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| *Balloteli |
After coming out on the weekend to say Manchester United were unlikely to do much spending in the January transfer window, David Moyes has now decided reinforcements are 'urgent'. Well, that's what an FA Cup humiliation will do for you.
After the Red Devils were dumped out of the Cup by Swansea - at Old Trafford - Moyes said he is definitely look at new recruits but that his main targets probably won't come in until the season is over.
"There is an urgency that we would like to bring people in but are those players available in January? So there is no point in me hyping it up because the players we would like to bring in are probably not available, not because we don't want to do it."
One of those players could be Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao. United missed out on the Portugal left-back before the season due to paperwork, but with his time at the Bernabeu limited, Coentrao would make a viable alternative to trying to price Leighton Baines out of Everton's hands.
MEN UN-UNITED
Moyes might have to deal with a few outgoings, however, with the Daily Mail reporting that Chelsea are ready to offer $55m for disgruntled striker Wayne Rooney.
The Scouser has been looking for a way out of Old Trafford for some time, with Jose Mourinho a long-time admirer. Rooney, 28, has just 18 months left on his current United contract and is said to be considering the final big move of his career.
Fringe striker Wilfried Zaha could also finally be on his way out of the Theatre of Dreams, according to The Mirror.
Former United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is eyeing the highly rated 21-year-old as one of his first recruits at Cardiff.
BALOTELLI FOR BLUES
Given that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho loves players he can mould/control you wouldn't think unhinged Italy striker Mario Balotelli would be the sort of footballer he would go for.
But the ever-reliable Daily Star reports that Balotelli is frustrated at AC Milan and wants to link up again with Mourinho, his coach during his time at Inter.
Chelsea could also sign Southampton's highly rated left back Luke Shaw, with Blues fullback Ryan Bertrand going the other way, with Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers also interested in Bertrand, who has found his chances limited under Mourinho.
Meanwhile, Mourinho has made a surprisingly tender bid to placate frustrated Spain midfielder Juan Mata. Mata looked to be on his way out of Stamford Bridge after struggling to convince Mourinho of his worth but ahead of the FA Cup victory against Derby County, the Blues boss said it 'hurt' him to leave Mata out.
"I try to do my job forgetting that I am a soft heart and pretending that I am a hard heart," Mourinho told The Telegraph. "With decisions I have to make, many times it hurts me, many times it hurts him. When I have to make decisions, I always try to be a cold one, icy, analysing the situation and trying to make the best decision for the team. But yes, it hurts me."
GUNNERS' STRIKE TARGETS
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| *Moyes; Rooney |
It's the question everybody's asking - will Arsene Wenger buy a striker? With all three of his current forwards sidelined by injury, the parsimonious Arsenal manager must decide whether to splash the cash or hope he can stay ahead with Manchester City without playing a recognised striker.
If Wenger does finally let the moths out of his wallet, there are plenty of targets. Today, Porto's Colombian striker Jackson Martinez has revealed he grew up supporting Arsenal and would love a move to the Emirates. If that isn't enough to tempt Arsene, how about borrowing Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich. Or perhaps former Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou, who is catching the eye at Ligue 1 club Lille - but Sky Sports says Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers also has his eye on him, along with Sevilla's Ivan Rakitic - or possibly even a return for Kop favourite Xabi Alonso.
SPURS STILL SPENDING?
Given the amount of money Tottenham blew before this season, it seems highly unlikely that Spurs are about to splash out again - but The Mirror reckons Juventus strikers Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella are in their sights. Either of Juve duo, both 30, would serve as solid replacements for outward-bound Jermaine Defoe, who is expected to join MLS side Toronto - unless Hull boss Steve Bruce can intercept him at the airport, with a bunch of flowers and a big cheque.
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