We’re already halfway through the January transfer window, and while there has been more speculation than signings thus far, that could be set to change in the next week.
As you would expect, we have the latest on Manchester City’s attempts to sign Kaka, but he’s not the only player they’re after, and there are plenty of other players up for grabs for other clubs.
England
Death threats, talks of £243m, warnings of disaster, and admittances that selling is a realistic possibility. Just another day in the circus that is Manchester City’s pursuit of Kaka.
Now, there’s really not a lot I can say in terms of analysis that I haven’t already said, besides the fact that this is getting a little wild. Whatever happens, you can’t say that City aren’t making things interesting.
City have also made a formal approach for Hamburg SV star Nigel de Jong, with their bid believed to be around €15m. (The Telegraph)
Analysis: Considering that HSV could sell him for 10 times what they bought him for in 2006, I don’t think they’ll be too opposed to letting him go, especially when he has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave in the summer for €2m.
And City are also targeting the infamous Marco Materazzi, though Inter have an asking price of £8m for the 35-year-old defender. (Tribalfootball)
Analysis: Not that £8m would be an inconvenience for City, eh?
According to Wigan manager Steve Bruce, Tottenham and Wigan have all but agreed a fee for Wilson Palacios, and a £14m deal should be done soon. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: Don’t count out Manchester United making a late move for him, but they may well just sit on their hands here.
Tottenham are also pushing on with their pursuit of Sunderland’s Kenwyne Jones despite being knocked back by Ricky Sbragia, with a bid of £16m on the cards. (The Sun)
Analysis: I’m guessing this one will get the same result as the previous one. Of course, Craig Bellamy may be trying to force West Ham’s hand now, so he could become a little more available.
Spurs could also be set for a swoop for Reading’s Stephen Hunt (The Mirror), but they could face some competition from Wigan, who might be looking to spend some of the Palacios cash on the £5m winger (The Guardian).
Analysis: Reading would likely be reluctant to sell Hunt, as he’s in the midst of a career season, but it’ll be hard for him to turn down the chance to immediately return to the Premier League.
Aston Villa are set to make a £14m bid for Tottenham striker Darren Bent. (The Mirror)
Analysis: £14m is no problem for Villa, and a new striker is a must. And among the remaining available Premier League options, Bent might actually be the cheapest.
Austrian striker Marc Janko is going to cost Blackburn £9m. (The Mirror)
Analysis: Well, that’s what happens when you score 30 goals in half of a season. At that price, it doesn’t seem likely this move will happen unless Roque Santa Cruz is sold, so City will have to turn their attentions away from Kaka long enough to finally push through their move for Santa Cruz.
Portsmouth have made a bid of £2m for Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant (Daily Mail), and Pompey are also contemplating a move for Celtic striker Scott McDonald.
Analysis: With the likes of AC Milan and Real Madrid still in for him, Pennant could turn down a move to Pompey. McDonald, on the other hand, could be very interested in a move to the Premier League, but £4m might be a little bit less than what they’re looking for, judging by their £10m valuation for Aiden McGeady.
Hull City have signed Manchester United striker Manucho on loan for the rest of the season. (The Guardian)
Analysis: If he works out as well as Fraizer Campbell did for Hull, then Phil Brown should be pretty excited about this capture.
Stoke City could be set to sign Lyon striker Fred, as the Brazilian has confirmed he is considering a proposal from the Potters. (The Mirror)
Analysis: Looks like his options have whittled down just a little, because this time last year, I don’t think he would’ve paid such an offer any mind, even if Stoke were in the Premier League.
Spain
Barcelona are reportedly lining up summer moves for Carlos Tevez and Franck Ribery. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: The next few weeks will help determine just how available Mr. Tevez is for the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Inter. As for Ribery, Bayern face an uphill battle to keep him for a few more seasons, but they might try to keep him for at least one more before selling him for big money.
Barca are also heavily interested in Ajax forward Luis Suarez, who could cost £10m. The 21-year-old Uruguayan scored 20 goals in his first season with Ajax, and he has 15 thus far this season. (Tribalfootball)
Analysis: Suarez formed quite the partnership with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar over the last couple of seasons, but it looks like they’ll be rivals now. Looking at his body of work, £10m might be a bargain in a few years’ time.
Italy
Lazio are lining up a £3.6m move for Rangers striker Kris Boyd. (The Mirror)
Analysis: Maybe it’s not such a bad idea that he got a little greedy with Birmingham after all.
MLS
Interesting rumor of the day goes to the L.A. Galaxy, who have reportedly launched a €38m bid for Alessandro Del Piero. (Goal.com)
Analysis: While it’s intriguing to think about the possibilities, you can mark that one off. And before I get started on how I think that €38m should be spent, I’ll just say that there are better ways it could be spent, even though Del Piero is still plenty good.
If you have a juicy rumor that we may have missed, post it in the comments, along with the link to the source.
And if you want to keep up with all of the latest confirmed transfers, check out the updated January 2009 transfer lists.
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