Arsenal to make surprise swoop for Joey Barton
Arsenal are considering a surprise bid for Newcastle United’s tenacious midfielder Joey Barton. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is considering a swoop for Barton in order to add a bit of steel to his midfield which is likely to be severely weakened by the possible departures of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas this summer.
Newcastle medio Barton is upset with the way how things are panning out at Tyneside, especially with the departure of captain Kevin Nolan to West Ham. Barton was upset at Nolan’s sale and openly made his displeasure felt on social networking site Twitter. He also indicated that he could follow Nolan’s route out of St.James Park.
According to former Newcastle forward Micky Quinn, Arsenal have already enquired about the medio’s availability to Newcastle.
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Joe Cole to re-unite with Harry as Spurs offer him Liverpool exit
Joe Cole is set to end his Liverpool career with Tottenham Hotspur ready to offer the winger an exit route out of Anfield. Cole was hailed as the signing of the summer when he moved from Chelsea to Liverpool on a free in 2010, but the 29 year old failed to make an impact on Merseyside and was largely restricted to making appearances from the bench. He was sent off on his league debut and only scored a total of three goals for the Reds in the 10/11 season.
Cole is also one of the highest paid players at Liverpool- he reportedly earns around £90,000 a week, and the Reds wish to reduce their wage bill by offloading him. Cole has also lost his spot in the English squad and needs to resurrect his career fast if he wishes to stake a claim to play in the European championships next season.
The move will re-unite Cole with Spurs gaffer Harry Redknapp, who oversaw the youngster when he burst through the youth ranks at West Ham.
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Redknapp aims to bring Parker to White Hart Lane
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is set to make West Ham midfielder Scott Parker one of his primary targets this summer. Redknapp has already expressed his interest in Footballer of the Year Parker, who is expected to leave the Championship bound Hammers this summer, but faces possible competition from Arsenal and Liverpool amongst others for the England international’s signature. Parker has been in dazzling form for the Hammers in the 10/11 season and has been their sole silver lining in what has otherwise been a very disappointing season.
Redknapp has also confirmed that over half a dozen players are set to leave Spurs this summer, but the future of Jermain Defoe remains unclear. The Spurs gaffer publicly rebuked Defoe after the latter spoke about his frustration of not being able to play first team football on a regular basis.
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Hodgson and Hughton favourites for WBA job
With the winter transfer window shut, player movements may not grab the headlines; but there is a lot of speculation on the managerial front. West Bromwich Albion parted with their Italian manager Roberto Di Matteo after his side lost 0-3 against a spirited Manchester City outfit at Eastlands. Speculation is rife with possible replacements for Di Matteo’s job.
Two men who are in the forefront include Roy Hodgson and Chris Hughton. The ironic part is that both these managers were fired from their jobs at Liverpool and Newcastle respectively, in the recent past. Michael Appleton has been appointed as caretaker manager till a permanent replacement is found. The WBA board believes that Roy Hodgson is the right man to steady the ship at the Hawthorns. If he rejects the offer, Chris Hughton is set to be approached. Derek McInnes, now in charge of St Johnstone, is also in the fray.
Roberto Di Matteo did well working on a limited budget, but WBA’s form had been suffering in the last couple of months and they were sliding perilously southwards. Di Matteo could have lost his job three weeks ago but a 3-2 win against Blackpool kept his head above water. League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan criticized the decision and launched an attack against the WBA board, ” Roberto represents yet another victim of the hire and fire mentality that pervades our game. The club have big matches ahead, against Wolves and West Ham and you have to question the decision to sack the manager. It is exactly in situations like those that we all want to see clubs back the individuals they have employed rather than see the sack as a panacea.”
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Sunderland make Piquionne inquiry
Steve Bruce is actively scouting the market for a striker who will be Darren Bent’s replacement at the Stadium of Light. His search has taken him to West Ham where he is expected to make a £3.5 million bid for Hammers’ top scorer Frederic Piquionne. The former Monaco and Lyon striker would jump at the opportunity to move to Wearside instead of being involved in a relegation battle. Piquionne’s move to Sunderland could also depend on West Ham’s ability to sign either Demba Ba or Robbie Keane.
Sunderland were also exploring the possibility to sign Ricardo Fuller from Stoke. But with Tony Pulis refusing to budge on his valuation of the Jamaican striker, Steve Bruce turned his attention towards Piquionne.
Sunderland may also complete the loan signing of Sulley Muntari from Inter Milan. He could well be the third Ghana player at the club after Gyan Asamoah and John Mensah. “If everything is sorted out with Sunderland he will be going there. The other Ghana players at Sunderland – Asamoah Gyan and John Mensah – have told him about the club which has obviously played a part, ” Muntari’s agent said.
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Wigan to give Feindouno trial
Equitorial Guinean attacker Pascal Feindouno is set to undergo a trial with Wigan Athletic this week.
The former Bordeaux playmaker is currently a free agent after terminating his contract with Qatari club Al Sadd last year.
Feindouno recently underwent a trial with Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic but eventually rejected an offer from the Hoops to join Neil Lennon at Parkhead.
Feindouno is set to have his heart set on a move to the Premier League and has also attracted attention from the likes of West Ham, Blackburn and Everton.
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Wolves complete Hammill signing
Wolves have completed the signing of Barnsley winger Adam Hammill for a fee reported to be around £500,000. The 22-year old who began his career as a trainee with Liverpool signed a three and a half year deal with the Molineux club. Wolves pipped West Ham, Blackpool and Nottingham Forest for Hammill’s signature. He could make his Wolves debut against Liverpool on Saturday.
In his 60 appearances for Barnsley, Hammill has managed to net 12 goals. He has been their top performer this season with eight goals to his name. As a Liverpool player, Hammill played on loan to Dunfermline, Blackpool and Southampton.
The signing of Hammill has cast fresh doubts over ht future of Matt Jarvis. Jarvis has been in scintillating form for Wolves this season and is coveted by the likes of Everton and Liverpool. Jarvis is one of England’s rising stars is soon expected to break into the national side. Only time will tell if Hammill has been signed as Jarvis’ replacement or as his understudy.
West ham eye Flores and Bridge
Reports in Italy indicate that West Ham are set to table a £5 million bid for Udinese striker Antonio Floro Flores. The deal would involve the 27-year old striker moving to Upton Park on loan till the end of the season with the Hammers having an option to buy him in the summer. The bid to sign Flores is a bit perplexing given that Italians have historically not done will in the Premier League. But Avram Grant is ready to take this gamble after missing out on Mbokani.
Wayne Bridge’s loan move to West Ham from Manchester City is more or less confirmed. The Hammers are trying hard to get the former Chelsea left-back registered in time to face Arsenal on Saturday. City coach Roberto Mancini confirmed that Bridge was in London undergoing a medical at West Ham. Grant needs cover at left back with Herita Ilunga injured for most of the season. Bridge’s substitute appearance against Aston Villa might well have been his last game in a City shirt.
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Changes imminent at Stoke City
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has a host of changes lined up for his squad in the January transfer window. Pulis is expected to make a £4 million bid for West Ham midfielder Mark Noble. Noble has been an important player in Avram Grant’s plans but Pulis believes that a sustained offer could tempt the Hammers to part with the 23-year old Englishman. Since making his debut for the Hammers in 2004, Noble has played 129 times for them and has scored on twelve occasions. Pulis is also keen on getting Carlton Cole to the Britannia Stadium, but could be mauled in a bidding war with other Premier League teams.
On the other hand, Glenn Whelan and Abdoulaye Faye look set to move away from Stoke City. Whelan has made just three starts for the Potters in the current season, while the 33-year old Faye has been demoted in preference for Huth and Shawcross. Wolves, West Brom and Newcastle have all been keeping tabs on the duo and a bid could be made in the coming week. Faye is attracting a lot of interest from Turkey as well.
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