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January 2024 Transfer Window
- Thread starter Matt
- Start date
Est.1865
Season 3 Loading
I think we’re in the situation of ‘we’re gonna score one more than you’…..wide open games on a regular basis, we need more options up top or we will continue to lose high scoring games.
Monkman
Grenville Morris
This is crazy. Rather than addressing the conceding 2-3 every game part, you want to address the scoring 2-3 every game part?
MaxiRobriguez
Bob McKinlay
Why does this remind me of the Fawaz, Fox, Djebbour and Gomis picture?"Forest set to sell 10 players...money to be reinvested in new necromancy division, with Gordon Banks, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona and Brian Clough resurrected and recruited in their respective positions in inventive FFP loophole workaround" ...
Gyros Peter
Sauce salad?
Score four, sorted!
Robertson
Geoff Thomas
As I said the last time we lost 3-2, we can’t keep losing 3-2 every week and blaming the strikers.
Raymondo Ponte'
It's all about mid-table...
Yates and Mangala have to be coached to score goals, thi fukin hopeless at it.
I'd coach um night and day 24/7 til thi got the fukin hang onnit.
Listen 'ere young man
Jack Burkitt
I'd be more worried if we were losing every game 1-0 than 3-2, Nuno will improve the defence, next 10 days are crucial.
MaxiRobriguez
Bob McKinlay
I think we need at least another winger, maybe a second, and maybe another striker if we don't want to gamble on Taiwos fitness.
We have converted chances incredibly well in the last three games: Three in three games have been shots from outside the box and you've got a couple of Chris Wood goals where he's dinked a chip and rounded the keeper. They're not things we can continue to expect to see on the regular.
Need to score more tap ins and crosses across six yard box. We don't regularly get into those positions yet and it's largely because once Elanga is out we don't have anyone that is really capable of stretching the play in wide areas. CHO might be that player again but whilst he's lacking confidence at need another option.
Gyros Peter
Sauce salad?
Agree with that - a compromise might be a winger and one of those forwards who can play all across the line.
We definitely need options up there - at the minute we're using wingbacks and a young central midfielder as our fresh legs options and we can't expect Elanga and CHO to always be available.
Monkman
Grenville Morris
Agreed - but I'd sacrifice all of that to buy a good goalkeeper.
MaxiRobriguez
Bob McKinlay
Think we need both. If we send Origi back went got two loan spots open to us so can get both without need to spend much money.
Est.1865
Season 3 Loading
Well no, because we need a keeper too, but that's blatantly obvious.
Est.1865
Season 3 Loading
I’m not sure people are blaming the strikers, but you have to work on the basis that Boly, Niakhate, Sangare return to add some stability down the middle.
Basically leaves you with 2 areas to focus on if we are limited due to FFP. Keeper and another forward player. Nuno has already said we are sticking with our keepers, which is debatable I’d say.
So we desperately need another forward option.
So what keepers could we realistically get in January? This is just me speculating for fun on some options out there, just based on WhoScored, Youtube and Transfermarkt (so not really that serious):
Some targets that I think are unrealistic are:
De Gea - Wages too high, possibly aiming for a higher placed club.
Navas - Maybe, but would command high wages.
Ramsdale - Doubt he would come here, but if there is any chance of that being possible...
Diogo Costa - Totally unrealistic, but he is a Mendes client...
Sam Johnstone - Doubt Palace would sell to us, but if they do...
Brice Samba - It still hurts that we sold this guy, but I doubt we would be able to bring him back.
Some targets that might be possible to get:
Michele Di Gregorio- Shame we didn't go for Michele Di Gregorio in the summer instead of Vlach and Turner, as we were rumored to be interested then. Highest rated keeper in Serie A this season, unfortunately out with an injury now though. Gregorio has had 4 MoTM in 18 games, but seems like he might struggle with crosses based on stats. The eye test also confirms that he is a keeper that will stick to his line rather than come for crosses. Valued at €12m, so should be possible to get.
Alban Lafont - I'm still thinking we should have a look at Alban Lafont from Nantes, who has had a decent season there, with two MoTM performances in 13 games. He has good distribution too. Valued at €12m, so should be possible to get. Nantes were looking for another keeper last summer, so that suggests they might want to sell.
Anthony Patterson - Will probably be picked up by a PL club, if Sunderland stay in the Championship. Probably not easy to get him in January though. Might lack some experience, but seems to be one of the better options from lower leagues.
There are some good keepers in Germany, but they are older and play for big clubs, so unlikely to move. Noah Atubolu is a Germany u21 keeper and regular for Freiburg, however his weakness is catching crosses. Finn Dahmen who playes for Augsburg, is of a good age, but seems too short for PL. I'm sure there are some who watch Bundesliga often who have a better idea if there are any realistic options there.
Italy has several interesting young keepers coming through at the smaller and mid sized clubs. Elia Caprile in Empoli (ex-Leeds) and Marco Carnesecchi, (his name means dried meat) who plays for Atalanta. They have both played quite regularly this season, but it is probably not the right time for us to target them.
Portugal - Not sure if we want to go back there, but Benfica replaced Vlach with Trubin for €10m in the summer and he is now valued at three times that. There are some keepers that look interesting based on stats, but probably not ready for PL.
Belgium - Same as Germany/Portugal. Some good oldies at the top clubs, who are unlikely to move, and some younger keepers that probably will be too inexperienced for the PL.
I haven't seen anything that is really exciting based on stats in Spain, Netherlands and France. In Brazil there are a lot of older keepers, one guy above 40 even with games this season.
Some targets that I think are unrealistic are:
De Gea - Wages too high, possibly aiming for a higher placed club.
Navas - Maybe, but would command high wages.
Ramsdale - Doubt he would come here, but if there is any chance of that being possible...
Diogo Costa - Totally unrealistic, but he is a Mendes client...
Sam Johnstone - Doubt Palace would sell to us, but if they do...
Brice Samba - It still hurts that we sold this guy, but I doubt we would be able to bring him back.
Some targets that might be possible to get:
Michele Di Gregorio- Shame we didn't go for Michele Di Gregorio in the summer instead of Vlach and Turner, as we were rumored to be interested then. Highest rated keeper in Serie A this season, unfortunately out with an injury now though. Gregorio has had 4 MoTM in 18 games, but seems like he might struggle with crosses based on stats. The eye test also confirms that he is a keeper that will stick to his line rather than come for crosses. Valued at €12m, so should be possible to get.
Alban Lafont - I'm still thinking we should have a look at Alban Lafont from Nantes, who has had a decent season there, with two MoTM performances in 13 games. He has good distribution too. Valued at €12m, so should be possible to get. Nantes were looking for another keeper last summer, so that suggests they might want to sell.
Anthony Patterson - Will probably be picked up by a PL club, if Sunderland stay in the Championship. Probably not easy to get him in January though. Might lack some experience, but seems to be one of the better options from lower leagues.
There are some good keepers in Germany, but they are older and play for big clubs, so unlikely to move. Noah Atubolu is a Germany u21 keeper and regular for Freiburg, however his weakness is catching crosses. Finn Dahmen who playes for Augsburg, is of a good age, but seems too short for PL. I'm sure there are some who watch Bundesliga often who have a better idea if there are any realistic options there.
Italy has several interesting young keepers coming through at the smaller and mid sized clubs. Elia Caprile in Empoli (ex-Leeds) and Marco Carnesecchi, (his name means dried meat) who plays for Atalanta. They have both played quite regularly this season, but it is probably not the right time for us to target them.
Portugal - Not sure if we want to go back there, but Benfica replaced Vlach with Trubin for €10m in the summer and he is now valued at three times that. There are some keepers that look interesting based on stats, but probably not ready for PL.
Belgium - Same as Germany/Portugal. Some good oldies at the top clubs, who are unlikely to move, and some younger keepers that probably will be too inexperienced for the PL.
I haven't seen anything that is really exciting based on stats in Spain, Netherlands and France. In Brazil there are a lot of older keepers, one guy above 40 even with games this season.
Morpeth
John Robertson
Just go get Costa and be done with it. EM and MM know how to do this stuff.
It's Baggio
John Robertson
We were vaguely linked with him in the Summer. He was highly rated as a kid and has been excellent for Nantes the last few years.
Ticks the boxes for me. Good shot stopper, commands his box, has presence and can kick. He did sign a new contract recently though, so I'd imagine he'd cost a lot more now.
Statto
Free Kick Specialist
I'd get Keylor on loan again and look at this in the summer, plenty of time to find options and get them before next season starts.
Chris Bob-Williams
First Team Squad
we will end up paying £10m for Simon Mignolet
RedRobbo
Grenville Morris
David De Gea currently earning sod all…
GOBIAS
Ian Bowyer
The pubs of Nottingham could have done with the boost of keylor gadding around town through January. Especially as Eddie Yates is going dry.
Red Dog in a Forest
Viv Anderson
Had Lafont in my PES Master League. Brilliant goalkeeper…won around 40 major competitions with Forest.
On a more serious note, whilst goalkeeper is our most critical position, getting a top quality one in January is going to be tough. We can’t afford to sign another Vlach permanently. If that’s the case, I’d be happy with a loan…even if it’s Navas again. Who I rate, but it’s not a long-term solution.
Forward players are a lot easier to get in:
Alcaraz - can play in CM and across the front three, isn’t featuring much for Southampton and did well in the EPL last season.
Reiss Nelson - barely featuring for Arsenal, but unlikely to loan to us, unless they sell Tavares to OM.
Reyna - loan with OTB is more risky, as he hasn’t performed of late.
I’m probably in the minority on this one, but a LB is a key signing for us:
RB - Montiel / Aina / Aurier (can cover CB - unlikely to be any takers, but critical as cover if Felipe, McKenna and Worrall move on).
LB - New 1st Choice / Toffolo.
Get rid of Tavares.
Williams - if Feyenoord will play him at RB (not RWB..where we knew he is decent), then I think a loan is great for his development. If we get no wingers in, he needs to stay.
A lot of sliding doors here, with this is our most critical window in recent history: no effective goalkeeper. AFCON, injuries, out of contract players and PSR looming.
Statto
Free Kick Specialist
No chance of Alcaraz.
He's still going great guns down under
He's still going great guns down under
Red Dog in a Forest
Viv Anderson
MaxiRobriguez
Bob McKinlay
6 month contract at £50k a week, automatically triggers a year extension with uplift to £100k+ a week if we stay up.
Not hard to be creative with these things.