More Silly Transfer Rumors
By: Inara | May 21st, 2008The latest transfer news involving players. I’ll have a post up later on Perrin and possible managers tomorrow.
Outgoing:
It’s always the same old story with Sidney Govou. He starts talking about leaving, but he always ends up staying. This year is no different. After all this talk about how he was at the right age to leave France, now he says that he has no problem staying at Lyon forever and ever.
Same deal with Gregory Coupet, who hasn’t decided whether he’ll stay at Lyon or go elsewhere this summer. According to him, there are equal chances of him staying as going. Look, I love Coupet, but he needs to make up his mind. Go with my blessing or stay with my blessing, but just pick one.
In another twist to the Hatem Ben Arfa saga, the rumors linking him to Arsenal have all but disappeared (YAY! I can’t stand Arsene Wenger!). Aulas said this morning that while Arsenal and another English club have made offers, if Marseille can match that financially, he would prefer that Ben Arfa stay in France. No word yet on what Ben Arfa thinks of all this.
Now that it’s obvious that Loic Remy will not be making his loan to Lens permanent, he has the choice of returning to Lyon or moving to Tottenham. Newcastle and Portsmouth are also interested. Lens did have the option to buy Remy for €10m, but it remains to be seen if these other interested clubs would be willing to pay a similar fee.
Fiorentina, who qualified for the Champions League next season at the expense of AC Milan, are looking at Anthony Reveillere as a solution to their right back troubles. Reveillere has been the object of much lust in Serie A, having been the target of Juventus, Roma, and Milan within the last two years, but he has so far opted to stay at Lyon. But reports are that he’s tired of always competing with Francois Clerc and would prefer to play where he would be the unquestionable starter.
Despite a wonderful end to the season, Fabio Grosso has yet to convince French media, who in turn are reporting that Lyon are unconvinced by him as well. While Grosso has said that he has no intention of leaving Lyon this summer, that hasn’t stopped Juventus from proclaiming their interest.
Fred still hasn’t signed that damn extension. I thought that he was happy at Lyon and glad that he hadn’t left in the winter? What does he want, more money? Oh right…
A player who will extend his contract is Remy Vercoutre, who looks likely to refuse the chance to be Nantes’ #1 keeper in order to stay at Lyon for another two years. Honestly, I don’t get this one.
Incoming:
I’m so thrilled to report that Lyon are looking at other left backs. Though I’m no longer to eager to part with Grosso, I do want another one to at least back him up. Michal Kadlec has been on Lyon’s radar for a while now, except now he too wants to come to Lyon. Excellent. He’s a terrific defender, so here’s hoping that Sparta Prague and Lyon can come to an agreement.
Another left back Lyon are linked with is Sylvain Armand…again. I’m not sure if this is for real or just intox. Lyon are claiming that these Armand rumors were created by Le Parisien in order to destabilize the atmosphere before the Coupe de France final between the two clubs.
Sonny Anderson traveled to Croatia to observe Hajduk Split striker Ante Rukavina. Lyon have been following him for two years now but have yet to make an actual move for him.
Miralem Pjanic is expected to sign a five year contract within the next few days. It’s taking so long because Lyon and Metz are taking their time coming to the best possible deal for both clubs. Estimated transfer fee should be around €7m.
And finally, Lyon are still following Hugo Lloris. Despite reports claiming that Lloris has all but signed for Milan, the player himself said he is still thinking about his options. Additionally, Nice and Milan have not come to any agreement either, so it’s still possible for Lyon to have a chance. But I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact the chance is a slim one.
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Tags: AC Milan, Ante Rukavina, Anthony Reveillere, Arsenal, Fabio Grosso, Fiorentina, Fred, Gregory Coupet, Hajduk Split, Hatem Ben Arfa, Hugo Lloris, Juventus, Lens, Loic Remy, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Michal Kadlec, Miralem Pjanic, Nantes, Newcastle, Player News and Rumors, Portsmouth, PSG, Remy Vercoutre, Sparta Prague, Sylvain Armand, Tottenham, TransfersSubscribe
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> sidney govou: Toulalan is on bench??? Did I read that correctly???
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Luxembourg
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Sam: Chelsea may be “hatable” for the Abramovic side, but a lot of players are quality and great. Lampard top of the list IMO.
I don’t think all Chelsea players are mercenaries, some do love their shirt. Chelsea had already many fans before Abramovic. I actually liked them a lot at the time of Zola and Sutton.
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Japan -
My preference for Chelsea is simply because there are more French players in their squad (however, I can’t stand Arsenal). Plus I dislike most of the United fans that I have met.
But I also think it’s not fair to say that Chelsea don’t deserve their success. It’s their right to create their own history – you’ve gotta start from somewhere! It’s true that they weren’t particularly successful until Abramovich took over, but so what? His way of doing business isn’t any different than United or Liverpool, Milan or Madrid, etc. Sure he funded some extravagant purchases, but looking at the transfers of the EPL top four in the last four years, those clubs can’t claim to be on the moral high ground. And I don’t think there is anything immoral in using money to buy success because all clubs do that. Liverpool took out loans to buy Torres and Babel. How is that any better than Abramovich paying for it out of his own pocket? I’m guessing that a lot of the resentment that Chelsea receives is because they burst onto the scene, so to speak. I’ve read that some fans think that Chelsea should have taken their time to “build” a side. But that’s silly. Given the resources in England, it’s all about having success now.
Anyway, no matter how much money Abramovich put into the club, at the end of the day, it’s the players who did the hard work on the pitch. Whether they are at Chelsea for the paycheck or because they wanted to be there, they got their club to within one penalty of the CL trophy.
Also, I think that Lyon are like Chelsea in many ways. Have we not also “bought” our success in a sense? Last year we spent 60 million euros on transfers, and we will probably do the same this summer, thereby far outspending our domestic rivals. And was Lyon’s history any richer than Chelsea’s when they became champions? Nope. You can say that Lyon aren’t relying on Aulas’s pockets, but they are relying on his business acumen. His decision to turn Lyon into a brand, with OL taxis, hairdressers, phone services, travel services, and food items like OL cheese and wine is just as unsavory I would think. Doesn’t that also cheapen Lyon as a club? And remember the Pauleta situation? That hardly made us angels the way we conducted that affair.
But that’s fine with me. Because realistically, I know that to succeed in this day and age of football, you need all the advantages you can get, and it’s called money, especially when you are competing with teams who already have a very big fanbase and heritage – Marseille and St. Etienne, for example. Without it, Lyon would have been unable to compete with them. I hate to say it, but I’m sure many Lyon fans nowadays are also bandwagoners. I know I am – I didn’t even know about Lyon until a few years ago. Of course there are just as many who have been supporting Lyon thick and thin even back in the early nineties, but that doesn’t mean they are “real” supporters while I’m a glory hunting “fake” supporter. It might have been Lyon’s initial success which attracted my attention, but I stayed with the club because I love Lyon, even during their ugly moments. So categorizing all Chelsea fans as badwagoners is unfair as well. Most of them genuinely love their club despite when they began supporting them.
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That is just for frendly games. Don’t take this seruiusly. Toulalan is key player in lyon’s tactics. But if we buy Makoun, he deserve chance. Toualaln can’t be beched. That will be soo stupid, but in frendly game we can put some other players who have a lot of quality, like Makoun. What will you do, pean8ts, when Toulalan got inured in some stupid frednly game against, let’s say, Montpellier? And that injured chrushed him for 6 months. What will you do than?
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In all the Chelsea/United talk, I forgot to mention the good news on the Lloris front: Apparently, Spurs are very interested in Coupet, who hasn’t ruled out leaving Lyon. Lloris has said that he would prefer to move to Lyon than Milan given the choice, and Loic Remy, wanted by Nice, could be used to soften the deal.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11806_3596621,00.html
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You’re right Inara, about using money to fund your way to success being a hollow criticism, and it would be hypocritical for me to really use that against them as a supporter of Lyon and Fulham. My dislike at them is more geared at the tapping up of players as they did with Sven and Ashley Cole rather than using money. I just think they’re a completely disrespectful club, and I have a lot of bad experience with Chelsea fans. Also I think they conduct themselves badly on the pitch. I don’t have any problem whatsoever with the pre-Abramovic Chelsea days with Ranieri, Zola, Gullit, Vialli etc. Liverpool’s fans are passionate and give the best support, so I have a lot more time for them than I do Chelsea fans – who I think have showed their true colours with their treatment of Grant. Man United aren’t that much better, but they play with more respect and haven’t been found of tapping up players in the way Chelsea have. Although reports were that Fergie was having words with Benzema before the Champions League games. It’s like a lesser of two evils in a way, unfortunately both are striving.
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Good news on the Lloris front, but does anyone else think it would be foolish to give Nice the option of a permanent deal when Remy is such a good future prospect?
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Well, Lyon did put an option to buy on Remy’s contract. I think the club is being realistic about it. It’s not possible to keep all these talented players and not play them, and in the current situation, it’s difficult to imagine Remy getting more than a bit part role in the squad. So his being benched is bad for him and for the league. Plus Lyon have other promising youth attackers coming up through the ranks, including Yanis Tafer (who was highest scorer in the U17 tournament). So Lyon might have no choice but to eventually let Remy go.
Though I think Lyon will first offer Remy on loan. Remy himself would prefer it because he wants to come back to Lyon in 2009 when he’ll be ready to challenge for a starting spot.
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To be honest I hate Manchester United. They have a massive fanbase here and all my friends are fans and they are the most arrogant fans I’ve ever seen. Unbelievable in brashness. One guy from work made a bet with me United would beat Lyon 4 nil away and home!!! I then asked him to name 4 Lyon players and he couldn’t. I don’t mind ignorance when people can admit it, but assuming you’re always the best is like the English NT teams mentality. Or certainly the medias attitude towards England and the premier league. I also hate the media hype around C.Ronaldo, some of it is enough to make you sick. Comparing him to George Best and Maradona after 2 decent seasons, unbelievable.
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> sidney govou: I’ll play bodmer! Or Fabio Santos…
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Ush – “To be honest I hate Manchester United. They have a massive fanbase here and all my friends are fans and they are the most arrogant fans I’ve ever seen. Unbelievable in brashness. One guy from work made a bet with me United would beat Lyon 4 nil away and home!!! I then asked him to name 4 Lyon players and he couldn’t. I don’t mind ignorance when people can admit it, but assuming you’re always the best is like the English NT teams mentality. Or certainly the medias attitude towards England and the premier league. ”
you basically pointed out the whole reason why i dislike Manchester United fans as well. I have a friend that lives over-seas, when lyon went up against manchester, he would run his mouth nonstop about how better Man U were and they were gonna win 5-0 and have benzema signature by the end of the night. The next day when i pointed out ( quite intelligently i might add ) that United were lucky to get a goal in the game in The Gerland, he became angry and started dismissing everything i said.
All Man U fans are probably not like this, but it doesnt help when a large majority are. As for chelsea, i dont like chelsea either. Mainly for the fact they have former Lyon satrs on their team ( Essien and Malouda ) and the fact they think they can buy a championship ( its true ). Im also not a big fan of John Terry, it always erked me the way he acted when facing barcelona. But i will tell you one thing : No man deserves what he got last night. I believe that this could be a humbling experience for John.
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pean8ts : Santos is good, very good, but Makoun knows how Lyon plays, he is the best on that position ( if you don’t count Toulalan ). About Bodmer, he can play on DM, but he is more AM or just M so that means that Makoun will be prefect choice. Do you know some other player on that position for Lyon?
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Ok speaking of transfers. What do you guys think of Squillaci’s preformence this year. I think he is a great player, but not really near cris’s ability. I just think the back really four needs to be adressed. Lyon gave up some real slopppy goals. It was laughable how many times we were undone by a simple ball over the top . I know We play a high line,but c’mon.
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Sorry to continue the Chelsea/Man U theme. Just seen a video which shows Terry spitting on his arm and then rubbing it on Tevez’s shoulder, which makes me feel a whole lot less sorry for his mistake… Urgh, I hate speaking to fans like the ones Ush and Ronald speak to. Typical big English club mentality, I guess I know more Chelsea fans like that because of the area I’m from so it makes sense that you guys hate united more. I hate the English view that a player can only be proven as good if he plays in the Premiership, Serie A or La Liga.
What do people know/think of Cesar Delgado’s possible role next year? Judging from youtube videos (a bad source I know) he scored some pretty amazing goals – regardless of the quality of the defence, so surely he’ll have something to offer. But he’s hardly featured at all this year, so it’s difficult to tell.
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Inara, congratulations for a great display of objectivity yet loyalty for l’OL. Intelligence, tolerance and support regardless of circumstances are what makes the quality of a supporter base.
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Sam I haven’t seen that incident with JT spitting but it doesn’t surprise me at all – the man’s a thug both on and off the football pitch. Sorry but if someone had to miss for Chelsea last night I’m pleased it was him and Anelka(and very pleased it wasn’t Lampard who’s a great guy). But too bad it couldn’t have been Ronaldo who screwed up and swayed the result, just maybe that would have got through to his enormous ego!
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I’d like to see Delgado get some playing time next season. Lyon paid a good amount for him and how many minutes has he played so far? Hardly any. But his patience shows a good character. He’s never seen moping on the bench and when OL won the title he looked as happy as anyone. He seems like a good guy.
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I’m pretty sure Delgado will be playing a lot more next year. Aulas said that he didn’t regret bringing Delgado to Lyon but that he should have waited until the summer (it’s always hard for a South American to adjust midwinter). But he’s been looking really good at practices, and it might be one of the reasons why Lyon aren’t that anxious to keep Ben Arfa.
Also, the Coupet departure rumors are looking more heated than ever – apparently he confirmed to some fans at Tola VOlage today that he’d be going to Tottenham and that this weekend is his last game at OL – those fans started crying. http://www.rmc.fr/edito/sport/47902/coupet-devrait-quitter-l-ol/
Fred will sign a one year (one year?!?!?) extension soon until 2010.
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United States -
Delgado is maybe good, but Ben Arfa is Lyon’s child. We created him. Man called Cesar Delgado can’t replace our Hatem. We need you Hatem, reject Arsenal, say to them : Go to the hell. I love Lyon. And for love of god Aulas just say to Perrin : Thank you for everything and nothing, goodby. We don’t need you. We need HATEM BEN ARFA!!!
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United States -
Sam : You’re absolutely right. English big club mentality. It just so happens that we’re surrounded by United fans so it’s difficult. Doesn’t suprise me bout John Terry, who I do think is a good player. Alot of things go on like that and meanwhile Drogba gets sent off for tapping someone.
In the CL semi final 2nd leg last year, Chelsea against Liverpool at Anfield, the players were coming out of the tunnel with kids holding there hands. John Terry was laughing and smiling with the child and they started walking out. As they were, this huge, fat skinheaded Liverpool fan with no shirt on was hanging over the tunnel entrance and shouting “WANKER!!” repeatedly in John Terrys face which quickly turned to a grimace and he spat on the ground.
The guy was walking out with a little kid like, I thought it was unbelievable.Posted from
United States -
Inara: Your long Chelsea Lyon post is beautiful… nothing to argue or add.
I now know 2 persons who hate Terry. Must have lived in the wrong side of England before.
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Japan -
Sorry to keep rising to this. I appreciate that I must look awful to keep on writing so many posts slating Chelsea and it’s not good that my first real posts on here of any note are arguing with some of you, so I’m sorry again for that, it just pains me to see some Lyon fans supporting such a horrible club, but I think Inara and Pride of Lyon don’t quite understand what makes Chelsea and players like Terry unpopular. It’s not that they burst on to the scene, it was the way they did it with tappings up. Their fans have a reputation of being the worst in the premier league, which was demonstrated by them coming bottom of the fans behaviour award as well – as you can see from the riots in Fulham broadway last night – without any opposing fans even being there! Pride of Lyon: Terry is unpopular across most of England and there have been great debates that he should be stripped of his england title! This man bullies referees, opposition players, found guilty of assault and mocking American tourists in the wake of September 11th as well as parking in disabled parking spaces. Big problem with Chelsea is a lack of any class or respect!
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United Kingdom -
I really wanna see Delgado get more playing time!! I love Argentine players and the few times I did see him he looked lively but of course his touch wasn’t great as he was so out of match practice I’m guessing.
Posted from
United States -
Sam: Don’t worry about being off topic – all discussions are welcome
About the fans…well, that may be true that some of their fans are awful. But since I live in the US, I don’t know many Chelsea fans, so I can only speak from my own personal experience. The few EPL fans I do know are mostly United ones, and they are insufferable. So that has soured my tasted for that club. But my defense of Chelsea has less to do with the behavior of their fans and more to do with the fact that it is their right to be Chelsea fans. Classless or not, it’s not fair the label them as all band wagoners.
Also, I don’t think Chelsea is that much different from their English counterparts. Chelsea tap up players (hello Essien!), but the same can be said of Arsenal (Wenger who said on national TV that he wants Ben Arfa) and United (Fergie who stalked Benzema in the hallway to give him a United shirt). So it’s not that I like Chelsea (I’m not even a casual fan), it’s just that I don’t think that they are alone in doing things the wrong way.
As for their players, I’m very ambivalent towards Terry, Lampard, even Rooney and Gerrard, etc. I rarely watch them in action unless either France or Lyon are playing against their teams. To be honest, Terry missing that penalty didn’t cause any emotion in me. Ronaldo missing it made me happy, and Anelka missing it made me sad (because he’s French – I’m shallow, I know).
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Officials from Lyon were yesterday in Nice to finalize the deal with Lloris. As Inara was writing it, Coupet would have already signed with Totenham which would mean that the deal with Lloris is already done. I don’t imagine Greg leaving Lyon without being sure that the replacement is already signed. Congratulations for this great blog!
http://www.leprogres.fr/sports/football/1021580.html
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Nepal
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