January Transfer Window 25/26

Im guessing Huggins is injured yet again. He's not been in a match day squad for Wycombe in a while.

I feel sorry for him. He could/should have had a really good career

 

Got a return to a desperate Fulham written all over it.

 

Be a canny Ba replacement

 

Less than two months ago, amidst transfer speculation, he celebrated a goal by miming answering a phone and throwing it away, then kissed the badge. Amazing what a few bad results can do.

Just goes to show all this "love the club" stuff is pure nonsense. Make no mistake, a few bad results and ANY player will be off as soon as they can. They're all mercenaries.

 

After we started last season so well and we signed Le Fee in the January, it felt like KLD and Speakman were saying to the fans and the club 'right, what have you got?'

Quite a lot, was the answer. The play off campaign was the stuff of legend.

Roll on the summer window and the signings and ambition were a real eye opener, wow kind of stuff. Magnus and a few others hinted we would really go for it. Again, a case of the club and fans being asked 'That was great. What else have you got?'

4th in the league and holding our own. Sold out crowds, thriving merchandising and getting noticed around the world.

Could the January window be once again a case of stepping up a notch and saying to the club and fans 'Well done. Now what else have you got?'

 

Sunderland signed Chemsdine Talbi from Club Brugge last summer and he’s been a regular this season.

The Black Cats are now looking to raid Club Brugge again to sign another player. That’s at least what Walfoot are reporting, and they state Sunderland have set their sights on Jorne Spileers.

He graduated from the Jupiler Pro League side’s academy and was promoted to the first team in 2022. The 20-year-old has already played 84 matches, of which 17 are from this season.

The centre-back is said to be on the right track to continue his development. Walfoot say his maturity and ball control make him an attractive option for clubs looking to invest on young talent.

Sunderland seem keen as the report explains they would be willing to make an effort to secure his services.

Despite the Premier League club’s interest, Club Brugge believe they are in a comfortable position. That’s because the Belgium U21 international has a contract until 2028.

Transfermarkt currently values him at €3.5m but a potential move would cost much more than that for Sunderland.

As well as Régis Le Bris’ side, Borussia Mönchengladbach are keeping an eye on the player.

Link in comments

 

https://www.skysports.com/football/...hat-launched-impressive-premier-league-return



Who drove the transfer strategy in the summer?

Once they triumphed at Wembley, it was clear they needed to invest in the first team to compete this season, but even I was surprised by the level they pushed it to. Around £155m was spent, not including of add-ons.

The first of those - Enzo Le Fée - was signed permanently as the final whistle blew at Wembley - due to a condition in his loan deal from Roma. So before they'd even had time to say "we're back" they'd broken their transfer record with the £17m arrival of the French midfielder whose influence, insiders tell me, had been key to promotion.

Ghisolfi then arrived from Roma too, and helped get many of the signings over the line. He officially started work at the start of July, but he'd been working away in the background before then.

The first signings (Habib Diarra, £27m from Strasbourg & Noah Sadiki, £14m from Union Saint Gilloise) had been identified before Ghisolfi's arrival, but the executive's experience and standing in the game helped land players such as Granit Xhaka, Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele.

But even someone like Brian Brobbey, who arrived on Deadline Day, had been in conversation with the club for weeks prior to that. He had initially decided to stay at Ajax until he saw the model at Sunderland taking shape and was made aware of the calibre of players arriving on Wearside.
The thinking from Sunderland was experience and physicality. Sunderland have added supreme experience with the arrival of on-pitch leader Xhaka - he has been the catalyst for many others to follow.

I was present when the 141-times capped Switzerland international skipper arrived on the owner's luxury private jet back in August. The sight of Xhaka landing on Wearside made it significantly easier to attract other big-name signings to the north east in the weeks that followed.



Who convinced Xhaka to join?

The transfer wouldn't have happened without Dreyfus, who convinced his compatriot to make the move. He rolled out the red carpet with his luxury private jet and flew in to collect him en route to Sunderland.

But in reality, Xhaka had unfinished business in the Premier League. The two-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal wanted one last try at the big time, and turned down more lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia to instead move to Wearside.

Dreyfus pulled out the stops to get his man, and there was a "pinch me moment" from many within the club when Bayer Leverkusen, with whom Xhaka had won the Bundesliga just 12 months earlier, gave the move the green light.

I was with Sunderland on their pre-season camp in Portugal, and it was clear they needed a leader. Xhaka has taken that mantle and led from the front. Players have told me they are scared to make a misplaced pass in training, in fear of letting down Granit.


What are Sunderland's plans for January?

They plan to be active again in January and they are in a strong position to do so, but they will only add if they feel a player can add to the group. Sunderland are clever with their recruitment and will only add if they feel it's the right player.
I think they are perhaps a bit light on the wings and may feel adding there will give them more options in attack.

It will be difficult to navigate AFCON in December and January, with up to seven players leaving the club temporarily to go and represent their countries.

That may also have a knock-on effect on the January window, with short-term fixes to see them through a possibility.