The January Transfer Window - 2018

[Lineker]

 

[Lineker]

Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez says he still does not know his budget for the January transfer window, despite having already held a meeting with the club's hierarchy. The Spaniard held discussions with managing director Lee Charnley in December over potential targets, and said before Christmas he wanted his squad for the remainder of the season in place by January 20.

[Adam]

How can you not know your budget for the window five days after it opens? That is amateur in the extreme.

[Gazz]

Because we either have the Ashley budget, which is a used copy of Viz and a crate of Carling, or the Staveley budget, which is the GDP of Belgium.

The latest rumours are that the consortium are financing our January deals and the takeover deal is done bar signing it off legally, which is going to happen after the window because being taken over means everyone knows we have more money and that means every price we get quoted suddenly goes up by 50%.

[Matt]

11 minutes ago, Adam said:

How can you not know your budget for the window five days after it opens? That is amateur in the extreme.

Or he's just not saying. Or it's not his business, he's identified his targets and it's up to someone else to work out the financial side of it.

[Adam]

I wouldn't like to support a football club where the manager doesn't even know the budget. I get in the modern day him not being in charge of transfers or many of the facets, but he should be informed of what budget they have if he's identifying targets. It might well be that he just wasn't telling the media but, assuming that he genuinely doesn't know it, that surprises me somewhat.

If he doesn't know the budget, then how can be even identify targets?

"Right, who do you want us to sign Rafa?"

"Messi?"

Not in the budget, sorry.

"Aubameyang?"

Nope, too expensive.

"Andy Carroll?"

Keep going Raf.

"Shola?"

Hmmm, we'll see what we can do...

---

An exaggeration, obviously. But you see what I mean.

[Lineker]

Bournemouth have recalled Lewis Grabban from his loan spell after the player told Sunderland he wants to leave. The former Norwich and Brentford frontman has been the bright spark in a dull campaign for the Black Cats, scoring 12 league goals for Chris Coleman's struggling side. The Cherries plan to sell him this window and Sky Sports understands that Wolves are one of a number of clubs interested in his services.

[MDK]

@Lineker "Bournemouth Grabban back want-away loan player" would have been better. 

[Hobo]

2 hours ago, Adam said:

I wouldn't like to support a football club where the manager doesn't even know the budget. I get in the modern day him not being in charge of transfers or many of the facets, but he should be informed of what budget they have if he's identifying targets. It might well be that he just wasn't telling the media but, assuming that he genuinely doesn't know it, that surprises me somewhat.

If he doesn't know the budget, then how can be even identify targets?

"Right, who do you want us to sign Rafa?"

"Messi?"

Not in the budget, sorry.

"Aubameyang?"

Nope, too expensive.

"Andy Carroll?"

Keep going Raf.

"Shola?"

Hmmm, we'll see what we can do...

---

An exaggeration, obviously. But you see what I mean.

Rafa will have experienced this from his time at Liverpool. When he went looking for Dani Alves and Simao and wound up with Jermaine Pennant and Jan Kromkamp.

 

 

[Lineker]

22 minutes ago, MDK said:

@Lineker "Bournemouth Grabban back want-away loan player" would have been better. 

This isn't Pidgin. 

[MDK]

5 minutes ago, Lineker said:

This isn't Pidgin. 

No, this is Punnin

[stokeriño]

Honestly - you sign a player from the city of Liverpool and he only goes and brings the bloody lean photo with him.

[Colly]

They've spelled Bell wrong. :/

[DavidMarrio]

2 hours ago, Hobo said:

Rafa will have experienced this from his time at Liverpool. When he went looking for Dani Alves and Simao and wound up with Jermaine Pennant and Jan Kromkamp.

Poor Simao was sat on a plane and everything. 

29 minutes ago, stokerino said:

Honestly - you sign a player from the city of Liverpool and he only goes and brings the bloody lean photo with him.

Shite lean from a shite player

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

1 hour ago, Colly said:

They've spelled Bell wrong. :/

The Shed Bell had a shit ring to it.

[Adam]

10 minutes ago, Jerichristmas said:

The Shed Bell had a shit ring to it.

I hope this was intentional.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Sure, let's say it was.

Also I don't know if it came up already but Emre Can has agreed to sign for Juventus in the summer.

[Hobo]

That's been bouncing around all day but nowhere I'd wholly trust has said anything. Sky Italia, I think, are the source.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Cenk Tosun's move to Everton has been finalised.

Wesley Sneijder is apparently off to Al Gharafa in Qatar.

[DavidMarrio]