Big money http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...50-alternative-European-transfer-targets.html By Rory Smith Published: 7:18AM BST 09 Jul 2009 1. Steven Defour (Standard Liege): £8 million Ideal for: Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton A year after Marouane Fellaini left the Belgian champions for the Premier League, his former captain, a bustling, energetic midfielder, could be set to join him. 2. Joao Moutinho (Sporting Lisbon): £9m Ideal for: Everton, Arsenal The Portuguese schemer is seen as Deco’s natural heir, a clever, intuitive midfielder with more physical strength than his height suggests. 3. Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon): £13m Ideal for: Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers The Reebok side have made countless attempts to land the defensive midfielder, but the thought remains that he is exactly what Arsene Wenger needs. 4. Moussa Dembele (AZ Alkmaar): £12m Ideal for: Chelsea With 19 goals in 23 games for the Dutch champions last season have made the Belgian international striker one of Europe’s most coveted players. 5. Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse): £11m Ideal for: Tottenham, Bolton, Sunderland Scored more goals in Ligue 1 than Karim Benzema last season in a rejuvenated Toulouse side, earning a call-up to the French national team in the process 6. Bruno Alves (Porto): £9m Ideal for: Chelsea, Arsenal Despite a high-profile error in the Champions League quarter-final, the Portuguese international is one of the finest defenders on the continent, coveted by Barcelona. 7. Diogo (Olympiakos): £12m Ideal for: Chelsea, Liverpool A powerful, domineering striker who would slot seamlessly into Premier League life, Liverpool have been keeping tabs on the 22-year-old Brazilian. 8. Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk): £11m Ideal for: Chelsea, Manchester City Fresh from winning the Uefa Cup, the versatile Croatian – he can play anywhere on either flank – may be ready for a move from Ukraine. 9. Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao): £10m Ideal for: Liverpool, Arsenal A tall, energetic, combative midfielder and the undoubted rising star of Basque football. Expect him at Anfield if Xabi Alonso joins Real Madrid. 10. Gaetano D’Agostino (Udinese): £15m Ideal for: Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea A classy, deep-lying playmaker in the mould of Andrea Pirlo, great things are expected of the former Roma player, who has been watched by Juventus. 11. Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux): £12m Ideal for: Arsenal, Tottenham The Moroccan striker is one of half a dozen players who helped Laurent Blanc’s side to a shock French title, but he admits he’s ready for a move. 12. Stephane Sessegnon (Paris Saint-Germain): £10m Ideal for: Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal After an impressive debut campaign in the French capital, the skilful Beninese international midfielder may request a move to greener pastures. 13. Marko Arnautovic (FC Twente): £12m Ideal for: Chelsea Inter Milan seem to be in pole position to land the Austrian striker who has blossomed thanks to the unlikely hand of Steve McClaren, but Chelsea are believed to want him, too. 14. Marek Hamsik (Napoli): £9m Ideal for: Liverpool, Manchester United Coveted by Chelsea last summer, despite a history of absurd haircuts, Hamsik is an energetic, creative force in midfield, and big-spending Napoli may be prepared to cash in. -------------------------------------------------------------- Calculated risks 15. Raul Tamudo (Espanyol): £6m Ideal for: Aston Villa, Tottenham Now approaching veteran status, a brief, unhappy spell at Rangers has not damaged the Spanish international’s reputation as a reliable, proven goalscorer. 16. Marcus Berg (Groningen): £5m Ideal for: Everton, Fulham Considered a hot property after two prolific years in Holland, Berg proved his class in the under-21 European champions in his homeland last month. 17. Kuba (Borussia Dortmund): £6.5m Ideal for: Fulham, Sunderland, Wigan Athletic The reigning Polish player of the year, Jakub Blaszczykowski, or Kuba to his friends, is a skilful, tricky winger who would tempt several English clubs despite a chequered injury record. 18. Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen): £6m Ideal for: Fulham, Aston Villa The talented Swiss winger, equally comfortable on either flank, has long been a target for a host of Premier League clubs. 19. Eljero Elia (FC Twente): £6m Ideal for: Tottenham, West Ham United Rejuvenated under Steve McClaren at Twente, Elia picked up the prestigious Dutch football talent of the year award for his pacey virtuoso displays this season. 20. Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven): £8m Ideal for: Arsenal, Aston Villa The most promising player in Holland for several years, Afellay, who is equally adept at playing wide or in the central midfield, is ripe for a move abroad. 21. Axel Witsel (Standard Liege): £7m Ideal for: Blackburn Rovers, Bolton, Birmingham City Another starlet from Standard’s rich seam of talent, the 20-year-old is equally comfortable in a holding role or on the left wing. 22. Marc Janko (Salzburg): £7m Ideal for: Bolton, Hull City, Birmingham, West Ham Europe’s deadliest finisher with 39 goals in 34 games for the Austrian champions, Janko would all but guarantee goals for a lower mid-table side. 23. Michel Bastos (Lille): £6m Ideal for: Tottenham, Aston Villa A powerful, creative left-sided midfielder who has grown in stature during his time in France, Bastos would provide a consistent threat from set-pieces. 24. Stephane M’Bia (Rennes): £8m Ideal for: Everton A tough-tackling defensive midfielder, M’Bia has been trying to engineer a move to Goodison Park for more than a year, and should finally get his wish this summer. 25. Alexis Sanchez (Udinese): £7m Ideal for: Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester United Widely tipped as one of the most exciting youngsters in world football, with 22 international caps at the age of 20, the winger has impressed in Serie A and is expected to leave Udinese. 26. Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach): £3m Ideal for: Everton, Fulham, Aston Villa After an impressive Confederations Cup, Bradley seems set to leave the Bundesliga after just a season, with several English clubs monitoring his progress. -------------------------------------------------------------- Young hopefuls 27. Javier Pastore (Atletico Huracan): £10m Ideal for: Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool The unlikely star of the Argentine championship, the attacking midfielder has been overlooked thus far by Diego Maradona but is seen as the brightest prospect in Argentina. 28. Matias De Federico (Atletico Huracan): £5m Ideal for: Aston Villa, Liverpool Pastore’s partner in crime, De Federico has been dubbed the new Lionel Messi for his pace and close control, but mainly for his distinct lack of height. 29. Gojko Kacar (Hertha Berlin): £7m Ideal for: Manchester United, Arsenal Equally suited to playing in central defence or central midfield, the former Vojvodina player combines the usual Balkan technical excellence with an eye for goal. 30. Etien Velikonja (Gorica): £3m Ideal for: Hull, West Ham, Fulham One of the brightest prospects in Eastern Europe, the 20-year-old Slovenian striker was a target for Middlesbrough in January. 31. Vegard Forren (Molde): £4m Ideal for: Wigan, Sunderland, Bolton The most promising defender in Norway, Forren has indicated he is happy to stay in his homeland despite interest from several of Europe’s biggest clubs. 32. Oscar Sielva (Espanyol): £2m Ideal for: Liverpool, Arsenal Prodigiously talented midfielder, Rafa Benitez has been tracking Sielva’s progress ever since he made his debut for Espanyol at the age of just 17 last season. 33. Sofiane Feghouli (Grenoble): £8m Ideal for: Arsenal, Manchester United Viewed as the brightest prospect in French football, Sir Alex Ferguson may take a punt on the attacking midfielder as he looks to replace Cristiano Ronaldo. 34. Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow): £10m Ideal for: Chelsea The highest-rated young player in Russia, Dzagoev is reported to have an agreement with the Stamford Bridge club. 35. Anas Sharbini (Rijeka): £3m Ideal for: Fulham, West Ham After an impressive season in his native Croatia, any club looking for a budget version of Luka Modric may well take a chance on the 22-year-old midfielder. 36. Simon Kjaer (Palermo): £5m Ideal for: Manchester City, Aston Villa Rated as highly as Daniel Agger in his homeland, Kjaer is an elegant, tough central defender who seems ideally suited for the Premier League. 37. Marek Suchy (Slavia Prague): £2m Ideal for: Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers A cultured defender capable of playing in midfield, Suchy has claimed David Moyes is an admirer, and is likely to leave the Czech Republic this summer. 38. James McCarthy (Hamilton Academical): £3m Ideal for: Burnley, Birmingham Made his debut at the age of just 15 and has been linked with moves south of the border countless times, but Owen Coyle looks like he may manage to tempt McCarthy away from the Scottish Premier League. 39. Ivan Marcano (Racing Santander): £5m Ideal for: Aston Villa, Manchester City A Spanish under-21 international, Real Madrid are believed to be admirers of the left-sided central defender who became a key component in Santander last season. 40. McDonald Mariga (Parma): £2m Ideal for: Blackburn, West Ham An energetic Kenyan midfielder who impressed in Serie B last season, Mariga would provide verve for any side lacking inspiration. -------------------------------------------------------------- Bargain basement 41. Lorik Cana (Marseille): £3m Ideal for: Everton, Tottenham, Blackburn The arrival of Lucho Gonzalez could see the Albanian international forced out of the Stade Velodrome, but the versatile midfielder would excel in England. 42. Tobias Hysen (Gothenburg): £1m Ideal for: Portsmouth, Wolves, Burnley A far cry from the player who flopped at Sunderland, Hysen has developed into a strong, hard-working winger with an eye for goal. 43. David Trezeguet (Juventus): £1m Ideal for: Fulham, Tottenham His wages may be a problem, and his injury record is chequered, but Trezeguet remains one of Europe’s deadliest finishers when on form. 44. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid): £1m Ideal for: Fulham, Tottenham, Everton Any club capable of matching his mammoth £100,000-a-week wages – or persuading him to take a pay cut – would be boosted by a player who remains a thoroughbred. 45. Dorin Goian (Steaua Bucharest): £3m Ideal for: Sunderland, Bolton, Wigan A tall, imposing central defender, at 28 Goian is in his prime and has the technique to adapt to life in the Premier League. 46. Seydou Doumbia (Young Boys Bern): £2m Ideal for: Fulham, Portsmouth The 21-year-old Ivorian has shone in Switzerland this season, playing in a variety of attacking roles, and has admitted he would relish playing in England. 47. Steve Gohouri (Borussia Monchengladbach): £3m Ideal for: Arsenal, Stoke City An aggressive, muscular defender, the Ivorian would slot seamlessly into Stoke’s physical style or provide a refreshing change at the Emirates. 48. Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege): £3m Ideal for: Birmingham, Wolves, Stoke The US international impressed in the Confederations Cup after helping Standard to a second consecutive Belgian title. 49. Landry N’Guemo (Nancy): £3m Ideal for: Hull, Fulham, Portsmouth Tony Mowbray is reportedly keen to take the Cameroonian international to Celtic with team-mate Marc-Antoine Fortune, but he has plenty of Premier League admirers as well. 50. Lucas Biglia (Anderlecht): £2m Ideal for: Bolton, Sunderland Few countries raise tenacious defensive midfielders as well as Argentina, and Biglia even as a touch of flair to make him a threat going forward. .................................................. I no some of these players have moved clubs already such as M'Bia - Marseille Elia - Hamburg Marcano - Villarreal Michel Bastos - Lyon But there is some good replacements in there for xabi.. Steven Defour Joao Moutinho Javi Martinez Marek Hamsik Gaetano D’Agostino
Defour or Hamsik would do very nicely. Moutinhos good aswell and it would piss off the bitters if we signed him. Dont know enough about the other 2.
Pretty decent list, took a bit of research rather than blurting out the likes of Pirlo, Di Rossi, Cattermole etc. Hamsik would never ever be a direct replacement, much more of an attacking player, could play on the left of the attacking 3 or Gerrard's position if he moved back. Same with Mouthinho (central/right more attacking option). Martinez and Defour have the advantage of both only being 21 but with some experinece. Defour we know of course. D'agostinti is 27 and never really established himself until the last couple of years, think I would prefer one of the other two. Still love Srna too...
Diving tw*t but awesome either at fullback or winger anytime I've seen him at club or country. Love to see him move to a bigger league.