January transfer speculation: Fact vs. Rumour (Part 1)
Whether it’s the summer transfer window or the January transfer window, transfer rumours just don’t seem to go away throughout the entire football season. If a player is overlooked by a manager, a rumour surrounding the player’s future
start and the poor player is sometimes linked to clubs he might never have dreamt of. Whenever a young player starts raising his profile, a host of clubs are linked with him. But yes there is a lot of truth surrounding some rumours while some are totally out
of proportions.
Sometimes the rumours are justified and many managers do want to tinker their respective squads here and there when they have got players injured or too tired to play consecutive games.
Now the January transfer window is approaching fast and once again so many players are already being linked to clubs all over Europe. Let’s have a look at a few transfer rumours that have been circulating around a few players and analyze
whether they are near to the truth or just a hopeful rumour.
Roque Santa Cruz
The first Manchester City player on the list, Roque Santa Cruz had an incredible 2007/08 season with Blackburn Rovers after the Paraguayan scored 23 times in 43 matches for the Rovers and was rumoured to be the top priority of the money
laden Manchester City owners. But the former Bayern Munich man ended the speculation regarding his future at Ewood Park by signing a 4 year deal with Blackburn Rovers.
Manchester City once again made a bid for the striker in August 2008 but Blackburn rejected the bid but in June 2009, after completing only one year of his 4 year contract at Ewood Park, the Paraguay man left for Manchester City and moved
to Eastlands.
Everyone thought that Roque Santa Cruz would be the big name striker who will partner with Brazilian Robinho but that was not the end of Manchester City’s spending spree as they bought Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor. This sudden entrance
of new strikers saw Roque Santa Cruz find 1st team opportunities very hard to come by as he was relegated to the bench under the-then manager Mark Hughes.
When Roberto Mancini replaced the Welshman, Roque Santa Cruz just became a luxury, the Italian seldom bothered to use.
Santa Cruz has already made clear of his frustration at the lack of game time at City and is itching for a move ahead after the striker was not named in Mancini’s 25 man provisional list for the first half of the season. Roberto Mancini
has already allowed the player to leave during the January transfer window and it is reckoned that Scottish giants Celtic are keen to sign the player.
This rumour is a definite truth as Celtic or no Celtic; the Paraguayan striker would definitely leave Manchester City for good.
Shaun Wright Phillips
Another Manchester City player on the exodus list, Shaun Wright Phillips came back to Manchester City in an 8.5 million pound move from Chelsea. The England international started the season brightly and was a regular fixture in Mark Hughes’
Manchester City side but after the Welshman’s sacking, new manager Roberto Mancini relegated the winger to the bench following the appearance of Adam Johnson who made a great start to the current season.
Not having enough game time saw Shaun Wright Phillips lose his place in the England squad and the 27-year-old is yet to make a Premier League start this season.
Not sure which club will be looking to have his signature, but Shaun Wright Phillips is one of those many players at Eastlands, who are going to be offloaded by Manchester City in the January transfer window.
Tags: