The January Transfer Window 2013

We're approaching that time of the year again...

and Rodgers has spoken:

"Everyone sees that we need to add that goal threat to the team.

"It will always be the case that I'll be able to bring in the players of my choice. Obviously there'll be money available to do that in January.

"The scouting team are out there now compiling lists and looking at targets that we can hopefully bring in.

"If they are affordable and available then hopefully we can bring in that support that can help the group.

"I'm confident of that. There will be one or two of our scouting network, along with myself, who will be looking at players.

"Whichever one of those players out of that group I want to go for, then we'll do that."

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Thoughts on who we should sign? We obviously need a striker or a goal scoring forward so start stating some names.

Who should we sell? Downing doesn't look he has a future under Rodgers.

NOTE: Try not to make this into a football manager thread too much. We're not going to sign the likes of Falcao or Marco Reus etc.

I'd personally go with:

Mario Balotelli. City (or well, the ass man at City) wants him out. Could we put in a sneaky bid for him? Would absolutely love him here and I rate him as one of the better forwards in not only the league but in the world. He's only 22, also.

Loic Remy. Wanted him when we sold Torres... can play anywhere in the front three and is an amazing player. OM looks like they'll let him go so there's a possibility we'll be in for him.

Lucas Barrios. 27 now but last I heard he was pushing a move out of China. Look's like he stayed. If he hasn't solved the problems we should try and sneak him in. Knows how to play the high-pressing and possession football Rodgers wants to implement under Rodgers as he has played in Klopp's Dortmund and has a good goal to game ratio.

Sounds stupid, but I'd leave Carroll at West Ham. He obviously doesn't suit the system that Rodgers wants to implement and if West Ham stay up we'll get 20 odd mil. That's A LOT of money for a player that hasn't been the greatest since the arrival to us in 2010. We're never going to get that 35m back. He seems to be one of the higher earners (this could be wrong, going with reports) at the club also, so there's no way he should sit on the bench and act as a "plan B".

Out of the options above, I will prefer Loic remy, he is very strong and can handle physicality of EPL defenders. He is also strong in air.
Apart from ynwa's options I think we have few more options:

1. Gary Hooper: certainly very underrated, I am surprised he has not been asked by any EPL club. Just 24 now, can be a long term option.

2. Lacina Traore (CFR Cluj): Not so famous but certainly can get a chance in liverpool team. I already heard rumours about him last summer. Just 22 now

3. Fernando Llorente: This guy was just scoring for fun last year. I think, if we get a chance this January, we should sign him.

Balotelli's ego won't fit into a non-CL club, plus we would not like his wages.

If we're thinking of a Rodgers-type striker I haven't got much in mind. Perhaps Walcott and play him up-front when Suarez isn't on the pitch.

We're not even halfway to the January window, much less the Summer one. This thread is so incredibly presumptuous it's astounding.

^ Absolutely agreed with the gentleman above

RedOranje wrote:We're not even halfway to the January window, much less the Summer one. This thread is so incredibly presumptuous it's astounding.

Apologies. The only 'active' thread I saw in this section was the Liverpool injury one. You can lock this thread until we get closer to the winter.

No need to lock this thread.....just change the 'summer' in the title to 'winter' since it around two months away and we can discuss winter dealings

As for who I would love us to sign, I'm pretty sure you ll know my love for Jovetic and Pukki. Both would be perfect signing under BR's system. Another guy that's could be a very good signing is Van Wolfswinkel.

Can't see van Wolfswinkel fitting into Rodgers' preferred style. He's an out and out poacher who won't be much involved in build-up play, which is not how Rodgers tends to prefer his forwards to be.

But if you watch van Wolfswinkel play, unlike Carroll he's very good with the ball at his feet and is a actually a very decent passer. He could be the perfect target man for us, because if we ever do play a target man under BR, then we need them to have these particular set of skills to be able to contribute to the build up play (holding the ball, making smart runs, having a good touch/technique, etc). And as far as I've seen V.Wolf he's got them all. Not to mention he's young and will come cheaper than most options.

Van Wolfswinkel could be a decent option up front, but I see him more as a “plan B” than Rodgers’s ideal #9. As Red stated, he’s too much of an out-an-out poacher to really slot into Rodgers’s preferred forward role. We are still working to implement our plan A. Until we can establish our lineup in that respect, we shouldn’t look to establish our plan B. As such, I don’t think he should be a January target. We need a regularly starting striker/forward. With that said, I think he could be a shrewd signing in the summer. He’ll be cheaper than he would be in January, and Sporting CP may be more open to the move as they have a better shot at replacing him.

For the above stated reasons, I don’t think recalling Carroll is a good option. Let him stay at West Ham and continue to find form/play in his natural habitat/improve his chances for a permanent move. It would be asinine (and quite a shame) to convert such a gifted traditional English CF into a passable tiki-taka forward. Moreover, the argument for recalling Carroll is that we weren’t able to sign another striker in the summer. Why recall Carroll at the first opportunity to sign a striker with the preferred skills set, which is the entire reason behind letting him go in the first place? Allow him the full opportunity to move on professionally and play in a system where he’ll get some joy in front of goal. This is also why I don’t believe for a second that we’re in for Llorente. He’s nothing but a more developed Carroll. While, I do believe that Llorente is currently of a higher caliber and possesses a few more aspects to his game, the players are rather similar in the jobs they perform for a squad. Additionally, I doubt Huntelaar has even made the shortlist of strikers we are looking at. He’s certainly closer to what we want in a striker, but I still think he’s a bit too much of a target-man/poacher/fox-in-the-box for Rodgers’s preferred striking options. He would get goals, but he won’t have much involvement in the build-up, and he’s unlikely to press as much as Rodgers wants. Combine that with his age (29 certainly isn’t past it, but he’s not going to offer a long-term solution), and questions begin to arise about the return he offers.

As such, I’ve compiled my personal forward wish-list for January. I believe they can be broken down into two categories, depending on the spot Rodgers is wishing to fill. It’s obvious whoever we buy needs to be able to score with some regularity. However, whether that comes from a central position or a wide-forward position is somewhat up in the air. Remember, in the summer, we heavily pursued Dempsey, who was never going to play through the center in Rodgers’s 4-3-3. Therefore, I’ve split the list into options to be pursued in the case that we are looking for a CF and options to be pursued if we are looking at a wide-forward. (They are ranked in preferential order.)

CFs:
1) Loic Remy (tenuously linked) – My First choice. He is a regular goal-scorer and international for France. He has wonderful skill and speed, as well as a good eye for goal. He can turn and beat defenders and play on the shoulder of the last defender. At a little over 6 ft (1.84 m), he isn’t too bad in the air, either. He’s likely to be expensive in January. However, he’s only turning 26 in January and has been rumored to be looking for an exit from Marseille for a while now.
2) Pierre-Emmerick Aubameyang (rumored) – Loic Remy v 2.0, and my second choice. He’s a fast and tricky striker, despite his height (a little over 6 ft or 1.85 m). He’s less established in French football than Remy, but he’s also only just turned 23 last June. After scoring 16 goals in 36 league appearances last season for Saint Étienne, he looks to be coming into his own as a very capable striker. In addition, while he does play internationally for Gabon, he won’t be participating in the AFCON. He will likely be cheaper option than Remy, and Saint Étienne may be more willing to deal in January than Marseille.
3) Kevin Gameiro (assumption of exit) – After tearing up Ligue 1 in 2010-2011 with 22 goals in 36 games, and earning a transfer to PSG, the diminutive striker (5 ft 7 in) has seemingly been usurped by the signings of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Granted he’s been less than prolific since his move to PSG, but he looked to be developing into a very good striker prior to being replaced by Lavezzi and Ibra. Given the club’s wealth of striking options, PSG may be willing to part with the player for a reasonable price in January.
4) Daniel Sturridge (linked) – He’s young and quite capable of scoring regularly from a central position in the Premier League. (Just look at his record of 8 in 12 matches while on loan at Bolton.) He’s fast, likes to be defenders, and has the nose for goal that we could really use from a central position. We were in for him in August. However, it is rumored that a loan versus permanent deal argument prevented the deal in the final hours.
5) Gary Hooper (linked) – Perhaps a less exciting option, Hooper hasn’t set the world on fire in his career. However, he has begun to find his form for Celtic, and he has shown himself to be capable of scoring against top opposition in the Champions League. There are certainly question marks surrounding him, but he would likely command a lower price than some other names on this list, and might just be one of those hidden gems.
6) Theo Walcott (linked) – We all know what Walcott is capable of, but the question is whether or not he can consistently produce from a central position. Due to these concerns, and a lack of sample size, it’s hard to justify his price tag in order to play him centrally.

Wide-forwards:
1)Theo Walcott (linked) – A much more established wide-forward than CF, Walcott can offer pace, assists, and goals from a wide position. With his contract still in dispute, he tops the list as a potential target for the right wide-forward position. A front three of Sterling, Suarez and Walcott could produce severe problems for any defense. The question is whether he would accept a wide role after causing such a stir at Arsenal after his lack of opportunities in the center.
2) Dries Mertens (tenuously linked) – If goals are what we are looking for, and we want a wide player who can provide them, look no further than Dries Mertens. He’s lit the Eredivisie on fire since his move to PSV. Last season he scored 21 goals in 33 games from the LW position. Do we need another reason to take a second look at this player?
3) Daniel Sturridge (linked) – Like Walcott, there are question marks surrounding any move for Sturridge with the intent of playing him wide. Unlike Walcott, Sturridge in a wide position may not offer the same return in assists and team play. The selfishness and eye for goal that would benefit him in the center would provide a stumbling block in the wide areas for LFC. Still a good player, who could offer goals, but his price tag may rule him out if we are looking to fill a wide role.
4) Pierre-Emmerick Aubamayeng (rumored) – Same benefits as above, but would be less likely to perform the deeper duties that might e required of the wide players at times. He’s young enough to learn, and he’s has played in the RW position before. However, it might be a waste of his talents.
5) Loic Remy (tenuously linked) – Same as Aubameyang… He could perform this role, but it might be a waste of his talents and a mismatch with some of the requirements of the position.

Demba Ba & Sturridge . . . this would be the names circling the papers i believe.

Don't like buying in the January window...teams tend to make terrible decisions. I want to see how Yesil does in his couple months...Borini is scheduled to be back in January as well.

Getting someone on loan would be the best option to me....perhaps someone from Russia or the States.

Le Samourai wrote:Don't like buying in the January window...teams tend to make terrible decisions. I want to see how Yesil does in his couple months...Borini is scheduled to be back in January as well.

Getting someone on loan would be the best option to me....perhaps someone from Russia or the States.

We desperately need to sign somebody but yes, it is risky signing in January. It really does depend on how you structure yourself though. If you scout a player and predominately plan on a signing, there is no doubt he is most likely to be a success ala Suarez or Cisse.

On the other hand... if it's a panic signing you're just going to spunk a lot of cash on a useless player. See Torres / Carroll. [Whilst Torres is getting better, there is no doubt Chelsea could of bought better.]

Fahim89 wrote:Demba Ba & Sturridge . . . this would be the names circling the papers i believe.

Wouldn't take a chance on Demba Ba with his knee issues.
Sturridge, I'm 50/50. As much as I find him a very selfish player, he does seem to know where the goal is at. Really does depend on the fee though.

How about Guissepe Rossi?

Judas?

Potentially fits the style we're looking for but I'd be concerned about his injuries and how he'd adapt to a more physical league. Also, it sounds like he's pretty set on a move to Italy.

Tbh Giuseppe Rossi would come for dirt cheap since Villarreal is in Segunda Division, but he's on the Aurelio level when it comes to injuries. Would love him at Anfield though, he's probably the exact type of player we need too.

Le Samourai wrote:How about Guissepe Rossi?

Good call, if Bayern weren't going to sign Llorente then I will love to have him as our 3rd choice striker behind Gomez and Mandzukic.


Liverpool needs him more, they need a pure striker and good wingers, maybe they should look at Bundesliga and snatch up some few upcoming stars.

The Messiah wrote:

Le Samourai wrote:How about Guissepe Rossi?

Good call, if Bayern weren't going to sign Llorente then I will love to have him as our 3rd choice striker behind Gomez and Mandzukic.


Liverpool needs him more, they need a pure striker and good wingers, maybe they should look at Bundesliga and snatch up some few upcoming stars.

3rd choice Obviously you haven't watched Rossi play.


OT: Always funny when Americans label Rossi judas. Hilarious.

Rossi never was injury prone its just their Villarreal medics, just like their town they live in are destitute and incompetent. Rossi would be a good investment nonetheless given that Liverpool can help him recuperate convinces me that we should go for him. A very complete SS who would perfectly fit our style. He wants Italia but I'm sure he will accept Liverpool if we push hard enough for him.

Just rumours: Liverpool trying to bring Huntelaar and/or Tomer Hemed...Huntelaar at the age of 29, may be cheap but not sure how much and will he be worth a move to anfield!!!
Tomer Hemed, Mallorca striker...had seen him this year in january scoring decisive goal against madrid, who lost 1-0 to mallorca...
from videos at least,he looks sharp and neat finisher!

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:Just rumours: Liverpool trying to bring Huntelaar and/or Tomer Hemed...Huntelaar at the age of 29, may be cheap but not sure how much and will he be worth a move to anfield!!!
Tomer Hemed, Mallorca striker...had seen him this year in january scoring decisive goal against madrid, who lost 1-0 to mallorca...
from videos at least,he looks sharp and neat finisher!

What's the source? I do credit myself in being a newshound for transfers as historically proven in this forum . . . And didn't see these links recently

The Hunter rumours go through the German print media, IIRC. It was fueled when Horst Heldt mentioned in the Doppelpass on TV this Sunday that he won't start negotiations with the Hunter before December.

sorry guys, my mistake !!!

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:haha, fahim difficult to replace you...at least for me
I was just going through following:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4603867/Tomer-Hemed-on-Liverpools-radar.html

yeah rwo power is correct about hunter and then it is picked up by English media

It would be better if u could just delete the post.Hope u know Liverpool's history with the Sun newspaper.