I can’t see us spending much in January. Focus will be loans and maybe 2-3m max net outgoing
So Piroe surely a loan if he comes in. We aren’t selling Hamer
Honestly, it’s more of a clear out of bodies we need and some minor deck chair swapping.
Last thing we need is to go all Tino Asprilla and undo what we largely have now tracking well.
Played 8, Won 5, Drawn 2, Lost 1.
That’s a real reflection of the team’s capability.
Looking at the departments:
Goalkeeper - I think we’d all breathe a sigh of relief if we knew the back up keeper was a decent one. Hard to secure but could be a crucial addition and then let Davies go now or in the summer. Wouldn’t hurt for Faxon to go out and play some senior football either. So maybe 1 in, 1 out here?
Defence - left back looks well covered now McCallum is playing well with Burrows having time to get some form back. I’m not sold on McGuinness at all, but presently I’d rank the defenders as Tanganga then either Mee or Bindon and McGuinness fourth. Decision to be made on keeping Bindon at the expense of a move for perhaps Souttar. Unless Shackleton can do a bit of a Lazarus, we seem short at right back for cover. Choudhury move on the cards? Especially as he can play midfield too. Zatterstrom and Curtis need to play week in week out and should leave on loan. Godfrey already gone. Might be worth letting Polendakov experience a non-league loan, allowing us to nurse Sachdev back to fitness.
Midfield - if you get Choudhury you settle the squad a lot. Him and Riedewald give you physical depth. Playmaking of Arblaster and Peck give you good control. It then depends how much depth you feel you need. Tom Davies games will be a bonus and you’re not getting rid nor relying on him. Question is then whether you send out Matos to get games. If you want Rothwell then the minutes Soumaré plays must be limited however I doubt there is much in it for Braga to terminate. But he could well be 6th choice by end of the window.
Attacking midfield - Rothwell also adds to this potentially. O’Hare and Hamer are key starters and Chong is starting to show some quality after a difficult start. Brooks was unplayable vs Stoke. Barry will be sent back but I have an inkling feeling that Wilder we see Ogbene as this year’s reclamation project. Despite him being exponent of the worse sub performance I’ve witnessed vs QPR, his pace can be an asset. It’s also time to send out Ukaki and Nwachukwu to see how they fair in regular matches on these shores. A loan to Rotherham could be good for all parties.
Strikers - As long as we can retain Bamford then I think we will just stick with him, Campbell, Cannon and Ings. 4 good options not discounting that with O’Hare and Hamer we can play just one of them. Marsh and Oné are crying out for a loan and it was negligent they weren’t sent out in September.
That’s my long winded way of saying:
IN (3)
Tickle (GK), buy
Choudhury (RB,CM), loan
Rothwell (CM, AM), loan/take over contract
OUT (11)
Faxon (GK), loan
Godfrey, Zatterstrom, Curtis, Polendakov (return/loan)
Matos (loan)
Ukaki, Nwachukwu (loan), Barry (return)
Oné, Marsh (loan)
That would reduce the squad to a more manageable 27 from transfermarkt - 3GK, 8D, 12M/AM/W, 4F.