MFW regular, Alex Bain is back – this time with some thoughts on some in and outs that may or may not happen this January…
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Okay, let’s have some fun now that the silly season has really got into full swing, although there is nothing silly about City announcing they are in negotiations to extend Todd Cantwell’s contract.
At the end of last week, Remi Mathews returned from Bolton, so it seems his proposed move is off although the EDP are saying there are other Championship clubs interested in signing him. In the north it’s being reported that Bolton still want him, but would you sign for a club that is having so many financial problems and owes your parent club £200,000?
Transfers Rumours
Reports have emerged from Turkey claiming City are tracking Turkish international Yusuf Yazici as a possible transfer target, should promotion to the Premier League be achieved, and also that Ivo Pinto is in talks for a permanent move to Rizespor.
Some other rather more ambitious rumours doing the rounds are that City are interested in (deep breath)… Angel Romero, Oliver Torres, Robert Mak, M’Baye and Kingsley Schindle, most of which will only have a shred of credibility if City actually gain promotion. But, if City are looking at these, then there are certainly other clubs also interested.
I’m dreaming but, in my opinion, two good signings would be Victor Anichebe and Fernando Llorente – both excellent players – although of course it would more than over-stretch City’s pay structure and upset the team spirit. So, no-goers.
Where it has gone very quiet is on the Nelson Oliveria front. Yes, there is still plenty of time for a deal to be done – most likely in either Wales, Turkey or Portugal – but the big problem is he has had very little game time and his temperament may well come into question. Any move could be a loan with a view to a permanent deal.
With Daniel Farke confirming that Jordan Rhodes is staying till the end of the season, the striker positions seem fairly well stocked up, unless Dennis Srbeny were to go out on loan or back to Germany.
Timm Klose is the big conundrum. He is quoted as saying he is only concerned with Norwich until the end of the season but then City lose out on any possible transfer fee if he decides he doesn’t want to stay. A new deal would be the best scenario, of course, but this is one we will have to wait for.
Will Felix Passalack stay at City, or will he be recalled by his parent club due to lack of game time? If he does depart then we will need cover at right back.
Another one doing the rounds is Ben Marshall to Birmingham or Ipswich. Personally, I can’t see either of these happening as City will not want to strengthen a rival unless it’s a permanent move – neither of these have the money – but maybe Millwall might try their luck and hope City will take a small loss?
The only real problem area is left-back, where there is no natural back up for Jamal Lewis, and City have paid for this over the last few games as the team has looked unbalanced. It’s okay saying Marco Stieperman can cover there or Max Aarons can do it – and there’s no denying the solid job Ben Godfrey has done there – but none are specialists in that position. To make do and mend could still City’s downfall come the end of the season.
City have been excellent in the first half of the season, but the injuries have taken their toll in the last few weeks and we have been a little lucky to not have dropped more points.
The next couple of games will be telling but, as always, onwards and upwards.
Hi Alex – a fair assessment in every way.
The only players on your list that concern me are Cantwell and Klose, both of whom I would like to retain far beyond January.
This is Todd’s breakthrough season – and that’s where it stands just now – so surely no party has anything to lose on a well-merited new 4-year deal. Maybe an aggressive agent. maybe a technicality or two. We just don’t know.
Timm is happy here and knows he’s first on our teamsheet and while he’s not getting any younger he’s a marvellous asset. He’ll stay for now and if we go up he’ll surely remain. With less than six months left on his deal to run we’d get very little for him anyway – £1.5m at best?
Ten days already gone of the window and nothing has occurred.
Nelson is our final problem – we need to get him off the roster even if only for financial reasons.
Otherwise it’s the status quo for me unless we could get some decent LB cover in.
Thanks Martin
Had a lot of time thinking and reading rumours and hopefully city will do the right thing by Cantwell unless his agent asks for the world, he is due an incremental rise for his upgrade to the first team so hopefully this will get done sooner than later but agents seem to have their on agenda.
Thanks again
Can’t see how we can acquire any Left-back back up. No Premiership team will loan us a player who is either better than Jamal or to act as back up to him. There is no point wasting money on a player who is inferior to Jamal, I presume any money spent would be to improve the team not create a bigger squad. As you say I think we have to just put up with that for the remainder of the season or recall Husband :O
Hi Simon
Yes it will be difficult to loan in a player that will be an ok fill in as no club would be willing to let a player go that isn’t going to get game time but at present city are a bit short in this department so a solution has to be found.
thanks fir the comment
We’ve some versatile players who clearly understand the system well. Most Football league teams in January have squads depleted by injury and loan players moving on but I was in DF’s shoes would steer well away from loans of out of favour players and journeymen pros this January.
What we have has been good enough for half the season so don’t see the need to change now. Our key players are vital I believe keeping Klosse, Lietner, Lewis, Aarons, Tettey, Pukki, Stieperman and Hernandez fit to play say 80% of our remaining games should see us continuing our challenge for promotion. Luck will play a part but I would be happy if the cheque book remains in the safe, (other than to secure our current stars and Manager). The togetherness of this group is the biggest asset we have and I wouldn’t want to run the risk of a ‘bad apple’ at this point.
Our Club is now being run in a calm efficient manner it would seem, lets all celebrate that.
Hi Colin M
Fully agree with your comments but money talks and if some really silly offers come in you never know which way the board will go, with the injury situation starting to ease so we are told just maybe we can keep going the way we are.
The rumours are just that and they make interesting reading and discussion.
Thanks for the comments
The board confirmed at the AGM that there’s a ~22M deficit in the books this year, with us due to be in debt about now. As a result, I see the less activity in this window, the better.
It’s unlikely we’ll sell players with 6 months left on the books to raise revenue and while I’d move Nelson on, I can’t imagine who’d want to buy a grump who hasn’t been playing.
David the problem with Nelson is that his agent said in the summer a few clubs put offers to him and none were suitable, that reads less money than what he is on now so unless city will give him a pay off he will stay till he can get more money.
He will be difficult to move on clubs know what he can do for them but will not put up with his mood swings, Swansea owners rate him so maybe they might take a gamble with a loan and purchase at the end of the season.
Why do city seem to always have players that are difficult to move on
Wildshut
Pinto
Naismith
Oliveria
Mathews
Just a few
Thanks for the comments
I suspect a lot of clubs will have such players, especially if they’ve been in the Prem and not always spent wisely.
Actually, we have a pretty good record of signing players that we CAN sell for a substantial profit (Howson, Redmond, Fer etc).
Yes, one thing I think that has been undernoted is that much of our recent drop off in results coincides with Leitner’s injury. Getting him back into the side for a good run again will definitely feel like a new signing.
Hi Micheal
Yes injuries to certain players in the last few weeks ad slowed down the progress Leitner is the best example of that lets hope he is fit soon as well as Lewis then we can look forward to Thompson getting back so the squad should be back to strength
Thanks for the comments