Re: The 2016 January Transfer Window Thread

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I think he'll go well with last January's signing Douglas Costa.

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Speaks to the credibility and the reliability of these kind of rumours.

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I think this sacking confirms it.

All transfer to be made in Jan, should be made independent of any manager and should be solely looking towards the future of the club.

e.g. a defender or two to replace Terry and Ivanovic or a CF to replace Falcao.

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Liverpool's Christian Benteke on Chelsea transfer radar for January as they seek more goals:
Chelsea are eyeing up a January move for Liverpool striker Christian Benteke to lift the gloom at Stamford Bridge, with Guus Hiddink having already identified a lack of goals as a major problem for the struggling Blues - and Benteke is seen as a potential solution
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpools-christian-benteke-chelsea-transfer-7040395
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"Liverpool's Christian Benteke on Chelsea transfer radar for January as they seek more goals"

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Manchester City and Chelsea eye transfer of Karim Benzema in January with the striker reportedly unsettled:
Chelsea and Manchester City are keeping tabs on Karim Benzema’s situation at Real Madrid, with him indicating a willingness to leave the Bernabeu next month
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/manchester-city-chelsea-eye-transfer-7041194

Benzema is a favourite of Florentino Perez, one of the main reasons Arsenal’s interest in the £23m striker was rebuffed in the summer, and the Real president is keen that he doesn’t leave.

But sources close to Benzema, who turned 28 on Saturday, say he has been underwhelmed by a perceived lack of support from some team-mates over the Matthieu Valbuena sex tape affair in which he has become embroiled and that he is open to a move to the Premier League.

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Benteke would be a silly buy, Pool just payed 30m for him, so they'd probably want 40

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Which he isn't worth half of

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exactly.

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Apparently Willian and Oscar have told Alex Teixeira to join us this month.

http://metro.co.uk/2016/01/03/willian-and-oscar-convince-shakhtar-donetsks-alex-teixeira-to-complete-chelsea-transfer-report-5598484/

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We've apparently offered Remy to Newcastle on loan.

We're also apparently after Isco.

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Would be against that. He often can't buy a minute on the pitch, but considering the makeup of our squad he's invaluable. Should Costa ever not be doing the biz (imagine that...), whom else have we got to bring on as an alternative? Falcao? Lol. (Inb4 "BamfordSolankeAbraham" - Abra).
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He may not be a world-beater, but as things stand (i.e. not taking into account any potential business this month), he's still a player we're better off with than without.

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Yeah, I'd keep him for sure. Unless he absolutely wants out. Then look to another decent back up.

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The mail are reporting that we're back in for Witsel

The Guardian are reporting that Bale has become unsettled with the sacking of FSW and could move. They are also reporting that we're looking at the CF version of Papy Djlobodji (who?), Oumar Niasse (who?).

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I did read that about Witsel earlier


How generous of the club to have adopted a policy of giving contracts to players nobody has ever heard of/will never hear of again

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Indeed.

I doubt we'll sign him, we've been linked to him in every window since 2012.

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Metro are reporting that we're going to offer 44m for Stones, and are close to agreeing to a 30m move for Alex Teixeira.

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Anyone else worried by the lack of legit rumours surrounding us?

Every rumour I see is obvious BS. It could be because we're not planning on making any changes this Jan, especially considering Bran has picked up his form at RB and Mikel is doing well at DM. If we keep Bamford, we'll likely not make any changes at CF, either.

I would still like to see us make some moves, even if they don't effect the first team. e.g. One move I would do is try to buy Ruben Neves and loan him back to Porto.

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We discussed this window a few weeks ago and both agreed that we didn't expect there to be much business done by us at all. So what we've seen so far is pretty much what I expected.

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Even so, I'd like to see us make moves for youngsters, that has very much become a norm even during quiet windows.

Also, very little word on players leaving, aside from Wallace's loan to Gremiro.

I mean, Bertrand Traore, Atsu and potentially Bamford need new homes but we've heard very little on them.

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I won't be getting too upset over us not signing a few more of those Wallace's, Traore's, Atsu's, et al.

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What about more Lukakus', De Bruynes', or Courtois'?

I'd certainly take another of them. I think we missed out badly on Grujic, but he seemed keen on Liverpool.

We seem to not be linked to any young, very promising players.

Hell, even City are being linked to Leroy Sane, who, alongside Max Meyer, look like fantastic young players out of Schalke.

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Well, lack of rumours doesn't necessarily mean lack of activity. Who knows.

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Fair point.

I'd like to make at least one signing this window, though.

Spoiler:

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