Timothy Masters

With the corpse of the 2013 season still cooling in the cellar English football fans have on more treat to look forward to at Wembley, but while the football will probably be stunning the all-German exercise in excellence isn’t really our fight. In the absence of any real relegation battle on the final day the press tried to talk up the fight for fourth, but even that was a bit of a damp squib and as a result of all this unusual peace and quiet the transfer speculation seems to have kicked in early.

Questions over the future of Andy Carroll were a big part of the post-match press as West Ham beat relegated Reading on Sunday, and the big man is subject of much speculation. BetWay have West Ham at 3/10 to get a deal done for the player they paid £2m to loan for the season just past, ahead of 11/1 shots Newcastle and Stoke at 25’s. Monaco and Spurs are also in the race according to the bookies, but I have it on good authority that the French link is merde, and I doubt a club trying to convince Gareth Bale to stick around will think £15m on Carroll is a good investment.

Bale could have been the biggest transfer story, and 3/1 shots with SkyBet Manchester United wanted take a massive step toward a new dynasty and get his signature, but it looks as though they and 5/1 shots Real will have to wait another year as stories are surfacing that he has agreed a new contact with Tottenham. This will disappoint David Moyes, especially if Wayne Rooney were to leave for Chelsea, at 2/1 with Coral, but it will be a big summer for United who are evens and 5/4 respectively to sign Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini at Victor Chandler, and could also raid Everton for Ross Barkley.

As with each and every summer of recent memory Chelsea are also being linked with other big names aside from Rooney, who has his agents working overtime in any case, and the biggest prizes for either the Europa League winners or the billionaires up north at City would be Atletico’s Falcao and/or Edinson Cavani of Napoli. Falcao is evens to go to City with Victor Chandler, or 2/1 to join Monaco although his ownership could prevent some sides buying in at this stage, while Cavani is 5/2 to move to City or 5/1 to go the Chelsea, with SkyBet. With the top three all changing manager and massive money coming from the new TV deal one thing is for sure, this will be a busy summer transfer window.