Sport
THE RUMOUR MILL
The Rumour Mill
Federico Fazio, Tottenham to Roma
Likelihood: 2/5
The 28-year-old only arrived at White Hart Lane last summer but, if rumours are to be believed, Tottenham have already lost patience with the Argentine centre-back. His first season in England was erratic to say the least; he showed glimpses of genuine quality, but each of these moments was sandwiched between glaring examples of poor tactical awareness and a horrendous lack of pace. Toby Alderweireld looks likely to be heading back to English shores, with many speculating that his final destination will be north London, and if that happens then Fazio’s position in the team will be severely under threat. In my opinion he will be given another season to impress, but he could very quickly find himself out of the starting XI if his form doesn’t improve.
Bas Dost, Wolfsburg to Newcastle
Likelihood: 3/5
It’s no secret that Newcastle need a striker this summer. They struggled all over the pitch last season, but securing the services of a top finisher is definitely going to be a key priority for Steve McClaren. 26-year-old Bas Dost, scorer of an impressive 16 Bundesliga goals last season, appears to have been placed at the very top of the Toon’s shopping list, and his signature would be something of a coup for a side that came so close to Premier League relegation just a few weeks ago. Whether the striker would want to come to England is not yet clear, but if Newcastle can offer him a significant increase in his wages – which they surely will – then perhaps this transfer isn’t as unlikely as one would initially assume. It’s a little out there, but I can see this one happening.
Demba Ba, Besiktas to West Brom
Likelihood: 1/5
Like Newcastle, West Brom need to acquire a poacher capable of bagging plenty of goals. Saido Berahino is clearly an extreme talent, but it seems unlikely that he’ll be in the Midlands come the start of next season. Berahino aside, Tony Pulis currently has only Georgios Samaras, Victor Anichebe and Brown Ideye to lead the line, and that forward trio could clearly do with a little bolstering, so the addition of Demba Ba would certainly be welcome. However, for a player that has so recently played for big sides – namely Chelsea and Besiktas – West Brom is a bit of a step down. If the Baggies can convince him to join then it would be a tremendous purchase, but I don’t think it’ll happen.
Morgan Schneiderlin, Southampton to Arsenal
Likelihood: 4/5
After his transfer debacle last summer, it was a pretty safe bet that Schneiderlin would, sooner or later, leave the south coast. He’s been linked with Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea and PSG this summer, but Arsenal appear to have sneaked into pole position to sign the 25-year-old. He would command a fee of around £15m, but that seems like a small sum for a player that is only going to get better. It seems a foregone conclusion that he will be heading for pastures new within the next few weeks, and I feel Arsenal is the perfect destination for him.
Ron Vlaar, Aston Villa to Sunderland
Likelihood: 2/5
Ron Vlaar has been linked with a move away from Villa Park since his very first game in claret and blue, so it’s no surprise that he is once again a prominent name in the gossip columns. In recent days he has been linked with a move to Sunderland and, while the rumour has been gathering a bit of momentum, it seems like an unusual bit of business for both sides. Why would Villa risk losing a player that, when fully fit, can be a top defender, and why would Sunderland take a risk on yet another injury-prone centre-back? Sunderland certainly need to improve their back line, but Vlaar is not the player they should be be looking at.
