Does Ireland Need Saving? John Carew To Italy?

The Mirror have a snippet today saying that Stoke manager Tony Pulis is looking to take Stephen Ireland on loan in January to 'save him` (save him? On the wages modern footballers get, do they really need 'saving`?) from his 'Villa nightmare`.

Is he viewing it as a nightmare? It hasn`t gone as he would have dreamed but then, he has had injuries to contend with and still isn`t fully 'there` yet. I still say we have a gem of a player if they can build his confidence and find a good regular place for him. Loads more to come from him and remember, he is only 24.



Anyway, this report reminds us that Stoke tried to buy Ireland from Manchester City and would be willing to buy him permanently from us next summer.

The only other bit of transfer gossip I can see surrounds John Carew. Talksport say that Carew will turn down a move to Turkey and wait for a move to Italian club Fiorentina.



Previous Carew links:

John Carew linked out Click Here
John Carew to Fiorentina or Sampdoria Click Here
John Carew out ... Click Here and again: Click Here

The fee mentioned the other day was around £2million so he has obviously done something great in the last few days as it is now quoted as around £3million.

So far we have:

IN:

Spurs winger Aaron Lennon (for Young) Click Here

Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis Click Here

Atletico Madrid keeper David De Gea Click Here

Panathinaikos striker Djibril Cisse Click Here

26-year-old Swiss goalkeeper David Zibung who currently plays Lucerne. Click Here

Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago Click Here

21-year-old Toulouse winger Franck Tabanou. Click Here

Racing Genk's £5m rated Belgian international striker Jelle Vossen. Click Here

Lyon midfielder Jean Makoun Click Here

Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis McGugan Click Here

Kazim Richards Click Here

Michael Owen to Villa on loan or a nominal fee: Click Here

Michael Carrick from Manchester United for around £8million. Click Here
Carrick again: Click Here

Tottenham Hotspur and Croatian attacking midfielder Niko Kranjcar. Click Here and again: Click Here

25-year-old Argentine striker Pablo Andres Gonzalez Click Here

Robbie Keane linked... again (and no doubt again and again!): Click Here

Roque Santa Cruz from Manchester City: Click Here and Click Here

Preston defender Sean St Ledger Click Here

OUT:

Ashley Young to Spurs Click Here

Curtis Davies on loan to Leicester City and possible permanent exit in January: Click Here
Curtis Davies to Celtic Click Here

John Carew linked out Click Here
John Carew to Fiorentina or Sampdoria Click Here
John Carew out ... Click Here and again: Click Here

Nigel Reo-Coker linked with Galatasaray Click Here

Steve Sidwell to Werder Bremen or Wolfsburg Click Here

Steven Ireland considering his future: Click Here

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.