January 2024 Transfer Window

The issue might be waiting for the sale of Young to fund the release of current players or purchase of new ones. The longer the delay, the less time to re-hash the squad, unless Rupp covers the cost until it’s gone through.

 

Stockton is not the type we need at all. Not sure where it came from, but I cant see Burton getting rid either? He was their marquee signing in the summer, but he's been injured for 90% of his time there. He's had a handful of starts since getting his fitness back, but it would be surprising to see him leave after 6 months, but also because he had a lot of L1 interest in the summer, to drop to a bang average L2 team would be very surprising.

But speaking of target men, there was a rumour at the weekend on a forum that we are looking into Sutton striker Harry Smith, big 6ft5 unit. He's at his 9th club in 8 seasons including various loan spells, GA had him at Motherwell. Doesn't sound plausible to me, he'd need a fee and I cant see him being played.

 

Can't believe you've forgotten to add SAGA's poster-boy Matt Derbyshire to that list of back-ups

 

I imagine we are. I remember Rhodes saying no young player leaves this club without add on’s. The whole saga annoys me. We have a striker who can score goals on our books for 2 1/2 years and we can’t keep him. We as a club are pathetic, as anyone tried to speak to him? tried to counsel him to stay with us. More cash benefits etc., a promise to allow him to leave in the summer etc etc.,

 

Young has been away, had his head turned and wants a better deal (possibly elsewhere). Have we even considered that if we offer him a new improved contract now, he would stay ? Surely if other clubs are interested, prepared to pay a fee and offer him more wages, we could at least attempt to keep him by upping his wage here ?

If we are expecting him to come back as the league's leading scorer and stay on the same money, when he can get better elsewhere, someone is deluded.

 

I think part of it with Young is the opportunism. After his unproductive spell at Barrow not even mystic Meg would have forecast the impact he’d have at Swindon.

to then be in a position where we are attracting six figure bids for him……bet Rupp and Sparks can’t believe their luck.

You never know whats around the corner in football, whether it be loss if form or injury, so I can’t see the club passing up the opportunity to cash in.

It would have been nice to see him given a go but if you had been treated as poorly as he was by Hughes - played in a team of kids at Park Ave, left off the Spain trip etc, I can see why he thinks his chapter here is done.

there’s been little snippets from GA in the paper but not one story from the player himself. That tells you everything.

Some will say he’s a pro, he should play. But the stupid Football League rules are effectively forcing the clubs hand here.

 

That 200k for the right back story is only from one source. We'll need to see how it pans out.

 

You should have added in Young's side as well in that- suddenly he's in demand and being offered big wage increases. Of course he's going to be interested!

 

He has done it for a few months in an otherwise bang average early career and hadn’t scored for his five last matches for Swindon if we got 2 to 3 k for him we are doing well.

 

How dare he be interested in playing in a better standard.of football on better wages. Make him play in the reserves or summat.

 

Exactly. Cash in now, cut our losses, disruption again minimised, move on. I'm really fed up of hearing about Young now

 

I bloody would

On a serious level ….what will transpire if no further or improved bids come in.? He’s got one heck of a professional decision to make, come Jan 31st.

Some say he has a problem with BCAFC.

His words from an interview I found, from Nov/ Dec 2023 whilst at Swind
“It was mainly one man’s opinion and that’s fine, that’s football,” he told the PA news agency.

 

I agree but the demand you refer to isn’t exactly breaking the door down in BD8?

Of course there is time , but don’t you think it a bit odd?

 

Harry Smith would not be a bad signing but very similar to Oliver and apparently he has had gambling issues all his career and think all of his career has been down South

 

I think joining Bradford City would be the biggest gamble of his career. Doesn't he know we're a strikers graveyard!

 

It's a win win for him, his spell at Swindon has endeared him to City fans without him actually playing for us and also put him in the shop window for a lucrative move. I have no problem with him in any way, it's a short career and he does what's best for him. He owes us nothing.

 

That's what buyers are hoping for - that we get bored and sell quick.

 

Barrow in for Cole Stockton apparently. Not sure whether we were ever in the hunt for him?

 

Surprised we are link with anyone considering the shite we have to get rid of first ..........as for Young the club wont want this deal done till the last possible moment giving them another excuse for another poor window.

 

And in other news, Flynn pays the price for building a team around two players who weren't his !!!