Transfer Zone: He’s Oddo Here, Reyna Released

By: Bob | January 23rd, 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.

After much wrangling and many sleepless nights, alas we can all rejoice at the news that Massimo Oddo is finally moving on to AC Milan. The Italy and Lazio defender was scooped up for $10 million. Lazio will also get Milan midfielder Pasquale Foggia in return. We’ll all get a bit of peace of mind, at least for a day.

Oddo might be squaring up against Middlesbrough striker Massimo Maccarone soon. He is expected to return to Seria A on a free transfer to Sienna. You might recall that Middlesbrough paid £8.15m for him back in 2002, which is roughly £8.15m more than they would pay for him today.

Speaking of Middlesbrough, they are under the delusion that Jonathan Woodgate might stay on after his loan from Real Madrid comes to an end. Boro won’t be the only ones thinking it would be a good idea to have Woodgate in their lineup. The guy can play.

West Ham want England defender Matthew Upson but Birmingham City are feeling the need for greed and have rejected another offer for him, choosing to ride things out until the summer transfer window or more money flows in from Iceland, whichever comes first.

Portuguese international and Benfica defender Ricardo Rocha is on his way to Tottenham for an undisclosed fee. Just between you and me, let’s disclose the fee. It is believed to be around £3.3m but don’t tell anyone. There are national security concerns and all that.

It appears to be a two-way race between Lyon and PSG for the right to bring Jeremy Clement back to France after an unhappy stint with Rangers. Lyon have the prestige and the title under their belts. PSG have Paul Le Guen as their manager. Decisions, decisions…

Former US captain Claudio Reyna has had his contract terminated by Manchester City so that he can go play with the cool kids at the New York Red Bulls. This is just in time since a Red Bulls Offside blog is in the works and we like nothing more than blogging about unibrows in these parts.

Argentine striker Fernando Cavenaghi has joined Girondins Bordeaux after deciding that Spartak Moscow are not the Promised Land that everyone thinks they are.

Poland international and GKS Belchatow striker Radoslaw Matusiak has told Aston Villa he is too good to go on trial with them. He is the hottest thing in Poland since last summer’s heat wave and as a result thinks that he should be signed to the big time without having to go on trial. Smart move. I always refuse job interviews too.

Blackburn are close to completing the signing of Hertha Berlin defender Christopher Samba whose name would be much cooler if he was from Brazil and not France.

He was charged with violent conduct thanks to a punch up this past weekend and now Keith Gillespie wants to punch Sheffield United in the gut. He has handed in his request for a transfer but the club says it will have to think twice and maybe even three times before letting him walk away.

Luxembourg starlet Gilles Bettmer is on the verge of signing his first professional contract with German side SC Freiburg. Who knew they even played football in Luxembourg let alone had a starlet?