The transfer window thread.

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

You watched it? Why would you do that?!

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Tottenham face £50m transfer bill as Jose Mourinho identifies target after Man Utd praise
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is a long-term admirer of former Manchester United transfer target Issa Diop.
By RYAN TAYLOR

Tottenham are keen on signing Issa Diop from West Ham, reports have claimed and Jose Mourinho already has previous with the Frenchman, having declared how impressed he was with him while manager of Manchester United. The Red Devils were also looking at signing him last summer, before he committed his future to the Irons.

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham have now entered the race for the highly-rated 22-year-old.

The problem they face is that West Ham are adamant he is not for sale and that he is worth at least £50million.

That means Spurs will have to pay at least that if they are to convince their London rivals to let him leave the Olympic Stadium.

West Ham are currently facing a battle to beat the drop and are therefore unlikely to be willing to do business mid-season.

Diop has recently lost his place in the West Ham starting line up since being suspended for the 1-0 win over Chelsea.

The centre-back caught Mourinho’s eye when in his final season at United, West Ham beat his side 3-1 in the Premier League.

After the game, Mourinho singled out the former Toulouse man for praise.

“(He had a) fantastic match,” Mourinho told BT Sport.

“Congratulations to the scout that found a 21-year-old kid Diop - a monster who dominated in the duels.”

A deal could potentially hinge on the future of Jan Vertonghen.

The Belgian is currently out of contract in the summer and is yet to agree an extension at the club.

Inter Milan are reportedly monitoring the situation.

Toby Alderweireld signed a contract extension last week, with the arrival of Mourinho the main influence behind his decision.

There is hope that Vertonghen could follow in his footsteps, he has been a mainstay in the team since the Portuguese’s arrival.

Even if they do both stay, there is still a chance that Spurs could move for Diop given that the majority of Vertonghen’s minutes have been at centre-back.

Diop can also play as a holding midfielder though, meaning he would add some versatility to Mourinho’s squad.

Back in the summer Diop insisted that he is not using the Hammers as a stepping stone to greater things.

“West Ham, for me, it was not and is still not a springboard to go elsewhere,” he said.

“It’s the club where I want to try to become the best defender I can be, compared to my qualities.”

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

Jose Mourinho has reportedly been given the green light by Lille to make a move to sign Boubakary Soumare next month.

Last week a number of reports claimed Tottenham Hotspur were interested in the midfielder and now they have been given the go ahead to make their move.

L’Equipe via Sport Witness reports that the Ligue 1 side, who were considering selling the midfielder next summer, are now ready to sanction his sale in January.

Apparently the emergence of former Swansea flop Renato Sanches has convinced Lille to cash in on the midfielder, who they rate in the €50-60million bracket.

Only last week La Voix du Nord via Get Football News France claimed that Spurs and Manchester United were in active discussions to sign the 20-year-old next month.

Napoli, Real Madrid and Valencia are also understood to have held preliminary talks with the France youth international, who has 23 appearances this season.

Lille were said to be content with the possibility of a deal that would see Soumare leave the club in January and then be loaned back until the end of the season, but it now appears they are ready to sell the player, who is under contract until June 2022.

Last month Jeunes Footeux claimed that Spurs Mourinho was set to look to Lille again for reinforcements in his playing squad – with two targets in mind.

After snapping up coaches Joao Sacramento and Nuno Santos soon after arriving at Spurs – using his good relationship with Lille director Luis Campos, Mourinho was believed to be chasing two Lille players.

Those two players were striker Victor Osimhen and defensive midfielder Soumare and with Lille’s stance changing expect more news on the France U21 star in January.

 

[monkeybarry]

Nubel is, unsurprisingly, going to Bayern.

Hope we have a plan B keeper in our sights.
Even a stop gap veteran would do (although can't think of too many of them)

 

[Bullet]

West Ham are adamant he is not for sale and that he is worth at least £50million.

Diop has recently lost his place in the West Ham starting line up

Hmm. There is a difference between a big defender who can win challenges and put himself about... and a top defender who knows what to do when and would easily grace the CL Quarter Final or World Cup Quarter Final.

I don't know enough about Diop to say whether he is the latter i.e. worth spending big money on. If not, don't bother.

 

[P.D.]

Nubel is, unsurprisingly, going to Bayern.

Hope we have a plan B keeper in our sights.
Even a stop gap veteran would do (although can't think of too many of them)

What an idiot, so he can sit on the bench for 2-3 seasons until Neuer retires or loses form.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Nubel is, unsurprisingly, going to Bayern.

Hope we have a plan B keeper in our sights.
Even a stop gap veteran would do (although can't think of too many of them)

TBF we have barely been linked with him

 

[glorygloryeze]

Did anyone think that Levy's article in the Evening Standard last week was a gentle way of preparing us for not buying any players in January?

 

[milo]

Did anyone think that Levy's article in the Evening Standard last week was a gentle way of preparing us for not buying any players in January?

I wouldn't pay any attention to what the club say about transfers. Talking up a busy window just pushes prices up and Levy has always preferred not commenting on potential signings.

 

[Glenda's Legs]

Did anyone think that Levy's article in the Evening Standard last week was a gentle way of preparing us for not buying any players in January?

Only if you think Levy is bothered enough to plant surreptitious messages in the Evening Standard.
Unlikely imo.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Did anyone think that Levy's article in the Evening Standard last week was a gentle way of preparing us for not buying any players in January?

I thought so yes.

 

[Finney Is Back]

I wouldn't pay any attention to what the club say about transfers. Talking up a busy window just pushes prices up and Levy has always preferred not commenting on potential signings.

I think the prices are just the prices. If a club actively wants to sell a player abd/or there is no competition to sign that player then the price is low. If the club don't want to sell and/or there is lots of clubs wanting the player then the price is likely to be high.

One would hope that players we want are desirable and therefore we have lots of competition for their signature. Us saying we have no money to spend won't magically reduce the price of a player we want to sign.

 

[braineclipse]

I think the prices are just the prices. If a club actively wants to sell a player abd/or there is no competition to sign that player then the price is low. If the club don't want to sell and/or there is lots of clubs wanting the player then the price is likely to be high.

One would hope that players we want are desirable and therefore we have lots of competition for their signature. Us saying we have no money to spend won't magically reduce the price of a player we want to sign.

I think if it's known that a club either has a lot of money, is desperate for a particular signing or new signings in general clubs might turn the screw a bit more.

I don't think that is influenced that much by what the media writes, but it might be a small factor. I don't think Levy wants to go into negotiations with the media being full of him and Mourinho saying we need new signings.

Mostly I think it's just caution. Don't promise anything to the fans that you can't deliver. Transfers are complex, stumbling blocks can be frequent.

 

[Bishop]

We rarely make significant additions in January, I wouldn't expect that to change this January.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Fapatalk

 

[SteveAWOL]

We rarely make significant additions in January, I wouldn't expect that to change this January.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Fapatalk

Hopefully whomever we sign proves to be as prudent an acquisition as our previous 2 January signings.

January 2018: Lucas Moura
January 2015: Dele Alli

 

[parklane1]

I think if it's known that a club either has a lot of money, is desperate for a particular signing or new signings in general clubs might turn the screw a bit more.

I don't think that is influenced that much by what the media writes, but it might be a small factor. I don't think Levy wants to go into negotiations with the media being full of him and Mourinho saying we need new signings.

Mostly I think it's just caution. Don't promise anything to the fans that you can't deliver. Transfers are complex, stumbling blocks can be frequent.

tickle my balls with a feather.

 

[mjc23]

We rarely make significant additions in January, I wouldn't expect that to change this January.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Fapatalk

You've obviously forgotten Ryan Nelson.

 

[Bishop]

You've obviously forgotten Ryan Nelson.

I tried my best too [emoji28]

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Fapatalk

 

[SteveAWOL]

You've obviously forgotten Ryan Nelson.

At least Nelson was a free signing I suppose, unlike Khumalo the previous January!

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

I think if it's known that a club either has a lot of money, is desperate for a particular signing or new signings in general clubs might turn the screw a bit more.

I don't think that is influenced that much by what the media writes, but it might be a small factor. I don't think Levy wants to go into negotiations with the media being full of him and Mourinho saying we need new signings.

Mostly I think it's just caution. Don't promise anything to the fans that you can't deliver. Transfers are complex, stumbling blocks can be frequent.

Exactly, it’s basic common sense really.