Transfer Talk: The Christmas Hangover

By: chris | December 26th, 2007

While I’m sure all the readers got just what they wanted for Christmas, the owners and suits of football clubs had to sit next to the tree yesterday and open up presents they didn’t really want. Waiting for that glorious stroke of midnight on January 1st to open up their real Christmas season. And they don’t want ties or shirts or socks. They want to open up their front door to see a brand new luxury vehicle sitting in the driveway.

The Brazilian league is devoid of portly Brazilians, so Adriano and Ronaldo are coming to the rescue. First Adriano signed a loan deal with Sao Paolo to help him get his career back on track, and now it looks like Flamengo wants to get in on the act with a little Ronaldo (the real one) action. I’m not sure any club is going to help get his career get back on track. I think he needs Dr. House.

Marca, which isn’t exactly known for reporting stories that would fly in a court of law, is under the impression that either Ronaldinho or Frank Rijkaard will be leaving “soon”. Also, people are spreading rumors that Rondi is fat again. Come on, who doesn’t put on a few pounds during the holidays?

Despite winning the Club World Cup, Carlo Ancelotti is on the hot seat. The favorite to replace him? Mourinho. So who is Milan looking to buy? You guessed it, Didier Drogba. 1 + 1 = 2. (Or something.)

Rumor has it David Moyes will accept nothing less than £25m for Mikel Arteta. A tactic which was probably supposed to deter people. David obviously didn’t get the memo that Real Madrid doesn’t get deterred by big pricetags. Seems a bit ridiculous to me. Not that Arteta isn’t good, but that should Real (or Arsenal or Valencia) pay that price, he’d have to go down as one of the most expensive 25 year olds without a senior cap ever. Then again, I’m sure Real would pay anything to stick it to Barca by snapping up a red & blue youth product.

Despite signing a new deal in the summer, Momo Sissoko wants to get the @#$% out of Dodge and soon. Juventus, whose name will be eternally linked with Momo’s, is still lusting like a hormonal teenager over the midfield destroyer with the first touch of marble. His agent is denying. Never heard that before.

It was inevitable. Somebody was going to try and take advantage of the TNT being detonated all around the Mestalla, and that looks to be Big Bucks Abramovich. We all know about David Villa, who has been linked to London for the last century, or so it seems. But now Sanitiago Canizares has been hastily put on the shopping list, with both Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini out with injury. I’m sure Aston Villa’s 4 goal bonanza today didn’t help calm anyone’s fears.

Oleh Blokhin has good intentions. That doesn’t always mean he’s thinking clearly. Oleh wants Andriy Shevchenko to join him at FC Moscow. Even with that whole £130,000 per-week salary aside, this rumor is insane. Who the hell would leave a Batcave? (And nobody in Milan will shut up about Andriy. At least somebody loves him.)

Jens Lehmann is “weighing his options” now that his son has been called a “bloody German Nazi” during a rugby match. I’ve got £20 it was Manuel Almunia’s kid.

This one is from an AZ Alkmaar fan site which is convinced their team is ready to splash out 18m for Afonso Alves. He of 11 goals in 7 games this season and 34 last year. You know, there’s support, there’s passion, and then there’s delusion. Why are we linking to this? Well, it’s the day after Christmas. Nothing else is going on.