January Transfer Window 2013 (General)

[danperkins]

If you look hard enough you'll probably find someone says chopping your cock off with a machete is a good idea. It's ****ing irrelevant. Twitter.

[baitman]

If you look hard enough you'll probably find someone says chopping your cock off with a machete is a good idea. It's ****ing irrelevant. Twitter.

twitter = irrelevant

[Chazza]

Maybe Carroll is coming back or is off to Newcastle.

Fernando Duarte @Fernando_Duarte

West Ham signs on loan from Cruzeiro Brazilian striker Wellington Paulista. Curious signing to say the least

[Bender]

Giuseppe Rossi joining Fiorentina

[Lee]

The Mirror reporting that Isco could be moving to Chelsea for £15m.

[Chazza]

Manchester United are tracking Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender. The 23-year-old helped his side win last season's Bundesliga but has struggled with injuries this term.
Full story: The Times (subscription required)

[Chazza]

Tottenham Hotspur to bid £15m for Leandro Damiao as Emmanuel Adebayor prepares for Africa Cup of Nations

Spurs are also set to receive a bid for Tom Huddlestone from Fulham, which they will consider, and will send another midfielder, Jake Livermore, on loan to Queens Park Rangers for the rest of the season in what is shaping up to be a busy January transfer window for the ambitious north London club.

Having signed Lewis Holtby, who is due to arrive in the summer, from Schalke on a free transfer, a deal revealed by Telegraph Sport last week, Spurs held further talks with the German club over whether the 22-year-old attacking midfielder, who has a British father, could join them this month for a nominal fee.

However, it was decided that Holtby, who will captain the Germany Under-21s in the forthcoming European Championship in Israel, will join Spurs in July when his contract expires.

The signing of Holtby, who can also play on the wings, is a significant coup for head coach Andre Villas-Boas, who beat off strong competition from Liverpool and Arsenal.

Villas-Boas is acutely aware that he does not want to upset the balance of his squad too much, and make too many changes, but he is nevertheless a long-term admirer of Damiao, who was the top scorer in last summer’s Olympics, with six goals in five appearances, and currently plays for Brazilian club Internacional. Damiao, 23, has 14 full caps for Brazil and is a tall, powerful striker. Spurs have had offers for Damiao rejected in the past.

It is believed that Villas-Boas is keen on the deal but if Damiao is not signed he will continue with Jermain Defoe and Clint Dempsey as his two strikers if, as is now expected, Adebayor relents and joins the Togo squad for the ACN tournament in South Africa.

Adebayor has until midnight on Jan 9 to decide but, having retired from international duty in April 2010 after the terrorist attack on the Togo team bus, which left three people dead, in Angola during a previous tournament, it appears he has had a change of heart. He returned in November 2011 only to quit again over a pay dispute.

Fulham, managed by former Spurs boss Martin Jol, have expressed interest in Huddlestone in the past and were linked with a loan move on last August’s deadline day.

It is believed they have reopened talks over a permanent transfer for the 26-year-old England international midfielder but are yet to make a bid and Villas-Boas may be reluctant to lose him at this stage of the season.

Meanwhile it is far more likely that Livermore will be allowed to go on loan to QPR and be reunited with another former Spurs manager, Harry Redknapp, who confirmed on Friday he wanted to sign the midfielder. Spurs also completed the signing of former Manchester United defender Ezekiel Fryers from Standard Liege last week.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/9783007/Tottenham-Hotspur-to-bid-15m-for-Leandro-Damiao-as-Emmanuel-Adebayor-prepares-for-Africa-Cup-of-Nations.html

[Fredo]

Sven Bender

[Leyton388]

I'm starting to ****ing detest spurs! Just hope we can get our house in order over the season and put them back in their ****ing place. ****ing no mark club.

[RichC]

Bit in bold, ouch!

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-paper-round-english-giants-chase-modric-093710474.html

Football - Paper round: English giants chase Modric - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

The Croatian, a £30 million signing from Tottenham in the summer, has failed to impose himself in Spain and Marca readers this week voted him the worst Liga signing of the season.

Modric has received much blame for Real Madrid's floundering first half of the season and has only started eight Liga matches.

He told Croatian newspaper Sportske: "This is Real Madrid. I understand there is great pressure for new signings to succeed here.

"I'm not making excuses, I am not that kind of person, but it is very challenging to adapt to life at a big club like Madrid."

United and Chelsea both tried to sign the 27-year-old from Tottenham in the summer, but Spurs' reluctance to sell their star man to Premier League rivals ensured he went abroad.

Chelsea see Modric as the perfect replacement for Frank Lampard while United's central midfield issues are well-documented. City may see Modric as the man to restore creativity to an attack that has stuttered this season.

[Mostar]

Arsenal loaned Djourou to Hannover

[danperkins]

Chelsea will be all over Modric if he wants out of Madrid. Was a silly move for him anyways so no sympathy.

[Chazza]

Frank's finished: Lampard's Chelsea career ENDS in June, with no hope of reprieve

6 Jan 2013 22:33
Agent for Blues legend confirms "...in no circumstances will Frank be offered a new contract to stay at the club after the end of this season."

Frank Lampard last night publicly accepted his Chelsea career will be over this summer.

Suggestions over the weekend that owner Roman Abramovich was considering a U-turn over Lampard’s future raised the hopes of Chelsea fans.

But last night Lampard’s agent Steve Kutner confirmed that the England midfielder’s stellar Stamford Bridge career will finish when his contract expires in June.

Kutner said: “Chelsea executives told Frank in Japan during the Club World Cup then again reconfirmed with me after the Everton victory that in no circumstances will he be offered a new contract to stay at the club after the end of this season.

“Nothing since has changed in any respect.

“Frank has had to accept that and just wants to carry on playing football for Chelsea so as to finish the season as successfully as possible for the club that he loves.”

Lampard’s successful penalty in Chelsea’s 5-1 win at Southampton on Saturday took the 34-year-old to 193 Chelsea goals – within nine of Bobby Tambling’s club record in the 1960s.

The travelling fans greeted Lampard’s arrival off the bench with a series of choruses of “sign him up” directed at Abramovich and the Blues board but it appears now that will fall on deaf ears.

Mirror Sport reported last month how Lampard’s likely destination is following David Beckham’s path to join Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS. But interim Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez has backed the veteran midfielder to go on proving his continuing commitment to the club.

Lampard, who joined Chelsea from West Ham for £11million in 2001, made a point of going to the travelling fans after scoring at St Mary’s.

He admitted afterwards: “Maybe I was a little bit emotional but the fans have been with me all the time I’ve been here.

“I know there is a lot of talk going around but I am actually really enjoying playing and enjoying the moment.

“If certain things are going on in your head, when you run out and the fans support you the way they do, it can’t help but make you a bit emotional.

“I just wanted to say ‘thanks’ back.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelsea-legend-frank-lampard-will-end-1522119

[Chazza]

Julien Laurens @LaurensJulien
H. Redknapp is in Marseille director box for their Cup tie today to discuss the transfer of Remy with OM's chairman, via @Serguei #qpr #nufc

[Fivex]

Likely transfer?