World Football: Top 13 Football Transfer Rumours of the Week

Carlos Tévez has an escape route from Eastlands... but it's not back to Buenos Aires. Is he a hypocrite? 

David Beckham will not return to the Los Angeles Galaxy because he is set to sign with one of the richest clubs in the world. Manchester City? 

I find it amazing that we're in November, yet January transfer rumours are going off the rails. 

Here's your weekly update of the top 13 transfer rumours you need to know. 

Nicolas Anelka

According to Neil McLeman at Mirror Football, Shanghai Shenhua of the Chinese Super League will sign Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka. 

Anelka is a nomad, having played for eight clubs in four countries over 15 years. 

I was surprised by this rumour, which seems to be gaining momentum. I would have thought big-spending Guangzhou Evergrande, which made Darío Conca the third most expensive player in the world, would have wanted to sign Anelka.

Shanghai will pay Anelka an absurd £9.2 million a year. 

Why not invest £9.2 million in grass-roots football to ensure you can produce talent, as opposed to paying ridiculously inflated wages for B-grade and generally C-grade talent?

Christopher Samba

According to Dave Kidd at The People, Blackburn Rovers centre back Christopher Samba will force a move to Liverpool. 

I believe Samba's performances have deteriorated because he isn't playing with the same intensity and passion as he did last season. 

My only concern with this transfer is, what happens to Sebastián Coates? Coates not getting game time for Liverpool is as baffling as Romelu Lukaku failing to make the bench for Chelsea. 

Lukas Podolski

Köln sporting director Volker Finke has candidly revealed star player Lukas Podolski will be allowed to leave. 

Without Podolski, Köln will be more susceptible to relegation, so it is surprising they are willing to let such an important player go. 

It's not like his contract ends this summer; in fact it ends in June 2013, so logic would say Köln are ready to cash in. 

London calling? 

Comment below with which club you think Podolski will end up at. 

Vágner Love

According to Luke Vooght at Sambafoot, troubled CSKA Moscow forward Vágner Love will once again head home to Flamengo. 

He'll be managed by Vanderlei Luxemburgo, the same manager who attempted to play a 4-2-2-2 at Real Madrid. Plaudits for originality, but the formation was flawed in so many ways. 

Love will link up with Ronaldinho, who aside from scoring goals, providing assists and partying has also been filming himself in an x-rated manner. 

It's so disappointing that someone of Love's ability does not want to play at a higher level. 

Oh well, CSKA still have Seydou Doumbia, one of the best forwards playing outside of the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A. 

Mehmet Topal

According to the Manchester Evening News, Valencia defensive midfielder Mehmet Topal is a target for Chelsea and Manchester City. 

Chelsea do not need a defensive midfielder, as Michael Essien will return. If André Villas-Boas wants to use a new midfielder, he should use Oriol Romeu.

Manchester City bought Owen Hargreaves to comply with the Financial Fair Play rules, so why would they buy an expendable player? 

If they are to buy a player, it will be an "untouchable" player, someone who will have the same impact of David Silva. 

So it's highly unlikely that Topal will join either Chelsea or Manchester City. 

Edinson Cavani

According to the Daily Mail, Napoli have welcomed Manchester City's interest in Edinson Cavani but have indicated that El Matador will be Sheikh Mansour's most expensive buy to date. 

I'm a big fan of Cavani, but when I watched him at Palermo, I did not expect him to become a world-class footballer. 

Last season, he was world class, not just with his goals but his forward pressing and his link-up play with Marek Hamšík and Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Also, did you know he has scored late game-winning or equalising goals in the 86th minute, 87th minute, 88th minute, 92nd minute, 93rd minute and 97th minute?

I do not understand why Manchester City want to buy him, because they don't need forwards.  

I would understand if Liverpool wanted to buy him, because he is a much better forward than Andy Carroll.

Oh, and the Kop would be treated to the Cavani-Luis Suárez show. 

They have a near telepathic relationship for Uruguay. 

Moussa Sow

According to Inside Futbol, Tottenham Hotspur may swap Roman Pavlyuchenko with Lille's Moussa Sow. 

I've seen Sow a few times this season, and he's disappointed me, but he did score against CSKA Moscow earlier this week. 

Against Toulouse, he was anonymous and missed a penalty. 

This season, he's struggled for goals in Ligue 1 and has been substituted in 69 percent of his games. 

Sebastien Squillaci

According to Wally Downes at talkSPORT, Espanyol want to sign Arsenal centre-back Sebastien Squillaci but cannot meet the £4 million transfer fee. 

Arsène Wenger may be tight when it comes to spending, but he has no problems ripping off other clubs.

How on earth can any club buy Squillaci? Have Espanyol not watched the calamitous Frenchman play? 

If he comes for free, then he'd just be another squad player. 

But there is no way he is worth £4 million. 

Mario Götze

According to the Mirror Football, Borussia Dortmund ace Mario Götze will not leave in January. 

I'd be surprised if the German said tschüss to a club he's been at since the age of nine without even finishing the season. 

The transfer would make more sense during the summer, which will give Dortmund ample time to find a replacement.

This means no Götze for Arsenal. 

Then again, they only need to wait an extra month for the return of Jack Wilshere. 

Gary Cahill

Owen Coyle has reluctantly admitted Gary Cahill will leave in January: 

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"If something comes in then I think for Gary and for everybody it is going to be better sooner rather than later."

"

Bolton Wanderers have the worst defence in the league, and Cahill has been poor but not as poor as Roger Johnson. 

With that said, I wouldn't suggest the Bolton centre-back for Arsenal because they need someone who is on top of his game. 

During the summer transfer window, I gave Arsenal an A for buying Per Mertesacker, but I also said:

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"It's about time Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger bought a centre back.

I think Per Mertesacker is on the decline, though this move could rejuvenate his career. 

Last season, he looked pretty mediocre." 

"

The German has been horrible, and my eyes did not deceive me, but they deceive Wenger. 

My eyes are telling me Cahill will be part of Arsenal's defensive problems as opposed to being the solution.

Kaká

According to John Cross at Mirror Football, Real Madrid want to sell Kaká to Chelsea for £30 million.

Oh, hell no! 

Chelsea are not getting screwed again. 

They bought Juan Sebastián Verón for £15 million, Andriy Shevchenko for £30.8 million and Fernando Torres for £50 million. 

Hopefully Roman Abramovich has learned his lesson. 

Then again, he probably thinks this is the same Kaká that made Gabriel Heinze and Patrice Evra look like fools.

David Beckham

According to Agence France-Presse, Paris St-Germain will offer David Beckham £11.6 million over 18 months.

Beckham had a good year for the Los Angeles Galaxy, but his contract ends in December, and having won the MLS Cup, it is likely that he will not stay in LA. 

PSG are signing Beckham not because he can offer more on the pitch than someone like Nenê, but more so because his high profile can make PSG internationally known. 

It's a win-win situation for PSG and Beckham. 

If Beckham does play for PSG, then he would have played football in three of the world's most beautiful cities—Madrid, Los Angeles and Paris. 

Carlos Tévez

According to Jason Burt at The Telegraph, Carlos Tévez's representatives are trying to engineer a move to A.C. Milan. 

It has to be a permanent deal, because Sheikh Mansour is a smart man who isn't going to loan out one of the best forwards in the world to a UEFA Champions League-competing team. 

If Tévez does move to Milan, it would just reveal how much of a hypocrite he is. 

Milan is further from Buenos Aires than Manchester is. Go figure.

Relive Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United.