January sales - the Premiership targets

The Muppet

Mods: I wasn't sure whether this merited a thread of its own or if I should have posted it in the existing transfer windows thread. I decided it might generate non transfer related discussion so I started a new thread.

A look at who might sign whom in the transfer window

Thursday December 30, 2004
The Guardian

Arsenal

Arsène Wenger has £10m-15m at his disposal but is likely to save most, if not all of it, for the summer and beyond. He has no habit of making significant mid-season signings - though took the chance and landed Jose Antonio Reyés last January. The manager feels he does not need to buy, although he has said that he will make a move "if something exceptional comes up".

Possible targets

Goalkeeper: (summer more likely) Robert Green (Norwich, £3.5m), Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton, £3.5m), Edwin van der Sar (Fulham, nominal - free next summer)

Midfielder: Javier Mascherano (River Plate, £6m)

Aston Villa

David O'Leary wants to increase the size of his squad by four players but expects to add only one of them this month. Has around £10m to spend: the £6m earmarked for Southampton's James Beattie last summer, plus another £4m promised bythe chairman Doug Ellis.

Possible targets

Central defender: Michael Dawson (Nottingham Forest, £4m)

Midfielder: Andy Reid (Nottingham Forest, £4m), Jermaine Pennant (Arsenal, £1m), Steed Malbranque (Fulham, £4m)

Forward: James Beattie (Southampton, £6m, pictured), Aiyegbeni Yakubu (Portsmouth, £9.5m), Robbie Keane (Tottenham, £4m)

Birmingham City

After spending £9m in the summer, Steve Bruce was not expected to be active during January. However the sale of Jesper Gronkjaer netted £1.4m and the board said money will be available if relegation threatened. A recent revival has allayed that worry but the season-long absence of Mikael Forssell means Bruce needs another striker.

Possible targets

Forward: Robbie Blake (Burnley, £1.5m), Paul Dickov (Blackburn, £300,000 bid already rejected), Dean Ashton (Crewe, £1.5m), Chris Sutton (Celtic, £1m)

Blackburn Rovers

Money is limited, though Mark Hughes could generate more funds by selling the captain Barry Ferguson, the midfielder Brett Emerton or the striker Paul Dickov. If not the most Rovers will have in the transfer kitty will be around £2m.

Possible targets

Defender: Ryan Nelsen (DC United, £300,000)

Midfielder: Robbie Savage (Birmingham, £2.2m), Emmanuel Petit (free agent).

Forward: John Hartson (Celtic, £500,000)

Bolton Wanderers

As always, Sam Allardyce has little to spend and will rely on loan signings or free transfers. Says he wants to bring in four players and negotiations have already started to land the Russian striker Dimitri Bulykin on loan.

Possible targets

Midfielder: Bernard Diomede (free agent)

Forward: Dimitri Bulykin (Dynamo Moscow, loan)

Charlton Athletic

The sales of Scott Parker and Claus Jensen have pulled in £11.25m for Charlton over the past 12 months and Jason Euell is another possible departure. A total £6.1m has been spent on seven players and Alan Curbishley is understood to have a further £3m to invest. However he said: "I'll only spend if it improves the team."

Possible targets

Midfielder: Steve Sidwell (Reading, £1m).

Forward: Lisandro Lopez (Racing Club, £2m), Darren Bent (Ipswich, £4m), Dean Ashton (Crewe, £1.5m)

Chelsea

The enforced mid-season departure of Adrian Mutu has restricted Jose Mourinho's budget. The write-off of a £13m asset was not foreseen in the business plan and the manager would prefer to defer major transfer activity until the summer. However due to the broken metatarsal sustained by Scott Parker, the manager has indicated that he may buy a midfielder.

Possible targets

Not known

Crystal Palace

Iain Dowie has the go-ahead to bring in up to three new faces, suggesting there is up to £4m to spend, though the Palace manager may see loan signings as a short-term solution. Overspending now may be gambling with the club's financial future, though incoming transfers are needed if they are to survive in the Premiership.

Possible targets

Defender: Neil Clement (WBA, £500,000), Lucas Alessandria (Lanus, loan), Richie Byrne (Dunfermline, £200,000).

Midfielder: Kily Gonzalez (Internazionale, loan), Emmanuel Petit (free agent), Stephen Clemence (Birmingham, £500,000), Sebastian Mila (Dyskobolia Grodzisk, £1m). Eyal Berkovic (Portsmouth, £1m).

Forward: Marlon Harewood (West Ham, £1m), Jason Euell (Charlton, £2m), Dean Ashton (Crewe, £1.5m), Steven MacLean (Sheff Wed, £250,000), Bobby Zamora (West Ham, £700,000)

Everton

David Moyes has up to £10m to spend courtesy of the first instalment of Manchester United's outlay on Wayne Rooney, though he may struggle to bring in players of the sufficient quality to add to his options. Striking cover is a priority, along with the right side of midfield, though he will have to juggle with the amount of money available for down-payments.

Possible targets

Defender: Fernando Ricksen (Rangers, £500,000), Daniel Harding (Brighton, £750,000).

Forward: James Beattie (Southampton, £6m), Darren Bent (Ipswich, £4m), Robbie Keane (Spurs, £4m)

Fulham

Chris Coleman might raise a nominal sum by authorising an early departure for Edwin van der Sar, whose contract expires this summer. A replacement goalkeeper is a stated priority - Roy Carroll may arrive in part-exchange for the Dutchman - but Coleman is aiming at bringing in two players this January, suggesting he has more cash to call on.

Possible targets

Goalkeeper: Roy Carroll (Manchester United, free), Steve Harper (Newcastle, £1m).

Midfielder: Jason Koumas (WBA, £800,000), Paul Ifill (Millwall, £1m)

The Muppet

Liverpool

The pursuit of new investment has proved fruitless, with Steve Morgan's long-standing bid for the club having been withdrawn. That limits Rafael Benítez's spending power, although qualification for the knock-out phase of the Champions League has helped and the club should be able to stretch to around £7m, with fees to be paid over the contracts offered.

Possible targets

Goalkeeper: Scott Carson (Leeds, £400,000).

Defender: Andrea Caracciolo (Brescia, £3m), David Cortes (Real Mallorca, £2m), Pablo Ibanez (Atletico Madrid, £2m), Mauricio Pellegrino (Valencia, free).

Midfielder: Ivan Campo (Bolton, £250,000 plus El Hadji Diouf).

Forward: Fernando Morientes (Real Madrid, £7m), Nicolas Anelka (Manchester City, £7m), Dimitar Berbatov (Bayer Leverkusen, £4m)

Manchester City

The club are believed to have the largest debt in the Premiership - in excess of £60m - and Kevin Keegan's request for funds has been rejected by the chairman John Wardle. Instead City's priority will be to ascertain the future of Nicolas Anelka. The club will reluctantly sell provided they receive a bid of around £7m.

Possible targets

Midfielder: Teemu Tainio (Auxerre, free)

Manchester United

Chief executive David Gill is adamant there will be no transfer business, even if Ruud van Nistelrooy's achilles injury threatens to keep him out for most of what is left of the season. There is money available, as always, but the board want to offload some of Sir Alex Ferguson's fringe players before following up their interest in the likes of Bayern Munich's England international Owen Hargreaves and Bolton's goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Do not expect anything until the summer.

Possible targets

None

Middlesbrough

Thought to have limited funds after investing heavily in the wages of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Mark Viduka, Michael Reiziger and others. However the Boro chairman Steve Gibson has never been slow to spend and said recently that any request from the manager Steve McClaren will be viewed as positively as possible. Boro may need a goalkeeper if Mark Schwarzer does not sign a new contract, and McClaren would like a new left-back.

Possible targets

Goalkeeper: Robert Green (Norwich, £3.5m).

Defender: Olivier Bernard (Newcastle, nominal)

Newcastle United

In theory there is the Jonathan Woodgate money but as that was partly based on appearances, it is unknown how much Newcastle have actually received from Real Madrid. Around £10m is considered to be the budget with Graeme Souness wanting defenders as a priority, but he is also interested in strengthening all over the pitch. Interest in James Beattie is believed to have declined, though the chairman Freddy Shepherd is thought to still be keen on Fernando Morientes - Souness should be told. The Scot's first move into the market, for Celestine Babayaro of Chelsea, is already at an advanced stage.

Possible targets

Defender: Jean-Alain Boumsong (Rangers, £7-9m), Sylvain Distin (Man City, £5m).

Midfielder: Barry Ferguson (Blackburn, £6m).

Forward: Luis Boa Morte (Fulham, £1.5m), Fernando Morientes (Real Madrid, £7m)

Norwich City

Nigel Worthington reportedly has £1.2m at his disposal and the Norwich manager has admitted to monitoring six players. However, with his side only one place above relegation, the Irishman remains cautious. "Whatever happens there are not going to be many changes in the dressing room come January," he said.

Possible targets

Forward: Marlon Harewood (West Ham, £1m), Mark de Vries (Hearts, £200,000)

Portsmouth

The club never discuss what funds are available but the chairman Milan Mandaric has said money will be found for "sensible" transfers. It would be a surprise if they spend more than £2m and the manager Velimir Zajec has suggested that he will not buy if the squad remains intact and injury-free. A central defender would be the obvious target.

Possible targets

Not known

Southampton

A small amount remains from the sale of Wayne Bridge to Chelsea two summers ago but Harry Redknapp wants additional funds and, with the club unwilling to borrow, that means selling first. James Beattie will almost certainly depart and that would bring in £6m-7m, which would be made available for new signings. Redknapp wants at least two defenders, a midfielder and striker.

Possible targets

Defenders: Martin Djetou (unattached, free); Stephane Henchoz (Liverpool, free).

Midfielder: Jason Euell (Charlton, £2m), Jamie Redknapp Spurs, nominal), Laurent Robert (Newcastle, £2m), Joe Cole (Chelsea, loan), Igor Biscan (Liverpool, nominal)

Forward: Shola Ameobi (Newcastle, £2.5m)

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs raised £15m through a share issue this time last year, primarily to buy players, and much of that has now been spent. But the board has tended to back their managers in the transfer market and will be willing to draw on the club's revenues to strengthen the squad. Expenditure of up to £6m seems likely, and the Czech midfielder David Limbersky has already agreed to join on a six-month loan.

Possible targets

Midfielders: Andy Reid (Nottm Forest, £4m), Christian Wilhelmsson (Anderlecht, £3m), Wayne Routledge (C Palace, £3m)

Forward: Dean Ashton (Crewe, £1.5m), Thomas Buffel (Feyenoord, £2m), Aruna Dindane (Anderlecht, £3m)

West Bromwich Albion

Bryan Robson is understood to have £5m-£7m to spend on transforming the squad he inherited from Gary Megson. However, with the team bottom of the table and odds-on to be relegated, chances are the manager will make loan signings rather than investing large sums in players who could end up in the Championship.

Possible targets

Midfielder: Kily Gonzalez (Internazionale, loan), Eric Djemba-Djemba (Manchester United, loan).

Forward: Julio Cruz (Internazionale, loan)

Transfer figures are based on market valuation of the players

I thought this was an excellent indept article on each clubs likely aspirations in the transfer window. If I were a Man City fan I would be worried by the revelations in it. It sounds like they are in a similar situation to leeds of a few years ago but City do not have the value in assets (players) that Leeds did. There is also some interesting revelations about the Woodgate transfer that adds to the speculation regarding his rather rapid transfer to Real.

Sorry for the two Posts but VB3 took a hissy fit when i tried to post it as one post . Something about it having too many characters,

mike65

I think Everton have got Beattie.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/4104081.stm

Everton have edged ahead in the race to sign Southampton's James Beattie after having a £6m offer accepted.

Southampton have not officially confirmed the deal, but BBC Sport understands chairman Rupert Lowe has given Everton permission to open talks.

Aston Villa have also made an offer, but sources in Southampton suggest the bid is lower than Everton's.

Southampton will receive £4.5m if the 26-year-old signs for Everton, with £1.5m going to former club Blackburn.

Mike.

TwoShedsJackson

Christ why would Souness buy another midfielder, let alone Barry Ferugson, who is ****. DEFENDERS!!