In recent years, the January transfer window has become its own spectacle within the football calendar, but how necessary is the back and forth of rumours? How much of what we read actually happens?
You could argue that the transfer window has become a period that is used by agents to manipulate moves through rumours, a whole month of transfer foreplay. I'd go as far as to say that a lot of the "Sky sources" referred to on Sky Sports News are probably the agents themselves.
Usually, the teams with the most money get linked with every hot property around the world. Sides that are in desperate need of new recruits, like Manchester United, get linked with every half decent want-away player that's going.
For a newspaper, it's a fairly difficult time because they are expected to have a hotline into everything that's going on in a bid to be the first source to break the news. This leads to a lot of 'maybe stories' being written because if one paper is doing it, then the others need to follow.
And let us not forget that some of the time these rumours are started by the agents. My own suspicion of this happening lies at the door of Georgios Samaras's agent, because with six-months left on his contract he is being linked with clubs all around Europe.
Whilst I don't mean to insult Samaras in any way, the current rumour of interest from Atletico Madrid seems a bit far-fetched considering they have David Villa and Diego Costa, both of whom are substantially better than the Greek international.
It looks like an attempt to secure Samaras a better contract at Celtic and nothing more. If he does leave in the summer, I can't see it being to a team of Atletico Madrid's calibre.
It may seem like I dislike the January transfer window, but I actually enjoy it. For the ten minutes in the morning when it comes to checking the newest rumours, it's not so bad, but that's about it.
Some people, however, can't stand it and hate what they would say are baseless rumours surrounding random players that their clubs have no intention of signing. You have to see their point and it must get frustrating being linked with everyone yet buying no one.
But what would we as football fans do without the transfer window? Would we rather go back to the time when a smaller team's best players were bought by the best teams whenever they felt like it? I don't think so.
Despite its shortcomings, like driving up the prices for a player (£35million for Andy Carroll, please stand up) it brings with it a positive and that is making managers manage.
Imagine a world where Jose Mourinho buys Ross Barkley in November because he's been playing well and he doesn't fancy Mata. That's a place where football isn't as exciting and where the richest team wins the league every season.
Not for me thanks. I'll stick with the frustration of the transfer window for now.
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