The January Transfer Window - 2016

[METALMAN]

£8 million? Tasty. I wonder if Kilmarnock will get a cut of that.

[MDK]

7 minutes ago, metalman said:

£8 million? Tasty. I wonder if Kilmarnock will get a cut of that.

Scottish people look for any chance to use a knife

[METALMAN]

Why?

[Thrilla]

Naismith has already scored his hat-trick this season, wise to let him go now >_>

[Kyle]

I'll miss Naisy but at the same time, with Lukaku and Deulofeu playing so well, he's got very little chance of starting regularly, especially giving Martinez's penchant for playing Kone during good form or bad. >_>

[METALMAN]

4 hours ago, MDK said:

Scottish people look for any chance to use a knife

Just so you know I reported you for being racist 

[Lineker]

Yeah we ignored that. I assume you'll be taking it to the EWB ombudsman now?

[Lineker]

Arsène Wenger admits he expects to be busy throughout the January transfer window as he looks to recruit players who can help keep his Arsenal side top of the table.

The Gunners sit at the Premier League summit but it is only goal difference keeping them ahead of the season’s surprise package Leicester. Wenger’s side recovered from a Boxing Day hiding at Southampton to beat Bournemouth on Monday and face struggling Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday looking to keep hold of top spot.

By then the January transfer window will have opened and, although refusing to confirm the club were close to signing the Basel midfielder Mohamed Elneny, Wenger did say he will be looking for new faces - especially as of Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere and Francis Coquelin remain sidelined for some time through injury.

“I’ll be busy, that’s for sure,” he replied when asked about his January transfer business. “I’m already busy and I said already one month ago we are a bit short to deal with all the competitions we face, especially in midfield. We will be busy, yes.”

When asked specifically about the Egypt international Elneny, Wenger was more coy amid speculation the 23-year-old had already undergone a medical: “You know more than I do,” he said. “Unfortunately we cannot announce anything at the moment about this player because nothing has been concluded.”

With a squad still suffering the effects of injuries to key personnel, Wenger has also been linked with moves for the former Manchester United striker Javier Hernández and Victor Wanyama of Southampton.

While revealing he hopes to have Alexis Sánchez fit for the FA Cup third-round clash with Sunderland on 9 January, the prognosis on Wilshere and Welbeck has been fluctuating for some time.

Both England internationals are now due to be back in late February – but Wenger dismissed claims Wilshere could miss the European Championship in the summer as he continues his comeback from a broken leg suffered in pre-season.

“I maintain what I said that he could make it back for February or even earlier,” the Frenchman said of Wilshere. “He will be available again. Considering England play the Euros on 10 June, that is a long way.”

While much has been made about who will arrive in north London during the window, Wenger admitted the France international full-back Mathieu Debuchy may be allowed to leave the club. The 30-year-old has fallen below Héctor Bellerín in the pecking order having missed a large portion of last season due to two serious injuries.

Debuchy, who has started just twice in the league this season and been substituted both times, said earlier in December that he needs to play to get back into the France set-up before the Euros and that he was seeking talks with Wenger to clarify his future.

But the Arsenal manager suggested on Wednesday that he was open to offers for the former Newcastle man. “It’s not impossible,” he said when asked if Debuchy may leave the club in January, adding: “I’m happy if he stays but we’ll see.”

Rémi Garde has confirmed he wants to bring Loïc Rémy to Aston Villa. The Chelsea striker is a loan target for Garde in the January transfer window.

[METALMAN]

14 hours ago, Lineklaus said:

Yeah we ignored that. I assume you'll be taking it to the EWB ombudsman now?

EWB Ombudsman is powerless. I'm taking this to the courts.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

As the official Ewb Ombudsman I am reliably informed that MDK meant "pen" and not "knife". It's just that he was listening to a documentary on the history of cutlery at the time and typed the wrong thing.

Therefore his intention was to draw on historical fact and therefore cannot be punished in this case.

[METALMAN]

The Ombudsman is supposed to be independent. If you want this job you're going to have to resign your moderatorship. :/

[The Lusophone]

Dibs on being the new mod then.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Are you questioning my top neutrality skillz?

[Lineker]

Shani Tarashaj, one of the brightest young talents in Swiss football, has been lined up for a move to Everton as the club prepare to let Steven Naismith move to Norwich City and try to arrange their January transfer business in advance.

Everton have offered Tarashaj, a Switzerland Under-21 international, a four-and-a-half year contract and the player’s advisers have been in Liverpool over the last couple of days to discuss terms and take in the 4-3 defeat against Stoke City. Talks are at advanced stage but sources in Switzerland have confirmed that Grasshopper Club Zurich want him to be loaned back for the remainder of the season if, as expected, the two clubs agree a fee.

Tarashaj is a 20-year-old secondary striker or attacking midfielder who has scored eight goals in 18 games for Grasshopper this season, helping them to second position in the Super League at the point of their mid-season break, albeit 10 points behind the leaders Basel. He began the season with five goals in his first four appearances and also scored Switzerland’s goal when their under-21s lost 3-1 to England last month, in their qualifying match for the 2017 European Championships.

Roberto Martinez regards him as a creative player who can flourish at Goodison and Everton’s manager will almost certainly be needing a new attacker now Naismith is close to leaving Merseyside, with Norwich provisionally agreeing a deal that would see the Scotland international move to Carrow Road in the coming weeks.

Norwich tried to lure Naismith away from Everton in the late stages of the summer transfer window but Martinez blocked the transfer at the time. Since then, however, Naismith has started only four times in the Premier League, with Romelu Lukaku and Arouna Koné figuring more prominently in Martinez’s thinking. There is also interest elsewhere for Naismith, scorer of a hat-trick against Chelsea earlier this season, but Martinez is not in a rush bearing in mind Everton now embark on five games in a two-week period, beginning with Tottenham Hotspur’s visit to Goodison on Sunday.

Martinez, who insisted Kevin Mirallas remains part of his plans, has said there will be only “tweaks” during the transfer window and the expectation is that Tarashaj will be the only incoming transfer for a club that have dropped to 11th in the league. Tarashaj, born to Albanian parents but raised in Switzerland with the option to play for either country, signed a new contract at Grasshopper in September, with his previous deal due to expire at the end of the current season. He is now contracted until 2019 and Everton will have to recognise that in the transfer fee.

[Lineker]

Quote

Sam Allardyce is closing in on his first January signing after Lorient accepted Sunderland’s bid for the defender Lamine Koné.

Allardyce revealed on Monday that he had two players lined up as he attempts to strengthen the squad he inherited from Dick Advocaat as quickly as possible when the winter transfer window opens. It appears 27-year-old Ivory Coast international Koné could be the first.

The Lorient vice-president Alex Hayes said: “We have received an offer that we have accepted. It is now up to Lamine to find an agreement with Sunderland and to pass the medical before the transfer can be made official.”

It is understood Koné, who has been tracked by Allardyce since his time at West Ham, flew to England on Tuesday to open talks.

[stokeriño]

I'm surprised that the Chelsea silly season rumours haven't come roaring back yet. I mean sure, they had a week where actual stuff happened that they could talk about instead, but now it's like they don't know what to make up.

Latest rumour of anything I've seen is that Garde wants to bring Loic Remy to Aston Villa. Putting aside the fact that he'll just get relegated along with them and that can't be especially appealing (at least we have a chance at survival ), I'm sure Villa must already have some players who are injured every time they're needed so probably wouldn't want to spend money on another one.

Meanwhile, I'm just a little depressed because I know we're not going to be able to get rid of Falcao until the summer (and free up the money/squad place) because Monaco would have to agree to take him back early. I believe that were the phone call actually made to suggest it, there would be a good few minutes of laughter at the other end.

[Rafael]

According to Sky Sports Italia, Newcastle have had a 6 million pounds bid rejected for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly. The club is also interested in CSKA Moscow midfielder Alan Dzagoev.

Lorient announced they accepted a bid from Sunderland for defender Lamina Kone.

Remi Garde wants to bring Loic Remy to Aston Villa this window.

Internazionale have lodged a 27 million euros bid for Crystal Palace's Yannick Bolasie.

Arsenal are interested in Barcelona's Sergi Samper. He would cost about 4.4 million pounds.

 

 

 

[The Lusophone]

Barca won't be letting Samper go for that cheap, unless they put a similar clause into the transfer like they did with us and Pique.

[Colly]

The prospect of relegation didn't scare Remy off QPR, he'd go to Villa if the money's right.

[Lineker]

Two of those already covered! See you in February Raf