Transfer Rumours Lack of Transfer activity

Seen a lot of debate over the last few days on social media and online news outlets about the lack of any transfer dealings this month.

With Ashley rearing his ugly mug earlier on in the window and subsequent reports suggesting he was taking a more involved role in the transfer dealings it does make you wonder what is going on at the club's scouting department and board level and how much control Rafa has.

We've been heavily linked to Delph, Cleverley, Townsend, Barrow, McCarthy, Ince etc but not seen any kind of movement or heard of any official offers.

We obviously need additional bodies to cover injuries and suspensions in the midfield (we have sufficient cover everywhere else) but you can also understand we almost have one foot in the Prem already so why not save the money for the summer when prices aren't so inflated and Anita, Hayden, Shelvey, Colback, Diame can all play there.

For me - I'm not to worried but would like clarification on who is in charge of the transfers and how much input Rafa has on the incoming players. If it is Carr, Ashley and Charney running the transfers again I have my doubts Rafa will stay long term which is all I'd worry about.

Thoughts?

 

My main thought is that we don't have enough information to form an opinion about what is going on.

Rafa might be making the decisions but have decided that he can shop more cheaply and for better quality in the summer. Or he may have been completely sidelined. Or something in between.

 

This is it, I'm not so worried about the potential signings - if its Rafa's decision that they are to much for what they would bring to the team then fine we can plug on with what we have. But if it is Rafa suggesting players and Ashley/Carr/Charnley saying they don't want to spend that is a problem.

 

Gabriel Pires is the latest rumour! Brazilian, plays in spain, was previously at Juve as a kid, is 23 yrs old.

 

This window is looking all too familiar. It's not great seeing our rivals all winning whilst we're not playing, and we're just hoping that we'll have enough to stay on the top two.

The lack of any engagement with the window almost looks to be a barometer of our ambition - but we're just stressing as fans do..

 

Not particularly worried to be honest. There are things I'd like to see for sure. A left back, a number 10 and another wide player look fairly crucial. I think it will be a lack of funds. Rafa probably knows what he has over the next two windows depending on scenario. He will want to keep as much back as possible for a bumper summer unless there is the right player now.

Without knowing what the actual situation is it is difficult to comment.

 

Probably waiting until the summer when better quality players are available and when, most likely, we will be a PL club again. Far easier to attract better players when you are a PL club.

 

We can live in hope. Like I say, I think we are nearly there to be promoted (touch wood) and can see that if Rafa and the staff are happy enough with what they have why blow £10-15m this window when it can be put to better use in the summer.

Just worrying that we are obviously making enquirers but not getting anywhere which would indicate we are after at least 1 signing, who knows, they may come in before Tuesday but it's the media reports suggesting Ashley is poking his nose around which worries me...

 

#pardewed

 

Good we've been linked with absolute ****e so I'm not bothered. I'd rather we just went with what we had and bought players good enough for the premiership in the summer

 

I think we want a number of players on loan with options, but it's Jan so Prem clubs want to sell to fund purchases. Hence Townsend, McCarthy and Barrow haven't moved. It's about whether the club is willing to take a punt on us going up and subsequently buying these players, which is why it goes down to the wire.

I think there's a good chance we'll see three in before next week - there's equally as good a chance as we'll see none! Townsend, McCarthy and Pires look the likely ones for me.

 

In RAFA I trust lads.
No buy is better than a bad buy.

 

Exatly we've been linked with Barrow, says it all, wouldn't buy anyone if that's the calibure of player available.

 

We are waiting until the summer when we sign Ronaldo, Kroos and Messi.

 

I'm not worried. Its a terrible time to buy. No one wants to sell we are in a bit of a funny position as if we get anyone we need them to be good enough for next year. I'm sure we have asked around but there is no point doing a deal for the sake of it.

 

Seems to me that the club would have had a few players they were interested in this window.
There has been a lot of speculation and l suspect that most of the names we have been linked to are just paper talk.
I suspect we had some serious interest in one or two players who either:
Were courted by PL clubs and went elsewhere
Selling club wanted silly money
We haven't offloaded enough deadwood yet to justify new recruits
As Rafa said January is a really difficult time and we should only buy those players who improve the squad and are better than what we already have.
I think it's fair to say that most of us expected someone new would have come in at this point in the window, but they haven't.
That in itself is rich pickings for the lazy hacks to do the "Ashley is blocking transfers and Rafa may walk" type stories.
Personally l think we needed one or two new bodies, they may still materialise, more worrying is the fact that now our club has stopped providing the comedy element of the sports pages, the malicious devisive mischief making starts again.

 

I always expect deals to happen in the last day or two of the window and if they are quicker then it's a bonus. There's a lot of gamesmanship between clubs in the negotiations and sometimes deals are part of a chain of player transfers between multiple clubs that depends on one deal being sorted before the others cascade through. So, it's not a surprise that nothing's happened yet.

We could really use a good all round CM and McCarthy on loan would be ideal and enough to see us through this season. If we can get PL quality players in now on top of that deal then great, otherwise we should keep our powder dry until July.

 

Transfer policy has to suit the club position and can understand why its not sensible to buy now or why you would want to stick to young players that you can add value to or may turn into players who could be valuable in Premier League in longer term We could have gone all out and spent on players to ensure that we are guaranteed promotion but these may not necessarily be players who would be great assets IF we do get to the Premier League.
Suspect that Rafa and Ashley are relatively confident that they can get promoted with what we have and then can plan for Premier League over the Summer when there is much more available and a few of the so called non-Premier league standard players we have can be offloaded to clubs relegated from Premier League at optimum prices.

 

This is what I honestly think Ashley may have said to Rafa. Don't buy anyone who is not good enough for the prem. if we get one or two then fine but if not save the money for Summer. There is no point spunking money on average championship quality players. We can attract better players in summer but if we get promoted.

 

To be honest, I don't know why they bother making the Jan transfer window a month long - might as well make it a week since all the activity seems to happen then anyway.

As people have said, clubs looking to sell and haven't - this will make loan deals more attractive as the days tick by and they haven't sold their precious asset but in all honesty is rather we waited if we can't get the right player than just spend money to add bodies