From Robin van Persie to Andy Carroll, a number of big
moves have yet to be completed with the season almost underway
It is incredible how long this saga has dragged on for given its
relative straightforwardness: Modric wants to leave Tottenham,
Tottenham are prepared to sell him, Real Madrid want the player and
he wants to join them. Simple. Not quite. More than a month has
passed since André Villas-Boas, the Spurs manager, confirmed
Modric's desire for a transfer yet all that has happened since then
is the Croatian has been forced to train on his own after going
AWOL ahead of a tour to the USA and the two clubs involved have
postured over a fee, with Spurs refusing to budge on £35m.
Thankfully, a compromise figure of £25m appears to have been agreed
upon.
If ever a saga epitomised the dark depths that Premier League
football has descended to, it is the endless bartering between
Manchester City, Tottenham and Adebayor. The Togolese striker spent
last season on loan at White Hart Lane and scored 17 league goals
in 33 appearances under Harry Redknapp. Despite a change of
manager, Adebayor is still expected to make a permanent switch to
north London, although tedious negotiations that have dragged on
since the beginning of the summer have still not reached a
conclusion. The 28-year-old is on ludicrous money at City and is
unwilling to take a cut on his £170,000-a-week contract that he
signed in 2009. Roberto Mancini has said the striker has "no
chance" of playing for City in the forthcoming campaign, but the
champions will have to subsidise a large chunk of Adebayor's wages
if the move is to be finalised.
The Dutchman played for Arsenal in their pre-season win against
Köln on Sunday but it remains a near certainty that he will be
leaving the club soon. His destination? That remains unclear with
Juventus, Manchester United and Manchester City all interested in
the player but none able to seal a deal despite weeks of
behind-the-scenes manoeuvrings. Van Persie is apparently keen to
move to United but they, according to Sir Alex Ferguson, cannot
agree a fee with Arsenal, while City have not even made a firm bid.
Juventus, meanwhile, have all but accepted the 29-year-old does not
want to move to Italy. This one looks set to run and run and
run.
Last week Brendan Rodgers confirmed what had been rumoured for
some time – that Manchester City are interested in signing the
Dane, and after stating "every player has a price" it appeared the
Liverpool manager was laying the ground for him to move there. This
would surely only be the case if Agger himself had asked for a
transfer given his abilities but it has transpired that the
27-year-old wants to stay put, so much so that he has had YNWA
(You'll Never Walk Alone) tattooed on his knuckles. So it seems
Liverpool may be trying to push the player out of the door, and
with City still keen on him there could be more to come from this
curious tale.
Another player who appears to have no future at Liverpool and
one who has been left dangling by the club for more weeks than is
perhaps kind. Brendan Rodgers made it quite obvious soon after he
took over at Anfield in June that he was open to offers for Carroll
and there has since been loan-first moves from West Ham and
Newcastle, both of which have been rejected. Rodgers publicly
insists he is happy with Carroll but it is more likely that he is
holding out for a larger bid for the £35m striker and will allow
him to go should the right bid land his way. Carroll, meanwhile,
does not know if he is coming or going.
Less of a saga this and more the slow, sad decline of a once
sparkling career. Owen was released by Manchester United in late
May and insisted then that at the age of 32, and despite a
catalogue of injuries, he could still play in the Premier League.
The striker has since held talks with Stoke but an agreement has
stalled over Owen's reluctance to accept a short-term contract. A
deal could still be done with Stoke, or indeed Everton who are
apparently keen on the former England forward, but as things stand
Owen remains in a long, agonising limbo.