January 2018 Transfer Thread

[Allan]

If Sturridge is definitely leaving in this window, then I wonder if we'd look into a possible swap deal if money is a sticking point for any potential straight up transfer/loan.

 

The clubs that I've seen mentioned that are in for Sturridge have a couple of players that would strengthen us and are either on the fringes of their respective teams, or are said to be considering their future anyway.

 

N'Zonzi at Sevilla is the first player who springs to mind. Despite Sevilla recently appointing a new manager, it's rumoured that N'Zonzi still wants out. The centre of midfield might be a little crowded at the moment, but I reckon N'Zonzi would be a good fit for us. Adds height & strength against the alehouse mobs we'll be facing between now and the season's end.

 

From Inter, I found the tenuous link to Brozovic a little intriguing. From what I've seen of him, he's more box to box than N'Zonzi and is comfortable playing in the wider areas of midfield. Good technically too. He'd be someone I'd enquire about if we were to consider a swap deal with Inter.

[an tha]

Yeah okay.

 

He doesn't suit our style of play because he is fucking injured all the time.

The damning stats...

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/BassTunedToRed/status/955387482400546817/photo/1

[Lee909]

Just give us Ever Banega and we will call it quits

[Ranxerox]

Didn't they future proof when they brought in OxAids?

 

I think that was the plan. The next question is who is being lined up to replace Salah this summer.

[dockers_strike]

Cannot see us having much chance of signing that there Kepa lad if he turned Real down and signed a new contract with Bilbao. Watched that Allisson last night. Had a good game but did not come for many high balls. Looks a good shot stopper though.

[G Richards]

N’Zonzi an interesting shout above, if Sturridge goes to Sevilla.

[El Rojo]

The damning stats...

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/BassTunedToRed/status/955387482400546817/photo/1

 

Interesting. His availability for the remainder of the season he joined and 2013/14 was actually really good. And even in Suarez's shadow then, he looked awesome for long periods.

 

The less said about the last few years the better.

[Anubis]

.

[Section_31]

I'm not getting worked up about the window because Klopp has proven he'll get the players he really wants when the time comes. Don't see the point in throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks the way the mancs do. We've bought some truly incredible talent this last year in Mane and Sallah, I think VVD can be just as important too.

[Jockey]

The damning stats...

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/BassTunedToRed/status/955387482400546817/photo/1

 

It isn't beyond the realm of probability that the reason his stats have improved these past two years are because he has played so little! 

 

Difficult to break a toy if you never take it out of the box.

[aws]

Didn't they future proof when they brought in OxAids?

 

The more I think about it I reckon we've already replaced Coutinho. Next to impossible to replace him like for like so you strengthen the overall midfield/forward line with Salah, AOC and Keita. I would prefer us to spend the Coutinho money on a keeper and a forward who can do what Firmino can do rather than on another AM.

[Boss]

What happens when Arsenal sign Aubameyang and he hits 15 goals before the end of the season to fire them up the table? Kane could break Shearer's record this season. We can't rest on our laurels.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

One way or another, I think today's performance will tell us a lot about whether we need to strengthen this month. The game against City was always going to be hectic and open, so Coutinho was less missed, but against the lower fodder of the league we need to see some creativity to break them down.

 

I still reckon we're trying for Lemar in the background.

[G Richards]

The more I think about it I reckon we've already replaced Coutinho. Next to impossible to replace him like for like so you strengthen the overall midfield/forward line with Salah, AOC and Keita. I would prefer us to spend the Coutinho money on a keeper and a forward who can do what Firmino can do rather than on another AM.

Sounds plausible on how we’ve replaced Coutinho already in forming a different sort of midfield. I’ve been impressed with how AOC is coming along too.

 

If we haven’t already spent the money, and I really hope that’s not the case, I’m 100% on board with the need for a new keeper. After that I’m not so sure. I would probably go for another wide player, who also has versatility to play centrally. Pulisic or Lemar for me.

[El Rojo]

One way or another, I think today's performance will tell us a lot about whether we need to strengthen this month. The game against City was always going to be hectic and open, so Coutinho was less missed, but against the lower fodder of the league we need to see some creativity to break them down.

 

I still reckon we're trying for Lemar in the background.

 

I'm not sure Lemar is anywhere near the level of our front three, though I probably would have said that about Salah last summer too.

 

Just on playing bus-parking dross like West Brom, Burnley or Manchester United - with Van Dijk's arrival we can have a reasonable expectancy of shoring things up at the back to a much greater degree, so hopefully a goal at the other end will nick these types of games.

 

Agree that the City game told us nothing about life post-Coutinho, though.

[El Dangerous]

We can't replace Coutinho like for like but we can certainly have a go at lining up our next Coutinho. Sessegnon is a superstar in the making, obviously not the same type of player or even position but he can become a difference maker. The thought of him, Brewster, Solanke, Gomez and Trent growing together in the team is frightening. 3 years under Klopp and we could have the world's best 20 year olds. Put the remainder in to the goal keeper fund and add a midfielder and genuine competition for Bobby to keep him on his toes.

[FrenchEyeGlass]

It isn't beyond the realm of probability that the reason his stats have improved these past two years are because he has played so little! 

 

Difficult to break a toy if you never take it out of the box.

 

Ah, so he wasn't "fucking injured all the time" then?

 

Those stats (https://mobile.twitter.com/BassTunedToRed/status/955387482400546817/photo/1) support my suggestion that Klopp just hasn't fancied him and he doesn't suit his system. Which I have no qualm with, because I don't think he does either. The oddity is the fact that we didn't sell him last year when it was blatantly obvious that was the case.

 

But ''yeah okay'', as you said before. 

[dockers_strike]

They don't need one. Keylor Navas is one hell of a keeper. They need to get rid of Ronseal first and foremost. 

 

No he is not. That is why Perez at Real is trying to get De Gea or this Kepa. Navas is not rated by his own club. Where have I read that before.

[Section_31]

We can't replace Coutinho like for like but we can certainly have a go at lining up our next Coutinho. Sessegnon is a superstar in the making, obviously not the same type of player or even position but he can become a difference maker. The thought of him, Brewster, Solanke, Gomez and Trent growing together in the team is frightening. 3 years under Klopp and we could have the world's best 20 year olds. Put the remainder in to the goal keeper fund and add a midfielder and genuine competition for Bobby to keep him on his toes.

 

Do we need another Coutino style player though? He's an attacking midfielder that floats around but Klopp seems to building a side based on athletic strength and width. I'd suspect we'd be better off going for a striker and a DM.

[3 Stacks]

You always need a creative midfielder to be a top team. Klopp's favourite player is Gotze. He still raves about him after all these years for what he gave to his Dortmund side because he used to be the one who would make the difference more often than not.

[TheHowieLama]

He is broken all the time - he has also been injured a fair amount of the time. He is also underwhelmingly shite most of the time and I would prefer any other option almost every time.

[Jockey]

Ah, so he wasn't "fucking injured all the time" then?

 

Those stats (https://mobile.twitter.com/BassTunedToRed/status/955387482400546817/photo/1) support my suggestion that Klopp just hasn't fancied him and he doesn't suit his system. Which I have no qualm with, because I don't think he does either. The oddity is the fact that we didn't sell him last year when it was blatantly obvious that was the case.

 

But ''yeah okay'', as you said before. 

 

He's averaging 50% - he is going for £25m because if his injury record. Those stats don't support your theory - because he can't get injured if he doesn't play. No surprise that the less he has played the less he has gotten injured. 

[Gym Beglin]

Do we need another Coutino style player though? He's an attacking midfielder that floats around but Klopp seems to building a side based on athletic strength and width. I'd suspect we'd be better off going for a striker and a DM.

Exactly. Klopp wants elements of a number 10 but within the game of a solid midfielder. In Keita and Lallana he's getting that 'assist' quotient, but it remains to be seen how he approaches a midfielder with 12 goals a season, which he foolishly thinks Oxlade will be.

 

If you were to take our midfield from last season, and add the goals and assists together, you get:

 

Henderson - 1 goal and 4 assists

Lallana - 8 goals and 7 assists

Can - 5 goals and 2 assists

Wijnaldum - 6 goals and 9 assists

Stewart - 0 goals and 0 assists

Coutinho - 13 goals and 7 assists

Lucas - 0 goals and 3 assists

 

So that's 33 goals and 32 assists last season.

 

So far this season we have:

 

Wijnaldum - 1 goal and 1 assist

Henderson - 1 goal and 1 assist

Lallana - 0 goal and 0 assist

Can - 1 goal and 3 assists

AOC - 3 goals and 3 assists

Coutinho - 7 goals and 6 assists

 

 

There has obviously been a big reliance on Coutinho this season, and our midfield hasn't been firing. That said...when our front players score loads of goals you don't necessarily prioritise scoring goals as a midfield, you prioritise keeping them out the other end.

 

Anyway, Klopp clearly felt something needed changing in our midfield back in the summer, hence the Keita deal. Now, with the sale of Coutinho, I think there is still a gap needing to be bridged in goals and assists.

 

This season, Coutinho has been averaging 49 passes per match, with 17 through balls, 7 big chances created, 17 tackles, 10 interceptions, 60 recoveries, and 54 shots on goal, 17 of them being on target.

 

These are the numbers we are missing, and Keita will provide some of it but not all.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

I was going to suggest Sturridge going to a country that has a winter break, then I realised he has a winter break every season anyway.

[Gym Beglin]

Through balls PL -

DE BRUYNE - 24

ERIKSEN - 18

FABREGAS - 18

SANCHEZ - 18

COUTINHO - 17

FERNANDINHO - 11

OZIL - 11

SILVA - 11

ALLI - 10

POGBA - 10

SHELVEY - 10

LACAZETTE - 9

SHAQIRI - 9

FIRMINO - 8

LUKAKU - 8

MAHREZ - 8