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Now The Transfer Window Will Hot Up !
Monday, 27th Jan 2020 09:27

Some Saints supporters have been getting hot under the collar about a lack of new arrivals at St Mary's but this is no different from any other January Transfer window and there has been little incoming at any Premier League club so far, but that will soon change.

For some football supporters whatever their allegiance if the club website has not put up news of a new arrival by the time that Big Ben has finished chiming the New Year in, it is a sign of a lack of ambition and the fact that the club owner has no intention of saving money.

By January 5th the same fans are frothing at the mouth, however history tells us that very little happens in January to the final few days of the window.

Indeed so far with four days left there have only been about 16 transfer completed to Premier League clubs so far and most of them have been fairly inconsequential, 38 year old Pepe Reina to cover Aston Villa's goalkeeping crisis, a few teenagers like Louie Barry who has also joined Villa and some squad players, the truth is there have been few signings who any of the buying clubs would consider to be first team regulars straight from the off.

So the fact that Saints have yet to make a signing does not make them slow off the mark, in fact it puts them very much in the majority.

As I say every year as social media goes wild with apoplectic rants, it is the last few days that could, not the first 28 when the selling clubs simply sit back and try to push up the bidding to the highest price they can get, after all why should they take a cheap bid if their are several clubs in the running, they will get more desperate as the end of the month looms, so hold out as long as possible.

So this years window will shut at 23.00 hrs on 31st January and as usual we will see a plethora of clubs trying to rush through medicals and having to apply for the short extension available to finish off the deal.

It's madness that things go to this level, but it is all about money.

Saints are still in the running for several players and so far they seem to have hidden their targets well, Kyle Walker Peters is one that is bandied around, but there are others on our radar who we will pursue on the final day.

But as usual transfers are usually set off by one deal that then triggers a chain reaction, if Leicester really want Jannik Vestergaard and sign him that in turn will give Saints more money in which they may be able to sign a player they want but may not be able to afford.

It is a lottery in the January transfer window, truth is there is no point in actually having it run a month, why not just make it a week and save all the weeks of nothing happening, in fact you could almost just make it an afternoon.

So now we can start to take rumour and counter rumour seriously, the fact that we have signed no one so far means nothing, nor has anyone else, its open season starting now and let's be straight about this, it is not about the club's ability to sign a player or their desire, it is purely about offering the selling enough money to persuade them to part with a player and then outbidding everyone else.

As we found a couple of years ago with Guido Carrillo, sometimes you have to make a signing, any signing to try and change things, but it does not make it the right thing to do as we have found.

Photo: Action Images



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underweststand added 11:17 - Jan 27
100% correct article Nick.
This window, (like all others) always causes a few fans to angrily call for the Board to be sacked...or the club sold from under the owner (replaced by whom I ask myself?) ..if we haven't signed at least one player by Day 2, and just because our scouting team may watch 10,20,30 players during the year doesn't mean we will buy ANY of them.

Two weeks ago Ralph expressed his satisfaction with his team, since when we've had 4 injuries and Danny Ings has gone 4 games without scoring - so now we are back looking.
Admitedly, a player with ambition wants to move up, but if his club - or his agent - has outrageous demands the deal is best left alone. Even if he agrees to a move there maybe "settling-in problems ". The "English culture" - especially for players born into a Spanish / French / italian speaking countries is often a real challenge. Likewise some from Africa.

Then- will their partner like the new environment?, and some players from London clubs never seem to settle happily on the South Coast. "Smaller / lower league " clubs with limited finances take the opportunity to offload their star players at ridiculous prices to clubs desperate to maintain their Prem. status and many are forced to pay up.
For those who think Carrillo was a bad deal should take a look at some other Prem. sides who paid put 2 and 3 times more for foreign players who can't get off the club's bench.

Personally I go back to my "guesses " in December. One full back, an extra CB ..and just maybe .. an attacking MF / extra striker. Who may go is wide open ...Cedric won't as he's injured (as is Shane Long) and the "stories " of a departure for Vestergaard and / or Hojbjerg may just be that . (a newspaper story boosted by a greedy agent).
We may see small fees paid out for "promisng teenagers " destined for the U23's and some of our Academy lads getting loan-outs to L1/L2 clubs playing "adult football".

It seems that when we do eventually buy someone ..it's inevitably someone who is totally unknown and with whom we've never even been mentioned.
I still cry in despair when I read fans who actually expect the club to announce precisely WHO we are looking to buy...and how MUCH we are willing to pay.
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