On the fifth day of the transfer window, there are more reports about players staying where they are than there are exciting stories of those moving on to bigger and better things. Here are today’s top rumours:
Scott Parker might not join Manchester City
Any West Ham fans that were hoping Manchester City might solve the clubs’ financial problems in one go by paying over the odds could be left disappointed. Last night Sky Sports delivered the exclusive news that Parker would sign for the club withing 48 hours but this morning they have contradicted their own story by claiming that West Ham have told them they will not be selling the midfielder.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Parker is the big name departure that would damage West Ham the least so nobody should blame the board for selling if Manchester City are really willing to pay £12 million.
Stewart Downing won’t be sold either
Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson has vowed that no star players will leave the club this month following reports that Stewart Downing would submit a transfer request today in an attempt to join Tottenham. Boro have also criticised Spurs and Harry Redknapp
In just three days, the transfer merry-go-round will start spinning, and rather amazingly, none of the latest rumours contain the words “Manchester City”…
Jermain Defoe to Tottenham The Sun believe Defoe’s days on the south coast are numbered as his substitute appearance at the Emirates caused a bust up with Tony Adams. This fits in with The Independent’s belief that the striker is all set to link up with ‘Arry in a £15m deal.
The Spoiler truth-o-meter: The deal would be convenient for the clubs, who could settle ouststanding payments on his £7m January transfer, and also for Defoe, who spends almost every second off the pitch chasing skirt in London nightclubs. However, Mr Redknapp insists they cannot afford his services, and he would require special dispensation from the Premier League to play for a side he left less than a year ago. Additionally, the Daily Mail suspect Aston Villa are lining up a £16m bid for him.
Luis Valencia to Real Madrid
Juande Ramos and co are said to believe Wigan’s Luis Valencia is second only to Cristiano Ronaldo on the right wing, and will offer up to £15m
Nine days remain until Mark Hughes starts his spending spree
With the transfer window drawing closer, the tabloids have desperately been searching for names that they haven’t already linked with Manchester City. But rather than rationing themselves to one rumour a day they have thrown all the new names into the mix at once as a special Christmas present to their loyal readers:
Kolo Toure to Manchester City The Sun have declared Toure as Manchester City’s top £10 million January transfer target based on the fact “he seems to have been made the fall guy for his side’s stuttering season and is now behind William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre and Johan Djourou in the pecking order.” The Spoiler is baffled by this logic considering he has started more league games that Silvestre and Djourou this season and was arguably Arsenal’s best player against Wigan before picking up his latest injury.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: The only reason Wenger would let Toure go is if he has decided he is too injury prone and that seems unlikely.
Mark Hughes wants another four players The Daily Mail claim that Hughes will spend £40 million next month on Marcos Senna, Wayne Bridge and his former Blackburn players Roque Santa Cruz and Craig Bellamy.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Would that be good value for money?
The window opens in just ten days but everything has gone quiet
The Spoiler hasn’t even stopped to think about Christmas, such has been our tunnel vision in counting down the days until the transfer window opens. However, some of our friends in the tabloid press haven’t shown quite as much commitment which means there isn’t much gossip to share today. Here’s the best of what we found at the bottom of the barrel:
Roque Santa Cruz will meet Sam Allardyce
Blackburn’s wantaway striker Santa Cruz is going to come head-to-head with new boss Sam Allardyce today and will try to muster up the courage to tell him that he wants to leave next month.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts and Matt Derbyshire have all got better Premier League goals-to-start ratios this season so Allardyce may consider cashing in.
There could be a lot of goalscorers up for grabs next month
Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts combined for three goals in 27 minutes for Blackburn yesterday while Roque Santa Cruz watched on, meaning the Paraguayan striker now has a worse goal-to-start league ratio than every Rovers striker bar Robbie Fowler this season.
New boss Sam Allardyce has promised to act on Santa Cruz’s comments earlier this week about joining a bigger club so Blackburn may for the first time give serious consideration to the possibility of selling him to raise funds.
With Michael Owen, Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Craig Bellamy and Dean Ashton’s futures also up in the air, there could be a lot of strikers moving next month and The Spoiler wants to know which one you would most like to see at your club. Tell us what you think with a vote and comment below:
There’s just thirteen days to go before the window is opened
In the summer everyone was expecting Xabi Alonso to move to Juventus only for coach Claudio Ranieri to eventually decide that he was too slow. The Daily Telegraph today claim that Ranieri is planning another Anfield raid, with underused duo Daniel Agger and Ryan Babel, who have eight league starts between them this season, top of his wishlist. The former Chelsea coach is poised to offer £19 million to persuade Rafael Benitez to part with his favourite substitutes. Here are today’s other major rumours:
Slaven Bilic to Sunderland
Former West Ham and Everton defender Super Slav has been backed down from 12/1 to 6/4 favourite for the Sunderland job but don’t be fooled into wasting money backing him because The Times say he is still not a leading contender.
Just two weeks remain before the transfer window is opened again
January 1 is looming large on the horizon and after the return of the Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid saga yesterday, the Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City rumour got jealous and has now made a comeback in an attempt to steal back the spotlight. Here all The Spoiler’s favourite pieces of transfer guesswork from today’s papers:
Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City
While some newspapers are reporting that Sam Allardyce only agreed to take the Blackburn job if he could keep the Paraguay striker, The Times go against the grain and say Big Sam wants to sell him for £20 million to raise transfer funds. They also claim that Manchester City’s highest bid in the summer was £14 million so why the logic in them offering an extra £6 million for someone who has scored less than Roman Bednar this season is flawed.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: If they sell, they probably won’t make as much money they could have in the summer
Mark Lawrenson makes a shock revelation on Irish radio
Mark Lawrenson revealed on Irish radio station Today FM that he had spoken to Steven Gerrard who told him that Robbie Keane could quit Anfield in the January transfer window. The BBC pundit said:
“Sorry to name drop but I had a drink with Steven Gerrard at a function on Saturday night, and we were talking about Robbie Keane.
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