*January Transfer Window 2014/15 Season Rumours/Signings*

[BaZ87]

I'm not questioning that he is in a better bargaining position, I'm questioning how much of a difference it makes. Telling all the other players on £150k that the reason Reus is on £250k is that he cost them very little in the grand scheme of things won't stop them from wanting a pay rise.

You're looking at it purely as wages. Take Pandev as an example, he had a dispute with Lazio and had his contract terminated and signed for Inter on a free - he received a signing on fee of anything from €7-10m. He was a £10-15m player, he's not getting that sort of fee had Inter had to pay Lazio to sign him.

Do you really think Mendes won't be telling Real and whoever else that he/De Gea wants their cut of however much Real save? Whether it's wages or any other fees, the less Real pay on De Gea (in this example) the more De Gea will end up pocketing.

 

[FrankJH]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/553926/Man-Utd-Aleksandar-Dragovic-Dynamo-Kiev-January-Bid

Some (dodgy) reports suggesting its almost a done deal - really not sure about the player but wages aren't going to be huge and transfer fee seems reasonable (unless it goes over that reported of 20m euros)

 

[Robbo]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/553926/Man-Utd-Aleksandar-Dragovic-Dynamo-Kiev-January-Bid

Some (dodgy) reports suggesting its almost a done deal - really not sure about the player but wages aren't going to be huge and transfer fee seems reasonable (unless it goes over that reported of 20m euros)

Club denying it (as always). Would be utterly stupid not to gamble on a couple of defensive players in this window though (be it at centre back, right back or defensive midfield). I'm bored of hearing about the 'balance of the team'.

 

[FrankJH]

Club denying it (as always). Would be utterly stupid not to gamble on a couple of defensive players in this window though (be it at centre back, right back or defensive midfield). I'm bored of hearing about the 'balance of the team'.

Exactly its not exactly as though £20m /player is going to break the bank and depending on where they come from the wages don't have to be excessive either

 

[Bloodshot]

Schürrle not even in the squad today; pretty sure he's as good as gone.

 

[Illgresi]

Aberdeen fend off a host of English Championship clubs to the signature of Graeme Shinnie on a pre-contract.

Excellent signing, every bit as good as Andrew Robertson, albeit a few years older.

 

[cm1179]

Shinnie on a pre-contract.

is that slang for rooneys overhead kick?

would anyone like to be kaboul, adebayor or paulinho?

 

[BaZ87]

Delph's signed a new deal with Villa. I can only assume that all the links with Spurs and Liverpool were coming from his agent then.

 

[Purdy]

Thank ****

 

[Cosimo]

The Guardian on Schurrle:

CHELSEA UPDATE! And it’s not good news for the Blues, whose moves for Juan Cuadrado and/or Douglas Costa may have hit the dreaded stumbling block. It’s not secret that Andre Schurrle’s potential move to Wolfsburg is key but the German club have turn the cold tap on and poured cold water all over said speculation.


There’s nothing to it,” the Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs is quoted as saying in the German daily WAZ.

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking also chimed in, labelling the Schurrle link ‘pure speculation’.

 

[nemtizz]

Who's this Dele Alli then, League One watchers?

Decent goalscoring record for an 18 year old CM.

 

[drunkenmaster]

The Guardian on Schurrle:

What a brilliant piece, it's no secret the move of Schurrle to Wolfsberg is key... but the Wolfsberg people said it's pure speculation.

So the writer is both assuming it is key and was never happening all at the same time. Football... 'journalists' really are the worst thing about the sport and journalism. They just make up whatever the hell they want, then when people end up denying some made up story they just turn it into a sure thing failing thus being a disaster for some club, in this case Chelsea.

 

[Caseh]

I haven't personally seen much of him, but Franchise FC fans that I've spoken to have raved about him. They're playing really well, and he does seem to be a big part of that.

 

[The Running Man]

What a brilliant piece, it's no secret the move of Schurrle to Wolfsberg is key... but the Wolfsberg people said it's pure speculation.

So the writer is both assuming it is key and was never happening all at the same time. Football... 'journalists' really are the worst thing about the sport and journalism. They just make up whatever the hell they want, then when people end up denying some made up story they just turn it into a sure thing failing thus being a disaster for some club, in this case Chelsea.

Wolfsburhlg probably baulked when they realised it was 23 million euros not 2.3. Not sure many german teams are spending that much at the moment

 

[Robbo]

@JBurtTelegraph
Darren Fletcher granted a free transfer. If he signs for West Ham his first game could be Feb 8... at home to Man Utd

Good news, best of luck to him.

@GuillemBalague
On Laporte. Buyout clause £31m. Athletic Bilbao, who expect an offer from MUFC, wont sell for less. Laporte happy 2 go if Utd pays full fee

Highly rated, but expensive... can't see it happening at the moment.

 

[FrankJH]

Wondering if the club are getting Fletcher off the wage bill before bringing anyone else in.


I was reading the other day that Utd could only increase player wages by £4-5m compared to last year (have no idea if this is true) , and given Di Maria's probably on mega money, it wouldn't be hard to see Utd requiring to get rid of £80k week for Fletcher before bringing in a defender or two (don't know about Laporte , but Clyne and the Kyev defender I can see being on pretty low wages compared to that)

Wish DF all the best, he may get game time at WHU but I would be pretty amazed if he got too much just from how little he can offer (on the pitch) a team even in West Hams position.


edit - and while Strootman's injury from the last game doesn't sound serious, it was the same knee that he is/was still recovering from - surely that curtails a serious bid in the summer (even with all the medicals etc, given the cash it would cost, surely too big a risk?) and no I don't think Pogba will be arriving either.

 

[drunkenmaster]

Not even close to true, FFP means I believe a £4mil increase is allowed per year as standard but you can increase wages beyond that by ANY amount as long as commercial income increases by that amount. IE if you increase commercial income 2mil or 40mil you can increased wages 2mil(extra over 4mil) or 40mil more respectively.

Utd can based on their commercial improvement increases wages WAY WAY beyond 4mil this season.

 

[Loki]

Wondering if the club are getting Fletcher off the wage bill before bringing anyone else in.


I was reading the other day that Utd could only increase player wages by £4-5m compared to last year (have no idea if this is true) , and given Di Maria's probably on mega money, it wouldn't be hard to see Utd requiring to get rid of £80k week for Fletcher before bringing in a defender or two (don't know about Laporte , but Clyne and the Kyev defender I can see being on pretty low wages compared to that)

Wish DF all the best, he may get game time at WHU but I would be pretty amazed if he got too much just from how little he can offer (on the pitch) a team even in West Hams position.


edit - and while Strootman's injury from the last game doesn't sound serious, it was the same knee that he is/was still recovering from - surely that curtails a serious bid in the summer (even with all the medicals etc, given the cash it would cost, surely too big a risk?) and no I don't think Pogba will be arriving either.

Interesting fact, no player passes or fails a medical per se. They do a medical and then it's upto the buying club to assess the risk and say yay or nay. e.g. Loic Remy. Failed a medical at LFC (Liverpool pulled out of the deal, too much risk) but passed at CFC

As for Fletcher I think he would have been better going to a team like Burnley but wish him all the best wherever he goes

 

[FrankJH]

Not even close to true, FFP means I believe a £4mil increase is allowed per year as standard but you can increase wages beyond that by ANY amount as long as commercial income increases by that amount. IE if you increase commercial income 2mil or 40mil you can increased wages 2mil(extra over 4mil) or 40mil more respectively.

Utd can based on their commercial improvement increases wages WAY WAY beyond 4mil this season.

They were saying that - but also with the loss of the CL income, its harder to judge exactly how much spending power they have this winter.

Obviously in the summer it will grow massively with the new kit deal kicking in (not to mention the added income from hopefully the better finishing position in the EPL), and while all these "brand partners" are being announced its rare any value is associated with the articles announcing them, so impossible to know how much each is worth.

Interesting fact, no player passes or fails a medical per se. They do a medical and then it's upto the buying club to assess the risk and say yay or nay. e.g. Loic Remy. Failed a medical at LFC (Liverpool pulled out of the deal, too much risk) but passed at CFC

As for Fletcher I think he would have been better going to a team like Burnley but wish him all the best wherever he goes

Ok fair enough - its a little bit of a technicality, but sure. The buying club know how much (roughly) the selling club are expecting at that point, if the risk is too high for them then its a "fail" - fine (in your example) Liverpool still bid, but likely knew it would never be accepted.

 

[Clipsey]

All that creativity they have with Carrick, Mata, Di Maria, Rooney etc and they are now becoming a long ball team.
Interesting stat I saw today:
The 6 premier league teams with the most long balls:

Bottom of the league type tactics.