Winter Transfer Window

Who will come and who will go?

My favourite story so far is in the daily mail...Chelsea to bid for Harry Kane to replace Costa
Comic genius.

Loan returns
Oduwa


Loaned out
Alex Pritchard ... West Brom
Fazio ... Saville
Grant Ward ...Rotherham (loan extended)

Bought
Shilow Tracey from Ebbsfleet undisclosed


Sold/released
Kenny McEvoy released
Shaq Coulthirst to Peterborough undisclosed
Andros Townsend to Newcastle £12m
Veljkovic to Bremen undisclosed

 

Veljkovic will be going, given he's told the Serbian press he won't be signing a new contract and he's been in contact with the two Belgrade clubs

Carroll's contract is up at the end of the season, so if he doesn't sign a new deal he'll be off

Alexandre Pato's name has come up again, now that his loan to Sao Paulo has ended and the Brazilian season is about to finish - although most of the news is coming from his agent, a certain Kia Joorabchian

Breel Embolo's name continues to be linked, too - but Basel want £21m for him

The good news is that Sevilla have been linked with a move to re-sign Fazio - although this presumably means we might be on the lookout for another centre back

 

Townsend & Fazio must surely be on the 'to the highest bidder' list.

I'd like to see Carroll stay until the end of the season, even if it means we miss out on £5m or so for him. He didn't cost us anything to sign and, whilst I don't think he'll ever make it here, I also don't think he's been given enough of a chance.

I think we'll go back in for Berahino although tbh I don't see where he'd fit in now that Dembele and Lamela have remembered how to play football, and Son has settled almost instantly. An out n' out striker is needed to cover Kane without question - but who?

I think a Gallas - type signing in place of Fazio could be useful. Gives Wimmer space to develop but also means we have an old head around the training ground as the season approaches squeaky bum time.

So I think 2 in and 2 out is the most sensible approach.

 

Might be an idea to sign someone that can play both right-back and centre-half comfortably, given Trippier's questionable form.

If Townsend is on the way out, which wouldn't surprise anyone really, then Berahino might kill two birds with one stone.
He can play from the wing but he's also capable of playing the lone striker role, though I'm not sure how well he'd fit the system.
Might be an idea to bring in someone else as well, depending on how Harrison's development is seen by the coaching staff.

 

Here's a deal that would make a lot of sense, if it were ever proposed:
* Sunderland were one of the clubs looking at Townsend in the summer, and he's likely to be leaving soon
* Sunderland are supposedly open to offers for Defoe in January
Cash + Defoe for Townsend?

At the very least, Kane will have some actual backup, Defoe's experienced enough to help out with the youngsters, and the move wouldn't affect our HG quota at all.

In terms of defenders, Domagoj Vida's name popped up again a couple of weeks back - as he can play across the back four, that;s the combination centre back/right back PNP mentioned.

 

My list...
Out
1) Fazio - won't make the 1st team so should be sold
2) Townsend - not cos of his tantrum but cos he's not delivered when he has played ... his last good game Was v swansea back in march imo

In
A centre back ... no idea who though
A forward ... would prefer Austin to Berahino personally

 

If Townsend is to be sold to Sunderland then aren't we keen on their young keeper? I'm not sure about Defoe returning again. I don't think his game suits us now and isn't he on an enormous wage and contract there?

I think we could do with another Eric Dier as he could be the stand-in right back or cover for Toby doing the job. However, I don't want us to spend anything on any other position if it means we can't buy a really good striker.

As for that striker we are caught in the usual dilemna of wanting top quality without paying the going rate. Everton paid big money for Lukaku I would hope we can do the same to land someone who could be the difference between 5th and 4th, or 3rd or....For some reason I don't think it will be Berahino and we'll end up going abroad or for Mousa Dembele II.

 

There was an article with Poch talking about Kane wanting to stay at Tottenham despite links elsewhere. Bit that caught my eye was:

"But Harry, like Hugo Lloris, wants to stay here."

I've always assumed Hugo would be the next to go for CL Football if we don't get there. Is there any importance attached to Poch specifically naming him along with Kane and not say Verts/Eriksen?

 

Kane to United

 

I would take it as good news about Hugo (and Harry). Not sure you can extrapolate to Vertonghen and Eriksen and assume they are looking to leave. With Eriksen he was much admired for a while before he came here. I get the impression it is not just about instant glory and money with him. The relationship with the manager will be crucial in keeping these players I think.

 

Team spirit does seem to have improved immeasurably since all protagonists of Kaboulgate have been moved on, and doubly so since the Adebayor odour left the building.

I get the impression that Jan is enjoying his football for the first time in a while, playing alongside his man crush Toby. If he does leave, I'm not too worried as we seem to be quite good at finding decent centre backs (Cheery Cheese and Fazio aside).

Erisken on the other hand is much closer to being a 'one of a kind' player whose skill set will be much harder and much more expensive to replace.

 

After what we had to endure the last time we signed a young keeper from Sunderland, that's reason enough to worry about Jordan Pickford...

 

I'd take Defoe back all day long, never wanted him to leave the first or second time, even at 33 he's still dangerous and an ideal player to bring off the bench when chasing a goal. The 18 shirt is free again too .

It'd be a shame to see Andros go because despite is inconsistency and poor decision making, there IS a very good player in there somewhere that just needs someone to make him realise it, being an academy lad too it's never nice seeing "one of your own" go but his chances here are bleak to say the least, the spat with Nathan Gardiner was somewhat hitting one of the penultimate nails in his coffin too.

In terms of other deals, I think Fazio is as good as gone. Carter-Vickers getting the call to travel with the squad shows you how much faith Poch now has in him, after a disappointing debut season he got a chance to impress in the League Cup this year and still looked as error-prone as ever.

I think Carroll may look for a move, it's a shame because he really isn't a bad little player but with the ages and the form of the guys that are above him in the pecking order, he'll never really be able to cement a place in the side. A bottom half Prem team would definitely see him as an appealing option to have, he needs first team football if he wants to push on with his career.

I can also see Pritch leaving on loan, a huge shame because this was looking like his year to make the real breakthrough but the injury from the Euro's has really ****ed his season, reports reckon he won't be available til Jan, taking into consideration the fitness levels Poch requires from his players, he probably wouldn't be fit enough until mid-Feb and it won't be ideal for him or us to have him picking up just the odd 10-15 minutes here and there to help build his fitness before he's ready for a start. A loan in Jan to a side that'll give him regular time will be ideal, whether it be Prem or maybe somewhere abroad like the Eredivisie.

Loans for McGee, Winks and Walker-Peters should also be options.

Incomings I'd take an ageing CB, someone who'll play back up to Toby and Jan but can come in and partner Wimmer when needed while keeping the first choice two on their toes, ironically someone like Daws would be perfect right now. If Defoe became a genuine possibility I think the club should definitely look at it, though realistically I just can't see it happening, so a striker of some sort has to be the priority. Austin for less than £10m would be great business, Depoitre of Gent continues to get linked as does Pato, if the club feels any of them are worthwhile options for competition and back up for Kane then I'm all for it.

 

Depoitre has started to look like a potential saga: when his name first popped up a couple of months back, it was assumed he'd cost somewhere between £5-7m - but now Gent are saying he can leave for £14m, which is far too much to be paying for a backup striker.

Axel Witsel's name has popped up again, and he's open to a January move. Having a Dier/Witsel pivot could add an extra dimension to central midfield, given he's best described as a Dembele/Fellaini hybrid, plus having some more Belgians couldn't hurt (unless they suggest watching the season one boxset of Salamander as a team-building exercise, then we'd have all manner of problems...)

 

Now in it's third consecutive transfer window...here's Rabiot Watch: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...battle-spurs-for-psg-midfielder-a6755466.html

 

The new Leandro?

 

I'm pretty sure I said the same thing in mid-August

 

Spurs won't be doing any business in January. Mark my words. It was all done in a remarkably productive summer.

 

I shudder to think that back up for Kane and a replacement for Fazio won't be brought in. I can also see a few outgoings, especially a few of the youngsters on loan. Wouldn't say no to selling Townsend and Fazio to the highest bidder either, and I'd happily drive both of them to whichever airport or train station they'd need to make it happen.

I think 2 in and up to 2 out, with a couple of loans thrown in.

Consider your words unmarked.

 

This is spot on. We may have to sell but so be it.