Phil Parkes' Gloves wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 1:44 pm
are we hoping that Zouma becomes cheaper late in the window
that is what the hopeful are grasping to these days
realistically if moyes was planning to use such a strategy he'd probably try it with one or two players, not every player he wanted
truth be told it's a risky strategy because if the targets are good then there'll be interest and that interest only increases as prices drop - for the strategy to work we have to be the only club (with the financial muscle) in the running - how many targets will you need to make a deal like this pull through? 5? 10? and some how these are the targets moyes really wants?
yeah i am not buying it, you don't go all in on such a strategy when you have a squad this thin, if funds are tight and you need to add some depth you need to jump on nominal fee signings (like coufal) and free agents early - there is little if any quality left by the end of the window
On a side note, interesting that Chelsea has been flogging off lots of youth players this window - we picked up Ekwah, Leeds got Master Bate, Palace bought Geuhi, Southampton have signed a couple. Pretty sure there have been 1 or 2 others.
Have Chelsea been having a change of tact with regards to youth development/loaning policy?
b0x wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:02 pm
yeah i am not buying it, you don't go all in on such a strategy when you have a squad this thin, if funds are tight and you need to add some depth you need to jump on nominal fee signings (like coufal) and free agents early - there is little if any quality left by the end of the window
We signed Coufal 3 days before the close of the transfer window...so we really didn't jump on that one early in anyway shape or form.
What free agents should we have signed this window?
steveyrockstar wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:09 pm
On a side note, interesting that Chelsea has been flogging off lots of youth players this window - we picked up Ekwah, Leeds got Master Bate, Palace bought Geuhi, Southampton have signed a couple. Pretty sure there have been 1 or 2 others.
Have Chelsea been having a change of tact with regards to youth development/loaning policy?
The hoarding of top young talent is a disgrace, good to see Chelsea giving some kids chances elsewhere.
Sloop John B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:10 pm
What free agents should we have signed this window?
Sorry to interrupt, but there are a lot of clubs that have taken on free transfers this term (one only needs to look at Barcelona and Madrid doing the same). I accept that free agents have a very broad spectrum, but somebody like Van Anholt would have been an achievable alternative in defence. If Josh King was interesting us last winter, why not now?
Unfortunately, I think any free transfers from within the PL would cause a conniption on here.
Sloop John B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:10 pm
We signed Coufal 3 days before the close of the transfer window...so we really didn't jump on that one early in anyway shape or form.
What free agents should we have signed this window?
Bertrand. Would have upgraded LB overnight. Like Cresswell but Bertrand is better imho, certainly would have given us 2 decent LB for the next season or 2 and time to sort a longer term solution.
He is pretty much the one player that I really think we “missed out” on so far.
Daka would have been nice but might turn out to be a project rather than immediate cover and at the price paid not sure we could afford that.
Quickly browsing the Southampton and Blackburn forums - Southampton are supposedly the only club to actually bid for Armstrong at the moment.
Blackburn are making significant annual losses even before lockdown. Their wage/turnover ratio is 200% , they are in danger of breaching FFP and Armstrong has just one year left on his deal. They are completely over a barrel.
He is a "£20m player" that will end up going for a fraction of it.
There must be loads of clubs in this situation (see WBA with their need to service imminently due debts), and it's likely a budget of £30m or £40m will go a lot further than normal, if the timing is right.
We need to be using our U23s intelligently as parts of deals.
Sloop John B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:10 pm
We signed Coufal 3 days before the close of the transfer window...so we really didn't jump on that one early in anyway shape or form.
What free agents should we have signed this window?
thats true, when freddy tore his hamstring for the tenth time coufal was bought almost instantly
we acted quickly, but more to the point - low valued solid signings that will play a critical role in a shallow squad over a long season of intense tactics
Sloop John B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:10 pm
We signed Coufal 3 days before the close of the transfer window...so we really didn't jump on that one early in anyway shape or form.
What free agents should we have signed this window?
I would have taken Stevan Jovetic. Back up striker and all AM positions, took a two year deal at Berlin.
Kwadwo Baah went to Watford on a free. We and Man City were interested in Jan.
Bertrand and Aanholt are decent shouts for LB.. not convinced they are much of an improvement over Cresswell but would certainly add some squad depth. They were both on over £50k a week at previous clubs so I imagine they wouldn't be cheap.
bubbles1966 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:19 pm
Quickly browsing the Southampton and Blackburn forums - Southampton are supposedly the only club to actually bid for Armstrong at the moment.
Blackburn are making significant annual losses even before lockdown. Their wage/turnover ratio is 200% , they are in danger of breaching FFP and Armstrong has just one year left on his deal. They are completely over a barrel.
He is a "£20m player" that will end up going for a fraction of it.
There must be loads of clubs in this situation (see WBA with their need to service imminently due debts), and it's likely a budget of £30m or £40m will go a lot further than normal, if the timing is right.
We need to be using our U23s intelligently as parts of deals.
I can’t see us going in for Armstrong. You would’ve thought we would have by now if we was going to.
It’s very rare for Moyes to take a punt on a Championship striker too. As is the case for goalkeepers. It’s only defenders and midfielders he usually signs from the Championship. Goalkeepers and strikers are almost always from Premier League clubs. Even this window, Areola who last season happened to have played for Premier League Fulham joined us.
Last edited by funky chicken on Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
El brooko79 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:24 pm
I would have taken Stevan Jovetic. Back up striker and all AM positions, took a two year deal at Berlin.
Kwadwo Baah went to Watford on a free. We and Man City were interested in Jan.
But would still want us making proper signings
Not sure on Jovetic, 31 now, ok he played decent number of games last season but has an awful recent injury record with knees/hamstrings far worse than Antonio over the last 3 years or so.
Big George wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:13 pm
The hoarding of top young talent is a disgrace, good to see Chelsea giving some kids chances elsewhere.
Am not entirely sure it was by choice, contracts are up and the kids have worked out they have little chance of first team experience at Chelsea.
They've just decided to move on to further their careers it seems. Good for them.
Sloop John B wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:36 pm
That sounds exactly what Moyes is after...Sounds like your issue is that Moyes has more patience than you do?
The Fredericks injury may have forced his hand but by all accounts Moyes had been tracking Coufal for a good while.
or maybe moyes is just being shafted by sulli - as he does with every manager
moyes is pragmatic, he isn't going to wait to the last couple of weeks to make all his signings, not with a squad like this in a covid world, 1 or 2 - sure, you can see how he might be willing to chance that if he has a number of possible targets... but no all his business, i doubt this window is going as planned which seems to be what you are hinting at
HammerPDC wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 12:22 pm
To be fair, and I’m happy to be corrected here, but I can only think of Abraham who it seems doesn’t fancy it
Iv not seen us get rejected by anyone else
I'm not even convinced that Abraham has rejected us per se. Just speculation he prefers a move to Arsenal, presuming Arsenal table an offer. And I doubt we can even afford him as current things stand anyway.
Gsbgsb wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 2:19 pm
Bertrand. Would have upgraded LB overnight. Like Cresswell but Bertrand is better imho, certainly would have given us 2 decent LB for the next season or 2 and time to sort a longer term solution.
He is pretty much the one player that I really think we “missed out” on so far.
Daka would have been nice but might turn out to be a project rather than immediate cover and at the price paid not sure we could afford that.
Already discussed but accruing another 30+ year old defender would've been bad business sense, and he'd no doubt be on high wages. Rather we keep Cresswell as first-choice and invest in a younger talent, like The Doig, yo.
Burnley Hammer wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:17 am
In other news, we've officially signed the young keeper Kinnear. That's 8 goalkeepers we have now in the first team and U23 squads.