There’s no hiding the fact that the wheels have come off Tottenham Hotspur’s season, but what did fans expect at the start of the campaign?

Whilst I believe that Champions League qualification was always the minimum standard required, many fans are already looking ahead to the summer transfer window and who they want to see at White Hart Lane in 2013.

Emmanuel Adebayor – Manchester City – Striker

Up until recently Emmanuel Adebayor was having an excellent season for Tottenham, but the club’s dip in form has coincided with the Togolese forward’s recent slump.

Despite this, Harry Redknapp will be hoping that he can agree a wage package with Adebayor so that he can sign the player on a permanent deal over the summer.

Manchester City seem to consider him surplus to requirements.

Eden Hazard – Lille – Attacking Midfielder

The 21 year-old Belgium international has become one of the most sought-after talents in Europe following a standout season in which he’s scored 18 goals and set up another 14 for Lille. Hazard will definitely leave in the summer, but with everyone and their dog seemingly clamouring for his signature, Spurs will have to come up with something good to land him.

Jan Vertonghen – Ajax – Defender

With Ledley King undependable and a host of other injuries mounting throughout his squad, Harry Redknapp could do worse than to look at Jan Vertonghen of Ajax as a summer purchase.

In fact it’s rumoured that he already is.

Vertonghen is valued at £22 million by the Dutch giants with Bayern Munich and Arsenal also rumoured to be tracking the player.

Demba Ba – Newcastle – Striker

If the signing of Emmanuel Adebayor doesn’t go ahead, Harry Redknapp may look to Senegal and Newcastle striker Demba Ba as a possible replacement.

Ba’s goal scoring has cooled since the arrival of Papiss Cisse—largely due to playing out of position to accommodate his international compatriot—but his record in the Premier League is still an impressive one.

Leandro Damiao – Internacional – Striker

Apparently Tottenham have already made two efforts to sign Brazilian Leandro Damiao, but Harry Redknapp is yet to land the exciting forward from Internacional.

With Emmanueal Adebayor set to rejoin City, Jermain Defoe desperate to sling his hook and Louis Saha hardly a long-term option, Tottenham will be looking to completely overhaul their strikeforce in the summer. Spurs failed with bid for Damiao back in January but the striker has claimed they’ve been back in touch since. Chances are Harry will get his man in the next window

Fernando Llorente – Athletic Bilbao – Striker

Reports are out claiming that Premier League clubs Manchester City and Tottenham are being linked with Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente.

Barcelona are also reported to be after the Spanish striker.  They could be willing to hand Llorente a bumper offer at the Nou Camp which would represent a significant pay rise on his current deal at Bilbao.

However Spurs and City might also be tempted to hand him a chance in the Premier League by offering him deals of their own.

Junior Hoilett – Blackburn – Winger

Blackburn’s young gun Junior Hoilett is expected to lead the Ewood Park exodus this summer.

Hoilett, 21, has been in talks over a new deal but has stalled over the terms.

Tottenham, Arsenal and Bayern Munich are keen on the out-of-contract winger and a fee would be decided by a tribunal.

Georginio Wijnaldum – PSV – Attacking Midfielder/ Winger

Tottenham could be embroiled in a summer battle with Benfica and Inter Milan for PSV playmaker Georginio Wijnaldum, the 21-year-old Dutch international who has a £20m release clause in his contract.

Kasper Schmeichel – Leicester – Goalkeeper

Leicester City keeper Kasper Schmeichel, 25, is a summer target for Tottenham.

The Leicester stopper, 25, available for around £2million, has been at the Foxes one season after spells at Notts County and Leeds.

Tottenham want a young keeper to give Brad Friedel, 40, competition and Schmeichel, son of Manchester United legend Peter, has impressed this term.

Pablo Armero – Udinese – Defender

Tottenham are tracking Udinese fullback Pablo Armero.

Spurs are eyeing Armero as a potential replacement for Benoit Assou-Ekotto, who has been linked with Barcelona and PSG.

Colombia international Armero has also attracted enquiries from Liverpool, but Spurs have recently stepped up their interest.

Javi Marquez – Espanyol – Midfielder

Tottenham and Newcastle are weighing up a move for Javi Marquez, 25, after the Espanyol midfielder turned down a new deal at the club, paving the way for a summer exit.

Salomon Kalou – Chelsea – Winger/ Striker

Tottenham are plotting a summer swoop to sign the resurgent Salomon Kalou from neighbours Chelsea.

The Ivory Coast forward, who helped the Stamford Bridge club to a 5-1 win over Spurs in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final, is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to agree new terms.

Tottenham want to take advantage by launching a Bosman move for the 26-year-old

Sergio Ribeiro – FC Porto – Striker

Tottenham aim to beat Italian side Udinese to the signature of Portuguese starlet Sergio Ribeiro.

The 16-year-old Porto striker is already captain of the Portugal Under-16 side and is rated one of the best young talents in Europe.

Tottenham and Udinese have sent scouts to watch Ribeiro in action and are preparing to make their move for the teenage superstar in the summer.

Raheem Sterling – Liverpool – Striker

Liverpool are facing a fight to keep wonder kid Raheem Sterling as Kenny Dalglish continues to ignore calls for the teenager to be handed a first-team role.

And Tottenham plan to pounce on the uncertainty over Sterling’s future with a shock summer move.

The England Under 18 star is widely recognised as the best young prospect at Anfield but the Merseysiders could lose the 17-year-old at the end of the season due to his frustration at the lack of first-team chances

Giuseppe Rossi – Villarreal – Striker

Rossi has been linked with a move away from Villarreal for some time and Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is a known admirer of the £10million-rated Italian.

Several Premier League clubs have been tracking the former Manchester United player, who is out of action until the summer as he recovers from knee surgery, but the north Londoners were at the head of the queue.

However, Spurs are set to miss out on Rossi after the striker’s agent dropped a strong hint that he would be joining Napoli.

Serdar Tasci – Stuttgart – Defender

Newcastle and Tottenham are interested in the services of German international defender Serdar Tasci, 25, but they face stiff competition from rival suitors Roma and Juventus.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is believed to be a huge admirer of the Germany international and is hoping to make the defender his newest addition at White Hart Lane.

The 24-year-old was subject to a failed transfer bid last summer and the London outfit are set to approach him once again, though they are apparently not the only Premier League side showing interest in the German international.

Hugo Lloris – Lyon – Goalkeeper

With Heurelho Gomes on his way and first choice Brad Friedel not getting any younger, Spurs are in the market for a top class keeper this summer. And they don’t come much more highly-rated than Lloris, the 25 year-old who was recently installed as captain of the French national side. Spurs are thought to be preparing a £10 million bid for the man widely regarded as the next Fabian Barthez.

Milos Krasic – Juventus – Winger

The Serbian star had the chance to join Spurs in January but turned them down and has been making up for it ever since . Krasic is certain to leave Juventus in the summer – although the Serie A side have vowed the out of favour winger won’t leave on the cheap - so the only question now is: where to? Chelsea are known to be interested too, but Spurs remain in the box seat.

Adam Johnson – Manchester City – Winger

Despite failing to nail down a regular first team place since moving to Manchester from Middlesbrough two years ago, Johnson still put pen to paper on a lucrative new City contract last last November. The England winger is now committed until 2016 although, as we’ve seen time and again, football contracts are rarely worth the pens they’re signed with. Tricky Johnson is an archetypal Redknapp signing, and a sizeable bid should secure his services in the summer.

Ganso – Santos – Attacking Midfielder

Classy playmaker Paulo Henrique Chagas de Lima – or Ganso to his fans – is one of Brazil’s hottest young talents. He’s been on Spurs’ radar for some time now, but recently claimed he was in no rush to leave his homeland and was prepared to continue his development at Santos. Harry Redknapp isn’t one to take no for an answer, however, and should Luka Modric depart in the summer, expect Spurs to test Ganso’s resolve.

Loic Remy – Marseille – Striker

Spurs failed with a bid to sign this French international from Nice back in 2010. Remy opted to join Marseille instead, where he’s since averaged around a goal a game since. A bid in the region of £18 million could be enough to tempt the Ligue 1 side to send the man fans call ‘the new Thierry Henry’ on his way, though.

Olivier Giroud – Montpellier – Striker

The hot-shot behind unfancied Montpellier’s startling Ligue 1 season, Giroud has banged in 19 goals from 29 league appearances and attracted scouts left, right and centre. Arsenal are the current favourites to sign him - Arsene Wenger was so impressed he instructed chief scout Giles Grimandi to compile a dossier on the 25 year-old - but Tottenham will be hoping to steal a march on their rivals.

Also See:

• More Tottenham News.
• More Transfer Rumours.
• Team-by-team Premier League Summer 2012 Transfer Previews.

You can follow The author, Chris Linnell, on Twitter or his blog.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When Sir Alex Ferguson finally decides to close the curtains on his long and glorious career there will certainly be more than a few managers in line to replace him. Below are the Sky Bet current favourites:

1. Jose Mourinho 2/1

Will the special one end up at Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson decides to call it a day? Manchester United is not just a club, but a global brand. The current Premier League Champions need a big personality at the helm. Mourinho has a bigger personality than nearly anyone in football and this is a great opportunity to prove himself as the World’s best manager. There will be plenty of pressure on whoever takes the United job, with Sir Alex leaving some big shoes to fill, it will not only take a very talented manager to replace him, but also someone with great confidence. The Mourinho looks likely to give Real Madrid one more season, however he would see it as the ultimate accolade to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson, a manager he admires immensely.

2. David Moyes 5/1

Moyes has done a great job at Goodison Park. If offered the United job he would almost certainly accept the position. People claim the likes of the Everton manager would not be able to play the attractive football demanded by United. Why not? What he has done at Everton is get the best from what he has had and been able to acquire. With better players he would play better football. It’s a major decision for United but in Moyes lies the potential for Ferguson’s successor. David Moyes is the best of the British at the moment, although he has done a great job at Everton he would appear to be a bit of an underwhelming choice to follow the great reign of Sir Alex

3. Ole Solskjaer 6/1

The former Manchester United winger is highly respected by the fans and the club. Solskjaer is currently manager of Norwegian Premier League Side Molde. When the Ferguson era comes to an end at Old Trafford, the club would ideally turn over the team to a young manager with a future bright enough to have another 25-year reign as boss. Solskjaer possesses the necessary qualities to do just that, and when the Super Scot steps down, he would be smart to hand the job over to the super-sub.

3. Pep Guardiola 7/1

Pep Guardiola would be a good choice for Manchester United. He has achieved a great deal with Barcelona but it remains to be seen what he will do with a less talented group of players (even one not too far off Barcelona like Man United. Ferguson has indicated the Barcelona coach is the right man to take charge at Old Trafford when he finally decides to retire. The outgoing Barca coach should easily be able to handle the transition to the Premier League.

5. Ryan Giggs 10/1

 A Manchester United legend. Currently approaching an amazing 900 appearances. It’s not difficult to see him becoming manager at the club in the future.

6. Martin O’Neill 12/1

It’s no secret that Martin O’Neill is desperate to manage Man United when Alex Ferguson retires. Sunderland’s current manager is experiencing a good run of form with his new team. After previous success with Celtic in the Scottish Premier League, he’s used to being in control of a countries dominant team.

7. Laurent Blanc 16/1

Currently at the helm of the French national team, depending on how Les Bleus perform at the European Championship the timing could be perfect.

8. Mark Hughes 20/1

Having been dismissed by City, Hughes could find himself crossing the city to succeed Ferguson. However, in the past he has made a few comments regarding United which will not endear him to the fans.

9. Mike Phelan 20/1

Sir Alex Ferguson’s current assistant manager. He’ll know the way Ferguson thinks through and through. He’s also a former player who has won the Premier League, the European cup winners’ cup, The FA cup, The League cup and the community shield with the club. He has had a lot of success under Sir Alex Ferguson at United. If the fans want to see the survival of Fergie’s ideas and tactics, then Phelan would be the ideal replacement.

10. Brendan Rodgers 25/1

The current Swansea manager has enjoyed a brilliant first Premier League season with Swansea. His teams play very attractive, passing football. Perhaps it’s too soon to judge his performance as a manager at the moment. But in a few season’s time he could definitely be an option for United when Sir Alex retires.

11. Joachim Loew – German National Team 25/1

12. Fabio Capello 25/1

13. Steve Bruce 25/1

14. Paul Lambert – Norwich 25/1

15. Chris Hughton – Birmingham 33/1

16. Roy Keane 33/1

17. Carlos Queiroz – Iranian National Team 33/1

18. Ottmar Hitzfeld – Swiss National Team 33/1

19. Gus Hiddink – FC Anzhi Makhachkala 33/1

20. Eric Cantona – New York Cosmos 33/1

21. Paul Scholes – Current Manchester United Player 33/1

22. Gary Neville 33/1

23. Alex McLeish – Aston Villa 33/1

24. Martin Jol – Fulham 33/1

25. Darren Ferguson – Peterborough United 33/1

Please comment with your opinions!

Feel free to visit my independent blog for similar articles http://chrisslinnell.wordpress.com/

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

BREAKING NEWS: Today’s news is completely broken. Tottenham have taken the bold step of announcing that Harry Redknapp will be England manager for Euro 2012. The move comes as a surprise because while many people (all of Harry’s friends in the press) were certain that Redknapp would get the England callup, the FA has been quiet about the whole affair.

Tottenham believe that by announcing the news before the FA, they hold the strongest position. If Redknapp is indeed going to go with England for the Euros, the announcement will galvanise Tottenham’s usually lazy English players, all of whom will be hoping for a ticket to the Polish nightlife. If Defoe and co can tune up their act, Tottenham might be able to hang on to third place and qualify for the Champions League next season.

On the other hand, if the FA don’t want Redknapp, or vice versa, this announcement would force both parties to accept or deny the arrangement. And if Redknapp is not part of the FA’s plans for Euro 2012, he can then focus on how to make more money playing real-life Football Manager at Tottenham, and the club are happy to indulge him if it means they keep making a profit by selling high and buying low.

Win-win for Spurs. As the posters say – the country needs Harry Redknapp to decide his future once and for all – so we can get on with more important things, like wondering which referee is on Manchester United’s payroll (hint: there’s no wrong answer, they all are).

You shouldn’t believe everything you read on the Internet. If you liked this ‘news’, check out all the ‘football news’ here.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In the space of seven days, Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of challenging for the Premiership title were swept aside once and for all with back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United. Whilst injuries undoubtedly robbed boss Harry Redknapp of the chance to field his best eleven, his inexperience of managing in such high-profile games showed in his approach to both games.
 
 

Arsenal Away

Going into this game Arsenal were not in great form. They had lost their previous two games, having been dumped out of the FA Cup at Sunderland and slaughtered by Milan in the San Siro. This perhaps led to Tottenham underestimating an Arsenal side that is still a match for anyone on their day. Tottenham’s back four picked itself in front of the excellent Brad Friedel.

Further forward, Aaron Lennon was only fit enough for a place on the bench meaning Niko Kranjcar started on the right of midfield. And Redknapp opted for two out-and-out strikers in Louis Saha and ex-Arsenal man Adebayor.

In the important games between top sides, teams rarely go to The Emirates and play with two out-and-out strikers. Arsenal must look forward to teams coming to play them with a flat 4-4-2 formation. It leads to Arsenal being able to use their 3-man central midfield to overrun the opposition and dominate possession. That is exactly what happened here, despite Spurs taking an early lead through a deflected Saha shot and a debatable penalty converted by Adebayor.

Harry did recognise and try to rectify the mistake by making a double substitution at half time and changing shape to a 4-4-1-1 set-up as shown below. But by then it was too late. Arsenal had already fought back after pouring forward as the first half progressed. By the time the change was made, Arsenal had already built up the momentum that gave the team a renewed confidence and sense of belief. Tottenham could have done a lot more to lessen the threat of Arsenal whilst still posing a threat of their own.

How Spurs lined up in the first half vs Arsenal:

How Spurs lined up in the second half vs Arsenal (the system they should have started with):

Manchester United at Home

Seven days after the defeat to Arsenal, came a chance to get back on track at home against the reigning champions. This time injury ruled out Bale and van der Vaart. The influential Scott Parker was ruled out due to suspension after his late red card at The Emirates. Redknapp again lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with the two out-and-out forwards. Even at home, it would have been wise to make sure that the midfield area was bolstered with numbers to compensate for the quality missing from that area of the pitch. Modric was deployed on the left with Sandro and the inexperienced Jake Livermore operating in the middle. Against a team as strong as United, it was a lot to ask of the two lads in central midfield to line up against the experience of Carrick and Scholes knowing Rooney would also be dropping deep to make a three. It would have been hard enough for the first choice Modric and Parker. That said, Livermore and Sandro made a good fist of it and seemed to have the better of the first half. The second half, however, told a different story as Carrick and Scholes began to control the game with Rooney always available in pockets of space. Had Redknapp gone with a three in the middle (as the ‘big 4’ traditionally do against each other) they could have prevented themselves being caught on the counter attack so often and in turn controlled the game with more quality possession.

How Spurs lined up vs Manchester United:

The system Spurs should have lined up with vs Manchester United (strength in numbers compensating for midfield injuries/suspensions):

Tottenham’s Season

Tottenham now have no chance of winning the league. The best they can hope for is 3^rd place, which they should be more than capable of doing with Chelsea faltering and Arsenal now playing catch-up. Keeping their best players and adding one or two in the summer could mean they are able to mount a serious challenge next season.

Not ready for England?

If the national newspapers and the media pundits are anything to go by, it is a matter of ‘when’, rather than ‘if’, Harry Redknapp becomes England Manager. But while he is still making mistakes and learning how to manage games of high importance, maybe the time is not yet right for him to take the job. He would surely be better served having a couple more years at Tottenham learning and broadening his tactical horizons, improving along the way as he takes them on another inevitable Champions League adventure next season.

Remember, Kevin Keegan was a great motivator who had his club side playing lovely attacking football, but on the international stage he was found out to be very tactically naïve. Redknapp now appears to be the popular choice, as Keegan was then, to be the next England Manager. The question remains if he has enough tactical awareness to manage at the highest level, where the press will be very quick to turn on him if things don’t go well.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

So it’s “arrivederci” to Mr Capello and with that once again The FA are in search of fresh man with fresh ideas to manage the England football team. The now infamous “impossible job” is waiting ominously to be filled by a brave managerial soul and the national media appear to be in no doubt as to whom that man should be, yes it’s the half human half bloodhound hybrid, Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp, who was on Wednesday cleared of tax evasion at Southwark Crown Court, must have been relishing the thought of a quiet night in away from the intense media scrutiny which had been constant over the previous two weeks. Alas, he was to have no such luck as the media spotlight quickly beamed back on him, albeit for more positive reasons, following the resignation of Fabio Capello.

Seemingly the whole nation was immediately buzzing with talk of what Capello’s departure meant for the national team just four months before Euro 2012. The question constantly nagging me however was why? Why all the hysteria?

International football has become a rather underwhelming and dreary pursuit in the face of ever growing interest in the now epically hyped English Premier League and heavily revered Uefa Champions League.

How depressing the feeling has become when late on a mid-week afternoon as your attention turns towards the weekends domestic action you realise it’s an international break, a feeling only exacerbated further when the break is merely for a friendly.

The international breaks are often uninspiring, dull, an unwelcome distraction. It is becoming ever more commonplace that following a dispiriting international break the nation’s mood is once again lifted by a rip-roaring weekend of domestic football.

Success at International level was once considered the pinnacle of football achievement with the feats of Pele, Maradonna, Beckenbaur serving to immortalise them and the World Cup itself in the annals of football history. The former of these three football greats responded to Lionel Messi‟s third successive Ballon d‟Or by claiming the argentine magician cannot be considered a true great until he has achieved success on the International level.

The Pinnacle

The retort to this is straightforward; Messi has three Champions League winners medals, a competition which has undoubtedly superseded the World Cup as the pinnacle of excellence and achievement in the modern game. This is a fact which can be highlighted simply by identifying the two dominant forces in each spheres of the game. In the domestic game the superior outfit is clearly Barcelona, in international football it is Barcelona Lite, most commonly known as Spain……without Lionel Messi.

This is a major reason why Redknapp should stay put. He is already dining at football’s top table with an almost tangible chance of sitting at the head of it, at least domestically, providing he can find a way past the two Manchester’s and without the added pressure of a nations unrealistic expectations.

This is more than can be said for his chances with England, a team that despite a light sprinkling of exceptional players, still lacks the ball retaining ability, technical prowess and mental strength to compete with the offerings of Spain, Germany and Holland.  At international level Harry’s literally stuck with what he’s got and can no longer rely on his eye for talent and famous wheeler dealing that has helped him further Tottenham’s cause during his tenure.

The question Redknapp must ask himself is “can I actually be successful as England manager?” Obviously that depends on what is considered success but if the past is anything to go by that consideration will be seriously out of kilter with what is actually achievable and we all know how the story goes from there.

Contrastingly, at Tottenham he is potentially on the verge of something really special this season or the next with a couple of astute additions to a squad. A squad which, as Daniel Levy has already proved last summer with his resistance to the sale of Luka Modric, will not be dismantled, especially with Champions League football in the bag.

Impossible Job

Compounding all this is the very reason why we call the national the role the “impossible job,” the tabloid media. The England team has become less a body that regularly occupies football fans minds and more some form of toy for the national newspapers, with the football manager playing the most vulnerable of pawns in their often frenzied game.

Admittedly, Harry has them firmly on his side with pretty much unanimous support across the nations print rooms, but of course how quick this can change; Kevin Keegan anyone?

Following the failures of Steve McLaren the order of the day became experience, tactical knowledge, authoritarianism in order to get the best out of our over indulged “Golden Generation‟ and up until June 2010 Capello delivered this emphatically and was considered a shrewd appointment even at £6 million pounds a year.

Four disappointing games later and all that went out the window. His tactics were a problem, his grasp of English was a problem, his nationality, his wages, his choice of swimwear (who can forget the Speedos) you name it if it involved Capello it was a problem and remained a problem even after another successful qualifying campaign.

Accordingly, despite his managerial achievements still remaining relatively modest and indeed his own reservations regarding lack of daily contact with players, it is now the attributes that Redknapp possess which are in vogue.

But  its depressingly inevitable that the vulnerability of the role will eventually render these attributes unsuitable and ineffective and yet again we will be back where we are now, after all how can one succeed in the impossible job.

Commenting from a significant distant I think he‟d be mad to swap White Hart Lane for Wembley Way but nevertheless, it is highly likely that the lure of leading his nation will be, for Harry, a proud Englishmen, understandably too much to resist. I just hope he fully realises the position and potential he is walking away from and more importantly just exactly what he is walking into.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

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.

Eden Project…

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he is interested in bringing Lille prodigy Eden Hazard to the Emirates, but will only make a move for the 20-year-old starlet if and when he becomes ‘available’:

“He’s a player that I have followed for some time, but I do not want to unsettle Lille now.

When he is available for transfer, we will see if there is the possibility to sign him.”

An approach is expected to be forthcoming over the summer, as Wenger – sporting chap that he is – also promised that he wouldn’t do anything to derail Lille’s table-topping season.

Vela sets sail…

After starting just three Premier League games in three seasons, Arsenal pine-warmer Carlos Vela is close to wrapping up a loan move to Valencia after meeting representatives of Los Che in London yesterday to discuss a potential switch.

Several Spanish sources are also claiming that Valencia may have asked for a ‘first refusal’ clause to be factored into the loan contract, meaning that the club may be looking at securing a permanent deal for the Mexican international in six month’s time.

Chopper Nev…

The Daily Mirror seem fairly certain that ‘Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will make renewed efforts to sign Everton captain Phil Neville at some point this week – despite being respectfully told to ‘stick your offer where the sun don’t shine’ by David Moyes the last time he came a-sniffin’.

The paper reckon that a ‘formal bid’ will be lodged before the weekend is out, with Spurs apparently hoping to use Steven Pienaar‘s recent move to White Hart Lane as a carrot with which to tempt the donkey (Neville) to North East London – though quite why that would be a deciding factor is beyond me.

Luiz control…

Depending on which national newspaper you read, Chelsea are either within a hair’s breadth of snapping up Benfica centre-back David Luiz or about to completely give up their pursuit – and everything between.

In short, no-one’s got a soddin’ clue what’s going on.

Both the Times and the Sun seem to think that the Blues are on the very cusp of completing the £25 million signing of Luiz, whereas the Mirror believe the deal is now off after negotiations hit yet another snag yesterday.

Stay tuned.

The best of the rest…

• Just days after Liverpool announced he would be staying at the club, a brief statement has been posted on their official website to confirm that Dutch winger Ryan Babel has agreed a move to Hoffenheim, and will fly out to Germany today to finalise the deal…

• Speaking of Liverpool, Dutch newspaper Het Parool is reporting this morning that their protracted pursuit of Ajax forward Luis Suarez is ‘dead in the water’, with the Amsterdam club refusing to settle for a penny less than £30 million.

• In even further Liverpool news, it seems as if they are also about to miss out on Blackpool’s Charlie Adam, who saw his transfer request rejected at Bloomfield Road yesterday afternoon…

• West Ham are on the verge of signing Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba and Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O’Neil (both on loan). Consider your season ‘saved’, Hammers fans…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

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.

United set their sights on Coentrao…

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United have stepped up their pursuit of Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao after catching wind of whispers that the Portuguese side are currently busy trying to source a replacement for the seemingly outbound 22-year-old starlet.

Benfica are rumoured to be running their studious rule over Marseille’s Taye Taiwo and Copenhagen’s Oscar Wendt, and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has asked the club’s board to be kept abreast of any developments and made it clear that he is perfectly willing to meet the Aguias‘ £20 million-valuation of Coentrao.

The Mail also suggest that Fergie may be diligently courting Coentrao as United’s current incumbent left-back, Patrice Evra, is hankering for a summer move elsewhere.

Are you quite mad?…

TalkSPORT‘s indefatigable Italian sources seem fairly certain that Inter Milan are lining up a £17 million summer bid for Gareth Barry (note: BARRY, not BALE), with the Manchester City plodder said to be heading the long list of transfer targets drawn up by the Nerazzurri‘s newly-instated manager, Leonardo.

Barry is under contract at Eastlands until 2014, with Inter aware that they may have to ‘go big’ in order to snare the 29-year-old. Therefore, it is further understood that the Serie A giants may also be prepared to up their opening offer – should £17 million not be enough to land their man.

It’s madness gone mad I tell thee.

West Ham to hand O’Neill the reigns…

The BBC Sport team are reporting that former Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill is set to replace Avram Grant as West Ham manager after the Hammers’ Premier League tie with Arsenal later today.

Grant’s West Ham currently sit in the bottom slot of the top flight pile, having won only four games this campaign, though they have actually only lost one of their last seven games.

Everton accept Pienaar bid…

Everton manager David Moyes has confirmed that his superiors have accepted a bid for winger Steven Pienaar from a ‘major’, though as-yet anonymous, European club:

“We have had two offers and one of those offers has been accepted. We have allowed his representatives to speak to the other club, but whether it goes through or not I don’t know yet.”

Several sources are suggesting that the club in question is almost definitely Inter Milan, though the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Spanish cash-spunkers Malaga have also been mooted – though describing the latter as a ‘major’ club is surely a little on the tenuous side.

Brum keen to glean Keane…

After nearly a week of faffing around, Tottenham have announced that they have accepted Birmingham’s £6 million bid for striker Robbie Keane, who will now set about trying to hammer out his personal terms with the Alex McLeish‘s side.

Birmingham are currently the Premier League’s second lowest scorers, with Wigan the only team to have managed to tally less than the Blues’ 20 league goals so far this season and presumably, with Nikola Zigic, Kevin Phillips and Cameron Jerome contributing a paltry eight goals between themselves, Keane should have no problem muscling his way into the first-string should he eventually plump for St Andrews.

The best of the rest…

• Manchester United, Chelsea and Inter Milan are all vying to lure Udinese’s £15 million-rated winger Alexis Sanchez into their midst…

• Real Madrid have informed Karim Benzema that he won’t be allowed to leave the club this month, though a loan move for Emmanuel Adebayor is thought to still be on the cards…

• Paraguayan forward Roque Santa Cruz has completed his loan return to former club Blackburn, after enduring a fairly miserable 18-month stint at Manchester City…

• Spurs have abandoned their bid to sign David Beckham on loan, with manager Harry Redknapp calling LA Galaxy’s proposed four-week deal a ‘waste of time’…

• West Ham have confirmed that Wayne Bridge has officially completed his loan move from Manchester City to Upton Park, after the Hammers agreed to pay all of the left-back’s £70,000-a-week wages.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens are 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.

Wenger makes a case for the defense…

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that he may have to dip into the club’s swelling coffers to bring in defensive cover during January after learning that Belgian centre-back Thomas Vermaelen has suffered yet another ‘mystery setback’ in his bid to recover from the prolonged Achilles problem that he originally sustained whilst playing for his country way back in early September.

With Sebastien Squillaci also nursing a hamstring tweak, Wenger has begun feverishly beavering away in a bid to bring one of his top three transfer targets to the Emirates over the next few weeks – with Bolton’s Gary Cahill, Werder Bremen’s Per Mertesacker and Montpellier’s Emir Spahic said to be the three names on the Frenchman’s shortlist.

My money’s on the Bosnian.

Liverpool hot on the heels of the ‘new Walcott’…

At the behest of their footballing strategist Damien Comolli, Liverpool have thrown their hat into the ring and are ready to rival Arsenal in the race to sign Southampton’s £10 million-rated, 17-year-old tyro Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has been dubbed, with a crushing inevitability, as the ‘new Theo Walcott’.

The young winger has notched seven goals in 17 starts for the Saints, a better ratio than Walcott had managed by the time he officially moved to Arsenal on his 17th birthday in March 2006.

Definitely one to watch.

Dutch destroyer…

According to a myriad of reports in the Italian press, AC Milan are now in ‘pole position’ to sign Bayern Munich bruiser Mark van Bommel, who – at a mere 33-years-old – will presumably be allowed to mature in the Rossoneri‘s youth system for a couple of years before making his full debut.

The veteran Dutchman’s contract with the German giants expires in the summer, meaning he is now free to talk with other clubs. Milan are reported to have scheduled a meeting with the player’s representatives for later this week, though both Spurs and Manchester City are rumoured to have done the same.

Balotelli out for another month…

On the day that Manchester City officially unveiled the latest big-money addition to their forward ranks, Edin Dzeko, came the news yesterday evening that surly summer signing Mario Balotelli will face a further month on the sidelines – with the troublesome knee injury which has already served to blight the first few months of his City career flaring up yet again.

So said a concerned Roberto Mancini…

“I’m worried because he can’t play for another three or four weeks at an important moment for us. To have an operation done and then to have another problem two months later is strange.

He may need surgery. We just don’t know. He must rest, then he will have treatment and work. Hopefully then he will be OK.”

Deary me.

The best of the rest…

• Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed that David Beckham will not be fit enough to play against his former club Manchester United on Sunday, even if he does sign on at Spurs in time for the game…

• Current England U21 coach Stuart Pearce is the ‘logical choice’ to manage Great Britain’s football team at the 2012 Olympics, according to the FA’s general secretary.

• Former Foreign Secretary David Milliband is in talks over being handed a non-executive, high-ranking role on the Sunderland board, which would apparently focus mainly on international and community work…

• West Ham hope to complete the loan signing of Wayne Bridge from Manchester City before the weekend, and are also exploring the possibility of bringing in Udinese striker Antonio Floro Flores before the transfer window closes…

• Genoa have taken Wigan’s misfiring record signing Mauro Boselli off the Latics’ hands by signing the Argentinian misfit on a six-month loan deal…

• Leicester City are now within spitting distance of completing a deal to sign Everton striker Yakubu on loan until the end of the season…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Due to an increasingly obvious desire to once again saunter amidst the vivid hum of Premier League life, David Beckham (along with the legal suits at Tottenham Hotspur) is currently beavering away, exploring all the channels available to him in his joint bid to turn a brief training excursion/flagrant PR exercise into a full-bodied loan move.

Beckham was officially given the go-ahead to start training with the Tottenham first string after making it through a bout of routine fitness tests at the club’s Spurs Lodge training ground in Essex on Monday morning – though it seems that the LA Galaxy veteran is not content with his current lot, and will continue in his attempts to engineer a deal that will allow his to partake in first-team duties should he be required to.

Negotiations between Tottenham and the Galaxy are ongoing, with three distinct sticking points thought to be repeatedly coming to the fore.

Firstly comes the question of insurance, with the MLS side understandably keen to ensure that their $250 million investment doesn’t do himself a mischief akin to the ruptured Achilles that he suffered whilst on loan at AC Milan last season – an injury which duly forced Beckham to miss out on being held directly culpable for England’s World Cup dirge, lucky sod.

Beckham dodged England's World Cup misery due to injury

Secondly, the Galaxy execs have told Spurs that Beckham is to return to Los Angeles by 10th February – thus giving him plenty of time to reintegrate into their squad in time for their first game of the season against the Seattle Sounders on 15th March – though the Premier League side are hoping to persuade their American counterparts into letting them borrow their prize-asset for a few weeks longer.

Thirdly is the complicated nature of his £160 million (approx.) contract that Beckham has with the Galaxy, which is stuffed to the hilt with various top-ups, revenue percentage agreements and image rights stipulations – though it’s though that he is perfectly willing to waiver certain payments in order to smooth over any cracks that may occur.

Harry Redknapp is still hopeful a deal can be struck

As is, there is no official deal in place, meaning Beckham is free to come and go as he pleases, though Spurs manager Harry Redknapp hasn’t given up hope of coercing Galaxy into allowing the 35-year-old midfielder to pull on the famous Lilywhite shirt in anger (so to speak) at some point during the coming weeks:

“It’s great to have him here. We worked hard to get him here hoping that he could come and play.”

No-one could have worked harder than Daniel Levy, the chairman. They grafted away trying to get a deal done where he could play for us. It’s a bit complicated but you never know. We’ll see how it goes.

[The Spurs board] work on that side of it. I’ve got the easy part. I just identify people, say ‘I’d like to get David – I think he’d be good for us’. It’s up to them. They do the hard work and put the deals on.”

Redknapp was also full of praise for Beckham, praising his fitness levels despite being firmly fit for the knacker’s yard in footballing terms – though the Spurs boss once again insisted that it is still unclear as to whether the former England captain will be made available to him in terms of selection:

“[Beckham's] a fit lad, he looks like he’s in great condition, looks like he looks after himself.

He’s a model professional so that won’t be a problem. Whether a deal will be possible to pull off, I’m not sure.”

An intriguing sideline to the whole debacle is that, should Tottenham be able to tie up a deal by the weekend, Beckham could be in line to make his debut against his former club Manchester United (i.e. the only Premier League club he’d ever entertain thoughts of playing for again) at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens are 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.

Duck hunting season opens at Chelsea…

Having staved off Roman’s wrath for the time being with a thumping 7-0 victory over rudderless Ipswich at the weekend, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is apparently about to be handed the necessary funds to finally land AC Milan starlet Alexandre Pato before the January transfer window ebbs to a close in three weeks’ time.

According to the German website, 4-4-2, the 21-year-old Brazilian striker is known to be keen on a move to the Bridge to reunite himself with Ancelotti (whom he served under for a year or so at the San Siro back in 2008/2009), though Chelsea will have to stump up around €30 million in order to even open a line of communication with the Serie A giants.

Ancelotti will also have to wait for Milan chief Adriano Galliani to return from Brazil, where he is currently trying desperately to flog his buck-toothed show-pony Ronaldinho to former club Gremio.

Third Gunners’ stint for Sol?…

Unhappy with his peripheral lot at Newcastle, veteran centre-back Sol Campbell is said to be pining for a third stint at Arsenal and may get his way as Arsene Wenger continues to source cheap, reliable defensive reinforcements.

Having witnessed current first-choice pairing Sebastien Squillaci (who also twanged a hamstring during the game) and Johan Djourou being systematically dismantled by the near-immobile Luciano Becchio over the weekend, you can’t really blame the Frenchman for his roving eye.

The Daily Express seem fairly certain that 36-year-old Campbell will be moving back to the Emirates on a five-month loan deal, similar to the one he signed with the Gunners at the tail-end of last season.

Where art thou Becks?…

In short, no-one knows what the hell is happening vis-a-vis David Beckham‘s protracted loan move to Tottenham, not even Spurs manager Harry Redknapp who now seems to think that ‘insurance issues’ may scupper any bid to sign the LA Galaxy man on a playing contract.

It seems likely that Becks will now be moving to North East London to train with Redknapp’s side until the MLS gets going again in a couple of months’ time, though if anyone knows their way around ‘insurance issues’, it’s old ‘Arry.

Birmingham line up ‘three-and-a-bit’ big name signings…

Brum are hoping to add the sum total of about 3.25 ‘big name’ signings to their roster over the course of the next week or two, with both Robbie Keane and David Bentley almost certain to join from Tottenham’s reserves and Kenny Miller and Pablo Mouche set to follow on shortly after, arriving from Rangers and Boca Juniors respectively.

All in all, it looks like Big Eck is going to be shelling out somewhere in the region of £8 million for the four new faces, two of which (Bentley and Mouche) will be joining on six-month loan deals.

El Diego claims Premier League interest…

Argentinian barmpot Diego Maradona has claimed that he will be travelling to England next month to hold talks with an as-yet anonymous club about taking over at the helm – with West Ham being touted by many as the most likely destination.

So said ‘El Diego’:

“In February I will be travelling to England to listening to a formal proposal from a team from there who wants to talk to me. If they convince me I might accept the position. I’m not desperate but I know that some day I’ll be the coach again of some team.”

What could possibly go wrong?

The best of the rest…

The agent of Manchester City striker Jo has claimed that he has received five bids for his client in the past two weeks. The Brazilian had been linked with a loan switch to Olympiakos, though it seems that the quintet of offers have emanated from France, Spain and Russia…

Fiorentina are trying to engineer a ‘pre-contract’ agreement with the agent of Bolton striker Johan Elmander, who’s current deal at the Reebok expires in the summer…

Aston Villa are ready to up the stakes in their bid to sign Newcastle bruiser Joey Barton by throwing midfielder Nigel Reo Coker into the deal as a like-for-like makeweight. Good luck with that one chaps…

Blackpool have rejected three £2 million bids for Charlie Adam, with Blackburn, Sunderland and Birmingham all thought to be courting the Scottish schemer…

West Ham are ready to sack Avram Grant and hand Sam Allardyce a six-month trial to save the club from relegation, i.e. should he succeed in avoiding the dreaded drop, Big Sam will get to keep the job on a full-time basis…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News