
Plenty gets said about our transfer news, whether we are signing players or not, but it is also interesting to know which other clubs are doing significant business.
The Imps’ transfer policy is clear and obvious in our eyes – we will sign if we need to, but do not feel a glut of new faces will aid our push for promotion. We may pepper the odd player in here or there, but we won’t be making wholesale changes. Across the division, different clubs have different outlooks and approaches. Some clubs are seemingly struggling to add this winter, due to the pandemic and the lack of funds they have available. Others will be looking to make big, bold statements of intent and spend their way either out of trouble or into promotion contention.
I’m not going to go through all of the news, but instead pick out some of the moves and stories that should be of real interest from clubs around us in the league.
Hull City

Starting with Hull City, they are on the spend, as expected. They had cash to fritter in the summer and have made a couple of eye-opening signings this winter too. Only one is a paid-for transfer, Jordan Flores joins from Dundalk. I’m not sure he will be featuring in the first XI much over the coming weeks, although he did come off the bench during their draw with Blackpool. Two players I do like are Dan Crowley and Gavin Whyte, with the latter a big capture. Crowley is on loan from Birmingham City and will definitely add depth to Hulls offering, but Whyte switched from Oxford to Cardiff after being valued at £4m. He scored against Accrington on Tuesday night and is the sort of player we wouldn’t be in a financial position to add. Make no mistake, the Tigers want to get back into the Championship and they are happy to fund that challenge.
Portsmouth

I think Portmsouth’s attacking offering is as good as any at this level, so it is little surprise they are having a quiet window. They have added just one player, Harvey White joins from Spurs on loan, whilst they have allowed Bryn Morris to join tomorrow’s opponents, Northampton Town. Reeco Hackett-Fairchild has left on loan, and Cameron Pring has returned to his parent club, leaving them hunting a left-back. However, the restrictions placed upon squad numbers mean they can only sign two more players over the age of 21 this window. One is expected to be 34-year-old former Bournemouth man Charlie Daniels, but in the main Pompey are relying on that stellar lineup to get them across the automatic promotion line this season.
Doncaster

When I say I worry for Doncaster, it really is ‘worry’ in the loosest sense. Ben Whiteman has left them this winter and he’s been a key man for them. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll have money to spend and I don’t see a complete capitulation, but they may need someone to step up and replace him, which is going to be a big ask. Incidentally, they have now handed the captaincy to former Imps’ loanee Tom Anderson. They have added a couple of faces, Ellery Balcombe comes in from Brentford and Elliot Simoes from Barnsley, but both are loan deals. Darren Moore has said he wants at least four more players before the window closes, and it remains to be seen whether six new faces is just too much upheaval, or whether they can settle quickly. One thing they do have is a bit of spending power given the Whiteman fee, which Moore will have to put to good use.
Ipswich

Josh Harrop and Luke Thomas are both solid acquisitions for Ipswich and both come in on loan from Preston and Barnsley respectively. They’re looking likely to let former £750,000 man Janoi Donacien join Fleetwood Town after turning down a Plymouth bid. On paper, it looks decent business, doing little bits rather than a massive overhaul, but I do fear for the Tractor Boys, again in the loosest sense. I don’t think Paul Lambert can get them out of this division and I don’t think he has what it takes to get the best out of players at this level. still, they are only seven points behind us with a game in hand and they do have a nice stadium and strong reputation with which to attract players. Thomas from Barnsley is a player who could light this division up given a chance, he’s quick, creative and has 57 Championship games under his belt with the Tykes.
Charlton

I think Charlton could still be a dark horse, if they get their recruitment right and find some consistency. They have added two, Ronnie Schwartz from FC Midtjylland for a fee, and Liam Millar on loan from Liverpool. They lost Alfie Doughty to Stoke, but got a fee in return which may give them some spending power. They’re eyeing a move for Jayden Stockley, a player we will remember well from his Exeter days, and I think he’s a better option Omar Bogle or Conor Washington up front. Whilst I wouldn’t class us as ‘have nots’, the business at Charlton does underline exactly where we are in terms of resources. They signed Marcus Maddison in the summer, and have Aneke, Washington, Bogle, and Smyth as options up top, as well as now trying for Stockley. still, as we are proving, it isn’t who you have in your squad that is important, it is how you play them, and a few Lee Bowyer outbursts have made me wonder if he really is the man who can take them out of this division.
MK Dons

So Milton Keynes are not exactly our rivals, they’re 14 points behind us having played tow games more, but I had to talk about their business because for my money, it is the most impressive in the division so far. They have sold tow players for a fee, one of those Richard Keogh who moved to Huddersfield. This is a great move for them in my eyes, it is a bit like if we had flogged Shackell six months after we had signed him for a nice profit. They moved Baily Cargill on too, a fringe player that Forest Green paid money for. They have used thaty money to sign Charlie Brown from Chelsea, a signing much like us capturing Anthony Scully last season. It’s a bold signing but one with future progression in mind. They have also snared Ethan Laird on loan from Manchester United, a player who made a Europa League start for them last season. Finally, they made Warren O’Hora’s loan move permanent, another good statement of intent after he impressed during the first half of the season. I think they are a club pointing n the right direction right now.
Other Notable Points

I don’t suppose it would surprise anyone to know the League One club with the highest squad churn thus far this window are Gillingham. They have seen nine players either leaving or arriving, most the end of loans or the start of new ones. A couple of clubs have been tentative too, making no signings so far. Rochdale I imagine are feeling the pinch a little, Oxford have let one go (Sean Clare to Burton on loan) but added no-one as yet, and Peterborough haven’t dipped their toe in the market either. Cash-strapped Wigan lost Kai Naismith, he left for Luton, and as he was their best player by a mile at our place I think the writing may be on the wall for them too.
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