Transfer Talk: McClean on the way out, decision time for Carroll and Wenger with striking options

Paolo Di Canio could be ready to offload James McClean, Andy Carroll can’t decide on becoming a full-time Hammer and Arsene Wenger is like a kid in a sweet-shop.

By Declan Whooley

James McClean made a lot of headlines at the Stadium of Light last season, though unfortunately many of them were for events off the field. After bursting on the scene the previous campaign after a £350,000 move from Derry City, this season has been more of a struggle for the wide man.

Defenders have copped onto his style and he has, like the team itself, struggled for large parts of the season. According to the Irish Independent this morning, McClean will be one of many heading for the exit door on Wearside.

Di Canio has got the green light from owner Ellis Short for a summer clearout, though his methods have not gone down well with some players making complaints to the PFA, with their chief executive Gordon Taylor admitting there is ‘unrest’ at the club. The Italian has been handing out fines to players like confetti, but fines are the least of their worries as many of their futures are now in jeopardy.

Others that are believed to be allowed leave the club include David Vaughan, Craig Gardner, Connor Wickham, Carlos Cuellar and Danny Graham, while Titus Bramble, Matt Kilgallon and Phil Bardsley are expected to be released.

Arsenal fans will be in dreamland at the moment. No marquee player (admittedly they are nearly all gone at this stage) is expected to be leaving the Emirates this summer and rumours are abound that Arsene Wenger is about to dig deep into his notoriously short pockets to bring in a top striker. Someone ever better than Giroud.

At the moment it appears Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain are the names at the very top of that list. Andrea Della-Valle, the Fiorentina president, was quoted yesterday as saying that there was “little chance” that the forward will stay, though £25 million is the price that the Gunners will have to stump up to bring the player likened to a young Robin van Persie to London. At £19 million, Higuain save Wenger a few pennies.

Staying in London, it looks as if Andy Carroll is stalling on his decision to join West Ham on a permanent deal and may be pining for a move back to his former club Newcastle. Like a man who can’t decide on whether to go back to his former flame, Carroll is weighing up the pros and cons and it is proving a difficult choice. Maybe he needs Kevin Nolan to hold his hand. The striker holds the key to any deal after the Hammers agreed a £15 million fee with Liverpool to bring the player to Upton Park. Not Kenny Dalglish’s finest bit of business that.

Will it be Hammer time for Andy?

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says that talks have opened with Manchester City over a deal that would see Edinson Cavani, 26, move to the English club with 27-year-old Edin Dzeko heading the other way.

On the other side of Manchester, your heart would have to go out to Wayne Rooney. Now with a second child in the household, sleepless nights are almost expected. It could be added to by the fact that according to reports in the Daily Mirror, the striker feels he is being forced out of the club and is adamant he did not say he wanted to leave the club. We hate to say it, but either Rooney or Fergie is telling porkies if that is the case. We know who our money is on.