And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

[Sean of the Shed]

It looks like Oscar is leaving the Chelsea bench to go to China for somewhere between £50-60m on wages of around £350k a week. It also appears that his new club,Shanghai SIPG, aren't that arsed about signing him, but have been instructed to by the local government. With such a big lump of Chinese cash, Chelsea are inevitably being linked with pretty much every midfielder who might or might not be available next month to fill Oscar's place in the dug out, possibly Marco Verratti.
Man City are being linked with a move for Virgil van Dyke but even they might baulk at the £50m being quoted by Southampton. They do need a central defender though, especially if Pep is going to continue with three at the back. It just doesn't work with fullbacks.

[Gerontophile]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Celtic and Comedy Central's Efe Ambrose will (better) be available.

[longeared]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

It's not a transfer window without Wednesday being linked with a move for Jordan Rhodes, and it started early this year given that the local paper has been running all week with him signing for us or Villa. Don't see why we would sign him, unless we're planning to sell Forestieri, given that we've got plenty of strikers as it is. Central defenders on the other hand...

[Hamish! Dougal!]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Most fans around here are fully expecting to lose a few of the better players in our squad, not because we're desperate to cash in on them, but because our chairman's an arsehole. Rumours already circulating that Robert Snodgrass has turned down a new deal, Harry 'Genetic Aberration' Maguire is still being chased by 'Boro, and Abel Hernandez is more than likely set to drop a division and rejoin Steve Bruce at Villa. Quite frankly, I wouldn't blame any player for wanting to leave the club. We're on a possibly irreversible slide into oblivion.

[Sean of the Shed]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

West Brom have put in a bid for Morgan Schneiderlin, supposedly between £15-18m. Mourinho isn't bothered about keeping him either.

[ursus arctos]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Julian Draxler has joined PSG from Wolfsburg for a fee thought to be around 42 million euro, which could rise to 47 million with bonuses.

[steveeeeeeeee]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Man Utd are supposedly buying Victor Lindelof from Benfica for £38m. I thought he looked a huge prospect last season, but he's cocked up in every Benfica game I've watched this season (admittedly, only 3). I think he played better when he was paired with the speedier Jardel in defence. This season, he's been with the now geriatric Luisão and he's been more exposed.

Still,£38m, that's a lot of money, but he has the mentality of a world class player.

[Snake Plissken]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Burnley were supposed to be re-signing Joey Barton, but recent events have thrown that into doubt.

Lukas Jutkiewicz will join Birmingham permanently when the window opens. A nice enogh person, but possibly the worst striker I've ever seen in a Claret shirt.

[Glass Half Empty]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

I find it particularly heartwarming at this festive season to ponder on the riches bound for Mr Tevez' agent should his Chinese offer come to fruition - always pleasing to see such a worthy cause rewarded.

[Eggchaser]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

No doubt Big Sam will be on the hunt for some wardrobe sized midfielders.

[Sean of the Shed]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

I do hope the rumours about Jose going after Pepe are true.

[ingoldale]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Paul Hurst has paid somewhere in the region of £25,000 for Toto Nsiala (ex-Grimsby) to go from Hartlepool to Shrewsbury. Everybody is following proceedings with apprehension at Blundell Park in the hope he doesn't make a raid for any other of his ex-players.

[Various Artist]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Hideous to realise that that transfer fee equates to what Oscar would allegedly earn every 12 hours in China.

[ingoldale]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Various Artist wrote: Hideous to realise that that transfer fee equates to what Oscar would allegedly earn every 12 hours in China.

It now seems Witsel has turned down a move to Juve (Juve!) to go to China on stupid wages too.

[cantagalo]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

The race to sign Scott Hogan has begun. West Ham and RB Leipzig are interested and Watford have put in a cheeky bid of £8m.

Be serious. If McCormack is worth £12m and Kodjia £14m, the bidding starts at 15.

[Amor de Cosmos]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Tjaronn Chery has put in a request for a transfer, Karl Henry is being let go, Sandro is out the door on a free, and there are rumours Seb Polter wants to leave QPR too.

The more the managers change the more everything remains the same.

[Sam]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

ingoldale wrote:

Hideous to realise that that transfer fee equates to what Oscar would allegedly earn every 12 hours in China.

It now seems Witsel has turned down a move to Juve (Juve!) to go to China on stupid wages too.

He had to think about his family and their future financial security, apparently. Because Juventus weren't offering wages big enough to guarantee that...

[3 Colours Red]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

I'm not surprised at Witsel's actions... why do you think he was at Zenit?

[evilC]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Jose Fonte has handed in a transfer request.

I wonder if it was written on Liverpool headed paper?

[Etienne]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Not joining Juventus is always the ethical option.

[Janik]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

As would be not joining Zenit St. Petersburg, but there you go...

[Etienne]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

He's obviously developed a conscience, probably from witnessing Welsh solidarity in that game.

[hobbes]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

evilC wrote: Jose Fonte has handed in a transfer request.

I wonder if it was written on Liverpool headed paper?

Word is that it's the other North West BRC he's fluttering eyelashes at.

[evilC]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

hobbes wrote:

Jose Fonte has handed in a transfer request.

I wonder if it was written on Liverpool headed paper?

Word is that it's the other North West BRC he's fluttering eyelashes at.

Yeah, I'd heard it was going to be one or the other. However, back when Lovren had recently joined Southampton, I remember Fonte saying (to paraphrase) that they had a real rapport in defence - they each seemed to know what the other would be doing - and that was what made them so effective as a unit. With LFC losing Sakho, I assumed they'd be the most keen to exploit that historical harmony between Fonte and Lovren.

[Janik]

And the Oscar goes to... January 2017 transfer window

Having spent £13m on Nampalys Mendy, only to find he wasn't quite (or even nearly) N'Golo Kante*, Leicester are trying again on the defensive midfielder front; Wilfred Ndidi arrives from Genk for £15m. Prediction - he won't be close to as good as Kante.
Hopefully he will settle quicker than the other summer signings. Islam Slimani has done OK, but not brilliantly. Better than Ahmed Musa, though. Who in turn has coped better than Luis Hernandez. Mendy and Ron-Robert Zieler are about next. Certainly ahead of Bartosz Kaputska, who is yet to make his first team debut!

* - actually Leicester had been scouting Mendy for years, and had already tried to sign him previously in 2015 prior to getting Kante. He was never seen as a replacement for N'Golo. But that doesn't stop the perception that that was what was going on. And Ndidi will certainly be perceived like that.