News, views and gossip from the new, first and last voice of football. As it happens, when it unfolds, the glory the heartache, win, lose or draw. Who they got, who they ain't, what they won, what they threw away.
Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool are locked in battle for the signature of Fluminense defender Anderson, according to The Sun.
Reds manager Rafa Benitez is understood to have been tracking 21-year-old Anderson for some time, with the Spaniard sending scouts to see the highly-rated Brazilian to check on his progress last year.
Benitez is keen on luring Anderson to Anfield, with the possibility that Danish International Daniel Agger (left) could leave the Merseyside club due to talks reportedly breaking down over a new deal and could force a transfer through to Serie A club AC Milan. The Rossoneri are still interested in bringing Agger to the San Siro, despite already having an offer for the former Brondby player rejected.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who already has the young Brazilian Da Silva twins at Old Trafford had declared the Red Devils spending in January over. Following the double capture of Serbian pair Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic from Partizan Belgrade, but is eager to add the Brazilian to his squad after the breakthrough of Rafael Da Silva into the Red Devils first team this season.
Anderson’s contract at the Tricolor Carioca is due to run out in the summer, with the defender available for as little as €3.5million. Anderson has played 31 times for Fluminense, with the defender making his Campeonato debut in 2006 after coming through the youth ranks at the club.
Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo has made an agreement to join Real Madrid next summer with Los Merengues president Ramon Calderon, according to guillembalague.com.
23-year-old Ronaldo, who has just been crowned FIFA World Player of the Year had been heavily tipped to leave Old Trafford for the Bernabeu in the summer. After a drawn out saga of ‘will he, wont he’ leave the Premier League Champions last summer for the La Liga giants.
Although no deal has been made with United, who are adamant that Ronaldo will stay in the Premiership. It is claimed that Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes have come to an agreement for the Portuguese International to leave England for Spain at the end of the season.
Calderon is understood to have sanctioned the structure of the move, according to the Spanish website, which will smash the previous world record transfer of Zinedine Zidane to Real from Juventus in 2001 for £46million.
Real are believed to have set aside €85million for the transfer itself as well as an additional fund of €30million to cover any add-ons, signing fees and clauses, which could take the total cost in luring Ronaldo to the La Liga side to as much as €115million. Ronaldo is said to be in line for €12million a year, while his agent Mendes stands to pocket a cool €8million from the deal.
Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, will find it hard to resist any such offer for Ronaldo, but if the winger has indeed agreed in principle to end his time at Old Trafford and leave for Real Madrid. Then Ferguson has already shown in the past by allowing Jaap Stam and David Beckham to leave United that no player is bigger than the club.
Roberto Mancini's agent Maurizio De Giorgis has revealed that there has been no contact from Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea, who have both been linked with the former Inter Milan boss in recent reports, but did admit that Mancini would welcome the opportunity to take charge at Stamford Bridge.
After a disastrous sequence of results that sees City just two-points off the drop-zone and knocked out of the FA Cup last week 3-0 by Championship club Nottingham Forest at the Eastlands Stadium. The ADUG are reportedly ready to axe Hughes and replace him with former Italian International Mancini after just 20 league games in charge of a Blues team, which has blown more cold than hot in recent weeks.
Chelsea have also been linked with Mancini, who has been staying in London to learn English, with the Italian open to managing in the Premier League. Blues boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has come under fire at Stamford Bridge recently, with Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford fuelling speculation that the Brazilian like Hughes could be heading for an exit from the West London club in his first season in charge.
However, De Giorgis insists that, no approach, for Mancini has been made by either club and dismissed reports that the former San Siro chief had met with officials from City recently.
De Giorgis told Goal.com: “I would know everything and I can tell you with certainty no club has come forward for Mancini.
“We have not had any contact with Chelsea, Manchester City or any other English club for that matter.
“For now no one has been in touch and therefore all this news is unfounded.
“We were not in England last week. In the past we have been because Mancini has been studying English.
“I can tell you for sure Mancini is in Italy at the moment. He has been for quite some time.
“It's impossible he was seen in another place by other people. These reports are untrue.”
De Giorgis did concede that if Chelsea were to come calling then he would be more than happy to talk to the Premiership side.
“I certainly hope they [Chelsea] come forward but, like I said, nothing so far,” added De Giorgis.
“If they call, then we will answer them, obviously.”
44-year-old Mancini was sacked by Inter last summer and replaced with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, despite winning three consecutive Scudetti, with the Nerazzurri and the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana in 2005 and 2006.
Chelsea are understood to be considering making a world record bid for Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, with Blues boss Luiz Felipe Scolari keen to lure the Spanish International away from the Nou Camp, according to Catalan newspaper Sport.
24-year-old Iniesta has been identified by the Premier League club as the player to turn around, what has been a disappointing first season in charge at Stamford Bridge for former Portugal and Brazil coach Scolari. Chelsea are 2nd in the Premiership, but have performed poorly against other teams of the ‘big four’, which was highlighted in their 3-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Chelsea reportedly made an offer of £42million two-years ago to bring Iniesta to England and are now set to reignite their interest in the EURO 2008 winner in a bid to get their faltering season back on track.
Barca allowed Deco to leave the Blaugrana last summer for Chelsea, with Iniesta, who has been at Barca since 1996, proving a more than adequate replacement for the Portuguese International. Deco has struggled to regain his early season form at Stamford Bridge, which has led Scolari to Iniesta, with it remaining to be seen if Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic will bankroll the purchase of Spaniard after refusing to go above a certain point with both Robinho and Dani Alves last summer.
Sport claims that Chelsea are preparing an offer for Iniesta, with it also understood that should Barcelona allow the midfielder to leave. They would expect a fee in excess of the £46million that Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane from Juventus in 2001.
German International Michael Ballack has claimed that it is Liverpool and not Premier League Champions Manchester United, who pose the biggest threat to Chelsea’s title aspirations this season.
32-year-old Ballack had felt that the Red Devils were the main opposition to Chelsea bringing a 3rd Premiership title back to Stamford Bridge in five-years, but now believes that it is Rafa Benitez’s Reds side that will provide the main challenge to the Blues for the Premier League crown, come what May.
Ballack said: “A few weeks ago I was sure United were our strongest opponents.
“But now I think Liverpool are a major threat.
“They have shown in the past few games that they have the character to deal with being top of the league.
“They struggled in one or two games but even then we couldn’t get back on top.
“They deserve to be first and the teams behind have to wait for them to drop points or for teams in and around them to play each other. But they have shown they can handle pressure.”
Chelsea are just four-points clear of United and four behind leaders Liverpool as they face the European Champions at Old Trafford on Sunday, but United do have two games in hand.
Premier League Champions Manchester United are considering a move for goalkeeper Diego Lopez at La Liga side Villarreal, who is also understood to have been the subject of an approach from Chelsea this month, according to reports in Spain.
Tottenham Hotspur along with the Red Devils local rivals Manchester City have also been linked with 27-year-old Lopez recently, with the Spanish keeper impressing in La Liga since his £5million switch from Real Madrid in 2007.
Lopez first caught the eye of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, with his displays against the Premiership side in two goalless draws in the Champions League for El Submarino Amarillo this season. With the Scot praising the Spaniard after the clash at the Estadio El Madrigal.
Ferguson is now understood to be considering a bid to bring Lopez to Old Trafford as he searches for the long-term successor to Man United No1 Edwin van der Sar, but is sure to face stiff competition from Chelsea, who are also eager to recruit the former Los Merengues keeper.
However, Villarreal are unlikely to let Lopez, who was a pivotal figure in last seasons campaign in La Liga in which Villarreal finished second leave the Spanish side, with Lopez under a long-term contract in Spain until 2014.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has fired the first shot to counterpart Rafa Benitez at Liverpool, with the United boss claiming that the Reds “will get nervous” as they look to close in on their first Premier League title this season.
Although the Red Devils trail Liverpool by 7 points as the Premiership enters into its first round of fixtures in 2009, Ferguson insists that the experience of bringing the title back to Old Trafford in the past two seasons will stand the Champions in good stead.
If Man United win their two games in hand they will be just a point behind the Merseyside club, with Ferguson knowing what it takes to win the Premier League from behind, having trailed Arsenal last season at this point and going on to win the Premiership.
Ferguson feels that the pressure of Liverpool trying to land their first top-flight title since 1990, will make the Anfield side nervous as they venture into the unknown and that if Benitez’s side make mistakes in the run-in they could be punished for them.
“There’s no doubt that in the second half of the season they will get nervous,” said Ferguson.
“With the experience we’ve got, having won a couple of titles in the past couple of years especially, it helps you.
“There’s no doubt about that. They’re going into the unknown, and if you make mistakes, then you get punished.”
Carlos Tevez has shrouded more doubt on his future at Manchester United, with the striker claiming that despite wanting to stay at Old Trafford he will quit the club if he has to.
24-year-old Tevez has been at the Premier League Champions since joining from West Ham in 2007, with United now having to pay the agreed £32million for the Argentine International’s registration.
Tevez has come out and refuted Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments that the striker had rejected an offer from United, with Tevez dismayed that the saga has already dragged on for a year-and-a-half.
“I didn't like him (Ferguson) saying I didn't like the offer I was made because neither my agent nor me were given one,” Tevez told Radio del Plata.
“I don't know anything on my future. United know what they must pay (£32m) if they want me to stay.
“I want to stay but the club have not made any offer. I've been waiting for them for a year and a half.
"If I have to quit the club, I want to quit on good terms."
Amidst the speculation La Liga giants Real Madrid along with Arsenal and Manchester City have shown an interest in Tevez, with the Argentine claiming that he would sign for another club if they offered him a five-year contract.
“Now all clubs are on an equal footing. If a club comes to me and offers me a five-year deal, I will accept it for peace of mind,” he added.
“I will sign my last contract, and then I figure that I'll go back to Boca (Juniors.) That could be in four or five years.”
“I want everybody to know no offer has been made. I don't like that they are playing with our fans, who show their love to me in each match.”
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has conceded that Portuguese International Cristiano Ronaldo must learn to live and deal with the treatment that the winger is receiving on the pitch this season.
Since his comeback from injury in the Premier League this season, Balon d’Or winner has found the form of his last campaign hard to come by, with the former Sporting Lisbon player showing his frustration in a series of ill-disciplined incidents in recent weeks.
The latest incident saw the Red Devils talisman square up to Emanuel Pogatetz at Old Trafford in their Premiership encounter against Middlesbrough last Monday. This follows Ronaldo kicking out petulantly at Celtic player Scott Brown in the Champions League along with Tottenham Hotspur’s Michael Dawson and Andy Wilkinson of Stoke City.
This sentiment has been echoed by Ferguson, but the United boss has also claimed that this sort of treatment comes with the territory and that Ronaldo must learn to accept and deal with the close attention he receives.
“Of course I can understand Cristiano's frustration," said Ferguson.
“Enough has been said about it already but I can understand it.
“He has produced little moments of displeasure at the treatment he is getting.
“They are trivial things, but as he has said himself, because it is Ronaldo it is magnified.
“That is the penalty for being a great player. He has to understand that.”
With Tottenham Hotspur legend Ossie Ardiles revealing to FootballFancast that he thought Eric Cantona was the reason Manchester United are what they are today. I believe that not only did the Frenchman bring something to United and the Premier League, but he also bought back a swagger to go with the No7 shirt that had not been seen at Old Trafford since the days of George Best and his celebrity lifestyle and genius on the pitch.
Though different off the pitch, both had a swagger that endeared them to both United fans and the footballing world in general. Just like Best, Cantona knew how good he was and he didn’t mind showing it. During five-years at United Cantona entertained, excited and produced the unexpected before retiring and handing over the shirt to a young David Beckham, who had come through the youth system to claim the number.
Beckham carried on the tradition of the United No7 for the next six years, with a different type of swagger, but a swagger of sorts.
With the glamour lifestyle and all the trappings of celebrity the United No7 had started to become something that you have to be a little more than just a very good footballer to carry off.
Now the occupant of the shirt is Cristiano Ronaldo and whatever you think of him he can play and definitely has the swagger, with his tricky skills, posturing and again like Best and Cantona, knows how good he is. However, after two outstanding seasons for United, Ronaldo’s return from injury to the Premiership this season has been largely subdued, with the Ballon d’Or winner seeming to slip back to his petulant ways after a summer of ‘will he, wont he’ leave United. Now speculation is rife again, that a departure from Old Trafford is on the cards next summer, with Real Madrid still sniffing around like a dog at a lamppost.
So should the Portuguese winker leave for the Bernabeu eventually, who, can Sir Alex replace him with?
For the last sixteen-years Cantona, Beckham and Ronaldo have worn the No7, with the Red Devils having the most successful period in their history during this time. The most successful period before that being when Best had the No7. So the next incumbent of the shirt must have something about them just to be able to take the sheer weight of it when it is passed on from Ronaldo. Any takers?
United have been linked with South American pair Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia at Wigan in the past, but while they might be good players are either the new No7? Serbian Zoran Tosic might be a candidate, with the 21-year-old winger on the verge of a move from Partizan Belgrade, but holding out for better personal terms. While his Partizan team-mate 17-year-old Adem Ljajic dubbed the ‘Little Kaka’ in Serbia, who has also been linked with United could possibly wear it in the future. Or maybe an established big name from another big club that believes he is the one ready to dazzle and posture his way into Old Trafford folklore?
One thing is for certain though, whoever ends up wearing the No7 for United, will not only have to be an excellent player, but also big enough and flash enough in some ways to carry the burden of the shirt. For the person that does eventually get it. It remains to be seen if the swagger continues or skips a few generations like it did after Best. For after the departure of the Irishman, United did not win the league again until the next man with a true Gaelic swagger came along.
Just for the record the most successful United No7 in terms of major medals is Beckham, with nine, then Cantona with six, Ronaldo has four and counting, while Best had three, but who has the biggest swagger?
Former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba has claimed that he has “unfinished business” in the Premier League, with the combative midfielder open to a move to West Ham United, who are reportedly keen on the Cameroon International from Odense BK in Denmark.
27-year-old Djemba-Djemba spent two years at Old Trafford after arriving from French side Nantes in 2003, but failed to live up to his reputation and was sold by Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson to Aston Villa in 2005, with the midfielder only making 20 league appearances for United.
Djemba-Djemba also failed to make an impression at Villa Park and was sent out on loan to Championship side Burnley before being sold by the Villans to Qatar SC in 2007, where the midfielder only made one appearance before joining Odense in 2008.
However, Djemba-Djemba has shown the type of form in Denmark that prompted Ferguson to pay £3.5million for him and has now attracted the attention of new Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola, who is keen to bring the midfielder back to the Premier League.
Djemba-Djemba told Sky Sports: “I am having a good season.
“I lost my way a bit when I signed for Manchester United, but I am a good player. You don't play alongside Roy Keane and Paul Scholes if you are a bad player.
“West Ham, are interested, I've heard, so that means I am having a good season.
“I have unfinished business with the Premier League, so who knows? It would be good to go back there and prove myself.”
Partizan Belgrade starlet Adem Ljajic, who is known as ‘Little Kaka’ in Serbia has revealed that he is in the dark about a potential move to Premier League Champions Manchester United.
17-year-old Ljajic had been reportedly on the brink of a move to Old Trafford in January, when the transfer window reopens having already had a trial at the Premiership club recently.
Ljajic was understood to be heading to the Red Devils in a £9million deal that included team-mate midfielder Zoran Tosic, who has a hearing on Friday to see if he will be granted a work permit, which would allow Tosic to sign for the European Champions.
It is believed that the fee of £9million has already been agreed with officials at Partizan. However, Ljajic has revealed that he is in the dark about any switch to United and has insisted that his focus remains solely on playing for Partizan.
“I really don't know anything about it,” said Ljajic.
“Of course, I like the stories of me going to United, but the most important thing for me right now is Partizan.
“I concentrate only on the games and try to give my best for the team.”
Ljajic has already broken through into the Partizan Belgrade first-team and is already an Under-21 International, scoring on his debut, with La Liga Champions Real Madrid also reportedly interested in the Serbian along with the Red Devils and Arsenal.
Premier League clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United have been given fresh hope of signing EURO 2008 star Xavi from La Liga giants Barcelona Xavi after talks about a new deal at the Nou Camp for the midfielder stalled again.
28-year-old Xavi is a product of the Barca youth set-up and has been at the Catalan club since 1991, but has not been able to agree a new deal at the Nou Camp, with the Spanish International’s current contract due to run out in 2010.
It is understood that there have been more than 10 meeting between Xavi and the Catalan club, but the two parties are still unable to come to an agreement, with the Spanish International seeking parity with top-earners Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry at the Nou Camp.
Director of football at Barcelona, Txiki Begiristain has admitted that the deal could take weeks or months to conclude and insisted that this type of deal is not easy to close.
Begiristain said: “Xavi is a great player and has some large expectations. In the world of the football it is not easy to close this type of contract because of the length of the deal and the need to keep a salary equilibrium of the staff.
“If it was easy the deal would already be done.”
However, Xavi’s agent Ivan Corretja revealed recently that the talks will not be allowed to go on forever and confirmed the interest in Xavi by clubs from the Premiership.
Corretja, told The Daily Star recently: “We have not been able to solve the situation at Barcelona, despite some months of negotiations. We feel he should be offered a deal which reflects his performances on the pitch.
“Everybody at Barcelona knows that there are some big European clubs interested in Xavi, particularly in England at the moment, and we will not allow this to go on forever.”
With 18 months remaining on Xavi’s current contract at Barcelona, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is monitoring the situation at the Nou Camp, with an offer in the region of £20million being mooted in the January transfer window to bring Xavi to Old Trafford. However, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is also keen to pair Xavi with countryman Cesc Fabregas at the Emirates Stadium, with Liverpool also reportedly interested in bringing the central-midfielder to Anfield.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he could recall England Under-21 International Fraizer Campbell from his season-long loan at Tottenham Hotspur after the striker’s fine form in recent games for the North London club.
21-year-old Campbell joined Spurs on loan as part of the £30.75 deal that took Bulgarian Dimitar Berbatov from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford on transfer deadline day, which was the deciding factor in letting Berbatov leave for the Premier League Champions.
Despite not being used by former manager Juande Ramos, Campbell has shone under new boss Harry Redknapp. The young forward has scored four goals in his last three games, twice against Liverpool in the Carling Cup, once against Man City in the Premiership and his first goal for the England Under-21 side in his man-of-the-match performance against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
This form has made Ferguson sit up and take note of Campbell and despite having Berbatov along with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney at his disposal the United boss has said that recalling the youngster in the New Year is an option.
“We could pull him back in January,” said Ferguson.
“We have to the option and it is a possibility.
“The boy has been fantastic at Spurs.
However, Ferguson is unlikely to take that option with the riches already at his disposal at the Red Devils and went on to reveal that United need to have Campbell playing first-team football. Something that is more likely at Spurs than at Man United at the moment.
“He is a good player but we needed to get him first-team experience, so we agreed to it so the deal with Berbatov went through,” Ferguson added.
New Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is ready to test the resolve of counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson at Premier League Champions Manchester United in the January transfer window, with a £10million bid for England International goalkeeper Ben Foster (below), according to reports.
Redknapp is not convinced about current Spurs No1 Heurelho Gomes following a series of gaffes in goal for Tottenham, both before and after the former Portsmouth chief’s arrival at White Hart Lane last month. With the Brazilian International’s latest error costing the North London club a point in their clash with Fulham on Saturday.
Shay Given at Newcastle United is understood to be Redknapp’s first choice to replace the hapless Gomes between the posts at Tottenham. However, Magpies boss Joe Kinnear has already declared that Given will not be leaving St James’ Park and recently issued a hands off warning to Spurs.
“I can save Harry the time and money and tell him not to bother even picking up the telephone, because there is no way Shay Given will be leaving this club,” Kinnear told the Newcastle Evening Chronicle last week.
Tottenham will now reportedly turn their attention towards 25-year-old Foster, who is behind Dutch International Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak in the pecking order at Old Trafford. Foster has always insisted that he wishes to remain at the European Champions, but knows that he must be playing regular first-team football if he is to add to his one cap for England under Fabio Capello.
Ferguson will be reluctant to let Foster leave the Red Devils, but will be tested by an offer in the region of £10million by Tottenham for Foster. However, the board at United are likely to see the deal as good business for a player that has been at Old Trafford since 2005, but has only made 2 senior appearances for United during that time.
If Tottenham really do want to move forward then Harry Redknapp is a far better candidate than Juande Ramos ever was or ever will be to make Spurs a real force in the Premier League.
In terms of Premiership experience we all know it’s a no-contest, with the hapless Spaniard Ramos arriving from Sevilla last year with a big reputation after winning back-to-back UEFA Cups beating Spurs along the way for his second success, but not a day of management under his belt in the strongest league in Europe
Redknapp on the other hand has been an almost constant in the Premier League since taking over from Billy Bonds at West Ham United in 1994. Only Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and the Frenchman at that other North London club have more experience. He knows the Premier League inside out from top to bottom and has shown more than once that he has the ability to build something, but don’t take my word for it lets see.
Ramos has been a manager in football for 15-years. How many clubs? 11 yes 11. So not much hanging around anywhere too long eh Juande. In fact his longest stints anywhere were at Rayo Vallecano between 1998-2001, where to be fair he did get them promoted to La Liga and to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, albeit through the Fair Play league. You see we all know Ramos’ teams don’t do tackling. The other was Real Betis between 2001-2004, where he didn’t really set the world on fire. We weren’t the quickest to sack him though, after Betis, Espanyol sacked him after 5 games in 2004.
No real consistency including a disastrous season in charge of the Barcelona B side, so he may have won the league cup with Spurs, but so did George Graham.
In contrast, Redknapp to me has always been consistent. He came into management at Bournemouth after trying to come out of retirement as a player in 1982, played once for the Cherries and then took over at Dean Court in 1983 and stayed for 11 years. In 1984 they knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup, Redknapp has a habit of doing that. Bournemouth, were promoted for the first time in their history to what we now know as the Championship in 1987, with Redknapp being the most successful manager they have ever had.
Redknapp left Bournemouth for Upton Park and West Ham in 1994, who were already in the new Premier League, but had spent the previous decade yo-yoing between the old first and second division. Harry kept them there even finishing 5th in the 1998-1999 season, no UEFA Cup place back then, but got them into Europe through the back door, sorry Inter-Toto. During his time at Upton Park Redknapp gained that wheeler-dealer reputation by exploiting the ‘Bosman’ ruling and using his only too clear communication skills to attract players, Redknapp was sacked by the Hammers, for a few misguided comments to a fanzine in 2001. West Ham, were relegated two seasons later.
Redknapp went to Portsmouth as director of football, a role he now despises with a passion. Then took over from Graham Rix in March 2002 as boss and passed West Ham on the way into the Premier League in 2003, having won the Championship and kept them there before his only moment of madness leaving for Southampton after resigning in November 2004, when chairman Milan Mandaric appointed a director of football.
We all know he didn’t keep Southampton up in that season and resigned the following year in December 2005 to make an emotional return to Portsmouth and somehow keep them up. When everyone apart from the most ardent Pompey fan had them relegated.
Harry started to build again, it’s the only way he knows and Pompey finished 9th the following season. The South coast clubs highest finish since the 50’s. He turned down a big club in Newcastle in 2008, which in poker player terms looks like a good fold now. Then knocks United out of the FA Cup again, wins it and takes Portsmouth into Europe for the first time. Then decided to leave a club he was worshipped at to take over the mess Juande had got us into, which I think is a brave decision.
You see we should not be questioning the appointment of a manager with almost 15-years of Premiership management under his belt. Someone who is now managing his 5th club in 25-years, someone who, with the exception of his moment of ‘Southampton madness’ has built and achieved on limited resources throughout his career as a manager and produced a Liverpool, Spurs and England player in his leisure time.
So now that he is at Tottenham, what can he do?
Well he certainly didn’t waste any time giving a team that had forgotten how to win belief. Looks ok so far three wins out of four, unbeaten, Darren Bent scoring goals. However, the true test is yet to come, but if Redknapp can build at Spurs like he has everywhere else (bar Southampton) then we can only surely reap the rewards from a man, who in my opinion has more than proved that he can take a football club forward. Especially if he can take Tottenham to their highest league position in 50 years, for we know what that means.
So lets embrace him and get behind Redknapp through good and bad, feel privileged he left a club he was idolised at, hope Levy forgets where the trapdoor in his office is and sit back and enjoy what I believe he will do for us. Given the fact that this time he is at a club that has the resources to actually really go somewhere and his history of sticking around to see the job done.
On a final note as I feel there still might be those, who fear Redknapp can’t replicate his success at smaller clubs with Tottenham. Well In 1986 Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford from Aberdeen the rest as they say is history, but with Harry in charge at Spurs it just maybe our future.
Manchester United are set to land teenage sensation Fabian Delph from Leeds United, with the Premier League Champions claimed to have beaten off Arsenal for the signature of the youngster, who has also attracted interest from West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and Chelsea.
Recent reports have suggested that Delph was to leave Elland Road for the Emirates Stadium in January, with the Gunners to loan the midfielder back to the Yorkshire side until the end of the season.
However, an insider at the Red Devils has claimed that Delph will be arriving at Old Trafford in January in a deal worth around £5million, with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson moving quickly to land the left-sided player after losing out to Arsenal on Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.
A United insider said: “It’s as certain as it gets that Fabian will be a Red in January. It’s a done deal.”
18-year-old Delph has been at Leeds since 2001 and has scored 3 goals in 16 league appearances for the Whites, with the midfielder also being capped by England at Under-19 level this year.
Arsenal are preparing an audacious swoop to snatch Serbian prodigy Adem Ljajic from under the noses of weekend Premier League opponents Manchester United, who have already given Ljajic dubbed “Little Kaka” a trial recently.
17-year-old Ljajic has already broken through into the Partizan Belgrade first-team and is already an Under-21 International, scoring on his debut, with La Liga Champions Real Madrid also reportedly interested in the Serbian along with the Red Devils and the Gunners.
It is understood that Arsenal scout Francis Cagigao is due to watch Ljajic and another Serbian youngster Danijel Aleksic, who is captain of the Serbian Under-17 team when they face each other in an upcoming league match. Cagigao’s assistant Goran Milosavljevic has confirmed that the North London club have been watching the two brightest prospects in Serbian football for sometime now.
“We are watching Danijel Aleksic and Adem Ljajic,” Milosavljevic confirmed to nogomania.com.
“We have been watching Ljajic and Aleksic for quite some time now, especially Ljajic, because we watched the match between Partizan and Radnicki in September.”
Milosavljevic has also revealed that if the two young starlets have the qualities that the North London club are looking for then everything will be done to make sure it is at the Emirates Stadium where they flourish and not Old Trafford or the Bernabeu. However, everything will depend on Partizan and rival Serbian side Vojvodina, who Aleksic plays for.
“If Aleksic and Ljajic do have the qualities to play for Arsenal, the club management will do everything to bring them both to London,” he added.
“Everything will depend on Vojvodina and Partizan then.”
Premier League Champions Manchester United are set to make another raid on Tottenham Hotspur in January, with Welsh International Gareth Bale the target, according to The Daily Mail.
19-year-old Bale only arrived at Spurs last in 2007 from Championship side Southampton, but his ability to play either as a left-back or further up the field has attracted the attention of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who could make a move for the Welshman as early as January.
Should the European Champions follow up their reported interest in January then new Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is likely to want to make a considerable profit on the £10million the North London club paid Southampton. With it believed that Redknapp has already started sounding out possible alternatives for Bale should he decide to make the move from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford.
However, Tottenham are likely to resist any move for Bale by United, having already seen England International Michael Carrick move to the Red Devils in 2006 and more recently star-striker Dimitar Berbatov this summer.
Bale has only made 16 league appearances for Tottenham since his move from Southampton due to a series of injuries and had to sit out most of the last Premiership season, but is under contract at White Hart Lane until 2012, having signed a new four-year deal in August.
Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United are both interested in Fulham schoolboy Dominic Vose, with the young midfielder already being dubbed the ‘New Paul Scholes’ in some corners for his goalscoring from midfield.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will run the rule over 15-year-old Vose at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground, with Wenger hoping that he can persuade the young starlet that the Emirates Stadium is the place where Vose will develop most as a footballer.
Vose spent his half-term break last week in Manchester, with United, manager Sir Alex Ferguson also keen to snatch up the midfielder and convince Vose that the Premiership Champions and Old Trafford is the right place for his footballing education.
Vose will not be able to sign his first professional contract until his 17th birthday, but should he choose to leave Craven Cottage to join Arsenal or the Red Devils, Fulham will almost certainly demand a huge amount of compensation from their Premier League rivals for their young prodigy
Benitez is keen on luring Anderson to Anfield, with the possibility that Danish International Daniel Agger (left) could leave the Merseyside club due to talks reportedly breaking down over a new deal and could force a transfer through to Serie A club AC Milan. The Rossoneri are still interested in bringing Agger to the San Siro, despite already having an offer for the former Brondby player rejected.
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