Transfers - Gossip Shop: Kaka to City

Eurosport - Tue, 18 Nov 18:50:00 2008

It is international week and as focus turns towards England's seismic clash with Germany, transfer tittle-tattle on the Gossip Shop shelves is harder to find than someone willing to buy Newcastle United Football Club.

FOOTBALL Kaka Milan - 0

There are two glaring errors in the above sentence. First, the game in Berlin is threatening to become the dampest squib since Arsenal succumbed to Aston Villa immediately after having gloriously out-swashbuckled Manchester United.

And secondly, the rumour mongers have scant regard for such trivialities as international friendlies, especially considering most of the best players have remained with their clubs this time round.

So, even though attention should be firmly focused on national causes, today's papers nevertheless contain a certain degree of domestic-based transfer gossip, handily enough involving some of the world's best players.

But more of that later. First up is the ever-entertaining news that Ronaldo - the Brazilian one - is still set on joining Manchester City in January.

The Mirror runs the self-explanatory headline 'Fat Ronaldo: I'll join City in the New Year' before claiming that the reportedly out-of-shape striker is nearing full fitness (at the time of writing he was at 70 per cent and closing fast) and ready to make a move back to Europe.

"I know that there's interest from Manchester City - and I am focused on my recovery to explore this," the big man said.

But any possible arrival at Eastlands could be overshadowed by that of his compatriot and former Milan team-mate Kaka who, despite pledging his future to the Rossoneri a million times over, is still regularly linked with moves elsewhere.

That could have something to do with the fact that he is so damn good - who wouldn't want to play alongside him?

This time it is Kaka's international team-mate Robinho who has urged City's filthy rich owners to make a move for the current Ballon d'Or holder - and any other decent players for that matter.

"Obviously I hope I can play with him here," Rob said in a loud voice, desperately hoping that Sheikh Mansour was listening. "If Kaka or any other great player wants to come here, the door is open."

Of course it is. Much like the door at Real Madrid, which rarely seems to close. Indeed, the door at the Bernabeu is more of the revolving type, given the regularity with which players pass in and out.

The Express claims that Chelsea striker Didier Drogba could be the next player to burst through said door, with £10 million lined up to lure the Ivorian coin-tosser away from Stamford Bridge.

Drogba has never made a secret of his desire to experience life in another league and following his most recent troubles, an exit is looming larger than at any other time in his Premier League career.

And whilst on the subject of wantaway stars, Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry is set to become the meat in yet another tug-of-war sandwich (honestly, such a thing does exist; or at least it does in aisle three of the Gossip Shop) come January.

But his current employers are remaining defiant in the face of yet more interest from Liverpool; they are even willing to write off as much as £18m to keep hold of him.

Arsenal are also thought to be interested in the England man, but Villa would rather keep him for another year, even if that means they allow him to leave on a Bosman once his contract runs out.

Villa boss Martin O'Neill said: "I don't think Mr (Randy) Lerner is overly concerned about losing the money if it means retaining the services of a really top class player for that extra year."

Lerner, the man who actually stands to lose the £18m, was unavailable to back up his manager's view.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 20 - 39 of 59

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  1. I'm a City fan and I think that before he thinks of­ buying Kaka or Fat Ronaldo, Hughes should sort out the­ defence.

    From davidbanks15, on Tue 18 Nov 3:56PM

  2. I like SAMALDO the "Clairvoyant"! You're­ the NOSTRADAMUS of English football!!!!

    From dante, on Tue 18 Nov 3:56PM

  3. lol brooksie...i totally agree...the coin bit is­ irrelevant!

    From stuartxland, on Tue 18 Nov 3:49PM

  4. If Kaka goes to Man City it will be for the money &­ not for the football!!

    From tc, on Tue 18 Nov 3:47PM

  5. ..oh...and robbie keane....what a load of rubbish he­ is...the miss at the weekend..well my three legged­ blind cat could have scored that!...liverpool have so­ many premier league titles...well NONE actually...thats­ the truth of it...past glories?...yeah..in the­ past...recently?..well a couple of byes thru in the­ champs league doesn't make them worthy of anything!

    From stuartxland, on Tue 18 Nov 3:46PM

  6. Told you.

    From brooksie6870, on Tue 18 Nov 3:45PM

  7. Drogba the 'coin-@#$%', please don't use­ words like 'coin' to descibe him!!

    Bet you­ still censor it!!

    From brooksie6870, on Tue 18 Nov 3:42PM

  8. my little lad often calls manchester city ka­ ka....though hes only one and talking @#$%!...kuyt is­ the only liverpool player who is of ther quality be in­ the prem...macherano..well...a bit player distinctly­ average...gerrard...cheating scouse scum....and should­ never be alloweed to put an england shirt on ever­ again...!

    From stuartxland, on Tue 18 Nov 3:39PM

  9. hahaha
    goodness
    all of that is LOL

    From Cokelat, on Tue 18 Nov 3:37PM

  10. Drogba the 'coin @#$%', please don't use­ words like 'coin' to descibe him!!

    From brooksie6870, on Tue 18 Nov 3:35PM

  11. kuyt has got to stay he works so hard for the team and­ we do not nead barry alonso is better and younger and­ we have mascherano as the best holding player in the­ premiship

    From lfc.pjwright1966, on Tue 18 Nov 3:29PM

  12. Of course Kaka will not be joining City. If he really­ decides to leave Milan (which I doubt) there will be­ better clubs willing to sign him. As for Liverpool, I­ would not compare Kuyt to Barry .. they are completely­ different types of players. As for Man Utd, Tevez is­ going nowhere !!!!

    From Elizabeth Amanpour, on Tue 18 Nov 3:27PM

  13. Sorry to roberthannah19, you are right Inter Milan are­ not in Champions League this season, but next season ;­ quite probably! But will Man City even ever get into­ the initial stages of the Champions League - that means­ they have to be in the top 4 of the Premiership and­ THAT wouldn't happen for a few years YET! It's­ possible tha money can buy success, but NOT INSTANT­ SUCCESS!!

    From jonathan, on Tue 18 Nov 3:23PM

  14. really dnt think kaka shud go to city he shud stay were­ he is city are goin nowhere even wiv al there money!!!

    From dj_vody, on Tue 18 Nov 3:04PM

  15. FAO Tonyoldbury: why buy Henry who has lost much of his­ pace and therefore would ADD anything to Man City's­ forward line? Teves is a good player but also­ doesn't have devastating pace. Better to buy­ younger one's who have raw pace and then­ "mould" them into world beaters! My late­ father was a Man City fan of many years - I support­ Busby / Ferguson's lot!

    From jonathan, on Tue 18 Nov 2:59PM

  16. jonathan g: Kaka has as much chance if winning the­ champions league with milan as he would with man city­ this season

    From Robert, on Tue 18 Nov 2:57PM

  17. Bobrice1961, I think you will find that the LFC trophy­ cabinet is more packed than the Man Utd one, more­ league titles, more european titles.

    As for the­ rumours, that is clearly all they are, anyone who­ hasn't figured that out yet is daft.

    From Nathan D, on Tue 18 Nov 2:53PM

  18. Dirk Kuyt has got to stay , the only one to go is­ Robbie Keane he just doesn't do it for us. Go while­ he's still worth something.

    From David, on Tue 18 Nov 2:38PM

  19. samaldo et all: why would Kaka want to leave a club­ that could easily win the italian league (2nd at­ present) and could even win the champions league (they­ have the footballers to do so!) and join Man City that­ is unlikely to win any silverware this season? For­ money YES! but as long as he is being paid as a­ MERCENARY why should he care about Man City or their­ fans!?

    From jonathan, on Tue 18 Nov 2:27PM

  20. why dirk kuyt out?

    he is the best in the team right­ now,the most hardworking player in Liverpool...
    well i­ tust benitez will not do without him
    as for Barry,we­ dont need him at all

    so pls alonso stays and kuyt­ stays...

    ynwa

    From nevawalkalone100, on Tue 18 Nov 2:20PM
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