The latest transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies
Maicon to Manchester Utd or Manchester City
Roman football rag Corriere dello Sport today claim Utd and City are fighting it out for Inter Milan’s neglected wing-back, who wishes to ‘pursue happiness’ at a different club. Real Madrid have reportedly bid €20m, while Fergie has allegedly set aside €25m of his Ronaldo money to land the Brazilian, but both could be blown out of the water by Mark Hughes’ chequebook. The Spoiler truth-o-meter: One would imagine Maicon would aspire to play for Madrid or the Red Devils, but his agent says his €3.5m-a-year wages do not ‘reflect the worth of his client’, suggesting City and their bottomless pit of cash may be able to tempt him.
Richard Dunne to Sunderland The Daily Mail says Steve Bruce’s side are close to capturing the City defender for the princely sum of £5m.
The players who form the backbone of the top flight
On Wednesday, we brought you the Pepe Reina-free Big Four XI, and today it’s time to look at the best of the rest. The likes of Jo and Luka Modric have been excluded as we’ve yet to see how they adapt to Premier League football. Plus, there’s no Dimitar Berbatov because we’re assuming he’s off to Old Trafford, or maybe the Nou Camp.
Shay Given (Newcastle)
Why Given over James, Friedel and Howard, you ask? Well, the other three can always rely on their defence for support which is a luxury that the Newcastle goalkeeper has never been blessed with. The Irishman is the only man this century to twice wear the number one jersey in the PFA’s Team of the Year.
Gareth Bale (Tottenham)
The young left-back was one of Spurs’ only solid performers at the start of the last campaign before an injury in December ruled him out for the rest of the season. The Welshman also boasted an impressive scoring record with three goals in nine domestic starts.
Richard Dunne (Manchester City)
Despite his error last night, the Irishman is one of the best defenders
An entire team of gentlemen looking for a new employer
The transfer window is now wide open, and there are countless players itching to increase their fortunes by kissing the crest of a new club. Here’s eleven of the greediest best…
Scott Carson
Liverpool are so fed up with Carson that they would rather bring in a shiny new reserve keeper like Antti Niemi. Aston Villa chucked him too, so Scott is simply begging for someone to pick him up.
Potential suitors: Middlesbrough, West Brom
Nicky Shorey
This time last year, Shorey was strutting his stuff in the England squad and was supposedly the apple of West Ham’s eye. He stayed aboard the Good Ship Reading and watched it capsize in May, and now wants another taste of the Premier League.
Potential suitors: West Ham, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Newcastle
Anton Ferdinand
The younger Ferdinand has gone from being charged with assault to becoming one of the most sought-after defenders in the Premier League. It’s hard to see Joey Barton’s transformation going that smoothly.
Potential suitors: Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle
Richard Dunne
They don’t bother voting for Man City’s player of the year any more because this guy wins all the time. Dunne was upset with Sven’s sacking and eager to leave, though rumours suggest Mark Hughes may have talked him round.
Potential suitors: Portsmouth, Tottenham, West Ham, Aston Villa, Newcastle
Pascal Chimbonda
Juande Ramos employed subtle techniques to let the Frenchman know he isn’t wanted, like signing two new players in his position months after taking over. But if you cast aside his idiotic tendencies, Chimbonda is a talented
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