Transfers - Transfer talk: City eye Bellamy, Kaka

Eurosport - Tue, 13 Jan 19:34:00 2009

They say it's grim up north, but from the state of the transfer market today you wouldn't think so.

2008-2009 West Ham Craig Bellamy - 0

While the soft southern dandies at West Ham, Spurs and Arsenal have been dancing around each other in effete circles whingeing about excessive price tags and wage demands, the no-nonsense northern clubs have been getting on with business and actually making some decisions.

We lead, as always, with Manchester City, who have already made two unsuccessful bids for Craig Bellamy, the latest worth £9.5 million, and are expected to launch a third of around £12m. Some might pause to consider the wisdom of signing a player who was involved in another tunnel row at the weekend ("Bellamy was ranting and raving but not making a lot of sense," said a Newcastle source.), but Mark Hughes has his eyes on the belligerent Welsh prize and refuses to be deterred.

That should put the kaibosh on Tottenham's interest in Bellamy, with Harry Redknapp preferring to wave his wad in the direction of assorted northern outposts as he looks to bring in Stewart Downing , Kenwyne Jones and Wilson Palacios.

If City fail to get Bellamy, they will settle for Kaka as their second choice. The Daily Express reports that chief executive Gary Cook has flown to Italy to open face-to-face negotiations with Milan about bringing in the not-half-bad Brazilian. City will smooth the move by waiting until summer, and are reportedly willing to set a new world record transfer fee.

Stoke City have actually completed a signing, having prised James Beattie from Sheffield United for £3.5m. The former Southampton and Everton striker has signed a two-and-a-half year deal that'll line his pockets to the tune of £30,000 a week - and more importantly will mean that he'll have played for three clubs which sport red and white vertical stripes. Does this mean that a stint at Sunderland beckons for the 30-year-old at some stage before he calls time on his career?

Wigan boss Steve Bruce, meanwhile, is on the verge of securing the services of Colombian international Hugo Rodallega from Mexican club Nexaca. Rodallega has received approval for a work permit, clearing the way for the £4.5m deal to be inked as soon as possible - and the Latics boss is confident he's netted himself yet another Latin American bargain.

Newly-installed Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has also been busy, picking up Macclesfield Town's Nick Blackman for the sort of money - £100,000 - that wouldn't cover Chelsea's weekly sandwich bill. Blackman is just the hors d'oeuvre, however: the man Big Sam really wants is apparently Marseille centre-back Gael Givet, who is rated at £4m.

Not quite all the northern clubs are being so free with their money, however: Bolton have walked away from the negotiating table after having a £2m bid for Joey Barton rejected by Newcastle.

You'd think the Toon would be delighted to offload a player who, between injuries and prison time, has been about as good an investment as a plasticine roof - but Joe Kinnear is apparently in no mood to sell. He has reportedly nixed the moving plans of Shay Given, Michael Owen and Charles N'Zogbia - and according to the Mail is looking to buy Raul Meireles from Porto for £4m.

In less plausible news, Barcelona are apparently lining up a £58.6m bid for Lyon's Karim Benzema, who is a reported target for Manchester United. But if Fergie won't pay a 'measly' £32m to keep Carlos Tevez, would he pay almost double that for a player who is unproven in the Premiership? Doesn't seem likely.

And Lyon's Ligue 1 rivals Marseille seem to think they have a chance of re-signing Didier Drogba. But nobody else does.

Just time for a brief 'veterans watch': there's more speculation that David Beckham will extend his two-month loan into a year or two stay in Italy (i.e. Beckham has said "we'll see what happens" instead of "I'm a Galaxy man and I'm going back") while Ryan Giggs's inspirational performance against Chelsea has reportedly earned him the offer of a year extension to his contract, which finishes in the summer.

Toby Keel / Eurosport

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    From , on Wed 14 Jan 2:35PM

  2. 1. I don't want Beckham to stay at Milan, he's dire.
    2. If Real Madrid- one of the richest clubs in the world can't get Kaka what makes you think a mediocre team like Man City will- apart from the fact it's owned by very rich middle eastern men? Kaka could've played top flight football for Madrid when Milan played in the UEFA but he stayed, he aint gonna go for Man City who barely get close to the CL or UEFA is he!?

    From gbh08, on Wed 14 Jan 8:59AM

  3. Chelsea is make me go crazy they are not play well,i what Chelsea

    to buy a very good strick,blues is @#$% up why they doing these,pls buy me a player
    i need tittle pls

    From franceoga, on Wed 14 Jan 4:55AM

  4. Bech plz do stay in MILAN........PLZ

    From mehdi y, on Wed 14 Jan 12:53AM

  5. Sarah S, she's a a fox...I will take those english lessons pls

    From boozola25, on Tue 13 Jan 11:35PM

  6. ok ok word on the street is Adebyor is going to City for an obscene amount of money and wenger is replacing him for santa cruz!!!
    this transfer window!!!!!!

    im very conected... watch this space...

    From will jenkins, on Tue 13 Jan 11:25PM

  7. duh!!! what language does it look like im speaking french,spanish or italian Sarah S

    From Evans E, on Tue 13 Jan 10:11PM

  8. duh!!! what language does it look like im speaking french,spanish or italian Sarah S

    From jollstell, on Tue 13 Jan 10:09PM

  9. duh!!! wt language does it look like im speaking french,spanish or italian Sarah S

    From jollstell, on Tue 13 Jan 10:07PM

  10. Dear E Evans, as this is an english language board is there any chance you could write in... English!

    From Sarah S, on Tue 13 Jan 9:25PM

  11. to comment 77: Arsenal went 49 matches unbeaten but they also went 3 years wifout a major trophy nt even silverware i can see they r really d best team in d world...best team ma foot...hw cn a team nt win a trophy for 3 yrs nd u call dems d bst team in d world pls dnt say dt @#$% again

    From Evans E, on Tue 13 Jan 9:19PM

  12. maybe the reason fergie wont splash more than 30million on tevez is bcaus he is to similar a player to rooney and fergie could use the xtra couple of euro to buy benzema??..maybe get rid of rooney who scores little?and keep tevez who does score often and shares the same strengths as rooney?,stupid you may think.but fact!

    From bren, on Tue 13 Jan 8:41PM

  13. i hope Arsene Wenger signs Andrei Arshavin and doesn't allow fabregas and van persie to go barca then we'll be unstoppable. COME ON ARSENAL BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD.49 GAMES UNBEATEAN.

    From frdsayid, on Tue 13 Jan 8:00PM

  14. shameyers how many players that fergie bought in the last 5 years and they were all flops; Stam, Veron, Bellion, Jamba Jamba, Carrol, Rossi,

    From Zak33uk, on Tue 13 Jan 7:54PM

  15. Belllamy is far too good for Northerners. All they are fit for is selling their sisters and crack. Same thing really.

    From stevendavey, on Tue 13 Jan 7:51PM

  16. kaka messi eto torres gerrard world domination come on u blues. best team in the land n all the world

    From cazzyc, on Tue 13 Jan 7:41PM

  17. people people!! its all about the reading fc!!!!! man u who? reading will... practically WIN yes thats right guys WIN the premier league next season after being promoted. yes mate! haha!

    people can dream :D lmao

    From oalderson, on Tue 13 Jan 7:37PM

  18. KAKA is now an Italian citizen, married to an Italian girl and bringing his new born child up in northern Italy. He is extremely religous and a devout catholic, very, very loyal. He has a contract till 2012 and will only leave if Milan tell him to. Which will never happen. His ambition is to captain Milan when Maldini retires and put himself in the Milan hall of fame for appearances and honours. Who the f*@k are Man City ????? never won nothin, never will. What drivvel. Robhino will be at Chelsea in the summer, he has a get out clause if Man City don't finish in the top ten. So stop talking @#$%.

    From lee, on Tue 13 Jan 7:34PM

  19. If city buy Bellamy they deserve to go down..........if any buys Barton they deserve to be sectioned and led away in a straight jacket what the hell do premiership clubs pay scouts for only to regurgitate the same old names again and again. Hope Big Sam's capture of Nick Blackman turns out well as he's got the guts to go for raw talent....and im a cynical Derby fan :)

    From paul.dennis9, on Tue 13 Jan 7:16PM

  20. Bellamy should f**k *** back to wales and play in the sunday league on slab heaps that's what he knows best

    From malcolm, on Tue 13 Jan 7:05PM
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