Contenders take pause for breath

THE two weeks before a World Cup are a bizarre transfer limbo, where managers can only watch prospective signings hold back in friendly matches. Players claim they don't want to be disturbed by transfer talk - witness German striker Lukas Podolski's refusal to sign a deal with double-winners Bayern Munich, for example. Tomas Rosicky's decision to sign for Arsenal was a rare exception.

Of course, many players will see the tournament as the chance to showpiece their abilities in front of managers on the hunt for a bargain. The World Cup may no longer be the break-out tournament it was in terms of emerging players - so many matches on TV and the Champions League has put paid to that - but it does still offer the opportunity for the three title-chasing teams in Scotland to check out possible targets.

Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski has already told Gordon Strachan to watch Germany play Poland to check out his former Wisla Krakow team-mate, Miroslaw Szymkowiak. If the playmaker has a great tournament, his ambitions may stretch past Scotland, but the examples of Zurawski and Artur Boruc, who has held on to the No.1 Poland jersey and seen Jerzy Dudek drop out of the squad, have proved that Glasgow is a good match for the Poles.

Strachan's hand is hampered by the uncertainty surrounding key players. By the end of the summer, he could lose four midfielders: Roy Keane has yet to reveal his plans for next season, Neil Lennon has not signed a new contract, Stilian Petrov has handed in a transfer request and Shunsuke Nakamura, at 28, is ready to move to Spain. The latter is the only one in action at the World Cup, with Japan, and an impressive tournament could seal his departure.

There is no need for Strachan to press the panic button: Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell told this paper a fortnight ago that the champions are looking to bring in "four to six new players". Three have already come in, all on free transfers, in Gary Caldwell, Derek Riordan and Kenny Miller.

Not only does that leave Strachan with three new players to aim for - to fill positions at left-back, centre-back and playmaker - but he also has some money to spend (and will have more if £5m-rated Petrov leaves, for example).

One of those targets is former Manchester United midfielder Quentin Fortune, recently freed by the Old Trafford club. But Celtic may have to fight off Bolton and Manchester City for the player's services.

Strachan has also targeted Czech under-21 left-back Michal Kadlec to solve one of the positions but Sparta are holding out for £2m, not the £1.5m Celtic are prepared to pay. If that falls through, there may be other options: AZ Alkmaar left-back Tim de Cler is Giovanni van Bronckhorst's deputy in the national team and, though 27, would not cost more than Kadlec, while Ecuador's Ulises de la Cruz is out of contract at Aston Villa and looking to catch the eye in Germany.

Strachan is also looking for a centre-back and if he is unable to prise Andy Webster from Hearts, may go for another Dutchman, PSV's Andre Ooijer. The 31-year-old has won four Dutch titles and has Champions League experience: he would be a better option than an older player from England, like free agents Stephane Henchoz or Kenny Cunningham.

His most important call will be in midfield. Niko Kranjcar, a star of the Croatian team (and not because his dad is the coach) is one option, though another is Ali Karimi, who will be playing for Iran at the World Cup. Known as "the Asian Maradona", Karimi has been Michael Ballack's deputy at Bayern Munich and has never failed when called upon. With Ballack heading to Chelsea, the Germans are chasing Mark van Bommel from Barcelona but may go for Petrov to fill the gap. If that happens, the possibility of Karimi moving in the other direction becomes a real one. Swiss midfielder Hakan Yakin is a further alternative: he won a late call-up to the World Cup squad after showing good form for Young Boys of Berne this season. And when Strachan is at Germany-Poland, he should look out for Jacek Krzynowek, a dynamo of a midfielder with an eye for goal.

Strachan will be under pressure to make the right decisions, not least because there is a new man in charge at Ibrox and the omens show that, in recent history, new Old Firm bosses have made a habit of winning the title in their first season - witness Wim Jansen, Dick Advocaat, Martin O'Neill, Alex McLeish, and Strachan himself.

However, it may not be so easy for Rangers' new incumbent Paul le Guen this time around - not least because he does not have the £60m at his disposal that Advocaat had.

Le Guen told this paper last week that he is in regular contact with chief executive Martin Bain about new signings and that he would not be bringing a whole load of French players to Rangers: a week on, Rennes midfielder William Stanger and defender Antoine Ponroy - and Sweden's Karl Svensson - have joined Dean Furman as the new faces. More will come, although one won't be Laurent Robert, the former Newcastle winger whose reputation for finding trouble will not impress Le Guen.

It is fair to say that the Frenchman has been offered more players than he needs, and the lustre that he brings to a club like Rangers cannot be underestimated: midfielder Jeremy Toulalan, outstanding as France U-21s beat Germany 3-0 on Thursday night, was tempted by Le Guen's overtures before signing for champions Lyon.

Le Guen is after a new spine for the team, with goalkeeper, playmaker and striker the key positions. In goal, Swiss No.2 Fabio Coltorti and Monaco's Flavio Roma have been mentioned as possibles but Le Havre's Steve Mandanda, the France under-21 keeper, remains the favourite. There is a need to plug other defensive gaps and Le Guen has been offered Liverpool's Djimi Traore and Shakhtar Donetsk's attacking full-back Razvan Rat, who was man of the match when Romania beat Germany 5-1 in April 2004. Le Guen is also keen on Auxerre's 20-year-old centre-back, Younes Kaboul.

The departure of Peter Lovenkrands creates a berth for an experienced creative midfielder who is unlikely to be Johan Micoud: although Le Guen wanted him, the Bremen star is hankering after a return to Bordeaux. Le Guen has also turned his attention to Vikash Dhorasoo, PSG's former Milan midfielder. Dhorasoo is 32 and though happy back in France, may be tempted by the promise of a long-term deal - and the chance to link up with his former coach. Rangers already have Libor Sionko to play on the right side, but as a Bosman on relatively low wages, he is seen as a risk worth taking.

Up front is where Le Guen is looking to make the difference. Rangers scored 26 fewer goals than Celtic last season and need a regular partner for Kris Boyd. In an ideal world, Le Guen would be able to spirit Djibril Cisse from Anfield to Ibrox, but Rangers' failure to make the Champions League would test Le Guen's persuasive powers. The other target is another proven Champions League striker, and one who may have a break-out in Germany: Paraguay's Nelson Haedo Valdez. The 22-year-old scored nine goals for Bremen this year and has the pace and profile for Le Guen. His availability may depend on Miroslav Klose, top scorer in Germany last season and someone Bremen want to tie down before they sell others.

Le Guen would also like to buy a Scottish player but the only one who turns his head is Hearts defender Webster, also a target of Celtic. Hearts chairman Vladimir Romanov is yet to announce whether interim coach Valdas Ivanauskas will stay on next season, but then, the coach's identity doesn't usually stop Hearts buying players.

With Michal Pospisil and Rudi Skacel on their way out, goals will be a priority and they may return to the Czech market to sign Tomas Jun, a former Sparta striker who is now a Besiktas substitute. Sporting Lisbon's Middlesbrough target Rudolph Douala is another option. Others include Rapid Vienna forward Marek Kincl, Steaua Bucharest's Victoras Iacob and, most impressive of all, Bruges's former Real Madrid forward Javier Portillo.

Romanov can at least look forward to next term with the inspirational Paul Hartley still there. The 29-year-old was named player of the season and, along with Steven Pressley, forms the heart of the side. Of the three teams who will be in contention next season, you can bet that Hearts will undergo the most upheaval. Romanov may even want to find a new coach at the World Cup. I think Carlos Alberto Parreira may be free in July, Vladimir.

Taken from the Scotsman