ESPN Soccernet - On The Move
soccernet blog
On The Move
Posted by John Brewin on 01/12/2009

For each day of the January transfer window we bring you the latest transfer news in our brand new On The Move blog so check back here every day to get your fix of fact, rumours and gossip.

It may come as little surprise that Manchester City dominate the rumour mill on this Monday morning. The cash-rich Blues have money and it's burning a hole in their pockets, it's just that no-one seems to want to do a deal with them.

While the Roque Santa Cruz saga rumbles on - weekend reports had Blackburn demanding starlet Daniel Sturridge as part of the deal - with an end not yet looking in sight there is talk of fresh move for Craig Bellamy for what looks like a whopping £12m or so say The Independent. City's misfiring strikeforce is in need of a rethink and it seems that Benjani may go back to Portsmouth for £6m if you believe The Sun, who also say that young but injury prone midfielder Michael Johnson could be heading to the South coast.

Talk of City signing Gianluigi Buffon seems to have abated but a cheaper alternative may well be Chelsea second-choicer Carlo Cudicini, who a number of organs including the Daily Telegraph have linked with a move to Eastlands after a bid of £3m for Shay Given was rejected. The Guardian also mention that City are circling Everton playmaker Mikel Arteta.

Jo, a real contender for worst buy of the last transfer window is on his way too if you believe the Daily Mail, who say he may be loaned to Newcastle. That'll please the Toon Army who may also be watching Peter Lovenkrands. The former Rangers and Schalke winger is having a trial at the St James' in search of a deal.

Portsmouth, who may or may not have money to spend after the loss of Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra, have been linked with a number of players. They lead the queue for Joey Barton after Bolton withdrew their interest in the troubled midfielder. Oo ah, Daily Star says Tony Adams may try and tempt the former attendee of his drying-out clinic.

Buck-toothed striker Javier Saviola has also been linked with Pompey. The Daily Mirror have the Real Madrid reserve as a man Tony Adams covets. However, the exodus from Fratton Park may contine with Herman Hreidarsson on his way to Reading if you believe various reports in the tabs.

One team in need of fresh blood has to be Tottenham, lurching towards relegation after that defeat to Wigan on Sunday. Harry Redknapp's fingers must be getting itchy and he had harsh words for his team. One player it seems he wants to keep is Heurelho Gomes. And no, that's not a misprint in The Independent who report that Harry has been impressed with his recent displays and has chosen to rebuff an offer from an unnamed club.

On his way could be Jermaine Jenas, stripped of the vice-captaincy after a row with Redknapp, say the Mirror. Watch that space...he's already got rid of the genius that was Kevin-Prince Boateng.

Off to Arshavin corner now where it seems that Arsenal are set to finally agree a fee for him after an initial £10m fee was turned down by Zenit St Petersburg. The Sun think he will be a Gunner by the time February is upon us.

Aston Villa's recent form has been good in terms of results but Martin O'Neill still wants to shake things up. Could Kenwyne Jones be the man to do it? Sunderland will ask for £12m for last season's top scorer say the Mirror.

Here's a rumour that is spreading like wildfire. It may not affect this transfer window but the Daily Mail say Emile Ivanhoe Heskey has signed a pre-contract agreement to return to Liverpool. He'll see out the season at Wigan and then join the Reds for training in the summer. A retrograde step, one might say. "Never go back" is a motto for us here at Soccernet.


Best of the rest

Julio Arca has endeared himself to Gareth Southgate by saying that Stewart Downing will be leaving the club as they can't afford to keep him. Blackburn have given a trial to a man called Zoro, not the masked swordsman in California but a defender called Marco who was playing for Benfica. David Beckham may well be staying at AC Milan after a post-match press conference in which he didn't exactly rule out not going back to LA Galaxy. Chelsea, meanwhile, have been linked with nobody. How times change....Karim Benzema has said his future lies away from Lyon as a set of suitors get preparing bids for the summer.

Comments

  Post your comment
Name:
Email Address:
Comments:
characters left