Transfer News, Gossip & Speculation Transfer Rumours Thread 2024/2025.

[dusterman]

How hard are the club trying. We are probably in need of 4 or 5 players and yet it's now the 17th.

Something doesn't add up. Either the new process is taking too long and we are missing targets.
The budget is not allowing the players to be signed or we are aiming way too high and players simply won't come.

It seems like players aren't being signed for some reason. Other clubs are signing plenty or good quality loans or perm players.

I think it does add up. The players we want have to improve us. We have enough players currently to finish the season IMO, unless injuries. So whoever comes in must be exactly who we want now and next season. That’ll be a smaller, more sought after, group that may become available later this window or not till summer. However that may frustrate some, or many, that’s how it is. I’m fine with that but understand frustration, but we are in a far better place than we have been for 5 years. We need to be less shortsighted currently.

 

[leeblue]

How hard are the club trying. We are probably in need of 4 or 5 players and yet it's now the 17th.

Something doesn't add up. Either the new process is taking too long and we are missing targets.
The budget is not allowing the players to be signed or we are aiming way too high and players simply won't come.

It seems like players aren't being signed for some reason. Other clubs are signing plenty or good quality loans or perm players.

Or multiple clubs want said player
or the club loaning player out may want League 2 rather than NL
or personal terms are dragging a little

 

[MisterStubbs]

I think it does add up. The players we want have to improve us. We have enough players currently to finish the season IMO, unless injuries. So whoever comes in must be exactly who we want now and next season. That’ll be a smaller, more sought after, group that may become available later this window or not till summer. However that may frustrate some, or many, that’s how it is. I’m fine with that but understand frustration, but we are in a far better place than we have been for 5 years. We need to be less shortsighted currently.

Personally, it was my belief that even before the 3 loan player got recalled that our squad was on the small side. Now it's just one or two injuries away from not being able to fill a bench again. It's beyond belief that we are half way through January and not really yet added to the squad.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

Or multiple clubs want said player
or the club loaning player out may want League 2 rather than NL
or personal terms are dragging a little

That's the thing, we don't know who we are trying to get. If we are aiming higher, that comes with greater complexities. Say for example we have gone back in for Andrew Dallas (been recalled by Barnsley from Barrow), plenty of league 2 and NL clubs would want him. It would then be all about the negotiations of which team is willing to pay the higher loan fee and wage percentage. That takes time.

That example was more wishful thinking, but you get my drift

 

[Strykr]

Personally, it was my belief that even before the 3 loan player got recalled that our squad was on the small side. Now it's just one or two injuries away from not being able to fill a bench again. It's beyond belief that we are half way through January and not really yet added to the squad.

Maybe thats the plan, bit of old school backs to the wall, roll your sleeves up, us against the world spirit like last season

 

[Thor1]

Thats madness when Chelsea effectively have two first team squads there is little chance of a youth player making the breakthrough there in the next 2 weeks. I would have thought it was more a case of the club waiting to see if another club comes in for their youngsters that would be a better fit for them.

The player they are after is Samuel Rak-Sakyi who has featured in the league and a couple of times in that Europa League thingy, so on the fringes of the 1st team squad. Another point the Coventry article went on to point out was the need to get a couple of leaders into the squad which made me wonder who our leaders on the pitch are?

 

[Shrimper]

I asked this question to another poster, which players that have moved in this window are you frustrated about that we should have signed?

I'm not upset about not signing any of the players that have moved clubs so far in our league.

Billy Waters is the only one that may have plucked a little interest. However, he is 30 now, Bonne is 29. His best spell was 3 years ago and didn't set the world alight in the EFL, we've already got a player with that profile. He's also 5'6, not the target man we need. Other than that, not many players are leaping out to me.

Frustrated isn't the right word but would have been happy with Waters or Ndlovu up front

 

[Uncle_Rons_Teapot]

Don't panic everyone! I'm sure the embargo from 6 years ago will be blamed before you know it

 

[sufc4life21]

Don't panic everyone! I'm sure the embargo from 6 years ago will be blamed before you know it

Can't really use that as excuse now. It's more down to COSU be cautious in January due to clubs wanting higher fees for players in January and loan players not currently available until the last week of January.

 

[KiwiRob]

How hard are the club trying. We are probably in need of 4 or 5 players and yet it's now the 17th.

Something doesn't add up. Either the new process is taking too long and we are missing targets.
The budget is not allowing the players to be signed or we are aiming way too high and players simply won't come.

It seems like players aren't being signed for some reason. Other clubs are signing plenty or good quality loans or perm players.

I agree the process seems protracted, but maybe the club does not believe it needs another 4 or 5 players and is focusing instead on 1 or 2 priority targets to boost a play-off bid.

 

[Medway Blue]

How hard are the club trying. We are probably in need of 4 or 5 players and yet it's now the 17th.

Something doesn't add up. Either the new process is taking too long and we are missing targets.
The budget is not allowing the players to be signed or we are aiming way too high and players simply won't come.

It seems like players aren't being signed for some reason. Other clubs are signing plenty or good quality loans or perm players.

How do you know they're good quality?

The football department know their budget, and know the players that they want. No amount of protestation from supporters is going to make them change their targets just to please the "sign anybody, now" shouts, and nor should it.

People complained about Bonne and Moncur - they should be vindication enough that if targets higher up the wishlist are still in play, then we should go for them rather than just signing anybody.

Whether the new process is taking too long might be a different question.

 

[Holy Joe]

I agree the process seems protracted, but maybe the club does not believe it needs another 4 or 5 players and is focusing instead on 1 or 2 priority targets to boost a play-off bid.

We don't even know what the process is!

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

We don't even know what the process is!

This is the new process, taken from a recent statement.
In my own opinion, it's going way over the top, but understandable, as they are trying get the right type of player, and eliminate mistakes. But by the time they've done all this, that player could be snapped up by another club.

Identifying transfer targets explaining that there is now a transfer committee composed of three Board members (Justin Rees, Shivaas Gulati and Jason Brown) plus Kevin and John Still. This is largely data and analytically driven with a profile created to support targets. This is then given over to Jason and the scouts. There are plenty of targets being looked at, with dossiers of 3 or 4 pages – one on information about the individual, then up to three scouting reports, then a final page planned compiling data – and plans are to be able to recruit early for next season. A question was raised about the validity of the Board being involved in making decisions on player targets, whether this detracts from the management team. Tom responded that the new system is to extrapolate information, to identify and support the process and will exist alongside traditional scouting methods. There’s no prohibition on signing players, Tom admitted that they are still finding their way with it, and added that if they only relied on this, Charlie Kendall wouldn’t have been one they would have gone for.

 

[Holy Joe]

This is the new process, taken from a recent statement.
In my own opinion, it's going way over the top, but understandable, as they are trying get the right type of player, and eliminate mistakes. But by the time they've done all this, that player could be snapped up by another club.

Identifying transfer targets explaining that there is now a transfer committee composed of three Board members (Justin Rees, Shivaas Gulati and Jason Brown) plus Kevin and John Still. This is largely data and analytically driven with a profile created to support targets. This is then given over to Jason and the scouts. There are plenty of targets being looked at, with dossiers of 3 or 4 pages – one on information about the individual, then up to three scouting reports, then a final page planned compiling data – and plans are to be able to recruit early for next season. A question was raised about the validity of the Board being involved in making decisions on player targets, whether this detracts from the management team. Tom responded that the new system is to extrapolate information, to identify and support the process and will exist alongside traditional scouting methods. There’s no prohibition on signing players, Tom admitted that they are still finding their way with it, and added that if they only relied on this, Charlie Kendall wouldn’t have been one they would have gone for.

Not sure that's an end to end process. There's nothing around negotiations, approvals etc

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

I think it does add up. The players we want have to improve us. We have enough players currently to finish the season IMO, unless injuries. So whoever comes in must be exactly who we want now and next season. That’ll be a smaller, more sought after, group that may become available later this window or not till summer. However that may frustrate some, or many, that’s how it is. I’m fine with that but understand frustration, but we are in a far better place than we have been for 5 years. We need to be less shortsighted currently.

Not a bad post that.

If the club were to sign players now to swell the ranks but are perhaps not the best fit then we (the club) will still have those players on contract come the summer as it would be unlikely a player would sign up for a contract of only six months duration.

That would leave us with less budget (or "wiggle room" as some say) come the summer ......... and on we go again.

More budget flexibility come the summer could be seen as the benefit of getting a couple more loan players in.

It's all rather tricky.

 

[SHRIMPERR]

I simply wouldn’t have signed Bonne, in a panic, on a silly wage for what he offers

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

How hard are the club trying. We are probably in need of 4 or 5 players and yet it's now the 17th.

Something doesn't add up. Either the new process is taking too long and we are missing targets.
The budget is not allowing the players to be signed or we are aiming way too high and players simply won't come.

It seems like players aren't being signed for some reason. Other clubs are signing plenty or good quality loans or perm players.

The new process seems to be taking a similar amount of time to the old process.

Remember last season we were even more desperate for forwards - we were playing Kabongolo and Vilhete up front - and we didn’t sign Waldron until 19th January.

With Kendall, Walker, Waldron and Bonne already on the wage bill it’s important to get this one right.

 

[Barry.C]

How do you know they're good quality?

The football department know their budget, and know the players that they want. No amount of protestation from supporters is going to make them change their targets just to please the "sign anybody, now" shouts, and nor should it.

People complained about Bonne and Moncur - they should be vindication enough that if targets higher up the wishlist are still in play, then we should go for them rather than just signing anybody.

Whether the new process is taking too long might be a different question.

I think youve probably gone over the top there to make the point which I understand aas an important one and most of us do

Of course we dont know the exact Quality of all the 110 or whatever the current number of signings is in the past 4 months

Firstly we could hazard a fair guess that not all of them will be rubbish. Secondly we can assume most clubs are following very similar recruitment processes to our own

Thirdly its seems to be acknowledged that we have missed out on Quality targets we were after?

Fourthly an awful lot of loans have been extended this month alone , others recalled by the clubs for various reasons, > Quality? Pepple a nd I assume all those extended loans were not because the player offered little by way of quality

Fifthly a number of clubs have paid a decent fee it seems and would that do that on poor quality

Finally we could check their performance ratings t and much to determine levels of quality

I dont think there are too many , if any ,, ""sign any body now "shouts on here. Lets give a little credit that quite a few folk on here might be a little bit knowledgeable, although I know very little

 

[BoyWonder2]

I think youve probably gone over the top there to make the point which I understand aas an important one and most of us do

Of course we dont know the exact Quality of all the 110 or whatever the current number of signings is in the past 4 months

Firstly we could hazard a fair guess that not all of them will be rubbish. Secondly we can assume most clubs are following very similar recruitment processes to our own

Thirdly its seems to be acknowledged that we have missed out on Quality targets we were after?

Fourthly an awful lot of loans have been extended this month alone , others recalled by the clubs for various reasons, > Quality? Pepple a nd I assume all those extended loans were not because the player offered little by way of quality

Fifthly a number of clubs have paid a decent fee it seems and would that do that on poor quality

Finally we could check their performance ratings t and much to determine levels of quality

I dont think there are too many , if any ,, ""sign any body now "shouts on here. Lets give a little credit that quite a few folk on here might be a little bit knowledgeable, although I know very little

You obviously haven’t been looking very hard.

At least two posters have suggested that we sign “anybody”…

 

[Barry.C]

You obviously haven’t been looking very hard.

At least two posters have suggested that we sign “anybody”…

I said if any ,2 is not a few