Benjani-rumour

I clipped this article from here

clipped from www.newzimbabwe.com

Juventus set for £7 million Benjani raid

LAST LAUGH: Mwaruwari • Mwaruwari nets 8th league goal in Pompey romp • Mwaruwari tops premiership scorers' charts • Mwaruwari scores in Manchester United draw • Mwaruwari fires Pompey into Asia Trophy final • Mwaruwari sets Pompey target • Mwaruwari set to commit future to Portsmouth • Mwaruwari cuts holiday to play in Kanu fundraiser • Mwaruwari named skipper, scores for Pompey

By Sports Reporter
Last updated: 11/07/2007 11:39:48
PORTSMOUTH striker Benjani Mwaruwari has been linked with a shock £7 million move to Juventus.

Benjani has been in sensational form for Portsmouth this season and has already scored eight league goals after a disappointing season last year.

Mwaruwari, also the skipper for the Zimbabwe national soccer team, joined Portsmouth from French club Auxerre in a then club record fee of £4,1 million in 2005.

Reports in Italy suggest Juve will move for their man in the January transfer window, although Pompey boss Harry Redknapp is unlikely to let him leave Fratton Park.

"He makes goals, his work-rate is incredible and he's just a terrific professional," Rednkapp told Sky Sports. "The fans have loved him from day one because he gives everything.

"Defenders never get a minute's rest because he's strong and aggressive, and has good skill. And now he's weighing in with goals as well it's brilliant. He deserves it."

On Wednesday, Mwaruwari was cool on the transfer speculation.

He told New Zimbabwe.com: "I have great respect for the Juventus coach Didier Deschamps. He wanted me to join Monaco when I was still at Auxerre.

"I have not heard anything official, so I can only continue to work hard for Portsmouth. I am still contracted to this club and I want to do my best for them."

Portsmouth will be without their African players in January due to the Africa Cup of Nations, making it highly unlikely Redknapp will agree to sell his free-scoring striker. Benjani is not travelling to the Nations Cup because Zimbabwe failed to qualify.

Redknapp will have to make do without Nwanko Kanu, Sulley Muntari, Papa Bouba Diop and John Utaka.
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ozzie@newzimbabwe.com

Since I started this blog I sometimes see sites that run stories that don't seem to have any real basis -so a couple of days ago I saw this Benjani/Juventus rumour at this site and thought it twaddle- and since then I've seen the same rumour repeated elsewhere- and just thought that it was other sites just repeating the initial website's unsubstantiated story.

But in this version the authors quote Benjy- so maybe there is something in it- though it all still seems to be unsubstantiated. I'd like to know where it started.