Weighing up the transfer rumours so far

We are nearly half way through the January transfer window and while there have been no confirmed deals, there are a few rumours flying about.

The biggest one so far appears to be our apparent interest in Derby striker Chris Martin, which has been reported by the Derby Telegraph. He isn’t getting much of a look in at the high-flying Rams at the moment, so a move away is looking very likely in this window, but I doubt we will be the only suitors. His scoring ratio isn’t bad at this level and would represent a good option for Stam, who will certainly be after a striker before the deadline in just over two weeks. It seems it would be a loan rather than a permanent deal, but it is expected we will have to pay all of his wages.

On the topic of strikers, the other name that has been mentioned is Tom Bradshaw, which has been reported in the Express. The Barnsley striker has been a long-term target for us and Stam has publicly declared his interest in him, but Barnsley’s takeover means they are in no desperate need for cash. This one therefore seems less likely than the Martin deal, but worth keeping an eye on either way.

The latest and slightly bizarre rumour is that of Yoann Barbet, the Brentford defender who is having a solid season. HITC Sport are reporting that we have lodged a bid for the Frenchman, who is primarily a centre half, but is capable of playing left-back too. If, and it’s a big if, a bid was accepted, is he realistically going to want to make the move? We may be able to offer a better financial package than Brentford, but they are looking a lot more progressive than us at the moment. Time will tell – is this agent talk or potentially a replacement for Liam Moore if he leaves?