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EVENING STANDARD
JANUARY SALES - PLEASE BUY!
03-01-03
Many people compile wish-lists at the start of a new year and football club chairmen are no different.
Like the annual January fitness regime and anti-smoking drive, such aspirations rarely come to anything, but the opening of the transfer window provides the opportunity for some dreams to become reality.
If he plays his cards right Tim Sherwood could soon be appearing in a first team near you, though he will probably end up at Harry Redknapp's retirement home on the south coast.
In football's current financial climate, however, big-money moves are unlikely to materialise, leaving only cut-price players unwanted at their current clubs.
Many clubs are expected to take advantage of this situation to trim their inflated wage bills, so Standard Sport has assembled a team of players that chairmen would love to see the back of.
Our team of overpaid underachievers is captained by Chelsea's Winston Bogarde, the Dutch defender who, in this field at least, leads by example.
The 32-year-old has made just two Premiership starts since signing on a not-so-free transfer from Barcelona three seasons ago which, given his £42,000-a-week wages, works out at more than £2 million for every full appearance. Nice work if you can get it, but no wonder Bates wants rid.
For a club that seem to have such problems buying players, Spurs have several stars they are keen to offload from their payroll.
Manager Glenn Hoddle refuses to allow Sherwood to even play for the reserves after a very public falling out when the former England international criticised manager and club in a newspaper.
Ukraine striker Sergei Rebrov has no future at White Hart Lane and has not played for the first team this season. Hoddle is not a man to cross.
The bulk of the team comes from two clubs with well-documented problems. Leeds manager Terry Venables offered to drive Olivier Dacourt to Italy himself last month to take the Frenchman away from Elland Road, while Lee Bowyer's time in Yorkshire is drawing to a close.
The former Charlton midfielder rejected a £40,000-a-week contract offer from Leeds in the summer and has been a disruptive influence ever since. Venables supported his player following his horrific stamp on Malaga's Gerardo in a UEFA Cup tie, but his team selection tells a different story.
The Leeds manager would also accept an offer for Michael Duberry should anyone come forward for the former Chelsea centre-half.
Aston Villa also contribute three players to the want-away XI, largely because of the transfer dealings of former manager John Gregory.
His signings of Turkey defender Alpay and Croatia striker Bosko Balaban are under investigation by the Football Association and Gregory's successor, Graham Taylor, wants to part with both of them, along with Hassan Kachloul. The Moroccan midfielder, who was previously so impressive for Southampton, has not played a Premiership game since April.
Fabrizio Ravanelli has the distinction of being the only First Division player - and surprisingly the only Italian - in the line-up, although with the wages he's on it is unlikely that he will want to go anywhere in a hurry.
Finally spare a thought for West Ham striker Titi Camara, Chelsea winger Gabriele Ambrosetti and Blackburn forward Corrado Grabbi. As well as being out of the picture at their clubs, they failed to make the Standard Sport Offload XI.
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