Fergie Wants To Spend In January… But Who On?

“I would like to do business, but only if the prices are right – and that can be a problem in January,” Ferguson said today.

We have been ‘warned off’ Carlton Cole after reports in the papers reckoned we were ready to part with £20m for the Chelsea reject. Don’t get me wrong, he’s doing a good job for West Ham this season but Darren Bent is having a better time at Sunderland. Should we go for him too?

If not Cole, then maybe Jack Rodwell will be joining us for £16m, although reports suggest Chelsea are also keen and Everton are asking for £20m. He wouldn’t be the first high priced teenager we’ve lured from Merseyside but Rooney was doing the business on an International level when we forked out the cash for him. Even the supposed £16m is a lot of money for an 18-year-old who has yet to prove himself on any big stage.

There’s still time for a repeated transfer rumour though, with Philipp Lahm tipped to finally make a £15m to replace Gary Neville. There has been talk of this deal for some time but Bayern Munich have understandably reluctant to sell. However, vice-captain Lahm was fined by the club last week after taking part in an interview which was not approved by the club in which he ‘attacked the club, the coach and his fellow players.’ Bayern are currently 8th in the German league and Lahm compared their situation with that of United and Barcelona’s.

“Clubs like Manchester United and Barcelona have a system in place and they go out to buy a player who fits into that system,” he said. “In a strong side, you need at least eight players who know the club, know their position well, are self-confident and are competitive. I do not see those eight players with us and it is not just the current players fault, it is the philosophy which has been missing over the last year.”

And no rumours page could be complete without us being linked to ‘the next *insert great player’s name here*’. Connor Wickham, Ipswich’s youngest ever first team player, 16-years-old and 6ft 3in tall, scored a hattrick for England U-17, can’t sign a pro deal until March, and most importantly, ‘the next Wayne Rooney’.