Transfer Talk - More from the rumour mill
Who? - Dimitar Berbatov - Speculation Where is he? - Tottenham Hotspur Who is he linked with? - The exit door
Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker believes Dimitar Berbatov would be difficult to replace should he leave the club in the summer. The Bulgarian has been linked with the White Hart Lane exit door all season, and last weekend Juande Ramos admitted he may move on. But Lineker hopes Spurs can cling on to him. "Berbatov is a wonderful footballer and it would be a real shame if Spurs were to lose him," he said. "They might get plenty of money for him but it is hard to replace that sort of talent - he is a top-class performer."
Who? - Kerimoglu Tugay - Speculation Where is he? - Blackburn Rovers Who is he linked with? - The exit door
Veteran Blackburn Rovers midfielder Tugay will have to wait until the end of the season to discover whether he will be offered a new contract. The 37-year-old is out of contract in the summer but is keen to end his career with Rovers after seven years at Ewood Park despite struggling for first-team opportunities during the second half of the campaign. "We'll probably wait until the end of the season now," said Mark Hughes. "We are very close to where we want to be points wise so our focus is on that. Any housekeeping we need to tidy up at the end of the season will be done then."
Who? - El Hadji Diouf - Speculation Where is he? - Bolton Wanderers Who is he linked with? - The exit door
Bolton Wanderers manager Gary Megson has conceded Saturday's home game against Sunderland is likely to be El Hadji Diouf's last appearance at the Reebok Stadum. The 27-year-old Senegal international is out of contract at the end of the season and revealed earlier in the year that he would seek a transfer in the summer. Diouf has spent four years with the Trotters after originally joining on a season-long loan from Liverpool before a permanent transfer in 2005. But despite his impending departure, Megson has no qualms about using the forward in a vital match in the club's battle to avoid relegation. He said: "Diouf will be involved. He has already said he will be leaving in the summer, so if that transpires, this becomes his last home game for Bolton. I am sure he wants to go out on a real high. Diouf does have an ability to change games just by a move on the ball or seeing a pass and he gives you something out of the ordinary. It is a rare talent."
