Transfers - Gossip Shop: Defoe to Aston Villa

Eurosport - Wed, 31 Dec 08:29:00 2008

Gossip Shop has been off for a few days, but it would like to thank Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp for keeping things interesting during the festive period.

2008-2009 Portsmouth Jermain Defoe - 0

Despite the economic downturn, Redknapp has been a one-man rumour mill, churning out gossip with glorious abandon.

We had him linking players with his club: "[Craig] Bellamy 's a feisty little character and is certainly one of the options, but if they don't want to sell him it's up to them."

Next he was linking them to other people's clubs: "Bellamy? I think there will be more offers - Manchester City are supposed to be very interested."

After that, he took to openly tapping players up: "I like [Stewart] Downing but I don't know whether Middlesbrough want to sell him."

Then he sparked a million headlines with this gem about Portsmouth's Jermain Defoe: "I think they have a massive offer from somebody for him."

Not only that, but he and Terry Venables appeared in The Sun dressed as Santa Claus and Father Time on Christmas Eve.

And with yesterday's rant at rubbish ref Steve Tanner the cherry on the top of an already brandy-soaked Christmas pudding of soundbites, it has been a vintage week for Harry Redknapp fans, of which there are none greater than the man himself.

On the subject of Defoe, it is generally acknowledged that the "massive offer" has come from Aston Villa who - like Pompey - can't resist the temptation of playing one of the tallest strikers in the world (John Carew, in their case) alongside one of the tiniest.

Defoe was left on the bench for Sunday's trip to Arsenal and suffered the ultimate indignity of being dropped in favour of David Nugent - making talk of a bust-up between him and manager Tony Adams all but inevitable.

Should Villa fail in their £16 million quest to land Defoe - i.e. if Manchester City get involved - they will turn their attention to Harry's own Darren Bent.

City were recently snubbed by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar so it is probably safe to assume their plan to sign Kaka is, at best, on hold.

Instead they have set their sights on the rather more realistic duo of Bellamy and Scott Parker from West Ham, who are in danger of becoming the Premier League's answer to Woolies. £15m the pair.

Julien Faubert could also be vacating his Baby Bentley-shaped parking space at Upton Park - he has been mouthing off about a return to France in January.

Croatia wide man Darijo Srna is one of those players Gossip Shop only really gets a proper look at in major tournaments, and on each occasion he looks excellent.

The versatile 26-year-old can play on either flank and is equally adept at the back and in midfield.

And he appears to be that rare breed - along with Stuart Pearce and Ronald Koeman - a free-kick taker who isn't a complete defensive liability.

But as El-Hadji Diouf and Kleberson show, only a fool judges players on their international performances.

So GS hopes Rafa Benitez has been easing the pain of his kidney stones with a DVD of Shakhtar Donetsk matches, as he is lining up a £3.5m bid to bring Srna to Liverpool.

Bolton manager Gary Megson is another man easily seduced by a good free-kick, and he wants to take Ryan Taylor off Wigan's hands.

Megson has already been buoyed by managing to keep hold of seemingly the most coveted reserve goalkeeper in the world - Ali Al-Habsi has turned down Spurs and Blackburn to sign a new deal at the Reebok Stadium.

And it seems Arsenal are serious about the £20m signing of Andrei Arshavin. Plus there's no sign of a bid from City yet.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 25 - 44 of 44

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  1. I'd love to see Crouch at villa. I rate Defoe, but­ I cant see where he'd fit in.

    From frozenicelandics, on Sun 11 Jan 9:18AM

  2. Why oh why would M.o.N. want Defoe? Gabby is already a­ better player and has lots of time to improve. If he is­ going to buy a striker he will buy an old fashioned­ lump of a centre forward as Harewood is not up to­ filling Carews boots. Doyle, Bent, Zaki??
    As for Barry­ he will be getting his champions league football at­ Villa Park why would he want to go and play for the­ french whinger at the emirates?

    From rawatler, on Wed 31 Dec 2:40PM

  3. Come on GS say something new. From a football fan that­ likes good football.

    From lee, on Wed 31 Dec 9:13AM

  4. Get Gareth Barry To­ Liverpool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now

    From bffroberts, on Tue 30 Dec 2:26PM

  5. I don't support villa,but i think their a great­ team with a great manager,Defoe's a bargain i­ think,O'Neill is good for English football!Please­ someone rescue AFC Bournemouth.

    From Sunny, on Tue 30 Dec 12:49PM

  6. Arsenal have to not waste a good 20 mil on a piece of­ @#$% like arshavin, they can just add another 2 or 3­ and buy benzema!!!!

    From omar.fahmy24, on Tue 30 Dec 4:56AM

  7. arshavin for arsenal

    From zahid hijazi, on Tue 30 Dec 3:05AM

  8. I think Liverpool didn't need a player like Dario­ Srna.He is not so good

    From Timar Krisztian, on Mon 29 Dec 10:50PM

  9. Typical bullshitt from alex chick

    From Creaven91, on Mon 29 Dec 10:07PM

  10. Harry I am in the news again Redknapp

    From Martin, on Mon 29 Dec 9:59PM

  11. Gossip Shop on Yahoo really is a pile of poo, Villa to­ pay £16m for Defoe, not in a million years

    From ASAVilla, on Mon 29 Dec 7:50PM

  12. A lot goes in 2 building a team. These are a few -­ individual talents, cohesion/team-work, continuity,­ experience, impeccable youth program, a good­ manager/coach/staff which include truthful &­ dedicated scouts, not 2 forget a sensitive &­ teachable BOARD 2 mention a few... I believe I v said­ it before & I repeat it. If C.Ronaldo was @ Derby­ last season, they 'l still go down & away go­ all d accolades & individual laurels!
    Note, players­ are not signed just because they are good but because­ they can fill voids created or anticipated. Chelsea­ & recently Real Madrid are good examples of how 2­ buy & not 2buy.

    From Idowu, on Mon 29 Dec 7:09PM

  13. here we go again everyone to anywhere. you can only­ play 11 the rest will be keeping the bench warm.

    From john a, on Mon 29 Dec 6:28PM

  14. I think Benitez should be looking at his defensive­ personnel...

    Or be in the market for an outstanding­ defensive midfielder player in the January transfer­ window...

    Liverpool need an anchor for there anchors,­ because they seem to be giving away cheap goals this­ season...

    I think he need to be a bit more savvy when­ it comes to sniffing out talent that will slot in the­ Liverpool way, rather than Liverpool settling for a­ style of play that suits the misfits that have been­ bought down the years, and there has been too many to­ list here...

    I have seen an improvement with the type­ of players that Liverpool has signed over past couple­ of years, most notably Torres and Riera, who is­ starting to look very useful...

    If however; Liverpool­ win the Premier League and do well in the Champions­ League, they will be able to attract the best talent in­ world, and when that happens I wonder if the chairmen­ of Liverpool will decide to cash-in on the success and­ head back to the States.

    From ANTONIA, on Mon 29 Dec 5:24PM

  15. Why do villa need defoe when their two young strikers­ are on fire? Then if they dont get him they wouldnt go­ for darren bent who must be one of the most over rated­ players in the premiership!

    From yoongie07, on Mon 29 Dec 5:19PM

  16. I think Benitez should be looking at his defensive­ personnel...

    Or be in the market for an outstanding­ defensive midfielder player in the January transfer­ window...

    Liverpool need an anchor for there anchors,­ because they seem to be giving away cheap goals this­ season...

    I think he need to be a bit more savvy when­ it comes to sniffing out talent that will slot in the­ Liverpool way, rather than Liverpool settling for a­ style of play that suits the misfits that have been­ bought down the years, and there has been too many to­ list here...

    I have seen an improvement with the type­ of players that Liverpool has signed over past couple­ of years, most notably Torres, and Riera is starting to­ look very useful...

    If however; Liverpool win the­ Premier League and do well in the Champions League,­ they will be able to attract the best talent in world,­ and when that happens I wonder if the chairmen of­ Liverpool will decide to cash-in on the success and­ head back to the States.

    From ANTONIA, on Mon 29 Dec 5:14PM

  17. I think Benitez should be looking at his defensive­ personnel...

    Or be in the market for an outstanding­ defensive midfielder player in the January transfer­ window...

    Liverpool need an anchor for there anchors,­ because they seem to be giving away cheap goals this­ season...

    I think he need to be a bit more savvy when­ it comes to sniffing out talent that will slot in the­ Liverpool way, rather than Liverpool settling for a­ style of play that suits the misfits that have been­ bought down the years, and there has been too many to­ list here...

    I have seen an improvement with the type­ of players that Liverpool has signed over past couple­ of years, most notably Torres, and Riera is starting to­ look very useful...

    If however Liverpool win the­ Premier League, and do well in the Champions League,­ then Liverpool will be able to attract the best talent­ in world, and when that happens I wonder if the­ chairmen of Liverpool will decide to cash-in on the­ success and head back to the States.

    From ANTONIA, on Mon 29 Dec 5:11PM

  18. I just hope chelsea will be smart and avoid every other­ £££$$$££$$££$$ (ridiculously expensive) players on­ offer this jan transfer market

    From winny, on Mon 29 Dec 5:01PM

  19. tony adams wants to get his act together and start­ winning game instead of loseing or he should be kicked­ out of the managers place mark j

    From mark, on Mon 29 Dec 5:01PM

  20. About Inler being shown around the Emirates. You are­ both wrong, it was neither Yakin nor Gokham, it was­ Sveta their sister. I was there in person and saw­ her,Sveta Inler. Anyway, she will be an improvement on­ the little girls currently playing for at the Emirates.­ Arsene their manager is going to the European Court of­ Human rights to get a ruling on real girls being­ allowed to play in the EPL

    From walkingsex1, on Mon 29 Dec 4:19PM
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