Financial crisis unlikely to deter transfer deals

Source: Agencies | January 1, 2009, Thursday |

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BILLIONS of dollars, pounds and euros may have been lost in the global financial crisis, but most of Europe's leading clubs are still poised to spend big when the transfer window opens on New Year's Day.

The club most likely to be unaffected by the credit crunch is Manchester City, which may still be serious under-achievers at the wrong end of the Premier League, but became the world's richest club when it was bought by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi earlier this year.

It has been linked with more than 50 players in the build-up to January 1, including Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi of Barcelona, Kolo Toure of Arsenal and Roque Santa Cruz of Blackburn Rovers.

European champion Manchester United, meanwhile, is unlikely to spend much with manager Alex Ferguson saying this week he was happy with his squad. Ferguson has indicated that only teenage Serbian winger Zoran Tosic is moving to Old Trafford.

Liverpool, the English league leader, has been linked with a number of players including a return to Anfield for Wigan striker Emile Heskey but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could be the busiest among England's top clubs.

With Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky and Cesc Fabregas all out through long-term injuries, Wenger could move for Zenit St. Petersburg's Andrei Arshavin, while David Villa of Valencia and Daniele De Rossi of AS Roma have also been mentioned as targets.

The transfer window looks set for a slow start in Italy however, where AC Milan is the only leading Serie A side to have said that it wants to do business in January. Chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Monday that the seven-time European champions are looking for a left back but the Italian media has suggested that Liverpool center back Daniel Agger is their top target amid uncertainty about Alessandro Nesta's return from a stubborn back problem.

With Gennaro Gattuso out for six months after knee surgery, an extra midfielder could be useful too. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has said David Beckham can provide cover, but the Englishman is only staying for a few months on loan from LA Galaxy and doubts remain about whether a winger can fill Gattuso's central role.

Soccer

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Financial crisis unlikely to deter transfer deals

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