January 2023 Transfer Thread

[an tha]

3 hours ago, HBenn said:

I agree that we need to. However if two of the players they really want are Enzo and Bellingham and they don't want to/are not available until the summer then we would need serious money to buy them as well as buying someone else in Jan. 

If we buy say Caciedo in Jan does that mean we shelve plans for one of the other two?

We may well have to take that risk if the other two are CL dependent anyway.

The size of the job in our midfield we have left ourselves to do if we do it properly is in my view 3 really good midfielders across Jan and the summer whilst shifting the dead wood.

 

How the split works of who and when is of course all dependent on availability and other factors and the club have to do what they need to/can do based on those factors....but for my money the job is clear, they've already put it off too long - which is why the midfield is the mess it is - you'd like to think they have finally clocked on to what needs to be done and are committed to doing it and have a flexible but deliverable plan to do it.

 

If they don't we are in trouble.

[HBenn]

1 hour ago, Scott_M said:

Shirley, Bad New Pearce has been in instructed to write an article pissing on everybody’s chips by now?

Yes, feels significant that he hasn't. Either they are completely in the dark about what is happening and don't want to look like idiots or possibly been asked to sit on it.

[HBenn]

45 minutes ago, an tha said:

The size of the job in our midfield we have left ourselves to do if we do it properly is in my view 3 really good midfielders across Jan and the summer whilst shifting the dead wood.

 

How the split works of who and when is of course all dependent on availability and other factors and the club have to do what they need to/can do based on those factors....but for my money the job is clear, they've already put it off too long - which is why the midfield is the mess it is - you'd like to think they have finally clocked on to what needs to be done and are committed to doing it and have a flexible but deliverable plan to do it.

 

If they don't we are in trouble.

Completely agree. Perhaps though they put it off in the summer as they knew they were off. Perhaps they didn't expect Fabinho to drop off so significantly but it feels like 3 and not 2. 

I don't think they can afford not to start the process in Jan. If they are being backed I would hope that we could bring in 2 now as with a solid midfield feel we would comfortably get top 4 and could possibly spring a surprise in CL. 

[El Dangerous]

All these players in Spain and Portugal have these ludicrous release clauses in their contract by law. I don’t for one second think anyone expects us to pay £100m for Enzo Fernandez so shortly after him moving on for £9m.

[El Rojo]

2 hours ago, Scott_M said:

Shirley, Bad New Pearce has been in instructed to write an article pissing on everybody’s chips by now?

He's saving that article for Christmas morning. 

[Jairzinho]

9 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

He's saving that article for Christmas morning. 

 

"Good morning, children.

 

Father Christmas does not exist."

 

 

[Scott_M]

This is what I think happened in the summer. Obviously I have no proof of this other than some paper articles, a few quotes and some assumptions, it might well be shite, in my mind I don't think it's unfathomable...

 

In 2022, we won 18/19 league games & came 2nd, we won both domestic cups, we got to the CL Final. The group of players couldn't have given / done anything more from January until the end of May. Fabinho, Thiago, Hendo etc didn't become bad players or suddenly become past it in the summer. 

 

We did recognise we needed to start to manage some players minutes more and look to the future. We obviously wanted Touchameni, who sounded more or less done and dusted before Real intervened. With that deal dead, we approached Dortmund about Bellingham, however, they weren't willing to sell for whatever reasons.

 

We didn't view other players on the market as being good long term solutions / replacements and given the great run we were on in 2022, so we decided to go with what we had in the summer of 2023.

 

Then Ox, Jones & Keita got injured. Obviously not first choice players, they are when fit (I know) useful squad players. Then Thiago got injured. Then Hendo got injured. Fabinho's form dipped massively... and then the midfield issues were compounded by Trent, Robbo, VVD, Salah not starting well, fitting in Nunez and then his suspension etc etc etc. 

 

Towards the end of the window, when everybody was injured at once, we decided not to spend what we had because we weren't fully sold on the players available and when everybody was fit, the thought process was we'd be Ok again. On the cheap, we got Arthur to bolster numbers and then he got fucking injured. 

 

We all know we have some players with inconsistent injury records, I don't think, like the defence issue in 2021, anybody could have predicted we'd lose virtually everybody all at once.

 

You can also factor the lack of break, pre-season and who knows what no winning one of the big ones took out of us last season?

 

Now, we're hopefully seeing the Bellingham plan come to fruition. IMO, we wanted Touchameni last summer and then Bellingham this summer. Given we didn't get Touchameni, it now sounds like it might be Bellingham and Fernandes.

 

 

Anyway, these my thoughts. I'm aware we've not signed anybody yet and it could all turn to shite, I'm hopeful. Hopefully it's it's a bit more thorough than "F$g r cH3@p kuntz".

[No2]

Milner should be renewed as long he wants it. We obviously have a quantity of midfielders Klopp wants to work with, Milner should be our 8th or 9th if that's the optimum number. The alternative to Milner isn't Bellingham, Enzo or Gabi, it will be Arthur or Tyler Morton.

[El Rojo]

51 minutes ago, Harrison Booth said:

Milner should be renewed as long he wants it. We obviously have a quantity of midfielders Klopp wants to work with, Milner should be our 8th or 9th if that's the optimum number. The alternative to Milner isn't Bellingham, Enzo or Gabi, it will be Arthur or Tyler Morton.

 

I agree with that. Even if he only plays three games, he drives standards and by all accounts he's our best trainer. It's a different role to the others. 

 

Anyway, a 37-year-old was often the best player on the pitch in last night's World Cup semi-final, with a 35-year-old filling in the gaps. 

 

Seriously though, I could watch Modric play all day. Always chooses the right option. Absolute joy of a footballer, despite having the upper body strength of a toddler. 

[No2]

4 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

 

I agree with that. Even if he only plays three games, he drives standards and by all accounts he's our best trainer. It's a different role to the others. 

 

Anyway, a 37-year-old was often the best player on the pitch in last night's World Cup semi-final, with a 35-year-old filling in the gaps. 

 

Seriously though, I could watch Modric play all day. Always chooses the right option. Absolute joy of a footballer, despite having the upper body strength of a toddler. 

I'd take a year of 38 year old Luka Modric over 3 or 4 from Enzo Fernandes, not saying Enzo isn't or won't be great but have Modric for a season would be dreamy.

[El Rojo]

6 minutes ago, Harrison Booth said:

I'd take a year of 38 year old Luka Modric over 3 or 4 from Enzo Fernandes, not saying Enzo isn't or won't be great but have Modric for a season would be dreamy.

At times against the Netherlands he was accelerating away from opponents with the ball. He's 37. Taking the piss. 

[Reckoner]

3 hours ago, El Rojo said:

He's saving that article for Christmas morning. 

“Klopp is a huge admirer of the Borussia Dortmund midfielder but signing Bellingham this summer/ winter (delete as appropriate) transfer window was never a realistic proposition for Liverpool”

[TheHowieLama]

[Reckoner]

8 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

 

[Ronnie Whelan]

On 13/12/2022 at 16:10, Babb'sBurstNad said:

Anyone else think this Fernández stuff is just us trying to knock the Bellingham price down?

That crossed my mind alright. Dangerous game though if we are - with that quality of excellent young player, you can't be acting like me with the lads on the beach selling the replica jerseys.

 

Me: How much is the Argentina jersey lad?

Him: 30 euro my friend. For you special price, 20 euro and for 40 euro I will throw in another jersey.

Me: I'll take the Argentina, Croatia and Cameroon jerseys for 15 euro.

Him: Haha you are crazy. My friend the three jerseys will be 60 euro but I'll give you special price of 50 euro.

Me: You drive a hard bargain. Because I like your style, I'll give you 17 euro for the three. (Rummaging around my pocket for change with 10 and 20 cent coins coming out to make up the two euro.)

Him: Cursing loudly and telling me to fuck off.

 

[Megadrive Man]

18 hours ago, Babb'sBurstNad said:

 

Van Dijk and Southampton had other options, and we still tried kicking the tyres and lowering the price after we'd convinced the player to join us. 

 

Yeah that's true, but I don't think it will work unless Bellingham only wants to come to us, we know that Madrid and City can offer both the club and the player more money. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Amrabat in for Fabinho is a no brainer.

[Scott_M]

[Scott_M]

12 minutes ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

Amrabat in for Fabinho is a no brainer.

Ignore the player none of us had heard of this time last month & wait for Fabinho to rediscover his form and be regarded as one of the defensive midfielders in the world again?

[Carvalho Diablo]

Just now, Scott_M said:

We badly need another accomplished centre back imo.

 

Gomez is done and Matip isn't getting any younger.

 

1 in and 1 out makes all kinds of sense to me.

[Scott_M]

2 minutes ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

We badly need another accomplished centre back imo.

 

Gomez is done and Matip isn't getting any younger.

 

1 in and 1 out makes all kinds of sense to me.

I agree. I’d give Gomez another season to prove himself. On Matip, it would be a refreshing change to be pro-active in signing a replacement. Matip’s contract ends in 2024, I’d be surprised if he gets another. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Just now, Scott_M said:

Ignore the player none of us had heard of this time last month & wait for Fabinho to rediscover his form and be regarded as one of the defensive midfielders in the world again?

Fabinho is done imo Scott. His regression is so startling that I have no faith whatsoever that he can regain his form if 12 months ago. He cannot run.

 

Amrabat and Fernandez would both be huge upgrades imo.

[Scott_M]

1 minute ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

Fabinho is done imo Scott. His regression is so startling that I have no faith whatsoever that he can regain his form if 12 months ago. He cannot run.

 

Amrabat and Fernandez would both be huge upgrades imo.

Really? I don’t think he is. He’s not the only one who’s had an alarming run of form.

 

I think / hope a change in scenery and some relative time off does him good. 
 

If come June and he’s not improved, the fair enough. I wouldn’t be writing him off as quickly.

[HBenn]

12 hours ago, Scott_M said:

Would be a great signing. Not sure I can see it happening though with the money needed for midfield and possibly backup forwards. 

If we go after him as well I think we will need Qatar type of money to fund it all.

[CapeRed]

13 hours ago, Scott_M said:

Ignore the player none of us had heard of this time last month & wait for Fabinho to rediscover his form and be regarded as one of the defensive midfielders in the world again?

Not sure if the lad from Morocco would suit us . What I have seen of him he sits very deep and didn’t press much . Or maybe he did in other games.