The way too early January 2023 Transfer Window Thread

Zososoxfan

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I love the freedom of contract that global football provides for player movement. In the US, everything is pro forma, and well that's just no fun. Take a look at this shit between Barca and Atleti (since when has that pairing ever gone wrong for Barca lolol):

Barcelona have included an option to sign Yannick Carrasco in the summer for a fee in the region of €15-20 million in the deal which will see Memphis Depay move to Atletico Madrid, sources have told ESPN.

ESPN revealed on Wednesday that Barca and Atletico had reached an agreement for Memphis, 28, to move to the Madrid club this month in a deal worth up to €4m including potential add-ons.

Sources have since confirmed that Barca also managed to insert a purchase option as part of the transfer to allow Carrasco to move to the club on a permanent basis.

Carrasco's agent Pini Zahavi confirmed the clubs were in talks over a possible swap deal for the two players earlier this week.

However, with Memphis' Barca contract due to expire in June, Atletico felt Carrasco's value was higher, killing the chances of a straight exchange this month.
TM has his value pegged at €30M, coming off a high of €40M, so there is some real value here. As the article alludes to, Carrasco is under contract until summer 2024. What's not entirely clear to me is whether the option is for a loan plus an additional option to buy. It might just be the typical clunky translation, but the phrase "Barca also managed to insert a purchase option as part of the transfer to allow Carrasco to move to the club on a permanent basis" makes it seem like the primary option on Carrasco is a loan move. Then again, a loan for €15-20M doesn't make sense.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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That could be fantastic but my first instinct is to not like it for Arsenal. It's not a position of need for them and they have a great thing going, obviously. If Trossard is coming in as a malcontent and he's not going to get a lot of playing time... feels like a moment in a "Behind the Music" episode where the band is on a soldout arena tour behind their #1 album, and the new guy joins, and....
 

the1andonly3003

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That could be fantastic but my first instinct is to not like it for Arsenal. It's not a position of need for them and they have a great thing going, obviously. If Trossard is coming in as a malcontent and he's not going to get a lot of playing time... feels like a moment in a "Behind the Music" episode where the band is on a soldout arena tour behind their #1 album, and the new guy joins, and....
Didn't Chelsea get Kenedy in the January window of Mourinho's last title there? Came off the bench a few times on a stacked team

anyhow, Rodgers got his big signing! View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1616288533475463169?s=20&t=KhrdFRZLUFL6Jn6RMafUtA
 

67YAZ

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Looks like Duran is joining Villa to replace Ings. Lucky Danny doesn’t even have to change kit colors this time. He’s heading to West Ham.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Arsenal are signing Jakub Kiwior, a 22-year-old Polish CB from Spezia for a deal around 20m euro.

I won't pretend to know a single thing about the player but we really need a backup LCB and apparently Dortmund also made an offer a few days ago and Milan were also interested so at least some other clubs with good track records on these kinds of signings were also in the mix.

View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1616444143865327618
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Arsenal are signing Jakub Kiwior, a 22-year-old Polish CB from Spezia for a deal around 20m euro.

I won't pretend to know a single thing about the player but we really need a backup LCB and apparently Dortmund also made an offer a few days ago and Milan were also interested so at least some other clubs with good track records on these kinds of signings were also in the mix.

View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1616444143865327618
I have also never heard of the guy. My 10 minutes of reading Reddit has taught me:
  • He played almost every minute for Poland in the World Cup
  • He's left footed
  • Can also play LB and DM, so potentially some coverage for Xhaka and Partey as well
  • Still some raw areas of his game (which you'd expect of a 22 year old)
  • His wife was the 2018 Twerk Champion of Germany
 

lars10

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Arsenal are signing Jakub Kiwior, a 22-year-old Polish CB from Spezia for a deal around 20m euro.

I won't pretend to know a single thing about the player but we really need a backup LCB and apparently Dortmund also made an offer a few days ago and Milan were also interested so at least some other clubs with good track records on these kinds of signings were also in the mix.

View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1616444143865327618
My friend who is polish and an arsenal fan said: “Kind of a modern CB that doesn't just defend but is good at combination play and is a very accurate passer. Starts for Poland.”

Also mentioned he’s a lefty which is a rarity at CB which is why he thought he was hot on the market.

Doesn’t think he’ll start for arsenal any time soon and also mentioned he thought he may go right out on loan..

Anyway seems like a nice depth signing and a player that should fit into the system.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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He seems to have fallen out with Villarreal's new manager but this guy killed the Championship a few years ago (led the league in npg+a per 90 minutes). Seems like a pretty good roll of the dice for a side that could really use a spark.

View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1616613508535255042
Bournemouth fans are apoplectic that he didn’t go there.

I would’ve liked an option to buy but the haggle over that was holding things up.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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My friend who is polish and an arsenal fan said: “Kind of a modern CB that doesn't just defend but is good at combination play and is a very accurate passer. Starts for Poland.”

Also mentioned he’s a lefty which is a rarity at CB which is why he thought he was hot on the market.

Doesn’t think he’ll start for arsenal any time soon and also mentioned he thought he may go right out on loan..

Anyway seems like a nice depth signing and a player that should fit into the system.
With the talk of him playing DM and the lack of depth behind Xhaka and Partey I don't think he'll be going on loan. He'd basically be competing with Elneny.
 

lars10

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With the talk of him playing DM and the lack of depth behind Xhaka and Partey I don't think he'll be going on loan. He'd basically be competing with Elneny.
Yeah.. I’m not sure why he thought that was a possibility.. if anything I could see him playing soonish to try and make sure everyone gets enough rest to stay healthy
 

candylandriots

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Forgot to mention that Union picked up Josip Juranovic from Celtic to replace Julian Ryerson. They paid £7.5 million for Juranovic, which I believe exceeds their previous high for a transfer in (Awoniyi was €6 million I believe).

Juranovic was already in the starting lineup tonight and a had a nice game, including an assist. Any Celtic fans have anything to add about him?

Seems like an upgrade on Ryerson, but he is 27, compared to Ryerson who is only 25. Not a huge deal, but Union is already (surprisingly) a pretty old team.
 

shaggydog2000

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Yeah.. I’m not sure why he thought that was a possibility.. if anything I could see him playing soonish to try and make sure everyone gets enough rest to stay healthy
Gabriel has started something like 53 straight premier league games. Arteta really wants a player who is left footed and has passing range in that spot, and Gabriel was the only one who fit the bill for them up until now. Kiwior is the perfect sub for him, and there are a lot of games left. I don't see him going back out on loan. If they didn't see him playing, I don't think they would have made the deal.

Arsenal still want to bring in another defensive midfielder, especially now that Elneny is injured. He even said as much himself during his last round of interviews. I don't see Kiwior filling in there given all of the specifics that Arteta wants in the role.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Gabriel has started something like 53 straight premier league games. Arteta really wants a player who is left footed and has passing range in that spot, and Gabriel was the only one who fit the bill for them up until now. Kiwior is the perfect sub for him, and there are a lot of games left. I don't see him going back out on loan. If they didn't see him playing, I don't think they would have made the deal.

Arsenal still want to bring in another defensive midfielder, especially now that Elneny is injured. He even said as much himself during his last round of interviews. I don't see Kiwior filling in there given all of the specifics that Arteta wants in the role.
It might be Zinchenko given how high he was playing in the ManU game. You then slot Tierney or Tomiyasu at LB.
 

shaggydog2000

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It might be Zinchenko given how high he was playing in the ManU game. You then slot Tierney or Tomiyasu at LB.
They want the LB to basically be the more advanced of a midfield 2 when attacking, and the back 4 when defending. Partey and especially Gabriel have to cover the traditional LB space when there is a transition. White kind of shifts into a back three but still attacks sometimes. I don't think Zinchenko can handle the Partey position because it's too physical for him and his skills are more attacking. He could move to the Xhaka slot, but I think Arteta likes a bigger physical guy in that position in the defensive stage. Arteta looks for very specific abilities and skills in his scheme, so even guys who are very good in a given position, like Tierney as an overlapping LB, sit for a better fit. I think Tomiyasu will get rotated in when you have a very challenging winger or fullback on either side, like they did at Man U. He's kind of their shutdown guy at FB on either side. Tierney is only going to play if Zinchenko gets injured and they still want an attacking player on that side. There is talk that he could get sold this summer, mostly because he doesn't invert into the midfield as well as Zinchenko does.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Speaking of Burnley, looks like it will be Dyche at Everton. I'm ok with it.

In other management news, Duncan Ferguson has found his first head-coaching job, at Forest Green Rovers, currently dead last in League One. This club in particular is quite amusing as a landing spot.

Forest Green Rovers has been named the "greenest football club in the world".
The League Two side is one of only 15 organisations from around the world to win a United Nations (UN) "Momentum for Change" climate action award.
The club's ground in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, is powered by renewable energy and serves vegan food to players, staff and fans.

In July, it became the world's first UN certified carbon-neutral football club.
View: https://twitter.com/footballdaily/status/1618622977309917186?s=20&t=_oENMuoC2tAUu-Itgpd67A


Watching Big Dunc try to be enthusiastic about a no-animal-products food policy in the stadium (club, staff, fan concessions) is pretty funny.

FGR cap already ordered for Mrs. O, who has made clear that I will be a sad single dad if Dunc knocks on our door.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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I don't really see it with Gordon on the field and the fact that he is an academy kid shooting his way out of town during a relegation battle doesn't really make me any more enthusiastic about him.

Newcastle has a lot of homegrown players but they are almost all 30+ and/or marginal guys who won't be there for long so maybe they want to have a younger core player that is homegrown for squad building going forward. Its hard for me to understand the transfer from their perspective otherwise.
 

Zososoxfan

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I don't really see it with Gordon on the field and the fact that he is an academy kid shooting his way out of town during a relegation battle doesn't really make me any more enthusiastic about him.

Newcastle has a lot of homegrown players but they are almost all 30+ and/or marginal guys who won't be there for long so maybe they want to have a younger core player that is homegrown for squad building going forward. Its hard for me to understand the transfer from their perspective otherwise.
I think it's mostly a philosophy of, 'why not?' They're gonna snap up assets of all kinds, especially during the slower January window, to just get more flexibility, depth, and balance (in this case with respect to squad age).
 

DJnVa

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Sporting apparently wants him to play in big match tomorrow.

If this follows a typical Spurs trajectory, he'll get hurt.
 

Blundatola

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I don't really see it with Gordon on the field and the fact that he is an academy kid shooting his way out of town during a relegation battle doesn't really make me any more enthusiastic about him.

Newcastle has a lot of homegrown players but they are almost all 30+ and/or marginal guys who won't be there for long so maybe they want to have a younger core player that is homegrown for squad building going forward. Its hard for me to understand the transfer from their perspective otherwise.
Being young and English is nice, but Eddie Howe definitely wants him because of his playing profile. His passing and assist numbers are awful, and the goals/xG are middling. But look at these pressing and defensive stats:

7E6272E9-3C39-4A88-B1AA-57BF1B8D491B.jpeg

Eddie wants to win the ball high up the pitch and create scoring chances that way, and Gordon certainly helps in that area. If he can improve in the other areas, he’ll be good for us. We’ll see…
 

swiftaw

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Being young and English is nice, but Eddie Howe definitely wants him because of his playing profile. His passing and assist numbers are awful, and the goals/xG are middling. But look at these pressing and defensive stats:

View attachment 60515

Eddie wants to win the ball high up the pitch and create scoring chances that way, and Gordon certainly helps in that area. If he can improve in the other areas, he’ll be good for us. We’ll see…
Not to mention, he leads the league in dives per 90 minutes.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Being young and English is nice, but Eddie Howe definitely wants him because of his playing profile. His passing and assist numbers are awful, and the goals/xG are middling. But look at these pressing and defensive stats:

Eddie wants to win the ball high up the pitch and create scoring chances that way, and Gordon certainly helps in that area. If he can improve in the other areas, he’ll be good for us. We’ll see…
Fair points. I guess he can rotate with Almiron/Joelinton while allowing you to play the same kind of high-intensity press-heavy football, which a player like ASM doesn't offer.
 

67YAZ

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Reports are that Chelsea had a £55m bid for Caicedo batted back and now Arsenal have entered the bidding at £60m.

Helluva position for Brighton to be in.
 

Joe D Reid

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Fair points. I guess he can rotate with Almiron/Joelinton while allowing you to play the same kind of high-intensity press-heavy football, which a player like ASM doesn't offer.
The plan also might be to drop Joelinton back into MF, where he played last year, thereby getting Sean Longstaff off the pitch. Longstaff has actually been pretty solid, particularly defensively, but he is what he is at this point. Gordon gives you similar attributes but maybe grows into something. That said, I don't see the value in this one the way I saw it for many of the moves last January.
 

Stanley Steamer

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OK, this tops it. I was thinking Everton is making the right choice in hiring Dyche over Bielsa, if they want to beat the drop. As much as I admire Marcelo, he needs time to imprint his methods on a club, and an immediate relegation battle doesn't suit him. Then I read this:
https://theathletic.com/4130935/2023/01/27/marcelo-bielsa-everton/
This guy is a legend. In the end, it would probably serve Everton better.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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If you mean this

Marcelo Bielsa wanted to take charge of Everton’s Under-21s until the summer — with his staff taking charge of the first team.
Then yeah, I agree. He’s not fucking around. With a guy like thatyou have to be ready to ride or die with him for 3+ years even if you go down. I’m ok with Dyche, this would have required a huge leap of faith. Every Leeds fans I saw was urging us to take him. I would have been on board but I understand not going there.
 

Vinho Tinto

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Sporting apparently wants him to play in big match tomorrow.
It's the league cup final vs Porto. This is a sign of how sour their season has turned because this shouldn't be a priority over Porro's transfer; but they are looking at a season with no trophies and finishing in 4th - so they are making it a big game.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Reports are that Chelsea had a £55m bid for Caicedo batted back and now Arsenal have entered the bidding at £60m.

Helluva position for Brighton to be in.
Sounds like Caicedo is ready to shoot his way out of town, and Arsenal are ready to improve their bid. He posted this on Instagram:
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn70zrwrGJE/?hl=en

And despite Brighton saying he’s staying, he’s not training with the team:
View: https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1619269088848805888
 
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67YAZ

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67YAZ

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Credit to Pep. He always says that if players aren’t happy, they can go. He doesn’t hang on to guys who aren’t with the program.