Premier League - Transfer Talk: Out with the old

Eurosport - Wed, 18 Jun 15:34:00 2008

The summer transfer window represents an opportunity to inject some fresh talent into an ailing side, but it's also a chance to get shot of some of the dead wood.

FOOTBALL 2007-2008 Champions League Liverpool Liverpool-Chelsea Riise - 0

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will be chuckling all the way to the bank after managing to dupe Italian giants Roma into putting together a £5 million offer for dangerously one-footed left-back John Arne Riise.

Spurs boss Juande Ramos is hoping for the same kind of luck as he reportedly looks to flog similarly unreliable defensive mavericks Pascal Chimbonda and Younes Kaboul to the highest bidder, assuming he manages to find any bidders in the first place.

The Daily Mail reports that Martin O'Neill is set to part with £5 million in exchange for Chelsea misfit Steve Sidwell (the 'misfit' bit now seems an obligatory reference whenever his name is mentioned), while Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan will be delighted that both Stoke and West Brom are prepared to offer £4 million for gangly goal merchant Shola Ameobi.

Fulham midfielder Steven Davis has realised that playing against mono-paced cloggers in the Scottish Premier League actually makes you look like a really decent player, which is why he's ready to reject the overtures of Middlesbrough and Newcastle to make his loan spell at Rangers permanent.

Manchester City reserve goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson, meanwhile, has had enough of sitting on the bench at Eastlands and simply will not tolerate it any more, although the Daily Mirror thinks he'll find the benchwarming conditions at Atletico Madrid slightly more appealing.

Jinky Celtic winger Aiden McGeady could be set to join the ranks of the Premier League's superstar showboaters, with Sunderland reportedly preparing a £10 million bid, while £10 million is also the price that has been slapped on the head of Liverpool's Peter Crouch (presumably via the use of a stepladder), who is a target for Portsmouth.

Werder Bremen's Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic has endured more ups and downs than most in his career, having recovered from a serious kidney condition to play - and score - at Euro 2008, but it looks like his life's rollercoaster is set for another abrupt downward spiral with the news that Wigan are hoping to buy him on a free transfer.

The Two Ronnies

A "close friend" has told the Daily Mirror that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United for Real Madrid after Euro 2008, although if he's the kind of close friend who goes around blabbing secrets to national newspapers he's probably not the kind of close friend in whom Ronaldo would ever actually contemplate confiding.

Manchester City's pursuit of Ronaldinho gets more brazen and more desperate by the day, with the Daily Express reporting that City are now negotiating with Ronaldinho's sponsors, Nike, who could make the Brazilian some fetching light blue boots if he ever did make his way to Eastlands, but are probably powerless to do anything else about it.

Tom Williams / Eurosport

Comment 78 - 97 of 97

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  1. yeah yeah yeah ,united are the big bad wolf after all these years lets not forget the fact that these so called hard done to teams that has been bullied by united as robbrownie2004 states,well for rooney that was a fight between manager and rooney ,saha's agent wanted him to leave fulham, leeds wanted to sell rio so he could balance the books for them and i dont beleave owen hargreves caused any trouble wanting to leave germany either AFTER SUCH A LONG LAY OF THE GERMANS THOUGHT THEY GOT WELL PAID AFTER HIS LEG BREAK !!!

    From johnnyboy3620, on Wed 18 Jun 3:11PM

  2. over the past few seasons riise has been one of liverpools most consistant players. just because he scored an own goal in europe means nothing and he has been slated for it. benitez has made a mistake in selling him

    From g.evans34, on Wed 18 Jun 12:32PM

  3. I agree with everyone about the way Riise has been branded uselss christ he is a top notch player with remarks like that from so called journalist who needs friends Loyal villa supporter

    From C L, on Wed 18 Jun 12:31PM

  4. Now the Ronaldo story has been going some time much to the cgagrin of Sir Alex, I would remind him of the times he has been more guilty of the same tactics as Real. Remember Dwight Yorke sir Alex? You started stories about signing him in February and kept it going till you had caused such ill feeling at Villa Park that the player had to leave. You have tried this trick so ofton I find it really sad that you are now crying that United have been cheated. As they say you get what you deserve and your past is now catching up with you, tough. Sparkey

    From malcolm.sparkes, on Wed 18 Jun 12:25PM

  5. Riise should go...
    It's for his own good...
    It's hard 4 him 2 get regular football next season if he stay with Liverpool...
    Ronaldo is good for Real...
    He can help Real win the Champs League...
    But he still 2 young to leave Man U...
    It's not a good decision..
    But watch world..
    Liverpool will win the Premier League next season!!!!!!!

    From khairy_naruto, on Wed 18 Jun 11:52AM

  6. THINK MAN UTD SHOULD BE REPORTED TO FIFA BY REAL MADRID ABOUT ROBINHO, IF THEY CAN DO IT ABOUT RONALDO, THEN EVERY CLUB MAN UTD HAVE PI**ED OFF OVER THERE PLAYERS . i.e ROONEY FROM EVERTON. SAHA FROM FULHAM, RIO FROM LEEDS, OR EVEN HARGREEVES FROM BAYERN AND NOW BERB FOR SPURS , UTD CANT JUST HAVE IT THERE WAY ALL THE TIME. ABOUT TIME TEAMS STOOD UP TO THERE MOANING AND BULLYING TATICS.

    From robbrownie2004, on Wed 18 Jun 9:25AM

  7. Its nice to read soccer opinions from people who know the game. For those who know little but would like to contribute, why not brush up your knowledge first and spare us the agony of reading your garbage.

    From kc142200, on Wed 18 Jun 7:32AM

  8. ARSENALARSENALARSENALARSENALARSENALARSENALARSENALARSENALARSENA LARSENALARSENALARSENAL........................................ ..................................................

    From Karthik14, on Wed 18 Jun 7:10AM

  9. Sup.rianto, u must be one hell of a dreamer. Even if CR were to leave Man Utd, which m seriously statring to feel shud be case coz he's such an a&$#!@e, the Red Devils will still dominate the premiership. Of coz, he's been a large reason for the last two titles, but this is Utd. We have had more world class influential playas than Liverpool "You will never lose alone". Year after year we unearth a gem. With his sheer disrepect for the greatest British team, FIFA team of the 90's (I don't remember Liverpool being FIFA team of anytym!), either he shud be sold for 100+ million pounds. Alternatively, bench the bast#$@ till his contract runs out while the team continues collecting trophies left, right and centre. M a huge CR fan, but I was a Man Utd fan b4 he showed up and will be long after he's gone. He shud ask Beckham and Co. about how life after Man Utd is.

    From fitzgerald.ferguson, on Wed 18 Jun 5:58AM

  10. so sad English fans have to keep slagging off Scottish football. They shut up when Celtic trounced both Blackburn, Liverpool and Man U. Please keep quiet and remember Bannockburn

    From Michael M, on Wed 18 Jun 5:11AM

  11. Thank you Tom Williams for this great report! It was intertaining, especially the bit with Ronaldo; I totally agree on the "close friend".

    From Pao23, on Wed 18 Jun 4:31AM

  12. I'm a Spurs fan, would love to have Riise at the Lane. Just because he scored (own goal) at a crucial time in a crucial stage of the CL semis, does not make him a BAD (I'm sorry hopeless) player. Hey Ramos, if you are reading make an offer, £5 million for a solid defender is a bargain.

    From starman_123, on Wed 18 Jun 2:46AM

  13. i pity you tom williams. your shallow comments about some players have just reveal the standard of your very being. pathetic...

    From shahronizan, on Wed 18 Jun 2:42AM

  14. hello am temitayo aka T DOLLAR i will like c ronador to be with man u i don want him to go ply i love you man for god sike...........................

    T Dollar Tayo...........................

    From timothystore, on Wed 18 Jun 12:43AM

  15. That man knows nothing about football or any other sport i should imagine, to say those things about the players in the article shows a complete lack of knowledge to do with their successes or achievements,he really should do his homework and stop watching daytime tv and reading the sun.

    From gldreds, on Tue 17 Jun 11:45PM

  16. John Arne Riise : Get off the lads back, what is the major mall funtion of the person
    that reported him as hopeless . Perhaps you should be in goal the next time the lad
    unleashes his next thunderbolt, and sting the fingers that wrote this @#$% . Robert .

    From ROBERT F, on Tue 17 Jun 11:37PM

  17. I'm an Everton fan, but even I can see what a great service Riise has done for Liverpool over the years. He's been a loyal club man, and shouldn't have to face up to unfair criticism aimed at him like in here

    From GRAHAM B, on Tue 17 Jun 11:03PM

  18. john arne was a great service to liverpool football club, and the writer who called him useless is a gob*"%&* absolutly thick.

    From keitzer30, on Tue 17 Jun 10:48PM

  19. guys get a friggin life. you carry on like your virility depends on how these overpaid numbnuts are perceived. if they had any brains, they'd have gone to university.

    From jivetalk12, on Tue 17 Jun 10:45PM

  20. tom williams,what a star!this is the kind of journalism,that makes me smile everyday!keep up the good work

    From hodgey1972, on Tue 17 Jun 9:05PM
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