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The Tuesday Troll : Gerrard linked with move away from Anfield?
Published by Ian John on January 19, 2010
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We begin this weeks troll through the latest transfer rumours at Anfield where things are going from bad to worse for Rafa Benitez. Knocked out of the FA Cup at home to Reading, a draw at Stoke on Saturday, injuries to key men, his future at Anfield under scrutiny, Liverpool legends calling for him to leave the club and to cap it all, a story broke earlier this week that Steven Gerrard is disillusioned with life at Anfield this season and wants to move on at the end of the season, particularly if the club fail to make the Champions League. The piece from a “trusted source”, which usually means a little devil inside an overactive mind of a journalist, suggested that Gerrard feels it will take Benitez too long to build a title winning side again after this season and that he would instead prefer a fresh challenge in Spain or Italy with the likes of Real Madrid or AC Milan. Wouldn’t we all?
Not content with seeing Gerrard out of the door, papers are also reporting that should Liverpool miss out on the Champions League places that both Chelsea and Manchester City will make renewed bids for Fernando Torres, hoping to capitalise on Liverpool’s rather questionable financial situation. It’s great fun being a Liverpool fan at the moment I can tell you. The only good news is that Rafa Benitez seems keen to get rid of Ryan Babel with Sunderland reportedly turning down a swap deal involving Babel for Kenwyne Jones this week.
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has been unusually quiet during the window thus far, but that could be set to change. The Spurs man has been linked with a move for a goalkeeper once again with Portsmouth’s David James and Manchester United’s Ben Foster believed to be attracting his attention, though so far no deal for either player has been arranged.
Manchester United, true to Sir Alex Ferguson’s word, have been ominously quiet on the transfer front thus far. Speculation is rising however that Ferguson is targetting several new faces in the Summer, amongst them David Villa and Frank Ribery. Though like Liverpool, much depends on the level of investment the club can attract to try and reduce the crippling effects of their £700m debt to the banks.
The fire sale at Portsmouth will continue with defender Younes Kaboul being linked with a £10m move back to France. Lyon and Lille are said to be keeping abreast of developments after Sunderland baulked at the asking price. Speaking of Sunderland, manager Steve Bruce is hoping a deal with Liverpool could still be agreed for Kenwyne Jones, despite Bruce not being interested in taking Ryan Babel to Anfield. However Liverpool are reportedly unwilling to pay the astronomical asking fee Bruce wants for the player.
Birmingham City are being linked strongly with a move for Celtic winger Aiden McGeady. A £14m price for the Irish winger has been mooted in the press, which seems a little excessive for a player who has torn apart the world class defences of Kilmarnock and St Mirren on a regular basis. Still, Alex McLeish has money to burn at the moment and he must see McGeady as the man who can continue Birmingham’s impressive first half of the season into 2010 and beyond.
Lastly, Roberto Mancini, fresh from signing Patrick Vieira, now wants to go back to Milan but this time to AC Milan and snap up another former Arsenal holding midfielder in Mathieu Flamini. Where will this end? Will he be going after Gilles Grimandi next? John Jensen? Probably not but he has also been linked with Palermo defender Simon Kjaer, who is also thought to be a top target for Manchester United. Still, when you are down to just a £100m budget for January, I guess you can afford to be picky.
Image Courtesy of ***Highwind0706*** on Flickr.com
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