Who’s in and who should be out at your club.
This summer looks set to be very busy for most of the clubs in Premier League. Every club will be looking to improve their team for the start of next season in the hope that their summer transfer dealing will have a direct result on a better finish in the Premier League. Here is each clubs transfer plans for the summer, with who should come into each club and who should be sold.
Arsenal- Player In: Gonzalo Higuain
The Gunners narrowly finished in fourth place last season, needing a win on the final day of the Premier League season to help them finish above North London rivals Tottenham. For much of last season, many thought that the club would fail to reach the Champions League and lose out on it’s huge financial benefits but they made it eventually and reportedly have the biggest transfer budget in the clubs history to spend on players. One area where Arsenal were lacking last season was up-front. The Gunners sold star striker Robin Van Persie to rivals Manchester United and in losing the Dutchman they also lost most of their goals. Despite signing Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, the Gunners never replaced the prolific striker. That needs to be addressed this summer and it looks like Arsene Wenger has found his man in the form of Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentine has been heavily linked with the Gunners and is regarded as one of the best front-men in Europe. He scores plenty of goals and always seems to be in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the back of the net. If Arsenal are serious about winning the Premier League again they will need a proven goal scorer and Higuain is certainly that.
Arsenal- Player Out- Nicklas Bendtner
Bendtner arrived at Arsenal as one of the most highly rated young strikers in Europe and although there were moments of brilliance from the Dane, he was largely disappointing in an Arsenal shirt. He failed to start many games and when he did get an opportunity, he rarely produced against the best teams. The striker hasn’t played for Arsenal in two years, having been sent out on loan to Sunderland and then Juventus. He was just as disappointing at the Italian Champions, only playing in a handful of games and now looks set to leave Arsenal for good this summer. Bendtner has said that a host of clubs are interested in him and a move to German side Eintracht Frankfurt looks to be on the cards. Arsenal fans certainly won’t shed any tears when the Dane leaves the Emirates this summer.
Aston Villa- Player In- Gareth Barry
Aston Villa just about survived their brush with relegation last season and for much of the year, Paul Lambert’s men were many pundits favourites to go down. They managed to turn it around right at the end of the season after suffering many heavy defeats during the first few months of season, especially their 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea. Paul Lamabert stuck with youth for most of the season and his decision was just about justified but the club need to bring in some experience if they are to avoid another relegation battle. For the experience that they need, they could sign former player Gareth Barry, who currently only has one year left to run on his current contract at Manchester City and isn’t expected to play much of a role in new manager Manuel Pellegrini’s plans. Signing Barry would give Villa the experience they so desperately need and would provide leadership at difficult points in the season. Although Barry is currently on a £100,000 a week contract at City, it is unlikely he could demand such a contract due to his age and a move back to his former club might interest him, despite the frosty relationship he has with the clubs fans, which could be smoothed over after a few good performances.
Aston Villa- Player Out- Darren Bent
Bent was one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers when he joined Aston Villa but his time at Villa Park hasn’t been a happy one. Last season he struggled to hold down a regular place in the clubs first team, with Paul Lambert preferring to use Christan Benteke up front. Lambert’s decision paid off as Benteke scored 19 goals for the club and kept them in the Premier League. Bent is almost certain to leave Villa this summer following his disappointing time at the club and reports even suggest that he has been told to train away from the first team. Newcastle are thought to be front-runners for the former England frontman, while Crystal Palace and Hull City are also considering putting in a bid for Bent. Villa are thought to want around £6 million for the striker and Bent will hope that he finds his goal scoring touch at a new club.
Cardiff City- Player In- Victor Wanyama
Cardiff will play their first ever season in the Premier League and manager Malky Mackay is hoping to strengthen his first team during the summer, with a tough relegation battle ahead for the Bluebirds. The Welsh club have been linked with several players that could improve their team this summer and appear to be able to splash the cash on new players. One player that they have been linked with is Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama. The Kenyan is one of the most highly rated central midfielders in Europe at the moment and he has been tracked by the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Inter Milan. Signing a player of Wanyama’s quality would be a huge coup for Swansea and would send a message to Premier League clubs that Cardiff are going to fight for their Premier League status. The midfielder would have the opportunity to develop at Cardiff and would get plenty of first team football. The signing of Wanyama could be the difference between relegation and survival for Cardiff.
Cardiff City- Player Out- Joe Lewis
Lewis may need to leave Swansea for his own good rather than the clubs good. He signed for the Bluebirds last summer but has struggled to get into the clubs first team, often finding himself on the bench. The 25 year old was earmarked as a future England goalkeeper not long ago but has struggled recently and not getting any first team appearances will continue to hurt his career. He needs to leave for a club that will give him regular first team football so that he can get back to levels that he reached while at Peterborough United.
Chelsea- Player In- Edinson Cavani
Confidence is high at Chelsea at the moment with Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge. The Blues have been made favourites for the Premier League title on the strength of Mourinho’s return but Chelsea aren’t the same club that he left in 2007. Players like John Terry and Frank Lampard are coming to the end of their careers and with Fernando Torres struggling, the Blues don’t have a dangerous, prolific striker like Didier Drogba. Signing a striker of real quality is right at the top of Mourinho’s to do list and the club have been heavily linked with a move for Napoli striker Edinson Cavani. The Uruguay international has been prolific for Napoli, scoring 29 goals last season as he became Serie A’s top goal scorer. The signing of Cavani would be a statement of real intent from Mourinho and Chelsea and Cavani would be a man that would strike fear into many defences in the Premier League. Napoli are currently playing hard ball over the strikers asking price and will not sell Cavani for anything less than £53 million. The Blues will hope that they can persuade the Italian club to lower their demands and then sign a player who really would make them Premier League contenders again.
Chelsea- Player Out- Fernando Torres
Torres is the most expensive footballer in the British game, having cost Chelsea £50 million in 2011. The Spaniard was once one of the Premier League’s most dangerous strikers and was prolific during his time at Liverpool. However, since he signed for Chelsea, he has been largely disappointing and has failed to score the goals that Chelsea had hoped he would. With Jose Mourinho returning to Stamford Bridge, Torres days at Chelsea could be numbered and he has already been used as part of deal to try and sign Edinson Cavani. Chelsea’s bid failed but it seems that Torres will be leaving anyway. Barcelona are reportedly interested in bringing the striker back to Spain and are considering bidding £17 million for Torres. Chelsea will more than likely bite Barca’s hands off if they offer that amount for Torres even though they will be losing £33 million on the striker. Should Torres stay at Chelsea, it is unlikely that he will get many first team opportunities and may have to get used to warming the bench.
Crystal Palace- Player In- Wilfred Zaha
Although Palace have no chance of signing Zaha on a permanent basis they could still persuade Manchester United to send him back to Selhurst Park on loan. Zaha signed for Manchester United for £17 million in January but was loaned back to Palace to help with the club’s push for promotion. He also got much needed game time during the second half of last season, something he wouldn’t have got at United. Zaha was excellent for Palace as the club achieved their goal of getting promotion back to the Premier League. The winger scored two crucial goals in Palace’s play-off semi-final against arch-rivals Brighton and Hove Albion. Palace would love to have young winger back in their side for their Premier League campaign and the winger would certainly fight for the club. Palace are set to have a tough season in the Premier League and are many pundits favourites to go down but signing someone like Zaha may give the club the boost that it needs.
Crystal Palace- Player Out- Aaron Wilbraham
Wilbraham struggled during his first season with Crystal Palace, scoring no league goals for the club and spending most of his time on the bench. Many Palace fans believe that with Wilbraham struggling to score goals in the Championship, he will find it almost impossible to score goals in the Premier League, where defences are much tougher to crack. The striker may end up moving away from Selhurst Park during the summer and probably back down to the Championship, where he will hope to have more luck in finding the back of the net.
Everton- Player In- Alvaro Negredo
It is going to be a strange summer at Goodison Park following the change of manager. David Moyes has left to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and Roberto Martinez has left Wigan to become the Toffees new manager. Arguably, Martinez most important job this summer is to keep his current squad together, with star players Leighton Baines and Maurone Fellaini being the subject of interest from many of their Premier League rivals. However, the Spaniard will hope that he gets the opportunity to sign a few players this summer to help Everton keep punching above their weight as they so often did under Moyes. The signing of a striker maybe one of the first things that Martinez looks into and Everton have been heavily linked with Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo. The Spaniard has been in excellent form for Sevilla but the club may have to sell him due to their financial situation. This could give Everton the opportunity to sign Negredo and the Spaniard would almost certainly bring plenty of goals with him to Goodison Park. Martinez will want to make sure that Everton continue qualifying for European competitions and signing a proven striker like Negredo would help with that.
Everton- Player Out- Nikica Jelavic
Jelavic had an excellent first season for Everton, scoring plenty of goals with many pundits predicting that the Croatian could end up being one of the Premier League’s best strikers. However, Jelavic has struggled in his second season, scoring only 8 goals for the Toffees. During the last few months of the season, he even had to content with being placed on the bench, which seemed to hurt his confidence even more. With a new manager coming in, maybe Jelavic’s form will return but he looked a shadow of his former self during last season and it is maybe time for Everton to move the Croatian on and look for other options up front.
Fulham- Player In- Scott Parker
Despite his advancing years, Parker would be an excellent signing for Fulham, with his experience and quality providing a lot to the Fulham squad. Fulham have a good record of taking older players and giving them a new lease of life. Dimitar Berbatov had an excellent first season for the club last season having spent most of the previous season warming the bench for Manchester United. Parker looks like he could be on his way out at Tottenham, with Spurs poised to sign Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, meaning Parker won’t get many first team opportunities at the club next season. Fulham would be an excellent place for Parker to come and play out his final years and Martin Jol would love to have the Englishman at the club.
Fulham- Player Out- Hugo Rodallega
Rodallega is a striker with quality as he showed on numerous occasions for Wigan Athletic but he hasn’t quite found his best form during his time at Fulham. The striker has only scored 3 goals for the club and has made most of appearances for Fulham from the bench, which is not where he wants to be starting games. He has had to compete with a rejuvenated Dimitar Berbatov during his time at the club and hasn’t been able to get games ahead of the striker. It might be time for Rodallega to move clubs and play somewhere that he can be assured of first team football. If he starts more games he may just find his goal scoring touch again.
Hull City- Player In- Darren Bent
Much has been made about clubs that get promoted to the Premier League needing a player who can score at least 15 goals for them during a season. This can be the difference between staying in the Premier League for another season or being relegated. The Premier league is a very tough league to stay in and having a quality striker will go along way to ensuring Premier League survival. Hull’s manager Steve Bruce is a very experienced manager and will know this fact only to well. That is why he is so desperate for his club to sign a quality striker during the summer transfer window. Hull have been linked with Aston Villa’s want away striker Darren Bent and the former England international would be perfect for the club. Bent was a prolific striker before he moved to Aston Villa and will more than likely guarantee a team at least 15 goals in a season. Bruce is chasing Bent and is thought to be ready to pay the £6 million asking price to land the striker. Bent really could be difference between relegation and staying in the Premier League for Hull.
Hull City- Player Out- Matty Fryatt
Fryatt suffered a serious Achilles injury during last season, meaning he barely played for Hull during the last campaign. He did return for the last few games of the season but failed to score any goals. With Steve Bruce set to sign a quality striker this summer, it may be difficult for Fryatt to get back into the clubs first team, especially as he will still be recovering from injury. It may be that Fryatt leaves the club or is sent out on loan so that he can get plenty of first team action that will see him return to his prolific best.
Liverpool- Player In- Christan Benteke
Liverpool have been busy throughout the summer, signing several players that could help the club challenge for a Champions League place next season. However, with Luis Suarez set to leave the club during the summer, manager Brendan Rodgers will need to re-enforce his attacking options and Christan Benteke is a possible target. The striker had a fantastic first season in English football with Aston Villa, scoring 19 goals and impressing whenever he was on the pitch. Liverpool are in need of a proven goal scorer and the Belgian certainly fits the bill. Even if Liverpool do keep Suarez, the club may still move for Benteke and pair the two up-front for next season. Aston Villa are reluctant to let their star striker leave the club this summer and have slapped a £25 million price tag on the Belgian’s head. That hasn’t stopped Liverpool being interested and Benteke has so far refused to sign a new contract with Villa, increasing the possibility that he may leave this summer.
Liverpool- Player Out-Stewart Downing
Downing was signed from Aston Villa for an eye watering £20 million and has done little to justify that price tag during his time with the Reds. The winger has often be disappointing for Liverpool, failing to put in good crosses when he is in a good position and the player has had his fair share of injury problems. The winger has hardly scored any goals for the club either and it maybe time for the Reds to cut their losses and try and sell Downing while they can command at least a decent price. Brendan Rodgers was close to selling the winger during the January transfer window but decided not to and used the winger as a left back in few games for Liverpool. However, not a lot of improvement was shown and Downing could be shown the door out of Anfield shortly.
Manchester City- Player In- Robert Lewandowski
New Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is looking to replace Carlos Tevez, who left for Juventus last month. City currently only have two first team strikers at the club and re-enforcements will need to be signed before the start of the season. The Sky Blues were interested in Napoli striker Edinson Cavani but were put off the Uruguay internationals asking price and have now turned their attentions to Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker has been compared with Dutch legend Marco Van Basten following a series of superb performances in the Champions League. It was thought that Lewandowski would be moving to Bayern Munich but Dortmund have refused to sell the striker to their arch rivals. This has left the door open for City to make a move and City may only have to pay around £25 million for the Pole as his contract expires with Dortmund next year. However, Lewandowski still has his eyes on Bayern Munich and may just stay at Dortmund for one more season then move to Bayern on a free transfer.
Manchester City- Player Out- Jolean Lescott
Lescott played an important role in City’s title winning side during the 2011/2012 season, forming an excellent central defensive partnership with captain Vincent Kompany. However, he saw himself fall down the pecking order at City last season, losing his starting spot to young defender Matija Nastasic. This has meant that Lescott is unsettled and annoyed and doesn’t understand why he was replaced. It is thought that Lescott could continue to be disappointed at City, with Manuel Pellegrini set to stick with Kompany and Nastasic at the back. This means that Lescott will probably have to move on if he wants to get first team football. Lescott wants to be a part of England’s squad for next summers World Cup and won’t do that on the bench so it is likely that he will be departing the Etihad this summer if he doesn’t get more first team opportunities.
Manchester United- Player In- Cristano Ronaldo
This is arguably the dream for most Manchester United fans, the Portuguese star coming back to Old Trafford to play for his old club. It could become a reality as the player has said that he misses life at United and also misses English football. It is thought that he is unhappy at current club Real Madrid and said so during an interview in October. Also, Ronaldo has yet to sign a contract extension with Real Madrid, meaning he can leave the club in two years for free. Madrid are desperate to hold onto Ronaldo and don’t want to see him leaving during his peak years. However, Ronaldo continues to deny that he is talking with Madrid about a new contract and United fans are getting more and more optimistic about the Portuguese star returning. Ronaldo clearly enjoyed being back at Old Trafford during the Champions League game between United and Real Madrid and unless Madrid act quickly to tie the player down to a longer contract, Ronaldo could be back wowing crowds at Old Trafford.
Manchester United- Player Out- Nani
Nani has been at Manchester United since 2007 and the club thought they were buying the next Cristano Ronaldo. Nani has shown the odd brief moment of quality and the odd spectacular goal but he has largely been disappointing during his time at Old Trafford. The Portuguese winger has struggled to hold down a regular first team spot in the United starting line-up and injuries kept him out of the team for most of last season. United have brought in players like Antonio Valenca and Ashley Young, who have both kept Nani out of the side. The winger only has one year left on his contract and now maybe the time for United to cut their losses and sell Nani. Reports have suggested that United will accept offers of £8 million for the winger with Arsenal and AS Monaco interested in the player.
Newcastle United- Player In- Pierre-Emerick-Aubameyang
Newcastle United had an excellent 2011/2012 season, finishing in 5th place, one place off the Champions League spots. Fast forward a year later and the Magpies were fighting a relegation battle that they very nearly lost. Alan Pardew’s squad was stretched to the limit and the club lost one of their stars players in January when Demba Ba left to join Chelsea. Pardew didn’t get the opportunity to properly replace Ba but will look to do so this summer and he has set his sights on St Etienne striker Pierre-Emerick-Aubameyang. The striker is one of the most highly rated frontmen in French football and has been linked with a move away from St Etienne this summer. Newcastle want Aubameyang and apparently the feeling is mutual, with the player stating his interest in a move to Newcastle. The Magpies have had success in signing French based players and will look to do the same with Aubameyang.
Newcastle United- Player Out- Check Tiote
The midfielder was once one of Newcastle’s most highly rated players and was linked with moves to Manchester United and Arsenal last summer. However, Tiote hasn’t had a strong season at St James’s Park and his stock has dramatically fallen. He failed to make a real impression on Newcastle’s season and many believe that the player could be leaving this summer. It is possible that Tiote could need a new challenge to get himself back to his best and Newcastle are certainly not short of cover in central midfield.
Norwich City- Player In- Ola Toivonen
Norwich are desperate to strengthen their striking options for the forthcoming season and have identified PSV Eindhoven’s Old Toivonen as the player to do that. The Canaries have already signed highly-rated striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and will hope that Toivonen will give the Dutchman plenty of competition during the course of the season. Norwich were one of the favourites to be relegated last season but Chris Hughton’s side did a good job, keeping themselves away from the main relegation dog-fight for much of the season. Even so Hughton isn’t resting on his laurels and thinks that signing Toivonen will give them an edge up front. Reports have suggested that Norwich have already agreed a fee with PSV for the striker and will be discussing personal terms with the Swede shortly.
Norwich City- Player Out- Grant Holt
Holt has been excellent for Norwich and scored many important goals for them during the clubs first season in the Premier League. Many believed that Holt was in line for a call up to England’s national team but that never materialised. Holt then struggled during Norwich’s second season in the top flight, only scoring 8 goals for the Canaries. With manager Chris Hughton set to sign attacking re-enforcements during the summer, Holt’s time at Carrow Road could be up, with some of Norwich’s Premier league rivals interested in the Englishmen. It remains to be seen whether Norwich will want to sell Holt to a potential relegation rival but it seems that the striker is planning for a move away from the club. Holt is said to be unhappy at the competition for places at Norwich next season and is in favour of a move away from the club.
Southampton- Player In- Leandro Damiao
The Brazilian has been strongly linked with a move to Premier League for almost a year now, with Tottenham having bid several times for Damiao. On every occasion, the Brazilian’s club Internacional has rejected the bid, with Damiao staying in Brazil. That could change this season though as the striker is looking to move to Europe, where many of his fellow countrymen play their football. Spurs are once again interested in Damiao but Southampton have now joined the race for the striker. The Saints have more money to spend this summer than anyone thought and are desperately looking to sign a top quality striker. Damiao would certainly fit the bill but it is unknown whether he would interested in signing for a club that is unlikely to playing in the Champions League anytime soon.
Southampton- Player Out- Guly Do Prado
The striker played 21 times for Southampton last season and helped the club to stay in the Premier League but he failed score any goals for the South coast side and with Southampton in the market for a quality striker this summer, Prado looks certain to move on. He has been linked with a move back to the Championship, with Millwall and Leicester City interested in the front-man. Do Prado can be much more dangerous in the Championship, having scored 11 goals for Southampton during the 2011/2012 season when they achieved promotion to the Premier League.
Stoke City- Player In- Roque Santa Cruz
New Stoke manager Mark Hughes is hoping to reinvent the club during the summer by signing players that will change the clubs philosophy. Stoke were often the subject of criticism from fans and pundits when Tony Pulis was at the club but Mark Hughes will look to make Stoke more pleasing on the eye. He will also hope to sign a top quality striker and has set his sights on one of his former players, Roque Santa Cruz. Hughes signed Santa Cruz when he was manager of Blackburn and then Manchester City and the pair struck up a good relationship during their time at Ewood Park. Santa Cruz scored a lot of goals for Hughes and the Welshman will be hoping that he could do the same if he joined him at Stoke.
Stoke City- Player Out- Peter Crouch
Crouch is arguably one of the most successful English strikers of his generation and has scored plenty of goals for many different clubs. He has also enjoyed his time at Stoke, scoring a wide variety of different goals including a fantastic volley against Manchester City. However, the tall striker struggled at Stoke last season, scoring only 8 goals as the club flirted with relegation. Mark Hughes has since taken over from Tony Pulis at the Britannia and that could spell the end of Crouch’s time at the club, with Hughes looking at bringing in his own striking options for the forthcoming season.
Sunderland- Player In- Tom Huddlestone
Sunderland finished fourth from bottom in the Premier League last season and came very close to relegation, which would have been a disaster for the Black Caps. Paulo Di Canio is looking to completely overhaul his squad during the summer and is looking at re-enforcing his sides midfield. The Italian has identified Tottenham’s Tom Huddlestone as the man who can shape his new look for the club. Huddlestone is strong and good on the ball but has struggled to break into Spurs first team under Andre Villas Boas and looks set to leave the club this summer. Sunderland have reportedly bid £5 million for Huddlestone and both parties are thought to be keen to get a deal done. Huddlestone was once on the fringes of the England team and would like to be in England manager Roy Hodgson’s thought for next summers World Cup squad. Huddlestone needs to be playing first football to do that and will hope to get that at Sunderland.
Sunderland- Player Out- Danny Graham
Graham has only been at Sunderland for 7 months having signed for the club in January for a fee of £5 million. In that time, Graham has failed to score his first goal for the club despite making 11 first team appearances. Sunderland thought they were getting a striker who was full of confidence from his goal scoring exploits at Swansea but the former Watford player has been a complete flop for the Black Cats. Graham looks set to leave the club this summer despite his short stay, with Paulo Di Canio looking to bring in his own attacking re-enforcements. Former club Middlesbrough are interested in Graham but it is unlikely that they could afford Sunderland’s asking price which will be around the £5 million that they paid for him in January.
Swansea City- Player In- Wilfried Bony
Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup is desperate to re-enforce his striking options this summer and give Spaniard striker Michu some real competition. The Dane has identified Vitesse Arnhem’s Wilfried Bony as the man to join the League Cup winners this summer and the Welsh club have reportedly already made a £10.2 million offer the striker. Laudrup is desperate to build on Swansea’s impressive campaign last year and needs to re-enforce his squad for the rigours of European football. Bony would create good competition at the Liberty Stadium and could help Swansea sustain their position in the Premier League’s top ten. They will face competition for Bony from West Ham, who have also submitted a £10.2 million bid for the striker.
Swansea City- Player Out- Nathan Dyer
Dyer has been an impressive player for Swansea during his time at the club after arriving at the Liberty Stadium for just £400,000. The winger played his part in Swansea’s success last season and made 33 appearances for the club, scoring 6 goals. However, the time maybe right for Dyer to leave. With Michael Laudrup set to re-enforce his side for next season, Dyer could see himself slipping out of Swansea’s starting line-up. Everton are thought to be interested in signing Dyer and a £5 million bid is reportedly on the table.
Tottenham Hotspur- Player In- David Villa
Spurs narrowly missed out on a place in the Champions League following a fifth placed finish in the Premier League and the club suffered from a lack of goals from the strikers Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermaine Defoe. Manager Andre Villas-Boas is determined to sort that out and will sign at least two quality strikers this summer. His main target is thought to be Barcelona striker David Villa, who is no longer part of the Spanish Champions first team plans. Villa will bring plenty of goals with him to White Hart Lane, having been one of the most reliable marksmen in world football for many years. Although Villa is 31, Barcelona are demanding £12 million for him. Spurs are unwilling to pay that amount of money but believe that they can get Barcelona’s valuation down. Villa is interested in a move to Spurs, having always admired the Premier League and would love to play in England’s top flight at some point in his career.
Tottenham Hotspur- Player Out- Emmanuel Adebayor
Adebayor is arguably one of the most frustrating strikers in world football, with the capacity to do brilliant things but also look lazy and disinterested. He hasn’t had a very good season for Spurs, with supporters frustrated at his lack of effort. It could be that the striker is no longer the player that he once was and Adebayor looks set to leave White Hart Lane, with Andre Villas-Boas looking to sign some new strikers for the forthcoming season. Fenerbache are reportedly interested in signing Adebayor and Spurs will hope that they can offload the striker so that they can create some money to spend on new targets.
West Bromwich Albion- Player In- Nicolas Anelka
Anelka has had an interesting career and has spent most of his time playing in the Premier League. He has had success at Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea and it looks like he could be returning to the Premier League this summer with West Brom. The Frenchman is currently a free agent having been released by Italian Champions Juventus and the striker is set to hold talks with the Baggies soon. The only problem could be Anelka’s wage demands, which could still be high even though he is 34 but the striker will be interested in a move back to the Premier league due to his previous success with many other clubs.
West Bromwich Albion- Player Out- Peter Odemwingie
Odemwingie has been living on borrowed time at West Brom for awhile now. The striker wanted to leave the Hawthorns in January and even showed up to QPR’s ground, Loftus Road, without the permission of West Brom, hoping to compete a deal that would see him sign for Harry Redknapp’s side. This angered manager Steve Clarke and more importantly the clubs supporters, who are never likely to forgive him. The striker still wants to leave the Hawthorns and has attracted interest from Premier League new boys Crystal Palace, as well as League Cup winners Swansea City.
West Ham United- Player In- Demba Ba
Ba made the move from Newcastle to Chelsea in January and has had a fairly successful half a season at Stamford Bridge, scoring a few fantastic goals and generally being a reliable member of Rafa Benitez team. However, now that Jose Mourinho has taken over, it looks like Ba’s stay at Chelsea will be a short one, with Mourinho looking to sign his own strikers. West Ham are ready to offer Ba a new home and would love to pair Ba with Andy Carroll, who recently signed for West Ham permanently. The only problem could be that Chelsea will still demand a fee of around £7 million for Ba and it is unlikely that the Hammers could afford to spend more money on another striker, having paid £15.5 million for Carroll.
West Ham United- Player Out- Carlton Cole
Cole has had a successful career at West Ham, scoring the goals that helped them get promoted back to the Premier League. However, with Andy Carroll at the club last season, he was no longer the clubs first choice striker and with Carroll now becoming a permanent member of West Ham’s team, Cole chances of first team football look slim. A move away from the club could benefit him as he was once a highly rated striker in the Premier League, earning a few England caps when he was at his best.