January 2024 transfer window thread.

[dnf14]

100% yes he is

Jacqui Oatley will never live that down.

 

[Golden_Wolf]

The next Gareth Bale

As good as RAN they said

 

[Jawwfc]

Whilst we talk about Fosun trying to get a return (which I don't think they are trying to do, i think they are trying to make the club sustainable and self-funding, which is different but also not massively exciting!) I thought it'd be good to remind people of this post by Spiers on The Athletic: https://archive.ph/20230106081307/h...chelsea-u23-strategy/#selection-487.52-487.63

I think it is really interesting for looking at the players mentioned - some of who we had high hopes for and where their careers have gone:
Bruno Jordao - bad injuries and 3 years of loans, probably seeing out contract
Pedro Neto - Star boy. Worth billions(!)
Meritan Shabani - I think he's done his ACL twice now and is at Grasshoppers
Enzo Loiodice - never really joined us as he got bumped by COVID
Leonardo Campana - I think we made a couple of million on him and he's still with Inter Miami
Renat Dadashov - Another Grasshopper move, think he's on loan in Turkey now
Raphael Nya - went to France, not sure what he's doing.
Nigel Lonwijk - Been on a few loans - a lot of game time at Plymouth but injured at Grasshoppers and back at Wolves.
Justin Hubner - Played more games for Indonesia than he has at Wolves.
Owen Otasowie - I mean who knows. Sold him to Brugge for decent money £4m? and he just went missing.
Luke Matheson - Series of lower league loans ended up with him signing for Bolton's B team.
Benny Ashley-Seal - Left Wolves (no fee) last played last year in Scotland for Hamilton - not sure if he's got a club now.
Taylor Perry - At Shrewsbury now and doing ok?
Dion Sanderson - Sold to Blues and doing well there - £2.3m?
Oskar Buur Rasmussen - Played for Wolves in the Prem and in Europe but was released without a fee.

I don't mean this to be mean or harsh - but I think it just shows how HARD it is to make it as a top level professional player. You could say that the return on Neto pays for an entire youth policy - but the impact of injuries, bad moves, bad decisions and just the sheer unrelenting nature of trying to make it shows that investing money in football is very very hard. If Neto's injuries had proved too much for him - this would make pretty grim reading. Maybe Dion, Owen and Leonardo would keep the investment neutral and loan fees help as well....

I would add Toti and Kilman both bought in for under 23s for nominal fees but are now worth a hell of a lot of money established premier league level defenders.

We are always going to have more misses than hits with young players making it in the Premier League is a very tough act.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Two instalments of 1m? Crazy

it’s called business. what else is it?

 

[Hawkguy]

Whilst we talk about Fosun trying to get a return (which I don't think they are trying to do, i think they are trying to make the club sustainable and self-funding, which is different but also not massively exciting!) I thought it'd be good to remind people of this post by Spiers on The Athletic: https://archive.ph/20230106081307/h...chelsea-u23-strategy/#selection-487.52-487.63

I think it is really interesting for looking at the players mentioned - some of who we had high hopes for and where their careers have gone:
Bruno Jordao - bad injuries and 3 years of loans, probably seeing out contract
Pedro Neto - Star boy. Worth billions(!)
Meritan Shabani - I think he's done his ACL twice now and is at Grasshoppers
Enzo Loiodice - never really joined us as he got bumped by COVID
Leonardo Campana - I think we made a couple of million on him and he's still with Inter Miami
Renat Dadashov - Another Grasshopper move, think he's on loan in Turkey now
Raphael Nya - went to France, not sure what he's doing.
Nigel Lonwijk - Been on a few loans - a lot of game time at Plymouth but injured at Grasshoppers and back at Wolves.
Justin Hubner - Played more games for Indonesia than he has at Wolves.
Owen Otasowie - I mean who knows. Sold him to Brugge for decent money £4m? and he just went missing.
Luke Matheson - Series of lower league loans ended up with him signing for Bolton's B team.
Benny Ashley-Seal - Left Wolves (no fee) last played last year in Scotland for Hamilton - not sure if he's got a club now.
Taylor Perry - At Shrewsbury now and doing ok?
Dion Sanderson - Sold to Blues and doing well there - £2.3m?
Oskar Buur Rasmussen - Played for Wolves in the Prem and in Europe but was released without a fee.

I don't mean this to be mean or harsh - but I think it just shows how HARD it is to make it as a top level professional player. You could say that the return on Neto pays for an entire youth policy - but the impact of injuries, bad moves, bad decisions and just the sheer unrelenting nature of trying to make it shows that investing money in football is very very hard. If Neto's injuries had proved too much for him - this would make pretty grim reading. Maybe Dion, Owen and Leonardo would keep the investment neutral and loan fees help as well....

Starts in the Eredivisie right now.

 

[sc91]

He will thrive there

Mainly as Championship is his ceiling.

 

[lets all have a disco]

Is it Etikike day or not ..That is the question....

 

[JamesWolves]

Is it Etikike day or not ..That is the question....

It's Kieffer Moore day woo !

 

[lets all have a disco]

It's Kieffer Moore day woo !

That's tomorrow...

 

[WISAW]

Deadline is 11pm on 1st Feb.

 

[Plovdiv Wolf]

Deadline is 11pm on 1st Feb.

Camera will be on stands

 

[QB Wolf]

Deadline is 11pm on 1st Feb.

Well I've woken up all excited and it's tomorrow and we've got a match, I'll have to concentrate on work today now!!! or watch more stuff about Sunday.

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

I’m confident Dia could come. Personal opinion. We always make a late move

 

[Northampton_wolf]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752616806286565831

Should be all wrapped up to see him in the stands to watch big brother tomorrow

 

[Northampton_wolf]

absolutely mental but forest trying to save there season from relegation

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752599164024762496

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

Well I've woken up all excited and it's tomorrow and we've got a match, I'll have to concentrate on work today now!!! or watch more stuff about Sunday.

Best Sunday I have had in years. I think we should offer them a friendly just so we can do it again.

 

[Werewolf of Wombourne]

absolutely mental but forest trying to save there season from relegation

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752599164024762496

Their owner is obviously a 'in for a penny' type. I suppose from his point of view it's worth the risk if it allows them to scrape survival this year.

 

[WickedWolfie]

absolutely mental but forest trying to save there season from relegation

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752599164024762496

Will signing him gain them more points than they are punished?

 

[Northampton_wolf]

Will signing him gain them more points than they are punished?

Doubtful given there play at the moment, but if he can hit form of the year previously

That what 5 goals and 2 assists from the remaining games, could be a big help

 

[WolfLing]

absolutely mental but forest trying to save there season from relegation

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752599164024762496

Gestifute player. Mendes doing Nuno a favour.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

absolutely mental but forest trying to save there season from relegation

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752599164024762496

Really suggests that their punishment should include a 12 month incoming player ban in addition to a points deduction. Unfortunately, the punishment won’t be determined until after this window closes.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Really suggests that their punishment should include a 12 month incoming player ban in addition to a points deduction. Unfortunately, the punishment won’t be determined until after this window closes.

absolutely right. should be under a transfer embargo

 

[roystonwolf]

Have to appreciate the dealings with PSG - £4.4m for Sarabia and now a respectable way of handling the Lemina deal so he can be with his brother while accommodating our financial restrictions. They are the polar opposite of Barcelona.

 

[Minimalist]

Really suggests that their punishment should include a 12 month incoming player ban in addition to a points deduction. Unfortunately, the punishment won’t be determined until after this window closes.

They have sold Johnson in this current financial period though? So they may well be ok regarding the rules?? Also for the next 3 year cycle a championship season drops off so that will help them too.

 

[Northampton_wolf]

They have sold Johnson in this current financial period though? So they may well be ok regarding the rules?? Also for the next 3 year cycle a championship season drops off so that will help them too.

Could be in championship next year though, so gain one they are skirting it close

 

[Loojay]

Reyna is a *****, no thanks

He also plays the same position as MGW so not really sure what he is even for

 

[Minimalist]

Could be in championship next year though, so gain one they are skirting it close

True, like us last January buying a few! If we’d gone down it would have been bad.

The way the financial year seems to work they, like us last year, have time at the end of the season for a fire sale.

 

[WickedWolfie]

True, like us last January buying a few! If we’d gone down it would have been bad.

The way the financial year seems to work they, like us last year, have time at the end of the season for a fire sale.

The problem with your last para is that now that FFP is finally biting they will likely have many less buyers than we did last year. Other clubs will be trying to sell too.

 

[NothingButNeto]

I’m confident Dia could come. Personal opinion. We always make a late move

I predict it will be Ings. We were told he was the plan b and a move could be made in the late stages of the window.

West Ham are set to sell Benhrama today so they will have the funds to make another move, which could free up Ings for us.

Our offer for Broja was a straight loan, so that’s what I expect for Ings too.

 

[wwbug]

I think it's silly we let both go out, but I can't see us getting anything.
I don't see what stops we can pull out really; getting a centre forward that is good enough and want to come and be a squad player for a team that's eleventh and has no European competition isn't easy with money, let alone without any. I think it was foolish letting both of them go.

Silva and Sasa were not that good. We only need better, not a top striker at £50 million. I have said a Chris Wood or Che Adams would be good enough . I see players playing for many clubs that would fit the bill . Physical central attacker.
We are 11th in the “ best league in the world”. We don’t have anyone else competing for that central position. . It’s not that hard a sell

 

[Streathamwolf]

He is not 'too good for us'. It is time the club and some of its supporters raised the bar in terms of expectations. If we had signed a decent centre forward previously and not had such refereeing VAR injustices this season we would be right up there with Villa imv. Yes we are not a huge club but we can compete at top six level with the right investment and by keeping hold of the likes of Neto for another couple of years by showing him there is real ambition there.

Agreed, there is a chance of 6th, slight I agree, despitr having been robbed of 7 points. I think we can become a top (5th to 8th) club with a little more consistency. That could mean top players stay a little longer and we keep building.

 

[Streathamwolf]

It's not financially feasible because of the revenue differences between us and the perceived "top six". On average, they have significantly more money to spend in every single transfer window. Everything has to go right for you to have a chance. Newcastle and Villa have shown it's possible as a one-off, but to sustain it while balancing the demands of Champions League is exceptionally tough, as Newcastle have shown.

That's also depending on those "top six" clubs being absolutely useless with their transfers - i.e. Man United and Chelsea this season. The realistic ceiling is 7th place, with the odd season of pushing for the Champions League if you consistently strike gold in the transfer market.

This is fair. However, Fosun tactics to spread the word in esports, China etc can increase revenue. Eventually we need more capacity at Molineux though, imv that is the biggest stumbling block.

 

[Saltyjim]

They have sold Johnson in this current financial period though? So they may well be ok regarding the rules?? Also for the next 3 year cycle a championship season drops off so that will help them too.

Would imagine they will be going all out for a keeper in the next day or so. Already had a bid turned down for Johnstone at Palace.

 

[waggys left foot]

Surprised Mitrovic isn't coming back on loan

 

[Northampton_wolf]

ings works if we just need a body off the bench, as i would be miffed if gon changes our playing style and way for ings

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

absolutely right. should be under a transfer embargo

I don't really understand how it's working. I mean you can't let clubs just break the rules each season and then penalise them in the next one. The whole thing needs to be monitored in more of a 'live' fashion. Although it seems that Everton were passing it all through the PL last season but broke the limits anyway.

 

[WolfLing]

This is fair. However, Fosun tactics to spread the word in esports, China etc can increase revenue. Eventually we need more capacity at Molineux though, imv that is the biggest stumbling block.

Yes. Qualifying for Europe can boost your revenues for that season, but teams will have to do it regularly to be able to increase their costs in line with increased revenue, otherwise they'd have to reduce costs again in seasons they didn't make Europe.

Renovating, or building a stadium increases revenue streams permanently. Not just in increased ticket sales either. Imagine if everyone inside Molineux who wanted a drink or a pie could actually buy a drink or a pie?!

 

[SuziQ]

He also plays the same position as MGW so not really sure what he is even for

Maybe Nuno doesn't fancy MGW? He certainly didn't whilst they were both with us.

 

[WolfLing]

Maybe Nuno doesn't fancy MGW? He certainly didn't whilst they were both with us.

Maybe it's just because Forest realise he's their most valuable asset and he might have to be sold in the summer.

 

[Ginger Chimp]

Who we’ll be above in the league if we win on Thursday…..

for an undetermined amount of time.

We won't be bigger than them ... ever.