Who to buy in the transfer window? Premier League fans set out their wishlists
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/dec/27/transfer-window-premier-league-fans-wishlists Version 0 of 1. ARSENAL Arsène Wenger assured us at the AGM that he’d be making an effort to bolster our gossamer-thin defensive ranks – and Mats Hummels or Ron Vlaar would do the job nicely. But with Manchester United equally desperate, competition for centre-halves will be fierce. So, loth as I am to lose Carl Jenkinson, circumstances suggest that, with Winston Reid dawdling over a new contract, a swap deal may be feasible. A muscular Matic‑type midfield stopper is also a must. Bernard Azulay GoonersDiary.co.uk ASTON VILLA We need midfielders – players with the confidence to beat a man or play a difficult, goalwards ball, with the quality of Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson or Everton’s Ross Barkley. And, sadly, we may as well sell Charles N’Zogbia – a gifted player but a constant disappointment. Jonathan Pritchard BURNLEY Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi could slot in. If not them, I’d be happy to focus on a strong central midfield player and, most importantly, a central defender simply because Michael Duff isn’t going to go on forever. Tony Scholes @Clarets_Mad CHELSEA I’d say our squad is generally well balanced, although if John Terry is injured we could struggle. That said, a couple of the kids have looked capable of stepping up – Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen. A little raw maybe, but that’s only to be expected. Trizia Fiorellino Chelsea Supporters’ Group CRYSTAL PALACE It’s frustrating: our priorities are the exact same positions we tried and failed to fill in the summer. Whoever the next manager is, we have to sign a left-back, having missing out on Tyrone Mings in August. Everyone wants a striker with power, pace and goals, and Palace are no different: Joel Campbell , Troy Deeney, Yaya Sanogo? Swansea’s Bafétimbi Gomis is in the frame and the long shadow of Peter Crouch also looms large. But without a manager and with a potential takeover going on, you wonder if we will get any business done at all. Chris Waters @Clapham_Grand EVERTON We’ve dropped too many points at home and really need another clinical striker. Wilfried Bony would do nicely. Another goalkeeper as backup to Tim Howard would be good, too: Joel Robles has failed to convince. Steve Jones BlueKipper.com HULL Despite an abundance of midfielders we look light on quality in that area. Someone with energy who tackles would be handy. Fabian Delph is out of our league but he’s the sort we need. A loan striker would give us options too. It’s a pity James Wilson is getting games at Man United – he’d be ideal. Rick Skelton @HullCityLive LEICESTER The usual whirlwind of speculation has hit like a hurricane. An audacious bid for the Croat Andrej Kramaric at least shows ambition but given his links to Chelsea and Juventus I won’t hold my breath. A new left-back, winger and striker are necessities not priorities: names like Scott Sinclair and Jermain Defoe have been mentioned but Nigel Pearson loves an obscure find, so we have as much chance of signing a winger from the Azerbaijani top flight as Joel Campbell coming in on loan. Chris Whiting @ChrisRWhiting LIVERPOOL The obvious needs are a keeper and a striker. Petr Cech would be great, but Chelsea won’t let him go, so perhaps we should could go back to Southampton for Fraser Forster. Up front, Wilfried Bony for sure, and there’s a lot of talk about Gonzalo Higuaín. We need a central midfielder too. Kevin De Bruyne looks good but perhaps we could tempt James Milner from down the road. Priorities are getting some confidence – and a little guile wouldn’t go amiss, too. Steph Jones MANCHESTER CITY The summer spending addressed all the old weaknesses but, with all of our senior strikers currently injured, we may be forced into the market. The only player I can think of that ticks every box is Jay Rodriguez, although Atlético Madrid’s Mario Mandzukic has also been linked. Otherwise, a healthy extension on Lampard’s loan would satisfy me. Lloyd Scragg @Lloyd_Scragg MANCHESTER UNITED Not a revelation, this, but United’s defence needs work. Mats Hummels is my first choice, Diego Godín my second and Ron Vlaar third. We need a leader and a steadying influence at the back, someone the younger defenders can look up to and follow, and someone who can organise and marshall his team-mates. Shaun O’Donnell NEWCASTLE We need another striker. André-Pierre Gignac will be tough to bring in but could be worth the effort. Also, a commanding centre-half would be very welcome – no doubt chief scout Graham Carr will have a long list of options from the Netherlands and France. Richard and David Holmes QPR A striker is the most obvious need. Do we look for a target man with Premier League experience or a young poacher hungry to make his name? Personally I’d go for the latter – Eoin Doyle from Chesterfield or Dele Alli from MK Dons could fit the bill nicely. Adam Boxer QPR.VitalFootball.co.uk SOUTHAMPTON Recent form has shown that when players like Dusan Tadic and Graziano Pellè go off the boil we don’t have quality replacements to give them time out to recharge. More attacking options will be key to securing a European place, though the return of Jay Rodriguez from injury will be like a new signing, too. Ben Gammon @GoMarchingIn STOKE Victor Moses would be at the top of my list. His injury left a massive hole – at times he has been unplayable. Aaron Lennon has also been rumoured – I think he’d fit in well. I’d also love a commanding centre-half. I’m not convinced by Marc Wilson and Mark Hughes doesn’t seem convinced by Robert Huth. Rob Holloway SUNDERLAND We clearly need another striker to complement Steven Fletcher and Connor Wickham. Jozy Altidore will be away to foreign climes and it is difficult to bring in players from overseas in January – we found that out with Nacho Scocco. Domestically, someone like Danny Ings or Troy Deeney might fit, or maybe Kris Commons from Celtic. We’re also running short of defenders – Sam Byram from Leeds has been spoken of. But we have to be careful. New players are not always a panacea. Pete Sixsmith SalutSunderland.com SWANSEA Wilfried Bony could be absent for more than a month at the Africa Cup of Nations and, with only Bafétimbi Gomis as our backup, another attacker will be a priority. We’ve brought in Nelson Oliveira on loan, but he’s hardly the sort of name we need as cover for a striker like Bony as he lacks experience – not to mention goals at any decent level. Gomis is strongly being linked with a move to Palace but we really need to keep hold of him. Some say we’re also signing Exeter midfielder Matt Grimes. I’d like a full-back, too. Kevin Elphick Swansea.VitalFootball.co.uk TOTTENHAM I’d start with a centre-forward who can lead the line and bring the best out of other players. We haven’t had that since Dimitar Berbatov. We also need a leader – the choice of Younès Kaboul as captain is bizarre. Now that we have Paul Mitchell in charge of recruitment and analysis we might begin to identify such players, and work out who to let go. He may well be the most influential person to have left Southampton during the recent exodus – if we let him work his side of the street without interference. Dave Mason WEST BROM We’re unlikely to sign anybody unless we unload players as the squad is over quota. But we still lack pace. Although he is ex-Wolves, West Ham’s Matt Jarvis could do a job. Richard Jefferson @RichBaggie WEST HAM The Africa Cup of Nations will weaken the squad, but it’s strong enough. We could do with ensuring Winston Reid signs a new contract, finding a fourth centre-back and maybe adding another striker to replace Carlton Cole. Pete May HammersInTheHeart.blogspot.co.uk |