The January 2021 Transfer Rumour Thread | Page 44 | Vital Football

The January 2021 Transfer Rumour Thread

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I saw yesterday another 2nd rate pundit Nedum Onuoha reckons he’s heard Man City are coming for Jack in the summer.
This talk is going to be never ending

It'll never end until he retires if he stays here.

Also if Dele Alli doesn't contribute to at least 3 goals against Marine I don't want him, I think that's fair ?
 
The English tax. Get a player of the same ability from any other country and they're always 10m or so less.

You think that tax is too much, watch that tax skyrocket with Brexit. Getting players who are not internationals from the continent is pretty much over at this stage. Like Leicester would not have been able to get Kante with the new rules coming in.

I know pundits rave about Brooks but whenever I’ve seen him I’ve thought he’s a bit so-so, too light weight and very injury prone. I think Bournemouth

Funny you say that, if you go to the Bournemouth forum you'll see them say something similar. Someone had suggested they use Brooks in the same fashion as we use Grealish and most people told the poster it wouldn't work. They said he isn't robust or strong enough to play that role regardless of his ability.
 
Funny you say that, if you go to the Bournemouth forum you'll see them say something similar. Someone had suggested they use Brooks in the same fashion as we use Grealish and most people told the poster it wouldn't work. They said he isn't robust or strong enough to play that role regardless of his ability.
Not sure what happened with my post looks like I forgot to finish that second sentence! I thought Brooks was decent but then he got injured and as per the typical situation he suddenly becomes a great player when he’s not playing. Pundits raved about Ryan Fraser and he’s done nothing at Newcastle, Josh King too has barely scored this season.. average players in a poor side punching above their weight - I’m not convinced
 
Not sure what happened with my post looks like I forgot to finish that second sentence! I thought Brooks was decent but then he got injured and as per the typical situation he suddenly becomes a great player when he’s not playing. Pundits raved about Ryan Fraser and he’s done nothing at Newcastle, Josh King too has barely scored this season.. average players in a poor side punching above their weight - I’m not convinced

No. I think our sights maybe higher now. Having said that it may prove easier to sign U.K players at the moment given the current circumstances.
 
No. I think our sights maybe higher now. Having said that it may prove easier to sign U.K players at the moment given the current circumstances.

Absolutely but at the same time we've got good mileage out of some Championship players. Deano and his team seem to have an eye on the type of players who can step up.

I could be way off the mark but perhaps knowing the Championship intimately and now having a much better idea of the Premiership. It seems as though maybe they can see the things that are needed to succeed. Maybe they are able to spot the keys to success. Watkins physicality and athleticism for instance or Cashs ability to read the game and be 100% committed.

Hause and Konsa too vs. say Engels. Engels was excellent for a while but Hause has leaped over him. And Hause has stepped up his game to a point we're not as worried about losing Konsa or Mings to injury.

I don't think Benrahma was ever in the frame for us this summer but he was last summer when we didn't understand the league. I said for most of the summer I didn't think he could step up and Brooks maybe be another who can't either. There is a minimum level of physicality needed to succeed in this league.
 
I think that during the summer we'll be looking for a player of Ross Barkley's playing quality but, who is more robust, or less likely to be injury prone, which is the only reason I think we will not be buying him in the summer.
Which, to my mind, puts Brooks out of the running straight away. He, although talented, isn't at the same level as Barkley but, like Barkley seems to take an age to recover from injury and is too slight and easily knocked off the ball.
That leaves it down to Olise or Buendia.
Well we know Buendia can show his quality in the premiership because he had a sterling season in a poor Norwich team last season. We also know he isn't a player to get dispossessed easily, or who will stand and think about it when it does happen but, will set about winning the ball back immediately.
Olise would be a far bigger gamble as he's not played in the premiership, yet.
To be frank, as long as he doesn't mind me borrowing his identity, how many 19 year old's have we all seen playing lower level football and being stand-out talents, only for them to fail when asked to play at a higher level. I have a feeling about Olise that he may just be playing at his level.
 
I think that during the summer we'll be looking for a player of Ross Barkley's playing quality but, who is more robust, or less likely to be injury prone, which is the only reason I think we will not be buying him in the summer.
Which, to my mind, puts Brooks out of the running straight away. He, although talented, isn't at the same level as Barkley but, like Barkley seems to take an age to recover from injury and is too slight and easily knocked off the ball.
That leaves it down to Olise or Buendia.
Well we know Buendia can show his quality in the premiership because he had a sterling season in a poor Norwich team last season. We also know he isn't a player to get dispossessed easily, or who will stand and think about it when it does happen but, will set about winning the ball back immediately.
Olise would be a far bigger gamble as he's not played in the premiership, yet.
To be frank, as long as he doesn't mind me borrowing his identity, how many 19 year old's have we all seen playing lower level football and being stand-out talents, only for them to fail when asked to play at a higher level. I have a feeling about Olise that he may just be playing at his level.


I agree with everything you've just said, although it's way too early to judge Olise peaking at Championship level at 19 years old, To be frank and no disrespect to Jacob Ramsey but Olise who is 8 months younger looks a better prospect and has had more experience.

I want to see Ramsey really tested at Championship level (Turns 20 in March) playing week in week out, having the odd sub appearance for us won't do his career any favours.

Michael Olise has played at Chelsea and Arsenal youth before moving to Reading and going through their youth system, there's a reason why he attracted those clubs in the first place and he's French so he's been bought over at a young age, he's also played for France in the U18's.

22 appearances, 4 goals and 8 assists at 18 is no mean feat, (turned 19 last month)

He has skill, he takes players on, looks robust, he defends well and can play through the middle or down the wings.

He's already rated at 7.2m which will all know is bs from transfermarkt and Reading will command a fee three times as much, but to put that into perspective Ramsey's rated 1.35m which is of course bs.

We need to either play Ramsey or ship him out on loan, it's pointless bringing in another 19 year old who's not going to see game time, especially whilst Barkley is still here.
 
I don't think we brought Lange in to sign players just a bit above average in the Championship. If we sign anybody I think it'll be somebody from abroad we've never heard of.
 
I don't think we brought Lange in to sign players just a bit above average in the Championship. If we sign anybody I think it'll be somebody from abroad we've never heard of.

That's what the bloke we had before Lange did.

I'd imagine Lange was brought in for a change of approach not to make the same mistakes again. I think Smith has a lot more say on 1st team transfers now, I'd imagine Lange is more focussed on kids such as Sil Swinkels.
 
I don't think we brought Lange in to sign players just a bit above average in the Championship. If we sign anybody I think it'll be somebody from abroad we've never heard of.

To be honest, Lange is working at a much bigger club than he's been at before with bigger ambitions, can he himself step up a level? He's gone from scouting 1m players to 30/40m level players, or is he just running a team of scouts?

From the experience of my own managers over the last 30 years none of them know the jobs of the people under them, it's no longer like the old days when your manager could do your job. So he might just be head of scouting and recruitment in name only
 
I think Smith has a lot more say on 1st team transfers now

I'm interesting on what you're basing that on? We found out that Smith was the one pushing for Drinkwater, Samatta and Baston last January, or at the very least it wasn't Suso who strongly objected and fell out with the club over it. If that wasn't Smith and it wasn't Suso then just who the hell is buying players at our club?
 
I'm interesting on what you're basing that on? We found out that Smith was the one pushing for Drinkwater, Samatta and Baston last January, or at the very least it wasn't Suso who strongly objected and fell out with the club over it. If that wasn't Smith and it wasn't Suso then just who the hell is buying players at our club?
Where did you get this gossip that Suso fell out with the club because they signed players he didnt agree with?
 
Watkins
Barkley
Cash

Our big money summer signings all seem like Smith signings to me
I've always thought Smith has an influence and say over transfers. The recruitment team may offer him players, hopefully based on his briefing of his requirements, but I'd be very surprised if he didn't have a. Responsibility to sign them off; b. Have in mind players himself that he sends the team to work up and negotiate with.
 
To be honest, Lange is working at a much bigger club than he's been at before with bigger ambitions, can he himself step up a level? He's gone from scouting 1m players to 30/40m level players, or is he just running a team of scouts?

From the experience of my own managers over the last 30 years none of them know the jobs of the people under them, it's no longer like the old days when your manager could do your job. So he might just be head of scouting and recruitment in name only

In that case why would he have been appointed? I think what he brought to the table was proven knowledge of the European market and beyond, an eye for players who's value would increase, and an understanding of how to match players to a style of play. Last summer he hardly had his feet under the table and I'm sure Watkins, Barkley and Cash were already lined up, but I'm pretty sure Traore was his signing.

From the experience of my own managers over the last 30 years none of them know the jobs of the people under them, it's no longer like the old days when your manager could do your job.

Nope, the British disease of appointing managers who couldn't do the job of those under them goes way, way back which is why sections of British industry fell by the wayside. In Germany for example, companies like VW are run by engineers. Not here, generally, although there are exceptions.
 
Nope, the British disease of appointing managers who couldn't do the job of those under them goes way, way back which is why sections of British industry fell by the wayside. In Germany for example, companies like VW are run by engineers. Not here, generally, although there are exceptions.

Off-topic but
Spot on mate, yes it's longer than 30 years since I could take a job to my manager or foreman and he'd be able to tell me how to do if I was stuck, now they just blag it.
I met Dr Schmidt head of BMW engineering in Finland 20 odd years ago now and his head of Sales and marketing or some other director, he was asking me how the VVT mechanism worked on the Rover K series engine. I explained it to him and then he quizzed me about the detail in great depth which impressed me. Our head of Engineering would have just said sounds fascinating and walked on.
Yes, that is the difference,


Back on the topic have we signed anyone yet?
 
I'm interesting on what you're basing that on? We found out that Smith was the one pushing for Drinkwater, Samatta and Baston last January, or at the very least it wasn't Suso who strongly objected and fell out with the club over it. If that wasn't Smith and it wasn't Suso then just who the hell is buying players at our club?

There was certainly a falling out between Deano and Suso, not sure exactly which players it was over. Pretty sure Baston was a Suso signing though and nothing to do with Deano
 
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