January Transfer Window

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 hour ago, Starksj1995 said:

You don’t even know that do you?

I just don’t have faith in the manager, style of play, most of the players or the board.

[StrangelyBrown]

10 hours ago, Saint NL said:

A bit of fun, but maybe an indicator that spending big doesn't always yield results

So the new SR strategy should be either to spend shit loads or nothing, whatever we do we shouldn't spend something in-between

[Convict Colony]

Guys after consulting with my expert a.i sporting director who has experience of the bundesliga, italy and now uk the undervalued gem CF we need to sign is apparently Croatian Igor Matanovic 22yr old SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga, where he's carving out a role as a physical, hold-up forward after moving from Eintracht Frankfurt in summer 2025 for more minutes.

Why him ? At 6'4", he's a beast in the air and links play well, but he's got untapped finishing and movement—think a raw Harry Kane type with room to explode. Last season's loan spells showed flashes (decent goals in limited action), and this year he's chipping in amid Freiburg's mid-table grind, but he's undervalued because he's not a flashy name yet. Market value's around €4-5m, contract to 2028, so we could snag him for €3-4m plus add-ons if we move quick in January.

[Paul_B]

13 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

Guys after consulting with my expert a.i sporting director who has experience of the bundesliga, italy and now uk the undervalued gem CF we need to sign is apparently Croatian Igor Matanovic 22yr old SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga, where he's carving out a role as a physical, hold-up forward after moving from Eintracht Frankfurt in summer 2025 for more minutes.

Why him ? At 6'4", he's a beast in the air and links play well, but he's got untapped finishing and movement—think a raw Harry Kane type with room to explode. Last season's loan spells showed flashes (decent goals in limited action), and this year he's chipping in amid Freiburg's mid-table grind, but he's undervalued because he's not a flashy name yet. Market value's around €4-5m, contract to 2028, so we could snag him for €3-4m plus add-ons if we move quick in January.

On the name alone, get him in. Never seen him play, never heard of him for that matter but he's got a strong name. We'll still be shit but at least we'd have someone called Igor.

[Convict Colony]

9 minutes ago, Paul_B said:

On the name alone, get him in. Never seen him play, never heard of him for that matter but he's got a strong name. We'll still be shit but at least we'd have someone called Igor.

exactly im all on on igor and refuse to check any highlights or stats

[OldNick]

14 hours ago, qwertyell said:

A goal every 13.5 games. We've only got 20 games left. 

Big and strong might be handy if we were looking for a bouncer. 

Everyone over 5' 7" and 10 stone causes havoc against us. I think that's more of an us thing than an indicator of their quality. 

fair point but I was saying I was surprised he never pushed on. He has the attributes we are looking for, just wonder why he hasnt gone on, perhaps he doesnt have aggression 

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

1 hour ago, Convict Colony said:

exactly im all on on igor and refuse to check any highlights or stats

Rasmus, is that you?

[chownie20]

Salech from Cardiff - 6ft 5 and scores goals.  Good age too.

[saintant]

1 hour ago, Convict Colony said:

Guys after consulting with my expert a.i sporting director who has experience of the bundesliga, italy and now uk the undervalued gem CF we need to sign is apparently Croatian Igor Matanovic 22yr old SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga, where he's carving out a role as a physical, hold-up forward after moving from Eintracht Frankfurt in summer 2025 for more minutes.

Why him ? At 6'4", he's a beast in the air and links play well, but he's got untapped finishing and movement—think a raw Harry Kane type with room to explode. Last season's loan spells showed flashes (decent goals in limited action), and this year he's chipping in amid Freiburg's mid-table grind, but he's undervalued because he's not a flashy name yet. Market value's around €4-5m, contract to 2028, so we could snag him for €3-4m plus add-ons if we move quick in January.

Get him on board!

[Chez]

23 minutes ago, chownie20 said:

Salech from Cardiff - 6ft 5 and scores goals.  Good age too.

they are top of the league. No chance they sell him now and if they get promoted they will want serious money for someone with a contract until 2029. Unless their finances are in a mess, that seems a tough deal to make.

[LuckyNumber7]

I am sure Onuachu would have scored goals in the Championship but what people are forgetting is how knackered he always looked. There's no way he'd have handled the rigours of a 46 game Championship season. Pretty sure he wanted out anyway.

Salech would be an ideal signing but there's no way Cardiff would let him go, and they'll be in the same league as us next season.

[ally_uk]

Piroe, Salech, Igor Matanović

One of them wil do 

Come on Spors stop fucking about and get someone in. 

[SaintsRoyalty]

11 minutes ago, LuckyNumber7 said:

I am sure Onuachu would have scored goals in the Championship but what people are forgetting is how knackered he always looked. There's no way he'd have handled the rigours of a 46 game Championship season. Pretty sure he wanted out anyway.

Salech would be an ideal signing but there's no way Cardiff would let him go, and they'll be in the same league as us next season.

That’s when he was playing up front In the premier league with one of the worst squads to ever play in it. He had no runners around him and was effectively having to do it all rather than just be a focal point, linking play and being in the box for crosses. He’d score around 20 goals in this league if we played to his strengths which would be possible now we have Fellows, Scienza etc. he didn’t want to be here though and who can blame him. Interesting fans are now all calling for a player like him after largely giving him abuse whilst talking up that wet tissue Stewart. Oh and by the way unless we are spending £50m we are not getting a tall strong number 9 who also has pace. We will only get one or the other. If we are looking to spend £4m we will get neither.

Edited 6 hours ago by SaintsRoyalty

[lambtiss]

12 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I just don’t have faith in the manager, style of play, most of the players or the board.

But, other than that?

[Fabrice29]

9 minutes ago, SaintsRoyalty said:

 He’d score around 20 goals in this league 

Hell of a claim for a player who has done this twice (I think) in his career so far and not outside of Belgium.

[Chez]

21 minutes ago, SaintsRoyalty said:

Oh and by the way unless we are spending £50m we are not getting a tall strong number 9 who also has pace. We will only get one or the other. If we are looking to spend £4m we will get neither.

Big, pacey and know where the net is. Yeah, those kind of strikers don't come cheap.

Looking at the leading scorers in the championship this season, teams don't spend huge sums at this level. The funds don't exist for big transfer fees.
Armstrong £15m (but we bought him while in PL)
Whittaker £6m
Thomas-Asante £2.5m
Moore £2m
Burrell £1m
Viptonik free

Cardiff bought Salech for less than £4m.

I think in the summer we were looking at strikers with a lot of potential. Potential to shine at this level, but also have the attributes to do it in the top flight too. Downes obviously didn't even achieve the first part. I wonder if we might adjust our criteria and look to sign a guy to get us out of the division - a Moore or McBernie type that perhaps have a championship ceiling.

[Saint Pete]

Piroe on loan seems like the obvious best striker choice to me if he will agree to come. Proven track record at this level and low risk option with Downs having gone out on loan freeing up a spot. Good chance that Leeds will be open to loaning him out. 

Fully expect us to go for an unknown "prospect" with a dubious record in a substandard league though. 

[Chez]

22 minutes ago, Saint Pete said:

Piroe on loan seems like the obvious best striker choice to me if he will agree to come. Proven track record at this level and low risk option with Downs having gone out on loan freeing up a spot. Good chance that Leeds will be open to loaning him out. 

Fully expect us to go for an unknown "prospect" with a dubious record in a substandard league though. 

He's third choice striker. With 9 subs allowed, he gets a place on the bench right now. An injury to Calvert-Lewin or Nmecha and he's getting playing time in the PL. He's not going to make the Dutch World cup squad, so his priority is his earning power. Unless a championship club matches his PL-size wage (which only clubs like us can do on a loan basis), he may as well stay at Leeds for the next 18 months. 

[AlexLaw76]

Looks like we are linked with some French Lad for a few million £££

good news, he scores about 1 in 9

winner winner 

Edited 4 hours ago by AlexLaw76

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Looks like we are linked with some French Lad for a few million £££

good news, he scores about 1 in 9

winner winner 

Its the "clever" SR blueprint for success

[Turkish]

3 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Looks like we are linked with some French Lad for a few million £££

good news, he scores about 1 in 9

winner winner 

Before dismissing him as a 1 goal in 9 loser we would need to know his XG, the quality of his chances, the quality of the opposition defence and goalkeeper, how many minutes he played, how many times he played as a true striker, how many times he got into the red zones. Remember how people wrote of Carillo but when we dug a bit deeper he’d actually scored a goal every other game

[Patrick Bateman]

Just now, Turkish said:

Before dismissing him as a 1 goal in 9 loser we would need to know his XG, the quality of his chances, the quality of the opposition defence and goalkeeper, how many minutes he played, how many times he played as a true striker, how many times he got into the red zones. Remember how people wrote of Carillo but when we dug a bit deeper he’d actually scored a goal every other game

How is he AGAINST the ball ... 🌚

[Chez]

5 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Looks like we are linked with some French Lad for a few million £££

good news, he scores about 1 in 9

winner winner 

are you talking about Morgan Guilavogui from Lens (a winger that has mostly been on the bench this season, which will explain the scoring record) or someone else?

[danjosaint]

7 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Before dismissing him as a 1 goal in 9 loser we would need to know his XG, the quality of his chances, the quality of the opposition defence and goalkeeper, how many minutes he played, how many times he played as a true striker, how many times he got into the red zones. Remember how people wrote of Carillo but when we dug a bit deeper he’d actually scored a goal every other game

Nothing to do with the fact he scored 4/5 in the cup against a 3rd division French side just before we bought him 

[DellBlockH]

4 hours ago, Paul_B said:

On the name alone, get him in. Never seen him play, never heard of him for that matter but he's got a strong name. We'll still be shit but at least we'd have someone called Igor.

It's pronounced "eye gore". (Young Frankenstein)

[AlexLaw76]

43 minutes ago, Chez said:

are you talking about Morgan Guilavogui from Lens (a winger that has mostly been on the bench this season, which will explain the scoring record) or someone else?

I was taking the piss, as the club consistently utterly fuck up key areas of the pitch, as our managed decline continues 

Edited 3 hours ago by AlexLaw76

[Turkish]

41 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

How is he AGAINST the ball ... 🌚

Very important in a deeply lying, inverse false 7 

[Willo of Whiteley]

Knowing our board they’ll buy for another position that we don’t need, like another goalkeeper.

[AlexLaw76]

Is he left or right footed?

this is very important 

[John B]

14 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I just don’t have faith in the manager, style of play, most of the players or the board.

Neither do I but it has been same for the last 30 years

[tdmickey3]

Just now, John B said:

Neither do I but it has been same for the last 30 years

🙄

No it hasn't  

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 minute ago, John B said:

Neither do I but it has been same for the last 30 years

Couldn’t disagree more.

Even the first season under Russell Martin there was a clear plan and identity of the type of style we wanted to play and player we wanted to go for.

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Is he left or right footed?

this is very important 

Remember when people on here used to obsess about what footed our central defenders were. We HAD to have a left footed one on the left and a right footed one on the right. 😂

[Zorba]

3 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Remember when people on here used to obsess about what footed our central defenders were. We HAD to have a left footed one on the left and a right footed one on the right. 😂

..and now we’ve got no-footed ones on both the left and the right!

[John B]

6 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Couldn’t disagree more.

Even the first season under Russell Martin there was a clear plan and identity of the type of style we wanted to play and player we wanted to go for.

Under Bates Mcmenemy and Nichol I had  faith in the manager, style of play, most of the players and  the board.

Except for a few seasons I have had little faith with people like Lowe Reed Gao and SR running the club since the early 1990s

The players since 1990 apart from a handful have been dire and the good ones in general wanted to leave as soon as they could

[Willo of Whiteley]

16 minutes ago, Turkish said:

Remember when people on here used to obsess about what footed our central defenders were. We HAD to have a left footed one on the left and a right footed one on the right. 😂

Absolute bollocks that.

Lovren, van Dijk, Yosida - all right footers that played on the left

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 minute ago, John B said:

Under Bates Mcmenemy and Nichol I had  faith in the manager, style of play, most of the players and  the board.

Except for a few seasons I have had little faith with people like Lowe Reed Gao and SR running the club since the early 1990s

The players since 1990 apart from a handful have been dire and the good ones in general wanted to leave as soon as they could

I’d argue that for the most part Les Reed signings were good.

Even under Martin Semmens when money was harder to come by there were some very screwed signings that kept us ticking over for years. Livramento, Salisu etc

[Tommy Mulgrew]

Harry Clarke reportedly loaned to Charlton from Ipswich for rest of season.  If so, perhaps Bree will return after all.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ipswich-town-deal-charlton-athletic-transfer-answer-james-bree-southampton-decision/

[SaintsRoyalty]

2 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Hell of a claim for a player who has done this twice (I think) in his career so far and not outside of Belgium.

He's been there and there abouts nearly every season with one exception for obvious reasons. Already got 11 in 15 games this season so think he’s doing alright. Did you not like washing his jockstrap or something? Remember when you’re old and grey and your grandkids ask what you did as a career your answer will be that you assisted another bloke who washed other men’s dirty clothes. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Certainly should be reigning your neck in and keeping a low profile.

[John B]

5 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I’d argue that for the most part Les Reed signings were good.

Even under Martin Semmens when money was harder to come by there were some very screwed signings that kept us ticking over for years. Livramento, Salisu etc

Reed had a couple of good seasons but it was obvious that selling our best players was not going to lead to success

Semmens did a good job but we were in terminal decline which has led to where we are now with a serious of poor managers no top class players from the Academy and average quality signings

[sockeye]

18 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Even under Martin Semmens when money was harder to come by there were some very screwed signings that kept us ticking over for years. Livramento, Salisu etc

You mean “shrewd”? Although we have plenty of “screwed” signings too  

[Fabrice29]

20 minutes ago, SaintsRoyalty said:

He's been there and there abouts nearly every season with one exception for obvious reasons. Already got 11 in 15 games this season so think he’s doing alright. Did you not like washing his jockstrap or something? Remember when you’re old and grey and your grandkids ask what you did as a career your answer will be that you assisted another bloke who washed other men’s dirty clothes. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Certainly should be reigning your neck in and keeping a low profile.

That’s a wild response to a Paul Onuachu chat 😂 

Anyway, to keep things on topic, he’d have been great for us, especially if you ignore the time he actually played for us and wasn’t great. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Fabrice29

[Toussaint]

1 hour ago, Chez said:

are you talking about Morgan Guilavogui from Lens (a winger that has mostly been on the bench this season, which will explain the scoring record) or someone else?

Seko Mara

[Wade Garrett]

1 hour ago, Zorba said:

..and now we’ve got no-footed ones on both the left and the right!

Who can’t head a ball.

[lambtiss]

59 minutes ago, SaintsRoyalty said:

He's been there and there abouts nearly every season with one exception for obvious reasons. Already got 11 in 15 games this season so think he’s doing alright. Did you not like washing his jockstrap or something? Remember when you’re old and grey and your grandkids ask what you did as a career your answer will be that you assisted another bloke who washed other men’s dirty clothes. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Certainly should be reigning your neck in and keeping a low profile.

 

40 minutes ago, Fabrice29 said:

That’s a wild response to a Paul Onuachu chat 😂 

Anyway, to keep things on topic, he’d have been great for us, especially if you ignore the time he actually played for us and wasn’t great. 

Onuachu's record as a player is 400 games played and 196 goals scored, which translates to almost a goal every other game and nearly always at a high level;FC Midtjylland, Genk, and Trabzonspor.  The only time his goal output fell was for Southampton in the PL,  when he was often used as a sub off the bench, played in a clusterfuck of a team in a league above their ability and which was never set up to take advantage of his abilities. 

I think he would have been a big threat in the Championship, certainly compared to Downes and Archer.

[Chez]

1 hour ago, John B said:

Under Bates Mcmenemy and Nichol I had  faith in the manager, style of play, most of the players and  the board.

Except for a few seasons I have had little faith with people like Lowe Reed Gao and SR running the club since the early 1990s

The players since 1990 apart from a handful have been dire and the good ones in general wanted to leave as soon as they could

What about the Liebherr father and daughter, Cortese, Adkins, Pochettinho and Koeman period. A lot of good things happened in those six years.

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

Before dismissing him as a 1 goal in 9 loser we would need to know his XG, the quality of his chances, the quality of the opposition defence and goalkeeper, how many minutes he played, how many times he played as a true striker, how many times he got into the red zones. Remember how people wrote of Carillo but when we dug a bit deeper he’d actually scored a goal every other game

Are you Eni Aluko?

Hopefully Fabrice won’t rinse me for that.

[Chez]

Just now, lambtiss said:

 

Onuachu's record as a player is 400 games played and 196 goals scored, which translates to almost a goal every other game and nearly always at a high level;FC Midtjylland, Genk, and Trabzonspor.  The only time his goal output fell was for Southampton in the PL,  when he was often used as a sub off the bench, played in a clusterfuck of a team in a league above their ability and which was never set up to take advantage of his abilities. 

I think he would have been a big threat in the Championship, certainly compared to Downes and Archer.

No doubt about it, he was utilised really poorly. His only strength was heading the ball in the box and we never go the ball into the box. As an all round footballer he was fucking crap and I'm glad he departed. We should never have signed such a technically poor player to play in the PL. Sadly we have failed to find someone that could do a better job, even in the Championship. 

[Turkish]

7 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Are you Eni Aluko?

Hopefully Fabrice won’t rinse me for that.

Do the math 

[OldNick]

29 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

 

Onuachu's record as a player is 400 games played and 196 goals scored, which translates to almost a goal every other game and nearly always at a high level;FC Midtjylland, Genk, and Trabzonspor.  The only time his goal output fell was for Southampton in the PL,  when he was often used as a sub off the bench, played in a clusterfuck of a team in a league above their ability and which was never set up to take advantage of his abilities. 

I think he would have been a big threat in the Championship, certainly compared to Downes and Archer.

100% correct, what did we sell him for £8M? to be replced by£7m Downes