January Transfer Window Thoughts & Rumours

[GingerrrFox]

Wesley from Club Brugge. YouTube him. Scouts all over Europe are tracking him, he’s made for English football. 

[NasPb]

https://www.90min.com/posts/6205802-four-premier-league-clubs-reportedly-eyeing-joao-mario-as-playmaker-seeks-inter-exit

[Guest MattP]

If they seriously want 36million then no chance, barely worth half that.

[Finnegan]

We're just being thrown in because we always are. We don't need him right now. Strikers, full backs, wingers all bigger priorities. 

[Foxes1]

Can't be true Everton are not mentioned as interested

[ealingfox]

No thanks.

[NasPb]

I'd swap him directly with adrien silva 

[MC Prussian]

47 minutes ago, Foxes1 said:

Can't be true Everton are not mentioned as interested

No West Ham, no deal.

[Grebfromgrebland]

I thought he was already at wolves 

[Ashley]

90min? LOL

[LCCFox96]

As much as I think Daniel Amartey has played very well and looked a lot more accomplished at right back in the last few games, I think we'd be foolish to overlook the opportunity to add Nathaniel Clyne to the squad should he be available and we are interested. He's a very good PL level player and allows us to use Ricardo further forward.  

 

Aside from that we should only add if real quality become available. I don't mind taking a punt on some youngster for a small fee ala Diabate last year but I don't want to see us adding for the sake of it. 

Edited 26 October 2018 by LCCFox96

[Ric Flair]

I'm still intrigued to find out whether we're under severe constraints to bring in new players due to our wage structure, if not then why did we spend 4+ weeks in the summer not really pursuing any attacking players bar Ghezzal? I know we don't know for sure that we weren't, but it was ominously quiet and I think we left ourselves short.

 

If Clyne was available then he'd be of interest but it seriously jeopardises Ricardo's future with us already, I don't see him being used as a winger long term.

 

I think we need to sort out central midfield, Silva is almost certainly going and Iborra won't want to stick around much longer either. We need someone to compliment Ndidi or Mendy but who is a box to box midfielder. They don't have to be ridiculously good going forward, but someone who makes forward passes and supports both defence and attack, a Cambiasso on a lesser scale. Mario from Inter would tick a few boxes but think he's better suited in a midfield 3 than a 2, maybe that's the way forward at some point though, especially with Ricardo and Chilwell being very good at supporting attacks.

 

We could do with a target man as an option, whether they are young or old it doesn't matter that much, but someone who can attack crosses when we are chasing games. If I have to watch us pump balls in to the box for Vardy or Gray or Okazaki to get on the end of any longer in the closing minutes then i'll Ken Bigley myself. It astounds me that we have professional football coaches that haven't twigged how pointless this is, just utilize Iborra or even Maguire up there if needs be. There's nothing embarrassing about doing so when you're chasing a game, I'm happy to go ugly as it at least shows we're trying to mix it up when our original system hasn't worked. Is Negredo available? Hahaha

 

We blatantly need another wide player, regardless of whether Ghezzal settles in and is of use we need another option. We are starting to be linked with wingers and I'd hope there's some substance to this. Pepe at Lille is having another strong season and no doubt we'll have another sniff at Thorgan Hazard without signing him.

[StriderHiryu]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I'm still intrigued to find out whether we're under severe constraints to bring in new players due to our wage structure, if not then why did we spend 4+ weeks in the summer not really pursuing any attacking players bar Ghezzal? I know we don't know for sure that we weren't, but it was ominously quiet and I think we left ourselves short.

My personal opinion is that Puel intended for the right inside forward position to be filled by either Diabate or Gray who would compete with one another. However, Diabate had a shocking pre-season, so Puel deicded to buy a "stop-gap" or squad player. IE someone that could come in and add some value, but wouldn't be a marquee signing and prevent the opportunity for Gray and Diabate to play.

 

Compare Chilwell and Gray's situation. Chilwell *was* put ahead of Fuchs and though it took a little while to learn he's now undisputed first choice for both Leicester and arguably England. But Gray was behind Mahrez who we were trying to keep and is one of the best players we've ever had. So he didn't get the opportunity to play and so is behind Chilwell development wise. If we signed another blockbuster signing, then Gray would realise he would never get a first team opportunity because after being behind Mahrez, he'd be behind the next player we signed too and would probably leave.

 

With Ghezzal I think the idea is that it's Gray who is first choice and Ghezzal that rotates with him for cup matches or to come on as a sub. This way we have a more experienced player to call on but Gray gets his game time. Before he got injured, Gray was quite good... not on Chilwell's level but definitely the best we've seen him for the club so far. Ghezzal has been average at best, but he has scored two goals and made some assists. So he might be indifferent, but he's added some value.

At least this is my take on it.

Edited 26 October 2018 by StriderHiryu

[RumbleFox]

Let's go all out and spunk the lot on Loftus-Cheek and Rashford.  X

[LCCFox96]

16 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I'm still intrigued to find out whether we're under severe constraints to bring in new players due to our wage structure, if not then why did we spend 4+ weeks in the summer not really pursuing any attacking players bar Ghezzal? I know we don't know for sure that we weren't, but it was ominously quiet and I think we left ourselves short.

 

Think this is an interesting point. We can never say for sure, but I'd imagine this has some impact for all it might not be a severe constraint.  

 

Having the likes of Simpson, Benalouane and King on the books and not playing is bound to restrict our movement slightly. A good window would also entail moving them along if their time at the club really is finished.

Edited 26 October 2018 by LCCFox96

[Jattdogg]

8 minutes ago, RumbleFox said:

Let's go all out and spunk the lot on Loftus-Cheek and Rashford.  X

And martial

[Ric Flair]

17 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

My personal opinion is that Puel intended for the right inside forward position to be filled by either Diabate or Gray who would compete with one another. However, Diabate had a shocking pre-season, so Puel deicded to buy a "stop-gap" or squad player. IE someone that could come in and add some value, but wouldn't be a marquee signing and prevent the opportunity for Gray and Diabate to play.

 

Compare Chilwell and Gray's situation. Chilwell *was* put ahead of Fuchs and though it took a little while to learn he's not undisputed first choice for both Leicester and arguably England. But Gray was behind Mahrez who we were trying to keep and is one of the best players we'eve ever had. So he didn't get the opportunity to play and so is behind Chilwell development wise. If we signed another blockbuster signing, then Gray would realise he would never get a first team opportunity because after being behind Mahrez, he'd be behind the next player we signed too and would probably leave.

 

With Ghezzal I think the idea is that it's Gray who is first choice and Ghezzal that rotates with him for cup matches or to come on as a sub. This way we have a more experienced player to call on but Gray gets his game time. Before he got injured, Gray was quite good... not on Chilwell's level but definitely the best we've seen him for the club so far. Ghezzal has been average at best, but he has scored two goals and made some assists. So he might be indifferent, but he's added some value.

At least this is my take on it.

But Puel deploys Gray on the left which is another reason we didn't focus on bringing in a left sided winger as it was Gray's with Albrighton as backup. If Puel intends to move Gray out to the right, then go and get a left winger in.

[Babylon]

3 hours ago, Finnegan said:

We're just being thrown in because we always are. We don't need him right now. Strikers, full backs, wingers all bigger priorities. 

Just can't see him signing a striker, pisses me off but he seems perfectly happy running with what we've got as he got rid of them in the summer and last Jan. At the very least, we need a bloody top notch winger.

[Finnegan]

2 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Just can't see him signing a striker, pisses me off but he seems perfectly happy running with what we've got as he got rid of them in the summer and last Jan. At the very least, we need a bloody top notch winger.

 

I doubt we were ever truly in the running for Alcacer given he went to Dortmund but, still, watching him tear up the Bundesliga does make that rumour a little bit disappointing

[fuchsntf]

10 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

But Puel deploys Gray on the left which is another reason we didn't focus on bringing in a left sided winger as it was Gray's with Albrighton as backup. If Puel intends to move Gray out to the right, then go and get a left winger in.

Gray /Albrighton doesn't and has never kept on the left of right,they both drift....

Or have misunderstood your post..??

[StriderHiryu]

8 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

But Puel deploys Gray on the left which is another reason we didn't focus on bringing in a left sided winger as it was Gray's with Albrighton as backup. If Puel intends to move Gray out to the right, then go and get a left winger in.

Well you got me there!

He did bring him on to the right wing versus Huddersfield second half though, with Nacho, Vardy, Maddison and Gray all playing up top. So we might go for that again?

Regardless I do think we should have got a better quality winger as not replacing Mahrez like-for-like was always asking for trouble. But we were linked with Patrick Roberts in a swap deal so it seems like we were always thinking about a younger player instead of the finished article, probably as part of the plan to bring through more younger players. 
 

[Babylon]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

I doubt we were ever truly in the running for Alcacer given he went to Dortmund but, still, watching him tear up the Bundesliga does make that rumour a little bit disappointing

Who knows, barring the start of the summer it seems like we flopped getting in multiple targets.  I'm not having it that Rachid was anyone's first choice buy on the wing.

 

If we can shift Shinji then we've got space for another top forward and just have Maddison and Iheanacho for the 10 spot. We need to be looking at a long term Vardy replacement, we can't expect him to keep playing 90 minutes every week for the next few years given his age.

[fuchsntf]

Definitely no more...CBs..

[surrifox]

3 hours ago, Foxes1 said:

Can't be true Everton are not mentioned as interested

fake news 

[fuchsntf]

13 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Who knows, barring the start of the summer it seems like we flopped getting in multiple targets.  I'm not having it that Rachid was anyone's first choice buy on the wing.

 

If we can shift Shinji then we've got space for another top forward and just have Maddison and Iheanacho for the 10 spot. We need to be looking at a long term Vardy replacement, we can't expect him to keep playing 90 minutes every week for the next few years given his age.

A younger,but experienced player like Nugent would be good.Allowing our youngsters to phase in.

A high quality player,to cover and mesh with Maddison.

If we do business in January,I still won't complain if we keep both Iborra and Silva longer,so long as they get game time!!!

If Puel had made a cut mentally,on either,then let 'em go!!

 

Ps...if we have cup runs,Lets say an healthy good-bye to Shinji in the Summer..(maybe last game of the season)

Edited 26 October 2018 by fuchsntf