Polo 1,435 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Almost 70 players will be out of a job by 6pm on Sunday evening, when the Premier League season ends and contracts that have not been renewed effectively expire. Manchester United's Carlos Tevez may yet decide his future in the Champions League final on Wednesday, but for most of the 68 players who have yet to renegotiate their contracts Sunday presents a last chance to impress employers or attract interest from elsewhere. Many clubs will be keen to trim squads and reduce wage bills, and nowhere are such cost-cutting imperatives more evident than at Fratton Park. The financial difficulties being experienced at Portsmouth are reflected in the fact that more than 10% of the Premier League players who will be out of contract are currently employed there. The England defender Sol Campbell is one of eight players likely to leave this summer as the club tries to lower its wage bill by a fifth. The 34-year-old is thought to be one of the club's best-paid players, earning in the region of £80,000 per week. With Portsmouth's owner, Sacha Gaydamak, unwilling to invest any more of his own money while a six-month search for a buyer continues, other leading players including Hermann Hreidarsson, Nwankwo Kanu and Sean Davis have not been offered new deals. Michael Owen is not the only Newcastle United player whose contract expires after the club's crucial match at Villa Park, but even if the 29-year-old is declared fit, after a groin strain, he could be denied a starting place by Mark Viduka, whose influence has grown since the arrival of Alan Shearer as manager. The Australian made six appearances this season before Shearer's appointment but has featured in five of the seven games since. Another player expected to leave St James' Park is the centre-half Claudio Caçapa, but Sébastien Bassong's suspension and Habib Beye's injury may give the much-maligned Brazilian an opportunity to make a first start since November. At Old Trafford, besides Tevez, Darron Gibson and Lee Martin are out of contract this summer. Chelsea may release Henrique Hilario and Mineiro, with the former's exit possibly paving the way for Scott Turnbull – one of three Middlesbrough players whose contracts have not been renewed – to come in as cover for the No1 goalkeeper, Petr Cech. Currently on loan at Portsmouth, Jermaine Pennant is the only Liverpool player whose future is undecided. The defender Sami Hyypia's move to Bayer Leverkusen was finalised at the start of this month. Manchester City, along with Fulham and Hull, have six players whose contracts will be up at the end of the season. Mark Hughes is likely to trim his squad by letting fringe players such as Danny Mills, Michael Ball, Darius Vassell and Dietmar Hamann leave Eastlands. There should be no shortage of suitors should the club decide not to meet the wage demands of their talented young attacker Daniel Sturridge. Blackburn, Sunderland and Everton all have four players out of contract this summer, while West Ham, West Bromwich Albion and Wigan have three. Ten to watch The contracts of 68 Premier League players expire this summer. Here we pick 10 who will provoke plenty of interest from other clubs Sol Campbell Portsmouth Darron Gibson Man Utd Hermann Hreidarsson Portsmouth Mido Middlesbrough Michael Owen Newcastle Jermaine Pennant Liverpool Daniel Sturridge Man City Carlos Tevez Man Utd Diego Tristán West Ham Mark Viduka Newcastle http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/ma...contracts-tevez Maybe we'll bring back Lee Martin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flecky1 4 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 lol lee martin, hes was pish!!! lol tevez would do a turn for us! lol dont fancy any of the rest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterC 12,407 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Id take tristan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amac9 2,060 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 We will end up with Herman Hreidarsson. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
showtime69 514 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 would anybody take michael ball back? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flecky1 4 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 would anybody take michael ball back? interesting, im not sure, is he better than sasa? im not sure. but i do like Ball. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdunsmb 43 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 would anybody take michael ball back? Deffo. He's improved x 100 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amac9 2,060 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 would anybody take michael ball back? Never. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lidorfc 6,685 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 would take sturridge and pennant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aird 3,837 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Interesting to see Gibson there, i thought hes played pretty well for Utd when i'd seen him play. I'd take him here, his wages wouldn't be that high and the prospect of European football might help if we tried to sign him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumshie 205 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Would struggle to give the wages most of these players would demand Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willboy1873 0 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I would take Mido, Big Sol and Pennant! but its never gonna happen, more like Kyle, Tokely and Dorman!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaffbear 4,104 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 That Tevez chap looks the biz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeGowse 13 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 That Tevez chap looks the biz he would do a job i suppose Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Andypendek Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Interesting to see Gibson there, i thought hes played pretty well for Utd when i'd seen him play. I'd take him here, his wages wouldn't be that high and the prospect of European football might help if we tried to sign him. Agree totally. Why are they letting him go, I wonders? But then, he probably has about 5 games max next season if he's lucky, so perhaps he sees better horizons elsewhere. If I was him I would defo stay at Old Trafford, you just never know when 4 midfielders might get crocked. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Findlay83 0 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 Darron Gibson is a good player but think hed rather sign for celtic. Cant think of many rep of ireland players signing for gers? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
J_RFC87 761 Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 The cellick fans think Gibson is a Celtic fan, and they're going to sign him Of that list of 10, I would take them all bar Viduka and Mido. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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