Everything is backwards at Chelsea at the moment. The club sit just three points clear of the relegation zone after 12 games, John Terry is now a big fan of opera (Romeo and Juliet of course), and lots of footballers, who would have previously given their standing leg to earn a new contract at the Premier League champions, want out. And so with the arrival of heartwarming Christmas adverts designed to charm you into parting more of your hard-earned cash in exchange for useless tat, the agents of south-west London have awakened from their autumnal hibernation with the intention of doing the very same, gearing themselves up for the feeding frenzy that is the January transfer window.
Branislav Ivanovic’s Mr 15%, Zoran Krneta, is the first to rise and he has wasted no time in linking his chum with a move to Internazionale. And why not? The Serbian, whose contract expires next summer, might be a contender for worst-right back in the Premier League at present, but who is going to stop Krneta from linking him with the joint leaders of Serie A. Not the Mill, that’s for sure. “Its quite possible that he will renew his contract with Chelsea. The rumours about Inter? In football anything it is possible.” You’re not kidding Zoran!
Oscar is another Chelsea player looking to sling his hook, and he is batting his eyelashes in the direction of Juventus, according to Tuttosport. The Turin club are already set to meet their Chelsea counterparts to discuss the permanent transfer of Juan Cuadrado, following his loan move from Stamford Bridge in the summer, and it is thought that plans may be put in place for a move for Oscar next summer, should Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League.
But wait, there’s more! Real Madrid want Eden Hazard. You heard it here first.
Moving on. After the successes of Cesc Fàbregas and Héctor Bellerín, Arsenal have decided that the policy of signing promising young footballers from Barcelona’s academy is a goer, and have settled their crosshairs on the Barcelona B captain Álex Grimaldo. The 20-year-old’s contract runs out next June, and Barça’s sporting director, Robert Fernández, this week claimed the full-back isn’t willing to sign a new deal. Ding ding ding! Start the car, Arsène! And do it quickly, because Bayern Munich are also sniffing about.
Prizing the finest young talent from arguably the best club in Europe might be a doddle for Arsenal, but they’re having a harder time trying to nab Accrington Stanley’s finest. Wenger likes the look of Josh Windass, son of Dean, who has scored nine times in 18 appearances this season, but Stanley’s manager John Coleman is having none of it: “We will be taking no bids in January. I know the background to the Josh story – there was an Arsenal scout at our game against York.” Windass scored what proved to be the winner in that FA Cup game on Saturday, which means that Arsenal will have to cough up more than the £1m that they are reportedly willing to offer for the 21-year-old forward.
Bournemouth have looked over the stats from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle – 67% possession in their favour, five shots on target to Newcastle’s one, eight shots on target to Newcastle’s one, 16 corners to Newcastle’s none – and decided that the front pairing of Josh King and Junior Stanislas probably isn’t going to cut it in the Premier League. And so, after ringing round a bit, Eddie Howe has decided that parachuting Bradley Wright-Phillips on loan from New York Red Bulls is the answer.
Elsewhere, West Ham have got the horn for Roma’s Seydou Doumbia, who has found his more-than-capable feet back on loan at former club CSKA Moscow, and Lazio and Internazionale are battling it out for former Aston Villa captain and current free agent Ron Vlaar, who is nearing a return to fitness after knee surgery in the summer. Have a great Friday everybody.
