Robbie Keane leaves Spurs for the second time in 18 months, but not to West Ham or Sunderland - Photo EnglishHorn73 CCA
The transfer window has been slammed shut, and finally some sanity can return to the world of football - either that, or more wild, impossible to substantiate rumours will dominate the spring months. But it’s as good a time as any to have a look back, and let the press take a bow for some of their more confidently-made predictions for how the footballing landscape would look after January’s dealings. Here are ten deals which the newspapers seemed pretty sure would unfold:
1. February 1st: Keane to West Ham - Mirror
West Ham and Spurs in talks over Robbie Keane
Tottenham want a stunning £1 million loan fee for skipper Robbie Keane - a shock deadline day target for struggling West Ham.
And Spurs have told the Hammers that they will also have to pay the Republic of Ireland striker’s £70,000-a-week wages in full for the rest of the season to have him.
Take one - Keane didn’t end up at West Ham - after all, they were hardly the best of friends after the Eidur Gudjohnsen deal.
2. January 24th: Keane to West Ham and Cole to Spurs - News of the World
REDKNAPP KEANE ON CARLTON COLE
SPURS have offered Robbie Keane to West Ham in a bid to lure Carlton Cole to White Hart Lane.
3. January 31st: Keane to Sunderland - News of the World
SUNDERLAND MAKE SHOCK MOVE FOR KEANE
SPURS will sell Robbie Keane to Sunderland for £9million. [...]
Black Cats boss Steve Bruce made his offer on Friday and saw it accepted after Spurs completed a deal to bring in Eidur Gudjohnsen on loan from Monaco.
Take three - agreed transfer fees to Sunderland are the same as a loan deal to one of Keane’s boyhood clubs, Celtic.
4. January 27th: Bentley to West Ham - Mirror
Tottenham star lined up for West Ham move
David Bentley has been offered a Premier League lifeline by struggling West Ham.
[...]
Bentley has made the Tottenham bench only once - when he was an unused sub against Hull - since a training ground bust-up with Harry Redknapp following a behind-closed-doors friendly with Grays last month.
The fall-out was so bad that Redknapp no longer sees Bentley in his first team plans.
…except for 3 hours 22 minutes after the article was published when Bentley starts and scores against Fulham. And the following Saturday when he once again starts against Birmingham… Surprisingly, Bentley beat the window.
5. January 24th: Gudjohnsen snubs Liverpool… for West Ham - Mirror
West Ham were poised to solve their striker crisis last night by signing Eidur Gudjohnsen on loan from Monaco.
The 31-year-old Icelandic marksman has snubbed an 11th hour move by Liverpool and is expected to fly into England tonight to seal the four month loan deal.
The Merseyside giants tried to hijack Gudjohnsen’s move by matching his personal terms that were thrashed out with the Hammers late on Friday.
To be fair, he didn’t go to Liverpool and the West Ham move did nearly happen, but if Liverpool’s move could be considered 11th hour, what would one call Spurs’ move? And if loyalty to Zola and Clarke won the day against a side who were competing for a top four spot, it seemed to suddenly stop holding when Spurs came in.
6. January 9th: Sunderland welcome Figueroa and Demel - News of the World
BRUCE CONFIDENT OF SCOOPING £11M PAIR
SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce believes he has landed full-back pair Maynor Figueroa and Guy Demel for £11million.
Bruce has finally persuaded Wigan to sell Figueroa, who scored a wonder goal from his own half at Stoke last month, for £6m.[...]
Hamburg’s Ivory Coast right-back Demel, currently at the African Cup of Nations, will cost £5m.
Has he, though? Demel, as the article itself concedes, doesn’t want to go anywhere, and eventually doesn’t. And as for Figueroa, the bid came, but judging on Martinez’s comments and the fact that Figueroa is still at Wigan, it may not have been such a success after all.
7. January 21st: Chamakh’s future resolved by the end of January - Mirror
Chamakh to decide on Liverpool or Arsenal before end of the month
Marouane Chamakh has promised to give Liverpool and Arsenal a decision over his future before the end of the month.
No deal done with either side. This story seems to have a little while to run yet. Even though he promised!
8. January 22nd: Beye on his way to Sunderland - The Sun
STEVE BRUCE is set to complete a £1.8m swoop for Aston Villa’s Habib Beye.
The Sunderland chief wants to boost his backline and the defender fits the bill.
‘Is set to’ - now there’s a transfer rumour term that sounds significant but evidently means nothing at all.
9. January 14th: James going to the Britannia - The Telegraph
Stoke City to take David James on loan as Portsmouth wait for transfer embargo verdict.
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James is said to be poised to join Stoke City as he seeks to keep his World Cup hopes alive.
James is anxious to re-establish himself as England’s first choice goalkeeper and knows he must be playing first team football to do that.
The 39-year-old looks set to join Stoke on loan for the rest of the season, which would help cash-strapped Portsmouth by taking him off their wage bill.
Alternatively, Portsmouth sell their other keeper Begovic to Stoke, making James the first choice at Portsmouth. So close.
10. January 20th: Liverpool and Sunderland sort out the Jones deal - Mirror
Liverpool and Sunderland agree Kenwyne Jones tax dodge - Exclusive
Liverpool’s move for Kenwyne Jones is set to include a clever tax break.
Sunderland are in negotiations to sell their Trinidad & Tobago striker to the Anfield club in a £12million transfer.
But Jones, 25, is likely to move on loan initially, ahead of a guaranteed permanent transfer in the summer.
This enables both clubs to carry the impact of the transfer on their balance sheets into the next tax year which begins in April.
Another interesting tax permutation is doing no deal whatsoever, which means that the deal doesn’t appear on this year’s balance sheet, or potentially any year’s.
It’s not only the players on the move who the press report on - sometimes it’s the players who stay
27th Jan: Johnson staying put at Middlesbrough - Mirror
Boro star snubs Premier League move to help Riverside promotion push
Adam Johnson has committed his immediate future to Middlesbrough to aid their promotion push - and postponed a move to his Premier League suitors.
