Today’s Sunday Express – still MAF’s organ of choice – suggests that Roy Hodgson will have money to spend in January as he looks to strengthen his Fulham squad.
That confirms the buzz in some quarters that Al-Fayed, missing for yesterday’s win over Manchester United, is ready to handover a sizeable a transfer kitty for the winter transfer window as a reward for the Whites’ fine start to this campaign. It’s known that Hodgson has been a casting a wide net for a new striker for a while, especially as Andy Johnson and Diomansy Kamara have missed months with serious injuries.
The Express reckons that Hodgson has Emile Heskey in mind as a natural foil for AJ, although that one might have been put on the back burner given Bobby Zamora’s brilliant recent form. Jermaine Beckford, unhappy to be taken off as Leeds edged past Southampton yesterday, is touted as another option, although Simon Grayson won’t be willing to sell midway United’s League 1 promotion push.
The same article links us to Anton Ferdinand whilst admitting that Tottenham are at the front of the queue to snap up the Sunderland centre back should he move on. The most exciting rumour, in my view, is the one connecting us to Southampton wonderkid Adam Lallana, who has been in great touch for the south coast club of late. The young midfielder is apparently seen as a long-term successor to Danny Murphy and has scored 12 goals already this campaign. The Express claims that Lallana, who has been monitored by Hodgson for a long while now, is keen to move to London from St. Mary’s, like former Saints Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott.
Watch this space.