Some cheeky rumour mongers have suggested that Arsene Wenger’s glowing appraisal of Spurs star Dimitar Berbatov may lead to a sneaky bid for the Bulgarian (various).

Following Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over their near neighbours the Gunners boss applauded the striker's performance and said: "Berbatov is a bit like Thierry Henry – he doesn't turn up where you want him to be. Left, right, centre – he goes everywhere. He has the same temperament as Thierry, too. He shows his emotions. He was outstanding.”

This has led some to suggest that the French boss may consider moving in for the ‘sulky’ striker, however this idea is plain ridiculous! Anyone who thinks this would happen is insane. I do, however, think that Tottenham will come under a barrage of bids for the 26-year-old and clearly Manchester United are the most interested party, but they may well hold on until the summer before making their move.

‘We all saw how determined Sir Alex Ferguson was to block Heinze's move from Old Trafford to Anfield – Real Madrid could be the go-between.’


Another day, another set of players apparently on Rafa Benitez’s shopping list – the four mentioned today would add up to around £30million worth of transfers and, given the apparent lack of funds available to the Liverpool gaffer, these may take some believing!

First up we have Chelsea reserve and England international Wayne Bridge, who is said to be increasingly frustrated at playing second fiddle to Ashley Cole. Although he still has two years left on his contract a £5million fee has been mentioned as sufficient to capture the former Southampton player.

Two reasons why this won’t happen – first, Liverpool have superior players in his position and second, Chelsea have a habit of not selling their players, even their cast-offs, to rival sides. Following on neatly we have the continuing Gabriel Heinze saga, and apparently Rafa is not going to give in on this one (The People).

We all saw how determined Sir Alex Ferguson was to block the defender's move from Old Trafford to Anfield, and one wonders if there is any contract clause in place to prevent Real Madrid simply acting as a go-between. I have a funny feeling that the Argentine star may make it to Merseyside sooner or later, but will January be too soon, and how much will Real want for a player who has barely figured at the Bernabeu?

The final two players are more attacking in nature and have been in the frame for some time. Heerenveen striker Afonso Alves’s £10million valuation may scare off cash-strapped Liverpool and encourage a move instead to Middlesbrough (The Mirror). Alves has become a hugely overrated target following his incredible seven-goal haul in one Dutch league match and the huge fee should be avoided by any club with any sense.

A similar fee has been hung on Spaniard David Silva’s shoulders, with the 21-year-old Valencia creative attacker being high up on the list of Benitez’s ‘must-have’ purchases (The Sun). Silva has made it perfectly clear he wants to leave Benitez's former side and join him in England. The player has said: "Everything has changed here and the whole atmosphere within the team is different. England is a sensational country for football and Liverpool is a big team."  Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City are also monitoring the Silva situation.

Djibril Cisse’s time in England was dogged by injury, poor form and off-the-field antics that made him a tabloid dream. Now it seems the French international may be heading back to these shores from Marseille. The former Liverpool striker has been linked with West Ham, Bolton and Manchester City and said: "I give myself 10 days to think." The troubled star has a decent strike rate but is he worth the £10m asking price?