Bolton bid accepted for Barca starlet.
THT Verdict: Apparently Bolton have their bid for Jeffren accepted. The pacy Spanish footballer of Venezuelan origin has exceptional skills and knows how to run at defenses. However, the youngster is extremely injury prone and the rugged nature of the English League might not help his cause here. Nonetheless, it is upto Owen Coyle to use him properly and make the most of his abilities. Barca are on the lookout for Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez and their arrival would mean even lesser playing time for the youngster. Moving away from Barca was the right thing to do, but whether choosing the English League, for someone as fragile as Jeffren, is the right decision or not, your guess is as good as ours.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will make the final decision on whether or not to sign West Ham’s Scott Parker next week.
THT Verdict: Villas-Boas said after the Portsmouth pre-season friendly, “It’s pretty obvious that we will go into the market at some time or other, but we won’t make any radical changes. We know what the situation is with Luka Modric, it is public. We also understand the situation the club has taken, so at the moment we are scanning the markets for anything, not just certain players.” It’s clear that Chelsea will sign either one or two midfielders – one who will have a key role in the first team and another to make the squad stronger after Essien’s injury. Now Scott Parker fits the second bill perfectly, as he can provide more than decent cover for the Ghanaian. A 4-5 million expenditure (fee + wages) is the right amount for a season long loan deal. With West Ham holding out for more and other clubs coming into the picture, it will finally come down to whether Villas-Boas wants Parker or not. If he does, Roman will see that his manager gets his man.
West Brom set for talks with United crock Hargreaves
THT Verdict: West Brom had a great campaign last time around, the Baggies scored for fun although they had difficulties in stemming the flow of goals themselves. Roy Hodgson needs that steel in the middle of the park, however Hargreaves hasn’t played competitive football in more than 2 years and bringing in the crocked Englishmen could be a big gamble. Pay as per you pay deal might suit both the parties concerned if the curly haired midfielder manages to convince the Baggies manager that his fitness woes are a thing of the past.