**Summer Transfer Thread: News, Rumours and Speculation**

Had to laugh at this:

Ambitious Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is thought to be ready to launch an audacious move to persuade England striker Michael Owen to move to Craven Cottage.

The former Liverpool striker is set to leave Newcastle United this summer as his contract expires, with the Magpies` relegation ruling out an extension to his stay.

A number of clubs have already been linked with Owen, and Aston Villa are believed to still be leading the chase.

Everton have also been touted, although Fulham appear to also be ready to enter the race.
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:eek:
 
skippi90 said:
I'm suprised to hear Calderon admit to the Ronaldo deal being all sorted last year. Confirms that United basically pulled the wool over the fans eyes.
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Only if it is true what Calderon is saying. Although it wouldn't be the first time Utd pulled the wool. They did the same just before Hughsey was sold to Chelsea. Did a big pitch presentation of him after he was supposed to have signed a contract extension. 4 weeks later he was off to Chelsea
 
skippi90 said:
I'm suprised to hear Calderon admit to the Ronaldo deal being all sorted last year. Confirms that United basically pulled the wool over the fans eyes.
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A fact that hasn't been lost on me, especially when the club mentioned in the statement yesterday the date 30th June - supposedly the date the papers were saying Madrid would have to pay Ronaldo compensation for the deal not happening :mad:

Kinda makes you second guess everything the club tells you from here on in.....
 
Confirmation of our bid for Valencia

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has told Sky Sports News that Manchester United have made cash offers for Antonio Valencia.

It was reported at the weekend that Premier League champions United and Primera Liga giants Real Madrid had bid in excess of £16million for the Ecuadorian.

Real - who have had a world-record £80m bid for United's Cristiano Ronaldo accepted - have since stated that they have not shown an interest in Valencia since January.

However, Whelan has declared that United have been in contact with JJB Stadium officials for the past two to three months and that they have also submitted initial offers.

He told Sky Sports News when asked about Valencia: "They (United) have been in touch with us and we will be starting negotiations very shortly, I would imagine.

"United have been in touch with us over Antonio for the last two or three months, expressing an interest and actually putting cash offers on the table.

"Those things have got to be picked up now. I think they were waiting to see if Ronaldo actually went to Real, which has happened."

He added: "Things will develop over the next seven to 14 days.

"The master, which is Sir Alex [Ferguson], he makes his moves when he is ready. He has strong interest in Antonio, there is no question in that.

"He had him watched practically every, single match last year. He has got a very strong interest in him. We are just sat on the fence now."

Whelan, though, is adamant that Wigan - who are currently without a manager following a backroom-staff compensation hitch in their attempts to appoint Roberto Martinez - are not eager to cash in on Valencia.

"We are not desperate to sell Antonio, I'm telling you. If I can keep that lad, I'm going to keep him. He is one brilliant player," added Whelan.

"So there is no pressure on me, or our football club to sell him. If Man United don't want to make a (written) offer, I'll be delighted and we will have him in our team next season."

But Whelan admits that he will not stand in the 23-year-old's way if he expresses a desire to move to Old Trafford and an asking price is met.

He said: "What is difficult is to stop a lad like Antonio Valencia, who has got ambition. It is difficult to stop a footballer, who wants to get to the very, very top of the ladder.

"I would never stand in the way of a footballer who can go to bigger and better clubs, and you can't get bigger and better than Man United.

"If Antonio Valencia says to me, 'chairman, I want to go to Manchester United' and we get the right fee, the deal will be done."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...376544,00.html
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Cash offer? Does this mean the Glazers' turn up to the meeting like this?

suitcasefullofmoneymike.jpg
 
FrankJH said:
Fergie has never bought a lot of players at once anyway, usually its one or two
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Actually he quite often buys more than 1 or 2 during a window:

2007: Carrick, Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani, Kushak (sp)
2006 (Jan): Evra, Vidic, Mikel
2005: VdS, Park, Foster
2004: Smith, Rooney, Heinze, Miller
2003: Ronaldo, Kleberson, Howard, Bellion, Djx2,
2002: Ferdinand, Richardson, Ricardo
2001: RvN, Veron, Blanc, Carrol

So last year was very much the exception rather than the rule. Make no mistake about it, Fergie LOVES splashing the cash in the transfer market.

memphisto said:
RM have plenty of quality players who we could have asked for in exchange, something like sneider and robben plus £40 milll or something like that
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Would they want to come to MU though, that's the question. They might be interested due to getting crowded out by Kaka and Ronaldo but you can never be sure, they might be happy picking up their phat paycheques and sunning themselves. Or alternatively they might want to go to a different club.
 
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Even last season they signed the 2 Serbians (?) and that guy from West Brom (?) in January. That was after Fergie ruled out making any signings in January too :p

edit: it was Stoke not West Brom.
 
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jakeke said:
Regardless of your opinion, Ribery is the closest like-for-like match for Ronaldo available, he's ridiculously quick, confident, charges at defenders, got a great shot on him, he really is one of the top players in the world.
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You do know he plays almost entirely on the left, don't you?
 
G|mp said:
You do know he plays almost entirely on the left, don't you?
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he's also involved in what is, well, the german league isn't all about pace. When you think of the German league you think more, 6'5 lumbering nazi looking dudes, not exactly all tiny agile faster players. I honestly can't tell if Ribery is good, his clips look great, when all bunched up, I don't see enough of the German league to know if his clip reels on youtube are one game or 3 seasons of clips. From what I've seen of german teams in europe recently, and the few games I do pick up, added to the other players who came from the German league and were absolutely horrible, throw in the fact that before Malouda/Ribery moved it was Malouda who looked better in the French team and for that reason that none of the big leagues went for Ribery and they went for Malouda instead, whose rather a flop and he "was" the better of the two several years ago.

I think the league he's in, added to the confidence he's gained by being that big fish in a small pond, he's doing very well there. But I see most of the goals, wild shots from 40yards, Gerrard does that but he misses 19/20 shots he takes, a reel of just the goals looks great, a reel of every miss looks terrible. Other goals, deflections from cheeky flicks you only do from confidence and get lucky from.

I just get the feeling he'll massively massively dissappoint in a tougher league with a faster game/players to be up against, if/when his confidence dips like Malouda's he could turn out to be the worlds most expensive flop(in terms of price paid for end product, Ronaldo might cost more, but he won't be a flop).

Has Ribery ever proven his ability anywhere, won anything in a real league, scored against more than poor qualification teams in internationals? Thats why I can't understand how the prices quoted for him are being concidered, Kaka, Zidane, Ronaldo, all proven at the level, won things, won lots of things, Ribery, crap league, nothing proven, insane to pay anything above £20mil tbh. hell, Bayern are killing themselves for years trying to sign Gomez and we saw him in the Euro's, before and since, he's just a horribly poor player, but in the German league is seen as world class. Likewise Toni looks like a joke, fluffs so many chances, he's a poor mans RVN and he's big news over there.
 
BaZ87 said:
Even last season they signed the 2 Serbians (?) and that guy from West Brom (?) in January. That was after Fergie ruled out making any signings in January too :p

edit: it was Stoke not West Brom.
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A bit like Benitez saying Keane featured in his long term plans at Anfield before selling him back to Spurs in January. ;)

Some things are best kept under wraps.
 
HangTime said:
Actually he quite often buys more than 1 or 2 during a window:

2007: Carrick, Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani, Kushak (sp)
2006 (Jan): Evra, Vidic, Mikel
2005: VdS, Park, Foster
2004: Smith, Rooney, Heinze, Miller
2003: Ronaldo, Kleberson, Howard, Bellion, Djx2,
2002: Ferdinand, Richardson, Ricardo
2001: RvN, Veron, Blanc, Carrol

So last year was very much the exception rather than the rule. Make no mistake about it, Fergie LOVES splashing the cash in the transfer market.

.
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Hargreaves and Carrick arrived a year apart - thats just to start with

Most of those are between TWO windows not just one - I never said in the same year, I was talking about the same window

I also , I thought obviously, was talking about 1st XI players not youth / squad players, Mikel never even played for the club so cant really be counted

BaZ87 said:
Even last season they signed the 2 Serbians (?) and that guy from West Brom (?) in January. That was after Fergie ruled out making any signings in January too :p

edit: it was Stoke not West Brom.
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As above - and one was loaned straight back - so FAIL on both counts!!
 
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