Premier League - Transfer Talk: Jumping the gun

Eurosport - Fri, 18 Jul 18:01:00 2008

You can't help but feel that Sir Alex Ferguson was a little premature in stating his confidence that Dimitar Berbatov will join Manchester United.

2008 Manchester United Alex Ferguson - 0

While United have made a formal bid to a club apparently willing to sell at the right price, there is a heady whiff of double standards in the light of how critical the club, media and fans have been of Real Madrid in the ongoing Cristiano Ronaldo saga.

United's confidence in bargaining with Tottenham could be short-lived. Barcelona have sold two of their biggest stars and are growing frustrated at Arsenal's insistence that Emmanuel Adebayor is worth more than £30 million (note - he isn't, just isn't). And they would happily spend £5m less on Berbatov.

But the truth is that Tottenham need the cash. Badly. Even Juande Ramos said so. Not only do they need to balance the books after a big outlay on Luka Modric and Giovani dos Santos, but they want to buy David Bentley and can no longer offer Aaron Lennon in part-exchange. Indeed, they need the money so much that they could accept Sunderland's £12m bid for a four-pack comprising Pascal Chimbonda, Steed Malbranque, Younes Kaboul and Teemu Tainio.

As Liverpool continue to test their resolve with (proper) negotiations for Robbie Keane, the Gareth Barry deal looks more and more desperate. Even the agent - who had been angling for the "dream" move to Anfield to such an extent that his client got himself banned from training - has described the first meeting between Martin O'Neill and the player as "cordial" and "constructive" (Daily Star). What odds on Barry apologising to the fans, losing the captain's armband and buying himself out of his contract in a year's time to anger the Villa Park faithful even more? Or Villa biting the bullet and accepting a cash-plus-Steve Finnan offer?

Back to Sunderland, where boss Roy Keane has somewhat confidently declared that he would "like to think the club's [£9m] transfer record can be broken in the next week or so" (Daily Star).

Now given that this record won't be for the aforementioned Spurs goodie-bag, he will probably snare a big-name striker - assuming Keano's target doesn't baulk at the lack of designer boutiques on Wearside and leave Dwight Yorke and a spotty kid from Galway leading the line until the injured Kenwyne Jones recovers.

Andrew Johnson has entered the Black Cats' thoughts and they face competition for him, although Everton have denied receiving a £9m bid from Wigan last night. The rumour stands that Johnson is tired of life in the north and is angling for a move to London - Fulham and West Ham lie in wait with reduced offers, just in case Johnson holds firm about location.

And what exactly is going on at West Ham? Talk of the credit crunch affecting the owners is leading to them flogging players left, right and centre. Bobby Zamora and John Pantsil's exits were understandable, but captain Lucas Neill (Blackburn, Galatasaray)? And goalkeeper Robert Green - their player of the season - felt compelled to go public in his displeasure at being rebuffed when asking for a new contract (The Sun). Aston Villa and Blackburn lie in wait.

The eccentric but articulate Green claims he makes as little as a quarter of the moolah as some of his team-mates and is comfortably the lowest earner in West Ham's starting XI. He also claims that he was just told "no" - without any reason - when he asked for a wage increase..

Yet, amidst all this, the Hammers want to spend around £10m on Johnson and up to £5m on Lazio's Swiss full-back Valon Behrami. Someone is telling porkies...

Meanwhile, Andrei Arshavin is furious that Zenit St Petersburg are pricing him out of his desired move. Barcelona baulked at Zenit's £23m asking price for the two-match wonder and instead plumped for the similarly skilful if spindly Alexander Hleb for half that.

He'll happily take a move to Arsenal, but Zenit's determination to hold firm and Arsenal's inability to hold onto their own stars highlights the shift in the balance of power that private, oil-rich club ownership has brought.

Newcastle's specialist transfer crew, headed by lovable rogue Dennis Wise, lost out to Benfica in their attempts to sign Pablo Aimar from Zaragoza, and saw a measly (pointless?) £2m rejected for Blackburn's England wannabe left-back Stephen Warnock.

Rovers supremo John Williams also confirmed that he rebuffed a bid - understood to be from Aston Villa - for Bentley. He also admitted that goalkeeper Brad Friedel has asked for permission to leave but they will only sell if they get enough money to help fund a bid for Scott Carson or Paul Robinson. Villa and Manchester City are the prime candidates for the American veteran.

Stoke are looking to follow-up an ongoing £5.5m deal for Dave Kitson with a bid for Ipswich striker Jon Walters , Blackburn are sizing up impressive Chilean Carlos Villanueva (both Daily Mirror), and Hull have confirmed their bid for Wigan 'goalgetter' Marlon King.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 39 - 58 of 58

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  1. face it all managers are hypocrites so get over it on move on, as for spurs the way they treated martin jol should say it all. get a grip all you we love it really wenger just needs to stop selling off our young guns if they are supposed to be the future

    From DES E, on Fri 25 Jul 11:47AM

  2. So Spurs have protested to the Premier League about Liverpool and Manchester United. Good Luck.They stand as much chance as Spurs getting a penalty their favour in their fixture there. Manchester United have been able to get away with whatever they want for too long. Referees are scared to call straight games and "Sir" Alex spouts and spouts about refs, clubs, leagues and fixtures ad nauseam and nobody says boo.
    Time the field was level from end to end.
    Fed up soccer fan who wonders how 5 million pounds makes you a slave.

    From Bob R, on Sat 19 Jul 9:17AM

  3. Sir Alex doing what Rafa has done - come out with a bid statment in the press hoping the media frenzy will push the transfer through. Quite sad. Only difference is they have the money, pool don't, and SA needs a striker. Media spouts out a lot of @#$%, only a few kernels of truth, and tend to be one sided, surprise, surprise

    From ispurs, on Sat 19 Jul 12:52AM

  4. THE DIFFERENCE IS:

    SAF would answer to rumors that he wanted Berbatov last year. The media would ask him and he would tell them the truth.

    Madrid had to use the media to get to a player.

    From big tom cat, on Fri 18 Jul 8:40PM

  5. Did SAF really make those comments - the source seems to be The Sun

    From david.drayton, on Fri 18 Jul 8:16PM

  6. CHAMPIONS LEAUGUE and this is a comma ,oh sorry herbzone ,League would have looked so much better.I do agree that i might bet on Chelsea to win it though.Any bet on Ronaldo going once his foot has healed up and he has his fitness back , say January time.

    From mark l, on Fri 18 Jul 7:20PM

  7. CHAMPIONS LEAUGUE and this is a comma ,oh sorry herbzone ,League would have looked so much better.I do agree that i might bet on Chelsea to win it though.Any bet on Ronaldo going once his foot has healed up and he has his fitness back , say January time.

    From mark l, on Fri 18 Jul 7:20PM

  8. Berbatov has been itching to go to united for a year now.......All any top player wants [Alan Shearer excepted] is silverware and that is the one thing Man U can guarantee players.......as well as a hundred grand a week......and those are the 2 reasons Arsenal won't sign anyone

    From blip1blip, on Fri 18 Jul 6:59PM

  9. Why arent arsenal intrested in anybody im starting to have doubts about wenger

    From risker (arsenalfan), on Fri 18 Jul 5:14PM

  10. Herbs not that bad.. I mean come on, who hasnt toked up once in there life.

    From jako1922, on Fri 18 Jul 4:40PM

  11. Here is a nice reply to u HERBZONE, l wld to think your head is not correct. Leave Liverpool fc alone.l think this guy shld be blocked frm this forum.This is a forum 4 real soccer fans not drug addicts lyk him...

    From shingimik400, on Fri 18 Jul 4:31PM

  12. 'Double standards????

    United have made an official bid for Berbatov via the club.

    Madrid have gone directly to the player

    How are they the same?????????'

    Yeah this time round they have made an official bid but what about last year when Fergie was in the papers saying how much he'd love to get the Bulgarian at Old Trafford, he cant complain about the Ronaldo situation he's done the exact same in years past, honestly I couldnt care less about Berba going what Spurs need to do is keep Robbie Keane at all cost he has been the heart an soul of Spurs in the last few seasons and to loose him would be a disaster...

    COYS

    From martystorey, on Fri 18 Jul 4:20PM

  13. ManUre seem to have followed the corrct route this time for Berbatov but previously they used the media just like they did for Yorke, Carrick, Hargreaves, Ferdinand, Rooney and loads more......and Ferguson is just a bully who is a disgrace and doesnt deserve to be a knight, he puts the honour to shame !!

    From Ludlow V, on Fri 18 Jul 4:19PM

  14. There is nothing that can stop Ronaldo from leaving Man U. He must leave and pave way for the other (equally or better) talented players like Nani and Anderson

    From cchigoriwa, on Fri 18 Jul 4:03PM

  15. iam die hard fan m..u if berbatov join it became stronger no way m..u can loose the tittle the new season ha...ha..ha.

    From rasabd121, on Fri 18 Jul 3:49PM

  16. question , do they call you herbzone because of the amount of drugs you take.
    answer , who gives a @#$% but if the drugs are distorting your thought process that badly i`d consider a new supplier

    From mike i, on Fri 18 Jul 3:43PM

  17. i got the feeling c...ronaldo will never leave m..u

    From rasabd121, on Fri 18 Jul 3:38PM

  18. Watch out for Manucho

    From cchigoriwa, on Fri 18 Jul 3:37PM

  19. what ever.Berbatov is just going to another member of the squad.but if Ronaldo should leave for Madrid which i very much doubt going by the reaction from other members of the Madrid squad.i believe man u will struggle thats y they are fighting tooth and nail to keep him.for all i care CHELSEA IS THE BEST

    From jiggy, on Fri 18 Jul 3:33PM

  20. "....West Brom have won the race to sign Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson for £3.25million"

    What a joke, They could have sold him to Aston villa for 6million but they quoted 10mill now he goes for 3.25mil. If it was a normal organisation heads would have been expected to roll. Football is a diff world.

    From umgodoyi, on Fri 18 Jul 3:28PM
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