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Gareth Bale not for sale, Spurs chairman promises
Transfer Talk: But Javier Hernandez could be on his way from Man U to Madrid, if Mourinho has his way
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has warned that Gareth Bale is not for sale next month – no matter how much clubs may bid for the Welsh wing wizard. Right now the 21-year-old is the hottest property in European football and Tottenham intend to hold on to him despite interest from the likes of Manchester City, Barcelona and Inter Milan.
The News of the World reported earlier this month that City were preparing a bid for Bale in the region of £50, but, speaking at Tottenham's AGM, Levy told shareholders the Sky Blues could offer twice that and they would still be unsuccessful.
"The January transfer window is again upon us," he said. "We currently have the largest squad in the Premier League [and] we shall look to rationalise," proclaimed Levy. "Overall, we do not anticipate a busy transfer window. In the case of Gareth [Bale] he’s got a long contract and I can assure you he will not be sold.”
Another player who insists he won’t be going anywhere next month is Newcastle striker Andy Carroll. Despite recent reports linking him with Arsenal, the 21-year-old Geordie says he’s happy on Tyneside despite the sacking last week of manager Chris Hughton.
In an interview with the Sun, Carroll, scorer of 10 league goals this season, says: "I'm just going to go out there and carry on doing what I have been doing. I've always worked towards being where I am now and want to stay here - it's as simple as that."
But someone who could soon be on the move is Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez. According to Mexican football website Record.com, Hernandez may be lured from Old Trafford in the New Year by none other than Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho.
Apparently Mourinho likes what he’s seen of the 22-year-old Hernandez and has won approval from the Real board to make an offer to United. But would the English club sell, having only bought the little Mexican from Chivas Guadalajara just before the World Cup? There would have to be an astronomical fee, even more than Wayne Rooney’s annual outlay on cigarettes, but Record.com is adamant the transfer will come off next month.
Perhaps that's because United are close to wrapping up the signature of Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean striker who's been linked with the Red Devils for several weeks.
The 21-year-old Sanchez, currently playing for Italian side Udinese in Serie A, has made no secret of his desire to play in the Premier League and his agent, Fernando Felicevich, is quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying: "Manchester United has been following the performances of Alexis since some time ago and it could be a possibility in the future. The Premier League would be a good destination for Alexis as he is young, strong and very fast, something very important for being able to have success in that league."
Then there's the story doing the rounds at Talksport that suggests that it's not Sanchez that United are chasing but Valencia winger Joaquin. The 29-year-old has been in sparkling form this season in the Spanish league, which is why he's attracted interest from Chelsea and AC Milan, as well as Manchester United.
Apparently Joaquin has grown despondent with life at Valencia since David Silva and David Villa left the club in the summer and he fancies a change of scenery. Talksport says that Valencia would want no less than £9m for Joaquin, a paltry sum for a club of United's financial clout. ·
