January 2023 Transfer Window

[DJBlu]

In his last two full seasons at this level, Eaves scored 38 in 84. However, that was for Gillingham, and as BWFCi notes, he’s not exactly Evattball - or indeed an “asset” to “develop”.

It’s just the latest weird transfer rumour that makes very little sense. But presumably some subscriber clicked on it.

Hopefully the relative silence means the real names will make more sense - and the deals will be done smoothly.

If we had Parkinson as manager Eaves would be a sensible signing at this level. I just don’t see how it fits with Evatt at all.

Eaves can hold the ball up. As you say, Dion can't. I have seen little to say that Bod can too. Baka can't head the ball nor can Kachunga.
You have complained that we can't change it up and that Evatt ball isn't working. Maybe just maybe he's off to try and sort that out?

[BWFC_Insane]

In his last two full seasons at this level, Eaves scored 38 in 84. However, that was for Gillingham, and as BWFCi notes, he’s not exactly Evattball - or indeed an “asset” to “develop”.

It’s just the latest weird transfer rumour that makes very little sense. But presumably some subscriber clicked on it.

Hopefully the relative silence means the real names will make more sense - and the deals will be done smoothly.

If we had Parkinson as manager Eaves would be a sensible signing at this level. I just don’t see how it fits with Evatt at all.

Eaves can hold the ball up. As you say, Dion can't. I have seen little to say that Bod can too. Baka can't head the ball nor can Kachunga.
You have complained that we can't change it up and that Evatt ball isn't working. Maybe just maybe he's off to try and sort that out?

Bod can hold the ball up and play football. Eaves runs the channels to long balls and is as you say better with his back to goal than Charles. But so is Bod. So is Baka. The fact is that we have to either find someone who scores more goals or improve our supply. I’m not convinced Eaves does either in an Evatt side.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Having my usual nose around other clubs. Blackburn "will listen to loan offers for Joe Rankin-Costello, Tayo Edun, Dilan Markanday and Aynsley Pears, it is understood."

Tayo Edun - full name Adetayo Oluwatosin Olusegun Adio Aduramigba Iretioluwa Edun, it says here – is a former England U17/18/19/20 left-back or left-winger. Came up through Fulham's academy, went to Lincoln and did well. Looked really good against us last season (the game when we scored the late winner), bursting forward from left-back with pace and purpose, and was promptly signed by Blackburn. Can also play left-wing so he might tick a versatility box. Aged 24. Obviously we have LWBs already but if Declan John goes, he'd be one I'd look at. Contracted to 2024 but Blackburn are looking upwards.

Rankin-Costello is another versatile player I mentioned during the summer transfer window, thusly:

"Another Blackburn option could be JOE RANKIN-COSTELLO. New Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson’s first signing was Barnsley’s Callum Brittain, who plays RB/RWB/midfield - the versatile Rankin-Costello’s general area of operations. The Stockport-born six-footer started in United’s academy but joined Rovers at 15; he’s just turned 23 and although he signed a new deal last summer (following a 16-game season) lasting until 2024, it feels like he could be a loan-to-buy option. Not in any of table-topping Rovers’ three Champo match day squads yet, he played on the right of a back four in the Lge Cup win over Hartlepool and racked up 98 passes up and down the wing."

Dilan Markanday's an ex-Spurs winger. Pears is a goalkeeper; we'll need one of those before too long, but I'm not sure they'd lend him to us on the off-chance.

[Mar]

Surprising how few goals Stockton's scored this season. The league one Michael Ricketts perhaps.

[sonicthewhite]

An article on Gloucestershire Live has us linked with a loan move for Southampton striker Dan Nlundulu, who's currently at Cheltenham Town.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

An article on Gloucestershire Live has us linked with a loan move for Southampton striker Dan Nlundulu, who's currently at Cheltenham Town.

Evatt has admitted a past interest - https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -nlundulu/

Not exactly a goal-magnet but hey, he's a six-footer

[BWFC_Insane]

An article on Gloucestershire Live has us linked with a loan move for Southampton striker Dan Nlundulu, who's currently at Cheltenham Town.

Evatt has admitted a past interest - https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -nlundulu/

Not exactly a goal-magnet but hey, he's a six-footer

This one is a possibility I think.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

An article on Gloucestershire Live has us linked with a loan move for Southampton striker Dan Nlundulu, who's currently at Cheltenham Town.

Evatt has admitted a past interest - https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -nlundulu/

Not exactly a goal-magnet but hey, he's a six-footer

This one is a possibility I think.

Based on what, out of interest?

Makes sense in some ways. From their side, I think he was only on a six-month loan, so Saints be looking around for another home because he's clearly not yet ready for the Premier League, nor is he screaming for an elevation to the Championship.

From our side... well, Evatt admits they've watched him before, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if Markham was cosying up to the productive Saints academy. But with all respect to Dan, I'm not sure that he's a guaranteed promotion in a box, the best option we might get, or even arguably better than most of our strikers. I would be utterly delighted to be proven wrong.

Is it interesting that the Bolton News wrote a story on the link which has now been pulled? Possibly, if one believes the club has quietly requested its removal – but it's also possible the BN are just saving it for a non-game day.

[BWFC_Insane]

An article on Gloucestershire Live has us linked with a loan move for Southampton striker Dan Nlundulu, who's currently at Cheltenham Town.

Evatt has admitted a past interest - https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -nlundulu/

Not exactly a goal-magnet but hey, he's a six-footer

This one is a possibility I think.

Based on what, out of interest?

Makes sense in some ways. From their side, I think he was only on a six-month loan, so Saints be looking around for another home because he's clearly not yet ready for the Premier League, nor is he screaming for an elevation to the Championship.

From our side... well, Evatt admits they've watched him before, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if Markham was cosying up to the productive Saints academy. But with all respect to Dan, I'm not sure that he's a guaranteed promotion in a box, the best option we might get, or even arguably better than most of our strikers. I would be utterly delighted to be proven wrong.

Is it interesting that the Bolton News wrote a story on the link which has now been pulled? Possibly, if one believes the club has quietly requested its removal – but it's also possible the BN are just saving it for a non-game day.

I wasn’t offering a view on him as a signing but we’ve tried to sign him in the summer and there were whispers a few weeks back too…

Can’t see eaves. Could see this one. Like you say I’m not hugely enthused but not sure what we are likely to get up front in January. Also being reported by their local media as a possibility.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I wasn’t offering a view on him as a signing but we’ve tried to sign him in the summer and there were whispers a few weeks back too…

Can’t see eaves. Could see this one. Like you say I’m not hugely enthused but not sure what we are likely to get up front in January.

Ah, right, ta.

I think there'll be some forwards available - but perhaps not yet. That's always a window problem. Do you wait? Or get them on board?

He won Cheltenham's goal of the month comp in August and September. Methinks that for August the build-up was easily as notable as the finish....
.

.
...but September, well, that's his own work, and more of that would be welcome.
.


Sadly for him and Cheltenham he then didn't score for two and half months in which he played plenty of minutes. When he broke that drought last week, the gaffer said:

“It was really good movement and we had banged the drum with him about getting between the sticks more and getting across people and he does so much work in the middle third. If he can add that to his game, it’ll be a big leap forward for him. That’s why he’s here, so he can have that experience and we can do that with him. It was pleasing and we made numerous opportunities against Plymouth (1-0 Boxing Day home defeat) and we weren’t able to take one of them, or capitalise.... [today] Dan was slow to get into the game and a little bit laboured. He scored the goal and, from there, you saw a more genuine reflection of him.”

So take from that what you will. He's 24 next month. Similar age to Dapo when we signed him...

[sonicthewhite]

His current loan expires with Town on Jan 8th.

[BWFC_Insane]

Iles has confirmed story. Up to Nlundulu if he wants to come here or stay at Cheltenham. One assumes issue might be playing time.

Also can only assume if he arrives we would consider offers for Baka.

[jmjhb]

I'm not sure he's the answer but then again I don't know what the question is.

[brommers95]

Iles has confirmed story. Up to Nlundulu if he wants to come here or stay at Cheltenham. One assumes issue might be playing time.

Also can only assume if he arrives we would consider offers for Baka.

Yeah I think Baka will leave this window. He’d be a decent addition for a lower/mid-table L1 side or a promotion chasing L2 side.

An interesting last sentence in Iles’ article:

“If Wanderers are successful in signing Nlundulu on loan they would be given the opportunity to make the deal a permanent one in the summer.”

Mind you I think the same was said about Fossey and that didn’t turn out as planned

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Lots of interesting quotes.

“We are still progressing and having discussions. There is still work to be done on all of our targets, really, but things are looking positive.

“We have had a bid accepted for a player now, and that is progressing all the time.

“There have also been bids for one or two of the lads who haven’t played as much football as they would want.

“It is going to be a busy month but one we have to get right.”

Our lads? Their lads? Can’t mean Nlundulu, he’s played 20-odd games, almost all starts.

Loan-to-buy is definitely a good thing, if it works…

[DJBlu]

I read that as one or two of our lads who haven't played as much.

[Worthy4England]

I read that as one or two of our lads who haven't played as much.

That was the way I read it too.

[brommers95]

Yes, how I read it as well. Looks likely that John and Baka will leave, possibly Sadlier.

Will be slightly sad to see John leave as he was a big part of that great run to win promotion from League Two. There’s a good player in there but I don’t think he’s in the right head space/has the right attitude - it’ll likely hold him back his whole career.

Baka, thanks for the memories and the chant, but if we want to have any hope of getting promoted out of this league we need much better than him even as a rotation option.

Evatt seems to like Sadlier as an impact sub and will probably want to keep him around, but he clearly doesn’t fit into the current system so can see him requesting a move to get regular football.

[Worthy4England]

I'm fairly sure I recall one of the reasons he wanted to leave Rotherham was coz they wanted to play him out of position...

[GhostoftheBok]

Whilst I understand the reticence regarding Nlundulu, I think he's a good fit for what we want to do. He has the attributes Evatt covets in forwards and he's at that age where he needs to find a permanent home - as was the case with Dapo.

I don't think he's a player who will set the imagination afire and he is very raw, but I think I'd rather have him in the squad than Baka (who looks set to leave).

Will he score loads? Dunno (strongly doubt it). I don't think that's the biggest question mark over him for an Evatt system, though. Evatt will believe he can make him score (despite failure to do so with other players). The question for me is whether he will be able to adapt to our pressing patterns. I've never seen him work as hard as Evatt will want. Again, though, Evatt will believe he can get that out of him.

Basically he's athletic and technically better than League One forwards usually are. Coming off a Saints footballing education, looks worth a loan. Not many about with his profile that we could get on our budget.

The fact that Saints are cutting him loose is interesting, as it has coincided with them moving to replace Matt Crocker and rework their "elite development" model. If our lot have been putting in work to cosy up to Southampton, as someone said earlier in the thread, they may need to start again next season. There may be a few others on the move from that set up over the next 6 months.