Summer Transfer Window 2009

Sport
101

Manchester City will not end their pursuit of new strikers even if they do succeed in bringing Carlos Tevez and Samuel Eto’o to Eastlands, with the Wolfsburg forward, Edin Dzeko, also on Mark Hughes’ list for the club’s ambitious spending spree.

The City manager wants to add at least two forwards to his squad this summer and intends one to be a powerful, tall centre-forward who could complement the likes of Robinho and possibly Tevez. Blackburn Rovers’ Roque Santa Cruz was earmarked for that role in January and, while Hughes remains keen on a reunion with the striker he brought to Ewood Park, the Paraguay international’s persistent knee injury and Rovers’ valuation have prompted the Welshman to consider alternative targets.

Portsmouth’s Peter Crouch has been linked with City but it is Dzeko, Germany’s footballer of the year and potentially a much cheaper option at around 9m, who is now under consideration by the City hierarchy. The 23-year-old scored 30 goals in 33 appearances for the German champions last season and has 12 in 17 games for his country, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was also watched on several occasions by City scouts last season and, despite his success with Wolfsburg and Champions League football next term, could be tempted by the lucrative contracts on offer at Eastlands.

City officials are still hopeful of enticing Tevez into a controversial move across Manchester despite a positive and cordial meeting between the United chief executive, David Gill, and Kia Joorabchian, head of the consortium that owns the player’s economic rights, on Wednesday. It is understood United agreed to pay the 25.5m required to secure the Argentina international on a full-time contract and Joorabchian is now discussing the proposal with Tevez.

Whether the forward wants to remain with United, having made his frustrations known at their reluctance to initially meet the asking price, is unclear. A decision on Tevez’s future is not anticipated until after Argentina complete their latest round of World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador next Wednesday.

Eto’o is also expected to receive a substantial offer to leave Barcelona for Manchester in the coming weeks. The Cameroon striker is approaching the final 12 months of his contract with the European champions and the Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has admitted his club are open to offers for Eto’o.

Manchester City, meanwhile, have agreed a new 10-year kit manufacturing deal with the sportswear firm Umbro. The agreement replaces a previous four-year arrangement with Le Coq Sportif which was reportedly worth 10m.

102

THE RUMOUR MILL

Liverpool fans will today be feeling only marginally happier with their lot than jiggered old loser Gordon Brown. That’s because, as a result of all this leveraging Tom Hicks and George Gillett have been doing, coupled with Newton’s laws of motion, the club has sprung off the load arm and is now travelling down the swanny at a rate of knots.

The Rumour Mill can’t be bothered going into details, because it doesn’t understand them, but suffice to say this once-proud institution, used to dining at the top table, will now have to exist on a diet of bread ‘n’ spread.

They did want to purchase Glen Johnson, but Chelsea, tucking into the head of a wild boar with an apple in its mouth, are now in for him.

And Manchester City, who are tipping bowls of Beluga caviar down the lav, just because they can, are ready to steal off with 20m-rated Xabi Alonso.

Rafael Bentez, meanwhile, wants to buy David Silva from Valencia, but can only afford one slice of bread ‘n’ spread.

Everyone else is tucking in at the feast. Milan are going to spend 15m on Arsenal Emmanuel Adebayor, who avoided injury during the latter part of last season by engaging in no physical exertion whatsoever, bar that 37-yard amble in the cool spring air he enjoyed during the Champions League semi-final against Manchester United. Arsenal are going to spunk most of the cash, to borrow a phrase from The Apprentice, on 12m Barcelona midfielder-cum-defender Yaya Toure. Unless Milan get in first. This situation could probably be illustrated on a Venn diagram. Would it make things clearer? Not really, no.

Manchester City want Edin Dzeko, who scored 26 times in 32 games for Bundesliga champions Wolfsburg last season. Arsenal are also hovering in the background with a see-through briefcase like the one they used to have on Jimmy Tarbuck’s Winner Takes All, containing 8m. Why would Dzeko move, though? The Bundesliga looks like the most exciting league in the world from where we’re sitting.

Chelsea are going to offer 20m for Aston Villa’s Ashley Young, as Martin O’Neill’s painstakingly constructed team continues to fall apart at pace. O’Neill may use 6m of the money on Tom Huddlestone from Spurs, or he may pause to consider how Celtic are looking for a manager at the moment.

Real Madrid are going to pay Manchester United 75m for Gary Neville. That’s about as realistic as what’s actually being reported.

New Sunderland manager Steve Bruce wants 6ft 8in striker Nikola Zigic from Valencia and Lee Cattermole from Wigan Athletic, revealing his priorities to be aerial power, goals, reckless studs-up challenges and a plethora of red cards.

Stoke City want to take Djibril Cisse off Marseille’s hands.

Birmingham City will pay Cardiff City 5m for central defender Roger Johnson.

And Rafael Bentez is saving half of his slice of bread ‘n’ spread for tomorrow.

103

Hull have paid 6m for Frazier Campbell! Was he not shit at Spurs? Fucking crazy money when you see what the likes of Dzeko could go for.

104

Valencia looks like he is on his way to United…

Aguero says he wants to move to Barcelona, would be a superb signing for them…

105

Yeah - utter crazy.

106

[quote=“The Puke”]

Aguero says he wants to move to Barcelona, would be a superb signing for them…[/QUOTE]

Great move for both. I heard it would be Forlan.

107

They have agreed a fee. There will be a few more to stump it up Id say so I wouldnt say Hull is the final destination yet. He scored a lot of goals in the Championship and thats the kind of fee Doyle will be going for so I reckon its about right. It didnt happen for him at Spurs but he is young and if Hull get him it will be a fair improvement on what they have already.

FAO MBB stop copying and pasting shite from other sites.

108

[quote=“KIB man”]
FAO MBB stop copying and pasting shite from other sites.[/QUOTE]

Why, did you think I Wrote that above?

FAO KIB, blow me.

109

[quote=“The Puke”]Valencia looks like he is on his way to United…
QUOTE]

16m aswell which is daylight robbery. Dont get me wrong he can beat a player and is hard to stop. But his crossing aint great, he doesnt score enough goals and lacks guile. Crazy signing imo and Wigan will be laughing if that is the price they get.

110

Ah, I loved watching Atletico Madrid this season. The lads upfront were class to watch - please stay Diego, please stay Kun.

111

Saw it on Aertel earlier today, quotes from him after last nights Argentina match, said that he wouldn’t betray Athletico by going to Real and wants to play week in week out with Messi at Barca

112

[quote=“myboyblue”]Why, did you think I Wrote that above?

FAO KIB, blow me.[/QUOTE]

Eh no thanks.

Show a bit of originality in future or else stick to the wanking thread.

113

You did realise they couldnt defend for shit into the bargain right? *

  • this is my own opinion and not copied from anywhere else.
114

[quote=“KIB man;186898][QUOTE=The Puke”]Valencia looks like he is on his way to United…
QUOTE]

16m aswell which is daylight robbery. Dont get me wrong he can beat a player and is hard to stop. But his crossing aint great, he doesnt score enough goals and lacks guile. Crazy signing imo and Wigan will be laughing if that is the price they get.[/QUOTE]

they will have made a fair few pound from him and Palacios

115

[quote=“myboyblue”]You did realise they couldnt defend for shit into the bargain right? *

  • this is my own opinion and not copied from anywhere else.[/QUOTE]

That did indeed become apparent quite quickly. Attack, attack, attack, attack, attack.

116

Ah Athletico are a great club, the City of la Liga.

117

The Real Madrid president Florentino Prez has admitted for the first time that he is interested in signing the Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso as part of a major summer overhaul of the Spanish giants’ squad. The Brazilian playmaker Kaka is expected to finalise his world record-breaking move from Milan to Madrid today and Prez has indicated that he would also be interested in adding the 27-year-old Alonso to the growing ranks of superstars at the Bernabu.

“Xabi is a magnificent Spanish player, so of course we’d love to have him,” Prez told the Times. “But everything would involve reaching an agreement with [the Liverpool manager] Rafael Bentez. It will need to be an agreement that is in the best interests of both clubs.”

118

Alonso apparently hates Madrid but would consider joining Barca.

Well so the rumours go.

Vital that Liverpool keep hold of him. Vital.

119

[quote=“farmerinthecity”]Alonso apparently hates Madrid but would consider joining Barca.

Well so the rumours go.

Vital that Liverpool keep hold of him. Vital.[/QUOTE]

As a Basque it would be strange for him to play for Real alright.

But money talks and the other walks for the vast majority of people on this planet so I wouldnt be surprised in the slightest.

120

Sid Lowe was asked what he sees the Real team being next season given his contacts in Real.

He named this side, IF they get the men they’re after.

Iker

Ramos
Pepe
An Other/Garia (?)
Clichy

Ronaldo
Diarra
Alonso
Riberry/Robben

Kaka
Higuain/Forlan/Villa