Marek Hamsik to Man Utd or Chelsea?

Despite being treated to a January transfer window filled to the rim with big money, big name, controversial moves here, there, and everywhere, the next transfer window is already being eagerly anticipated with rumours starting to fly around like paper aeroplanes in an unruly classroom. They just can't be stopped. Even if the player involved in a rumour has only recently signed a new contract with his club, they are linked to moves away. Probably because money is far more powerful than loyalty nine times out of ten in today's footballing, business-like world.

Getting to this rumour, and Manchester United are still searching for that special talent (and they need to be special) to replace Paul Scholes in the centre of the United midfield. Charlie Adam of Blackpool was linked to a move in January, but Sir Alex Ferguson recently accepted that Blackpool needed him for the rest of the season for them to stay in the division.

Nuri Sahin, the German born Turkish international playing his football for Borussia Dortmund is also rumoured to be interesting Sir Alex with his creative ability, passing, awareness and vision that have made Scholes such a great player.

Stephen Defour, again, another name that Ferguson is keen on. It is well known the admiration Ferguson has for the Belgian midfielder as he wrote him a get well soon letter after the Standard Liege play maker broke his leg in 2009.

But it is Marek Hamsik, the Slovakian 23 year-old who is apparently bleeping loudly on the Manchester United radar. Hamsik has received wide admiration for his ability on the ball and has been linked to many a top club including Chelsea and Liverpool, while the player himself said it would be "difficult to say not to Manchester United". In an interview, Hamsik praised the English League and the atmosphere in England while his agent claimed that a move is a "possibility".

The price? Well, you don't have to know much about football to know that even average players are currently being sold for well over what they should be realistically being valued at. That's not to say that Hamsik is average, but £35 million is a lot of money for a player unproven in England and would be one hell of a risk for that amount.

Having said that, Chelsea are also strongly linked. They just paid £50 million and £25 million for Torres and David Luiz respectively. They don't mind a risk or two (or three) it seems. The price is so high because Hamsik signed a contract extension at his Italian club Napoli only recently, and to buy that contract obviously increases the asking price.

I can't see Ferguson spending £35 million on Hamsik, despite his obvious talent. I am also unsure, as many people are about this UEFA fair play money rule. How can Chelsea get round it if they splash another ludicrous amount to add to the £75 million they have already spent, when this is exactly the kind of spending that UEFA were supposedly trying to stop.

It is just a rumour.