Saints January transfer window thread

If Lallana leaves, I'm quitting football-watching.

I also can't believe that a few people would say no to Hart, he is absolutely immense!

 

I'd say no to Hart. You can go back a year and I was saying then that he was an accident waiting to happen. He is good at the instinctive stuff but makes poor decisions and too many errors (I'm not just saying this based on recent events).

 

I might be in an army of one here, so tin hat on.

We shouldn't be wedded to any player. If we can sell him for more than we think he's worth, we should sell. Similarly when we're buying, I don't care whom we buy as long as they are cheaper than we think they are worth. It's a strategy that worked for Cloughie, worked for Olympique Lyonnais and could work for us. It's also the basis for a sound financial footing for a club.

Before I am attacked, think on. If someone offered us £77M for Adam, should we accept it? Of course. In one step you have rid yourself of the fiction that anyone is indispensible to our team.

Vin

 

Naturally. But that reality -- that if you get a good enough offer, and the player wants the move -- is quite a bit different than that which is often thrown around, which is that if a big club bats its eyelashes and throws a fistful of pocket lint your way, you are then duty-bound to make the deal happen.

It's possible, even likely, that we will sell any number of players over the course of several years. It's much more dubious that they're all so desperate to be substitutes for the name brands that they're all scheming to force Cortese's hand at the earliest opportunity.

 

If we got Hart, he'd have to start but I don't think he's better than Boruc.

 

Fair comment. It's fun watching them try, though.

Vin

 

Difficult to tell who's worse on current form!

 

The Daily Mail says there has been contact with Shaw's representatives from Levy's end, as Shaw has the same agent as Erik Lamela.

Also says we won't sell in January and would want £30m in the summer to sell Luke.

 

The two players saints should go for in Jan are Lescott and Will Hughes.

 

No thanks.

 

Much better than that clown Fonte. Could do with Fraser Forster too.

 

I think the problem with fans of certain other clubs in England is that they still think they have some massive draw to the whole of the world including British based players.
The problem with our fans is that we think everyone has bought into the project and will stay for a good while yet.

The reality of the first point is that for a player that has been at Saints for ages whether it be through our academy or Schneiderlin is not really going to see Liverpool as that big a step up AT THE MOMENT because we are doing well enough and who knows if Liverpool have stepped back into the big 4 places until the end of the season.

So for someone already in the Saints team, been here for a while, seen us rise from the ashes to be fighting for the higher positions in the Prem then unless Tottenham and Liverpool step up into CL spots then it isn't that much of a gain for them.

However when it comes to competing with Spurs or Liverpool to buy a player especially from abroad it is a different story because they are famous teams that have a large global appeal. People abroad recognise the names Liverpool or Spurs when talking about football. Only a select few know Southampton even when we were in the Top Flight for all those years.

So to suggest that Shaw, Lallana, Schneiderlin will want out when they see the $$$ is a little bit off the mark. It is a completely different story when we talk about Coutinho not being interested in us when Liverpool were interested. I can believe the latter is not very far off the mark as Coutinho is likely to be a 'short term' player that will move from club to club. I don't mean a season then off but he is unlikely to stay at Liverpool until he retires.

If silly money does come in then of course it is a different ball game but then Spurs are a lesson. If Bale had wanted to stay would Levy have turned down £85m or would he have tried to persuade Bale to stay? After all selling a 'known' to buy several 'unknowns' hasn't worked out for them thus far. And by known/unknown I mean Spurs knew Bale was excellent in their team and bringing in any player you don't know whether they will settle in, lose form, not like the tactics etc.

So I think we have no worries really. Shaw will only go to a team IF he is likely to be first choice and at the moment I can only see ManU if they fail to get Baines. Schneiderlin will be getting offers through Jan and Summer as will Lallana. Taking realistic value away I would suggest Cortese would think less than £25m for any of those 3 would be refused unless someone who would replace them seamlessly was available.

 

Remind me which team currently has the best defensive record in the premier league?

 

Hi Banana.

 

Not so naïve as to think that no one makes enquiries on the quiet, but they are walking a fine line if such enquiries get out as they must approach the club first. Cannot see Spurs being much of an attraction for Luke though...apart from a greater chance of starting than if he joined ManU/Chelsea etc. At least the 30 million is a more realistic figure (plus sell on clause). However, nothing in this story that we couldn't have made up after a few bevvies.

The only thing that could give it credence is if NC needs the money to buy player(s) that Mauricio wants. It is a business after all. Would be more worried to lose Schneiderlin or Lallana.

 

If Targett is as good as rumoured then we might well cash in during the summer.

 

But why would we want to cash-in..? I don't see the logic or the philosophy. You only have to spend the money out again at some point, some as back-up for Targett or more to replace Luke with an inferior player. Shaw is a ready made semi-finished product, who doesn't want to leave Southampton and Saints have no intention of selling him. I thought selling the family silver was done in times of hardship..? I can't get my head the fact that Cortese has his vision and nothing will sway him from the path, yet he would be prepared to sell key players to rival clubs. If Luke Shaw went into his office and requested a transfer then things might be different. But the lad has actually made a video asking people to stop linking him with other clubs. How much more does he have to do..?

 

Take your point TSS but if Targett is as good or better and some-one offers silly money for Like then the club have to take a decision. I hope you are right though.

 

Everton and Southampton will lead the chase to bring free-scoring Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes to the Premier League this January

 

Yeah, I just don't think we'd take it. We'd rather have the player as part of the unit. Saints are trying to develop that same siege mentality that all the great sides have had, who've achieved above their ability, like Nottm Forest, Liverpool, ManU, etc.., and you don't get it by letting the key players disappear, or before you know it, you've got an exodus on your hands.

Besides, £30M is nothing like silly enough. You price him so high that you put everyone off, or you simply say, NO. In my opinion, Cortese doesn't play by the same rules, in any case. If he says Not For Sale, it doesn't happen, unless the player wants it.