Transfer Rumors (25 July 08): Liverpool to choose between Barry and Alonso, Arsenal after Moses and more
While Texas and Mexico recover from storms during the week, please join me in hoping that Eddie is well and in discussing today’s latest transfer rumours (yesterday’s rumour roundup was done here).
Today we have key decisions for several clubs and players to make as Liverpool choose between two midfielders and lose to Arsenal in the ‘English’ stakes while the rest of the Europe is busy either protecting their players or trying to poach one off their rivals.
So far Liverpool and Juventus have not been able to agree on a price for Xabi Alonso, meaning that the Spanish midfielder faces the possibility of returning to Anfield. He’s already said that he’s OK with going back, although that’s more ‘covering your ass’ than ‘I’d love to go back.’ With Villa holding on to Gareth Barry for dear life (18m ought to do it), will he be able to play at Anfield next season?
Rumor Rating: 1 - The most likely scenario at this point is that both Alonso and Barry carry on for another year at their respective clubs before securing their desired transfers next summer.
Sticking with Liverpool, the most decorated club in the history of English football have signed Emmanuel Mendy from Murcia Deportivo and David Ngog from PSG.
Rumor Rating: 5 - For those who blame Arsenal for reducing the pool of English players in the Premier League, take a look at Liverpool. Apart from Gerrard (Carra retired instead of his ego), there’s not a single decent English player at Liverpool. Pennant and Crouch are / were backups at best. Not that the Gunners have a stash of young English starlets but I have more hope in Theo Walcott and the young crop of kids in Arsenal’s academy than Liverpool’s European kids.
Tottenham are ready to let Paul Robinson go to Blackburn as the Rovers send Brad Friedel to Aston Villa.
Rumor Rating: 3 - Ince can help Robinson regain his confidence for sure.
Arsenal are chasing Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses.
Rumor Rating: 2 - Moses is a promising young striker but Arsenal already have players like Walcott and Bendtner coming through. Unless Bendt is sold or Adebayor goes, I don’t see Moses coming in (at this stage he’d benefit more by spending time at Arsenal than being sent back out on loan).
Hull City are set to sign Tottenham’s Anthony Gardner on loan till January, with an option to make the deal permanent.
Rumor Rating: 5 - Almost a done deal, and good for all parties involved. Gardner gets playing time, Hull City get a decent defender and Spurs get to unload another unneeded squad member.
Inter are all set to sign Portsmouth’s Sulley Muntari for 12.7m.
Rumor Rating: 5 - The more I think about this, the more I like it. Muntari will give Inter quality in depth and he will develop as a player under one of the best man-managers in the game. Having said that, Mourinho’s transfers at Inter are going to be very interesting - he’s already made a public play for Lampard and you can expect him to go for more Premier League players considering that he’s familiar with many of them.
Hamburg claim to have rejected a bid by Real Madrid for Rafael Van der Vaart. He’s rumoured to be a backup candidate if Madrid don’t get Ronaldo.
Rumor Rating: 3 - Van der Vaart has the glamour and the missus, the only thing remaining to see is his temperament and whether he can take on the pressure and responsibility of playing for Madrid. Martin Jol has him down as his captain and personally I’d like to see him stick it out at HSV - they have the nucleus of a very talented side with de Jong and Kompany next to Van der Vaart, and can do well next season.
Bayern Munich have said that they might buy Mario Gomez next season.
Rumor Rating: 4 - Just a first salvo but Bayern have a history of bagging the best German players even if their careers go south after that (Podolski?) so them getting Gomez is a real possibility, what with Klose and Toni getting on in their years. Depends a lot on Klinsmann though.
That’s it for today folks - we’ll keep adding news as it breaks and we’ll be back tomorrow.
liverpool should forget barry and keep alonso how can benitez think selling alonso and getting barry is going to inprove the team keep alonso and spend the money on a quality winger if we get keane and the n a great winger possible silva we must have a team to push for the title also i think the new singing ngog seems a good bit of buisness
Selling Alonso and getting Barry will improve the team! Alonso had a poor year, and he is not the holding midfielder that Liverpool need to give Gerrard freedom up front. And calling Crouch a backup at best shows little understanding of the game of football. Peter Crouch has been the most effective English striker over the past two years. I’d say he’s more than decent.
totally agree wif darren … liverpool shud keep alonso n 4get abt barry …. they should also get a good winger and a better striker than keane … they really need to splash the cash if they are title challengers this season
Keane is a good striker but id prefer someone younger … and not from the UK
Keane is brilliant, a goal poacher that can play behind the striker which is a rare thing to have, if i was manager i’d price him at 18million.
muntari would be a big loss for portsmouth…jeez i hate inter but they do sign good players…
Jason, I think by calling Crouch a backup at best Ahmed meant that Crouch was mainly a backup striker to Torres and/or Kuyt. I think I may be one of the few but I really rate Jermaine Pennant, I think he’s awesome and can make awesome crosses and leave left backs looking stupid. For example Champions League Final 2007. Also I agree that Barry should be ditched and Alonso should be kept. Get a better winger such as Silva or Schweinsteiger, and put Babel on the right wing as he plays better there I think (eg 1-1 draw with Luton Town FA Cup 3rd Round) and cos it doesn’t look like Pennant will be playing too much. Then Rafa can play that 4-2-3-1 formation which I thought worked last season and Mascherano can be the really defensive holding midfielder, leaving Alonso to be a little bit more attacking.
With regards to Portsmouth and Muntari I believe he is a good player but I don’t think it’s at all a bad thing for Pompey if he goes as they have other good central midfielders such as Papa Bouba Diop and Baros who looks set to play there (strange?) and then they can spend the money to buy another quality player.
People say that Chelsea are poachers but how do you compare them with Bayern. At Bayern there are world class players such as Podolski, (one of Germany’s best) and Sosa sitting on the bench week after week. And now either Toni or Klose will have to also. I just think that it’s a crime to do that with players and that is why I’m glad that Liverpool have gotten rid of Kewell, Riise, Crouch, and Finnan looks set to go. Because I support Liverpool and don’t want them to be caught up in that whole saga.
i rather see van Der Vaart going to manu
Even as arsenal is goin for barry,they should also get silver,to mak a spanish dual wit fabrigas more so get a quality attacker
Xabi may not have the best season but you cant rate a player for having a bad season, adebayor had a bad season last season and had an excellent one this season so who knows xabi’s form may change. He should stay because with xabi we have a great passer who can really get our counter attacks going, we dont need a better striker then keane because as we all know rafa is probally going to run his 4-2-3-1 and torres will almost always start so why buy someone that is on the same level as torres and have him not play because gerrard is amazing at slotting behind the striker. And i agree pennant is good he just hasnt been given a real opportuninty, he plays well in one match and then dosnt even make the bench for the next one.
I think StevieGerrard and Chase about Pennant and I think he is a bit underrated, give him space and he will burn and turn ya. 18mil for Barry??? WHAT??? keep Alonso he will bounce back.
I also agree, that we should pick up Silva or a better Mid.
but i rather have Barry than Keane, we already have 2 very talented strikers, for example, Nino Torres, hes a futbol God,and Kuyt? i dont know if yall saw him play in the Euro, but he did excellent, hes young and very quick minded. And to have Keane would prob. mean that Kuyt would have to sit out, witch is a total waste of money for the Irish men.
J.Rocha Kuyt certainly did have a great Euro 2008 tournament but he was playing in right midfield and centre midfield and not striker. And why would you play him ahead of Mascherano (rated Argentina’s best player), Gerrard (ditto England), and Xabi Alonso. I don’t think it would happen. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of formation Rafa Benitez will play if he does get Robbie Keane, will he stick 2ith the 4-2-3-1 or play the more orthodox 4-4-2?
Bayern are looking at a Podolski and Gomez future, with Ribery, Schweinsteiger and Altintop as the nucleus in midfield. Offensively, they look strong. Defensively though, I think Lahm, Jansen and Sagnol need to regain their former selves. Only Demichelis is their defensive stalwart…
kuyt isnt young. hes like 28, same age as keane. Now would you rather have someone like kuyt he can score goals in the champions league and help us win it again or, now this is what i prefer, or have keane whos a striker that is proven himself over and over again in the premier league and if we give him half a chance in the CL he could be just as great or even better than kuyt. kuyt isnt going to fit in with rafa unles we go back to the rotation system which isnt that great for us. keane will probally slot in behind torres and gerrard will then go out to the right and that will make sure that neither kuyt nor pennant will play
Yes! That’s a Liverpool I’d like to see but having David Silver is !00% Barclays Winners. & the rest of the tittles as well. Excellent & thanx Sir Benitez. Our Super Coach (Benitez) try as U can to make sure that, you land Silver to Anfield as left winger. It’s a rÃghttime to be English champions. Our year(season) of Trophies.