What supporters can expect to see in January sales
The challenges Blues boss will face in quest to strengthen
WITH four days to go until the January transfer window officially opens for business, chief sports writer Neil Allen shared his thoughts on what we can expect Pompey to do next month.
Here’s what he had to say…
■ So Neil, what can we expect from the Blues in terms of both ins and outs?
NA: Hopefully we’ll see a better transfer window than what we’ve seen in recent years, which have been, quite frankly, awful.
For many years we’ve seen some really poor January windows. Some of the names haven’t been too bad but they’ve actually been miserable failures, like Charlie Daniels, James Vaughan, Omar Bogle, to an extent.
Let’s face it, we’ve generally been very disappointed with Pompey’s January dealings in the last 3-4 years, so hopefully this will buck a trend.
But then you’ve got the issue of finances and finding space in the wage bill to bring players in.
Meanwhile, (chief executive) Andy Cullen explained to me how the impact of Covid means it’s not so easy to get players in on loan at the start of the window because clubs need them because they’re short themselves.
So we’re not quite sure what we’re going to get out of this window again, but surely it’s going to be better than the ones we’ve most recently witnessed.
■ In terms of incomings, there’s been talk that Danny Cowley would like up to five new arrivals – does that include the loan deals we’ve known about for a while?
NA: Danny Cowley has said he’d like two new loanees, which raises the question – which of those five players currently on loan will leave? – among four or five new signings.
But, again, so much relies on players departing.
Pompey are up to their wage bill limit, they’ve got some big earners who are
surplus to requirements, certainly at the end of the season, so can Cowley remove some of them from his wage bill to bring more players in?
That’s the question.
■ A new striker and another centre-back have always been the priority – is that still the case?
NA: For me, a striker has been the priority for a good few years now and it remains obvious that Pompey need to strengthen up front.
And we can all see that Pompey need to strengthen
at the back – we all know that, Cowley knows that, his recruitment team know that, it’s obvious.
It’s obvious also that John Marquis has not succeeded at Pompey, surely everyone can see that, while (Ellis) Harrison has not worked out either. Their contracts run out in the summer and they have to do a lot to get new deals. Paul Downing has been injury prone and has barely played as well – so those three players in particular have questionable futures.
But do they leave in January or leave at the end of their contracts in the summer?
Again, Pompey need to be creative within their squad to try to remove players and bring players in.
Callum Johnson can be included in that as well.
He doesn’t have a future here, it appears.
He’s on loan at Fleetwood, he’s out of contract in the summer – perhaps Pompey could find a way to remove him from their wage bill as well next month.
■ What calibre of player is Cowley after? Is it Championship reinforcements, players from League One or Premier League youngsters?
NA: In terms of loanees, he’s looking at the Premier League.
But a lot of games are being called off because of Covid and clubs want them (their young players) around at the moment as they don’t know how long this Covid outbreak is going to last for.
Cullen said it’s not necessarily the end of looking towards Premier League clubs, but those moves won’t happen at the beginning of the window now because they’re still needed.
That’s the issue. And although some people will say that’s just an excuse from the football club, it’s a logical one, really.
If Pompey have Covid in the camp, as they have done, they’d be reticent to players leaving on loan as well.
But hopefully that won’t come to fruition because Pompey have been looking at those players, they have been planning a long time for this transfer window.
They’ve made no secret that they want a striker, they’ve made no secret they want a centre-half and as a result they’ve been looking at both
positions in a bid to strengthen.
■ Is there money to spend?
NA: The sounds from both Cullen and Cowley is that there’s no money to spend.
They’ve not definitively answered that question but that’s what they’ve intimated – unless a player departs.
That raises the issue of Marcus Harness.
They’ve said they don’t want him to go, they’ve got a clause in his contract that allows them to keep him longer, but no doubt there will be interest in him in the transfer window – and really, he’s the only one they can sell and fetch money for.
We’ll see how that one develops as the owners have always said that if they sell a player, the manager can have the money to spend himself.
But mainly they’re going to be trying to squeeze more out of this squad in terms of removing the high wage earners who have no future here and using that money in January to hopefully bring new players in.
But it’s not quite that simple.
What’s the chances of some of those fringe players we’ve mentioned actually leaving next month?
NA: No disrespect to those players (high wage earners on the fringes), they arrived at Pompey and were given decent wages.
It’s not their fault, but, realistically, the likes of Marquis, Downing and Harrison haven’t got much of a future here.
So what do they do?
Do they wait until the summer and maximise their earning potential at Pompey and then as a free transfer get more choice?
Or is there interest in them for them to leave now, where they would take a pay cut – as they will have to take a pay cut.
Marquis won’t get the same wages at Pompey at other clubs – same with Downing, the same with Harrison.
They’ll all have to take a pay cut, so do they leave now for regular football and a pay cut or do they wait for the summer?
That is, of course, if the interest is there now for them?
It’s all very well saying don’t let them leave for a League One club – you’ve got no choice.
If the interest is there, let them leave. It’s finances.
Alternatively, do Pompey pay them off ?
Pompey could do that but it will cost quite a bit because of their wages. Meanwhile, the player has to be willing to do that, too.
And if a player did do that, he needs a club lined up as well.
All these things come into it.
The Football Manager world is dead easy, but it’s not quite that simple in reality.
Is there pressure on Cowley to get this window right?
NA: All along he’s been looking towards the summer.
There’s 13 players out of contract in the summer – some of whom he wants to keep – but he’s been eyeing another big clearout and has that opportunity next summer.
You still have to win games to get to that stage, of course. But he’s been looking to next summer to have another clearout.
I think there’s a stat that 60 per cent of the budget was taken up by the top earners last summer – and that restricts what you can do.
But they’ll be gone next summer – so think about all the money Pompey will have to spend.
Pompey’s fine recent form has suddenly put them within touching distance of the play-offs, which we never thought of.
They’ve always had an eye on next summer, but this season isn’t a write-off – and that has to be taken into consideration.
It needs to be a decent window in that respect and that’s what he has to wrestle with at the moment.