Scot Parker move to Tottenham in doubt, as Stoke and QPR also show interest
THT Verdict: Parker is likely to be at a Premier League in three days’ time. He would be a great buy for QPR and we reckon QPR are favourites to sign him. Parker shined in a dull West Ham outfit and at QPR, he will become a main character; his grit will allow Taraabt the license to be creative.
Stoke are close to pulling off a spectacular £20m double deal for Tottenham pair Wilson Palacios and Peter Crouch
THT Verdict: For Stoke to shell out 20m in one go would be massive, so we think a move for both players is unlikely to happen. Palacios is a bit of a hit-and-miss, but he is capable of pulling off some strong match-defining performances in midfield. However, Stoke’s need-of-the-hour is a striker and thus, a move for Peter Crouch is also a possibility. Crouch would fit-in well with Stoke’s philosophy – providing plenty of height for their aerial bombardment.
Chelsea Sign Mexico U-20 International Ulises Davila
“Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Mexican Under-20 international Ulises Davila from Chivas. Davila, who has signed a five-year contract, can play either as an attacking midfielder or a forward. Standing 5ft 7in, he is accomplished with the ball at his feet and a fine finisher with a strong team ethic.” – Official website
THT Verdict: Chelsea have paid around 2.5m for acquiring the services of the young Mexican. With a flurry of young, but talented signings, the West London club are surely building for the future, and there’s a clear change in policy – from signing ready-made superstars to bringing in young players with a lot of potential. Not only will the club save a lot of money by signing players at the right age, for the right price, but will also reduce the risk if they don’t deliver and will certainly have a resale value. Davila is an attacking midfielder, who can also play on either wing or as a second striker. And, although, he is still quite raw, he has been developing well.
Arsenal will sign Gary Cahill for 12m, before the close of the window
THT Verdict: Likely. Gary Cahill had been Arsenal’s first target and it has come down to him being Arsenal’s final target! The insulting bid from Arsene was more of awareness offer for the Bolton man who has just four years of contract. Bolton, who are in huge debt at the moment (around 120 Mil) , are not in a position to let a player go for free in January. Another decent bid of around 10-12 Mil for the defender is the final step to bring him to The Emirates.
Chelsea centre-back Alex has emerged as a shock £6m transfer target for Arsenal
THT Verdict: Unlikely. First of all, with Rajkovic sold, Kalas and Bruma on loan, Chelsea are left with 4 first team center-backs, including Alex. Out of them, Ivanovic may also occasionally serve at right-back. So letting go of Alex does not seem likely at this moment, unless Chelsea are getting something they need out of any deal. Then, Arsenal’s primary target is Cahill, only if that doesn’t materialize, they will look elsewhere. Lastly, 6m is nowhere close to what Chelsea expects for the Brazilian center-back.
Chelsea close to signing Ajax defender Gregory van der Wiel for £28m
THT Verdict: van der Wiel’s market value is not more than 12m, especially considering the average last season he had. And, although Bosingwa has begin the season like a new signing, he is 29 presently, and Chelsea may sign a young right-back. Signing someone such as the Dutchman for a decent price would be much better than splashing cash for a left-back such as Pereira when the club already has two quality, young left-backs. For less than 15m, 23-year old Gregory would be a good addition to the Chelsea first team.