Bromley’s January Transfer Window: Use It or Lose It

After a fantastic start to life in League Two, Bromley find themselves 12^th at the turn of the year. Even so, Andy Woodman will navigate his first Football League January transfer window with a clear mandate to upgrade the quality of his squad.

Having lost only five of their first twenty-two games, on paper, Bromley are overachieving. While that doesn’t account for the team’s never-say-die attitude, this squad certainly seems to be outperforming the sum of its parts.

But how far can you push it?

Depending on the targets within the club, it would be silly to try and navigate the remainder of the season with the same squad, especially as Bromley are within touching distance of the play-offs.

Ignore for a minute that a play-off campaign is unlikely, because the reality is that Bromley should be looking to strengthen regardless. Try to stand still in football and the tide will push you back.

Bromley have drawn the second most games in the league. This speaks to their defensive resoluteness, but it speaks even louder about the lack of game-changers on the bench. When the team needs fresh impetus, options are limited.

With that in mind, there are a few areas of the team that I feel Andy should prioritise in the next 30 days.

Think I’ve missed something? Set me straight in the comments section.

Full/Wing backs

Bes Topallaj’s loan to Sutton was initially announced as being until January, with Sutton having the option to extend the loan or buy outright.

Idris Odutayo has been ever-present this season, and rightly so, but I do wonder what the plan would be if he was to pick up an injury. The only player who can fill in for him is Corey Whitely (or Nathan Paul-Lavaly at a stretch). Would they recall Myles Weston from his loan at Hornchurch?

I don’t envisage Bes wanting to come back to Bromley. He is playing under Steve Morison and wants guaranteed first-team opportunities. Why would he want to come back and sit on the bench?

Consequently, Andy may well be in the market for another left wing-back.

On the other side of the field, everything hinges on what happens with Danny Imray. If he departs, the question isn’t so much who would fill in for him from a defensive perspective, as both Carl Jenkinson and Josh Passley can deputise, but who would replace his attacking ability?

Bromley have recently changed shape to 4-2-3-1 because of the flexibility Imray offers when playing as a winger. If the Palace loanee departs, could anyone in the current squad play that role as effectively?

In the past, I know Bromley have looked at pacey wingers like Justin Amaluzor, but we are in League Two now and our profile is bigger. This means that big clubs, particularly in London, are more willing to do business with us.

I wonder if Andy could entice the likes of Harvey Vale to Hayes Lane (on loan). He tore it up when Chelsea’s youngsters beat Bromley in the EFL Trophy. Could it happen? One can but dream.

Midfield

Bromley currently have four midfielders that can play in the middle: Jude Arthurs, Ben Thompson, Lewis Leigh, and Ashley Charles.

On paper, there is no problem there. All four fulfil what Andy requires from a central midfielder (think more destroyer than ball-progresser).

That said, there have been occasions this season where the central midfield changes have looked like-for-like rather than enforcing a change of style.

I wouldn’t prioritise another central midfielder, but if Andy has money to invest across the whole squad then there would be no harm in looking for a central midfield who can destroy and create. Do they even exist in League Two?

Further forward, I have made no bones about my desire for Andy Woodman to re-engage Ben Krauhaus and Brentford to bring a genuine ball carrier into the squad.

It is my belief that Krauhaus would be an upgrade on Cameron Congreve because Ben knows the system, offers genuine end-product, and runs serious yards.

He has had his injury issues at Brentford B this year, but now appears up to full speed. I don’t know if Andy can find another Krauhaus/Congreve-style player, but someone who can move with the ball has to come into the club.

To my mind, when Andy needs to make a change to impact the game, this is the biggest gap on Bromley’s bench.

Strikers

Recently, I posed a rhetorical question: Could Bromley rest Michael Cheek and still get a decent result?

As things stand, Bromley have several strikers on the books, and while they each have their strengths, do any of them pose a regular goal-scoring threat?

Cheek will always start, so unless Bromley play two up front, it is hard for any striker to get the minutes required to force themselves into consideration.

Crucially, when Bromley’s understudies have had a chance to shine this season, none of them have given the impression that they could successfully stand in for Cheek.

I don’t know how close Marcus Dinanga is to being able to train and play, but even if he was due back anytime soon, there is a sense that at least one, if not two of the strikers at the club need to go out on loan to get minutes, goals, and confidence.

Should that happen, I expect another understudy or partner to Cheek to come in. But can they hit the ground running?

There is an overdependency on Cheek’s goals at Bromley. They have been able to ride that wave thus far, but is it sustainable for a whole season?

(Dated: December 23rd 2024)

If Andy Woodman doesn’t play the loan market to bolster his squad, then I can't give you an obvious name that Bromley could go and poach. I’ve always liked the look of Altrincham’s Regan Linney, but why would he move south if he wasn’t guaranteed a start?

Either way, Bromley need another goalscorer in their ranks. But will they get one?

Over to you now. If you were in Andy Woodman’s shoes, who would you realistically go for?

Get involved in the comments section.

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