Looming transfer deadline fuels the rumour mill (News Feature)

By Barry Whelan Aug 30, 2010, 11:52 GMT

Berlin - Hundreds of millions of pounds, dollars and euros are about to change hands in the next couple of days as players come and go before football's summer transfer window shuts.

Or then again, perhaps not.

If all the newspaper speculation is to be believed Tuesday's deadline day for transfers will see a flurry of activity as clubs across Europe make final attempts to strengthen their squads or offload unwanted players.

AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is therefore bound for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur - that is, if he doesn't sign instead for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga.

Tottenham at the same are going to launch a last-second bid to sign Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano - although they also seem to have their eyes on Villarreal forward Giuseppe Rossi.

Spurs, according to the tabloid Sun, have have actually been told by AC Milan to come back with a better offer for Huntelaar who could cost around 13 million euros.

Schalke, meanwhile, who have started the Bundesliga season with two defeats, have their cheque book at the ready as they search for another striker and midfielder - according to German reports.

'We have some work to do on the transfer market in the next few days,' said coach Felix Magath, indicating that the Germans will definitely be active.

No names mentioned, of course.

If Dutch striker Huntelaar were to move to Gelsenkirchen, he would team up with former Real Madrid team-mate Raul, who was signed on a free transfer last month.

Another Dutchman - and unwanted Real Madrid player - in midfielder Rafael van der Vaart could also be Schalke-bound, thus returning to the Bundesliga where he played for SV Hamburg. Then again Schalke might prefer to go instead for Atletico Madrid's Jose Manuel Jurado.

As far as van der Vaart is concerned, Schalke may have to act quickly, because Bayern Munich now also want the Dutchman - according to various reports - to replace compatriot Arjen Robben who could now be sidelined with a hamstring injury for the rest of the year.

However, this could all just be a perfidious ruse to up the ante for the player, who has allegedly turned down Manchester United and Liverpool, but who might still be interested in a return to Hamburg.

Back in England, Manchester United are preparing to offer Michael Carrick plus more than 10 million pounds in a bid for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell.

Tottenham - yes, again - will make a late 15-million-pound bid for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young, and could offer Robbie Keane, Jermaine Jenas and Alan Hutton in part exchange.

Tottenham coach Harry Redknapp - obviously a busy man - is also in talks with Inter Milan over a move for Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari.

Over in Spain, Real Madrid seem to have got their annual spending spree out of the way now that they have acquired Germany midfielders Mesut Oezil and Sami Khedira.

It's been a fairly modest summer for Real who a year ago splashed out on Cristian Ronaldo (94 million euros), Kaka (65m), Karim Benzema (35m) and Xabi Alonso (30m).

But rivals Barcelona, having just released striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to AC Milan, are going to make one signing, says the Spanish press, with Manchester City's Robinho and Valencia's Juan Mata top of their shopping list.

No rumours of big late signings, though, for Roman Abramovich-owned Chelsea, who aren't playing the gossip game this summer.

Having allowed a string of players, including Joe Cole, Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho to leave, the Blues have only acquired Yossi Benayoun and Brazilian midfielder Ramires and don't want any one else - and that's official.

'The transfer window is closed for us already,' manager Carlo Ancelotti told the club's website.