Manager Paul Warne says Rotherham United will sign another striker in the January transfer window as he admitted his interest in Walsall attacker Erhun Oztumer.
Oztumer is unlikely to be the new arrival but the Millers are keeping tabs on the 26-year-old’s situation at the Banks’s Stadium where he is out of contract at the end of the season. Warne wants a centre-forward with pace and said: “I will have a striker in before the window shuts. I have spoken to a couple who are giving it some thought.”
The Star understands Rotherham haven’t made an offer for 5ft 3in Oztumer, a fast, tricky ‘No 10’ who Walsall are keen to keep hold of until the summer. “I do like him,” the boss said. “He’s a good No 10. I’d be amazed if there’s a team in this league that doesn’t want to sign him.
We’ll see where that one goes. “If he became available and he wanted to come to us, I’d be interested. He’s a very good player. I haven’t spoken to Walsall and I wouldn’t speak to the player until I’d spoken to the club. “I wouldn’t expect him to be here before the end of January. Everybody is coveting him.
He’s done a great job at Walsall. We’re monitoring the situation.” Rotherham, who are at home to Kenny Jackett’s Portsmouth in League One on Saturday, last week upped their bid for their top central-midfield target who, Warne revealed, is with a Championship club. “We’ve offered a good price and it’s now up to the club to decide whether they want to sell,” he said. “I don’t think anything will happen before this weekend. I think it will go to the wire, regrettably. He plays in a league above us.” On top of the Championship player, the Millers are seeking another midfield reinforcement after selling Lee Frecklington and losing Darren Potter to injury.
That deal would most likely be a loan. Paul Warne On his striker pursuit, Warne added: “It’s just a bit of a waiting game really, but I’m confident I will get somebody. Obviously, I have my targets in preference order. Ideally, I’ll get my first target and we’ll be ‘cooking’.” One frontman has already joined, with Michael Smith moving from Bury to AESSEAL New York Stadium a week ago. League Two Chesterfield are keen on Rotherham centre-half and captain Richard Wood, but the chances of that move happening appear to have receded. “That ship could have sailed really,” Warne said. “Unless I can get someone in who is significantly better than the back four I have currently, then I am happy to go with what I’ve got.
You could have put any of our last 4 manager's names on that statement on transfer status and it would have sounded the same.
Overall I'm happy with the job Paul Warne has done of the pitch this season so I'm not going to have a go at him... who we buy, sell and loan in the end is not down to him as it depends on our bids and contracts.
... and on that basis we'll be very lucky to get any of the players Warne would really like...
Thursday our normal "signing day" & nothing happening. We are more or less safe in the fact that our current squad should gain enough points for us not to grt relegated. We're nowhere near good enough to get promoted so why not leave all the transfer talk & speculation to the summer & have a proper go at it next season?
Breaking | We understand Rotherham United have made a bid for midfielder Matt Palmer who's out of favour at Championship side Burton Albion. #RUFC #BAFC
Hi lads, Rumors over here in Ireland are our young striker Michael O'Connor at Shamrock Rovers is heading your way, O'Connor is a 6'2 striker with bags of talent,great feet for a big lad and very good in the air a under19/21 nternational player, He originally hales from Dundalk FC were he played with your midfielder Richie Towell and preston's Sean Maguire Darlyl Horgan and Andy Boyle. Apparently a move to Burnley fell through and Paul Warne met the player and deal has been reached best of luck to the lad and to Rotherham's push for promotion to the Championship Cheers.
Thanks Finn. That sounds very promising and if it comes off it could fill one of the targets that Paul Warne currently has. His previous time with Richie Towell might well have influenced this move from both O'Connor's and Rotherham's perspectives? If it is true, it might also point to a possibility that Towell wants to hang around and make his loan permanent. However, forgive the scepticism, but we are Rotherham and don't have a great track record in getting our targets across the line. So until the fat lady sings,we won't be celebrating. But I for one hope your info is correct. All the best.
Looking promising in my opinion. I'm surprised at some of the comments on this thread. How we managed to get a six figure fee for Frecks is incredible, he's far too injury prone these days, we cant have the luxury of having players on good money who can only play less than half the games in a season.Funny how only a club in L2 have come in for him. That said he's been a great player for us overall, good luck Frecks. Some on here say we must be skint, chairman wants us in league 2, that's ridiculous. None of us know our budget but you'd have to be a bit simple if you honestly believe its a bottom half budget, no way. May not be top 5 but easily top 8.
Finally lets give Warney, TS and the lads some credit, we're 7th in the league, unbeaten for 9 games and within touching distance of the playoffs. That's better than what any us probably expected pre season and compared with last season, Utopia.
Looking promising in my opinion. I'm surprised at some of the comments on this thread. How we managed to get a six figure fee for Frecks is incredible, he's far too injury prone these days, we cant have the luxury of having players on good money who can only play less than half the games in a season.Funny how only a club in L2 have come in for him. That said he's been a great player for us overall, good luck Frecks. Some on here say we must be skint, chairman wants us in league 2, that's ridiculous. None of us know our budget but you'd have to be a bit simple if you honestly believe its a bottom half budget, no way. May not be top 5 but easily top 8. Finally lets give Warney, TS and the lads some credit, we're 7th in the league, unbeaten for 9 games and within touching distance of the playoffs. That's better than what any us probably expected pre season and compared with last season, Utopia.
Really well said. Can't argue with any of that.
I give credit to all concerned. A few (me included) feared that we would take last seasons negativity into a slide down League 1 and that has been averted. We have stopped the bleeding, try to attack when we can and have seen some good performances. We have also started to defend better which is what is behind the current run of form.
That being said, it is still plain to see that we need to add quality down the middle of the pitch if we want to push on. A centre back, at least one centre midfielder who can boss a game, and a striker who can give us something we haven't currently got - real pace to stretch teams. The Chairman did say we had the Ward money available in January anyway, and now we have made a few quid from the Frecks sale (good business) and lost Frecks and Moore off the wage bill. I don't want us to overspend, but unless we were misinformed there must surely be something in the pot. Add well to build on the momentum we have got going, and it starts to look really promising.
Only signing we'll make is a midfield player, Palmer? Other 2 loans, Sheff U players? Centre back & Forward. When/If forward arrives JCH will go out on loan. Won't sell him not if unless we get realistic fee for him. He's out of contract in the summer, still young enough to get compensation for him.
Yes we can't deny that most of us were wrong early on in the season, myself included, but there were/are very good reasons for our scepticism. However the proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say and sitting reasonably comfy in 7th position is proof enough.
Having said that, I still believe that the supporters would be much more forgiving if Tony Stewart let us into what at the moment appears to be a huge secret, namely the plan for the future of the club. The silence from the board room only invites speculation from the uninformed and rumour on the terraces, which by-en-large is negative and counter productive.
Is there a vision for the future ? Is established Championship football the aim? Are we going to foster a blossoming youth academy? And over what kind of time scale? Are we seeking further investment?
A bit of openness would go a long way for all the fans to keep the faith
