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If the rumour mill is to be believed, Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson reckons that Torino’s Angelo Ogbonna would fit in well with the many other defenders at Old Trafford. Liverpool are a little shorter on numbers than their north-west rivals, but they apparently aim to fix this by finally bringing in Barcelona forward Cristian Tello (pictured). But the Reds’ paucity of resources is nothing compared to the threadbare squad at Elland Road, where Leeds boss Neil Warnock is reported to want Stoke’s Kenwyne Jones to plug a gap up front. Which, if any, of these deals will come off? The Life’s a Pitch team take a look.

“I sense that Tello wants to stay one more year and see if he can force his way into the frame at his club,” says the Daily Mirror’s Martin Lipton of Brendan Rodgers’ target. “Clearly, Liverpool need some bodies. Unless Fabio Borini suddenly reinvents himself as the winger that he doesn’t appear to be, they’re going to need to get someone else in. I just fear that at the moment Tello is beyond their reach for a variety of reasons. I think he’d be great, and if he wanted to play more football, he would go. [But] I’m not sure that’s his mentality at the moment, I think he still feels that Barcelona is the place for him. I’m afraid that, although it’d be a good signing, it’s no more than two or three out of 10.”

The Times’ Rory Smith also has some reservations about the chances of Ogbonna arriving at Old Trafford any time soon. “He’s highly rated in Italy. Torino aren’t the force they used to be, he won’t be on big wages, they can’t offer him the challenge of trophies, and at some point I’d expect him to leave. [But] whether he’s ready for Manchester United at the moment, I wouldn’t have thought so. I think this one is reasonably unlikely, he needs to develop a little bit more, so I’ll say three out of 10.”

But Jones does look like he could be on the move in the near future, according to the People’s Dave Kidd. ”He’d be a very good signing for any Championship club. He does seem ripe for a loan move – if he’s up for it – as with Michael Owen arriving, Peter Crouch and Jon Walters, Stoke have got quite a lot of striking options. If Leeds can get hold of him, that would be a terrific signing for them, he could score a lot of goals at that level. I’d give it a seven out of 10.”

Watch the full video discussion by clicking on the play button in the image above. 

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