Fact or Fiction on the Hottest Transfer Rumours
This article will declare fact or fiction on the hottest transfer rumours spreading across the internet.
West Ham United to sign a former European Golden Shoe winner? Monaco forward Radamel Falcao to Chelsea? Fulham forward Dimitar Berbatov to Barcelona? Manchester United may sign which former Real Madrid centre-back?
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Falcao
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The Transfer Rumour: Chelsea will target Monaco forward Radamel Falcao in the January transfer window, according to Ben Jefferson at The Express.
Fact Or Fiction: Fiction
Monaco manager Claudio Ranieri has built the team around Falcao.
"The team should offer more support to Falcao and give him the ball more," Ranieri said, via FourFourTwo. "Falcao is a player who can strengthen our confidence."
Falcao pays no income tax, his compatriot James Rodriguez is at the club and Joao Moutinho, a teammate of Falcao at Porto, is orchestrating play in midfield.
Monaco's upside is just as high as Chelsea, so it is not like Falcao is joining Bayern Munich for footballing reasons.
If Falcao joins Chelsea, what happens to the long-term future of Romelu Lukaku?
The Blues should grit their teeth through the current season and then give the keys to Lukaku next season.
Dimitar Berbatov
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The Transfer Rumour: Fulham forward Dimitar Berbatov could move to Barcelona, according to Ben Jefferson at The Express.
Fact Or Fiction: Fiction
"I haven't heard the rumour that Berbatov is linked to Barcelona," Barcelona star Lionel Messi said, from TV7 via Hannah Duncan at The Metro. "It's not my business to interfere with the club's transfer decisions but I think it's impossible for Dimitar [Berbatov] to join Barcelona."
Impossible being an inference to Berbatov operating in the same space as Messi which was a factor in Zlatan Ibrahimovic's departure (the other being a personality clash with Pep Guardiola).
Diego Forlan
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The Transfer Rumour: West Ham United are targeting Internacional forward Diego Forlan, according to Mirror Football.
Fact Or Fiction: Fiction
West Ham need a striker since Modibo Maiga has yet to score in the Premier League this season, and Kevin Nolan prefers playing behind a No. 9 as opposed to leading the line.
When asked when Andy Carroll, who has had an injury-plagued year, will be back, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce did not have an answer.
Forlan, the former European Golden Shoe recipient and 2010 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner, has been thrown into the mix, but his last foray in the Premier League was inconsistent at best (17 goals in 98 games for Manchester United).
Allardyce would be better off targeting Alessio Cerci of Torino, who has scored eight goals, in a free-roaming role.
Ezequiel Garay
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The Transfer Rumour: Manchester United are going to make a move for Benfica centre-back Ezequiel Garay, according to Jeremy Cross and Paul Brown at The Daily Star.
Fact Or Fiction: Fiction
Garay's pedigree is there, being a former Real Madrid player and an Argentine international, but United don't need a centre-back as they are stacked.
Unless Garay's relationship with Benfica has become irreconcilable recently, it appears unlikely for him to force a transfer away having stated he was content in September.
"I am under contract with Benfica and I am very happy here," Garay said, from A Bola via Paulo Freitas at Sky Sports.
Statistics via WhoScored.com, FFT Stats Zone, Squawka and Transfermarkt.
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