Football Dispatch

Wednesday Football
22 August 2007
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy held emergency talks with manager Martin Jol, yesterday. At issue -- the club's poor start to the season and the board of director's desire for Champions' League football. And while Levy didn't go so far as to provide a vote of confidence for Jol, he stated that the Dutchman was safe in his job for the time being. Jol's future at White Hart Lane is dependent on a top-4 finish this term and qualification for next year's Champions' League. A rupture between Jol and Levy became evident after the Dutchman requested approval for the sale of star striker Dimitar Berbatov. Levy, dumbfounded, responded by dispatching an envoy to Spain with a mandate to lure Sevilla boss Juande Ramos to north London. Ramos, as it turns out, held corresponding talks, yesterday, with Sevilla chairman Jose Maria Del Nido. After a brief meeting, the two-time UEFA Cup winner confirmed that he would be seeing-out his contract at Sevilla despite an "amazing, dizzying offer" from Tottenham.

AC Milan have signed Brazilian international midfielder Emerson. After just one season at Real Madrid, the 31-year-old will join his third club in three seasons after initially moving to the Bernabeu as part of the Juventus fire-sale last summer. At a fee of 4M-pounds, the Rossoneri have acquired a world-class holding midfielder for a relative bargain. Emerson, however, will have to fight for a place in manager Carlo Ancelotti's squad. Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso are firmly entrenched in the centre of the midfield.

Milan supporters, meanwhile, will be barred from traveling to their club's season-opener at Genoa. The ruling comes after threatening messages were painted on walls throughout Ligurian city. A Genoa fan was stabbed to death following clashes with Milan's traveling contingent in 1995 -- the last time the Rossoblu were in the Serie-A.

Two options have emerged for Manchester United's stranded left-back Gabriel Heinze. The 29-year-old Argentina international was prevented from joining Liverpool by a Premier League arbitration board, yesterday. And although he is set to appeal the ruling, both West Ham and Olympique Lyonnais have come in for his services. Lyon, in particular, appear interested. Manager Alain Perrin is under substantial scrutiy after just one win through four rounds of the Ligue-1 season. And with Eric Abidal's departure to Barcelona this summer, Lyon are desperate for a world-class left-back to take his place. Perrin is also rumored to be tracking Mikael Silvestre. Capable of playing both left-back and centre-half, Silvestre is merely a squad player at Old Trafford.

Sevilla have rejected an additional two bids for right wing-back Daniel Alves. Chelsea and Real Madrid are the only clubs to have been publicly linked to the 24-year-old Brazil international. Late last week, Chelsea's 21.5M-pound bid was laughed-off by Sevilla chairman Jose Maria Del Nido. The UEFA Cup winners are believed to be holding-out for a transfer fee of 27M-pounds.

Portsmouth look intent on ridding themselves of over-hyped England international forward David Nugent. After attempting to sell the 22-year-old to Derby last week, Pompey manager Harry Redknapp has offered Nugent and 6M-pounds to Middlesbrough in exchange for Yakubu. Intent on a move to Everton, however, the 24-year-old Nigerian immediately scuttled any notion of the deal. David Moyes is believed to have agreed Middlesbrough's 11.5M-pound valuation of Yakubu just this afternoon.

Redknapp's second striking option is Nicolas Anelka. The 28-year-old Frenchman is desperate to leave Bolton Wanderers and has made numerous attempts at provoking a transaction. Yesterday, Anelka claimed that Trotters had no choice but to sell him because they were short of funds. Still, Anelka would prefer a move to a Champions' League contender; and given Manchester United's lack of forward depth at the moment, he may have a suitor in waiting. Bolton have valued Anelka at roughly 12M-pounds.