Rumour, rumour and more rumour

Nothing concrete to really report on the transfer front still but there is plenty circulating around as teams look to gear up for the new season little over ten days away, and the press try to keep up with the excitement by devoting more and more column inches as the season edges ever closer.

On the way in?

Reports this morning suggested we were making an eleventh hour bid to snatch Sol Campbell from under the noses of Portsmouth - ironically as a possible replacement for Sylvain Distin, although by lunchtime these stories seemed to have died down and Sky Sports are now confirming that the Campbell move to Portsmouth has now been completed.

I don't know how much weight there was to this story but my guess if anything would be the club making an enquiry at most, as Campbell's reputed salary of £60k per week would certainly not have been sanctioned by the board.

One story continuing to stick around is the talks surrounding the possible arrival of Hatem Trabelsi from Ajax, who is available on a free transfer with Pearce himself confirming "he's available, I think he's a good player and we're speaking to him and his representatives. That's where we are at the moment. He's not signed yet for the club so we are hoping that might progress in the next couple of days."

Trabelsi is an impressive player who has been courted by the likes of Arsenal and Inter over recent seasons and would complement both Onouha and Richards who appear to be in pole position for the right full-back position at the moment.

On the way out?

No update on the Distin or James stories to Portsmouth today, but some reports seem to be keen on the angle that Redknapp wants to link Distin with Campbell as his new defensive pairing - although he has also been linked with Ryan Nelsen of Blackburn.

One piece on James I came across was from Paul Hince in the MEN in which he advocated selling James as Nicky Weaver is on par, if not better as a goalkeeper than James and backed him to go onto challenge for an England spot. Personally I think that is a big ask for a guy who has barely played over the past few seasons and only Premiership experience was the disastrous relegation season under Joe Royle. If James does indeed leave then I'd expect Pearce to bring in a new goalkeeper to at least challenge Weaver, but more likely as the starter.

Big news today though and one which I imagine will see rejoicing from the vast majority of supporters is the possibility of Antoine Sibierski's departure. Reports suggest David Moyes is a 'big admirer' of Sibierski and having fallen some way down the pecking order at the club may well be allowed to leave on a free transfer, with Sibierski's agent Willie McKay (he seems a busy guy eh?) stating "I have spoken to David Moyes and he is a great admirier of Antoine. "He is hoping something can be done to bring Antoine to Goodison".

Is that the sound of fingers being crossed I can hear?