Perhaps the strangest rumour that I’ve come across in my time offline recently was the one linking Bobby Zamora with a summer transfer to Villareal.
Without wishing to reopen the Zamora debate – which we’ve done to death during the course of the season – I think it’s fair to say we expected a little more in terms of goalscoring for a centre forward who cost us quite a bit of money. Bobby does offer quite a bit to the side in terms of his hold up play and seems to have forged a strong partnership with Andy Johnson up front but he simply hasn’t been potent in front of goal.
Those who have watched Zamora regularly throughout his career say this really isn’t anything new. The only time he was banging in the goals came at Brighton before a big-money move to Spurs, where he became only a bit-part player. The news that Villareal, who boast Giuseppe Rossi, Nihat and Joseba Llorente among their striking options, are considering a move for Bobby came as something as a surprise.
The idea that Zamora would be attracted to the move, as implied in the Clubcall story, isn’t all that crazy. Villareal seem set to qualify for the Champions’ League once again – although if Bobby looks a little out of place leading the line for a midtable Premier League side, how would he get on in Europe’s premier club competition? There’s no doubt the prospect of recouping the fee we spent on Bobby last summer would put a smile on the face of his detractors.
