Transfer Rumors (12 Jan 09): Chelsea to bid for Barcelona’s Iniesta, West Ham reject another Manchester bid for Bellamy, Barcelona to make summer move for Lyon’s Benzema, and more
Things are still quiet on the signing front as we start a new week, but there are a lot of rumors to report on about who could be on the move either this month or in the summer.
Chelsea are reportedly preparing a world-record bid for Barcelona star Andres Iniesta. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: Trying to show they can still keep up?
West Ham have rejected a £9.5m bid from Manchester City for Craig Bellamy (Daily Mail).
Analysis: Despite the interest from City and possibly Tottenham, as long as Bellamy keeps scoring and helping the Hammers get positive results, why let him go?
Meanwhile, City are set to bid £3m for Chelsea backup keeper Carlo Cudicini. (The Mirror)
Analysis: If he hasn’t left all this time, is he going to now? He would be a good signing for City though, and he could be very helpful for Joe Hart’s development.
Aston Villa have Sunderland’s Kenwyne Jones as a top January target, but it could cost Villa £12m to land the 24-year-old striker. (The Mirror)
Analysis: Villa do need to add a striker in January, but their options are pretty limited now. Jones might be more of a realistic target in the summer, so maybe Villa will have to think about going in for Bellamy.
Tottenham are lining up a £10m move for Wigan midfielder Wilson Palacios. (Tribalfootball)
Analysis: If Wigan want £20m for Antonio Valencia, then they might want more than £10m for Palacios. But with Jermaine Jenas potentially on his way out of Tottenham, Wigan could try to have him included in a cash/player swap deal.
Newcastle are interested in taking Manchester City striker Jo on loan for the remainder of the season. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: Would he really want to go to another Premier League club considering how he’s struggled in England so far? Maybe he could benefit from the change of scenery and the chance to prove himself and help Newcastle stay up, but he might prefer to look abroad.
Portsmouth could rival Everton in their interest to secure Real Madrid striker Javier Saviola on loan (The Mirror), but if they can’t land him, they could look to bring back Benjani from Manchester City, who could get a £6m package offer for Benjani and midfielder Michael Johnson (The Sun).
Analysis: Funny how things work out, isn’t it? Less than a year ago, we had all of that drama surrounding Benjani and Jermain Defoe, and if Benjani returns to Pompey, they’ll both be back where they were this time last year.
Barcelona are set to make a €65m bid for Lyon star Karim Benzema in the summer. (Goal.com)
Analysis: So I take it that money would come from Barca’s sale of Iniesta? Kidding, kidding. Benzema’s dreams of Real Madrid could turn him off to such a move, but Barca are the better side right now, so…
Real Madrid are revive their interest in Wigan’s Antonio Valencia, with an offer of £10m cash plus Saviola set to be tabled. (Tribalfootball)
Analysis: This could be a deal worth making for Wigan, though they may prefer to hold out for more cash. They already got their replacement for Emile Heskey in Hugo Rodallega, and if Amr Zaki signs with one of Europe’s big boys as many expect, Saviola could take his place next season.
If you have a juicy rumor that you think we may have missed, post it in the comments, along with the link to the source if possible.
And if you want to keep up with all of the latest confirmed transfers, check out our updated transfer lists.
Topics: Aston Villa, Barcelona, Chelsea, English Premier League, Football Transfers, La Liga, Ligue 1, Lyon, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Portsmouth, Real Madrid, Sunderland, Tottenham, West Ham, Wigan
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Wow if the Chelsea rumor is true, they’re dumber at the top than I thought, and that’s actually saying something. They currently have possibly the best 3 midfielders in the world, and if not the best than very close to it individually. Undoubtedly, their midfield group is not responsible for their lack of success. All they need to be successful is one (or possibly even two) consistent front line players, and they’d be dominant. I’m surprised they haven’t made a move for Thierry Henri, or even Karim Benzema, if they are so economically inclined. I think that both would make sense – they should sell Drogba and bring in that pair if they’re willing to spend the money. Otherwise, there are plenty of good striking options avaiable on the transfer market, and it does not seem like they have even looked into those prospects. Go figure – Chelsea is dumb and getting dumber in the personnel department. I forsee a number 3 finish this year; perhaps even worse next season.
January 13th, 2009 @ 00:34Wigan should take the money and player swap deal and run. Valencia I do not think is by any means that great. He is a very replaceable player and again….they do have the striker issues going into next year…
January 13th, 2009 @ 05:12Will D, you’re not a Chelsea supporter surely. Deco and Ballack look out me their depth and they are not growing younger. Chelsea need to rebuild their squad in the summer that includes new midfielders. But to expect Barca to part with Iniesta will be foolish. Hamsik, Diego and Van der Vaart are more of a possibility than Iniesta. That said forwards must be the priority area of change.
January 13th, 2009 @ 12:39Deco and Ballack look out *of* their depth.
January 13th, 2009 @ 12:42Ballack and Deco don’t look out of their depth, just out of form. They have both proven that they can play in the English league and both are important to their squad. For Chelsea to bid on Iniesta is rather ridiculous as I can’t see him moving at all.
January 13th, 2009 @ 19:31I am interested, though, in why Real Madrid are interested in Valencia. They are obviously in need of a wide player, with rumours flowing constantly about their interest in every decent winger under the sun. However, Valencia isnt a stand out in the Premier League and I am unsure of how well a transfer to one of the biggest clubs in the world would be a good idea for either club or player
Lie! Chelsea you lied. Iniesta is going no where. His home is Barca for now.
June 9th, 2009 @ 08:01