Transfer Talk: Is Italy Big Enough for Two Ronaldos?

By: Bob | January 17th, 2007

It is that time of year again when the rumors are hot and heavy and fiction becomes reality. We’ll do our best to help you stay on top of all the latest, greatest and lamest winter transfer window news. Here are some Grade A nibbles from the football transfer world today.

Depending on which reports you choose to believe, AC Milan have either already signed Ronaldo or that they are still working out a deal to import the striker from Real Madrid.

Not to be outdone, Juventus have leapt into the silly season fray by reportedly offering Manchester United the not so dynamic duo of David Trezequet and Raffaele Palladino in exchange for Cristiano Ronaldo. This one might go down as the most ridiculous rumor of the transfer season, but perhaps Juve will sweeten the deal by offering Malcolm Glazer the right to call himself the Emperor of Turin.

A little over halfway through the transfer period and one name I am already sick of reading is Gareth Bale. Sure the 17-year-old is a stud and sure Southampton are mighty proud of their lad, but we all know that he will eventually end up at Manchester United either now or this summer so let’s put an end to it so that we don’t have to hear his name again until 2010 when he might actually crack Man U’s lineup.

Who has the biggest dong in the Premiership? That would have to be Manchester United because they have locked up China striker Dong Fangzhou until 2010. Some names just don’t translate very well. In Russian, Bob means green bean.

Yesterday Manchester United were happy to have Gabriel Heinze. Today they would be happy to let him wander off to Tottenham. Could be a good move for Spurs if Heinze is able to remember how to be a good football player like he was just a few years back.

David Dunn had a last second change of heart and decided he would rather play for Birmingham City than Bolton. The former England midfielder has signed on for three years choosing to play in his hometown rather than for the warm and cuddly Sam Allardyce.

Kepa Blanco is white hot at Sevilla and the striker is being pursued by Manchester City and West Ham. They’d both like the 22-year-old to join them for a getting to know you period of 6 months.

The transfer period always manages to get some people fired up. Today it is Wigan manager Paul Jewell who has told Rangers that their bid for forward Lee McCulloch is “insulting”. My preferred transfer period adjective of choice is “outrageous” but insulting does manage to get the point across nicely.

I read somewhere that Burnley striker Kyle Lafferty is Northern Ireland’s Peter Crouch. Perish the thought. Celtic are apparently interested in having a gangly player up front but they might not be willing to offer the dough needed to lure the big lug away.

The top scorer in Japan’s second division Borges (he writes trippy novels too) is going from Vagalta Sendai to Sao Paulo on loan. Dude scored 26 goals last year. Let’s see how he does in his home country.

The Egyptian striker Mohamed Zidan has rejoined German club FSV Mainz 05 from rivals Werder Bremen where he will probably hear just a few unpleasant words directed his way in the future.

As if the transfer period weren’t silly enough, you can buy a Coke and a player for your club.