Yossi Benayoun Rejects French Move

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Yossi Benayoun had been linked with several clubs after being forced to give his jersey number up to the far sexier Juan Mata upon the former Valencia man's arrival, but according to Sky Sports News, which I can't link to on account of it being a television program that I am watching vicariously through Twitter, he will not be making the trip to Ligue 1 champions Lille. Apparently Benayoun has rejected Chelsea's offer of a loan move to the Champions League side, which leaves Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all on the table, with Aston Villa already bowing out over wage concerns on Tuesday.

Since it's looking less and less likely that Luka Modric joins Chelsea, Spurs are fading slightly as a possibility, but they still have a real need for a replacement for Rafael van der Vaart, who has a hamstring tear, and it would come as no surprise to see Benayoun end up at White Hart Lane. Still, no matter what happens to him, the key from Chelsea's perspective is that he won't be at Stamford Bridge, so ultimately things don't really matter that much. Have fun working those airports, Yossi...