Karl-Heinz Rumour Mill

[crowie]

Originally Posted by Kiko

Whats your thoughts on that?

£4.4 million is a bit steep for a Scottish player. Or maybe im just so use to clubs snatching players for pennies that this amount seems obscene.

Looked absolute quality against Italy it has to be said but since then his form has dipped a bit.

Im seeing him down as Lennons replacement by a few? Didn't strike me as a Lennon style of player at all

It is a lot of money for a 21 year old Kiko, a record between two Scottish clubs I believe.

He has bags of potential but you would think that you could get experience and more for £4.4m these days. However you have to weigh that up with the fact that it isn't the easiest to attract players to Scotland and you could also sign said experienced player and end up with Gravesen or Jarosik, who haven't really kicked a ball all season, after big things were expected of both.

I don't think he will be a direct replacement for Lennon ie a holding, defensive player but I do think he will be played in the centre as an attacking midfielder, which seems his best position. Someone behind him like Hartley or Sno or a new signing to directly replace Lennon IMO.

[crowie]

Todays from BBC

Inter Milan have opened talks over a £25m bid for West Ham striker Carlos Tevez. (Daily Express)

Newcastle midfielder Scott Parker could join West Ham in an £8m switch. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth will step up their bid to land Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe after fears they will miss out on Middlesbrough's Mark Viduka. (Various)

Teddy Sheringham, who has been released by West Ham, is wanted by Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls but Charlton are also chasing the striker. (The Sun)

Chelsea's Didier Drogba has hinted he could leave in the summer - if the right offer came in - but fellow forward Andriy Shevchenko has insisted he will be staying at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Express)

Tottenham's Hossam Ghaly wants a transfer after complaining that he is either left out of the side or played on the flank rather than in his favoured central midfield position. (Daily Express)

Birmingham are ready to make a shock bid for Newcastle defender Titus Bramble. (Daily Mirror)

New Wigan boss Chris Hutchings is lining up West Ham striker Marlon Harewood as his first signing in a £2.5m deal. (The Sun)

Fulham defender Zat Knight may move to Sunderland. (Various)

Midfielder Fabio Rochemback is set to snub Sporting Lisbon and Benfica and stay at Middlesbrough. (Daily Mirror)

Winger Dennis Rommedahl is ready to quit Charlton for a move to Brondby. (Daily Star)

Leicester will join Preston and Ipswich in the race to sign Carlisle striker Karl Hawley. (Daily Star)

Portsmouth may be closing in again on Udinese midfielder Sulley Muntari after his agent said that only personal terms needed to be resolved in a £6m deal. (The Independent)

Charlton want West Ham keeper Jimmy Walker. (Daily Star)




OTHER GOSSIP
Neil Warnock is set to quit as manager of Sheffield United and will be replaced by his assistant Stuart McCall. (Various)

The Premier League has acted to defuse the row over irregularities in West Ham's signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, who is now at Liverpool, by sending a letter to all 20 Premiership clubs. (The Sun)

The prospective new owners of Manchester City, a consortium headed by ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, are close to announcing a successor to Stuart Pearce, who was sacked as manager this week. (The Independent)

New Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce's first task will be to talk to striker Michael Owen, who has been linked to a summer transfer, about his future. (Various)

Chelsea midfielder Mikel Jon Obi has said he is fit for Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester United, despite limping off with an injury against Everton last weekend. (Daily Mirror)


Back to top

AND FINALLY
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson and ex-Football Association chief executive Mark Palios have been invited to Saturday's FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United. (Daily Express)

The decision about whether to close the roof for the FA Cup final may be taken early - using a long-range weather forecast - as the complicated procedure has to be performed the day before a match. (Daily Mail)

[crowie]

So more good news for Chelsea in that Drogba has hinted at staying but thankfully Sheva says he will definately stay!

I am also off to place my bets on Birmingham to be relegated now!

[all_funkt_up]

Newcastle midfielder Scott Parker could join West Ham in an £8m switch. (Daily Star)

Didnt see this one coming. I expected to see West Ham strengthen but never in a million years did I think parker would be leaving Newcastle. Plus, going back to the manager he left at Charlton too, it shows Curbs isnt the type to hold grudges.

[crowie]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Newcastle midfielder Scott Parker could join West Ham in an £8m switch. (Daily Star)

Didnt see this one coming. I expected to see West Ham strengthen but never in a million years did I think parker would be leaving Newcastle. Plus, going back to the manager he left at Charlton too, it shows Curbs isnt the type to hold grudges.

Probably on a £90k a week contract......

[crowie]

KHRM today

TRANSFER RUMOURS
Manchester United and Newcastle want to lure striker Mark Viduka from Middlesbrough on a free transfer. (The Sun)

Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton is hoping a move abroad to either Roma, Atletico Madrid, Hamburg or Bayern Munich will give him the chance of salvaging his career. (The Sun)

The summer circus of moves could see Andriy Shevchenko shipped off to Villarreal to fund a move for David Villa from Valencia.

But that's only going to go through if Valencia get their mits on ex-Manchester United striker Diego Forlan. (The Daily Star)

Southampton's play-off defeat to Derby means Gareth Bale will leave the club this summer with Manchester United and Tottenham leading the chase. (The Daily Star)

Derby's sought-after midfielder Giles Barnes is set to show a bit of loyalty as he insists he will stay at the club next season even if they are not promoted to the Premiership. (Various)

Charlton want Colchester striker Chris Iwulemo to shoot them straight back into the top-flight. (The Daily Star)

El-Hadji Diouf is set to follow in the footsteps of ex-boss Sam Allardyce and leave Bolton. (The Daily Star)

Freddie Ljungberg time may be up at Arsenal, who could let up to 11 players go. (The Daily Mail)

Blackburn are ready to make a bid for Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy to bring him back to Ewood Park. (The Daily Mirror)

Bolton are racing against former manager Allardyce to sign Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes. (The Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough winger Nathan Porritt - dubbed the next Ryan Giggs - is being coveted by Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool. (The Times)



OTHER GOSSIP
Chelsea defender John Terry is in a strop. He is ready to hand in a transfer request because he is not being offered the same money as Andriy Shevchenko or Michael Ballack. (Daily Express)

Wigan may be regretting winning their Premiership survival battle - Paul Jewell says he would not have quit as manager if the club had been relegated. (Various)

Leicester are keen on Neil Warnock after he left his job as Sheffield United manager. (The Daily Mirror)

Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is set for a summer shake-up at Craven Cottage as he aims to head off unrest in his squad. (The Daily Mirror)

Arjan de Zeeuw's future at Wigan is in doubt with his contract expiring this summer and no word of a new deal. (The Daily Mirror)

West Ham midfielder Yossi Benayoun is set for showdown talks at West Ham and could hand in a transfer request. (Independent)

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd says the club are not for sale. (Various)

Celtic duo Teddy Bjarnason and Kjartan Binnbogason have been offered new deals. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson hopes the FA Cup final does not go to the drama of spot-kicks as he says he has a "diabolical" record when it comes to penalties.

Jose Mourinho has changed his tune on referee Graham Poll. The Chelsea boss, who has been particularly critical of the soon-to-retire referee, has now said: "It is a great quality to decide when to stop. Only intelligent people can do it. He has stopped at the top and I wish him a great future in his new life."

[crowie]

Bollocks from the above

Manchester United and Newcastle want to lure striker Mark Viduka from Middlesbrough on a free transfer. (The Sun) - Aye right!


The summer circus of moves could see Andriy Shevchenko shipped off to Villarreal to fund a move for David Villa from Valencia.

But that's only going to go through if Valencia get their mits on ex-Manchester United striker Diego Forlan. (The Daily Star) - Aye right 2!!!

[all_funkt_up]

Chelsea defender John Terry is in a strop. He is ready to hand in a transfer request because he is not being offered the same money as Andriy Shevchenko or Michael Ballack. (Daily Express)

Cant see him leaving unless Jose goes. If Mourinho leaves, I can see Terry and Lampard following in his footsteps. Dog rough down the kings road these days...

[rcgills]

Originally Posted by crowie

The summer circus of moves could see Andriy Shevchenko shipped off to Villarreal to fund a move for David Villa from Valencia.

But that's only going to go through if Valencia get their mits on ex-Manchester United striker Diego Forlan. (The Daily Star) - Aye right 2!!!

I'd go along with that, Crowie. Would be a huge shock if he went to Villarreal, they're a solid mid-table side, nothing more than that. Don't know what their finances are like, but I certainly don't think they've got the kind of money that would be needed to sign Shevchenko, even if they do sell Forlan.

[all_funkt_up]

Cant see Valencia having the funds to sign Sheva. And I would question the club's stature too, are they a big enough club to sign him? Would he take a step down to a smaller club?

I think Milan would probably have him back if he decides to move on.

Bloody well hope not as I have my bet on that says he will remain at Chelsea longer than Mourinho. If he leaves first, I lose.

[all_funkt_up]

Blackburn are ready to make a bid for Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy to bring him back to Ewood Park. (The Daily Mirror)

That's the good thing about Bellamy. He was always a no-risk buy at £5m. I think Rafa realised that he could give him a season, see what he thought and if the worst came to the worst, we could still sell him for cost price.

There will always be someone that will give him a second chance. There's always one manager that thinks they are the one to bring out the best in Bellamy. I blame their ego's

[rcgills]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Cant see Valencia having the funds to sign Sheva. And I would question the club's stature too, are they a big enough club to sign him? Would he take a step down to a smaller club?

I'd say Valencia are a reasonably big club, AFU, but the rumour says he'd be going to Villarreal, not Valencia. I could see Shevchenko at Valencia, as I'm not sure Shevchenko is a world-class player anymore anyway, a club like Valencia I'd say would be the right level for him, but not Villarreal.

[all_funkt_up]

Oh aye, it does indeed. I saw the "V" and got ahead of myself. Well them as well...... neither could really even begin to contemplate signing a player on upwards of £100k a week could they?

There's probably 10 clubs in the whole of Europe that could seriously discuss signing him.

[rcgills]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Well them as well...... neither could really even begin to contemplate signing a player on upwards of £100k a week could they?

There's probably 10 clubs in the whole of Europe that could seriously discuss signing him.

No, wouldn't have thought either of them could afford that much. Mind you, I'd say any club prepared to pay him that much would want their heads examining, and I'd guess that if Chelsea are desperate to get rid of him then they may end up having to finance part of the deal themselves, i.e. continue to pay part of his wages, pay up his contract, something like that.

[all_funkt_up]

Depends who you ask at Chelsea doesnt it. Mourinho would get shut tomorrow if you ask me, but I sincerely believe Abramovich believes Sheva is some sort of Demi-God.

I would agree though that if he were to leave, we would see some deal whereby he plays somewhere else but Chelsea pay his wages or a large proportion, in order to facilitate the deal. Most of the clubs that could afford him wouldnt want him.