WE’VE REACHED THE halfway point of 2012′s January transfer window and although there hasn’t been a huge amount of actual buying and selling taking place, the speculation continues to come thick and fast.
One significant deal was completed today, however, so let’s hope that kickstarts a raft of activity.
Gary Cahill‘s protracted switch to Chelsea has been confirmed after the parties finally came to an agreement over personal terms for the 26-year-old.
The defender, who has been a regular in the Bolton side which sits in 19th position, will earn a reported €95,000-a-week after joining in a €8m deal.
Wanderers are looking to bring in Giovanni Dos Santos from Tottenham with part of the cash, while Tim Ream will replace Cahill at the back if he arrives from the MLS.
Liverpool, having turned down the offer of an escape route for Andy Carroll from Aston Villa, fancy signing another English forward in the shape of Jermain Defoe.
With 11 goals in 23 appearances this season, the Spurs hitman is a proven goalscorer but if Harry Redknapp was to accept the €12m rumoured to be on offer, he would need to line up a replacement first.
Unfortunately for Liverpool, his main target Loic Remy has insisted that leaving Marseille is “out of the question” at this moment in time.
Another player plying their trade in France is Lille’s Senegalese international Moussa Sow, who has made his intentions of playing in the Premier League clear while also describing Liverpool as a “dream club”.
There’s been more talk this weekend about the possible departure of the enigmatic Dimitar Berbatov from Manchester United after he didn’t even make an appearance from the bench in their 3-0 win over Bolton.
Sky Sports have run with a possible sighting of the 30-year-old boarding a plane to Germany, where talks with his former club Bayer Leverkusen were suggested to have taken place on Sunday.
Bayern Munich and Anzhi are also sniffing around the Bulgarian, who is out of contract in the summer.
Decent strikers are a rare commodity these days and entering the market in search of a player with the ability to fire your club to Premier League safety can often be hit-and-miss.
Wolves will take a punt on Frederic Piquionne, Sunderland’s interest in Papiss Cisse is making the player blush, while Landon Donovan’s US international Edson Buddle will be out to impress Everton during a trial period.
Inter have tabled a €25m bid for Carlos Tevez after neighbours Milan dropped their interest, so the ball is in Manchester City’s court. PSG could still get involved too though.
City are planning to splash out €4m on a 15-year-old, meanwhile, as Real Madrid’s starlet Jose Angel Pozo looks set to sign a five-year-deal.
