January Transfer Thread 2017

[JustOpp]

Your analysis and prognosis is a reasonable one. However clubs buying and selling strategies don't exist in a vacuum nor do they have limitless amount of capital to spend. If we had both of those things, of course all you would do is buy the best 18 year olds and train them up.

The reality is, there are varying costs for players. We like every other clubs also have to work within a budget. The smart way to operate is to try and identify where value is. Most clubs are looking to sign younger players and it has inflated the market substantially, meaning there is some value to be had with players who are a bit older. I think Schneiderlin falls into that category. I also think Williams does, and so too does Fonte at 5 million pounds.

When you consider what Tompkins went for or Stones it's hard not to say Williams is an astute buy. At 27 all of the studies you produced showed that players still have 3-4 years of performance above that of a 23 year old remaining. At the prices we are being quoted it makes sense to do business. In all honesty we couldn't afford a lad with Schneiderlin, Williams, Bolasie or Gueyes ability who was 23 or under. So we either sign inferior players or players we can buy now and hope to continue to make money from our academy/other avenues.

This is precisely why the ability to identify and develop talent is so unbelievably valuable, yet they are things that remain undervalued in so many professional organizations. If you pull someone like Gana from out of nowhere each summer, you're miles ahead of the competition.

There is no argument against what you've said to the price:age ratio problem. But there's still a philosophical difference.

You have £25 million to spend and you get a 27-year old midfielder. Hopefully he produces like a £30 million player for 4-5 years and then you have to replace him.

Sometimes that's the 100% smartest way for a club to spend £25 million, and that may even be the case with Schneiderlin.

But we also know that there are players like Gana and John Stones who are moving every transfer window that are going to give you a greater return on your investment.

So if I have £25 million to spend, do I really want to spend it on a 27-year old (or £8 million to spend on Ashley Williams, etc)? Sometimes. But other times I'm going to hope my scouting and development teams are able to produce better returns.

 

[Hogwild]

Ians getting Schneids confused with Schweins I think

One recently married Ana Ivanovic and the other did not.....

Bastian's game on the pitch may have suffered but quite clearly he still brings his "A" game off the pitch.

 

[SerenityNigh]

I just have an aversion to players who aren't getting first team football at their clubs

When you go to a restaurant, do you only buy food you see someone else eating?

 

[eLPatron]

Let's go all in for Draxler.

CL bound, we're mid table currently. The only reason he'd come is for money (it wont happen anyway).
Swerve him.

 

[JustOpp]

In all sincerity, fun chat @Prevenger17, @bluestevon, @catcherintherye and everyone else.

Back to fixing the UK's basketball problems.

 

[roydo]

Would love Schneiderlin here as I've said many times before. The similarity between a title winning combo of Kante/Drinkwater and our potential pairing of Gana/Schneiderlin is striking too, Walsh you tinker you.

Sounds good to me that. From what I can read, it looks a distinct possibility as well. The signing, not the league that is.

 

[SerenityNigh]

AFCON doesn't finish until 15th Feb.

Obviously, he's not guaranteed to be gone that long, but don't see the point in signing a player in the middle of the season who can't come in and have an immediate impact.

That's why Jan is so difficult. No time for players to settle - they have to be straight into it.

That's 7 league fixtures at most; given that we don't usually see signings until later in January, reasonably less than 7.

If the kid is good enough, he's good enough. I don't understand not signing someone over 7 missed fixtures.

 

[SerenityNigh]

This is precisely why the ability to identify and develop talent is so unbelievably valuable, yet they are things that remain undervalued in so many professional organizations. If you pull someone like Gana from out of nowhere each summer, you're miles ahead of the competition.

There is no argument against what you've said to the price:age ratio problem. But there's still a philosophical difference.

You have £25 million to spend and you get a 27-year old midfielder. Hopefully he produces like a £30 million player for 4-5 years and then you have to replace him.

Sometimes that's the 100% smartest way for a club to spend £25 million, and that may even be the case with Schneiderlin.

But we also know that there are players like Gana and John Stones who are moving every transfer window that are going to give you a greater return on your investment.

So if I have £25 million to spend, do I really want to spend it on a 27-year old (or £8 million to spend on Ashley Williams, etc)? Sometimes. But other times I'm going to hope my scouting and development teams are able to produce better returns.

Does this entire argument hinge upon the idea that Everton's transfer budget is £25MM?

 

[toffeejack]

in the 15/16 season west ham where paying 69.5m in wages mate, this season they are paying 79.8m an increase of 10.3m (STCC states they are allowed a 7m increase per season), they can't actually make any added revenue from the ground in sponsorship etc as they don't own it (probably actually lost in terms of that) the only player they sold is Tomkins for 9m - and who they basically had to sell in order to comply with the wages rules?

and they have Zaza, Calleri and Tore on loan that there having to pay the wages of as well

i genuinely thought west ham had splashed out £25m on zaza, what a disappointment that is.

Moyes isn't daft. Jags is finished.

so was pienaar and he bought him.

 

[Connor]

In all sincerity, fun chat @Prevenger17, @bluestevon, @catcherintherye and everyone else.

Back to fixing the UK's basketball problems.

Drop Deng then.

 

[toffeejack]

His move to the Wasserman agency might just assist us also....

It's clear the mistakes of the summer are not going to be made again. Walsh has control of player recruitment and is going about his business.

I really think January is going to be an excellent month re transfers and other off the pitch business for the club.

oh god, now you've done it ha You got me all excited in the summer with our potential deals and everton went and truly f-ed it up, i can't deal with that broken hope again.

 

[Azza]

McNulty reporting it too. It's on!

 

[BlueToff]

That's 7 league fixtures at most; given that we don't usually see signings until later in January, reasonably less than 7.

If the kid is good enough, he's good enough. I don't understand not signing someone over 7 missed fixtures.

It's the fact that in January, you want players to come in and have an effect on the team straight away.

That's the point of having a window in the middle of the season.

In the last few years our January signings haven't done that. The last time was 2012. This time has to be different.

 

[bluestevon]

i genuinely thought west ham had splashed out £25m on zaza, what a disappointment that is.



so was pienaar and he bought him.

Nah they had a loan with an obligation to buy him after so many appearances, he's been that bad though juve recently waived that obligation as they realised west Han wouldn't play him to avoid it lol.

Rumours from west ham sites are they don't have any money this window btw.

 

[Hogwild]

Honestly, the result yesterday was large. A run of good form for the duration of the month would be well timed......

Anyone recollect whether Koeman and/or Walsh usually do business early in windows? Avoiding our tendency (addiction) to leaving things late in a window seems vitally important this go round.