Transfers - Gossip Shop: Hope's what ya need

Eurosport - Sat, 11 Oct 15:18:00 2008

Gossip Shop is not technically a 'shop' in the true sense of the word. Or, in fact, in any sense of the word.

FOOTBALL fernando torres liverpool - 0

Gossip Shop doesn't actually sell anything, nor does it provide any sort of meaningful public service. Gossip Shop is just a glib little rumour column on a sports website.

But that doesn't mean we are immune to the credit crunch. Except while retailers in the real world agonise over a scarcity of cash-laden customers, GS has been hit by a sudden paucity of transfer tittle-tattle.

In these troubled times, Manchester City are to Gossip Shop what a £500 billion bail-out is to an Icelandic bank - a faint light at the end of a shadowy, suffocating tunnel.

Hope: hope's what you need when your sun-decked desert and evergreen valleys have turned to broken down slums and trash-can alleys...

When you try with your whole soul best; Never to think these thoughts and never to let; Them kind of thoughts gain ground; Or make yer heart pound; But then again you know why they're around; Just waiting for a chance to slip and drop down.

Manchester City offer hope. The very fact that Manchester City exist in these troubled times - that's the glimmer of hope that Gossip Shop needs. 'Manchester City' was the name that we heard on some windy corner 'round a wide-angled curve.

It's rumours like this one that keep us going: that City are preparing a humungous January bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, and are ready to "tempt" the young Spaniard with £200,000-a-week.

And before you start scoffing and mocking, questioning why Torres would leave Champions-League-and-title-chasing-Liverpool for loose-cannon City, read again: £200,000-a-week.

And ask yourself: honestly, could you turn that down?

In equivalent circumstances, Gossip Shop would tell City where to shove their cash. If a second-rate website - let's say setantasports.com - made us a barefaced offer to leave the glitz and the glamour of Eurosport-Yahoo! for a treble-your-money move across town, GS would flatly refuse.

But that's because we have Socratic principles. Torres? He's a different kettle of chips.

Also today, Juventus are reportedly mulling over a January move for Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue, with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger apparently ready to replace the Ivory Coast international with PSV Eindhoven's versatile 22-year-old Ibrahim Afellay .

Sounds plausible enough to GS: Arsenal buy unknown player, make the world realise he's good, then sell and replace him with another unknown. It's called The Circle of Life, and Elton John wrote a (cheesy) song about it.

Some of the unlikeliest gossip of the day, Jaap Stam has been spotted doing some scouting in Brazil for Manchester United. Given the acrimonious circumstances in which Stam left the club, perhaps he's going to give Sir Alex Ferguson a bum steer and recommend they sign some chump, by way of revenge.

Meanwhile, our sources at Anfield tell us that with Martin Skrtel crocked and Daniel Agger falling out of favour with Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, the club are considering a January bid for Valencia defender Carlos Marchena, a man Benitez knows well from his time in La Liga.

And The Daily Mail also report that Liverpool have enquired about Borussia Dortmund winger Jakub Blaszczykowski, but had their initial £5m offer for the Poland international rejected.

West Brom are already drawing up a list of potential January signings as they bid to consolidate their impressive start to the season, with Manchester City's Darius Vassel a target - providing he can prove his fitness after an injury-hit start to the new season.

Meanwhile, Everton are ready to test Wolverhampton Wanderers' ability to keep hold of flying winger Michael Kightly, who continues to impress in the Championship. An insider at Goodison Park told GS that David Moyes has put aside £5m for a January bid.

Just enough rumour to keep GS going there. Just enough 'hope' to keep our lamp a-burnin'. We didn't even have to go to Grand Canyon at sundown.

Alex Sharratt / Eurosport

Comment 23 - 42 of 42

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. Ok, I just skimmed the article while eating breakfast, but I can't believe that they are paying you two-hundred grand a week to write articles for this column. Unreal!

    From Edmond Dantès, on Sat 11 Oct 12:00AM

  2. liverpool DONT have to sell as he is still under contract. if the city owners wanted torres to play for their club they should have bought liverpool instead of city.

    From CARL, on Fri 10 Oct 11:10PM

  3. Hey alijaved9913 %"£$ off you english "£$%
    YOU IDIOT

    From Aaron R, on Fri 10 Oct 10:26PM

  4. How do I get a job with Eurosport? Come on, tell me. It can't be that difficult. You can seemingly write any old @#$% and it will be published. I can make u as many rumours as you like. FFS - it's October. What is the point in even having this column? Why am I even reading it?

    From Charlie G, on Fri 10 Oct 9:20PM

  5. I'm pretty sure he took a pay cut to move from his beloved Atleti to Liverpool (before Liverpool made up the difference about 6 months in), so why would he move again purely based on money, which he has shown not to be his top priority in terms of his career?

    From Lorri Welsh, on Fri 10 Oct 8:05PM

  6. City remember one thing,especially ye ( Billy "James&quot ) idiots.
    Money cant buy you love.
    At the end of the day ye`l be like the gypsy that won the lotto.
    He`l stiil be a gypsy and he`l stil live in a caravan.

    And ye`l stil be a small club.
    Ye always have been a small club.
    And ye always will be a small club.

    From MICHAEL M, on Fri 10 Oct 7:59PM

  7. The Scousers are Suicidal mixing buckets with green & clear,
    Jacking up on morphine and crying in their beer,
    Main Man Fernando T is leaving in January to seeking pastures anew,
    Leaving behind his @#$% red shirt at Anfield for the Sacred Eastlands Blue,

    "Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah!!"
    &q uot;Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah!!"
    "Nah-N ah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah-Nah!!"
    "FERNANDO TORRES, HENRY & MESSI TOO!!"

    "City Til' I Die!!"

    From Billy, on Fri 10 Oct 7:45PM

  8. to post 19, wtf has the fact he is irish got to do with it? im irish so am i what you said? you dont have to be english to post you stupid @#$%

    From derekf, on Fri 10 Oct 7:36PM

  9. Ask your self this,how much is torres already on ? he plays for a club that is the heartbeat of english football,he's long been an admirer of liverpool.
    Would he really walk away from glory days to come,being part of something great,playing with other class players,they gel as a team,have a world class manager,who is also spanish ,he's surrounded by spanish players,i dont think the lure of extra money would make a difference.
    yes he's young and might want to get every penny he can,but not at the expense of his loyalty to a club who have pursued him for so long,city had no interest in torres until these oil dudes came along.
    If D.I.C come along he will get an improved contract anyway.
    It just comes down to the desperation of a club with more money than class.
    They are trying to buy sucsess,when to earn respect of world class players they need to build a history on being a great team,you telling me M.H doesnt have enough to make it into Europe already?.
    Some people just cant be bought,chelsea tried with Gerrard,but found him to be loyal to his club when told he had a future there.That was all HE needed to know,he was already paid well.............if this now says invalid comment after all this i am gonna fucken kick off big time

    From !, on Fri 10 Oct 7:16PM

  10. torreswon'tbegoingtocity'causehe'saliverpoo lboy@heart

    From CiaranN, on Fri 10 Oct 6:54PM

  11. For 200 grand a week! He would go to Halifax Town nevermind city... Thats a done deal!

    From Stephen, on Fri 10 Oct 6:18PM

  12. Eboue can leave i dont care Afellay's way better and would be useful. Its very unlikley fabregas would leave arsenal altough the spanish radio disagree but last time that happened Fabregas rejected it. All arsenal is a top defensive or hold midfielder

    peeps they could buy:
    Alonso
    yaya toure

    Not likely To happen:
    Barry

    Dream player:
    Pirlo

    From festiaki, on Fri 10 Oct 6:15PM

  13. Jesus h Christ! the guy that rights this stuff has to, everyday, and to a certain length, its his @#$% job. How do you think he's going to do it without rambling some @#$%? We all know Torres isn't going anywhere, but thats the whole point of calling it Gossip Shop, and not, fact shop, of sensible talk shop, or things that haven't happened yet but look very likely to shop. Its the middle of October people, no transfers will takke place for another 3 months, what do you honestly expect???

    From RossG, on Fri 10 Oct 6:09PM

  14. eboue can jog on anyway! he is useless

    From rosspenzer, on Fri 10 Oct 5:39PM

  15. If Torres goes to City, I'm giving up football for good!

    From hari.adams_ebts, on Fri 10 Oct 5:33PM

  16. Article was of C grade quality. Content of this site is very poor.

    From Pinank, on Fri 10 Oct 5:29PM

  17. I would lol if Torres went to City.

    From aleksicn93, on Fri 10 Oct 5:04PM

  18. Why did eurosport ever employ these writers? They get simple facts completely wrong to create a transfer rumour. Daniel Agger is rated in the liverpool camp as our best defender after Carra(whos place he will be taking in a couple of seasons) Agger was out for 10 months, you dont walk back into a title challenging team who are performing well when you've almost had your career ended. Skrtel is injured so agger steps in just like skrtel had to step in when we signed him as agger was injured. Liverpool have hyypia who did a fantastic job last season dont forget. Also whats this about Benitez and aggers relationship? its totally false, they get along as well as any other player.

    Man city arent going to destroy their clubs reputation(unlike these writers who persistently trash talk everyone they can for a few laughs of the simpletons who believe them) by bidding stupid money for unrealistic targets. Torres wont leave, he promised his previous club(who he and his family adores) that if he ever left At madrid it would be for liverpool and if he ever left liverpool it would be for At madrid. Its a no brainer! Neither would any other stars commit career suicide by selling out to an average side. Fabregas wont go there, C.ronaldo wont, gerrard wont, lampard wont, terry wont, rooney wont, berb wont(and didnt), no star players in the top four clubs would. Its ridiculous to even suggest it without any substance to it.

    This column just shows you the media of today are ruined english football(amoung other things) with their juvenile ignorance. Its a damn shame...

    From Jack, on Fri 10 Oct 4:57PM

  19. its stupid. Torres would never go to City

    From Suzy, on Fri 10 Oct 4:51PM

  20. 1st time i've been on here don't think i'll bother again!utter tosh!utter @#$%!

    From edward.atherton, on Fri 10 Oct 4:48PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account