The January transfer window
- Thread starter Hansern
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Status
Vallecano vs Atletico Madrid: Man Utd watched Costa and Felipe while we were watching Niguez
Fucking hell that's depressing
Wayne Rooney was persuaded to change his mind about leaving Manchester United after being given the kind of privileged access to the club's spending plans that Sir Alex Ferguson had previously denied him, the Guardian can reveal.
Rooney was given advance notice about the £37.1m deal to sign Juan Mata and has also spoken at length to the manager, David Moyes, and the chief executive, Ed Woodward, about their vision of the club under the Glazer family's ownership, in complete contrast to what happened when Ferguson was in charge.
The England striker has been trusted with transfer-market information and kept in the loop about possible signings in a move that acknowledges his importance to the club and a recognition, at the highest level within Old Trafford, that a player of Rooney's stature deserves to know whether a team who have been struggling all season have the financial muscle and ambition to put it right.
Rooney was given advance notice about the £37.1m deal to sign Juan Mata and has also spoken at length to the manager, David Moyes, and the chief executive, Ed Woodward, about their vision of the club under the Glazer family's ownership, in complete contrast to what happened when Ferguson was in charge.
The England striker has been trusted with transfer-market information and kept in the loop about possible signings in a move that acknowledges his importance to the club and a recognition, at the highest level within Old Trafford, that a player of Rooney's stature deserves to know whether a team who have been struggling all season have the financial muscle and ambition to put it right.
300k pw for five years probably helped as well
Reminds me of
Ferguson said: 'Ozil was not on our radar. I said that to Wayne at the time.
'We signed Chicharito [Javier Hernandez] that summer. My thoughts at the time were a Rooney and Chicharito partnership
'That was a fair prospect for us to look at. When Ozil was at Werder Bremen he played wide right initially then they played him off the front. That type of player was not necessarily on our radar.
'I told Wayne, "Leave the signing of players to me". We've got lots of them right.'.
I think they ship RvP out in the summer - he can't fit into the 4-5-1 they'll need to play with Rooney leading the line, and Mata behind him.
No doubt, but the journo that wrote that has had info from Rooneys agent before, so I'm taking for granted there are plans in place for United to spend on more targets
John Heitinga travels to Istanbul today to complete his move from Everton to Galatasaray (Voetbal International)
Moyes: "I don't think we will have any more [new signings] in January - I'm still working on it and looking to do so."
He added: "Hopefully it will be the first of some new signings who will arrive more likely in the summertime. We see this as the start, we have to look to improve and I'm going to try to bring in some new players to make that happen."
He added: "Hopefully it will be the first of some new signings who will arrive more likely in the summertime. We see this as the start, we have to look to improve and I'm going to try to bring in some new players to make that happen."
BREAKING: Defender Leighton Baines has signed a new long-term contract #EFC
— Everton (@Everton) January 27, 2014
— Everton (@Everton) January 27, 2014
Maybe we did have flexibility around it, but Chelsea went above that amount too? If you're too flexible things will get out of hand and we'll end up with another Carroll
T
the_khl
Guest
I have to say I am truly surprised by this link.
Not the biggest chunk of money being quoted and he is certainly not without talent, but seriously if all of our scouting in Amsterdam turns into a Kolbeinn bid only, then I don't have a single ounce of faith left in our scouts in that region.
Boilesen (LB), Fischer (LW/AM/FW) and Davy Klaassen (CM/AM) are their stand-out talents after Eriksen left for Spurs.
Biggest talent at Ajax for me at the moment.
The respected source for that rumour is:
http://www.icenews.is/2014/01/22/li...thorsson-palace-target-aron-einar-gunnarsson/
An Icelandic website, not someone in holland.
LFC360, or Srijinadeep Das as he's known to his mates is taking liberties
http://www.icenews.is/2014/01/22/li...thorsson-palace-target-aron-einar-gunnarsson/
An Icelandic website, not someone in holland.
LFC360, or Srijinadeep Das as he's known to his mates is taking liberties
T
the_khl
Guest
On current form, I agree.
Fischer has got the biggest potential imo, as I think he can become Suarez good if he can continue his developments, but he has not had the best Season whilst at times Klaassen looks almost Bergkamp-esque from the AM position - and yet seems a strong lad. Maybe it's appearances too (the hair and the blushing cheeks) but he also does remind me of a young Paul Scholes.
A goal every other game is not bad either
That was the only preventing me from singing
"One of these kids is not like the others...."
Alan Pardew admits he is not confident of keeping Yohan Cabaye with the building interest of Paris St Germain
Pardew said: "We know that we've got a club interested in Cabaye who are very wealthy and powerful. We're conscious of that, but will be doing our best to protect Newcastle United."
But asked whether he was confident of keeping hold of Cabaye, he said: "Am I confident? No. I don't think any team not in a Champions League position, or fighting for a Champions League position, would be different."
"We would need to bring someone in, that's for sure. You can't lose someone of his ability and not replace him," he added.
Pardew said: "We know that we've got a club interested in Cabaye who are very wealthy and powerful. We're conscious of that, but will be doing our best to protect Newcastle United."
But asked whether he was confident of keeping hold of Cabaye, he said: "Am I confident? No. I don't think any team not in a Champions League position, or fighting for a Champions League position, would be different."
"We would need to bring someone in, that's for sure. You can't lose someone of his ability and not replace him," he added.
Tony Barrett @TonyBarretTimes30m
If Liverpool don't strengthen & don't finish fourth they can't complain if Suarez looks elsewhere for CL football:
[article=http://blogs.thetimes.co.uk/section/the-game/107469/liverpool-must-strengthen-their-squad-to-keep-hold-of-luis-suarez/?shareToken=dc0b31b55b4556b5e0ac3b7c37660cc4]Luis Suárez’s birthday didn’t get off to the best possible start. The first day of his 28th year began on Friday with the kind of disappointing news he has become increasingly used to as Liverpool missed out on Mohamed Salah, the fourth major signing to slip through their fingers since last summer.
Like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Willian and Diego Costa, Salah was scouted, discussed extensively by Liverpool’s transfer committee, targeted, pursued and then signed by someone else (albeit in the case of Costa, he signed for Atletico Madrid, the club he was already with). That recurring theme has inevitably raised questions about Liverpool’s transfer strategy as they struggle to attract players who, if not of Suarez’s standard, would certainly offer the striker the best chance of fulfilling his Champions League dream.
The reality for Liverpool is that, regardless of the new contract he signed before Christmas, if they can’t offer Suárez the elite platform that he craves and deserves then someone else will. There is even an argument that when the wondrous season the Uruguayan is enjoying comes to an end in May, John W. Henry should thank Suárez for his superhuman efforts and personally drive him to his destination of choice if Liverpool have once again fallen short.
Aside from the nonsense about being plagued by paparazzi and feeling unable to remain in the Premier League because he felt hounded, Suárez had another, much more compelling and reasonable reason for agitating for a move away from Liverpool last summer. As he confided to friends, one of his greatest concerns was that Liverpool did not have the necessary quality and strength in depth to challenge for a place in the top four.
A combination of his own extraordinary form, the attacking playing style that has been implemented by Brendan Rodgers and the shortcomings of others, most notably Manchester United, means that Liverpool do have an opportunity to achieve that objective. In the eyes of the bookmakers, they are favourites to finish fourth ahead of United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. With arguably the most favourable remaining fixtures of all of the competitors for that crucially important spot they are entitled to fancy their chances.
That Liverpool are so well placed is remarkable considering that of the eight players they did manage to sign last summer, only three — Simon Mignolet, Kolo Touré and Mamadou Sakho — have made any kind of impact on their first team so far this season. Four of the remaining five — Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto, Victor Moses and Tiago Ilori (the latter now on loan to Granada) — have started eleven Premier League games between them. Injuries to others, meanwhile, mean that Aly Cissokho, signed as cover according to Rodgers, is in the side by default rather than design.
If Rodgers’s team selections can be taken as a guide to his own feelings, the Liverpool manager sees only Mignolet and Sakho as first team regulars. Hence the reason why on two occasions this season, Rodgers has publicly admitted that after “improving the squad” Liverpool now need to “improve the team.” It is also why he has reverted to using press conferences to reveal how short he is on numbers.
“Our squad is very thin at the moment, we’ve got 17 players,” Rodgers said before Liverpool played Chelsea in late December. “We only have 15 players that have been training and we will call on some of the younger players to come into the squad,” he said prior to their FA Cup tie away to Bournemouth at the weekend. The squad is “thin” he said again afterwards. Given that earlier this month, during a mounting injury crisis, Rodgers stated that “if we can keep everyone fit we have a great chance [of finishing in the top four]” there is no need to read between the lines: he is making it clear that Liverpool could fall short of their target due to the lack of quality and depth that Suárez feared.
Largely as a result of frustration, Rodgers was more outspoken after missing out on Willian last August, saying that while he understood “the climate of where the club is at, we need to push on to get the best players we possibly can if we’re going to have any chance of progressing.” He then added: “If you’re going to climb the league, you have to have quality. There are still a number of days left in the window and we will do everything we possibly can to get the players in.”
In those remaining days, Liverpool added Sakho (currently out injured), Moses (out of favour regardless of his goal at Bournemouth) and Ilori (out on loan).
Earlier in the season, before the wear and tear of the campaign began to take its toll and Suárez was taking opponents apart almost single-handedly, the relative weakness of Liverpool’s squad did not reveal itself apart from the odd occasion when injuries restricted Rodgers’ options. But no sooner did the frequency of games and quality of opposition pick up and their shortcomings have become increasingly apparent.
Brad Smith, a teenager of rich promise but still finding his way in the first team scene, came on as substitute at Chelsea; Touré and Cissokho, brought in as cover, have struggled when injuries to others resulted in them having to play more regularly; Alberto and Moses were dragged off at half-time against Oldham Athletic; and now an injury to Lucas has left a Dunkin’ Donuts sized hole in Liverpool’s midfield that will not be filled until the Brazilian returns in about five weeks’ time.
If there is consolation to missing out on Salah it is that it provides Liverpool an opportunity to reassess their priorities and determine whether or not their January transfer budget could be used to strengthen those areas of the team that need it most. The two full back positions and central midfield required bolstering even before Lucas and Glen Johnson went lame and they now have less than a week to make the moves that could define their season.
Liverpool could always stick with what they have in the knowledge that it has taken them this far and in the hope that it will continue to be sufficient. Positioned in fourth place with 16 games remaining and having established themselves as the division’s second highest scorers behind Manchester City, there is much to admire about the way Liverpool have gone about their football so far. There is also an argument that having ascended into fourth place, the current group of players deserves the opportunity to try and remain there.
There are also warning signs, though — weaknesses in the squad that are yet to be addressed and a reliance on the brilliance of Suárez continuing for the duration of the campaign. Everton, Tottenham and a Manchester United side reinforced by the mercurial Juan Mata will all look to take advantage of any slips should Liverpool falter. There are no guarantees that Liverpool will finish fourth even if they do make signings this month but the feeling that Suárez and Rodgers held last summer that further recruitment was necessary is growing at the same time that the opportunity for it is starting to diminish.
Whether or not they make moves, the bottom line for Liverpool is that should they fall short in the race for fourth because of a lack of quality they can have no complaints if Suárez ends up celebrating his next birthday at a club that can give him the gift of Champions League football.[/article]
If Liverpool don't strengthen & don't finish fourth they can't complain if Suarez looks elsewhere for CL football:
[article=http://blogs.thetimes.co.uk/section/the-game/107469/liverpool-must-strengthen-their-squad-to-keep-hold-of-luis-suarez/?shareToken=dc0b31b55b4556b5e0ac3b7c37660cc4]Luis Suárez’s birthday didn’t get off to the best possible start. The first day of his 28th year began on Friday with the kind of disappointing news he has become increasingly used to as Liverpool missed out on Mohamed Salah, the fourth major signing to slip through their fingers since last summer.
Like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Willian and Diego Costa, Salah was scouted, discussed extensively by Liverpool’s transfer committee, targeted, pursued and then signed by someone else (albeit in the case of Costa, he signed for Atletico Madrid, the club he was already with). That recurring theme has inevitably raised questions about Liverpool’s transfer strategy as they struggle to attract players who, if not of Suarez’s standard, would certainly offer the striker the best chance of fulfilling his Champions League dream.
The reality for Liverpool is that, regardless of the new contract he signed before Christmas, if they can’t offer Suárez the elite platform that he craves and deserves then someone else will. There is even an argument that when the wondrous season the Uruguayan is enjoying comes to an end in May, John W. Henry should thank Suárez for his superhuman efforts and personally drive him to his destination of choice if Liverpool have once again fallen short.
Aside from the nonsense about being plagued by paparazzi and feeling unable to remain in the Premier League because he felt hounded, Suárez had another, much more compelling and reasonable reason for agitating for a move away from Liverpool last summer. As he confided to friends, one of his greatest concerns was that Liverpool did not have the necessary quality and strength in depth to challenge for a place in the top four.
A combination of his own extraordinary form, the attacking playing style that has been implemented by Brendan Rodgers and the shortcomings of others, most notably Manchester United, means that Liverpool do have an opportunity to achieve that objective. In the eyes of the bookmakers, they are favourites to finish fourth ahead of United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton. With arguably the most favourable remaining fixtures of all of the competitors for that crucially important spot they are entitled to fancy their chances.
That Liverpool are so well placed is remarkable considering that of the eight players they did manage to sign last summer, only three — Simon Mignolet, Kolo Touré and Mamadou Sakho — have made any kind of impact on their first team so far this season. Four of the remaining five — Iago Aspas, Luis Alberto, Victor Moses and Tiago Ilori (the latter now on loan to Granada) — have started eleven Premier League games between them. Injuries to others, meanwhile, mean that Aly Cissokho, signed as cover according to Rodgers, is in the side by default rather than design.
If Rodgers’s team selections can be taken as a guide to his own feelings, the Liverpool manager sees only Mignolet and Sakho as first team regulars. Hence the reason why on two occasions this season, Rodgers has publicly admitted that after “improving the squad” Liverpool now need to “improve the team.” It is also why he has reverted to using press conferences to reveal how short he is on numbers.
“Our squad is very thin at the moment, we’ve got 17 players,” Rodgers said before Liverpool played Chelsea in late December. “We only have 15 players that have been training and we will call on some of the younger players to come into the squad,” he said prior to their FA Cup tie away to Bournemouth at the weekend. The squad is “thin” he said again afterwards. Given that earlier this month, during a mounting injury crisis, Rodgers stated that “if we can keep everyone fit we have a great chance [of finishing in the top four]” there is no need to read between the lines: he is making it clear that Liverpool could fall short of their target due to the lack of quality and depth that Suárez feared.
Largely as a result of frustration, Rodgers was more outspoken after missing out on Willian last August, saying that while he understood “the climate of where the club is at, we need to push on to get the best players we possibly can if we’re going to have any chance of progressing.” He then added: “If you’re going to climb the league, you have to have quality. There are still a number of days left in the window and we will do everything we possibly can to get the players in.”
In those remaining days, Liverpool added Sakho (currently out injured), Moses (out of favour regardless of his goal at Bournemouth) and Ilori (out on loan).
Earlier in the season, before the wear and tear of the campaign began to take its toll and Suárez was taking opponents apart almost single-handedly, the relative weakness of Liverpool’s squad did not reveal itself apart from the odd occasion when injuries restricted Rodgers’ options. But no sooner did the frequency of games and quality of opposition pick up and their shortcomings have become increasingly apparent.
Brad Smith, a teenager of rich promise but still finding his way in the first team scene, came on as substitute at Chelsea; Touré and Cissokho, brought in as cover, have struggled when injuries to others resulted in them having to play more regularly; Alberto and Moses were dragged off at half-time against Oldham Athletic; and now an injury to Lucas has left a Dunkin’ Donuts sized hole in Liverpool’s midfield that will not be filled until the Brazilian returns in about five weeks’ time.
If there is consolation to missing out on Salah it is that it provides Liverpool an opportunity to reassess their priorities and determine whether or not their January transfer budget could be used to strengthen those areas of the team that need it most. The two full back positions and central midfield required bolstering even before Lucas and Glen Johnson went lame and they now have less than a week to make the moves that could define their season.
Liverpool could always stick with what they have in the knowledge that it has taken them this far and in the hope that it will continue to be sufficient. Positioned in fourth place with 16 games remaining and having established themselves as the division’s second highest scorers behind Manchester City, there is much to admire about the way Liverpool have gone about their football so far. There is also an argument that having ascended into fourth place, the current group of players deserves the opportunity to try and remain there.
There are also warning signs, though — weaknesses in the squad that are yet to be addressed and a reliance on the brilliance of Suárez continuing for the duration of the campaign. Everton, Tottenham and a Manchester United side reinforced by the mercurial Juan Mata will all look to take advantage of any slips should Liverpool falter. There are no guarantees that Liverpool will finish fourth even if they do make signings this month but the feeling that Suárez and Rodgers held last summer that further recruitment was necessary is growing at the same time that the opportunity for it is starting to diminish.
Whether or not they make moves, the bottom line for Liverpool is that should they fall short in the race for fourth because of a lack of quality they can have no complaints if Suárez ends up celebrating his next birthday at a club that can give him the gift of Champions League football.[/article]
OptaJohan @OptaJohan50s
38 - Kolbeinn Sigthórsson has attempted 38 shots this season, scoring six goals from the first 19 but just one from the final 19. Lapse.
Bolton Wanderers FC @OfficialBWFC24s
David Ngog has joined Premier League side Swansea City for an undisclosed fee.
David Ngog has joined Premier League side Swansea City for an undisclosed fee.
- Status
Similar threads
