January Transfer Window

Fortuneseeker

buffy, I am hoping Kretinsky will help them see the error of their ways. 🤞

OldCastleSwift

buffybegood said:

OldCastleSwift said:

Agree with this though. £30m for an experienced PL player, in his prime, a current France international and in a position we're desperate for is not excessive, IMO.

I'm not saying that's not his value, just that I can't see us paying that sort of money for a FB, especially not when we need players in the spine of the team (at CB and CF) as well.

Yep, I don't think we will either. He fits the bill in almost every respect on the pitch, but at a rumoured £30m and £100k p/w, I can't see it happening.

Whitehorsehammer

I like what Antonio had to say on the BBC.
"Speaking on the Footballer's Football podcast on BBC Sounds, he said: "One thing that we definitely need is a striker. The crazy thing is I’m the striker and I’m like ‘ah, somebody is coming in to try and take my spot’.
"But I like a challenge and I like having someone there pushing me. Even if they take my spot I believe that I can get my spot back.
"That gives me that hunger and gives me that drive and makes me play better because I need to play well to stay in the team. I always want my shirt, I always want to play".

OldCastleSwift

Apologies for the source, but as we're talking about Antonio, he's signed another contract extension:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/premierleague/17240161/michail-antonio-west-ham-contract/amp/

I'm glad he's welcoming competition. Hopefully he'll get it this month.

Lukerz

I must admit, whenever I have watched Digne play before, I can’t say I’ve thought ‘wow, what a LB’.

buffybegood

Whereas at West Ham it's more like

"Wow. What? A LB?"

Bazshuayi

Said it before but this, IMO, is a no brainer...

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/12510365/divock-origi-liverpool-striker-wanted-by-italian-clubs-but-prefers-premier-league-move

OutcastLondoner

His finish against us changed my mind about him. Which is probably stupid.

IronHerb

Lingard, Origi, Digne and CB for around £55m in total will do nicely.

Slacker

IronHerb said:

Lingard, Origi, Digne and CB for around £55m in total will do nicely.

“Then I woke up.”

EXETERHAMMER

I would take Origi.

buffybegood

EXETERHAMMER said:

I would take Origi.

Paper folding evening classes 101?

Bazshuayi

Whatever the previous regimes thoughts on spending money (January or otherwise), we've just had a wealthy guy come in and buy a 27% stake. I know thats not Newcastle money but strengthening now could see us in Europe 2 years running and we are definitely one of several contenders for that 4th place!

Imagine Digne and Cressers rotating... (I wouldnt mind a younger LB/LWB too)

Origi, all 10M of his physicality and skill, enabling Antonio to rest or be subbed off to keep him fresh n hungry

Tarkowski slotting in for Oggy next to Zouma

Lingard freshening up the attack (and enabling Vlasic more time to settle)

(uplifting music commences) Those type of additions would make us even more of a threat and, although I never dreamed I'd say it or see it in my lifetime, a real chance for 4th! Not just a hope.

Do we not deserve that investment and upgrade(s) to the squad?

BubblesNeverDies

Baz
"Imagine Digne and Cressers rotating"

I'm not going to even try to explain the image that came to mind when I first read that.

claretandbluesky

One of the more interesting ones to watch play out is Aaron Ramsey. He is unwanted at Juventus but reportedly on 400k per week. Talk of who can afford his wages must be irrelevant as I doubt anyone who could afford it would be willing to pay that for a player who has an injury history and has played only 100minutes this season.

This means the real question is how much does Ramsey want to play football again? he cannot possibly need money as he had many successful seasons at Arsenal and has been on this 400k per week since 2019 when he joined Juventus, which is not far short of 20m per year. It would be very sad if he refused to move unless someone matched his wages and just sat on a bench instead.

Bazshuayi

BubblesNeverDies said:

Baz
"Imagine Digne and Cressers rotating"

I'm not going to even try to explain the image that came to mind when I first read that.

You should! Waiting with baited breath

BubblesNeverDies

Bazshuayi said:

BubblesNeverDies said:

Baz
"Imagine Digne and Cressers rotating"

I'm not going to even try to explain the image that came to mind when I first read that.

You should! Waiting with baited breath

Not a chance.

IronHerb

claretandbluesky said:

One of the more interesting ones to watch play out is Aaron Ramsey. He is unwanted at Juventus but reportedly on 400k per week. Talk of who can afford his wages must be irrelevant as I doubt anyone who could afford it would be willing to pay that for a player who has an injury history and has played only 100minutes this season.

This means the real question is how much does Ramsey want to play football again? he cannot possibly need money as he had many successful seasons at Arsenal and has been on this 400k per week since 2019 when he joined Juventus, which is not far short of 20m per year. It would be very sad if he refused to move unless someone matched his wages and just sat on a bench instead.

But he won't be looking for £400k a week. He went on a free so absorbed some of the transfer fee savings into his salary, that's how free transfers work imo. Even if he goes on a free now he's not the player he was so probably smallish fee and moderate wages.

alderz

His agent will be in his ear saying why take “moderate” wages when you can stay here for £400k a week?

I think it’ll end up with Juve paying loads of his salary

Dodger58

I think Ramsey's position at Juve just goes to show the problem with offering ridiculously high salaries. I have no sympathy for Juve, they have made their bed. But the idea that 'saving the transfer fee' should mean this supports such high wages should not apply. Clubs have to maintain a wage structure, just as any other employee must, otherwise they will create dissatisfaction and jealousy within their employees.

Whilst we clearly have to pay for good players, if the only reason they are joining is for the salary we should steer clear.

Moyes has engendered a great sprint within the club, we must ensure we don't create cracks in that through offering inflated wages just because someone is a free transfer.

IronHerb

But players do understand when a player signs on a free that his wages are going to be inflated.

claretandbluesky

alderz said:

His agent will be in his ear saying why take “moderate” wages when you can stay here for £400k a week?

I think it’ll end up with Juve paying loads of his salary

This is what makes it interesting to watch. Will he sit on the bench and take 400k or maybe take a quarter of that to be able to actually play. It's not that he doesn't recognise that his wages were inflated due to being a free transfer, it's a case of will he choose to keep taking these wages just because he can or will he choose to play football again.

I would like to see him on the pitch again as he was a great talent at Arsenal.

alderz

According to the BBC Gossip Column:

The S*n said:

Liverpool are closing in on a £60m deal to sign Colombia winger Luis Diaz, 24, from Porto.

If true, this would be good news for us, as it should spell the end of their apparent Bowen interest.

MrsGrey

Whitehorsehammer said:

I like what Antonio had to say on the BBC.
"Speaking on the Footballer's Football podcast on BBC Sounds, he said: "One thing that we definitely need is a striker. The crazy thing is I’m the striker and I’m like ‘ah, somebody is coming in to try and take my spot’.
"But I like a challenge and I like having someone there pushing me. Even if they take my spot I believe that I can get my spot back.
"That gives me that hunger and gives me that drive and makes me play better because I need to play well to stay in the team. I always want my shirt, I always want to play".

Also like what Moyes said
"We've extended one or two contracts behind the scenes," said West Ham boss David Moyes.
"We've gone about our business quietly, trying to do things behind the scenes and trying to do things correctly."

OldCastleSwift

The hope is that Rice is one of them, but I suspect it's Johnson and/or Fabianksi that are the other contract extensions.

OutcastLondoner

https://twitter.com/Michailantonio/status/1479516091651137536

Lukerz

Coufal & Fab I would guess

Bazshuayi

claretandbluesky said:

alderz said:

His agent will be in his ear saying why take “moderate” wages when you can stay here for £400k a week?

I think it’ll end up with Juve paying loads of his salary

This is what makes it interesting to watch. Will he sit on the bench and take 400k or maybe take a quarter of that to be able to actually play. It's not that he doesn't recognise that his wages were inflated due to being a free transfer, it's a case of will he choose to keep taking these wages just because he can or will he choose to play football again.

I would like to see him on the pitch again as he was a great talent at Arsenal.

If he's chatted to Bale when linking up with Wales, he'll definitely have insight into sitting on the bench every week collecting obscene wages

ASLEFshrugged

Rafa confirms at his press conference that Digne wants to leave, various sources claim he has rejected Newcastle because...

a) he doesn't want to end up playing in the Championship
b) he rather move to London than to Tyneside (who wouldn't?)

alderz

ASLEFshrugged said:

l
b) he rather move to London than to Tyneside (who wouldn't?)

Kieran Trippier, I guess