Transfer window of opportunity for unsettled players (News Feature)

By John Bagratuni Jan 7, 2011, 11:21 GMT

Berlin - Demba Ba is on strike to force his way out of German club Hoffenheim while Carlos Tevez failed with his requests to leave Manchester City.

Peruvian Jefferson Farfan has meanwhile joined Schalke's winter training camp, but not after telling a newspaper that he will be leaving for another club.

The January transfer window is open and players will be exploring ways to join better or more desired clubs - with big offers major incentives for selling clubs as in the cases of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edin Dzeko.

Ronaldo expressed his desire to leave Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2008 amid big interest from the Spanish giants, but United held out for another year until they simply had to accept a world record fee of 93 million euros from Real for the Portugal forward.

Bosnia striker Dzeko told VfL Wolfsburg after the 2009 Bundesliga title he wanted to leave the German club, but a 40-million-euro price tag seemingly deterred interested parties such as AC Milan.

But Dzeko was set to see his wish granted this week when 35 million euros from ambitious Manchester City proved irresistable for Wolfsburg despite their backing by Volkswagen.

If the deal goes through as expected, Dzeko will now team up with Tevez, whose stormy years in England took another twist last month when he handed in a transfer request to leave City in January - for family reasons and because he didn't get on with some club officials.

But Tevez soon caved in again as City refused to buckle and his agent was threatened with major financial sanctions should Tevez retire or go on strike.

There were echoes in the Tevez saga of Wayne Rooney who shook Manchester United by initially refusing to sign a new deal and questioning the club's ambitions.

It looked as if Rooney would be leaving the club in this month's transfer window - with rivals Manchester City ready to pounce. But the England striker then went on to sign an improved five-year deal.

However, these cases paled against the Ashley Cole saga of 2005 and 2006 before the England defender finally joined London rivals Chelsea.

Cole was fined by the Premier League (along with Chelsea and their then manager Jose Mourinho) in 2005 for establishing contact with Chelsea without informing Arsenal.

Cole attacked Arsenal over the issue a year later in his autobiography and finally left for Stamford Bridge on transfer deadline day August 31, 2006.

Ba, meanwhile, has twice ignored a Hoffenheim order to join the team at a winter training camp in Spain as he appears to force a departure, for the second time since he joined in 2007, according to general manager Ernst Tanner.

'Demba Ba's action will have consequences for him ... It is probably unique in the Bundesliga how the player is trying a second time to put pressure on his employer,' Tanner said.

Tanner has also said the club could ask world governing body FIFA to suspend him for six months for breach of contract.

The transfer window remains open until January 31 and will likely see many more twists and turns on the market.

Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwartzer may be hoping for another offer from Arsenal after Fulham turned his request down in summer while Arsenal may have to sweat out renewed interest from Barcelona in their Spain star Cesc Fabregas.

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