Premier League - Transfer Talk: God only knows

Eurosport - Mon, 21 Jul 19:09:00 2008

In a televised interview with ESPN over the weekend, Cristiano Ronaldo once again shrugged and pouted his way to the conclusion that "only God knows" where he will end up next season, which makes you wonder why no-one has thought to ask the big man for his opinion.

FOOTBALL: Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo - 0

One call to Him upstairs and the most tedious transfer saga in living memory would be put to bed once and for all, so Transfer Talk is going to wait for a lull in all the misery and famine and then put in a request for information.

Switching to less celestial matters, and the Daily Mirror is convinced that Didier Drogba's exclusion from Chelsea's pre-season trip to China is unequivocal proof that he's set to leave the club, conveniently overlooking the longstanding knee problem that is the real reason for his decision to stay at home.

If anything, a serious knee injury to a 30-year-old striker is usually a pretty good sign that he's unlikely to be signed by anyone, but that hasn't stopped the Daily Express concocting a £22 million switch to Barcelona.

Another Chels-related transfer saga that looks set to run and run is the Frank Lampard-Internazionale one, with the Daily Telgraph reporting today that the Nerazzurri are prepared to wait a whole season to reunite him with former stage-managed training ground joshing partner Jose Mourinho.

Speedy Real Madrid winger Robinho, on the other hand, is in no mood to hang around, and has apparently told his club that he is desperate for a move to Stamford Bridge.

He'll slot nicely into the diminutive winger-shaped hole left by Shaun Wright-Phillips, who's reportedly set to sign for Portsmouth for £8 million - his value having diminished by exactly 62 per cent since he arrived from Manchester City for £21 million as the most exciting young midfielder in the country in July 2005.

Another young English winger being lusted after from afar is James Milner, with the Telegraph reporting that Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will grant the Newcastle man the honour of being his second-choice signing of the summer after he was forced to call off the chase for Blackburn's David Bentley.

Tottenham have reportedly leapfrogged Villa in the chase for Bentley, with today's papers suggesting that the £57 million raised from the proposed sales of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov will be promptly splashed on Bentley, Sevilla winger Diego Capel, Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito and Spartak Moscow frontman Roman Pavlyuchenko.

The Mirror claims that Everton are also keen on Milito, while the Daily Express reckons Sporting Lisbon's Portuguese midfielder Joao Moutinho could be on his way to Goodison Park for a club record £18 million.

Two years of largely goalless but commendably industrious foraging from the Toffees' former record signing Andrew Johnson have not been enough to put off Fulham, meanwhile, with The Sun claiming that Roy Hodgson will launch a £10.5 million bid for the former Crystal Palace man.

The Daily Mail reports that 19-year-old PSG striker David Ngog is set for a move to Liverpool, but Hull striker Dean Windass - no less than 20 years his senior - might not be enjoying top-flight football next season, with the Mirror claiming that a lack of first-team opportunities at the KC Stadium could expedite a two-division drop to Leeds United.

One of TT's favourite transfer stories of the summer is the one about Sunderland putting together an offer for four seemingly random Spurs squad players.

Roy Keane's stick-a-pen-in-the-squad-list approach has turned up Steed Malbranque, Pascal Chimbonda, Younes Kaboul and Teemu Tainio, but despite that The Times reports that he is still keen to push through a £23 million deal.

Tom Williams / Eurosport

Comment 56 - 75 of 75

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  1. If Wenger dosn't get a move on and sort The Arsenal team out we will be left behind this season - Spurs are buying a lot and if Wengers not carefull we will be the 3rd team in LOndon next season - come on Wenger get shot of Adeybayor and buy David Villa. If the team that played at Barnet are anything to go by we're in trouble.

    From michelle.lieberman23, on Tue 22 Jul 1:05PM
  2. if ronaldo goes who cares , let him go if he wants to leave the club , u cant stand on the way for a player if he wants to change the league ,cause next season he will be big headed , do want u think will be kul for u ro

    From phil.mlalazi, on Tue 22 Jul 1:01PM
  3. "KINGWEKE"...Yeh..! I have Agree, with your "Reading"on CRISTIANO RONALDO,theres Much Hypocrisy, even on Some of the Press,not to Mention,the Manure FEEDING, "S..N" Tabloid,stance..on the WHOLE, "FERGY-RONY EPIC SAGA"...WHICH Influenced many "MAN.U" Fans, to NOW, HATE,RANT,WHINGE,INSULT,OFFEND,ABUSE and the F..,K and Rest,cause the Lad
    After Being Their "ALMIGHTY GOD",whilst BEATING All "Man.U" RECORD Goals in OVER 4O LONG YEARS...in the English PREMS,Having WON, the EURO CHAMPS CUP,The F.A.CUP, in the SAME FOOTBALL SEASON,Being VOTED for the "Soulei D'Or", RATED, as the BEST PLAYER, in 2008...! is SO "UNGRATEFULLY" REWARDED, by some "FU...KHARDS", here by the WORST Attacks, on Footballing History, EVEN THOUGH, PLATINNI's,BLATTER's,PELE, BECKHAM's,SCOLARI,EUSEBIO,"ARE" ALL SUPPORTING OR DEFENDING "CRISTIANO RONALDO..!!
    "MAN.U" FOREVER,RONALDO FOR LIFE!-London

    From Dean_ManU, on Tue 22 Jul 10:56AM
  4. i wish SAF would just sell ronaldo hes not worth the trouble. Should just say to real madrid they want 70 million and ramos. then they wud have a decent right back and can buy berba and silva/bently/messi/titus bramble ;)

    From steve.morrow1, on Tue 22 Jul 8:58AM
  5. even without ronaldo i cant see any other team winning the premiership , watching scolari's portugal lose to an ordinary german team made me wonder whetehr he is realy as good as all the hype and arsenal donts eem to have added any players of note to their squad and lost influential flamini. liverpool will remain a sthey were so its united for league title again alas

    From paleondrome, on Tue 22 Jul 7:18AM
  6. sir Alex sell CR7 bcoz greedy players r not good 4 team, same with Adebayor, of these players i think only Barry got a decent case

    From sach_619, on Tue 22 Jul 7:01AM
  7. this is all ridiculous. everyone is taking the transfers way too personally. if ronaldo goes then he goes. people trashtalking him isnt doing any good. just probably makes him want to transfer faster.

    From gcastillo_1716, on Tue 22 Jul 6:45AM
  8. I hope Alex understands that when CR says only God know he is not refering to him as a God. I thought I should make that clear because the way this guy is handling the CR issue you would say he thinks of himself as a God. If the Man U fans making CR hate comments here think that sir alex is their God then its them. Ron believes in his sovereign freedom and he will follow his heart without fear...Again let CR go.

    From Lot, on Tue 22 Jul 12:35AM
  9. fairy sick ov his name just wish he would .... ..man u then we c how good they r a

    From gunner 4 ever, on Mon 21 Jul 11:25PM
  10. MAN U,YOU PEOPLE SHOULD LIVE RONALDO ALONE,ALEX FERGUSON OR WHAT IS YOUR NAME,ALLOW THE YOUNG LAD TO FIND HIS DESTINY IN SOME OTHER CLUB,EVEN MORE REPUTABLE THAN THE SO CALLED MAN U,OR HAS HE NOT ELP YOU ENOUGH EVEN TO THE EXTEND OF WINNING THE CHAMPIOPNS CUP TITLE FOR U GUYS,CARRICK OR AFIN OR ABINO WOULNT YOU TALK LESS AND LIVE HIM TO GO TO WHERE HIS HEARTN DESIRE.

    From stan c, on Mon 21 Jul 10:55PM
  11. not a united fan. i really think CR's attitude is disgraceful and he needs to honour his contract and all that but d next time i hear anyone say that man u did a lot for ronaldo after the incident with wayne rooney in the world cup,i swear i'll scream so loud u guys in europe ll hear me all d way from lagos.truth is SAF literally had to beg CR not to leave even travelling all the way to madeira to make his case.CR was showing his incredible potential, even then madrid was interested and he wouldn't have been short of suitors.what did he have to lose.SAF knew man u could not allow CR to leave cos he knew he was on the verge of something great and he has been proved right so please stop going on as if CR was going to be sent to prison for winking at wayne rooney if not that man u paid his ransom.its so hypocritical.

    From kingekwe, on Mon 21 Jul 10:03PM
  12. Im A Big Man Utd fan but Ronaldo is taking the piss...He just signed a 5 year deal before the end of the season..so why is he thinking about where he wants to play next season..?? He needs to be loyal to his club because no matter how big he is..There is no one bigger then the club itself. After everything man utd have done for him, like when the whole of england hated him after the world cup who was there?? UNITED were and now he thinks United need to pay him a "Favour" Yeh Right!!...Buck up yah ideas matey!!

    From helonhorrey, on Mon 21 Jul 8:30PM
  13. just lol at that man u suporter from london. And what is happinin to newcastle. we need players quick. and there is no sign of that comin on this page!! :(

    From grantturnbull, on Mon 21 Jul 8:07PM
  14. @Dean_ManU Ok,,, Now was that one of those outbursts like the one on that well known you t*be site?
    ya know the leave britney spears alone one ?
    .
    any how dont get soo het up it's only ronny.

    now will every one else now just leave ronny alone I MEAN LEAVE RONNY ALONE! (cries sobs holds hands to face)

    From chosen01uk2002, on Mon 21 Jul 7:54PM
  15. CRISTIANO RONALDO, "IS NOT" "WILL NOT" be HATED by ANYONE OTHER Than,The"FU....KHARDS" Here,on these Pages,WHO SENSELESSLY, RANT,WHINGE,OFFEND,THREATEN and Generally PUKE-OUT,into PRINT Their OWN,COWARDNESS AND Plain STUPIDITY, about a WORK CONTRACT, Employees DISPUTE...!-EVERYDAY, the World Over, FOOTBALL Players AND CLUBS TOO, BRAKE,RESCIND,CANCEL,REVOKE,ANNUL,CEDE and WHATEVER, EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES DO in their SERVICES Provisions and Delivery.
    CRISTIANO RONALDO, is KEEPING "MUM", very Probably,cause HE IS Acting UNDER JURIDICAL Avise...and that is very CLEAR, Hence his Posture and Stance on the Matter.
    He in FACT, HAS THE LAST WORD!!!
    RONALDO,IS A brave Young Lad,he will know, WHAT,HOW And WHEN to RESOLVE, this whole "OVERHYPED" and "OVERBIASED" FERGY-RONY EPIC SAGA should come to an End, seeing Man.U Management..D.GILL,GLAZER CROWD, and Sir Alex HAVE NOT RESOLVED ANYTHING EITHER, Except, what Fergy Sir Alex WANTED to REVEAL to the Press.- London.

    From Dean_ManU, on Mon 21 Jul 7:32PM
  16. Ron should leave old Trafford, He has brought nothing but disrespect and bad feeling in the club, Real Madrid our bang out of Order in what they have done but like all the clubs on the continent they are desperate to emulate the Prem, which is not going to happen, The press needs to cut the @#$% they write and it's no wonder nothing is happening much in the transfer window, all the players are overrated and over priced. This world has gone money crazy and footballers are taking the piss, why do we have so many 3rd rate foreigner's in our top league when homegrown talent is fine.

    From stevejblackwell, on Mon 21 Jul 7:26PM
  17. Ronaldo...used to be my favorite player, but seriously, the schmuck needs to pull his finger out of his arse...either commit to Man U or get stuffed...the fans should boo the guy, they pay the same wages that he cries aren't enough...why is Real Madrid always come looking for Man U players and not the other way around? That's all you need to know...

    From davemoss@rocketmail.com, on Mon 21 Jul 7:04PM
  18. I really dont blame Ronaldo for wanting to leave. The kid is from sunny Portugal and Manchester is a dump. The Man U fans and Liverpool fans, for that matter, have to come to terms with what it means for a young International player to live in those places. London is a world class city that has all the culture, nightlife and events a young man is looking for. Manchester has none of that and must feel like daily torture.

    From icedgrande, on Mon 21 Jul 7:04PM
  19. ronaldo has 'lost all respect from the fans'???

    he'll be lucky if there anen't snipers queuing up outside Old Trafford!

    From deviant_info, on Mon 21 Jul 6:57PM
  20. one transfer or sacking i would like to see is West Ham getting rid of Alan boring, no tactics,makes steve mcclaren look good, Curbishley. What a waste of space that pillock is, West Ham to go down this year, safe bet with that kn ob in charge.

    From colinhutchison63, on Mon 21 Jul 6:42PM
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