Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens is going to be bringing you a daily round-up of the morning’s various goings-on. Be it juicy morsels of spurious transfer gossip or real, actual bona fide news, rest assured, we’ll have it covered.
Here’s this morning’s batch.
Chasing Kjaers…
Danish defender Simon Kjaer has only been at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for a few months, but if today’s gossip columns are to be believed (I know, I know), then he could be set for a premature departure – to Chelsea, no less.
Several sources in Germany are suggesting that Kjaer is ‘very keen’ to move to Stamford Bridge (with one even going as far as to prophesize that the Dane will make a £12.5 million move at some point over the weekend), with Chelsea now sourcing other targets after being put off by Benfica’s massively over-inflated £26 million valuation of David Luiz.
City chasing Barca hobgoblin…
It seems to be common knowledge amongst the rumour-monger community that Manchester City, despite spending £500 bajillion on various accoutrements and trinkets over the past months, are still in the market for a right-back – and hope to wrap their search before the onset of February in a week or so’s time.
Yesterday, City were linked with a move for up-and-coming Ajax star Gregory van der Wiel, but it seems that the Premier League club may be putting together one last winter bid for one of their long-term targets – namely, Barcelona’s Brazilian flyer Dani Alves.
City are reportedly hoping to capitalise on the fact that Alves has seen his contract talks at Barca stall once again, with the Catalan club steadfastly refusing to bring his wages into line with those of their highest-earners – e.g. Lionel Messi, Xavi and David Villa.
Diouf’s off…
Just when you think that things couldn’t get much more ridiculous at West Ham, they go and trump themselves all over again.
This morning comes the news that the Hammers are seriously considering a move for Blackburn’s decidedly unlovable rogue, El-Hadji Diouf, after being told that the Senegalese winger will be allowed to leave Ewood Park this month for the right price.
Given that Diouf was court-martialed by the FA for spitting at West Ham fans back in 2002, I’m sure he’ll be given a ‘rapturous’ welcome by the Upton Park faithful should he make the switch to East London.
Liverpool nearly Adam…
The chances of Charlie Adam leaving Blackpool this month are looking increasingly slim after the Seasiders apparently turned down Liverpool’s latest £4.5 million bid for the scheming midfielder – with manager Ian Holloway holding out for at least £35 million.
It is thought that Adam is desperate to try his hand at a ‘bigger club’, but Holloway will not even countenance selling his prize-asset until his side’s Premier League status is secure for next season.
The best of the rest…
- Stoke have signed target man John Carew on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season.
- Newcastle want to take Villa misfit Stephen Ireland on loan as a direct replacement for Alan Smith, who is set to miss the rest of the season with a particularly nasty ankle injury.
- Manchester United have decided to allow Michael Carrick to leave the club at the end of the season.
- West Ham have drawn up a list of January transfer targets, including Robbie Keane, Demba Ba, Jamie O’Hara and a cheeky loan approach for former Hammer Joe Cole.
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