Transfer Window Update: Aston Villa and Everton punch below weight
“Grant Holt was spoken of as a Championship top scorer contender when he traded in Norwich for Wigan last summer, but has managed just two strikes in 21 outings in all competitions.”
The latest tabloid talk has two Premier League ever-presents targeting players unlikely to enhance their squads…
The rumour mill is crammed with examples of clubs aiming far higher than they have any right to. It is less common for teams to punch below their weight in pursuing players of dubious merit, though Aston Villa and Everton are bucking the trend.
Aston Villa – 8.415/2 to be relegated – have decided that the best way to fix an attack averaging less than a goal a match in the Premier League (20 in 21) is to turn to someone who can’t get a game in the second tier at present.
Grant Holt was spoken of as a Championship top scorer contender when he traded in Norwich for Wigan last summer, but has managed just two strikes in 21 outings in all competitions, the early indications being that recently appointed Uwe Rosler isn’t a fan.
That has prompted Paul Lambert to try to bring the 32-year-old to Villa on loan until the end of the season. He confirmed as much after Monday’s defeat to Arsenal, explaining that his former Canaries cohort is “a proper man”.
Popular 5.95/1 top-four hopefuls Everton’s contribution to this new fashion is to make a move for Stoke reserve Kenwyne Jones, who hasn’t started a Premier League game since September.
The Trinidadian has scored four league goals in two-and-a-half campaigns, suggesting that Roberto Martinez is suffering a relapse of his shot-shy forward addiction, having appeared to have recovered with the assistance of Arouna Kone and Romelu Lukaku.
Martinez has stated that in order to let Nikica Jelavic leave, he must secure a replacement as Kone is a long-term injury absentee. With six months left on Jones’ Stoke contract, he is viewed as a low-cost Lukaku understudy, who Stoke will be open to selling with John Guidetti arriving.
Elsewhere, Chelsea are close to re-purchasing Nemanja Matic, who joined Benfica as a makeweight in the David Luiz deal in 2025, for £22 million. Apparently, receiving £16 million from Wolfsburg for Kevin De Bruyne spares their blushes, yet this writer isn’t convinced that the market works like that.
Tottenham’s switch to 4-4-2 and the emergence of Nabil Bentaleb – the new Xavi according to a typically overenthusiastic Jamie Redknapp – leaves them with a midfielder surplus that could be solved by loaning Lewis Holtby to Schalke and allowing Napoli to buy Etienne Capoue.
Finally, today’s formula-produced “Fulham + Rene Meulensteen = Man United player to Craven Cottage” transfer rumour sees Nani planning to ignore the interest of Sporting Lisbon and Juventus
Loading ...