Transfer Window January 2026 Transfer Window Build-Up Thread

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

 

[Last_man]

Scored a pretty good goal against indonesia (still can't believe i put myself through that )

 

[SSO]

Zidane Iqbal. With a name like that he has to be good but I bet we get the half that is good at cricket.

 

[TheDukeOfBanburyshire]

Zidane Iqbal. With a name like that he has to be good but I bet we get the half that is good at cricket.

Seen him play for Utrecht in the same side HTA played in. Was originally on Man United's books, I believe. I wonder whether he's one of the summer targets we're revisiting.

Good player. That said, unsure that he's the kind of profile we need in at this point if the season if we're looking to have for control on the midfield. I'm also not sure he's going to come in and hit the ground running in the championship, which will be vital.

 

[Oldman159]

I wasn’t at the Charlton game, Jerome, but……

I just want to be entertained. That’s what it’s all about for me. Please get some players who will make that effort to entertain . Simples

……and I was yesterday. Well done Yellows!

 

[Oldman159]

There is considerable interest from abroad in Zidane Iqbal. Oxford United and Al-Okhdood have inquired about the Iraqi international, and according to Iraqi sources, Brentford is also interested. #FCUtrecht is asking for €3 million for Iqbal. #OUFC

 

[n1]

Wonder if Charlie Crew is a player we will go after on loan.

Hes a holding midfielder, full Wales international, and Leeds are reportedly looking at a loan to the Championship. Hes currently in his second loan spell at Doncaster.

 

[Nadi-]

There is considerable interest from abroad in Zidane Iqbal. Oxford United and Al-Okhdood have inquired about the Iraqi international, and according to Iraqi sources, Brentford is also interested. #FCUtrecht is asking for €3 million for Iqbal. #OUFC

Has been left with the reserves since November ,due lack of dedication from what I’ve read

 

[Bornyellow]

Wonder if Charlie Crew is a player we will go after on loan.

Hes a holding midfielder, full Wales international, and Leeds are reportedly looking at a loan to the Championship. Hes currently in his second loan spell at Doncaster.

Read last night about him being loaned to the championship, we definitely need body’s in the middle of the park. Can’t say I’ve seen anything of him but I’d really like our CDM to be a physical powerhouse.

 

[Jster]

I think Plymouth can probably give up on at least one of these loan targets!

Oxford United playmaker & Ipswich Town outcast can give Plymouth Argyle the dream start to January

Signing Tyler Goodrham and Cameron Humphreys could give Plymouth Argyle the dream start to January.

footballleagueworld.co.uk

 

[Shosho]

If looking for a loan to step up, Jamie McDonnell is pretty much the best defensive midfielder in league one.

More attacking, but Leo Castledine also with a productive start to the season and possibly ooc in the summer.

 

[Foley]

Matos doesn't seem to be getting on the pitch at all for Sheff U.
I assume that CW will want to bring in a few of his own players, so Matos could well be out on loan somewhere?

 

[Nadi-]

If looking for a loan to step up, Jamie McDonnell is pretty much the best defensive midfielder in league one.

More attacking, but Leo Castledine also with a productive start to the season and possibly ooc in the summer.

Plenty watching McDonnell, and the right age, just what we need.
Like Brodie Spencer came through a good Northern Irish youth set up
Castledine in the same Chelsea side as Matos we played.

 

[n1]

Think all four of those names mentioned (Crew, McDonnel, Matos, Castledine) are all pretty realistic loan signings.

Reckon most of our January business will be loan signings given the precarious nature of our league position.

 

[Nadi-]

9 goals in the last 11 games for Lee Bonis.
Would be a huge step up.
Pace and eye for goal, 30 minutes left and needing a goal, Bradshaw, Harris or Bonis. Know who’d I’d be calling on.

 

[Stranger]

Think all four of those names mentioned (Crew, McDonnel, Matos, Castledine) are all pretty realistic loan signings.

Reckon most of our January business will be loan signings given the precarious nature of our league position.

We already have five loan players. If we're bringing in more then some will have to leave: Lankshear, Larris, Prelec, Krastev, Davies

 

[holdsteady]

We already have five loan players. If we're bringing in more then some will have to leave: Lankshear, Larris, Prelec, Krastev, Davies

You can have more loans but it’s only 5 in a match day squad, I think.

 

[Stranger]

You can have more loans but it’s only 5 in a match day squad, I think.

I know, but I can't imagine either the players or their parent clubs would be happy if they didn't make the match day squad

 

[OX14]

We already have five loan players. If we're bringing in more then some will have to leave: Lankshear, Larris, Prelec, Krastev, Davies

We could make a couple of them permanent signings

 

[Nadi-]

We already have five loan players. If we're bringing in more then some will have to leave: Lankshear, Larris, Prelec, Krastev, Davies

Why would you loan someone like McDonnell, he’d be like your Whytes , Sykes or Goodrham. Capable of performing or us. As someone like Elding.
All with future potential valuation We know our value for someone like Matos,. Shouldn’t be looking to loan players below premiership.youngsters.

 

[BTCW]

Matos is exactly what our midfield needs & I think he’d give BDK more freedom

 

[Stranger]

Matos is exactly what our midfield needs & I think he’d give BDK more freedom

Or someone like him if Sheffield United don't want to loan/sell him to a rival

 

[carefreeoufc]

Matos is exactly what our midfield needs & I think he’d give BDK more freedom

Agreed. I think he’d fit in well. Not sure they’d loan him to us though.

 

[Joey]

Or someone like him if Sheffield United don't want to loan/sell him to a rival

Agreed. I think he’d fit in well. Not sure they’d loan him to us though.

Is the theory they won't loan him to us because they see us as a relegation rival? There's absolutely no way they're going down or will even be considering that a possibility. I'd have him back here in a shot, I don't know if a move to a better team who will have more of the ball was right for him, he's technically limited but absolutely excellent at winning it back and also carrying it up the pitch, perfect for a team like us but not so much one who will have more of the ball anyway.

 

[OUFC1978]

Oxford Analytics on Twitter/X has mentioned Arthur Piedfort who plays in Belgium for Westerlo. 20, 6ft1 defensive midfielder. Know nothing about him but size and age sounds exactly what I’d like to see come in.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Oxford Analytics on Twitter/X has mentioned Arthur Piedfort who plays in Belgium for Westerlo. 20, 6ft1 defensive midfielder. Know nothing about him but size and age sounds exactly what I’d like to see come in.

Physicality has been something we've lacked since promotion. Need quality on the ball too of course

 

[Gregortheox]

Is the theory they won't loan him to us because they see us as a relegation rival? There's absolutely no way they're going down or will even be considering that a possibility. I'd have him back here in a shot, I don't know if a move to a better team who will have more of the ball was right for him, he's technically limited but absolutely excellent at winning it back and also carrying it up the pitch, perfect for a team like us but not so much one who will have more of the ball anyway.

I do think a midfield of BDK, Cam and Matos woukd have their fair share of the ball.
Add a winger or two to that and I’d be pleased.

 

[Jonny G]

I would estimate there's over £3m per annum going out there, with less than a quarter of that amount coming back in wage contributions from those out on loan, so net payout by OUFC approaching £2.5m per annum for players who are not contributing anything.

As you say, it's fucking mental!!!

That's the most damning evidence against Ed Waldron as our Head of Football Operations. Or, against Ferguson and Williams for allowing us to be 19 months in to our Championship tenure and still have the football operation run by someone with no prior Championship experience, who'd been assistant to Head of Recruitment in League 1 only 15 months before we were promoted.
We did bring in some support for him in the summer, but that was a Head of Recruitment from a League 1 club to work under him, not an experienced operator to work alongside, or above him.
That might be why the type of player we've recruited and the style of play favoured by the previous Head Coach didn't fit.
What is also telling is that if you look at the organisational structure of the football club, we have a Chairman, a Chief Executive Officer and a Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer, who I assume reports either to Chairman, or CEO. The head of our football operations is just that a 'Head Of', so same job title as the Head of Revenue who I assume reports to the CMO.
I appreciate that generating revenue is vital to our club based on restrictions around what we earn at the Breeze Block on a matchday. However, I can't get my head around how the core business, the performance of our Men's First team, isn't at least as important as generation of revenue and worth that experienced Director of Football / Technical Director role.

 

[Jonny G]

Two more points to add:
Firstly, Stuart Findlay is now playing his third season out on loan in the SPL. Two at Kilmarnock and the third at Hearts, following the managerial move between the two and at a club top of the SPL at Christmas and who played in the full league stage of the UEFA Conference League. How we managed to do that deal in early summer and not get better terms is staggering. Findlay has played in all 19 SPL league matches to date. We should be pulling Findlay out of the deal from 1 January and telling Hearts to either pay 100% of his wages and a loan fee, or to take on his registration and sign Findlay directly, if they don't there is bound to be interest from elsewhere.
Secondly, a further sign of the muddled thinking and lines of communication and reporting at the club are the titles of various personnel. We have a Head of Football Operations (Waldron) and under him - I guess they're his direct reports - are 'Heads of': Analysis; Goalkeeping; Performance; Athletic Performance; Medical; Recruitment and Scouting (Recruitment and Scouting are two different roles). So maybe Ed is Director of Football, but his job title just remains the same as his direct reports. Very clear!

 

[JOHN BOY]

Two more points to add:
Firstly, Stuart Findlay is now playing his third season out on loan in the SPL. Two at Kilmarnock and the third at Hearts, following the managerial move between the two and at a club top of the SPL at Christmas and who played in the full league stage of the UEFA Conference League. How we managed to do that deal in early summer and not get better terms is staggering. Findlay has played in all 19 SPL league matches to date. We should be pulling Findlay out of the deal from 1 January and telling Hearts to either pay 100% of his wages and a loan fee, or to take on his registration and sign Findlay directly, if they don't there is bound to be interest from elsewhere.
Secondly, a further sign of the muddled thinking and lines of communication and reporting at the club are the titles of various personnel. We have a Head of Football Operations (Waldron) and under him - I guess they're his direct reports - are 'Heads of': Analysis; Goalkeeping; Performance; Athletic Performance; Medical; Recruitment and Scouting (Recruitment and Scouting are two different roles). So maybe Ed is Director of Football, but his job title just remains the same as his direct reports. Very clear!

Agree the Findlay situation is ridiculous.