The January 2024 "Will we actually sign a striker or just Che Adams/Kieffer Moore" Transfer Thread

[Dire Wolf]

I'm not holding them up as any model, I doubt anybody did for Forest or Everton either. Just saying they hadn't done any business this window because they'd spent their money in the Summer and now they have, they've moved it into next season. We on the face of things don't seem prepared to do that or at least can't find a partner who will.

I get you. The way the club is run is questionable at the very least, and worthy of critique. The tap on/tap off transfer funding is an indication of a lack of any overall strategy. However, just throwing money (and squad places) at any old shit is what has got us into this mess in the first place.

If doing nothing now is followed by doing nothing in the summer, it's open season on them, for sure. But I really don't see how anyone could be advocating for signing Broja or the guy from Brazil, when as it stands, our front 3/4 are doing a pretty decent job and any deal for someone who isn't clearly and obviously an upgrade is, frankly, a waste of time.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Fraser needs to go out and play games consistently to develop, not sit on our bench and occasionally get 5 minutes at best every so often.

In an ideal world absolutely but training with Neto and Cunha isn’t going to do him much harm. Be great if we could find a decent loanee who could do a job until the end of the season and look for the long term solution in the summer. I’d even take a punt on a Championship player such as Morgan Whittaker knowing we could get most of our money back if he’s out of his depth.

 

[Del Woppio]

It's alright saying nobody else is buying anybody this January, but the month isn't a vacuum. Our Summer business left the squad in a net deficit in terms of numbers, and we're amongst the lowest users of players in the league. We're running lads into the ground and relying on people staying fit, which isn't a strategy, it's a hope and a wish. The manager wants players. He was led toward confidence in that happening, and we've all seen that movie before.

 

[Tony Towner]

I get you. The way the club is run is questionable at the very least, and worthy of critique. The tap on/tap off transfer funding is an indication of a lack of any overall strategy. However, just throwing money (and squad places) at any old shit is what has got us into this mess in the first place.

If doing nothing now is followed by doing nothing in the summer, it's open season on them, for sure. But I really don't see how anyone could be advocating for signing Broja or the guy from Brazil, when as it stands, our front 3/4 are doing a pretty decent job and any deal for someone who isn't clearly and obviously an upgrade is, frankly, a waste of time.

I agree with your first paragraph and elements of your second. I would rather have nobody than pay £5m for a loan of Broja or £30m for him in the Summer. I was on board with the Alberto deal as it was risk free, if he's crap we are no worse off and Fraser gets to develop his game elsewhere with regular adult football, if he's good we sign him in the Summer. As usual with things that look too good to be true it was.

For me though it shouldn't be about do you want that sub par option or that one. We've known from August we wanted a centre forward, we knew what the budget was and therefore broadly what the options would be. Things change eg in November Adams was probably available, then he gets back into the team, but we shouldn't be scrabbling around on deadline day for a position we have had so long to plan for.

The manager has said he doesn't see a true number 9 in the squad and although players are able to adapt none are in their best position doing so. Therefore yes, we have done well this season with what we have, but the failure to give the manager what he so vocally wants with so much time to plan for it shouldn't be seen as acceptable, he's been let down - how costly that is can only really be judged with hindsight.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Again, I see your point Tony. However, in August we thought we had Sasa coming back and at that point we didn't know that O'Neil didn't rate him. That was only discovered subsequently. He used him a few times near the start of the season (won us 2 games with goals), so we probably thought then he was our number 9. Unfortunately, Sasa has proven he wasn't a fit for how GON wanted us to play, leading to where we are now.

 

[Tony Towner]

Again, I see your point Tony. However, in August we thought we had Sasa coming back and at that point we didn't know that O'Neil didn't rate him. That was only discovered subsequently. He used him a few times near the start of the season so we probably thought then he was our number 9. Unfortunately, he Sasa has proven he wasn't a fit for how GON wanted us to play, leading to where we are now.

We tried to sign Dia at the end of the last window, that was when Fabio and Sasa were both seen as playable options within the club. The fact GON didn't think they were only compounds the issue.

 

[Dire Wolf]

We tried to sign Dia at the end of the last window, that was when Fabio and Sasa were both seen as playable options within the club. The fact GON didn't think they were only compounds the issue.

I don't think Fabio has ever been seen as a playable option. Not even "In an Emergency, Break Glass" kind of way.

 

[Tony Towner]

I don't think Fabio has ever been seen as a playable option. Not even "In an Emergency, Break Glass" kind of way.

Not in my eyes but he started 4 games on the bounce before and after the last window ending so someone must have

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

And he quickly persuaded them otherwise.

If it’s Adams, Broja or nothing, sign me up for nothing.

 

[AndyWolves]

I predict we'll make another last minute mad dash for Boulaye Dia (sp?)

 

[Tredman]

And he quickly persuaded them otherwise.

If it’s Adams, Broja or nothing, sign me up for nothing.

Its not though. Those aren't the only two options - its in the clubs interest to present it as that way as then responses like yours are seen as reasonable and wise.

 

[Carrotdude]

So Alberto not happening turned out to be due to agent fees?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1752977736203682068

 

[Alan]

Its not though. Those aren't the only two options - its in the clubs interest to present it as that way as then responses like yours are seen as reasonable and wise.

What are the other options, genuinely? Concrete ones.

 

[Kenny]

Kieffer Moore hasn't moved yet...

FFS moving to Ipswich

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Its not though. Those aren't the only two options - its in the clubs interest to present it as that way as then responses like yours are seen as reasonable and wise.

It fucking well shouldn’t be. Don’t get to thinking I am happy about this state of affairs.

Before I get to saying my preference in the binary options is to do nothing my first question is why is the shopping list so piss poor?

 

[Deano]

What are the other options, genuinely? Concrete ones.

We apparently have scouts looking at different profiles of player around the world so even if a poster on here can't name one what does it really prove? They definitely shouldn't be in a position where it is Broja, Adams or fuck all.

 

[Kenny]

We apparently have scouts looking at different profiles of player around the world so even if a poster on here can't name one what does it really prove? They definitely shouldn't be in a position where it is Broja, Adams or fuck all.

Well it was Broja, Adams,some random Brazilian with a twat of an agent or fuck all.

Guessing we have tried for a few more but hard to get anyone if your budget is L2 level

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I think absolutely everyone on here steers away from the general Wolves fan trope of popping down to the January Superstore, heading to the "mobile centre forward" aisle and picking up one which looks like decent value.

To pretend that there are absolutely no forwards in world football that will join a solid mid-table PL team, within our budget (which was there 5 months ago, before we shifted a large chunk of 3 senior players off the wage bill), and aren't a Bruce Forsyth lookalike from Chelsea or a David Nugent for the 2020s from the Championship...well, look at the responses I got on Twitter a fortnight ago for saying our owners shouldn't pat themselves too hard on the back for not quite losing £100m+ in three years.

 

[Tredman]

What are the other options, genuinely? Concrete ones.

I dunno, but then its not my job to know

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Dia? Guirassy has an extremely public release clause way lower than the Broja cost.