Team Whispers: Who should Spurs sign in January?

[[email protected]]

Nothing has changed afaik from what I posted at the beginning of the month. We have our targets but they are long term targets, if they come this month then that is a bonus, because price and availability is always different in January than it is in the Summer. It certainly won't be the case that just because Barkley looks less likely and he was possible in this window, that we will try and get someone else now instead.

What does "long term target" even mean though, Trix? That we never had any intention of buying Barclay in January? That Levy was always going to wait to wait it out until the summer when he was available on a free, and just HOPE he doesn't go elsewhere? Surely the more "long-term" you make your targets, the more likely you are to miss out, by affording other clubs the opportunity to guzump you? That doesn't sound like the most robust of strategies, especially for a target that was roundly touted as "the one our manager really wants".

 

[piedpiper]

Barkley has been training for the last few weeks so coming into jan he will be fit. Maybe not match sharpe but surely for £10m we take that to get a poch number 1 target rather than losing him to another club.

We took a £30m gamble on Sissoko and a £9m gamble on Nkoudou.

Just seems crazy we’d miss out like this.

Obviously we’ll get the normal deflection if we miss out.

Still cannot fathom why we did that. Especially on Sissoko. I can understand taking a chance on GKN.

 

[worcestersauce]

Come on mate, we all know Levy's MO. Of course he'll say say, "no", if it means it saves him money. Realistically, do you think he'd spend even a nominal fee on Barclay now, when he's available for free in the summer; that's not how our great leader operates. No doubt we'll have some spin about how he's still injured or how we have reservations about his long-term fitness in order to deflect from or justify this position. I feel that this ship has sailed, unfortunately, which is a shame, especially as all the ITKs seemed to be agreed that this was the player that Poch really wanted.

I'm not sure I remember who we refused to get in January because they were free in the summer perhaps you can let me know, I do remember Levy spending money in January to buy Holtby who was free in the summer, so based on the evidence I have to disagree with you.

 

[For the love of Spurs]

5 years on 100k plus a week is a big money signing even if the transfer fee was nominal. And no one is suggesting the injury will end his career, but plenty of players are lesser players once they come back from injury, and that's not taking into account whether or not it has knock on effects. An extra few weeks would make all the difference in seeing just how badly if at all this injury has affected him.

If he'd be happy to wait till the summer it would be a different story, but he is not.

It’s obvious we lack depth in regards to a creative CM with Dembele in decline and only a young up and coming Winks to rely on. Personally I have always been impressed by Barkley at least from a talent perspective, with us when fit he could be made into a really top player.

This is a very conservative approach by us if that’s true, I hope this is something Poch driven and not purely a money saving job.

 

[dontcallme]

It is surely in Barkley's interest to leave on a free in the summer.

This way he can choose who he joins as there is no bidding war and he would presumably get a higher signing on fee.

As he has made it clear he wants out of Everton it seems best for all parties for him to go on loan. This way he gets regular football to try to get a world cup place and Everton save some money on his wages.

Surely a team struggling for goals would take him on, like Brighton.

 

[teok]

If he is approaching match fitness as mentioned I honestly think it's a complete no brainer getting RB. He is as close to a dembele type player as I can think of and is already mates with most of the england players in our squad. He is massively motivated to get a world cup place.

 

[worcestersauce]

5 years on 100k plus a week is a big money signing even if the transfer fee was nominal. And no one is suggesting the injury will end his career, but plenty of players are lesser players once they come back from injury, and that's not taking into account whether or not it has knock on effects. An extra few weeks would make all the difference in seeing just how badly if at all this injury has affected him.

If he'd be happy to wait till the summer it would be a different story, but he is not.

Exactly he probably isn't prepared to wait until summer so waiting until the summer isn't an option in which case the dynamic of the decision is different, it is a straight binary question, do we want him or not and if we do then a month here or there doesn't stop us.
For what we might be able to get him for even a lesser Barkley won't lose us money should that turn out to be the case.

 

[[email protected]]

I'm not sure I remember who we refused to get in January because they were free in the summer perhaps you can let me know, I do remember Levy spending money in January to buy Holtby who was free in the summer, so based on the evidence I have to disagree with you.

Damiao, I think mate!! Remember him?? He was one be of our "long-term" targets!

 

[SpursDave88]

So the message so far is that Liverpool and Chelsea are trying to give themselves the extra they need to make sure they qualify for the CL next year and we are doing squat...is that accurate? I hope not!!!

 

[worcestersauce]

Damiao, I think mate!! Remember him?? He was one be of our "long-term" targets!

I said a player!

 

[Hercules]

Interesting to see what comes out if RB signs for chavs. Will tell us a lot about certain things. I know Poch is very keen, so work the rest out.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Just a quick update on the ITK forums. The aim is to open sometime on New Years Day. Might be a day early, might be a day late, depending on real life, hangovers and generally being arsed to do it.

As usual, all others transfer threads, including this one will have the padlock applied.

 

[Hengy1]

Interesting to see what comes out if RB signs for chavs. Will tell us a lot about certain things. I know Poch is very keen, so work the rest out.

Can only assume poch will be incredibly frustrated. Doesn’t seem to get the players he most wants to me.

 

[worcestersauce]

Interesting to see what comes out if RB signs for chavs. Will tell us a lot about certain things. I know Poch is very keen, so work the rest out.

It may depend on how much Barkley wants out of Everton, if the club refuses to deal with us and will only sell to chelsea there's not much more we can do, we shall see.

 

[coys200]

For me Barkley is a massive gamble. To start with his injury was the most serious form of hamstring injury. Hamstrings are notorious for causing issues once there’s an initial problem. Second what actually is he, I think he’s 24 now and nobody really knows. He’s certainly not the pacey winger we need . He’s trumped by Dele as a No 10 and doesn’t have the pace we need to play wide. So for me it’s the Dembele role that’s the obvious position. But it’s a position he’s never nailed down mainly due to a lack of discipline and giving ball away in crucial areas. In theory he has the physical attributes and the technique and if he became a success there you wouldn’t be surprised. But for me it’s 50/50 if he can nail down that position. If he went elsewhere I wouldn’t be overly troubled.

 

[rocklink]

Why not we go all out and sign leon goretzka for free ? That way we can give him massive signing on fee and also give him 95k wage that is being given to sissoko ... Or we just don't want him ?

 

[Hercules]

It may depend on how much Barkley wants out of Everton, if the club refuses to deal with us and will only sell to chelsea there's not much more we can do, we shall see.

Everton are not refusing to deal with us.

 

[Japhet]

I really don't get the clamour to sign Barkley. I understand Levy's eyes lighting up at the prospect of signing a young English player for a knock down price, but that was before he picked up an injury which required major surgery. Is he really a player to push us to another level? I don't think so, and I don't blame Levy for being cautious under the circumstances. We've just paid Lamela millions after a injury which didn't seem too serious and yet people are hailing Barkley as the new Messiah. He's not even an option at CM without a lot of coaching (mainly on some awareness of defensive responsibility which he seems to have no idea about). I won't worry for a second if we miss out.

 

[tiger666]

Why not we go all out and sign leon goretzka for free ? That way we can give him massive signing on fee and also give him 95k wage that is being given to sissoko ... Or we just don't want him ?

Barca, Madrid etc are linked. We aren't competing with that.

 

[Streetspur77]

Interesting to see what comes out if RB signs for chavs. Will tell us a lot about certain things. I know Poch is very keen, so work the rest out.

After having read the book they make it very clear it's not poch working against Levy, they are working together. Surely it's not about money bc Barkley is right up Levys street in terms of a bargain so if as trix says it's worries about fitness, why would Levy overrule poch in an area he knows little about, the day to day of coaching and fitness etc

Seems odd and I still feel we'll get him, everyone is just playing games imo