Transfer Gossip: 28/01/13

Who:-   Didier Drogba (Shanghai Shenhua)

To:-  Galatasaray, Chelsea

Extra:-  Drogba is set for a return to Europe and set to snub former club Chelsea and instead join Turkish side Galatasaray.

Opinion:- The Sun claimed today that Chelsea have made a bid to regain their Champions league final penalty hero from his current club Shanghai Shenhua. I don’t think Drogba will ever go back to the Premier League. He has been there played some amazing football for Chelsea and ended his career at Stamford Bridge in the best way possible. Drogba seems to be open to new challenges and that’s why he moved to China. Now though six months on he is looking to move on again and with Galatasaray making a bid for the striker I think he will be moving on. Galatasaray have also just completed the signing of Dutch midfielder Sneijder and I’m sure Drogba would love playing in front of the talent and vision that Sneijder can bring. Galatasaray are willing to offer Drogba up to £6m after tax and also Champions League football when the Turkish side play Schalke in the next round of the competition.

Source:-The Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Star     

Bromsgrove Sporting 2 vs 2 Atherstone Town

Reported By Conor Rees

12/01/2013

Photos by Andre Roberts of http://www.harrierimaging.co.uk/ 

Bromsgrove Sporting were forced to settle for a point against third placed Atherstone Town after a superb curling free kick from the away side at the Victoria ground.

Bromsgrove Sporting had the better chances and took the lead twice in the game but the home side failed to hold the lead due to careless challenges.

Atherstone’s first goal came from a penalty that was border line on the edge of the box late in the first half. 

The second half was more of a cagey affair with possession being fairly equal. Bromsgrove Sporting did find the net early on in the second half through Andy Nicol but the away side soon cancelled that out through Chris Sockett’s breath-taking free kick. Bromsgrove will be disappointed not to have got all three points after both goals coming from fouls.

Sportings Andy Nicol had the first real chance of the game after his shot inside the box was parried just around the post for a corner.

Bromsgrove Sporting continued the pressure and should have taken the lead 17 minutes in after Elliot Nash fired the ball towards the far top corner of the goal, though the powerful shot was just over.

Lawrence O’Neil created the first chance for Atherstone but the effort failed to hit the target after they suffered the set-back of having defender Stephen Sadler stretchered off.

Bromsgrove’s pressure did eventually pay off. They took the lead after Chris Morrison reacted and headed the ball into an open net after a failed clearance from Atherstone’s goalkeeper Robert Dolman.

Atherstone denied Sporting to go into the break with the lead though due to a carless tackle from Matt Ross. Atherstone was awarded a penalty that was converted from Ashley Wilks to equalise.

Bromsgrove had one last chance in the first half to take the lead but a fantastic save from Robert Dolman denied the home side.

In the second half it was Bromsgrove that started the better side after they took the lead 5 minutes from the re-start. Andy Nicol’s shot on the far side of the goal rocketed across Robert Dolman into the top corner to again give Sporting the lead.

Both teams had a few more chances but nothing too troubling in the second half until another carless tackle from Bromsgrove outside the box.

Atherstone’s Captain Chris Sockett stepped up and curled a superb free kick over the wall and the ball dipped into the top corner of the net to equalise for a second time for the away side. Bromsgrove had one final chance but their effort hit the woodwork. 

Photographs taken by André Roberts

Bromsgrove will be disappointed with not taking all three points from the game but they still remain top of the league though all the teams around them have many games in hand.

Transfer Gossip: 13/01/13

Who:-   Fernando Torres (Chelsea)

To:-  Atletico Madrid

Extra:-  Atletico Madrid want to re-sign their former striker from Chelsea for a cut-price of the £50m Chelsea paid for the Spaniard from Liverpool.  

Opinion:- This actually can be a possibility with Chelsea signing Demba Ba a few weeks ago and with them interested in Celta Vigo’s striker Iago Aspas. Torres hasn’t performed at his best since being at Chelsea and I don’t think we will see the best out of Torres again, he has lost that burst of pace he had when he was younger that enabled him to get past players. Im still a fan of the player though and I think the one club that could rekindle his best is his former club Atletico Madrid. Im sure the Spanish club will not be able to hold on to their sensational Columbian striker Falcao who has been sensational this season and helped Atletico Madrid climb the table to where the currently sit of second, above rivals Real Madrid. Im sure that Chelsea may be able to offer cash plus Torres for a deal for Madrid’s striker Falcao but the most likely time for Torres to leave is the summer after selling Sturridge.   

Source:- Metro, Sunday Express     

Transfer Gossip: 13/01/13

Who:-   Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan)

To:- Liverpool, Galatasaray

Extra:-  Liverpool are looking to hijack Galatasaray’s bid for Sneijder after Inter accepted a bid of £8.2m for the attacking midfielder.

Opinion:- I think this will be an excellent signing for Liverpool. Sneijder has been linked with numerous clubs and already put off by QPR’s bid due to their position. Man Utd was interested in the Dutch player two years ago when Inter was asking £40m for the player so I’m surprised Man Utd aren’t interested in the 28 year-old now Inter are accepting bids of around £8m after he fell out with the Inter boss. But Sneijer’s wages are a problem and that i think is why Man Utd aren't showing interest. He currently earns £160,000 a week and put Man Utd off when he asked for £220,000 a week. Apparently Snijder is struggling to accept terms with the Turkish side and is holding out because he would prefer to move to England. I’m not sure whether Liverpool could afford Snijder’s wages but with the player going for such a cheap price he could be the perfect player to go alongside Gerrard and im sure Rodgers will do all he can to bring the player to Anfield. It is a possibility though as Liverpool have already trimmed there wage bill after selling Joe Cole and cancelling Sahin’s loan from Madrid but they would need to make a bid soon with Galatasaray’s bid having already been accepted.

Source:- People, Daily Star    

Transfer Gossip: 13/01/13

Who:-   Gareth Bale (Tottenham)

To:- Real Madrid

Extra:-  Tottenham have placed a £55m price tag on Welsh winger Gareth Bale if the player were to leave in the summer.

Opinion:- Tottenahm are asking for a lot and £55m would break the record for the amount paid for a British player (currently £35m for Andy Carroll). I think Tottenham have come out and said this to perhaps scare some tempted to buy the winger off buying him, but so also that they get enough for him. I do think he will leave this summer and apparently Jose Mourinho is apparently willing to put in a £35m bid for the player. I do think Bale has been excellent this season and will leave for more than the £35 Mourinho is asking but I don’t think Spurs will get £55m. I think a compromise of around £45m perhaps could be enough for Tottenham to part with the tricky Welshman.

Source:- Sunday Express     

Transfer Gossip: 10/01/13

Who:-   Leo Baptistao (Rayo Vallecano)

To:- Man Utd, Liverpool, QPR, Leeds, Brighton

Extra:-  Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson sent his brother, Martin, to watch the lone attacker, Leo Baptistao who plays for Rayo Vallecano this weekend. He did fail to score in his sides 3-1 victory but did get an assist in the game. Reports suggest that the £5m player could go to United for as little as £1.6m but Man Utd face competition from other English clubs.

Opinion:- Leo Baptistao so far has scored six goals in 17 appearances and plays a lone striker role for Spanish side Rayo Vallecano. The 20 year-old Brazilian does look to be an exciting future prospect and came from the same youth system as Neymar in Santos, Brazil. Some reports say that the player with a £5m price tag could go for as little as £1.6m but with representatives from Liverpool, QPR, Leeds and Brighton all joining Ferguson’s brother Martin at this weekend’s game United may have some competition. Where he will go is depending on who puts in offers for the player. If he goes in this window then im sure he would prefer to go to a premier league club but I honestly think his best option would be to go to Liverpool. Man Utd have a strong attack currently with Hernandez, Rooney and Van Persie whereas Liverpool only really has Suarez and Borini. Liverpool have expressed that on loan Carol (currently on loan at West Ham) has no future at the club. Overall I think that Man Utd would be great suitors but if the player wants to play a lot of games whilst he is still young at the highest level possible then I think that Liverpool would be the best club to develop the player in his early stages unless Man Utd were viewing to loan the player once brought.    

Source:- The Sun, talkSPORT    

Transfer Gossip: 10/01/13

Who:-   Davide Santon (Newcastle)

To:- AC Milan

Extra:-  Davide Santon has decided to ignore interest to move back to his birth country of Italy and stay put at Newcastle.

Opinion:- Ac Milan are reported to be interested in bringing Santon back to Milan but instead to the other side after his £5m move in 2011 from Inter. I’ve been impressed with the left-back, he isn’t brilliant yet but he is showing great potential and with only being 22 there is plenty of room for growth. After Santon said “I’m happy, and that’s really important for a young player. I feel I can play my game here”, he looks set to stay put at Newcastle and continue playing and growing with a young side around him.

Source:- Daily Star   

Transfer Gossip: 10/01/13

Who:-   Ashley Cole (Chelsea)

To:- PSG, Man Utd

Extra:-  PSG want to take the England left-back to Paris when his contract expires in the summer. Man Utd are also looking to swoop in for Cole as well as taking fellow Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard.

Opinion:- From reading the full report it isn’t necessarily PSG that are interested in the left back but former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti. I can’t see Ancelotti being the manager next season of PSG if they fail to win France’s Ligue 1 title; they currently are joint 1^st with Lyon and Marseille. I do think that with all the speculation regarding José Mourinho that there is a very good chance he will be departing Real Madrid in the summer and if Ancelotti is sacked then he is the current favourite to replace José. It is rumoured though that if Ancelotti moves to Madrid that he will instead bring Cole to Real Madrid instead of PSG. Man Utd are among the favourites to land the 32 year-old but I honestly think Ancelotti will bag the talented defender if Chelsea doesn’t offer him a contract by the end of the season. I’m sure Cole would love to play under his former manager again and PSG currently don’t have a top left back and almost guaranteed to play a lot more games than if he was to go to United where he would be in competition with Evra and recently signed Buttner.

Source:- Metro, Daily Mirror   

Transfer Gossip: 09/01/13

Who:-   Younes Belhanda (Montpellier)

To:- Tottenham, Fenerbahce

Extra:-  Fenerbahce look set to beat Tottenham for the signature of the Moroccan attacking midfielder. Montpellier have placed a £12m price tag on the player.

Opinion:- Belhanda always looked set to leave during this transfer window after Montpellier finished bottom of their Champions’ League group this season. The current Liege 1 title holders haven’t been living up to their performances last season and currently sit 11^th the French Ligue 1. I do like what Belhanda can bring to the table and the skilful and technically gifted player is exciting to watch. He is known for his superb vision when playing and I would love to see Belhanda play for Tottenham but they are yet to have made a bid. Fenerbahce have already had a bid of around £6m rejected for the player. Motpellier president said on the Guardian "I will let him leave, and I think he wants to leave as well. If they rise to €15m, everything will go through". I expect that Fenerbahce will make a bid of around £10m within the coming days to tie up the midfielder before Tottenham can make an offer themselves after rumours that this would be enough for Montpellier to part with one of their key players.  

 Source:- The Times, The Guardian    

Transfer Gossip: 09/01/13

Who:- Edin Dzeko (Man City), Cavani (Napoli)

To:- Inter Milan, Man City

Extra:-  Inter Milan are contemplating a £25m bid for the Bosnian striker which could open up a move for Edinson Cavani to Man City.

Opinion:- Dzeko moved from Wolfsburg to Man City for £27m in January 2011 and since then he has shown how much of a threat he has been. He proved this at Wolfsburg but since moving to City he has shown his talent to a different audience including his famous goal against QPR that sparked City’s comeback to win the Premier League on the final day of last season. Though this season it’s been clear that Dzeko has been frustrated by his lack of first team opportunities and has stated himself that he wants to be more than a bench player. Competition is very tough upfront at City with Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli competing with the big front man. I think that if Dzeko was to move to Inter then Cavani would only move if he was guaranteed first team football (along with a almost certain good wage) and to be honest it really can’t be with the talent they have upfront. Overall I can see Dzeko leaving Man City and in this window if Inter make a bid but whether Cavani wants to leave Napoli for City is very doubtful. The striker is a clinical goal scorer and proved so when he score a hatrick for Napoli last weekend against Roma, he clearly would need a guarantee to be playing every week and I don’t think City can give him that unless another striker moves from City.     

Source:- The Daily Mail, The Sun    

Below: Cavani's hatrick against Roma last weekend.

Transfer Gossip: 09/01/13

Who:- Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

To:- Man Utd

Extra:-  Man Utd look to be the favourites to land the highly skilful winger after Tottenham pulled out of the race to the signing of the 20-year old.

Opinion:- The England star born in the Ivory Coast has been a hot topic for a while now. Before the transfer window opened Real Madrid appeared to be interested in the signing of the Crystal Palace player but now they have gone quiet and left Tottenham and Man Utd to fight it out. I think Man Utd were always going to be better suitors than Tottenham as the winger is more likely to get more first team football especially if Nani were to leave Old Traford as his future has come under some scrutiny along with the possible retirements of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. I think though that the likely hood of the £20m winger leaving in January would be down to whether the buyers would be willing to loan the player back to Crystal Palace until the end of the season. Zaha has been at the club since 2009 and with Palace sitting 3^rd in the table I’m sure he would like to end his career with Palace with a promotion.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph    

Below footage of the skilful winger in action including his encounter with Man Utd in last season League Cup.

Transfer Gossip: 09/01/13

Who:- Nathan Redmond (Birmingham City)

To:- Newcastle, West Brom, Fulham

Extra:-  The 18 year-old England Under-19 winger has attracted a lot of interest over the past 12 months and Birmingham City have put a £6m price tag on the player.

Opinion:- Being I Birmingham City fan myself I would honestly like to hang on to the winger or get a slightly higher price than £6m. But given Birmingham’s current financial position where the owner is still accused of money laundering and his assets have been frozen Birmingham are forced to sell. Birmingham are unable to really buy any players at their current position and the main influx of players are either on loan or free transfers and other clubs are taking advantage of this. I feel Redmond is in the same boat as England goalkeeper Jack Butland, if they don’t leave in January then I think it’s almost certain they will leave in the summer unless we can find a new owner to the club.     

Source:- The Daily Telegraph    

Transfer Gossip: 08/01/13

Who:- Loic Remy (Marseille).

To:- Newcastle, QPR, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke, Inter Milan.

Extra:-  Before the transfer window opened it was rumoured that Newcastle were going to make a bid for the striker within the first couple of days of the window opening. The 26 year-old French attacker is attracting interest from all over Europe but it still sees that Newcastle are favourites to land the Marseille player and could be a perfect replacement for Alan Pardew after losing Demba Ba this week. 

Opinion:- Remy is attracting a lot of interest this year, he may not be having a great season this year  but the pacey player has proved in the past he is capable of scoring goals. I do doubt though that he will move to QPR, I can’t see the attacker going from a top French side that currently sit joint 1^st with PSG and Lyon in Liege 1 to QPR who are fighting a relegation battle and look almost certain to go down. If QPR were in a better situation then perhaps the striker may be tempted to a move and a better terms. Newcastle are struggling themselves though but the view of playing European football in this year’s Europa League may be what is clinching it for Newcastle over QPR. If another club such as Borussia Dortmund or Schalke show enough interest and are able to either match or better Newcastle’s terms then I can’t see how Newcastle can compete with both German teams sitting 2^nd and 3^rd in the Bundesliga this year and both through to the next stage of the Champions League.  

Source:- Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, Daily Star, The Sun   

Transfer Gossip: 08/01/13

Who:- Nuri Sahin (On loan from Real Madrid to Liverpool).

To:- Borussia Dortmund

Extra:-  The 24 year-old midfielder could be offloaded to the players former club and current Bundesliga Champions Borussia Dortmund.

Opinion:- There looked a great deal of potential for the Turkish star at the start of Liverpool’s season. The former Bundesliga player of the year in 2010-11 looked like he could really help get Liverpool back to winning ways at the start of the season. Since then the on loan star from Real Madrid has only made 7 Premier League appearances and I don’t think has impacted Liverpool’s season in any way. I think a move to Borussia Dortmund will be the right idea as the player isn't doing anything at Liverpool. I think the current Budesliga Champions will be helped by his services to pull back there season as they currently sit 3^rd and 12 points off table toppers Bayern Munich.     

Source:- Daily Star, Daily Mail   

Transfer Gossip: 08/01/13

Who:- Frank Lampard (Chelsea).

To:- Man Utd  

Extra:- Man Utd may make a move for the attacking midfielder when his contract runs out in the summer.

Opinion:- Lampard’s recent form has proved he can still get the goals and cause a problem to the opposition and with Man Utd showing an interest Lampard could be tempted especially if they win the league this season. Im sure Lampard would like to end his career fighting for a Premier League title rather than a move abroad to possibly the MLS where LA Galaxy are rumoured to be interested in the 34 year-old. I think there is a good chance of Lampard going to Man Utd as they could be in need of a replacement midfielder especially if Ryan Gigs and Paul Scholes retire at the end of the season and Frank will cost United nothing. If the move does go through I could only see the deal being a 1 year contract due to the players age.

Source:- The Independent, Daily Telegraph, The Sun   

Transfer Gossip: 08/01/13

Who:- Philippe Coutinho (Inter Milan).

To:- Southampton 

Extra:- It has been rumoured that Southampton are going to make a bid for the £10m-rated attacking midfielder from Inter Milan. Its also report Southampton are looking into a possible move for fellow Serie A defender Davide Astori, 25. 

Opinion:- This very skilful and tricky winger is very young and I doubt Inter Milan will allow the sale of this talent with so much potential. The Brazilian has currently made 11 appearances this season for Inter and only scored three times with two of those goals coming from European competitions. Coutinho was sent out on loan last season to Espanyol in La Liga and with him being only 20 years of age he could be available to go out on loan for the remainder of the season to gain more experience if Southampton are interested. 

Source:- The Sun, Daily Mirror 

Transfer Gossip: 08/01/13

Who:- Marouane Fellaini (Everton)

To:- Chelsea 

Extra:- Fellaini is a £22m target of Chelsea due to a cluase that could possably be in Fellaini's new contract that he signed in 2011. Fellaini could be seen a replacement for Frank Lampard. Lampard has been told his contract will under no circumstances be renewed and Fellaini could be a perfect replacement. 

Opinion:- I think after Fellaini's impressive season so far, where he has scored 9 goals in 18 games over all competitions, it has alerted the bigger teams to his talent. I think he will be a useful addition to Chelsea's new look side. I do think Everton will struggle to keep the Belgium talent but I think they may be able to hold on to the star until the summer due to Everton's impressive performance this season. I do think Chelsea are the favourites to land the star and Fellaini's move to Stamford Bridge could be tempted by the current Belgium talent at Chelsea that includes Hazard, Lukaku (on loan at West Brom), Kevin De Bruyne (on loan at Werder Bremen) and Courtois (on loan at Atletico Madrid).

Source:- The Times, The Independent