JOHN TERRY: THE TEDIOUS LATEST IS...
Are we alone in hoping that Manchester City would just get a move on and actually make the new bid for John Terry that has been predicted by the papers for at least a week?
The Times and Daily Mirror are the latest to get in on the act, once again announcing a bid is imminent etc etc. This story needs a twist.
All that is new is the claim that Roman Abramovich will be flying in to join Chelsea's tour of America later today to supply the personal touch. Or something.
'Abramovich has not scheduled any formal talks with Terry this week and is staying in a different hotel to the team, but he is bound to discuss the issue with the club's executives,' says The Times.
Perhaps he just fancies a holiday?
Anyway, the paper goes on to announce that 'Manchester City are planning to make a third bid for the Chelsea captain this week that could be as high as £40 million, but it will be rejected out of hand.'
As for the Mirror, it claims that Terry is 'in turmoil as his head has been turned by City's offer and his future is on a knife-edge' and that 'Chelsea are hoping to persuade Terry to stay and make an announcement during their four-game tour of the US'.
LESCOTT WANTS TO TALK TO CITY
Rather fresher is The Times' account of City's ongoing pursuit of Joleon Lescott. Which appears to be getting somewhere.
The Times reckons that the defender 'will plead with David Moyes, his Everton manager, to be allowed to talk to Manchester City' and the defender has even 'told team-mates that he wants to hear their plans'.
An improved bid of £18m for Lescott is also forecast.
BECKHAM RETURN PREDICTED AFTER AMERICA AGGRO
Someone had to predict it and it's no surprise to find The Sun at the front of the queue.
Yup, David Beckham is coming back to England. Or so it says here.
'TOTTENHAM and Manchester City will both offer David Beckham a chance to return to England after life in the States turned nasty,' the paper announces.
'Both Premier League clubs are aware he could be available for a permanent transfer when the MLS season finishes in October.'
JJ IN DEMAND
Another man wanted by an inexplicably high number of clubs is Jermaine Jenas.
Granted, if the morning papers are to be believed that number of clubs is two, but that still seems pretty high for a man who has turned mediocrity and anonymity into an art form.
The Sun reckons Aston Villa want him, but The Guardian reckons Inter Milan will take time out from negotiating the Samuel Eto'o deal to bid for Jenas, despite Tottenham's asking price being a juicy £10million.
CHAMAKH GIVES UP HOPE
Quick line that we brought you last night, but one you may have missed.
Arsene Wenger has admitted his interest in Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh, but the man himself seems rather gloomy about the prospect of the deal going through.
Read all about it here, and it seems that should Arsene not bother then Sunderland, Blackburn, Tottenham and Fulham could all be alternatives.
Speaking of Spurs and people giving up, The Daily Mirror claims they're resigned to losing out on Klass-Jan Huntelaar, with the Dutchman probably flitting off to Stuttgart.
FINNAN TO REPLACE JOHNSON?
Quick line from The Daily Mirror now, and one that will provide a nice degree if symmetry if nothing else.
The paper claims that Portsmouth want Steve Finnan - last seen limping around Cataluyna after a troubled season with Espanyol - to replace Glen Johnson.
AND THE REST...
Everton are closing in on a deal to sign Sweden international Rasmus Elm...Aston Villa's Nigel Reo-Coker is a target for Middlesbrough...Bolton are set to sign South Korean Lee Chung-Yong for £2million, but Nicky Hunt is ready to leave...Phil Brown will try to persuade Bobby Zamora to join Hull in a club-record £5million move...Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has lined up a £4million bid for Reading winger Stephen Hunt...West Ham are poised to sign Chelsea striker Frank Nouble...Dexter Blackstock is joining Nottingham Forest on a four-year deal...West Brom have snubbed Fulham's £3.25million bid for Jonathan Greening...Fulham are set to land Norway midfield international Bjorn Helge Riise from Lillestrom...Gary Megson has launched a £2million bid to land Hull contract rebel Sam Ricketts...Bolton are weighing up a move for Newcastle's Damien Duff.
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Now let's hear what you've got to say about this item... or anything else happening in the world of football. Send in your opinions, rants, praise or abuse to: theeditor@football365.com
Your Comments
mr_whyte
"I don't know how MON can try and pull off a masterstroke by swapping Reo Coker for Tuncay at the same time as actually considering spending 10 mill on Jenas!! JJ ain't worth 10 quid... but fair play to him if he can blag a move to Inter!"
manufanleon
"real madrid are they the richest club in da world?i taugh man city was. man u rule and they should buy villa,ribery,duff and maybey silva. come on man yoo"
kalavrim
"Much as I love Worf and would want him to stay, fans have to realise the massive salary hike being offered, cash is ever the footballers motivator; and rightly so.
He is a very good defender and can play on the left and that makes him good and versatile.
We (Everton) paid circa £5m (eventually) for him and, arguably, turned him into the international class defender he is. But he owes us nothing. If 'Real' Manchester offer close to £20m then I hope we bite their greedy little mitts off. In Moyes we trust, Kroldrup aside, the boss knows what he is doing.
Jolean should tell us what his preferred option is and risk the wrath. One thing is for certain, if the lads head is not blue - Moyesey will know what to do. We fans mean it when we say 'once a blue always a blue' that¿s why we are fanatical, eh? But for players, in the immortal words of Jerry McGuire...'Show me the money'.
It could be over like *click of the fingers* that, for any player, every single match day.
The Real Manchester transfer policy is typical 'scattergun approach' and it works on two levels. A) a proven ability on the pitch (motivation to perform is questionable, however) and B) prevention of the FOUR's dominance of the market. Why would anyone in their right mind sign for Citeh over United? Ashley Cole can answer that, Arsenal are widely respected, more so than Chelsea; and at the time the silverware/accolades were comparable.
Will Real Manchester challenge the FOUR (that¿s a big 4). I am not convinced. Do Lescott/Terry/Robinho'od/Adebayor/Tevez give a stuff? I am not convinced.
I would like to see Moyesey engage in more is bidding for dodgy targets on the basis that as soon as he does, teams without a proper scouting network (Tottenham, Villa, Portsmouth and Fulham) will make the, increasingly irritating, attempt to gazump.
"
chelseanotski
"adebayor, unhappy being at arsenal, had his head turned by milan and barcelona... joins man city? tevez not getting enough footy at man u competing against rooney and berba, joins man city against 9 other strikers. bellamy, could start a fight in an empty room. santa cruz, sulked until blackburn sold him. robinho, made sure everyone at madrid knew he hated them and wanted to join chelsea, before chelsea refused to stump up enough money, so he plumbed for man city instead.
its really hard to see hughes making a fist of it this season. he seems to have bought an expendable collection of fwds, rejected from other clubs. however i have always liked city, and hughes, i just think he's been put in situation no-one can truly manage without it going to your head. i hope they keep hold of dunne, ireland, to create a city spine to keep the ego's at bay. this is what chelsea have so far managed with terry and lamps, but i dont think hughes has got that ruthless edge mourinho has, also i think he's not bought wisley, but time will tell. chelsea bought top players from top clubs with the promise of CL footy, man city have bought over priced players from teams who didnt want them.
on that, yes chelsea payed alot for sheva, but at the time he was hailed as the best striker in europe, courted by ferguson real and barce. if he'd have stayed at AC we'd still think that, he and chelsea took a chance but it didnt pay off, they didnt buy a donkey, he just didnt fit mourinho's plan and didnt get played. watch him if ancelotti plays two up top this season, like he did against LA. if he starts scoring he could be like Sheva of old."
PolishJoe
"IClaudius, I have to agree about the ego's at City. Lets face it Tevez thought he could do a better job than Fergie so what hope has Sparky got if he doesn't get what he wants? That's just one player to deal with but he's going to have a dressing room full of them by the time the season starts. Mourinho could be their only realistic option but he'd probably say no."
IClaudius
"Donald: squad depth is possibly the secret here - good point. As Villa and Everton have seen pushes for 4th place falter based on the affects injuries and fatigue have on thin squads, City are looking at having a tidy squad and, by the time the transfer window closes, could be able to put out two half-decent starting 11s. Again, having them playing as a team is a different matter and it'll be interesting to watch...
With that comes a different pressure that will mount over the next couple of seasons. As Fergie said in his recent interview, some of these 'star strikers' won't even be travelling with the team to away games at times, and there are a few egos there more than capable of creating a miserable or divided dressing room. I don't think any manager can really handle a squad that's just too big, that contains players who expect to play every game. Mourinho might be the best candidate, but even he sets strict squad size limits - possibly for that very reason."
Donald_Rinho
"Claudius: agreed that City are paying Galactico money for second rate Galacticos. Its amazing to think the amount they have spent, and how many of these players would actually hold down a position in any top 4 side. Wayne Bridge being the best paid left back in the world always made me giggle, and I dont know 1 Arsenal fan thats sad to see the back of Ade.....and hes now their star striker!
I just think that by the time the season starts their squad depth of above average players will be immense, and so will fully expect them to push for the top 4. And no, i dont expect them to genuinely challenge for the league or Champs League for a long long time, but unless Everton get similar investment, the fact is that players will have more chance over the next 5 years of winning things, and playing CL football, at City than Everton"
MCFC92
"apologies for the error, I don't even know why I included him."
Razerverton
"I dont understand nore do I beleive that Joleon would prosper any better at Manchester City then he would at Everton . Everton are a good old fashsion club which build. Unfortunatly most clubs operate more like a company or a shop rather then a football team where you build your team. If Joleon were to leave Everton he would be leaving something very special and a superb manager. Everton themselves have no reason to accept bids put upon Lesscot as he is a star defender and citeh cant be blamed for wanting him but if Joleon wants his carreer to go from strenght to strenght he is better off staying at Everton and no doubt he will be in the England squad next year. He is a stronger left back then Ashley Cole. He's stronger, scores more goals, more intelligent and could probabaly match him for pace. joleon is an intelligient boy and should know money isnt every thing and under the guidance of mr Moyes can be the best in the world at the peoples club."
giggsyfan11
"mcfc92- dude what the sh*t ? eric cantona coming from city? do you even know anything about manchester city history?"
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