The latest transfer gossip doing the rounds …
By Ryan Kephalas
Florent Malouda, the Lyon forward, has revealed that he intends to “review” his present contractual arrangements at the end of the season, after eliciting interest from an array of top flight clubs around Europe, including Manchester United, whose overtures he rebuffed in August.
“My opinion is that, at the moment it is not right to move”, remarked the 25-year-old, who made his debut for the French national team last year. “But if, this season, I can prove that I am good enough for one of these big clubs and if things don’t go too smoothly with Lyon, then we shall see.”
FC Porto may be prepared to offload striker Benni McCarthy, who has become increasingly estranged from boss Co Adriaaanse.
The Dutch coach – who has enforced a strict embargo on jewelry and long hair amongst his players – claims that McCarthy breached club discipline by turning up for training last week sporting new hair extensions, but sources close to the club claim that the dispute may have arisen because the striker resented the fact that the club blocked a proposed move to West Ham in the summer – despite the Hammers bidding the £5m stipulated in his buy out clause.
West Ham boss Alan Pardew has intimated that, despite acquiring two new strikers over the summer, he is preparing another swoop for McCarthy, but he may have to ward off interest from Everton and Blackburn.
Milan are almost certain to bolster their aging backline in the upcoming transfer window, and the latest name to be linked with the Azzuri is Udinese’s 21-year-old Brazilian stopper, Dias Felipe, whose progress Carlo Ancelotti’s scouts have been monitoring for the last 6 months or so.
“If I get the chance, I’ll go,” remarked the player, who Udinese reportedly value at around £7m. “Milan play the kind of football that I like, and it would be a huge honour to play in the San Siro regularly”.
After missing out on a number of his top targets over the summer, Rafael Benitez is looking to acquire a number of reinforcements for his Liverpool side in January, Eidos, the precocious Spanish teenager, is expected to join, as well as a creative midfielder and a central defender.
Although Real Betis winger Joaquin has admitted that he would like to play for the Reds, the Andalucians asking price of £24m will probabaly prove too high for the Mersysiders.
Instead, it is believed that they will seek to resurrect their move for Simao, the Benfica player, whose proposed move to Anfield collapsed on deadline day, or Wolfsburg’s Andreas D’Alessandro. The Argentine – known as ‘the Dwarf Magician’ – was linked with a number of English clubs in the close season, and is thought to be keen on a move to the Premeirship.
Reports claim that present boss Terry Butcher is looking to bring Everton striker James McFadden back to Fir Park.
“He’s very frustrated and, for his own career, has to get away,” said Butcher
