[FOOTBALL] 2018 January Transfer Window Thread

[Weaver]

The transfer window opens again in eleven days, and Bayern Munich have moved first and completed the signing of Sandro Wagner from Hoffenheim for £10.6m.

Now that half the season has gone, where do you feel your team needs to strengthen?

It could be a quiet one with it being a World Cup year, but rumours aren’t going away for Sanchez, Coutinho and the like.

[Lewis]

I would try to bring Mesut Oezil in early just for a lol.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Chelsea only have 21 players named in our squad at the moment, and David Luiz and Batshuayi are being fattened up for goosing season, so if we don't bring a couple in I don't know what the old dear Marina is doing with her time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Actually I miscounted. We have 20 players named in our 25-man squad. Didn't know Kenedy counts as yoof.

No wonder Conte was kicking off in August.

[Ian]

Kenedy was a beast of a forward for me on FM15. Imagine my surprise when I first saw him playing for Chelsea and he appeared to be a wingback.

[niko_cee]

Isn't he off on loan somewhere?

Looks like we'll be letting Woodburn go somewhere for the rest of the season, hopefully a Premier League team. Sturridge too, although that seems less likely in the rumour mill now.

[phonics]

I heard Sunderland or Leeds for Woodburn. I wonder what he did to Klopps mum.

[Disco]

Anywhere nicer would too much of a culture shock.

[Weaver]

Celtic have accepted a bid of around £18m for Moussa Dembele from Brighton.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12691/11184283/brighton-have-moussa-dembele-bid-accepted-by-celtic

[John]

Celtic have taken them to town there.

[SincereTheRebel]

In the interest of filling their own pockets. Sanchez or ozil should see out their contracts at arsenal. You were willing to pay arsenal £25m for me in January. Now you have to pay me that to sign, right now.

[five time]

Celtic have taken them to town there.

Wasn't he linked with Chelsea for 30/40m last summer? Has he been found out a bit this year?

[Adamski]

Celtic have accepted a bid of around £18m for Moussa Dembele from Brighton.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12691/11184283/brighton-have-moussa-dembele-bid-accepted-by-celtic

Celtic have denied it and that link has now been taken down.

[Adamski]

Wasn't he linked with Chelsea for 30/40m last summer? Has he been found out a bit this year?

He only had 4 goals this year so far.

[The Merse]

Turned out he’s not as good as Leigh Griffiths. Likely to stunt your prospects, that.

[Baz]

I’ll try to tally up the transfer prediction game from summer (http://www.thethirdhalf.co.uk/showthread.php?1731-Where-Will-They-End-Up-(Transfer-Guessing-Game)) tomorrow. Someone should post a January one.

[Mike]

Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool agree world record £75m fee for Southampton defender (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42496637)

https://i.imgur.com/cYp7kAt.jpg

[Giggles]

Jesus :D

When was his deal up?

[Weaver]

I’m sure he signed a six year contract last year, so the summer of 2022.

Huge deal that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Will probably still play like a mong in Klopp's defence.

[Mike]

Need a defensive coach in next.

[Giggles]

Will probably still play like a mong in Klopp's defence.

Exactly. It's not really worth their while spending huge money on defenders unless they're going to change the manager too.

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol at Fenway signing off on that price. He's been on strike for a year.

Southampton should use the money to fire Pellegrino and hire Gary Rowett.

[Ian]

£75m. Fucking hell.

[Gray Fox]

Klopp has refused to name a single other defender he wanted for the sake of signing Van Dijk.

For £75m I think he's going to live or die by this signing.

[John Arne]

The fee is almost irrelevant. Very good defender, and miles better than Lovren and Klavan.

Great signing.

EDIT: not that he alone will fix our defensive problems, of course. He's just a much better defender than we currently have.

[-james-]

Mario + VVD sounds genuinely formidable, I reckon he'll be worth it.

[Lofty]

Unless Klopp changes tack or brings in a new defensive coach there will be no noticeable change because regardless of VVD’s undoubted quality the best defences are drilled to fucking death on the training ground and that’s clearly not happening at Liverpool (it’s not happening at Arsenal either to be fair).

[Shindig]

He is not two-and-a-half Andy Carrolls.

[niko_cee]

This has all probably been done without Southampton's consent.

[Gray Fox]

In defence of our defence. We've conceded 23 goals this season, only 3 more than Spurs. However the majority of those goals have come against our would-be rivals. 5 away to City, 4 away to Spurs and 3 away to Arsenal.

It would also be of use if the midfield helped with defending. That's the key. Henderson is not capable of the role he's needed to fill. We're getting Keita in and letting Emre Can go in the summer. If we can get someone who will actually sit behind that, we'll be a solid unit. Not someone who fucks off leaving a 30 yard gap between defence and midfield.

[-james-]

People think Liverpool's defence is worse than it is, because when their high line gets caught out they usually end up looking silly.

Case in point was that Everton game where literally the only chance they conceded all game was a 60/40 penalty shout that was given and they ended up getting hounded. In terms of chances conceded they're no worse than United or Arsenal.

[Baz]

I assume it’ll be van Dijk & Matip, right?
Lovren’s on the bench right?
RIGHT? :arry:

Now we just need to relieve Donnarumma from his nightmare in Milan.

[Lofty]

People think Liverpool's defence is worse than it is, because when their high line gets caught out they usually end up looking silly.

Case in point was that Everton game where literally the only chance they conceded all game was a 60/40 penalty shout that was given and they ended up getting hounded. In terms of chances conceded they're no worse than United or Arsenal.

People think Liverpool’s defence is shite because they keep coughing up 2 goal or more leads.

[Gray Fox]

I assume it’ll be van Dijk & Matip, right?
Lovren’s on the bench right?
RIGHT? :arry:

Now we just need to relieve Donnarumma from his nightmare in Milan.

Whilst I'd love that, the kids going nowhere other than to the Old Lady.

[Lewis]

Doesn't every defender look good at Southampton because they never attack? Dejan Lovren, for example.

[-james-]

People think Liverpool’s defence is shite because they keep coughing up 2 goal or more leads.

That's not really related to their ability to defend.

[Giggles]

It's because their manager is clueless/stubborn and one decent defender won't change that.

[Guybrush]

It's because their manager is clueless/stubborn and one decent defender won't change that.

Based on what? Don't you think individual mistakes from the current goalkeepers and central defenders are more to blame rather than the 'stubbornness' of the manager?

[Ian]

Doesn't every defender look good at Southampton because they never attack? Dejan Lovren, for example.

He was good at Celtic too. And that includes opponents sometimes even getting into your half.

[Dark Soldier]

Let's not go overboard here, Klopp's Dortmund (with the, at the time, world class CB Hummels and Subotic as the big fucker next to him) was equally susceptible at the back quite often, they'd just attempt to score more than the opposition (and batter fuck out the shit). He's had the exact same gameplan since day one, and in the long run that's what'll fuck him in the arse when it all crumbles down.

[niko_cee]

Aye, never win anything with that approach.

[Dark Soldier]

Almost six years since they won anything, may as well keep doing the same thing.

[niko_cee]

I was talking more of his massively unsuccessful stint at Dortmund.

[Dark Soldier]

Aye I think that was fairly obvious.

[Baz]

I honestly don't mind Klopp being [so-called] defensively inept because Liverpool are amazing to watch nowadays. Every game is enjoyable and it's boss.

[Andy]

Doesn't every defender look good at Southampton because they never attack? Dejan Lovren, for example.

Pretty much, up until last season we always had three fairly solid midfielders sat in front of our defence. Wanyama and Schneiderlin made all our defenders look a lot better. Van Dijk is far better than the other defenders we've had though, only other centre back we've had close to him was Alderwiereld. The likes of Lovren and Fonte not even close.

I think he will improve their defence but until they sign a proper holding midfielder they're going to keep getting exposed and making the odd mistake.

[Andy]

Hopefully we can invest properly with money, supposedly we've gotten a large chunk of the money upfront with an aim to reinvest.

Before anyone comes in we need to get rid of the manager and Les Reed. Then a few players need to go, Shane Long and Fraser Forster are both comically bad. Yoshida is fine as a third choice but shouldn't be first choice.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Mister Pellegrino strikes me as the worst manager in the league by a distance, in that he took over a solid team and has made them steadily less solid whilst also not improving them in any other respect.

[Giggles]

Forsters regression has been surprising.

[Spikey M]

I look forward to his future Sakho status.

[Raoul Duke]

Signing a centreback for a billion pounds whilst playing him in front of a goalkeeper who might as well just have flippers is still gonna result in MEGALOLZ defending/scorelines

[niko_cee]

The amount of quasi-seethe (or people queuing up to say how shit he is going to be) surrounding this Van Dijk transfer leads me to think he's going to be a lot better than I had previously thought. Good times.

[Giggles]

As Giles said last night, van Dijks biggest obstacle now will be Klopp.

[Ian]

I just turned on the telly to see Warnock on Sky saying that van Dijk LOOKS better because he's better on the ball but that defensively he's no better than Sol Bamba....

[Jimmy Floyd]

Warnock's devotion to Sol Bamba is quite moving.

I think it's just that Liverpool have been burned on the price. It's all very well saying the price doesn't matter these days because everyone has unlimited money, but even if that's true (which it isn't) the price tag creates pressure. At the price he needs to be by far the best defender in the league or he's a failure - and that is an unfair expectation because defending is a team pursuit.

Look at Pogba, having a good season this time around but until he dominates the league and wins it with ease for his team, people will always be on his back.

[CJay]

Pretty happy to have Van Dijk in, but as Raoul says, having Mignolet beside him means the shakiness is still going to continue.

[Magic]

Big Virgil is an awesome signing, be the same nay sayers that said Salah was shite.

[Giggles]

All I'm saying is something will have to change. Franco Baresi couldn't slot into that side with the current personnel and current style and look competent. Van Dijk is a very good defender but he can't solve things himself.
Another two defenders, Keita, and a goalkeeper and I'll be worried.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't know if Virgil is a leader, but it would help if he was. Not too many big personalities in that side, especially in the back five. Then again, I think there are many fewer leaders among footballers than there used to be, as they are all cosseted by agents from birth.

[John]

Big Virgil is an awesome signing, be the same nay sayers that said Salah was shite.

I don't think there were as many people saying that as you like to make out.

[Magic]

I didn't necessarily mean on here, but TalkShite for example was full of morons that said he would flop.

[Raoul Duke]

Talksport is solely frequented by morons, so why would this be different?

[Spikey M]

I don’t doubt ‘Big Virgil’*, I doubt those around him and his managers ability to organise a defence.Even Sakho looks better at Crystal Palace. Still shit, sure, but not to the ridiculous extent that he looked it at Liverpool.

As has been said, Klopp plays to out score you. Conceding is a given.

*fucking lol

[Lewis]

The Paulp Ogba transfer was the foresight of the century, but yeah, you still see people lolling at it. He's not even the most over-priced, French-speaking black man in his carpool.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The most overpriced people at United are the people who are paid to be Luke Shaw's friends on £30k each.

[Lewis]

That could have been you, but you chose cricket. Get over it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It could never have been me, I'm years older than him. They could pay me to be his creepy uncle though.

[Lewis]

Somebody telling him not to mess with various foods is exactly what he needs.

[Raoul Duke]

The camembert thing he got for Xmas would be Fat Luke's undoing though.

[niko_cee]

Even Sakho looks better at Crystal Palace. Still shit, sure, but not to the ridiculous extent that he looked it at Liverpool.


Sahko looked decent enough for Liverpool (particularly in his last 6 months - look what happened when he 'failed' that drugs test), it's absurd that he was binned in the way he was. He's never not going to be terrifying on the ball, but he has the pace and telescopic legs to get him out of a lot of the trouble he looks like he's in. In many ways he was well suited to a Klopp defence where pacey scrambling is always going to be a handy attribute. Shame whatever happened happened. I've still no idea how managers are allowed to do that sort of thing.

[Magic]

I totally forgot about him. What happened after the drugs thing?

[niko_cee]

Pissed in Jurgen's Weißbier or something.

[Gray Fox]

Sakho pissed about a lot(he seems the type) on the USA tour. Klopp was okay with some but he apparently took it too far a few times. He got sent home from said tour and after a month or so frozen out when on Snapchat or Instagram and started to badmouth Klopp and ranted about the situation.
He never played a game after that I believe.

[John Arne]

Let's not go overboard here, Klopp's Dortmund (with the, at the time, world class CB Hummels and Subotic as the big fucker next to him) was equally susceptible at the back quite often, they'd just attempt to score more than the opposition (and batter fuck out the shit). He's had the exact same gameplan since day one, and in the long run that's what'll fuck him in the arse when it all crumbles down.

Really? His title-winning Dortmund teams were miserly as fuck, thanks to, as you said, his signing of two world class centrebacks in Hummels and Subotic. Obviously they get looser in the later years - but I wouldn't say that Dortmund were the same from Day 1.

I would also argue that we way we play now is already very different to the way we played in season 1 under Klopp - he's seems willing enough to change the game plan if necessary. He's obviously not the worlds greatest defensive coach - but it can't help when trying to polish turds such as Lovren, Moreno and Clyne.

[Lewis]

Those Dortmund titles were won by default, like the 2000 FA Cup.

[Boydy]

Bit harsh on Clyne.

[Gray Fox]

Also Moreno. Bar the Sevilla games he's been solid this season.

[Giggles]

Mingolet too. He's amazing.

[John Arne]

Bit harsh on Clyne.

I like Clyne, but he cant defend for shit. The amount times an opponent got in behind him and the CB (usually Lovren) was frightening.


Also Moreno. Bar the Sevilla games he's been solid this season.

Not so hot for all the previous seasons, though.


Mingolet too. He's amazing.

:D

[Giggles]

Dundalk lose yet another vital first teamer, they're fucked, even with the takeover and all. He could have had his own goal of the season competition last season.

Have we any Oldham heads here?


946773336712994816

[Kikó]

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-utd-transfer-news-jorginho-14090888.amp

Seems mourinho thinks we need a DM.

[Lewis]

Fellaini, Ander Herrera, Daley Blind, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic arrived for a combined £226million.

Jesus. When you see it written down.

[randomlegend]

I can't pretend I've watched him, but Jorginho is meant to be pretty shit-hot isn't he?

[Lewis]

Twenty-six year old Brazilian in a bit of form in Italy... Avoid.

[Gray Fox]

So this happened.

947265170287493120

[Baz]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DSTSjeOXkAAKUeW.jpg:small

947179842952409093

[Raoul Duke]

T'Hudds have signed Kongolo from Monaco - looked a solid player for Feyenoord.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42544446

Huddersfield are one of those teams who seem to actually make clever signings for decent prices/loans.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Which is of course enforced because they have one of the smallest budgets, if not the very smallest. The ability to spend money can make you lazy.

[Raoul Duke]

Or just outsource everything to shithouse agents like Raiola or Mendes as your Chief Exec is a potatohead.

[Gray Fox]

The Coutinho saga kicks off again. He reportedly believes he has already played his last game for Liverpool and expects a Barcelona move this window. It's also believe that, as no statement was made by the club over the Nike incident, they may be willing to talk if the fee is £130m+
He now has a "thigh injury" and is unavailable for an unknown time, rather like his back injury in the summer.

The last official bid Barcelona made was £114m, but they apparently want Griezmann too.

Should Coutinho go, I'd imagine we'll be straight in for Thomas Lemar. He wanted the Liverpool move in the summer but we didn't put up the cash. Arsenal did(about £85-90m) but he refused them.

[Waffdon]

You’re no quite Keeks.

[CJay]

Why can’t we just organise to let him leave in the summer? Surely he’ll be cup tied for Champions League games, and Barca are running away with the league anyway so it would seem to make more sense for all involved to wait.

[Raoul Duke]

Liverpool should buy Alexis Sanchez for the lulz.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why can’t we just organise to let him leave in the summer? Surely he’ll be cup tied for Champions League games, and Barca are running away with the league anyway so it would seem to make more sense for all involved to wait.

It's not about football though is it, it's about Nike marketing.

[CJay]

Liverpool should buy Alexis Sanchez for the lulz.

I’ll be surprised if Sanchez is actually wanted by the sort of clubs he wants to play for. I definitely wouldn’t take him at Liverpool.

[John Arne]

I discovered during the Burnley match that Adam Bogdan is still on our books. What an agent he has.

Danny Ings needs to get himself off to Huddersfield on loan. Danny Ward needs to go somewhere, too.

[Ian]

The life of a third-string goalkeeper. :drool:

[John]

There can't be many jobs with a more favourable ratio of pay to responsibility than that. It's probably second only to lottery winner.

[SincereTheRebel]

I’ll be surprised if Sanchez is actually wanted by the sort of clubs he wants to play for. I definitely wouldn’t take him at Liverpool.

I reckon he will be off to b.munchen. Both robben and ribery are out of contract in the summer.

[Jimmy Floyd]

One of my favourite things in football, when I actually go to games, is watching the goalkeepers warm up. There's always some gnarled old cunt who volleys balls at them and knocks floated crosses in for them to catch, and then the 2nd and 3rd keepers step in doing exercises and finally launching clearances at each other, at which point there's always some awkward banter between the one on halfway and the opposition team's 2nd/3rd keeper doing the same thing. I like to think that is basically all that the 3rd keeper ever does for his job.

Then the fancy dan outfielders run out to muted applause and I go back to reading the programme.

[John Arne]

The life of a third-string goalkeeper. :drool:

Fourth choice for us. Mingolet > Karius > Ward > Bogdan.

What a life.

[phonics]

Lol at the papers saying Alexis Sanchez should go to Liverpool. A man who's leaving because he's sick of not winning anything but FA Cups going to a club that hasn't won anything this decade.

[Waffdon]

If Vidal does sign for Chelsea, him and Kante would be monstrous together.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I know he's a good player, but I can't be arsed looking at those tattoos. Same goes for Radja the badger.

[John]

Vidal looks more like Stripe from Gremlins every time I see him.

[Lofty]

Lol at the papers saying Alexis Sanchez should go to Liverpool. A man who's leaving because he's sick of not winning anything but FA Cups going to a club that hasn't won anything this decade.

Also a team like Liverpool that has no problem scoring goals doesn’t need a player like Sanchez who turns over possession 30 times a game for their defence to get caught out. Risk outweighs reward.

[Ian]

Fourth choice for us. Mingolet > Karius > Ward > Bogdan.

What a life.

Two websites that probably are both just making it up as they go along have him on £15k p/w.

He's won. He's only gone and fucking won. He's earning a good amount to not have to play behind Dejan Lovren unless there are two injuries and it's a cup game.

[Reg]

If Vidal does sign for Chelsea, him and Kante would be monstrous together.


I know he's a good player, but I can't be arsed looking at those tattoos. Same goes for Radja the badger.
Put all three of them in Chelsea's midfield and you could have the other seven outfielders blindfolded and playing banjos and the same distance would be covered.

I like that Nainggolan has stayed at Roma until now, but if he doesn't win a league and have a decent crack at the Champions League it will be a waste of a potentially great career.

[Lewis]

It's not a very Chelsea financial plate-spinning transfer. Bayern will want loads of gold teeth, and he can't have many decent years left in him.

[Waffdon]

Bayern are buying that Goretzka bloke apparently to shift Vidal on.

[Lewis]

For about a fiver. They will rinse any English club who wants one of their players.

[Baz]

PSG are apparently selling everyone. Should be a fun transfer window.

Oh and they’re bringing in Lassana Diarra on a free. :cool:

[John Arne]

Diego Forlan has signed for Hong Kong giants Kitchee FC.

[Mazuuurk]

Put all three of them in Chelsea's midfield and you could have the other seven outfielders blindfolded and playing banjos and the same distance would be covered.

I like that Nainggolan has stayed at Roma until now, but if he doesn't win a league and have a decent crack at the Champions League it will be a waste of a potentially great career.


I'm not sure about this. I think sometimes when you put too many industrious players together like that, they are running around so much they can't find any good synergy as part of what they do is cover for others, so instead they sort of end up covering the same spaces as each other and one or two of them ends up having to take on a more offensive responsibility, one which they are not as good at as a more advanced player they would have otherwise been the one covering for.

So to speak.

Then again, if they are smart enough it could also work out great.

[John]

All he said is that they'd cover the same distance a full team normally would, not that they'd make a cohesive midfield three.

[Ian]

Everton paying nearly £30m for some striker from the Turkish league?

Alright.

[Magic]

Have it on good authority THE RANGERS are about to enter admin again.

:harold:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Can someone find me an example of someone who's been signed from Turkey (directly, not like Anelka having a chill there in between English spells) and done well in England?

[John]

Emre was alright, but I suppose he came via Italy.

[SvN]

Tugay was alright, but that was via Rangers.

[Pen]

Can someone find me an example of someone who's been signed from Turkey (directly, not like Anelka having a chill there in between English spells) and done well in England?

Nihat is the first possible name that comes to mind if you accept other leagues. Emre too I guess. Apart from Osman and Izzet I’m struggling to think of any players who have played in the Prem and are at least half Turkish.

Edit: Tugay was immense. Nice call SvN.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I would have said 'Turkish players' but then you could include Izzet and that kebab van bloke called Colin.

Nihat and Arda Turan done well in Spain and many have done well in Italy, but that's slower tempo football, which I think is where the struggle comes for them.

[Pen]

Hakan Sükur in Big Sams Bolton would have been a good fit.

[John]

Tosun sort of doesn't fit into your caveats either, he spent his entire youth career in Germany and only moved to Turkey in his twenties.

[Pen]

Have there even been (m)any Turkish players in the Prem coming from the Turkish league?

[SincereTheRebel]

Aston villa had a fat turkish defender once. He was fat and rubbish

[Jimmy Floyd]

Have there even been (m)any Turkish players in the Prem coming from the Turkish league?

A few shit ones. I have my answer though, this legend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tugay_Kerimo%C4%9Flu

[Magic]

Tuncay, he did relatively well did he not?

[John]

Have it on good authority THE RANGERS are about to enter admin again.

:harold:

Between you and Waff you've had that 'on good authority' about once a quarter for the last five years.

Where's it from this time? Your postman used to do Barry Ferguson's route?

[Waffdon]

£4m loan in November to fund the Working Capital. Deed by May.

[Disco]

So what, some other bunch of crooks will turn up to to wear the skin of Rangers for a little while.

[John]

The loan was interest free and came from major shareholders to cover a shortfall caused by having to shell out millions to cut Ashley out of the club. As a result we're in better shape on the merchandising side of things.

I don't trust the current board at all, but we're not in imminent danger of going into administration.

[Magic]

What major shareholders (everyone except King)?

HMRC sniffing about big time apparently.

[Adamski]

You better tell that to Jamie Murphy.

Signed today for £1m.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Arsenal have signed Konstantinos Mavropanos.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11195599/konstantinos-mavropanos-signs-for-arsenal-from-pas-giannina

Title is guaranteed next year.

[Spikey M]

Sanchez is quality, but he’s only going to show it for a top club. He gives the ball away too much for any team that can’t afford to do so. He’s the definition of a luxury player.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You have to wonder who is out there watching PAS Giannina and after 16 games (if they've even watched all 16, which I doubt) says to Arsene Wenger 'this defender they've got is the nuts'.

[-james-]

You have to wonder who is out there watching PAS Giannina and after 16 games (if they've even watched all 16, which I doubt) says to Arsene Wenger 'this defender they've got is the nuts'.

I doubt anyone has seen him in person. It'll all be wyscout (https://imgur.com/IwS3ywl) and "metrics".

[Jimmy Floyd]

Does that explain why shit like Djilobodji happens?

[Magic]

I want to know how many goals he's expected to score per game.

[Shindig]

Have there even been (m)any Turkish players in the Prem coming from the Turkish league?

Emre scored against the mackems. Quality assured.

[-james-]

Does that explain why shit like Djilobodji happens?

The last two Arsenal defensive recruits that come to mind are Holding and Chambers, so for our lad's sake I hope they've been refining their strategy.

[John]

Mustafi for thirty five million.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The last two Arsenal defensive recruits that come to mind are Holding and Chambers, so for our lad's sake I hope they've been refining their strategy.

They need some long term homegrown slots, so both probably understandable punts.

I'm half expecting us to buy Lewis Cook or someone for the same reason.

[Reg]

I feel a bit for Murphy. He played and contributed a lot last season but is a victim of a certain number of starting positions needing to be improved for this season. Nobody would say he was that much worse than the rest of our players that he couldn't have possibly played in the Premier League.

[John]

I'm quite happy to be getting him for that money. Windass does a lot of running down that side but both his passing and finishing are absolutely maddening. It'll be nice to have a bit of craft there.

[Adamski]

I feel a bit for Murphy. He played and contributed a lot last season but is a victim of a certain number of starting positions needing to be improved for this season. Nobody would say he was that much worse than the rest of our players that he couldn't have possibly played in the Premier League.

Really happy with it on the face of it. Goes straight into the team and the fee of circa 800k is more than decent.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd go further and say great bargain.

[The Merse]

You have to wonder who is out there watching PAS Giannina and after 16 games (if they've even watched all 16, which I doubt) says to Arsene Wenger 'this defender they've got is the nuts'.

Sven Mislintat - the chap who headed up recruitment at Dortmund for the past decade.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/20/arsenal-appoint-borussia-dortmund-sven-mislintat-head-recruitment


I doubt anyone has seen him in person. It'll all be wyscout (https://imgur.com/IwS3ywl) and "metrics".

Not so sure of that. Wenger has always relied on the eyeballing of recruits (by Steve Rowley), even down to the Alberto Mendez Rodriguez and Stefan Malz's of this world.

[The Merse]

I'm quite happy to be getting him for that money. Windass does a lot of running down that side but both his passing and finishing are absolutely maddening. It'll be nice to have a bit of craft there.

Murphy for less than a million is quite the steal. He was grand in his last season at Motherwell but given he's done it for Sheffield United and Brighton now, you'd expect him to be tearing up trees for Rangers.

By the way John, Adamski - what's happened to David Templeton?

[John Arne]

Busy day here, with Ho Chi Minh City FC confirming 7 new signings; Tran Phi Son, Gonzalo Marronkle, Sam Ngoc Duc, Huynh Van Thanh, Nguyen Hai Anh, Nguyen Thanh Diep and Vo Ngoc Thinh. #Thisisouryear

[Adamski]

Murphy for less than a million is quite the steal. He was grand in his last season at Motherwell but given he's done it for Sheffield United and Brighton now, you'd expect him to be tearing up trees for Rangers.

By the way John, Adamski - what's happened to David Templeton?

Playing for Hamilton until the end of the season. Actually doing OK in spurts, but injuries killed him.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm half expecting us to buy Lewis Cook or someone for the same reason.

Wrong - Ross Barkley. £15 million. That seems cheap. Maybe one of his legs has fallen off.

[Mazuuurk]

They need some long term homegrown slots, so both probably understandable punts.

I'm half expecting us to buy Lewis Cook or someone for the same reason.

Andy Carroll, it seems :harold:

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol. Now that Morata has had the Operation and Batshuayi has been confirmed shit, we probably do need a backup striker but that would be lol as hell.

[John Arne]

I reckon there is still a very good player somewhere in Andy Carroll's frail, frail body.

[Giggles]

Tottenham are opening themselves some can of worms if they give Kane £200k a week.

[SincereTheRebel]

Funny how tottenham are following the methods of arsenal.

[Lewis]

The Chelsea SYSTEM is a bit too finely-tuned to be letting a braindead like Ross Barkley loose in it. Didn't the stupid cunt blow them out in August as well? Well in, la, getting yourself an extra four month holiday.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He could be an even shitter Bakayoko, I suppose. I'd play Drinkwater ahead of either of them, but Conte seems to see him as a knock-off Fabregas.

Done Everton out of £20 million as well #welcomeross

[Ian]

Wrong - Ross Barkley. £15 million. That seems cheap. Maybe one of his legs has fallen off.

I dunno that £15m to give the ball away more often is cheap, as such.

[Giggles]

£15m seems a good whack to get someone a few months early when there isn't a massive pile to play for. It's not like they'll win the title with him or miss out on top four without him.

[SincereTheRebel]

He is out of contract in the summer. I forgot you cant bosman rule between clubs in the premier league.

[Giggles]

Can you not? It makes more sense then.

[Jimmy Floyd]

£15m seems a good whack to get someone a few months early when there isn't a massive pile to play for. It's not like they'll win the title with him or miss out on top four without him.

Probably needed that to win the ferocious bidding war with noted human ATM Daniel Levy.

[SincereTheRebel]

Can you not? It makes more sense then.

It only applies to overseas teams approaching players. You cant do that in the same league. You cant in FM anyway.

£15m is about £10m too much. His remaining salary at everton for the remaining six months is only £1.5m if he is on 60k a week.

[Weaver]

Bournemouth have recalled Lewis Grabban from his loan at Sunderland, apparently so they can sell him somewhere.

Top scorer for Sunderland so far this season, and they were atrocious on Monday with no money according to Coleman. Looking very bleak at the minute.

[ScousePig]

Grabban was a funny one. He never jumped for a header and showed very little sign of putting any effort in, yet scored plenty of goals in a shit side.

Coleman needs to perform minor miracles or else we're fucked. We have gone a lot more defensive under him too, which wouldn't have suited Grabban.

[Baz]

In summer Chelsea were buying Barkley for £35-40m. At his medical they said sure you’re fit but mate you’re injured and won’t play to December, so if you pull out this deal we’ll buy you for at least £20m less in January and will be able to offer you £100k a week rather than the £80k we agreed. Whaddya reckon? :henn0rz:

[Giggles]

Sounds pretty spot on looking at it.

[Lewis]

That gobshite Mayor of Liverpool has written to the FA asking them to investigate. Good to know he's solved all of the other problems in the city.

[Magic]

Hillsborough?

[Gray Fox]

You should know in Liverpool, football is much more important than petty issues like Unemployment and Homelessness.

[Danny]

It only applies to overseas teams approaching players. You cant do that in the same league. You cant in FM anyway.

£15m is about £10m too much. His remaining salary at everton for the remaining six months is only £1.5m if he is on 60k a week.

You can on FM but with only 3 month remaining iirc

[Jimmy Floyd]

That gobshite Mayor of Liverpool has written to the FA asking them to investigate. Good to know he's solved all of the other problems in the city.

Hang on, investigate what?

[John Arne]

Hang on, investigate what?

Presumably investigate why Chelsea rather than spunk £30m on a player injured for 6 months, decided to wait until 6 months later, and buy him at a fraction of the price.

Apparently, Chelsea doing the exactly right thing, financially and sporting, is not fair to Everton.

[Spikey M]

Didn’t Barkley refuse to sign in the summer? I seem to remember him saying he needed time to concentrate on his recovery or some shit. I mean, it’s highly likely that Chelsea had this planned and he went along with it, but good luck proving it.

It’s not as if Everton were forced to accept the lesser offer either. They could have refused to sell to Chelsea and palmed him off on someone else.

Who’d have thought the King of Liverpool would be a bit of a tart?

[Jimmy Floyd]

And even if we did 'have it planned and he went along with it', what has anyone done that needs investigating and to what end?

[phonics]

Coutinhos been confirmed.

[Mike]

:cry:

[Giggles]

And even if we did 'have it planned and he went along with it', what has anyone done that needs investigating and to what end?

Absolutely nothing, but going down the route of understanding the Merseyside mentality is never going to end well.

[Lewis]

Is there no such thing as a January premium now that there is a permanent premium?

[John Arne]

Coutinhos been confirmed.

....by the Daily Telegraph.

Nothing official, though I'm thinking it wont be long now....

[Shindig]

That could probably buy you two players.

[Jimmy Floyd]

£142 million seems cheap if anything, I'm sure they were holding out for more in the summer.

[Baz]

Proper sucks. Makes no sense to happen now. :(

[Shindig]

I mean, he's costing more than Dembele. Also, have Barca's attendances always been this up and down?

[Gray Fox]

£142 million seems cheap if anything, I'm sure they were holding out for more in the summer.

Highest offer we got in the summer was £114m. If all the clauses etc are obtainable then this time, that's probably why we've done it.

[Giggles]

Apparently he's paid some towards the fee himself to get it done.

Some reports of him remaining on loan too, but I don't know how you let a player run about an risk injury for another club when you stump up that kind of cash. Though there's probably insurances for that kind of thing.

[Gray Fox]

No way do you spend £140m on a player and then allow another club to have him.

[Adamski]

Aye that’s madness.

Also what is he going to pay to it himself? I imagine that would essentially amount to waiving some sort of signing on fee which you’d think would be way less than 5m. Can’t see that being a dealbreaker.

[Gray Fox]

So it's about £105m up front, followed by another £38m of add ons.

The ones in the summer were all based on things like winning the Ballon d'Or. This time round they are much more achievable apparently.

[Giggles]

949700558155370497

[Gray Fox]

We've bought players from Southampton at too fast a rate. We have a massive wad of cash in the pocket and they dont have a player to massively overcharge us for.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Shane Long is back scoring...

[Lewis]

Are we the only corner of the internet where most/all of our Liverpool fans aren't mental?

[Gray Fox]

Liverpool are giving those who bought a Coutinho shirt for this season, a £50 voucher to spend in the Liverpool shop.

Fair play really as they could have taken the tough shit approach.

[Mike]

Apparently we’d asked about Mahrez before the Coutinho stuff came out. Would be a good buy I think and wouldn’t cost bucket loads I don’t think?

Hopefully Adam Lallana can step up now he’s back fit.

[Limoutsonik]

https://twitter.com/olympiacos_org/status/949731338214617088/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sport-fm.gr%2Farticle%2Fpodosfairo%2Fanakoinwse-miralas-o-olumpiakos-pic%2F3489789

[Lewis]

I had that invisible grey shirt with 'Cole 17' on the back when I was a kid. Where was my free stuff when they ditched it after forty-five minutes (and he was shit all year)?

[Max Power]

Apparently we’d asked about Mahrez before the Coutinho stuff came out. Would be a good buy I think and wouldn’t cost bucket loads I don’t think?

Hopefully Adam Lallana can step up now he’s back fit.

What would the point of signing Mahrez unless Salah is off as well?

And he'd cost loads.

[Jimmy Floyd]

As soon as you sell someone for £142 million, everyone costs loads.

Mahrez would be a crap move for Liverpool anyway, they already have two dart inside winger types, need a more central figure.

[Raoul Duke]

If Lalallalalallalalalna can get fit he can play there and that guy from Red Bull can play further back.

[John]

I've seen two videos of people burning their Coutinho shirts already. They're a special breed.

[CJay]

Apparently we’d asked about Mahrez before the Coutinho stuff came out. Would be a good buy I think and wouldn’t cost bucket loads I don’t think?

Hopefully Adam Lallana can step up now he’s back fit.

Lallana was just as good as Coutinho last season, IMO. Judging by last night he probably won’t be up to speed for at least another month though. Not sure where Mahrez fits in - isn’t he very similar to Salah?

[Giggles]

I've seen two videos of people burning their Coutinho shirts already. They're a special breed.

Wait til they hear they need it for the fifty quid.

[CJay]

Our number one aim for next season (or even right now) should be to start phasing Henderson out. I don’t think Keita is a holding midfielder, and Can is going in summer. Our midfield is extremely porous. Haven’t heard any rumours so far though.

[McAvennie]

As soon as you sell someone for £142 million, everyone costs loads.

Mahrez would be a crap move for Liverpool anyway, they already have two dart inside winger types, need a more central figure.

Lanzini to Liverpool?

[Baz]

Dele Alli?

Please not Winks, please not Winks, please not Winks.

[Reg]

Surely Levy would demand all the Coutinho money, if not more, for Alli. I can't see you spending it all on one player.

[Giggles]

I'd imgine if Alli goes anywhere it'll be to a bigger club than Liverpool anyway.

[Danny]

Dele Alli? :lol:

[John]

Alli is better and younger than Coutinho, Levy would correctly ask for every penny they make in the next ten years.

They've already spent the money on Van Dijk and Keita anyway.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I can see them going for Zaha.

[Giggles]

Zaha wouldn't be a bad signing for them.

[John]

He'd be a deeply stupid signing. They have speedy goalscoring wide men. Good ones.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Mahrez gone there for £49 million. That escalated quickly.

[Giggles]

Mahrez gone there for £49 million. That escalated quickly.

That's a bargain in this day and age, especially if he tries.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He'd be a deeply stupid signing. They have speedy goalscoring wide men. Good ones.

Completely agree but I can see it happening. Although Mahrez fits that role too.

[Lewis]

They should buy a centre-back and a goalie who isn't shit.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Mahrez gone there for £49 million. That escalated quickly.

Cheaper than I expected but what's the point? Where exactly do they play him?

Guess it helps when Mane and Salah will be on AFCON duty next January.

Actually, they're moving it aren't they? So they wont even have that problem.

[John]

Mahrez plays out wide for Leicester because that's where you play a flighty midget with chicken legs if you want to be defensively solid. I reckon he has the skill set to be effective as a playmaker.

[John]

Cheaper than I expected but what's the point? Where exactly do they play him?

Guess it helps when Mane and Salah will be on AFCON duty next January.

Actually, they're moving it aren't they? So they wont even have that problem.

Where do you think Mahrez is from?

[Reg]

Fair play to Liverpool. They got very good performances out of Coutinho, kept him for another half-season, and then got more money than they could have in the summer. Mahrez at that price seems a bargain. I'm not sure they could have played it any better.

(I do agree that they could have spent it on other positions. But if that's what they wanted they've done very well.)

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Where do you think Mahrez is from?

Hackney?

[Giggles]

In fairness, Mahrez does seem the sort of customer that would have retired from international soccer years ago.

[Boydy]

Is Mahrez still good then? I thought he'd faded away after Leicester won the league.

[Yevrah]

I would imagine Klopp will turn Mahrez into something pretty special.

Coutinho was clearly a wanker and needed to be binned off. He's not even that good.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I would imagine Klopp will turn Mahrez into something pretty special.

Coutinho was clearly a wanker and needed to be binned off. He's not even that good.

Did you take that from RAWK?

[John]

Mahrez has a similar build and ability to Shinji Kagawa, and Klopp got a couple of seasons of ludicrous productivity out of him.

[Giggles]

He'll be class for them. And I'd agree with Yev on Coutinho, he was a bit of a spectacular and not much else merchant. Definitely not 3 times better than Mahrez.

:(

[Jimmy Floyd]

The biggest mugs in all of this are Barcelona.

[Giggles]

The biggest mugs in all of this are Barcelona.

Yep. Big time.

[Max Power]

Is Mahrez still good then? I thought he'd faded away after Leicester won the league.

7 goals, 7 assists this season. Better than Coutinho and many others.

He's a stunning talent but I don't see how you could play him and Salah in the same team. Any attempts to play Mahrez centrally he just gets lost.

[Max Power]

Also, the source of this news seems to be BeinSports France which have transferred Mahrez to Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona in the past 18 months so maybe not hugely reliable. Inevitable we'd lose him at some point but I'd rather it was abroad and in the summer.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Don't worry Max, you've still got Harvey Barnes and whichever five mugs they blow the money on.

[Max Power]

Ahmed Musa out of the cold and into the limelight

[John]

It sort of highlights how mental the transfer market has gone that Coutinho has gone for more than double what Luiz Suarez did. He's nowhere near the same quality of player.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That fifty million for Torres is starting to look like quite a shrewd piece of business.

[Spoonsky]

I remember when Liverpool were all technical Spaniards and Chelsea was filled with Africans, now it's reversed completely.

[Giggles]

I remember when Liverpool were all technical Spaniards and Chelsea was filled with Africans, now it's reversed completely.

It was Chelsea winning stuff though, so it's looking good for you.

[John]

Drogba, Essien, and Kalou. Who else did they have?

[Spoonsky]

John Obi Mikel too. It was a slight exaggeration though I'll admit.

[randomlegend]

Jon Obi Mikel.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Lassana Diarra too, and before that true legends like Geremi.

[John]

Diarra is French. I'd forgotten about Mikel though, what a bland player.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Does Malouda count, he was born in Africa.

[John]

No he wasn't.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Diarra of African descent, unlike Malouda and Anelka.