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January Transfer Window Thread

Lenny

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TF S4DK Newbie

TF S4DK

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LIVERPOOL boss Rafa Benitez has ruled out a move for Ruud van Nistelrooy and insisted Ryan Babel is staying put.The Merseysiders have been credited with an interest in the Real Madrid striker while fellow Dutchman Babel has spoken about his desire to quit Anfield.However, after being forced to replay with Reading in the FA Cup, Benitez stressed that, although talks are progressing well on other fronts, the January window will not map out as some had envisaged."I don't want to talk about individual players or names, but we are not trying for Ruud van Nistelrooy, so that will be very difficult to bring him in!" stated the Liverpool manager."We are working hard on getting some players in, and have had some good talks but my priority now is talking about good things with my players."And we are not trying to sell Ryan Babel either. Today we were thinking about using him but I wanted to play players who are focused. He has to work harder to get in the team and play if he wants to go to the World Cup."He will have a chance and work hard for Liverpool."
RAFA Benitez has snubbed a move for Ruud Van Nistelrooy because he hasn't given up hope of luring Emile Heskey back to Anfield.Liverpool's financial problems make the chances of Heskey completing an extraordinary return to Merseyside slim.Aston Villa will resist efforts to sell to a top four rival and expect at least £5m, which is well beyond what Benitez can currently afford.But if Benitez can scrape any funds together by the end of the month he'll bid for the Aston Villa target man.The Kop boss believes the former Anfield striker is a better option than 33-year-old, ex-Manchester United hitman Van Nistelrooy.Liverpool need a target man to complement Fernando Torres rather than an out-and-out goalscorer.Heskey has struggled to match his international form at club level since his £3.5m move to Villa Park. Martin O'Neill secured the England striker relatively cheaply because he had just six months left on his Wigan contract.But Heskey is understood to be excited by the prospect of a return to Liverpool even though there remain numerous obstacles in the way.Liverpool were Heskey's first choice when he left Wigan 12 months ago, but a bid never materialised."I am not looking to sell players in January but I don't have a clue what will happen this month," said O'Neill on Saturday after his team's FA Cup win over Blackburn."We are trying to sign players because we will need the squad for a long season ahead."
ROBERTO MANCINI is closing in on his first Manchester City signing - Rubin Kazan's £6million-rated defender Cristian Ansaldi.The Eastlands boss has quickly identified the full-back positions as problem areas for a side that has conceded more goals than any other of the teams battling for a place in Europe.Ansaldi is rated at £6million by his Russian club and was part of the side that shocked Barcelona at the Nou Camp by beating them in this season's Champions League group stage.He made his debut for Argentina in a friendly in Spain in November and has a good chance of being named in Diego Maradona's World Cup squad.The former Newell's Old Boys defender, 23, has been quickly targeted by Mancini as a left-back who can also play on the wing and he will be expected to compete with Wayne Bridge, who has struggled for form and fitness in recent months. The move underlines City's aims to target squad players in this window instead of going for superstar names like Brazilian ace Kaka.Mancini spoke this week of the problems he would have persuading top players to leave clubs who are still involved in the Champions League.The Italian believes the current squad is in need of some fine tuning but does not have to be overhauled if they are to make the top four.City also do not expect to make any marquee signings in the summer.The club has distanced itself from Inter defensive pair Ivan Cordoba and Maicon, who were previously strongly linked with a move to City.They have also indicated that an offer for Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who only arrived at the Nou Camp last summer, is not on their agenda.West Ham's Matthew Upson was an option for former boss Mark Hughes last summer if the deal for Joleon Lescott had fallen through but is no longer a target.
MANCHESTER UNITED are weighing up a £20million bid for Brazilian striker Hulk.Sir Alex Ferguson is an admirer of the Porto star and wants to strengthen his forward line as he bids for a fourth successive Premier League title.The Brazil international has a clause in his contract that says he cannot be released for less than 100m euros, but sources at the Portuguese club say a realistic offer of around £20m would see Hulk leave the Estadio do Dragao at the end of the season."The big clubs in England have been in contact," said the player's agent Teodoro Fonseca."They have asked for details about his contract situation but any decision about his future rests mainly with the directors of Porto."I am calm about the situation and so is the player because he has an excellent future. I think we could be discussing a move in April or May."A switch to United could spell the end for England striker Michael Owen, who has struggled to make an impact since signing a two-year contract last summer.Hulk, 23, whose real name is Givanildo Vieira de Souza, has four years left on his contract and is also rated highly by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.The Frenchman saw him play at the Emirates in last season's Champions League but would almost certainly be outbid by United.Fergie is believed to like the physical attributes the striker could add to his side after he lost Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez last summer.Hulk made his Brazil debut against England in November and now has two caps. He is likely to be named in his country's World Cup squad.He got his nickname because of his stocky appearance and his likeness to actor Lou Ferrigno, who played the comic book hero."Hulk would be a good investment for United," said a Porto source."He has the quality to be a superstar in England and his club will have no choice but to take a big offer for him very seriously."
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Gambino Newbie

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Manchester Evening News:SIR Alex Ferguson is ready to pounce for Karim Benzema - six months after being snubbed by the French international.The United boss has been alerted by Benzema's failure to make an impact at Real Madrid and is ready to offer him an escape route to Old Trafford.Fergie tracked the former Lyon striker for three years before finally making a move last summer.He saw the man, dubbed the new Zinedine Zidane in France, as the perfect player to add some sparkle to United's squad following the £80m departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real.But he was frustrated when the Spanish giants gazumped his £20m bid, signing Benzema for £25m in an incredible spending spree that also saw them land Kaka and Xabi Alonso.Benzema has managed only five goals in 13 appearances this season and with Real ready to swoop for Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery, they would be open to offers for the 22-year-old.Fergie even believes that he could even pick up his long-term target on the cheap for around the £20m he was prepared to pay last summer.Ronaldo moneyHe still has the majority of the Ronaldo money to spend and is ready to move in the transfer window - provided the right players are available.Despite United being just two points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League and in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup, they are still to hit top gear.Fergie is keen to give his squad a boost and is looking for the marquee signing he failed to secure last summer. Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko is another option, as are Valencia pair David Silva and David Villa.With Dimitar Berbatov still struggling for consistency since his £30.75m move from Spurs last season and Michael Owen only seen as an impact player, United are in need of a strike partner for Wayne Rooney.Benzema fits the bill perfectly and may find the chance to head to United too good to refuse the second time around.ARGENTINA striker Sergio Aguero has confirmed his commitment to Atletico Madrid. The 21-year-old had been linked with a switch to a host of top clubs including United and Chelsea.

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Gambino Newbie

Gambino

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At this point in time I ain't got any quarrels with Valencia, the guys playing Direct and it's looking pretty useful to us. But it's not good having balls being delivered into a Box when guys can't finish them. David Villa or Hunterlaar would be nice, In an ideal world this Diouff will turn out to be good. And yea a creative mid, and even a Defender is needed now... and a Keeper lol.

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Kompressor Newbie

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Thats what i'm saying i'm getting annoyed by people saying Valencia isn't up to it and needs replacing when he's our best wide player if Fergie was maybe gonna bring in 4 new wingers and make wholesale changes then so be it, but right now if anyone needs shifting from the team it isnt him.Striker and Attacking Midfielder is a priority not even so much a strikerbut we need a CM who can score goals create them at will and maybe also play out wide comfortably when needed. I've said it before the fact that we really on Giggs for our creative spark is worrying, (no slight on Giggsy, but its worrying because of his age and the fact that he's winding down his career and he's still one of our most important/best players)i would say 2 AM but asking for 1 is pushing it tbh and this bullshit about finding value is rubbish, i think someone should tell SAF that theres a lil matter of a world cup at the end of the season. and remind him what happens to values at the end of it.

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Gambino Newbie

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Gotta just hope he has something on the cards whilst this Window is open. It's becoming frustrating and unnaceptable that we won't buy World Class players whilst Chelsea and City chase guys like Villa.Wonder when Nani is gonna be departing aswell.... Pressure for him.

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Kompressor Newbie

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its even more of a pisstake when you look over at Arsenal and see them with Arshavin, Fabregas and Nasri Even a fit Rosicky could get into our first 11. hargreaves has been closed to a return for the last 3 months and the only player we've brought in is Diouf and i'm gonna go out on a limb and say if he isn't on the bench for the city game in midweek we're looking at Manucho/Tosic Mrk 2it wouldnt be so bad but we keep getting told that we've got "loads" of money to spend and we have a chance on all fronts, even though we are considerably weaker on all fronts this season. if we get to the CL semi'sor final this season it will be a damning assesment of the quality of Europes premier compitition saying all this i maintain that we'll still finish second in the league but given a choice i'd rather come 4th and knock City out of the cup than come second and get to a CL semi/final and loseCity beating us on their way to pick up a trophy would be too much to bear and would be very symbolic about the way things might go this decade

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Kompressor Newbie

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at this point i'd take that anything to stop them blue bastards doing it. and i'm still not convinced Fergie will play a strong team against them. he'll probably go with a weakend team so if we lose it wont have an as huge psychological affect on the players.losing to 2 of our 3 biggest rivals in cups that we're taking seriously in consecutive games would be too much to bear

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Dont want Huuntelaar at all if hes not good enough for madrid or milan why would he be good enough for usbenzema isnt the finnished article eitheronly striker that i would really want is Villastill think raiding valencia for pablo, mata and villa is our best option in jan before they are all worth 40m after the world cupf*ck silva too injury prone

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pablo and mata about 18m combovilla depends who else is interested

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kaka again not in madrid sideworth a cheeky bid?

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