Early bird transfer speculation worms (pt 1): David Albelda, David Villa, Nicolas Anelka, Jérôme Rothen, & Ezequiel Garay

Since this is my first official January transfer window post, I thought I'd might as well get the delirium tremens out of my system. Whether we have funds or not, it's always fun to dream.

Nicolas Anelka, FW, Bolton - Laugh all you want, but Anelka would be an incredible re-addition to the club. Why we never kept him, I'll never know, the guy just scores goals and according to Steven Gerrard, was never a problem at the club. The issue is Bolton, are they willing to sell and for how much? Not sure we'd be willing to pay an absurd price, but I don't see £10m + Danny Guthrie being too much to ask. Man City is said to be interested as well, but Anelka has said in the past that he regrets not being able to stay at Liverpool, so I think we have the edge when it comes to player preference. A big plus is that, unlike a player like David Villa, he isn't cup-tied when it comes to Champions League. Unlikely.

David Villa, FW, Valencia - I can only imagine and drool over the thought of having Villa and Torres lining up together. Where Torres is the power and the pace, Villa would be the cunning and conniving. Don't get me wrong, as he has displayed on more than one occasion this season, Torres has quite a few tricks up his sleeves, but Villa is just a more refined product. He is three years older after all. The issue, as with most prospects, is price and availability. Though he pledged his future to Valencia this past summer, things down in the Estadio Mestalla aren't looking too bright at the moment. If he wants to come, I don't see how we can pass on him, transfer funds or no transfer funds, a talent of his level is a rarity and if we have to give Valencia Dirk Kuyt, John Arne Riise, and an I.O.U. for £10m, we should. We should do whatever we have to. It's true he's Champions League cup-tied, but ultimately I think we could use him to give Torres some Premiership matches off, so El Niño would be fresh for CL. Still, highly unlikely.

David Albelda, CM/CB, Valencia - Speaking of chaos at Estadio Mestalla, Valencia manager announced today that team captain Albelda and regular starting keeper Santiago Cañizares have been given an early Christmas vacation and might not be welcomed back into the squad for the rest of the season. Albelda, a defensive-minded midfielder who has played centre back at times in his career, would certainly be a welcomed addition to our side, easing up some defensive issues. Unlike Villa, Albelda was at Valencia when Benitez was manager, so if there's any possibility of him going elsewhere, it looks as if we may have a leg-up. Like Villa though, he's CL cup-tied, but he'd get sufficient time in the Premiership and hopefully Carling and FA Cup ties. Another plus is that he'd probably be a bargain, seeing that he's basically collecting dust and a paycheck for Los Che. Somewhat likely.

Jérôme Rothen, LW, PSG - The 29-year-old Frenchman would certainly solve all our left-wing issues, at least temporarily or until we can pry Valencia's hands from David Silva. The biggest plus, other than he's pretty damn good, is that he's Champions League ready which would also be a lure as he has mentioned his desire to return to the elite competition in the past. He was part of the Monaco side that lost to José Mourinho and FC Porto in the 2004 final. I'm not sure what his valuation is set at, but paying more than £6m would seem a waste. Sure, he's a left winger and all, but he is 29. Somewhat likely. Another negative is that he, like Harry Kewell, has been cursed with fans who make videos with questionable music. I have nothing against the Pet Shop Boys nor the Village People, but putting them together just doesn't 'do it' for me. Exhibit A:


Ezequiel Garay, CB/RB, Racing de Santander - I wrote a post on this kid a while back and if we move Riise in January, it's looking more and more likely that he's coming. With Arbeloa and Garay, Benitez will be able to rotate more like the mad man he now appears to be just a shadow of. Likely.

Part 2: Daniel Alves, Fernando Amorebieta, Kakha Kaladze, Jonathan Zebina, Francesco Modesto, & more