The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 27th December 2023

[robertgoulet]

Genoa conversations extremely positive. May surprise you to know this fella is Ange’s first pick. Jota, we are really trying to do some things. 18 year olds which you know about, we are waiting especially on one, the Ajax lad’s decision

Did you say 18yo’s?

 

[Neon_Knight_]

No one buys 3 important first team players in January. I did the analysis last year and literally no top 6 side outside of Chelsea’s insanity last year has even bought 3 in the last 5 years - the most successful Jan window was us getting Kulu and Bents.

also we are 5th now despite a horrible injury crisis. We don’t need 3 bodies to compete for top 4, we’ll get it if we’re vaguely healthy. If we get a CB and one more I’ll be delighted

Two players doesn't seem unrealistic to me though, as it's consistent with our past two January windows (Porro + Danjuma / Bentancur + Kulusevski).

I'd be happy with the two players who we're most strongly linked with atm:
Dragusin on a permanent deal (or loan with option/obligation to buy)
Jota on loan (with an option but not obligation to buy).

Perhaps Jota is surplus to requirements though - subject to how Kulusevski (he was injured as well as suspended), Maddison & Solomon's recoveries are going.

Gallagher in January would only make sense to me if Hojbjerg leaves, or if he would be a priority target in the summer anyway and Ange is keen to get him in now to cover for injury / AFCON absences. Whatever I think of Gallagher (I don't see him as anything more than a squad player for a top-4 side), the way Ange has got Sarr playing gives me confidence that Ange can get more out of Gallagher than Chelsea has (assuming the rumours are true and Ange considers him a good fit).

I'm interested to see what other (i.e. better) young CMs our scouts can turn up though, as I'd take Sarr over Gallagher any day. Herc's mention of 18 year olds excites me, although both 18 year olds currently in Ajax's first team are injured (Godts - LW / Vos - CM).

 

[bceej]

Must say I’d be pretty happy if we went for ether of Bardghji or Vermeeren as well as Mozambo. I definitely think signings like Sarr and Udogie, even if we loan them straight out, is a very wise long term squad building strategy. Also as long as we register them even if we loan them they will eventually count as HG assuming they come in now. Not that we would go for all three but in general it’s good to hear we are continuing with this thinking.

​

Our depth and ceiling would be incredible if we continue this method. Sarr and Udogie’s new contracts are also a great advertisement of how we run things. Very exciting.

 

[coy-spurs1882]

Two players doesn't seem unrealistic to me though, as it's consistent with our past two January windows (Porro + Danjuma / Bentancur + Kulusevski).

I'd be happy with the two players who we're most strongly linked with atm:
Dragusin on a permanent deal (or loan with option/obligation to buy)
Jota on loan (with an option but not obligation to buy).

Perhaps Jota is surplus to requirements though - subject to how Kulusevski (he was injured as well as suspended), Maddison & Solomon's recoveries are going.

Gallagher in January would only make sense to me if Hojbjerg leaves, or if he would be a priority target in the summer anyway and Ange is keen to get him in now to cover for injury / AFCON absences. Whatever I think of Gallagher (I don't see him as anything more than a squad player for a top-4 side), the way Ange has got Sarr playing gives me confidence that Ange can get more out of Gallagher than Chelsea has (assuming the rumours are true and Ange considers him a good fit).

I'm interested to see what other (i.e. better) young CMs our scouts can turn up though, as I'd take Sarr over Gallagher any day. Herc's mention of 18 year olds excites me, although both 18 year olds currently in Ajax's first team are injured (Godts - LW / Vos - CM).

the Ajax 18-year old is Stanis Idumbo Mozambo, others should be Arthur Vermeeren and Roony Bardghji

 

[FloridaSpur]

Genoa conversations extremely positive. May surprise you to know this fella is Ange’s first pick. Jota, we are really trying to do some things. 18 year olds which you know about, we are waiting especially on one, the Ajax lad’s decision

Brilliant news!

Thanks for sharing!

Great start for 2024 for us!

 

[Snarfalicious]

Dragusin and Jota would be a helluva start to the window and doesn’t appear to be any reason why we need to drag either out. Might allow us to switch the focus to maybe more complicated maneuvers over the rest of the window.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Dragusin and Jota would be a helluva start to the window

fyp, imo

 

[DaiT]

Genoa conversations extremely positive. May surprise you to know this fella is Ange’s first pick. Jota, we are really trying to do some things. 18 year olds which you know about, we are waiting especially on one, the Ajax lad’s decision

If we can get those two signings over the line this week it would be fantastic.

 

[JonnySpurs]

Jota on loan seems like a no brainer to me. There's no downside to bringing him in loan in the same way we did with Danjuma last season. He didn't feature much and then went back in the summer but he gave us cover, scored a couple times too. Jota could do at least that if not more. If it doesn't work, he's go back and we move on. If it works, then it seems like a very doable deal on a permanent transfer.

Dragusin looks a great option too and could partner VDV almost immediately, now that the latter should be back for the Utd game.

Those 2 feel like the bare minimum to me (along with 1 or 2 young players it seems).

The kicker is whether we let Hojbjerg go and bring a CM that is a better fit in Ange's system, than he is. Personally I hope we do but let's see.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

Dragonsteaks and Jota would be an incredible window, we really don’t need anymore than that IMO.

Sounds positive, might have to throw a cookie Levy’s way if we get these deals done in the next few days.

 

[Locotoro]

Dragonsteaks and Jota would be an incredible window, we really don’t need anymore than that IMO.

Sounds positive, might have to throw a cookie Levy’s way if we get these deals done in the next few days.

Please tell me that was an autocorrect and if so where can I buy them

 

[dovahkiin]

This is still the plan re Dragusin by the end of the week

 

[whitechina]

re: Dragusin by the end of the week

It just feels so different to be on January 2nd and a possible deal incoming before say the 6th/7th. (Not the usual sell before we buy or wait till the end of the window).
Such a positive vibe around the club- long may it continue.
One or two more this window and it'll really be interesting for the end of the season.

 

[Hercules]

re: Dragusin by the end of the week

It just feels so different to be on January 2nd and a possible deal incoming before say the 6th/7th. (Not the usual sell before we buy or wait till the end of the window).
Such a positive vibe around the club- long may it continue.
One or two more this window and it'll really be interesting for the end of the season.

He is spot on!

 

[Yid-ol]

re: Dragusin by the end of the week

It just feels so different to be on January 2nd and a possible deal incoming before say the 6th/7th. (Not the usual sell before we buy or wait till the end of the window).
Such a positive vibe around the club- long may it continue.
One or two more this window and it'll really be interesting for the end of the season.

We did sell Sanchez, so this one could technically be a sold before we buy.

 

[felmani26]

 

[dovahkiin]

dragu

I believe we are now very close, almost there

 

[bomberH]

I won’t get too excited just yet… The amount of times I’ve said ‘I believe I’m very close, almost there’ only for it to drag out another 10 mins while she moans about her aching jaw…

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

I won’t get too excited just yet… The amount of times I’ve said ‘I believe I’m very close, almost there’ only for it to drag out another 10 mins while she moans about her aching jaw…

She can moan in sign language? Impressive!

 

[absolute bobbins]

dragu

It’s remarkable the difference in business when you have someone for whom it is a career and not their entire identity running the show.