Sundays transfer rumour round-up

[Archibald&Crooks]

Tottenham will sign ex-Arsenal hitman Julio Baptista in the January transfer window from Real Madrid. Spurs coach Juande Ramos has lined up a £5m swoop for the Brazil striker, who he managed at Seville. (Daily Star Sunday)

Tottenham are ready to offer bitter rivals Arsenals around £7m for unsettled midfielder Abou Diaby. (People)

Tottenham coach Juande Ramos is planning a £30m swoop for Valencia's David Villa as he is worried Dimitar Berbatov still wants to quit the club. (News of the World).

And, as he's mentioned in another thread:

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is tracking Scotland and Rangers fullback Alan Hutton, 22, as a possible long-term replacement for Gary Neville.

 

[chrissivad]

thak god there only rumour's

 

[ever]

wooohoo its almost january

 

[ChRiStOpHe]

Baptista for £5m would be fantastic! I know he didn't set the Prem alight at Arsenal, but I still think there's the potential for him to do very well in England, and £5m is a very good price for someone who did as well as he did with Sevilla.

Diaby made me cringe Never in a million years will that one come off...

David Villa is just never going to happen. Very good striker, but he's considered one of Europe's best, and sadly, we just ain't. If you want to sign some of Europe's best when you're not yourself, you need to do it before they're widely considered that good (ie Berbatov).

In reply to the Hutton rumour, although it could be balls as the 3 Spurs rumours almost certainly are, I couldn't feel but do this ----> :-(

I want Hutton at Spuuuuuuuurs

 

[$hoguN]

Us looking at Baptista and i guess Riquleme (who hasnt been mentioned yet) both are decent players and wth a spanish coach these stories are always gonna happen

 

[CaptainCat]

Baptista won't come back to England. It's too cold and he can't do his bicycle kicks.

 

[yanno]

Ramos managed Baptista @ Sevilla, and converted "The Beast" from a midfielder into a striker. So he knows the player as well as anyone.

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EDIT - Having looked into it further, my comments above are wrong. Baptista joined Sevilla in 2003, and was sold to Real Madrid in 2005, which is when Ramos took over at Sevilla. So, Baptista was already a striker when Ramos arrived, and he may even have been sold before Juande started coaching the team. So, if Ramos is interested in Baptista, it's presumably on what he's seen in La Liga, and the reports of the Sevilla coaching staff who were there with "The Beast". Anyway, apologies for posting rubbish above.

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But... I don't think he's better than any of our current strikers, and would only want him as a striker if we lose Berba. "The Beast" always looked like he should be a terrific CM, but he didn't play there for Sevilla, and Wenger hardly played him anywhere for the Arse first team.

So, I'd want Baptista if Ramos thinks he could be a CM. But I'm not convinced about him as a striker. That said, if the quoted £5 million is true, that's a very good price given he was a £15 million player only a season ago.

 

[tony0379]

i can smell the bullshit in the air its almost january
i can see us shocking a few ppl with a couple of signings

 

[Rupstoh]

thak god there only rumour's

:roll:

 

[joey55]

Ramos managed Baptista @ Sevilla, and converted "The Beast" from a midfielder into a striker. So he knows the player as well as anyone.

-------------------------------------

EDIT - Having looked into it further, my comments above are wrong. Baptista joined Sevilla in 2003, and was sold to Real Madrid in 2005, which is when Ramos took over at Sevilla. So, Baptista was already a striker when Ramos arrived, and he may even have been sold before Juande started coaching the team. So, if Ramos is interested in Baptista, it's presumably on what he's seen in La Liga, and the reports of the Sevilla coaching staff who were there with "The Beast". Anyway, apologies for posting rubbish above.

---------------------------------------

But... I don't think he's better than any of our current strikers, and would only want him as a striker if we lose Berba. "The Beast" always looked like he should be a terrific CM, but he didn't play there for Sevilla, and Wenger hardly played him anywhere for the Arse first team.

So, I'd want Baptista if Ramos thinks he could be a CM. But I'm not convinced about him as a striker. That said, if the quoted £5 million is true, that's a very good price given he was a £15 million player only a season ago.

Also, whilst he played games as a striker, he still played most of his games in CM. He came to Seville as a DM and left as an ACM. I think because his goal scoring record was so good that season (2004/5) that it is assumed he played as a striker, but for the majority of the time Caparos liked to play 541. I think it was more towards the end of the season that Baptista started playing as a striker and actually scored less. We got linked with him a Xmas that season, and I know then he was still playing in midfield, as I watched him specifically after we were linked with him.

 

[thfcsuperyid]

hate the transfer window...we get linked to every player...the club must hate when it opens...!!!:bang::bang:

 

[yanno]

Also, whilst he played games as a striker, he still played most of his games in CM. He came to Seville as a DM and left as an ACM.

So, the big question is: do you think he's better than the CMs we have?

My major concern is that Wenger who, much as it pains me to say it, has a good record in taking overseas players and adapting their game so they can play in the EPL, seemed to give up on Baptista...

 

[ChRiStOpHe]

So, the big question is: do you think he's better than the CMs we have?

Well, I do.

My major concern is that Wenger who, much as it pains me to say it, has a good record in taking overseas players and adapting their game so they can play in the EPL, seemed to give up on Baptista...

Who said he gave up on him? A big factor could well have been Reyes. The deal would probably have hinged on Real Madrid wanting to keep Reyes, which we know, the didn't.

 

[General Levy]

At least now we are linked to every top player in spain, we use to be linked with every young Englishman! None of the above players would come to spurs.

 

[yanno]

Who said he gave up on him? A big factor could well have been Reyes. The deal would probably have hinged on Real Madrid wanting to keep Reyes, which we know, the didn't.

From what we know, the arrangement with Real Madrid did involve a Reyes-Baptista player exchange. But it also seems that neither club was prepared to meet the other's straight cash valuation of the player.

But Baptista was never a first-choice for Wenger, and he doesn't seem to have made any major effort to keep the player having spent an entire season working with him. However, if Real's valuation of Baptista is now as low as £5 million (down from c£15 million), I suspect there will be a lot more interest in him.

 

[Partizan]

Baptista won't come back to England. It's too cold and he can't do his bicycle kicks.

And he doesn't like the fact that a corner in England is more appreciated than a backheel.

yep, he's "THE BEAST"

:rofl:

 

[joey55]

So, the big question is: do you think he's better than the CMs we have?

My major concern is that Wenger who, much as it pains me to say it, has a good record in taking overseas players and adapting their game so they can play in the EPL, seemed to give up on Baptista...

I think the thing with Baptista at Arsenal is that he had to displace either Fabregas, Gilberto, or RVP. That's a pretty hard task. Wenger loves to bring through young players, so if Baptista couldn't get in the 1st team on regular basis, then it means he is taking the place in the matchday squad or on the bench of a youngster. So, I'd guess Wenger would rather not have him around, than have him hindering the development of his younger players. In general Arsenal rarely have senior pros that aren't 1st team regulars in the squad. Without regular 1st team football Baptista was always going to struggle to adapt and I think the fact that he was on loan, meant it wasn't the biggest deal to Wenger if he didn't.

In theory he should be well suited to the Prem as he is technically gifted, but also a physically commanding player. I'd say he probably is good enough for our midfield, however, there are a number of other potential targets that are equally or more suitable. There are a few of posters here who really want to see us sign Appiah in Jan and I'd also love Keita aswell (i remember you like him).

 

[ChRiStOpHe]

There are a few of posters here who really want to see us sign Appiah in Jan

:hello:

That as a whole was a good post there Joey :up: Couldn't agree more.

 

[tony0379]

put it this way whoever we sign is gonna be better suited to the style rambo wants to play

 

[joey55]

:hello:

That as a whole was a good post there Joey :up: Couldn't agree more.

One issue I do have with Appiah is his age or rather his real age. Apparently he is 27 in jan, but that means he was playing International football for Ghana since he was 15 or 16. Now I can believe that maybe a winger or striker could potentially play for their county at such a young age, but a central midfielder playing International football at 16 does seem a little unlikely.