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As we move in to the off-season an unprecedented amount of managerial movement around Europe will surely see an already frantic transfer market go in to overdrive. This will give plenty of opportunities for transfer rumour and gossip. So how much of it is realistic?
Valencia will not let defender Adil Rami, 27, leave for anything less than £7.75m. The Frenchman is wanted by both Manchester City and Arsenal.
What’s the story? Rami has been one of those players that gets linked to lots of different teams without ever actually making the move.
Does it make sense? Kind of, but the only thing is, for both of these teams Rami would be no more than a back up. He’s not getting in ahead of Koscielny and Mertesacker at Arsenal or Kompany and Nastasic at City.
Is the price right? It’s fair enough, maybe slightly more than ideal but then Valencia will be looking to keep him. He has a big, physically dominating presence but is prone to the odd error or lapse in concentration which has kept him from reaching the very top.
Will it happen? 2/10 – Very unlikely.
Liverpool face competition to land top target Christian Atsu, 21, with Benfica and Sporting Lisbon also interested in the Porto winger.
Christian Atsu
What’s the story? Well, Atsu has been linked to Liverpool every few weeks during this window and is cheap enough, that if they really wanted him, they could have done something about it by now.
Does it make sense? Sporting Lisbon are in a financial meltdown and Porto and Benfica don’t do business with each other. Make of that what you will.
Is the price right? Porto are never easy to buy from. The price has always been talked about as £3m which seems a little unlikely.
Will it happen? 2/10 – The trail on this has gone ice cold and it seems unlikely to heat back up.
West Brom have asked Manchester City about taking forgotten winger Scott Sinclair, 24, on a season-long loan.
Scott Sinclair
What’s the story? West Brom were one of the clubs we picked out as being interested in Sinclair last week here.
Does it make sense? Yes. With the loss of Romelu Lukaku, West Brom’s attack lacks a bit of dynamism and speed which Sinclair can bring cutting in from the left wing. Steve Clarke has shown himself to be a very good coaching manager, able to improve players,and that is exactly what Sinclair needs. Ideal for both parties.
Is the price right? A loan makes sense, although City would be just as happy to sell. From West Brom’s standpoint, the loan arrangement suits them. They could potentially get a solid season from him for free but if he flops, they wouldn’t have committed to a big contract.
Will it happen? 8/10 – It’d be a good deal for all involved and West Brom really need to do something to build up a bit of momentum before the season.
Stoke are interested in signing Queens Park Rangers midfielder Adel Taarabt, 24, on loan, but the Championship side would prefer a permanent deal.
Adel Taarabt
What’s the story? Oh dear. Stoke need flair and attacking talent,and Taarabt’s unjustly inflated reputation for doing so sees this link come about.
Does it make sense? No. Taarabt is not the answer. Even though Hughes got the odd decent showing from him at QPR, he mostly disappointed. Does he really want to be bringing skeletons from his closet with him to his fresh start at Stoke? Taarabt doesn’t create many goals or score many and isn’t a hard worker.
Is the price right? He could be good in the Championship despite showing he can’t play in the Premier League, but the question is whether Redknapp wants him or not. If not, it could be as little as £3m but otherwise more is not acceptable to pay.
Will it happen? 6/10 – Hughes made some diabolical signings at QPR and could be about to repeat all the same mistakes again if he gets desperate. With no forwards added, this becomes slightly more likely.
Fulham are trying to sign Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo, 27, in an £8.6m deal.
Pablo Osvaldo
What’s the story? Fulham want forward help and Osvaldo has become a hate figure in Rome after disrespecting the club in the Coppa Italia final.
Does it make sense? Yes, it does. Fulham is the right level club for Osvaldo and would compliment Berbatov quite nicely. Osvaldo is big and strong and makes a nuisance of himself, never giving defenders a second’s peace. He’s limited technically, but he can score goals and become a target man for Berbatov to work off.
Is the price right? Yes this is fair. He did get 16 goals last year, but has only backed that up with a 13 and 11 goal season in his career so he’s not been prolific. But he’s a good physical package.
Will it happen? 6/10 – It could do actually. The Roma fans are trying to force him out of the club, and if they can find a replacement that they are happy with, they’d let him go.
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