I'm not trying to be a know it all here, but it appears incredibly insane to spend 10 million on Diafra Sakho and bid for Arfield.

You have let's say a squad like Palace's: you need a gk, you need a better right wingback than Ward, you definitely need strikers who score goals, cover on the wings for Zaha and Townsend.
Let's say the club has invested a lot in the previous years and you have no money to buy. What do you do?

Where can you get the money from? Well, only by selling players. Which players can actually bring money in? Riedewald was a suggestion, but with Dann's long injury selling a center back is out of the question.
Nobody would like to sell Zaha in the winter. That leaves Benteke. He has been ineffective. It's time to cut the losses. There's nowhere else to get the money from. Even today, after all his matches without goals, Benteke is still regarded somewhat well. I think a 20 million would be a reasonable, obtainable price if the club transfer listed him. He cost 31 million, I'd take that loss. 20 million would be a good sum. Wait any longer and you might not even get that.
Don't do the transfers you need and you might not make it this year in the PL!
Who else is on their way out? Pape Souare can't really be sold (who would buy him?), he needs to go on loan and regain momentum, Jordon Mutch, Lee Chung Yeong may get the club an additional 5 million. Puncheon is out cold until the summer, no money from him. Yeah, I'd sell Sako for around 5 million, but selling both my only scoring forwards (Benteke and Sako) would cause fans to riot, so I guess not this winter.

So you get to have 25 million to spend. Get Andone from Deportivo who is an amazingly dedicated striker (runs up and down and harasses defenders) and is in bad terms momentarily with the management there. They didn't sell for 13 million in the summer, but they would now. This would be the marque signing. Get Nils Petersen from Freiburg (incredibly underrated and playing for a team so small that it couldn't ask for more than 7 million- Freiburg: 48 goals in 92 games for Freiburg in the Bundesliga, but actually in just 4800 minutes played). Get a 3rd striker for free- Asamoah Gyan, Obafemi Martins, Emenike- whichever one is fit and the club is willing to part with. Even Cheick Diabate, cause he's out of contract. Or Imoh Ezekiel, 24 year old formerly of Standard Liege and Anderlecht. He's out of contract and is definitely fit. Not the best striker in terms of scoring, but he's incredibly fast and would be much better than Frazier Campbell as 4th striker. I think he eve scored against Tottenham in the Europa League 2 years ago.
Ok, I know there are more options, but considering the asking prices: over 25 million for Slimani, Southampton biding 17,5 million for Carrillo, those players are kind of expensive. Richmond Boakye from Red Star Belgrade used to be cheap, but Chelsea have shown interest, so he'd now cost 10 million too. There was an agreement for 7 million for Niasse in the summer but it didn't materialize, so now Everton are asking for more (hey want to recoup the 13 million they paid), cause his value has gone up in 3 months. Gary Hooper is turning 30, so he's not one for the future. Afobe is not a certainty. The lads from Celtic aren't a certainty at this level.

Get a left footed winger from:
Alessandrini (Toronto, MLS)- the best assister there after being top 3 assisters in France for Marseille. This guy is a beast, he keeps fighting, similar to Valbuena if you know him, but left footed. They bought him from Marseille for just 3 million, He's 28, I think they'd enjoy their profit if someone offered 5 million. Or Hernani from Porto, who costs about 3 million. Best left winger in Greece when on loan at Olympiakos. best left winger in Portugal last year when on loan at Vitoria Setubal , Just can't get into the FC Porto first 11 because of the manager. Or Jony from Malaga who they would part with for 1 million (he's on his way to Granada to be loaned with an option to buy right now!). Just 26 years old, 5 goals and 9 assists in just one season playing for a team like Gijon in La Liga, a league just as powerful if not even better than the Premier League. According to how much money you have left after the strikers (Andone 13+ Petersen 7) you can chose from the 3 wingers. I was also thinking about Cheryshev who isn't playing much at Villareal, but they're a famous club and would ask for more than 5 million. I was thinking about Ben Arfa too, but he's not actually a winger, more like a striker.

For right back go for Danny da Costa from Eintracht. Do you know this guy? He's a beast. Look him up on the internet if you don't know him. Physically powerful, but fast as well, runs up and down the flank, just 24, played a lot for Germany U21. He hardly played for Eintracht this year. They bought him in the summer for just 1 million. They play 3-5-2 and use Timothy Chandler or Wolf on Danny da Costa's position. All other young right backs who I like would cost 5 million or more: Yedlin, Rafael from Lyon, Mitchell Weiser from Hertha, Passlack from Hoffe, Widmer from Udinese, Alexander Arnold, Ricardo Esgaio from Braga, so having no money it would be logical to go for Danny da Costa as he'd be available at the price they got him for cause they just don't use him. There would also be Figueiras from Olympiakos as an option. Great going forward, was a starter with Milivojevic there, but this year Elabdellaoui played more. They're listening to offers around 1 million for him too.

As right footed winger you'd need someone who accepts to be a backup for Zaha, at least at first. There was talk about Elyounousi, a fine young player, but he;d cost like 10 million. I thought of Nani, the former United winger, who's now 31, passed through Sporting, Valencia and is now at Lazio. Did a good Euro tournament 1 year ago. But he wants playing time. I thought about Cavaleiro from Wolverhampton, but they're fighting for promotion and wouldn't sell. Plus, I have no money left, what can I get?
Well, I can get Ola John from Benfica. A very good player, just 25 years old. Eredivisie champion with Twente, then gone to Hamburg. Benfica paid 12 million for him. Was on loan at Deportivo la Coruna last year, played good, but they couldn't buy as Benfica wanted to recoup at least half of what they paid. But his contract is ending in the summer of 2019. One more 1 year loan and he's gone for free. I thought about Patrick Hermann or Vicenzo Grifo who aren't having the most wonderful season with Borussia Moenchengladbach, but the germans are a big club and wouldn't sell for less than 10 million. I thought about Chadli or Matt Phillips but they'd cost that much too. Jairo Samperio would have also been another good shot. Las Palmas has just got him for free from Mainz. True, he has just come back after an injury, but before that he was one of the best assisters in Germany. And is only 24. Both Ola John and Samperio are technically gifted enough to play inverted winger.

That's my 25 million spent right there, without asking for a single dime from the ownership. Oh yeah, I haven;t gotten a goalkeeper yet. That's cause I know the best one and he's almost free! Diego Alves, the Brazilian goalkeeper who played so many seasons for Valencia in La Liga. He's wonderful, he is the best in the world at saving penalties. He also has reflexes and is very fast (think Keylor Navas fast). Valencia let him go for free to Flamengo because he was 32, but goalkeepers can play up until they're 40.

IF the management would grant me extra funds (like 5 million) I'd go for Babacar from Fiorentina. His contract is running out in a year and they'd want to make some money, For 5 million a player like Khouma Babacar is worth it.

No way this team wouldn't do good in this season in the PL:

................Diego Alves (1 mil.)..............
...............(Hennessey, Speroni)..............
.................................................
da Costa(1mil)...Tomkins....Sakho............PVA
(Ward).........(TFM, Kelly)(Riedewald)...(Schlupp)
...............................................
Zaha...........Cabaye.....Milivojevic....Townsend
(Ola John)....(RLC)......(McArthur)...(Hernani/Jony)
.(0 mil)................................(1-3 mil.)
..............Andone (13 mil.)....................
..............(Ezekiel, Sako)..................
...............................................
...............Nils Petersen(7 mil)...............
......(Asamoah Gyan/Martins/Emenike-free).........

Maybe Babacar from Fiorentina if I can have extra founding.

You tell me if this team looks bad. If it couldn't get in the PL as far as top 8.

Now compare it to what's being done right now. Diafra Sakho having a medical. What has Diafra Sakho done in his life as a professional striker by the age of 29? Not much. And a fee of 10 million will be paid! Then there's a winger coming in, there are talks with WBA for Matt Phillips (there's apparently a bid of 9 million). Or Scott Arfield who plays for the worst attacking team in the PL (Burnley). Oh, they're 7th you say? They're not going to be 7th forever. And their defensive players are very good, but attacking players like Arfield haven't done anything. Nicolas Gaitan would cost 13 million. Andre Schurrle would cost even more than that.
And another center back, though I have counted 5 already on my list and I haven't put Scott Dann there (injured till the summer) or Delaney (who is in the squad).

Really disappointed in the way this campaign is going. I just think I could have done better

Very good article.
I watch some Olympiakos games when in Crete, the players you mention would def be good additions to our squad.

Matteo article is fine. However, you fail to mention three things:

1./ It is not only the transfer fees, but the wages. It is not as simple as saying that player only costs £1 million, whereas player costs £5 million - if player wants £50,000 more per week than player then he will be more expensive.

2./ We have a limited budget and we have to cut our cloth accordingly.

3./ We have Roy at the top of the tree and he has more experience than anyone else, is doing an OK job, deserves our trust and knows what we need and how much money we have.

I understand your frustration and impatience, but I prefer to have faith.

Matteo, who in their right mind would take Conor Wickham on loan?