Which chosen few will jump ship?

With as many as four clubs still in the race to join West Brom in the Championship next season, Premier League vultures are already circling in preparation to pick off the relegated teams’ best players. The Spoiler has a look at 5 players who are likely to continue plying their trade in the top flight whatever the outcome on Sunday. Jeremie Aliadiere need not apply.

Sunderland: Kenwyne Jones

Kenwyne Jones’ importance to Sunderland has been underlined by his bagging 9 goals in the league this season, despite spending the first few months on the physio’s table. Although Spurs boss Harry Redknapp recently denied he was still interested in the 24-year-old striker after a failed transfer bid in January, speculation over Roman Pavlyuchenko’s imminent exit from White Hart Lane is rife, and a move could still be on the cards.

The latest transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies…

Gareth Barry could leave Aston Villa for free
Aston Villa are planning to offer their long-serving midfielder a lucrative new contract in a final effort to persuade him to stay but if he declines, Martin O’Neill is willing to lose him for nothing in exchange for one more season.

The Spoiler truth-o-meter: The logic behind such a move would be that they can’t afford to lose another leader following captain Martin Laursen’s retirement and it would give them more time to find a perfect replacement. It’s estimated that keeping Barry last summer cost Villa £8.5 million this season so they may be willing to take another loss.

Glen Johnson to Liverpool
The Daily Mail claim that Rafael Benitez is willing to spend £15 million to bring Portsmouth full-back Glen Johnson to Anfield. The logic behind the hefty

Serbian’s wife wants to leave rain and “joyless fans” behind

Back in March, Nemanja Vidic rubbished rumours of a move away from stinky rainy Manchester to beautiful and not-at-all-dull-and-industrial Milan. “He loves it in Manchester and will stay put,” reasoned his agent.

However, Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo are today claiming that Vidic, via a person he trusts, has “offered himself” to Barcelona. Furthermore, the article states that Vidic has made Manchester Utd aware of his desire to leave.

Mundo claim the transfer request comes on the insistence of his wife Ana Ivanovic, who is, sadly, no relation to the hot tennis player. Apparently, she no longer wants to put up with the “inhospitable climate” of Manchester, and seeks a sunnier home in Italy or Spain.

Vidic, under contract until 2012, would probably cost the Catalan giants around £30m.

The deadline day movers and shakers…

Following a lacklustre transfer of summers, we may actually witness an exciting transfer deadline day today. Here’s how it’s shaping up so far…

Xisco to Newcastle
Deportivo are claiming that they have agreed a £5.7 million deal to sell Spanish striker Xisco to Newcastle. Aston Villa were thought to be keen on the 22-year-old, but it looks like Dennis Wise and co may beat them to the punch.

Steve Finnan to Espanyol
The Spanish club are linked with a move for unwanted right-back Finnan and are of course the team that Liverpool target Albert Riera plays for, prompting the question: are cash-strapped Liverpool trying

Today’s gossip, rumours and damned lies…

The transfer market today may be quieter than the Joey Barton fan mail hot line, but that hasn’t stopped some of the UK’s finest print journalists doing their thang. Let’s kick off today’s speculation with news of everybody’s favourite badly-coiffed Frenchman…

Djibril Cisse to Manchester City or West Ham
Without even factoring wages into the equation, Liverpool made an £8 million loss on Cisse, for which they splashed out over £600,000 for every league goal he scored. Marseille have given the clubs ten days to bid for the player, time which would be better spent running as far away as possible.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Cisse has made no secret of the fact he would like to return

The Frank Lampard saga latest
Remember how we all applauded Chelsea for applying logic and refusing to cave in to Lampard’s demands for a five-year contract? Well it appears that whoever is making the decisions at Stamford Bridge has changed their mind and a five-year deal is now on the table.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Seems like he will stay now. Ronaldo and Barry could learn from Lampard’s handling of the issue

Andy Johnson to Fulham
The Everton striker and occasional England

Today’s transfer rumours, some more ridiculous than others

Despite possessing a questionable state of mental health, a low quality tabloid has linked the man who drunkenly gave me a tenner on my tenth birthday (true story) with a managerial job in the Philippines. Frankly, there’s a better chance of Jermain Defoe declaring a vow of abstinence, but the rest of today’s rumours have a little more substance…

Paul Gascoigne to the Phillippines
The seldom-reliable Daily Star claim that The Phillippines want to ‘rescue’ Gazza by making him the manager of their national team. There must be logic in that idea somewhere but we’re not going to bother guessing what it is.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Ludicrous idea if true

David Bentley to Everton
Bentley’s bold transfer request might not have panned out as he intended it to. It’s not Liverpool and Chelsea throwing pound notes at him to seduce him, it’s Aston Villa and Everton.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: We still expect Chelsea to make a move

Ronaldinho to LA Galaxy
Forget about Barcelona, forget about Chelsea, hell, even forget about Manchester City. Despite only being 28, Ronaldinho