to keep our powder dry and save the money for the summer, but we can’t go on like this. We can’t go down with a handful of points and then think we’ll hit the ground running next season.

100% correct btw. Would genuinely be insane on so many levels to not do anything. We need to improve and if we can do so then we must. Whether we can actually do that is a whole other question but any opportunity to find improvements should be sought, if only its for short term credibility reasons rather than anything long term. Would happily watch someone do well from January to move again in the summer when we go down.

[macca155]

1 hour ago, Gingeletiss said:

I smile when I see posts saying who we should sell/get rid of. These players are under contract, and will only move, if it suits them. This is not FM, this is real life.

I think that's the point. Start the process now whilst they still have some value. Particularly with Onuachu and Sulemana.

We know KWP will go. Dibling, Fernandes, and THB will attract reasonable offers.

However you are right,  Aribo, BBD, Stewart, Frazer, Bree, Taylor, will be tougher to shift.

Equally we assume Charles and Ballard will just come back but the Tella scenario could repeat itself.

 

 

[Convict Colony]

I cant wait to see which desperado joins in jan.

[stknowle]

3 hours ago, Gingeletiss said:

I smile when I see posts saying who we should sell/get rid of. These players are under contract, and will only move, if it suits them. This is not FM, this is real life.

Indeed. There is also the minor consideration that the players are shit and given this fact nobody will want to pay decent money for them. 

[Chewy]

4 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

100% correct btw. Would genuinely be insane on so many levels to not do anything. We need to improve and if we can do so then we must. Whether we can actually do that is a whole other question but any opportunity to find improvements should be sought, if only its for short term credibility reasons rather than anything long term. Would happily watch someone do well from January to move again in the summer when we go down.

I’m sorry but I genuinely don’t see the point. Our ability to spend enough to try and compete this year was significantly hampered by the millions we wasted 2 years ago trying to stave off relegation… and we had a chance then. We have no chance now, so every decision should be to help the reset for next season and more importantly the following (hopefully after a promotion, but if not we’ll need even further cost reductions).
We need to be saving money this January, trying to shift any of our dross onto anyone stupid enough to want them.

Our squad is huge, costing millions in wasted wages. Even if we lost half a dozen we’d still easily be able to field a squad … we have 4 keepers, 4 left backs, 3 right backs, 6 centre backs, 6 centre midfielders, 3 left wingers, 4 centre forwards. I’ve not counted any of our many out on loan either (have counted Wellington though). And the majority of them are not good enough.

The only money we should spend at all is in tying Dibling down to a longer contract to ease the pain when we sell him … if there’s any chance he’d agree.
Anything else is literally a waste of money (caveat of not including any random youth transactions - if a good opportunity arises there you can always take it).

Spaffing millions on a player or two to help us get relegated with 18 points instead of just 12 would be possibly the stupidest thing SR had done as owners; given the litany of cock-ups they’ve made, that would be a pretty impressive accomplishment!

[Fabrice29]

32 minutes ago, Chewy said:

I’m sorry but I genuinely don’t see the point. Our ability to spend enough to try and compete this year was significantly hampered by the millions we wasted 2 years ago trying to stave off relegation… and we had a chance then. We have no chance now, so every decision should be to help the reset for next season and more importantly the following (hopefully after a promotion, but if not we’ll need even further cost reductions).
We need to be saving money this January, trying to shift any of our dross onto anyone stupid enough to want them.

Our squad is huge, costing millions in wasted wages. Even if we lost half a dozen we’d still easily be able to field a squad … we have 4 keepers, 4 left backs, 3 right backs, 6 centre backs, 6 centre midfielders, 3 left wingers, 4 centre forwards. I’ve not counted any of our many out on loan either (have counted Wellington though). And the majority of them are not good enough.

The only money we should spend at all is in tying Dibling down to a longer contract to ease the pain when we sell him … if there’s any chance he’d agree.
Anything else is literally a waste of money (caveat of not including any random youth transactions - if a good opportunity arises there you can always take it).

Spaffing millions on a player or two to help us get relegated with 18 points instead of just 12 would be possibly the stupidest thing SR had done as owners; given the litany of cock-ups they’ve made, that would be a pretty impressive accomplishment!

If SR show apathy in January and for the rest of the season, it'll seep into the players, manager and fans. Would only create an even more toxic situation. I said this when we appointed the manager and people said "focus on next season"...there's still half a season to go and quite a few home games that everyone (fans, staff and players) all have to be at... the idea that everyone just sits through it all reminding each other "all about next season" when another goal goes in is bizarre. It wont happen.

We need goals and we have to attempt to address that in January, for everyones benefit. 

 

 

[Chez]

14 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

If SR show apathy in January and for the rest of the season, it'll seep into the players, manager and fans. Would only create an even more toxic situation. I said this when we appointed the manager and people said "focus on next season"...there's still half a season to go and quite a few home games that everyone (fans, staff and players) all have to be at... the idea that everyone just sits through it all reminding each other "all about next season" when another goal goes in is bizarre. It wont happen.

We need goals and we have to attempt to address that in January, for everyones benefit. 

 

 

I'm all for improving the first team...always, but how do you attract a guy good enough to score goals in the top flight that knows he will be playing in the championship in 8 months time?

[Badger]

33 minutes ago, Chez said:

I'm all for improving the first team...always, but how do you attract a guy good enough to score goals in the top flight that knows he will be playing in the championship in 8 months time?

We'll probably take a punt on some Brazilian, who needs six months to settle, then at the close of the summer window come September when he still hasn't scored, wonder why we bothered. 

[Fabrice29]

37 minutes ago, Chez said:

I'm all for improving the first team...always, but how do you attract a guy good enough to score goals in the top flight that knows he will be playing in the championship in 8 months time?

Well it involves good recruitment which admittedly has been lacking in the forward area for a while. We will likely have to unearth somebody who isn't being given a chance by anyone else, whether it's a young player from a top club or from a lesser league, it's not going to be anyone established or has other options in the same league obviously. The Championship isn't a dead end league to be fair, it's still a place to make a name for yourself, especially if you are paid enough. But also it doesn't have to be someone who is playing in the Championship next season if they do well. It could be a loan or done with an understanding that if they do well enough to attract bids in the summer then assuming there is a profit they can go.

5 months in the PL is better than either sitting on a bench/U21 squad somewhere or 5 months in a league that doesn't attract attention. I also think it's important to still be seen as a club where you can get an opportunity and progress if you do well.

Edited 30 December, 2024 by Fabrice29

[Katalinic]

 Clearly down so the sensible financial thing is to get rid of the loans, sell as many as you can and save the money for the Championship. What a shambles.

[spyinthesky]

12 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

Well it involves good recruitment which admittedly has been lacking in the forward area for a while. We will likely have to unearth somebody who isn't being given a chance by anyone else, whether it's a young player from a top club or from a lesser league, it's not going to be anyone established or has other options in the same league obviously. The Championship isn't a dead end league to be fair, it's still a place to make a name for yourself, especially if you are paid enough. But also it doesn't have to be someone who is playing in the Championship next season if they do well. It could be a loan or done with an understanding that if they do well enough to attract bids in the summer then assuming there is a profit they can go.

5 months in the PL is better than either sitting on a bench/U21 squad somewhere or 5 months in a league that doesn't attract attention. I also think it's important to still be seen as a club where you can get an opportunity and progress if you do well.

You're right Viktor Gyokeres did Ok at Coventry then went to Portugal and is now likely to be subject to a multi million £££ transfer at some stage.

[Charlie Wayman]

25 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

We will likely have to unearth somebody who isn't being given a chance by anyone else, whether it's a young player from a top club or from a lesser league, it's not going to be anyone established or has other options in the same league obviously.

Isn't that exactly what we have been trying to do for the last two or three seasons but sadly the players that we chose to bring in to give them that chance have mostly proved to be flops confirming why they weren't given many chances by anyone else in the first place. Frankly we've been there, done that to death. A new approch is badly needed either by growing our own and keeping them or digging deep into the SR coffers to bring in players of proven quality. Yes, that will be mightily tough to do in Division 2 but not impossible surely.

It will take time to rebuild a team of genuine quality and above all we will need to be patient. A quick return to the PL should not be a priority as we build for a more sustainable future.

Edited 30 December, 2024 by Charlie Wayman

[Matthew Le God]

On 30/12/2024 at 21:58, Charlie Wayman said:

A quick return to the PL should not be a priority as we build for a more sustainable future.

Anything other than a instant return would be a financial disaster for the club. The parachute payments decrease each year it takes to be promoted until they stop. Decreasing revenue from parachute payments will lead to a significantly reduced wage bill and transfer budgets making it even harder to be promoted when competing with teams relegated from the PL in future years with parachute payments of their own. 

Edited January 1 by Matthew Le God

[Challenger]

5 hours ago, macca155 said:

I think that's the point. Start the process now whilst they still have some value. Particularly with Onuachu and Sulemana.

We know KWP will go. Dibling, Fernandes, and THB will attract reasonable offers.

However you are right,  Aribo, BBD, Stewart, Frazer, Bree, Taylor, will be tougher to shift.

Equally we assume Charles and Ballard will just come back but the Tella scenario could repeat itself.

 

 

Stewart will be impossible to shift, what mugs would buy an injured player ?

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Challenger said:

Stewart will be impossible to shift, what mugs would buy an injured player ?

Needs to be retired, whether the player wants to or not. Find a friendly insurance adjuster to write him off. He’s stolen enough wages already off the club plus a signing on fee.

He won’t be fit to play again above lower levels of League One, probably League Two, and bar a purple patch/fluke spell of a dozen games in the Champ he’s unproven outside of League One or lower SPL. We’re not talking Rickie Lambert reeling off 25+ goal returns over several terms. 

Edited 30 December, 2024 by Gloucester Saint

[benjii]

8 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

Anything other than a instant return would be a financial disaster for the club. The parachute payments decrease each year it takes to be promoted until they stop. Decreasing revenue from parachute payments will lead to a significantly reduced wage bill and transfer budgets making it even harder to be promoted. 

Will you stop posting on here whilst we are in the Championship again?

I express no opinion on that. I am just curious.

[Matthew Le God]

56 minutes ago, benjii said:

Will you stop posting on here whilst we are in the Championship again?

I express no opinion on that. I am just curious.

My reason for not posting had nothing to do with the league we were in.

[Turkish]

11 hours ago, spyinthesky said:

You're right Viktor Gyokeres did Ok at Coventry then went to Portugal and is now likely to be subject to a multi million £££ transfer at some stage.

Brighton must be kicking themselves, loaned out for 3 years whilst he was there never playing for them then sold to Coventry where he smashed it and doing even better in Portugal. Will get a big move for £50m+ soon. Brightons scouts do an incredible job though.

[saintant]

11 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

Anything other than a instant return would be a financial disaster for the club. The parachute payments decrease each year it takes to be promoted until they stop. Decreasing revenue from parachute payments will lead to a significantly reduced wage bill and transfer budgets making it even harder to be promoted. 

SR are used to presiding over financial disasters, mostly of their own making, so one more won't make a lot of difference.

[S-Clarke]

33 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Brighton must be kicking themselves, loaned out for 3 years whilst he was there never playing for them then sold to Coventry where he smashed it and doing even better in Portugal. Will get a big move for £50m+ soon. Brightons scouts do an incredible job though.

Didn't they just get rid of all their area/European scouts in favour of a new static data-based approach?

We'd be silly not to rebuild our setup with some of their left overs.

[Turkish]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

Didn't they just get rid of all their area/European scouts in favour of a new static data-based approach?

We'd be silly not to rebuild our setup with some of their left overs.

Lets hope so, they'll be shit as us before long!

[Matthew Le God]

30 minutes ago, saintant said:

SR are used to presiding over financial disasters, mostly of their own making, so one more won't make a lot of difference.

That is nonsense. If someone has had previous financial disasters, saying that "another one won't make a lot of difference" is utter nonsense. 

Staying in the Championship beyond the first season of parachute payments sees a huge drop in revenue. Staying beyond the end of parachute payments sees such a vast difference in income that the club would not be able to support a level of player remotely close to want we have now and would make promotion extremely difficult when competing with newly relegated clubs.

Edited 31 December, 2024 by Matthew Le God

[saintant]

1 minute ago, Matthew Le God said:

That is nonsense.

Which bit is nonsense and why?

[FarehamSaintJames]

3 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

That is nonsense.

Are you Rasmus in disguise?

[Matthew Le God]

22 minutes ago, saintant said:

Which bit is nonsense and why?

If someone has had previous financial disasters, saying that "another one won't make a lot of difference" is utter nonsense. 

Staying in the Championship beyond the first season of parachute payments sees a huge drop in revenue. Staying beyond the end of parachute payments sees such a vast difference in income that the club would not be able to support a level of player remotely close to want we have now and would make promotion extremely difficult when competing with newly relegated clubs.

Edited 31 December, 2024 by Matthew Le God

[saintant]

2 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

If someone has had previous financial disasters, saying that "another one won't make a lot of difference" is utter nonsense. 

Staying in the Championship beyond the first season of parachute payments sees a huge drop in revenue. Staying beyond the end of parachute payments sees such a vast difference in income that the club would not be able to support a level of player remotely close to want we have noe and would make promotion extremely difficult when competing with newly relegated clubs.

I guess I was being slightly facetious and the comment about another financial disaster not making a lot of difference was made with tongue in cheek. So yes you are right and my remarks were borne out of sheer frustration at the way our football club is being run by what can only be described as a bunch of charlatans.

[Toadhall Saint]

We need to keep our hands in our pockets. Save it for the summer transfer window.

[egg]

13 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

If SR show apathy in January and for the rest of the season, it'll seep into the players, manager and fans. Would only create an even more toxic situation. I said this when we appointed the manager and people said "focus on next season"...there's still half a season to go and quite a few home games that everyone (fans, staff and players) all have to be at... the idea that everyone just sits through it all reminding each other "all about next season" when another goal goes in is bizarre. It wont happen.

We need goals and we have to attempt to address that in January, for everyones benefit. 

 

 

Saving the money for the summer is not apathy. Accepting the reality that here's no point throwing more money at this season is perfectly sensible. 

[Matthew Le God]

2 minutes ago, Toadhall Saint said:

We need to keep our hands in our pockets. Save it for the summer transfer window.

 

2 minutes ago, egg said:

Saving the money for the summer is not apathy. Accepting the reality that here's no point throwing more money at this season is perfectly sensible. 

Why wouldn't any January signings be potentially beneficial in our likely place in next season's Championship? Not only do they get 6 months of PL wages to attract them, but it gives us 6 months of bedding in time ahead of the summer to get them settled.

Edited 31 December, 2024 by Matthew Le God

[egg]

Just now, Matthew Le God said:

 

Why wouldn't any January signings be potentially beneficial in our likely place in next season's Championship?

Why bloat a squad of players who aren't good enough for this level with more players who aren't good enough for this level? Why add to the wage bill? 

Accept our fate and rebuild is the way to go imo. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 minute ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

Why wouldn't any January signings be potentially beneficial in our likely place in next season's Championship?

It would depend on what’s happening manager wise. If Ivan was nailed on to stay then getting people in would make sense. However, if it’s up in the air, they could get someone in a new manager might not fancy. That’s why I’d go for loans, with an option to buy if possible. 

[saintant]

1 minute ago, egg said:

Saving the money for the summer is not apathy. Accepting the reality that here's no point throwing more money at this season is perfectly sensible. 

I guess if those currently running SR are the ones deciding who to spend money on and how much it matters not a jot whether that is done in January or the summer - the result will be the same and more money will be poured down the drain. This club needs a good Director of Football to preside over a reset not some watered down version in the shape of Mark fucking Bitcon.

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, egg said:

Why bloat a squad of players who aren't good enough for this level with more players who aren't good enough for this level? Why add to the wage bill? 

Accept our fate and rebuild is the way to go imo. 

Players would need to leave to make way for them in the 25 man squad. Why couldn't they be good enough for PL level? We did sign a few this year that were. Ramsdale and Fernandes for example.

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 minute ago, egg said:

Why bloat a squad of players who aren't good enough for this level with more players who aren't good enough for this level? Why add to the wage bill? 

 

We could ship a few out…

[CB Fry]

20 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

Why wouldn't any January signings be potentially beneficial in our likely place in next season's Championship? Not only do they get 6 months of PL wages to attract them, but it gives us 6 months of bedding in time ahead of the summer to get them settled.

Worked a fucking charm with Sulemana and Onuachu neither of which had any interest whatsoever in playing in the Championship.

Unless Juric can get in some players he has a relationship with (an Italian/Croatian Paul Telfer) then I'd rather we kept hold of our money.

The twats we have on the books now need to be tasked with beating the Derby record.

Edited 31 December, 2024 by CB Fry

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

We could ship a few out…

We'd have to, to make room in the 25 man squad. Cornet being an obvious example.

[egg]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

I guess if those currently running SR are the ones deciding who to spend money on and how much it matters not a jot whether that is done in January or the summer - the result will be the same and more money will be poured down the drain. This club needs a good Director of Football to preside over a reset not some watered down version in the shape of Mark fucking Bitcon.

I don't get the argument for a director of football as such. We just need decent scouts to identify decent players, someone commercially minded to get the deals done, and a manager capable of getting a tune out of the players. 

[egg]

3 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

We could ship a few out…

We need to, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Would the club take losses and would players take a drop in wages? 

[saintant]

Just now, egg said:

I don't get the argument for a director of football as such. We just need decent scouts to identify decent players, someone commercially minded to get the deals done, and a manager capable of getting a tune out of the players. 

Yeah I agree about decent scouts but I think their job is to recommend players and the DoF will have the final say so he acts as a guard rail against signing random rubbish which we've been doing on a regular basis.

[Chez]

12 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Well it involves good recruitment which admittedly has been lacking in the forward area for a while.

We will likely have to unearth somebody who isn't being given a chance by anyone else, whether it's a young player from a top club or from a lesser league, it's not going to be anyone established or has other options in the same league obviously.

The Championship isn't a dead end league to be fair, it's still a place to make a name for yourself, especially if you are paid enough. But also it doesn't have to be someone who is playing in the Championship next season if they do well. It could be a loan or done with an understanding that if they do well enough to attract bids in the summer then assuming there is a profit they can go.

5 months in the PL is better than either sitting on a bench/U21 squad somewhere or 5 months in a league that doesn't attract attention. I also think it's important to still be seen as a club where you can get an opportunity and progress if you do well.

You are suggesting we loan someone? How does that help us get promoted next year?

Or we buy them and if they are good, we sell them in the summer. How does that help us get promoted next year?

I don't see the point (and the club won't either) of signing a guy for 5 months. Any signing will be partly with this season in mind but definitely with next season in mind.

Let me rephrase my original question. What player good enough to score goals in Prem will sign for us in January knowing we will want him to score 20+ goals to get us promoted next season? Very tough recruitment ask.

[Matthew Le God]

3 minutes ago, egg said:

We need to, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Would the club take losses and would players take a drop in wages? 

Finding a way to end Cornet's loan opens up a spot for a new signing.

 

2 minutes ago, Chez said:

 we loan someone? How does that help us get promoted next year?

Loan with an option or obligation to buy.

Edited 31 December, 2024 by Matthew Le God

[OldNick]

Our recruitment team who do the analysis on players, are downright useless. Who whoever is in charge of the much vaunted black box must have put my old mum in charge of pressing the buttons, as anybody with any nous has not been near it for 10 years.

As Ive mentioned countless times our best signing would be Bournemouth's scouting team or Brentfords. 

[Lighthouse]

1 minute ago, egg said:

We need to, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Would the club take losses and would players take a drop in wages? 

Any negotiation on that point would likely include the assumption that we're getting relegated and the player will likely take a wage drop anyway. We could potentially work on some sort of 'pay the difference' settlement, which is sh*t but still better than paying dosens of useless players full whack to do nothing.

Even if we're paying 30% of their current wages for the next year or two, I'd be looking for suitors for Fraser, Smallbone, Larios, Sully, Taylor or Manning, TP, KWP (wont need a wage drop) and if anyone will take a punt on him, Stewart.

[OldNick]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Any negotiation on that point would likely include the assumption that we're getting relegated and the player will likely take a wage drop anyway. We could potentially work on some sort of 'pay the difference' settlement, which is sh*t but still better than paying dosens of useless players full whack to do nothing.

Even if we're paying 30% of their current wages for the next year or two, I'd be looking for suitors for Fraser, Smallbone, Larios, Sully, Taylor or Manning, TP, KWP (wont need a wage drop) and if anyone will take a punt on him, Stewart.

Have we seen enough of Taylor? If my memory serves me right he created lots of chances for the big man at Burnley and so he may be perfect for TP. 

[Chez]

5 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Loan with an option or obligation to buy.

that is basically buying them, but delaying the payment. I don't think that is what he was suggesting. 

I've no objections to that, I just wonder whether a Chelsea or City star youngster will realistically sign for us on a permanent contract. From their point of view, a loan to a championship club next summer makes sense, allowing them to sign for a Pre side the following season like Delap did.