Pato prefers Chelsea, but Chelsea prefer other washed-up strikers instead

Rather unbelievably, Alexandre Pato is still just 26 years old.  Younger than any of our senior strikers, in fact.  So in that sense, he's possibly a better backup option than Rémy (29) or Falcao (29) or Bacca (29) or Jackson Martinez (29) or Vardy (29) or Adebayor (31).  He's not 29 or older, sign him up!  (Though The Times do remind us that apparently we're also looking at Saido Berahino, not that his addition to that list makes that any more inspiring than it currently is.)

Pato has been back in Brazil for a few years now, but actually had a pretty decent 2015 season with Sao Paulo, helping them to a fourth place finish as their leading scorer.  His agent clearly feels this may be his last crack at further European glory (and/or at least a decent contract in Brazil), and he seems to be working extra hard to get his client back over to the other side of the Atlantic.  According to the Independent, Chelsea are the preferred destination over Liverpool for the £11m transfer (as if Klopp would want a player whose leg is liable to fall off at any second?).  Nice try, Mr. Agent-man.

Hiddink spoke vaguely of potential transfer plans this January ahead of Wednesday's 2-2 draw, but it's questionable, to put it kindly, if any of these signings would make sense or would help us recover what is basically an unrecoverable season.

"I have good contact here with the technical board and others. They are open to options, but that does not say it has to be done. I have a very good open relationship, people come here and watch training and have normal conversations. I like when people are very committed, enjoy it and have lunch and coffee with the players."

"When the players are in good shape, the double occupation of each position, then we're okay but we must not go into this danger when something happens with one or two strikers. I'm thinking. It's not good to talk when you are thinking."

-Guus Hiddink; source: Times

We have finally started playing the youth a bit, with Loftus-Cheek and Kenedy getting meaningful minutes in the last two games.  Another barren transfer window could be looked at as a lack of ambition, but we would probably be much better served to save our ammunition for the summer and reload properly with a new manager.  Stop-gaps are worthless at the moment.  Play the kids; no need to waste time and money on these half-solutions.