AFR Transfers

Benfica’s star centre-back David Luiz is expected to complete a January move to Premier League champions Chelsea within the next hours. According to Lisbon-based newspaper A BOLA, the Benfica president has travelled to the English capital to negotiate a deal ranging between €25-€30m(£21m-£25m) plus the inclusion of players. David Luiz is protected by an elevated €50m release fee clause but with a saturated market and Benfica eager to make money, the deal would be superb for all three parties.

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By Eric Beard, writing from Boston

Sitting hand in hand with the big 3 towards the top of the Premier League table, halfway through the season Spurs supporters need to take a moment to understand how good they have it. Though Samir Nasri’s brilliance alongside with the resurgence of Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, and Cesc Fabregas appears promising as ever, Tottenham’s unstoppable quartet of Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, and Rafael van der Vaart is producing some of the most radiant attacking performances the Premier League has seen in recent memory. It all seems perfect for Harry Redknapp and now what’s important is to carry on with this form under the close, scrutinous eye of the English media. Who better to distract the media with an influx of positive PR than recent BBC Lifetime Achievement award recipient David Beckham?

The main question at hand, assuming ‘arry can convince the LA Galaxy into allowing their lucrative “designated player” to leave for two or three months, is whether the 35-year-old Beckham can add anything to Tottenham. Fabio Capello has left the door open for Beckham as long as the former Manchester United legend remains fit and competes at a high level. It would be the best of swansongs for Beckham, who grew up supporting Tottenham, the club of his grandfather who passed away in 2009. Beyond that, Beckham briefly trained at Tottenham before being under Sir Alex’s guard at United. But honestly what’s the point of adding him to the roster if he’ll just sit on the bench or summon the new “Robert Pires role” under Gerard Houllier at Aston Villa? That is, having a run about on the flank for the final 20 minutes or so.

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Patrice Evra is undoubtedly one of the world’s most complete left-backs and a leading figure in the Manchester United team. The Frenchman’s contract expires in 18 months and exit rumours are intensifying as he has yet to sign a new deal. It’s reported that Evra wants to play for Real Madrid before retiring; how many players say no to this opportunity?

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Barcelona’s desperation to lure back Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas to Camp Nou may have hit the rocks as the club turn their attention to another Premier League star, Luka Modric. The 25 year old is one of the most talented, entertaining and complete midfielders plying their trade in England. He’s a player who Guardiola appreciates greatly and one which the financially restricted club can afford. A transfer in the region of €35m should be suficient to pize him away from White Hart Lane.

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On the day Manchester City joined Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, it has been revealed that, arguably the club’s best player, Carlos Tevez wants to leave the club. The Argentine striker is no longer happy at Eastlands and earlier this week, he handed in a written transfer request which is no doubt a major blow to City’s title hopes. Tevez, 26, is reported to be home sick in Manchester and desperate to return to Argentina where his two daughters currently live.

The former Manchester United man has had a rocky relationship with City boss Roberto Mancini ever since the Italian arrived at the club last December. Last week saw Tevez react angrily to Mancini’s decision to substitute him during City’s 1-0 win over Bolton and it seems that may be the last time we see the £160,000-a week frontman in a sky blue shirt.

If/when Tevez does leave, it really does leave City with a major hole to fill. With the greatest of respect to the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz, Jo and Mario Balotelli, Tevez is simply different class in my eyes and without him, I can’t see City mounting a serious title bid.

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By Darshan Joshi, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We are sixteen days from Christmas, and a whole three weeks away from the commencement of the winter transfer window. These very lines are usually blessed with some convoluted, fabricated story regarding the whereabouts and goings-on in the life of one Santa Claus, but we have gotten past that. Like the adults we are, we have realised that Santa indeed doesn’t exist, and that those men, who for one day every year have no problem with their incredible fatness, sitting in shopping malls amongst presents and little children are no more than paedophiles. Instead, this article will swiftly move along to this week’s transfer topic: Francesc Fabregas.

If you are a devoted follower of AFR, you might just have treated your ears to a soothing forty minutes of podcast action earlier this week, and whilst doing so listened to about ten minutes worth of debate regarding Cesc’s future in London. Or perhaps, you may have had a little look at an article written by our resident Gooner Ulysse Pasquier, which also touched on the future of the Arsenal captain.

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With less than a month to go now before the transfer window opens, it’s fair to say that the rumour mill is in full swing. West Ham currently sit rock bottom of the Premier League table and it is widely expected that several key men could make their way out of Upton Park before the January window shuts.

Scott Parker is arguably the Hammers most valuable asset and there is talk today that both Liverpool and Tottenham are preparing £8 million bids for the former Charlton midfielder.

Parker, 30, was strongly linked with a move away from West Ham during the summer transfer window. However, for whatever reasons, nothing ever materialised with regards his future but that may be about to change.

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Real Madrid’s plans to sign Athletic Bilbao’s Fernando Llorente are on the verge of collapsing after MARCA announced that the club would have to pay a staggering€63m to secure his services. The transfer fee reaches this high price due to Bilbao’s refusal to negotiate a move, this means Real Madrid must pay Llorente’s €36m release fee clause. However, the overall transfer hits an astonishing €63m because the Spanish striker will have to pay an additional €27m in taxes.

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By Darshan Joshi, writing from Sydney

From time to time, Father Christmas (to give him his full, rather respectful name), throws dinner parties at his bungalow just north of the Finnish town of Rovaniemi. These are the kind of parties the likes of Jay Gatsby would, even with a fortune as ceaseless as Sheikh Mansour’s, struggle to replicate. As with everything on this once evergreen planet, there is a logical explanation for even this seemingly thaumaturgic celebration; after all, he is known as the Great Gatsby. And that reason? Remember that one dish your mother would make for you every week, and force you to eat because of its nutritional value? The dish you’d ‘finish’ by chucking it out into the garden for Sylvester, Tweety and Hector to eat for you? The dish that magically disappeared; Santa Claus is made of magic. Just like José Mourinho Roy Hodgson.

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By Darshan Joshi, writing from Sydney

On some days, Santa mopes around his workshop, sluggishly slithering between the elves and dwarves and other magical creatures he has at his disposal, with his mind fixated on Mrs Claus and his children Roque Cruz and Pedro Cecilia. Sure, he enjoys having kids seated on his lap every Christmas, and he does sleep with Rudolph in his wife’s absence, but every man endures thoughts of a trip back ho-ho-home.

Very short introductory paragraph completed, it is time to introduce today’s protagonist - Carlos Alberto Tévez. The stocky little Argentine, who may be the only man who could possibly give Gimli (the son of Glóin) a fight for the title of ‘uncompromising dwarf’, is utterly homesick. At this point, I fail in trying to recall a single moment during Tolkien’s epic saga that Gimli himself declared his intentions of walking out on the Fellowship and returning to his abode in the Lonely Mountains. 

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Replacing the veteran Van der Sar has been an everlasting headache for Alex Ferguson. Last season it was evident that Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak lacked the capabilities, intelligence and quality to become the Dutchman’s successor. With Foster’s summer departure to Birmingham City, several highly rated European keepers including Manuel Neuer, Igor Akinfeev and Anders Lindegaard were linked with a move to Old Trafford. But to great disappointment, nobody was signed and 20 year old Ben Amos gained promotion to the first team.

An exceptional goalkeeper normally plays a long time at one club and finding the replacement is a complicated long term challenge for any manager. Alex Ferguson is an expert in this field as he spent several years seeking Peter Schmeichel’s ideal substitute. With Edwin Van der Sar turning 40 this Friday, the same scenario is happening again in the manager’s career; except this time he knows who he wants.

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By Darshan Joshi, writing from Sydney

As Santa Claus tightened his belt-buckle, and slouched into the backseat of his sleigh, he noticed the lights still on within the poorly-painted exterior of the transfer rumour office. Of course, he hadn’t a clue as to what went on behind closed doors - lies, lies and more lies; almost putting the myth of his very own existence to shame - and undoubtedly, this was a good thing. He let out a little ‘ho ho ho!’ and set his course for ho-ho-home.

It was around 7.30pm, and the staff at this little office were a couple of hours into their £20-an-hour overtime, milking every last ounce of loyalty out of Wayne Rooney’s spud-like exterior. At this point, they just wanted to get it over and done with; pictures of Wayne Rooney would become thoughts of Wayne Rooney. Thoughts morph into dreams, and of all the things one could dream of, Wayne Rooney just doesn’t cut it in any way whatsoever. Except when you’re keen on fries.

The Will of Sir Alex Ferguson deserves capitalisation. Nobody crosses him. We have seen what betrayal leads to in Hollywood films; this is a real-life Scouse/Scottish fling, and flinging Wazza and his £150,000-a-week wages over to Madrid, or allowing him to front another ‘Welcome to Manchester’ poster remains a possibility…

Okay, so he probably won’t join Manchester City. If he is as in love with Manchester United as he says he is (or at least as much as he loves women of the night), he would certainly have the decency to avoid Roberto Mancini’s 4-3-2-1, already piloted by Carlos Tevez, but still ever so hungry for that one gamebreaker. However, some conspiracy theorists think that in order to eke one final explosion from Lord Ferg, Wazza might just do that. Or maybe the club won’t even allow it.

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