Check here throughout the day, as we’ll be following the moving targets that are January’s transfer rumors.
7:30 p.m.: That’s all for Jan. 10. We’ll pick up the round-up next week, so make sure to check NESN.com for the latest transfer news and rumors.
7:15 p.m.: We’re concluding the day’s rumor round-up with a potential whopper of a deal.
Manchester City is determined to sell Mario Balotelli in January transfer window, and A.C. Milan is the likely buyer, according to the Mirror.
Earlier this week Silvio Berlusconi, A.C. Milan’s owner (and a convicted criminal) branded Balotelli “a rotten apple.” Balotelli’s (super) agent Mino Raiola says the 22-year-old is a nice guy. He offered to introduce Berlusconi to Balotelli.
Late Thursday, Raiola said there is a “0.0001 percent” chance of Balotelli returning to Italy, Sky Sports reports.
These two conflicting accounts suggest there may be something to this story. The Mirror says City wants at least £15 million ($24.2 million) for the Italian international. Milan may have fallen on hard times, but it can still afford that fee having sent Pato to Corinthians earlier this month.
6:30 p.m.: Frank Lampard would reportedly consider a move to Fiorentina. He really likes Florence, according to talkSPORT.
6: 05 p.m.: The Independent reports Manchester United has made the only transfer bid for Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha. Arsenal and Tottenham are believed to be scouting Zaha with an eye on a transfer, but they have not bid on the England international.
On Wednesday, the Mirror reported that United offered Palace £8 million ($12.8 million) plus add-ons worth another £4 million ($6.4 million) for Zaha.
5:45 p.m.: Many of Europe’s top clubs want to hire Pep Guardiola.
Add AS Roma to the list. Football Italia reports Roma has inquired about the former Barcelona manager’s services.
5 p.m.: Wesley Sneijder can’t stay off the rumor mill. Inter Milan accepted an offer from Galatasaray for the Dutch star.
The Turkish club is giving Sneijder one day to mull its offer. He’ll either be heading to Turkey or staying put for now (and waiting for offers from other clubs, including Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United).
We should more on Friday.
3:30 p.m.: It’s looking increasingly likely that frustratingly talented French midfielder Yann M’Vila is leaving Rennes.
The 22-year-old has been linked with Arsenal and Real Madrid in the past. More recently, Tottenham, QPR and Zenit Saint-Petersburg have come on the scene.
Sky Sports reports M’Vila has asked to leave Rennes, and the club’s general manager said he’ll probably land in England or Russia.
3:20 p.m.: Nicolas Anelka is practicing with Paris Saint-Germain — the club where he became a professional.
The rumor mill says he wants to leave Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, but he hasn’t said as much. This looks like an offseason training stint ahead of the start of the Chinese Super League season in March.
3 p.m.: Frank Lampard’s names is on a lot of lips these days.
Fiorentina president Mario Cognigni says he’s always liked the Chelsea veteran, but also said that he leaves the transfer dealings up to the sporting director, Sky Sports reports.
Still, it must be nice for Lampard to hear all this praise, though he’d rather it came from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
2:35 p.m.: Wigan midfielder James McCarthy is a wanted man. The Daily Star reports Everton has identified him as a potential replacement for Marouane Fellaini.
Arsenal is also rumored to be interested in the 22-year-old.
2:25 p.m.: Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao has been linked with Tottenham for the better part of the last six months.
The Internacional hitman’s agent says no teams have made offers, and he expects Damiao to remain in Brazil, the Mail reports.
Also, on Thursday, Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas says he has no plans to buy a striker during the January window — even though Emmanuel Adebayor will play for Togo at the Africa Cup of Nations.
1:45 p.m.: We thought Michael Owen would make an impact at Stoke City when he joined the Potters from Manchester United in September. It hasn’t happened (for obvious reasons).
There are rumors saying that Australian club Perth Glory wants to bring the former England star down under. Stoke manager Tony Pulis says Owen hasn’t expressed a desire to leave and assured fans is staying for the rest of the season, according to the BBC.
1:30 p.m. ET: We’re going to lead with a bit of news that broke on Wednesday. Real Madrid fans are turning on manager Jose Mourinho, and there is data to prove it.
Mourinho has fallen out with club captain Iker Casillas and club president Florentino Perez. Real Madrid trails Barcelona by 16 points, and fans seem ready to call time on the Mourinho era.
Madrid newspaper Marca published results of a survey, which show that 62% of respondents think Mourinho is damaging the club’s image. The Guardian digs deeper into the results.
“Among 704 members asked at the stadium before Sunday’s game at home to Real Sociedad, or by telephone, whether the Portuguese’s actions and statements were damaging, 61.6% answered yes, with 33.1% saying no,” the Guardian reports.
“Members gave his performance as coach since he took over in 2010 an average mark of 6.68 out of 10, down from 8.82 in a similar poll conducted in March 2011, but 54.4% still thought he should stay on after this season, with 41.8% saying he should leave.”
Some fans booed and whistled Mourinho during Wednesday’s game at the Bernabeu, and those sentiments are only going to grow louder. Mourinho has vowed to stay and fight, although he will likely leave the club in June.
If Real Madrid’s form doesn’t improve, there’s an outside chance Mourinho won’t be on the sidelines when Manchester United comes to town in February.
Mourinho’s departure, whenever it happens, will set of a managerial merry-go-round. Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Pep Guardiola, Bayern Munich, Roberto Mancini and AC Milan are the few of the names and stops that could be in the mix.
Click here for transfer rumors from Jan. 9>>
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