Transfers - Gossip Shop: Eto'o leads cut-price stars

Eurosport - Mon, 30 Mar 22:17:00 2009

'Star Sale' screams today's front-page headline of La Gazzetta dello Sport.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 La Liga Barcelona Barcelona-Málaga Eto'o - 0

The Italian sport daily is not referring to the similarly-named Dad-rock beat compo, you understand, but the fact that several of Europe's top clubs will be forced to slash player asking prices in order to persuade recession-hit rivals into buying.

The eye-catching neon stickers in the window certainly look tempting: Resurgent Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o - WAS 40 million euros, NOW 20m! Werder Bremen's first-class playmaker Diego - WAS 35m, NOW 20! Perennial Liverpool target David Silva - WAS 40m, NOW 30m!

There are even more goodies in store for those few club chairman and sporting directors with the disposable income needed to kick-start the football economy.

The pink paper beloved of piazza-lurking latte sippers also reckons Real Madrid's Dutch trio Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Royston Drenthe - all rumoured to be on their way out if Florentino Perez regains the club presidency - will leave in cut-price deals at the end of the season.

On a domestic tip, Chelsea duo Deco and Florent Malouda appear to have long since outstayed their welcomes at Stamford Bridge, in the manner of a couch-surfing old college friend, and are earmarked for cheap summer exits.

The Mirror report that Wigan Athletic will sell winger Luis Antonio Valencia to Manchester United in the summer for an eye-popping £17m in order to fund their purchase of another Ecuadorean, Christian Benitez.

The little hitman has scored 9 goals in 7 games for Santos Laguna in the Mexican league this season, to add to his impressive 15 in 30 last term.

Steve Bruce's need to fork out the £7m required for Benitez will become more pressing if Zamalek persist with their £12m valuation of Amr Zaki, despite the Egyptian striker's loan spell at the Latics going off the boil somewhat.

Manchester City are all set to duke it out with fellow big-spending low-achievers Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of Fabio Cannavaro, who has admitted he would consider leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season on a free transfer.

Spurs are also eyeing up another Real want-away - Argentina full-back Gabriel Heinze, who would set Harry Redknapp back £4m, according to the Guardian.

Another City target, Leeds United midfielder Fabian Delph, will have drawn extra attention from the top flight after being named the Football League's young player of the year.

The 19-year-old has scored six times this season, including a couple of long-range corkers, so don't expect him to be plying his trade in League One for much longer, with or without play-off hopefuls Leeds.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport

Comment 40 - 59 of 59

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  1. eto isnt good enough for united

    From Mike, on Wed 22 Jul 10:01PM

  2. eto isnt good enough for united

    From Mike, on Wed 22 Jul 9:59PM

  3. I read that the man utd-valencia deal was already­ agreed,but obv that wasnt true??

    From russellmeah, on Sat 2 May 2:42PM

  4. WHY MUST ETO O BE RATED WITH THE LIKE OF DIEGO????­ THATS DISGUSTING!!!!

    From Harrison, on Tue 31 Mar 5:54PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ALL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
    PREMIER LEAGUE – FA CUP – CARLING­ CUP
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – UEFA CUP

    ALL MATCHES ON­ INTERNET: PREMIER LEAGUE, FA CUP, CHAMPIONSHIP,­ CARLING CUP, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA, CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE - UEFA CUP AND MUCH MORE

    ALL THE HIGH LIGHTS­ OF PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES

    From WWW.PREMIERSHIP.ALTERVISTA.ORG, on Tue 31 Mar 2:55PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ALL ENGLISH FOOTBALL
    PREMIER LEAGUE – FA CUP – CARLING­ CUP
    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – UEFA CUP

    ALL MATCHES ON­ INTERNET: PREMIER LEAGUE, FA CUP, CHAMPIONSHIP,­ CARLING CUP, LIGA, SERIE A, BUNDESLIGA, CHAMPIONS­ LEAGUE - UEFA CUP AND MUCH MORE

    ALL THE HIGH LIGHTS­ OF PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES

    From , on Tue 31 Mar 11:17AM

  7. 59th

    From Seb, on Tue 31 Mar 11:12AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    city will buy Villa,Aguero,Henry,Etoo,Ronaldinho,Fabian­ delph,Canavaro and van der vart.

    From vahidqaderi, on Tue 31 Mar 8:44AM

  9. BENDTNER.

    WAS 10p, STILL 10p.

    ALWAYS 10p.

    HAHAA...

    From Quinland, on Mon 30 Mar 11:25PM

  10. hotspurs26
    I think u r possessed with a foul spirit. U­ r the devil's agent and all the wickedness in ur­ heart spews out like rot. Stop all that and get a­ normal life.

    From Pooks, on Mon 30 Mar 9:30PM

  11. it is quite incredible the world hav turned around in­ the sense that professors,doctors, engneers,and other­ top class scientist earn pretty less than the lazy­ wags,and fact all footballers.some of these guys who­ are fat cats dont attain higher educatn and are still­ being paid higher than the PM and PRSDNT, wot a hell!!!­ i guess their pay should be slashed wivout questn!!!

    From pandol a, on Mon 30 Mar 9:14PM

  12. wish James B would get his facts right..........Leeds­ United have not been in debt for at least 15months,­ unlike some of the Premiership & other league­ teams.
    There is only one way that Fabian Delph will­ play in the Premiership and that is for Leeds­ United.
    Why should he move leagues just to sit on the­ bench for a club who could easily get lower crowds than­ Leeds, eg: getting almost 19,000 for a very cold­ midweek match against Yeovil.
    If Fab is as good as his­ word, he'll be going no where without Leeds­ United.
    Don F.

    From donis.notf, on Mon 30 Mar 9:10PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    everton are very close to securing a very big takeover­ in the summer, rumoured to be the arabs that wanted­ liverpool!!

    From gerbil009, on Mon 30 Mar 8:53PM

  14. 47 just because spurs cant afford im

    From barton767, on Mon 30 Mar 8:29PM

  15. I suppose the seven english players in the top ten of­ premier goal scorers dont count do they jamesb... just­ a FACT you can ponder on...

    From octogon176, on Mon 30 Mar 7:56PM

  16. the global economy crisis is felt in every department­ english football clubs have to be very careful not to­ spend big bucks its very easy nowdays to go bankrupt­ look how careful AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona­ are!

    From dante, on Mon 30 Mar 7:47PM

  17. I find it also funny how top teams didn't want him­ and im pretty sure they are kicking themselves....Heck­ even Spurs was offered £8million and they said­ NO....ROFL...

    From carlos c, on Mon 30 Mar 7:24PM

  18. people some time write comment without fact.how many­ english or british players will cut it in outside­ foreign football l.none bcs they are not good.year­ after year this foreign player (u keeps saying hat they­ are not good)makes what the premiership is it­ today.since the begining of the premiership,the best­ players are all foreign players and the @#$% players­ are almost english or british.without foreign people­ buying the premierships clubs and bankrolling the­ clubs,18 clubs in the premiershipsbe in debt like leeds­ united

    From james b, on Mon 30 Mar 7:20PM

  19. I have been saying for a long time now. the answer is­ quite simple, change the pay structure.
    The big players­ are getting over £300,000 per month and that is before­ appearence fees and bonuses, as well as money from­ shirt sales, etc.
    So a player on over £100,000 a month­ gets appearence fees and bonuses of around £50,000 to ­ £100,000 a month.
    Pay them what they get as appearence­ fees instead of the £100,000 a month and then give them­ a huge bonus if they help the team to win, less if the­ team draws and no bonus if the team loses.
    If they help­ the team win they can still walk away with the same­ money as they now get, if not they leave with a desire­ to improve.
    Pay them what they deserve, on a weekly­ basis, based on performance and hard work, not on what ­ there greedy agents think they can get for them.

    From clive V, on Mon 30 Mar 6:46PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    na waooo,,,football is becoming something else how can­ these players be up to 5million after their age and­ injuries....haha,Eto,o ,Arjen Robben,and rest of them­ are at diminishing return....they can't give more­ than what they have given b/4,,,let them use their­ money and open a suppermarket or sports shop,,,,i'm­ sorry for any manager that will waste their money and­ cry atlast

    From collins, on Mon 30 Mar 6:24PM
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