The final day . . .

[basskadet]

Well, we are moving into the final 48hrs of what has seemed like a quite painful January window in general. However, if we have to suffer anything similar to the final 24hrs of the last window, I will be forced to boycott all future gossip (somehow!).

In the summer we went into the last day with a whole host of names on the verge of moving to WHL. Miguel Veloso (apparently, but no authentic reports), Diego Milito (snubbed us for Genoa) & Sergio Garcia (snubbed us for Real Betis), Michael Owen, Andrei Arshavin (), Emile Heskey, Kevin Doyle, etc, etc. There were so many, many names & we ended up with the 2 people we already knew we had signed some days earlier (Pav & Corluka).

This time around & there are considerably fewer names being banded about & hopefully considerably more will actually come to fruition as we clearly need strengthening in several areas of the pitch, notably our left-hand side.

Stephen Hunt is the LM we're being strongly connected with for £5m from Reading & considering they have just bought themselves a new LW, this deal looks likely to go thru in our favour. Whether we'll settle for him remains to be seen. We REALLY need another LB & news in the last day has suggested Marseille's Taye Taiwo as a possible solution, again for £5m. If we were to get him for anything like that I would be extremely satisfied but I'm not holding my breath as there is very little information about anything happening there.

We have been looking to strengthen our midfield up also & the signing of Wilson Palacios was a wise decision. However, 1 player will not necessarily turn us into heavyweights & we are still trying to thrash out a contract with Stephen Appiah, who has been training with us all month. As he is a free agent he is not subject to the same window constraints but I suspect we will still hear something about this before it closes anyhow. I think that we have clearly offered him something, otherwise we would have heard but they are likely negotiating as both Appiah & Spurs know there is no big rush here & will want to make sure everything suits both parties. Whatever happens, I doubt anything will be announced officially until the final day anyway, just like they did with Pav & Corluka in the summer.

Up front will again be the interesting one. We were left with just the loaning of Frazier Campbell last time around & we could possibly be ending this window with another Mancunian loan, albeit one I am far more happy about. After our new signing injured his foot yesterday we have rushed out & enquired as to the availability of Daniel Sturridge from Man City. They are bulging at the seams with strikers & we should not have too much trouble persuading him to come here on loan till the end of the season. Add to that the fact that he is out of contract at City in the summer & we should be able to then extend his stay then more permanently, & for free as well! Much better deal than training up a kid only to send him back to our rival when we're done!

There may be few other surprises between now & when the window closes at 5pm on Monday. Not much ever transpires on Sunday as clubs negotiate but no transactions can take place until the banks open again on Monday morning, so lets hope that we wake up to a barrage of good news as Harry works his magic on a sunday afternon!

[Pitseleh]

This is gonna be a big 48 hours in terms of how the rest of our season is likely to pan out.

We're leaking goals at the mo, though apart from BAE i cant find anyone to blame for that, other than we are being over-powered in midfield by teams like Bolton and Burnley, so some steel is still required - Appiah would be a good addition from what i've seen.. He would free up Modric that little bit more than what Bentley does - 4-4-2 would be my preffered formation with Luka in the free role, LB needs sorting, as does a possible left midfield. I'm not really sure how Harry intends on balancing our midfield out, and probably wont find out until the summer, but reign on the changes, god knows we need 'em.

[basskadet]

Yeah, I agree Pit.

BAE is getting sold short which then drags everyone else out of position. I have lost count how many times he has been bailed out by Woodgate's anticipation. Add to that all the free-kicks he is now giving away & he is becoming an increasing liability. People say he offers us something in attack but he certainly isn't goal-threat, is he? He has provided on the odd occasion but it simply is not enough for me & I feel we should be aiming a lot higher, especially as our first choice LB. Taye Taiwo for £5m looks like a great solution & I hope, I really hope we see that one materialise in the next 48hrs. However, after the heartbreak of the summer window, I'm not gonna get too carried away just yet!

[Gareth]

Stephen Hunt for LM and Taiwo for LB and then maybe, just maybe we could get a striker and we would be looking good. This would totally balance our squad out like fine butter on hot toast

Gomes/Cudicini

Corluka Woodgate Dawson Taiwo

Palacios Zokora

Bentley/Lennon Hunt/O'Hara

Pav Defoe

Edit: Hunt and Taiwo would cost around £11 ish million and they actually want to play for us is a bonus and another 10 million for a decent striker.

[DanSpurs80]

£10m isnt a lot of money for a striker in this market Woody, Santa Cruz will cost £20m alone.

[basskadet]

Don't need to spend £10m if we can get Sturridge on a free. Having said that, I could see us getting Sturridge in AND somebody else up top.

[P UNIT 1980]

Anyone remember being up late waiting for all the deals to be done?

Remember what TV programme you were watching???

[basskadet]

If its a repeat of last time I'll simply collapse in disappointment

[P UNIT 1980]

Chanel 923 or somthing like that!!!

[spurs2rise]

Whoops sorry PUNIT, I accidently thanked you instead of pressing quick reply. I do it all the bloody time.

So when does the window close?
Monday at 11:59pm??

[basskadet]

When the banks close on Monday, 5pm

[Gareth]

Funny Basskadet, is it not at 11:59 whenever they can last sign the contract.. usually if its after the banks are closed they sign the contract and pay the next day I assume?

[nickGT]

Pretty sure it was 906 unit.

That was hilarious. Flicking back from SSN.

[basskadet]

Funny Basskadet, is it not at 11:59 whenever they can last sign the contract.. usually if its after the banks are closed they sign the contract and pay the next day I assume?

No its at 5pm on Monday.

I think it is exactly because the banks are shut on the sunday so they extend it the extra day just so the transactions can go thru. As soon as the banks close, the window closes as it should have finished on sunday.

I don't know if that is the precise reason its at 5pm on Monday, its an educated guess, but I know that we will be able to sign someone up to that time & not after. Howeverm Sturridge might be a loan & therefore I think we have a bit longer & Appiah is a free agent so he can come at any point I believe.

[P UNIT 1980]

Pretty sure it was 906 unit.

That was hilarious. Flicking back from SSN.

I know there is no need but I may just stick it on tonight for purely sentimental reasons!!!

Sky 906 rocks!!!