Nicolas Anelka

[Rashid]

Apparently about to sign for Manchester United for £12M - a very good player he is. I know we already have Torres but I wouldn't mind if we went in for Anelka too even if it means we lose someone. I have always rated Nico - shame he left really.

 

Would be a good signing for the Mancs but they have proved that signing players can often mean fuck all.

[RedinSweden]

Apparently about to sign for Manchester United for £12M - a very good player he is. I know we already have Torres but I wouldn't mind if we went in for Anelka too even if it means we lose someone. I have always rated Nico - shame he left really.

 

Would be a good signing for the Mancs but they have proved that signing players can often mean fuck all.

 

 

Because they lost one match?

[Unrighteous]

Anelka would be stop gap for United. He's shite. Selfish and a total locker room nightmare.

 

There is a reason the twat moves every year.

[Ted]

Where does it say he's signing?

[PaulMcC]

Where did you hear this?

[Rashid]

Anelka would be stop gap for United. He's shite. Selfish and a total locker room nightmare.

 

There is a reason the twat moves every year.

 

I don't think he is shite mate.

 

RiS - My point was that a raft of new players does'nt mean a team becomes unbeatable.

[Kingston]

I've seen no news of this?

 

Good player but absolutely terrible attitude. Could quite possibly have the same affect on morale as Collymore, his track record would back this up.

 

Plus i don't think we really need him anyway.

[Joe Strummer]

Can't see him going. I cannot forgive GH for not signing him up and buying Diouf instead.

[Red Mist]

Nico, a shite player? What are you on? The lad is a brilliant striker when he has his head screwed on right. I hope this move doesn't happen, don't want to see yet another quality player going to the scum.

[Rashid]

Manc fans saying this journo usually gets all Manc news correct.

 

19 August 2007

 

The People.

NIC'S THE £12M RED

EXCLUSIVE Fergie first in the queue for Anelka

By Steve Bates

 

Alex Ferguson is ready to snap up Nicolas Anelka from Bolton Wanderers for £12million.

 

With Wayne Rooney crocked for two months, Manchester United boss Fergie will pay Bolton's top asking price to beat West Ham and - Newcastle for the France striker.

 

Anelka, 28, scored yesterday but Bolton plunged to the foot of the Premier League with a 3-1 defeat to Portsmouth.

[PaulMcC]

Where did you hear he was signing Rashid?

[rebel23]

panic buy for them, will take their spending to around £75m

[Cardie]

NotW/People/Star I imagine.

[zico]

It was mentioned on tribalfootball.com earlier today that they were contemplating at a bid, but no sources mentioned.....

 

I honestly don't think it will happen, and will only be a knee-jerk reaction to a loss if they do end up bidding...

 

There is a limit to how much cash they have as well...

[PaulMcC]

I wouldn't say he's gonna sign because someone in the People says so.

[23 Carra Gold]

I smell bull

[Rashid]

The Mancs on their forums (which I browsed so read them wanking over Torres) seem to think it is a done deal.

[WeAreTheBest]

I wouldn't say he's gonna sign because someone in the People says so.

 

He lives off newspaper speculation.

[Rashid]

I know it's speculation but then so is 99% of transfer stories, it was just a post on the rumours doing the rounds in several newspapers. Does every have to be fucked up every time I post?

[Cardie]

How many times has a transfer been seen as a done deal on a football forum only for it to be nothing of the sought.

[Rashid]

Hence why the post started with "apparently"...

[Joe Strummer]

If he does sign surely he'll be the first player ever to play for Arse, us, Citeh and Utd. He'll probably move to Barcelona next season.

[Bourbon]

Good player, Nico, but with Taggart having GrannyBoy, Tevez, Solskjaer and Saha to use with Ronaldo, Giggs, Anderson and Nani( pronounced Nanny, oddly) competing for supporting attack roles, this link smacks a little desperate to me.

 

But if he signs, it can only give more options and quality, not that it changes our new expansive mindset or approach to playing them one bit.

 

Bring it, Rent A Smile.

[Cardie]

Utd only have two strikers and they are both injured more than they are available.

[Rashid]

Will Anelka offer be too much to resist?

By Gordon Sharrock

Bolton Evening News

 

Who should Wanderers go for if Anelka is allowed to leave?

SAMMY Lee is drawing up plans to cover for the departure of Nicolas Anelka.

 

It looks increasingly likely that the much-travelled Frenchman - Wanderers record signing and top scorer - will be on his travels again before the transfer window closes in 11 days. Manchester United have now emerged as favourites to lure Anelka away from the Reebok and, if the pundits are proved right, £12million is an offer the Whites owner Eddie Davies and chairman Phil Gartside will find impossible to refuse.

 

Lee admitted the situation could be beyond his control when he said: "You don't want to lose quality players but other things dictate.

 

"It would be remiss of me to get involved in the speculation, but all I would say is that everybody's aware of his qualities and we are just making sure we have the right preparation, to cover for every eventuality."

 

At such a late stage, however, Wanderers will have to act swiftly to sign an adequate replacement for Anelka, who topped the Reebok goal charts last season and has already shown his world class by scoring two of their three goals this season - the latest coming in Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth.

 

That third successive loss left Wanderers pointless and piled even more pressure on Lee, who is already having sleepless nights as he sets about implementing the changes he felt were necessary when he took charge after Sam Allardyce walked away at the end of last season.

 

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But Wanderers' fans, who might be willing to give the new manager the time he has requested to get things right, will be furious if they see the club selling its star players without recruiting big name replacements. And, in that respect, Wanderers' transfer transactions up to now this summer have not suggested a willingness to pay big fees.

 

However, if Anelka is sold, Lee should at least have sufficient funds to trawl the top end of the market. But time is not on his side.

 

There has been no confirmation of United's interest, but Sir Alex Ferguson, who was linked with Anelka earlier this summer, is reported to be ready to pay £12m to strengthen his strike squad in the wake of Wayne Rooney's latest injury setback.

 

Portsmouth and West Ham have also made overtures and there have been reports that Arsenal, where Anelka built his world class reputation, and Spanish giants Sevilla are also reported to be keen. But, if he does mean business, the United chief has the power to blow the competition out of the water.

 

Anelka was grateful to Wanderers for bringing him back to the Premiership when they paid a club record £8million to sign him from Fenerbahce a year ago, but he has made no secret of his desire to play Champions League football again and showcase his talents on the big stage.

 

Nicky Hunt meanwhile, is hoping nothing comes of the latest speculation. "Obviously we want him to stay because he's a goalscorer and he'll score goals for us. But we'll just have to see what happens," the Whites' full-back said.

 

Hunt is confident, however, that the experienced French international will not be unsettled by the transfer talk.

 

"He's mentally tough enough to realise that the team he is playing for now is Bolton Wanderers," he added.

 

"Whoever he is linked with and wherever he may go in the future, this club is paying his wages and he's got to perform at the highest level, no matter what happens on the outside. "He's a tough enough player to do that."

 

Abdoulaye Faye is expected to complete a £2m move to Newcastle this week after making it clear to Wanderers that he wants to join former boss, Sam Allardyce, on Tyneside.

 

12:41pm today: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/display.var.1629950.0..php