Here comes the rumour mill…

Last updated : 04 January 2007 By Ivor Bintold

Well, for a start, the Barry Ferguson story looks like it could be dead in the water as Paul Le Guen, the man with the most gallic shrug since David Ginola nonchalantly lied to us that he was worth it, has left Rangers.


But we're still looking likely to enter a potential bidding war with Newcastle (who else?!) for Man City's Joey Barton. The big question is whether he'll go for the Magpies' reported offer £55,000 a week contract or play for his boyhood club for a measly £33,000. Now call me cynical but….


Speaking of the barcodes, they are also lining up what will probably be inappropriately named a ‘swoop', for James Beattie…for £6 million…I'll believe that when I see it!


Other players we are allegedly interested in are Man United's Alan Smith, Bolton's Kevin Davies (dear God!) and FC Copenhagen's Lars Jacobsen, a player I'm sure most will have heard of but few will have any sort of idea what position he plays!*


Another story doing the rounds is that we're ‘tracking', possibly like John Locke in Lost, Hibernian's Scott Brown. The only thing I know about him is that he's a midfielder and he seems to get sent off quite a bit.


As for those on the way out, apart from James Beattie, we have the ususal suspects of Simon Davies and Richard Wright.


Also expect to see Tim Cahill linked with Man United – “It's a done deal for the summer!” – and Mikel Arteta linked with a club that generally gets into Europe every season…probably the shite!


Oh yeah, and don't forget Gary Naysmith's inevitable transfer to Celtic.


In other, potentially related, transfer news, Fulham have accepted an offer from an unnamed Premiership club for their unlikely named midfielder Collins John. And, seeing as the club in question has not yet been named, there's no reason why it can't be us really!


*for the record he's a defender.