Football Dispatch

Wednesday Football
13 June 2007
Blackburn Rovers are the latest Premiership club to be linked with a foreign takeover. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is the most serious suitor; and San Francisco businessman Jerome Simon has been sniffing around Ewood Park as well. Allen, however, remains the board of directors' preferential choice. Valued at 18-billion dollars, the Seattle native is chairman of Vulcan Inc. and Charter Communications. He also owns the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and the National Basketball Association's Portland Trail Blazers. Allen's takeover plans hinge on the willingness of the trustees of Jack Walker's estate to sell the former owner and chairman's interest in the football club. However, their approval is likely and a deal is expected to be agreed by the end of July.
Arsenal have launched a bid for Juventus striker David Trezeguet. The 29-year-old France international believes he has been low-balled by the Turin club in contract negotiations and will cut his ties with the Serie-A this summer. Regarding his situatation, he remarked, "This club does not respect me and has made me a contract offer which makes me understand they have made other choice. So I will leave." Trezeguet came through the Monaco system while current Gunners manager Arsene Wenger was in charge in the principality. Wenger has remained an admirer of the forward and hopes that his arrival will convince Thierry Henry to remain at Emirates Stadium. At 5M-pounds, he comes at a bargain price -- even for Arsenal. Wenger is so desperate to placate his disgruntled captain that he will sign Trezeguet to a 3-year contract worth a whopping 90,000-pounds per-week.

It appears as though the top-four English clubs, and countless others throughout the continent, will miss-out on David Villa, this summer. The 25-year-old Valencia hit-man and Spain international is set to remain at the Mestalla for another season after none of his suitors were able to meet the asking-price. Poised to finish the domestic season at 4th place in the Liga table, Los Che will be able to provide Champions' League football and a chance at the title to Villa -- the best he could hope for at Liverpool or Manchester United. Essentially, Villa seems to be of the mind that Valencia offer as good a chance at trophies as any club in Europe.
West Ham are on the cusp of signing Darren Bent. After initially balking at Charlton Athletic's asking-price, Alan Curbishley appears resigned to shelling-out for the 23-year-old, England-capped striker. Despite spending much of last season on the sidelines through injury, Bent managed 15-goals for his club and hiked his transfer-value to an estimated 18M-pounds. His arrival rules-out a swoop for Jermaine Defoe which looked to be in the cards at Upton Park.

Chris Coleman has emerged a shock candidate for the vacant managerial position at Manchester City. The ex-Fulam boss was axed by Cottagers owner Mohammed El Fayed and replaced by former Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez in April. His hiring at Eastlands would be seen as something of a failure for City. They had initially pegged Claudio Ranieri, Gerrard Houlier, and Juande Ramos ahead of the Welshman. At the present, Ramos remains the only A-list candidate in the running. He is sorting-out his contract situation at Sevilla and has been served a 48-hour ultimatum by the City board of directors to settle on a decision. In the likelihood that he remains at the UEFA Cup Champions, Coleman will become the odds-on favorite to succeed Stuart Pearce.

Alan Smith has asked Sir Alex Ferguson to make a swift judgement regarding his future at Manchester United. The 26-year-old England striker has 2-years remaining on his current deal at Old Trafford but has received no indication that the club has any intention of extending his contract beyond 2009. Therefore, the former Leeds forward has requested that Ferguson add some clarity to the situation by either offering an assurance that he remains in the club's plans or by cutting him loose. Each of Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough, Everton, Sunderland, Aston Villa, and Rangers are following the situation closely.
As it happens, Roy Keane may be the favored bidder should Smith hit the open market. The former Manchester United captain played one-and-a-half seasons with Smith before transfering to Celtic in the winter of 2006 and was adequately impressed to consider putting the player in a Sunderland shirt. In fact, Keane is prepared to go above-and-beyond the asking-price and pay 7M-pounds for Smith -- the same amount which Sir Alex Ferguson paid Leeds for his signature in 2004.

However, Ferguson may be tempted to hold onto Smith for the short-term. United's number-two striker, Louis Saha, underwent a knee operation in the United States, this week, and will be sidelined for the better part of 6-months. Ferguson had intended to sell the 29-year-old Frenchman to either Spurs or Lyon -- plans which have been scuttled by Saha's latest round of injuries. If he is unable to buy another striker over the summer transfer period, Ferguson will probably retain Smith, at least until the January transfer window.

Nicky Shorey's break-out season at Reading not only garnered and England call-up from Steve MacLaren, but it also alerted several Premiership clubs as to his upside and ability. Foremost among the former Leighton Orient full-back's admirers is Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce. With Magpies desperate for depth along their entire back-line, Big Sam is considering a 5M-pound raid for the 26-year-old left-back. And he's not along. Since featuring for England against Brazil at Wembley earlier this month, Shorey has suddenly become one of the Premiership's hottest commodities.

The United States and Guetemala have advanced into the quarter-final stage of the Gold Cup. They join Canada and Costa Rica in the first knock-out stage of CONCACAF's top international competition. Demarkus Beasley scored twice for the Americans in a 4-0 win over El Selvador in Foxboro, yesterday. Landon Donovan's successful penalty conversion just before the interval and Taylor Twellman's 73rd-minute tally rounded-out the scoring at Gillette Stadium.

Guatemala's 1-1 draw with Trinadad & Tobago was enough to seal qualification to the quarter-final round. The task became even easier after T&T's Dwayne Jack was sent-off on the half-hour. Still, neither side was able to score until Ruiz opened Guatemala's account in the 84th-minute. They were unable to claim all 3-points, however, as Errol McFarlane equalized for the islanders just 3-minutes later.