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The Tuesday Troll : City want Lahm? United say Dzek-no?

Published by Ian John on December 8, 2009

As we roll on into December and the goose is getting fat, the fairy lights begin to dominate the horizon and everyone wonders who is going to snog who at the office Christmas party, the football transfer rumour mill continues with renewed pace as we crash headlong towards the opening of the window for a brief few weeks in January.

As usual, speculation over who is signing who starts to reach fever pitch and first up today is the news that Manchester City has targetted Bayern Munich’s diminutive full back Philip Lahm. This is a bit of an odd one really as Lahm is right footed, though tends to play left back. Now this either means that Hughes wants him to play right back (in which case, it is safe to assume that Pablo Zabaleta and/or Micah Richards will be off) or left back, which is going to not best please Wayne Bridge. Still, it keeps the people of the press happy.

Meanwhile across Manchester and into Salford, Sir Alex Ferguson has, on the eve of the Champions League tie with Wolfsburg, stated that he has no interest in Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko “at the moment”. Whether this interest will suddenly be reignited in January may well be open to debate. Arsenal are also said to be very keen and it seems likely to be a tussle between the two in January as to whether they can persuade Wolfsburg to sell. Oddly enough, it may help United in their cause if they can knock Wolfsburg out of the Champions league a little later. Funny old game isn’t it?

Alberto Aquilani’s father has stated that the Italian has been fit “for a month” and is confused as to why Rafa Benitez is showing an alarming reluctance to play him in games. So he’s pretty much in the same boat as nearly every Liverpool fan then. I mean, it’s hardly likely to be that he is struggling to earn a place in the side ahead of Lucas Leiva or Jay Spearing, or because of the teams wonderful form is it?

Adriano, the beer swilling, smoking Brazilian former Inter striker, who, to be fair, has rejuvenated his career back in his native Brazil over the past twelve months, is being linked with a move to West Ham United. The striker said that he is keeping his options open at the moment after clubs from Italy and England declared an interest in him once his Flamengo contract had expired. As we all know, this translates into “whoever offers me the most money will get me.” Whether cash strapped West Ham will be able to do that, remains to be seen.

David Moyes, Everton’s wide eyed manager, is said to be interested in Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan. Quite where Everton have the money to make a move for the former Manchester United striker, remains to be seen especially given that Forlan’s excellent performances in the Primera Liga will have inflated his value somewhat since then. Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is also said to be keen, though at the moment they seem to have less money available than Everton.

With £40m of new owner Carson Yeung’s money in his back pocket, and a much improved on field performance to keep him in fine spirits, Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish is looking to make a double move for Marseille duo Brandao and Mamadou Niang. It could be a busy winter window in Marseille as whinging but talented midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa, who only joined in the summer from Lyon after moaning his way to Marseille, has moaned himself back out of Marseille with Stuttgart looking likely to follow up their interest. That sounds like an accident waiting to happen to me. He’s talented Ben Arfa, but he has an awfully high opinion of himself.

Lastly, one deal that could have legs is the news that Tottenham striker Robbie Keane could be on his way to Celtic. Keane has drawn the ire of many Spurs fans due to below par performances this season and with Harry’s preferred strike force seemingly being Defoe and Crouch, Keane may find he heads North of the border in January. Still it helped Craig Bellamy sort himself out, so it may do the Irishman a bit of good.

Until next week folks, stay safe!

Image Courtesy of ***Matrix13*** at Flickr.com

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