There Is Only One Sinnacle

Roma Reject €30m Bid From Real Madrid For Vucinic – Report

The Giallorossi are not keen on selling anyone and have rejected a bid from the Primera Division side…

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It’s always hard to sign quality players form quality teams in mid season but something tells me Roma may regret turning down 30 million in a year or so.

Angry Saviola eyes Real Madrid exit

Javier Saviola wants Real Madrid to decide whether to play him or let him leave, the Argentina striker said on Saturday.

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Never should of gone to Real Madrid to begin with. Shame such talent has been wasted through the years.

Having brought Emile Heskey to Villa Park, Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill will now try to lure Michael Owen from Newcastle. (Various)

Have found it curious that the Owen rumours have died down the last two weeks. My opinion is Owen will only decide on his future once the season is over.

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes insists he is still in charge of transfer policy at the club, and will go back to Blackburn with a final bid for striker Roque Santa Cruz before the transfer window closes. (Daily Mail)

However, Hughes is not impressed that Rovers are asking £20m for the Paraguayan. (Daily Mail)

When you are a desperate team other clubs know this and will not do you any favours in the transfer market. Looks like the Santa Cruz will come down to the final hours.

Niko Kranjcar expects to leave Portsmouth in the summer, with Arsenal the probable destination. (Sun)

Kranjcar is not having the same type of season he was last year. Some of that isn’t his fault with the drama surround Portsmouth plus Kranjcar playing in Euro 2008 didn’t give him much of a break. Despite all that would be a good fit for Arsenal.

Sunderland are in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a swap deal which would bring Kenwyne Jones to White Hart Lane in return for £6m plus Darren Bent. (Daily Mail)

I’d make that deal if I was Sunderland. You can say Jones is a better than Bent but an extra 6 million could go towards bringing another quality player to Sunderland.

Bolton are trying to sign Sporting Lisbon star Miguel Veloso for £12m. (Daily Mirror)

Veloso would only step foot at the Reebok stadium as a visiting player.

Serbian Branislav Ivanovic expects to leave Chelsea for Fiorentina. (Sun)

Joining Ivanovic on the list of Chelsea players possibly bound for Italy is Florent Malouda, who has aroused the interest of Juventus. (Daily Express)

Chelsea are still in the title picture. It’s weird seeing so many players leaving but so few rumored to be coming in.

Leeds are demanding £8m for midfielder Fabian Delph, with Fulham desperate to sign him as a replacement for Jimmy Bullard. (Daily Mirror)

It wouldn’t be everyday a team like Fulham can sign a player with the upside of Delph.

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are facing the prospect of striking a deal for the club worth £110m less than it would have been last July, as they try to sell to Kuwaiti billionaire Nasser al-Kharafi. (Guardian)

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has been kept in the dark over the negotiations. (Sun)

Hick and Gillett always pick a bad time to turn up in the news. Liverpool would be best served if this all waited until after the season was done.

The pioneer of Portuguese football

Sunday sees Eusébio da Silva Ferreira celebrate his 67th birthday. He remains Portugal’s favourite son, the player who took them to the brink of the World Cup Final in 1966 and gave a small nation belief in its ability to compete. At Benfica, he is revered as their greatest player, the man whose goals secured them a second European Cup and inspired them to unmatched domestic success. No-one ever shone brighter at the original Stadium of Light.

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Really can’t praise this article enough. Eusebio is one of those rare players where in their time you see them play and know they advanced the game to a whole other level. In the 60′s there was Pele, Real Madrid great Alfredo di Stéfano and Eusebio. Make no mistake he deserved to be among that rarefied air of football greatness. It was Real Madrid and Benfica lead by Eusebio which dominated European Football in the 1960′s. We all know Brazil won the 1958, 1962, and 1970 World Cup with the only team to stop them along the way was Eusebio who during his magical 1966 World Cup ran ended Brazil streak of World Cup’s.

For the longest time I’ve told this story repeated in the article which I will quote.

“The regrets of 1966 would rankle long after his retirement. England had been supposed to travel to Goodison for the semi-final until a FIFA decision to move the game to Wembley. Having won the hearts of the people of Merseyside and after being forced to travel to London on a train at short notice, Eusébio continues to resent a switch he felt gave the English too great an advantage. “Had we played in Liverpool, like we were supposed to, we would have won that game and reached the final. There is no question about it,” he has said.”

To this day I can’t mention this fact to my family without swear words soon following in their reply. Somewhat in jest but also somewhat serious I’ve always dubbed the 1966 World Cup “the rigged world cup.” In this day and age you’d never see such an important game being moved 24 hours prior to kickoff plus the whole did the ball cross the line or did it not against Germany in the finals.

Moving on as we approach Eusebio birthday allow me to bow in his greatness and say thanks for the positive influence he continues to have in the game. Leaving with a youtube clip of Eusebio. Just looking at the way he stuck the ball with such power you could see he was a special player in his era. (Sorry for the music in the clip, have no control over that.)

Juventus reveal interest in Werder’s Diego

The Brazilian has long been linked with a move to the Serie A giants, and Ranieri has confirmed he is considering bringing the 23-year-old to the Stadio Olimpico.

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Werder Bremen has a history of selling now it’s really a question of if Juventus will finally stop talking about it and actual start making a bid for Diego. A player with his skills would be the perfect compliment for Amauri and Alessandro Del Piero.

Report: Liverpool Want Everton Target Hugo Almeida

Liverpool are set to scupper Everton’s chances of signing Hugo Almeida this January, according to a report in British tabloid newspaper the Daily Mirror.

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I’m really finding this interest in Almeida curious has he isn’t exactly scoring goals at will in German. With the proper service Almeida can find the back of the net however he isn’t the type of player who can create goal scoring chances out of nothing. Those are the types of strikers that tend to excel in England.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill believes he has won the battle to sign Wigan striker Emile Heskey and expects to seal a £3m move on Friday. (The Sun)

With Wigan making a move for the oft traveled Mido yesterday it was only a matter of time before they threw up the white flag concerning Emile Heskey.

Manchester City have offered striker Didier Drogba a double-your-money deal worth £180,000 a week to quit Chelsea. (The Sun)

Makes more sense that Manchester City fruitless pursuits of the Kaka’s, Henry’s, Villa’s and Buffon of the world.

West Ham are close to agreeing a deal to sign Brescia’s Savio Nsereko for a fee that could total £10m after club executives spent the past two days in Italy holding talks. (The Independent)

That is a lot of money for a player in Serie B. Not only would he need to adapt to a new country but also a much higher standard of play.

Spurs are ready to revive their interest in West Ham’s Carlton Cole after they had an £8m bid for the striker turned down at the beginning of January. (Daily Star)

Why would Tottenham make a move when they have a similar player in Darren Bent is beyond me? Making a move for Cole would mean Tottenham would be interested in shipping Bent out.

Manchester City are ready to pay £19m for Sporting Lisbon and Portugal midfielder Miguel Veloso, who has been a long-term target for local rivals Manchester United. (The Sun)

Already talked about Veloso at length here but Manchester City just spent 14 million for Nigel De Jong who plays the same position. Can’t see City making a move for another holding midfielder.

Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard, who travelled to Hull City to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms on Thursday, is contemplating whether to become the Tigers’ £5m record buy. (The Sun)

Sure seems like Fulham is doing everything possible to send Bullard a signal that his time at the club is coming close to an end.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s resolve to keep hold of the Stamford Bridge club could be tested with a £750m takeover bid by a group of mainly German investors. (Daily Star)

When you lose the vast majority of your fortune these rumours are bound to pick up stream.

West Ham midfielder Jack Collison thinks manager Gianfranco Zola is one of the best players at the club – even at 42. “Some of the things he does in training makes us look silly, to be honest. It’s just a joy to watch him out there,” said the 20-year-old. (The Sun)

If West Ham lose any more strikers Zola just might end up being their best option up front.

Cologne-bound Podolski hits out at Klinsmann

Lukas Podolski has hit out at Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann following his decision to return to Cologne at the end of the season.

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Needless to say not an ideal situation for Lukas Podolski as he counts his final days with Bayern Munich.

Oliveira fancies Lyon switch

Real Zaragoza forward Ricardo Oliveira is open to the idea of joining French champions Lyon.

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When you are playing second division football in Spain you are going to be open towards playing for a team like Lyon. It was only two years old Oliveira was a big money signing by A.C Milan but it now seems like a distant memory.

Zinedine Zidane To Make Real Madrid Return If Perez Is Elected

It looks like Zizou will be returning to football sooner than most expected…

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Always hated these tease headlines. Big deal, Zidane would make a comeback as a youth coach mostly because his kids are involved with the youth setup.

Manchester City are targeting Chelsea’s unsettled £15m-rated striker Didier Drogba and that could trigger a transfer swap deal which would take Robinho to Stamford Bridge. (The Sun)

With all the players that have been rumored to be moving between the two teams why don’t they save themselves some time and just become one team called Chelsea City or something.

Newcastle have told Manchester City they want at least £14m for goalkeeper Shay Given. (The Sun)

Another example of saying one thing to the press but the actual number Newcastle would sell Given for is less than 14 million.

City have taken the first steps in their attempt to bring Barcelona striker Thierry Henry back to the Premier League. (The Times)

The full extend of Manchester City’s difficulties in the transfer window were revealed when it emerged that the club had also tried and failed to sign David Villa, Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry before their aborted £91m world-record bid for Kaka. (The Guardian)

While already clear Manchester City have no clue how to go about becoming “the biggest club in the world.” They just target the wrong players. Nigel De Jong is actually a good signing and exactly the type of player City needs. When your fans however are conditioned to look out for the Kaka and Henry’s of the world it puts players like De Jong at a disadvantage right off the bat.

Wigan and Bolton are chasing Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards for £5m. (The Sun)

Yes, Richards is having a bad season but there is too much talent there for Manchester City to sell him.

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is checking on Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen who could be available for £2m. (The Sun)

Gudjohnsen has made it clear these last three years that he isn’t going to leave Barcelona despite not being a starter there.

Manager David Moyes could bolster his depleted forward line at Everton by signing Portugal international Hugo Almedia on loan from Werder Berlin. (The Sun)

Still doubtful Werder would allow Almedia to leave on loan. With Arteta able to pin point a cross right between Almedia eyes, his size and strength in front of goal could prove useful for Everton.

Man Utd bullish despite sponsorship setback

US insurance giant AIG have announced that they will not seek to renew their sponsorship of Manchester United when their current deal expires in 2010 and reports suggest the company are trying to negotiate an early end to the deal.

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With AIG’s financial troubles there was only going to be one outcome when it came to their shirt sponsorship deal with Manchester United. Even in this financial climate I doubt United will have any troubles finding another company will be pony up at least the 19 million annual AIG has been paying.

Kaká: Either I Stay At Milan Or I Join Real Madrid

The Kaká transfer saga is bound to hit hyperdrive again after the Brazilian maestro opened the door for a move to Los Blancos.

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Part of me wishes this is the last Kaka off the field story for awhile but I doubt that will be the case.

A nice little recap on last weeks draft.

Manchester City striker Robinho is desperate to leave the club with Chelsea waiting to rescue the Brazilian. (The Sun)

I’m of two minds when it comes to Robinho. Long term Manchester City would be best served selling Robinho at a small profit and starting over since he is just about the last player you’d want to build a team around. A leader Robinho does not come across as. Then again selling Robinho creates a signal to the rest of the football world that Manchester City is a joke of a football club.

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda is being lined up by Spanish club Villarreal who are preparing a £9m bid. (Daily Mirror)

Malouda can go but I’m sure Chelsea will decide to do business with him come the off season. With Joe Cole on the shelf it’s unlikely Chelsea are going to sell Malouda right now.

Tottenham have clinched the signing of Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini for around £1m. (Daily Mail)

Cudicini always struck me as an interesting player. Here you have a player who back in 2002-03 was the best goalie in England then Petr Cech come along and seemingly was happy collecting a big cheque as a backup. When Cech would get hurt Cudicini hamstring would soon pull up lame and be on the shelf myself.

Chelsea manager Phil Scolari has been told he can use the £12m gained from the sale of Wayne Bridge for January transfers. (Guardian)

Good for Chelsea to tell Scolari this with only ten days left in the transfer window.

Sunderland and Newcastle are leading the race to sign unsettled Bolton defender Danny Shittu. (The Sun)

Who is 3rd and 4th in this race is what I’d be curious about? Also would these teams really be that disappointing losing out on Shittu.

Middlesbrough are tracking Hull striker Marlon King whose future at the club is in doubt after a row with Tigers boss Phil Brown. (Daily Mail)

When you are a striker on loan and there are tensions between you and the coach naturally questions regarding a players future will arise.

Arsenal’s hopes of signing Zenit St Petersburg’s Russian forward Andrei Arshavin appear to have collapsed. (The Times)

Manchester City could now join the race to sign Arshavin. (Telegraph)

Even going back to the summer this whole Arshavin to insert team x here saga has dragged on way too long. The bottom line here is that Arshavin wants the best of both worlds. He wants to play for a world class team like Arsenal and still wants to be paid the 90k a week like he is at Zenit. Those figures are something Arsenal is loathe to pay and we all know world class and Manchester City don’t go hand and hand.

Lyon are expected to complete the signing of West Ham winger Julien Faubert. (The Times)

My only memory of the Julien Faubert era besides tearing up his ACL during the 2007 pre season is French national team coach Raymond Domenech calling Faubert a damn fool for signing with West Ham.

Chelsea have joined the race to sign Wigan winger Antonio Valencia. (The Independent)

This rumour is a direct result of Joe Cole’s injury.

Sevilla’s £20m rated left-back Fernando Navarro is being tracked by Liverpool. (Telegraph)

Not at 20 million pound they’re not.

Newcastle pair Charles N’Zogbia and Andy Carroll have been involved in a furious training-ground bust-up and had to be dragged apart. (Various)

Don’t really care whose fault this is. Newcastle should really get the message and send N’Zogbia on his way.