Summer Transfers 2007

[joe516]

Tottenham are ready to make a £3m swoop for Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi, the player who was headbutted by France's Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final. (The People)

Curtis Davies is set to ask West Brom for a transfer, with Tottenham tipped to make a bid for the defender. (Sunday Mirror)

Liverpool target Yossi Benayoun will tell West Ham he wants to leave when the midfielder returns from holiday this week. (The People)

Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi, who has been linked to Juventus and who had loan spells at Newcastle and Parma, wants to be given the chance to prove himself at Old Trafford. (Various)

Striker Carlos Tevez, who has been linked with a move to Inter Milan, is on the verge of agreeing a deal to stay at West Ham, which would cost the London club £9m for the next season. (News of the World)

Chelsea winger Arjen Robben turned down two offers of a new deal in the past week and wants permission to speak to Real Madrid about a move. (News of the World)

West Ham want Benfica midfielder Manuel Fernandes, who had spells with Portsmouth and Everton. (The People)

Middlesbrough want midfielders Gary O'Neil and Sean Davis in a swap deal for Portsmouth target Yakubu. (The People)

Sheffield United captain Phil Jagielka, who has been linked to Everton and Wigan, will stay with the club if they are saved from relegation by the Premier League's arbitration panel. (The People)

Everton have joined Fulham, Blackburn and Middlesbrough in the battle for West Ham striker Bobby Zamora. (News of the World)

Wigan are set to join the race to land Blackburn midfielder Robbie Savage, who is also a target of Sheffield United. (News of the World)

Liverpool have opened talks with Real Zaragoza striker Diego Milito. (Various)

Ipswich are eyeing Birmingham midfielder Neil Kilkenny. (The People)

Fulham have made the first firm bid for West Ham striker Marlon Harewood, who has been told he can leave. (The People)

Sunderland are set to make a £2.5m bid for Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. (The People)

Lyon's Alou Diarra and Watford's Hamuer Bouazza are top of Portsmouth's midfield shopping list. (The People)

Celtic are keen on Barcelona midfielder Ludovic Giuly, who has also been linked to Monaco, Marseille, Newcastle and Tottenham. (The People)

Everton are poised to make a £2.5m bid for Manchester United striker Alan Smith. (News of the World)

West Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins, who was part of the failed deal to take Charlton striker Darren Bent to Upton Park, is still set to join the Addicks. (News of the World)

Newcastle are preparing a £7m swoop for Sevilla striker Fredi Kanoute. (News of the World)

Manchester City defender Danny Mills is attracting the attention of Rangers. (News of the World)

Portsmouth are chasing Maccabi Haifa striker Roberto Colautti. (News of the World)

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

18/06/07

ITALIAN JOB FOR BELLAMY?
Craig Bellamy could be set for a switch to Serie A next season after finding himself surplus to requirements at Anfield.

The Welshman has indicated a desire to remain at Liverpool and fight for his place, but that could be tested by interest from Roma and Juventus according to various newspaper reports on Monday.

The Independent says Liverpool would prefer to do business with Roma, as they would welcome an exchange offer involving £10m-rated Brazilian winger Mancini.



MOURINHO ADMITS HE WANTS MCCARTHY
Jose Mourinho has admitted he wants to sign Benni McCarthy.

"I saw the possibility of us reuniting at Chelsea but he has a contract," said the Special One.

"I could tell that he wanted to play for me again because we had a wonderful time together.

"But Blackburn said he was not for sale and you have to respect that."

We shall see.

As a point of interest, The Sun reports that Blackburn are the target of a £50m takeover by lifelong fan Daniel Williams.

While the Daily Mirror say Blackburn want more information about Williams before giving the go-ahead to a £67m sale of the club.

Now that's what we call inflation.


TEVEZ WAITING ON MADRID
Carlos Tevez is waiting to see if Real Madrid want him, according to his agent.



JUSSI TO COST £6m
The Daily Mail says Roy Keane has bid £3.2m to take Jussi Jaaskelainen to Sunderland - and will follow it up with bids for Geremi and Giuseppe Rossi.

But he'll be disappointed with his pursuit of the goalkeeper, if you believe the Daily Mirror. With Aston Villa also in the hunt for his signature, the Mirror say Bolton think a bidding war could see them make as much as £6m on the 32-year-old keeper, who only has one year left on his contract at the Reebok Stadium.


NAFF DEFENDER MERRY-GO-ROUND
Fulham are going all out in pursuit of Lawrie Sanchez's former Norn Iron captain Aaron Hughes, who has found himself unable to hold onto a first-team place at Aston Villa.

Once they've signed the former Newcastle defender, the Daily Mirror says they'll send Zat Knight in the opposite direction.

Well, almost the opposite direction. The lanky centre-back will actually take a slight detour - he is expected to sign for Birmingham City this week.

Oh, and Steve Bruce also wants to sign Cardiff winger Joe Ledley, Aston Villa's fourth-choice centre back Liam Ridgewell and Arsenal defender Johan Djourou.


CITEH WANT RAMOS
Having been linked with Sven-Goran Eriksson yesterday, Man Citeh are once again getting ideas above their station.

Today the Daily Express says Citeh are confident Juande Ramos will turn down the chance of leading his Sevilla side into the Champions League next season to replace Stuart Pearce in Manchester.

We can't see why he'd go to Eastlands. Well, unless he likes the quiet.


AND THE REST
Hong Kong billionaire Carson Yeung is set to step up his bid to buy Birmingham in the next few days...Tim Cahill has urged Everton boss David Moyes to sign Australia team-mate Vincce Grella from Serie A club Parma...AC Milan midfielder Massimo Donati will jet in to Glasgow for talks with Celtic this week...

 

[joe516]

Chelsea and Arsenal are leading the chase to sign Valencia defender Miguel but have been warned he will cost them £13m. (Daily Telegraph)

Six Premiership clubs are interested in Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe - with West Ham and Sunderland the leading chasers. (The Independent)

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is ready to offer Manchester United striker Alan Smith regular first team football. (Daily Star)

Charlton striker Darren Bent has told Liverpool and Tottenham he will go to the club that gives him the best chance of being an England regular. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham have joined the battle to land Preston striker David Nugent after missing out on Bent. (The Sun)

The Hammers have been rebuffed after making an enquiry for Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy. (Daily Mail)

Derby boss Billy Davies will make West Ham defender Tyrone Mears his first summer signing this week in a £1m swoop. (The Sun)

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp wants to sign Seville striker Fredi Kanoute as top scorer Kanu is talks with Ajax. (The Sun)

Chelsea are set to hijack Fulham's move for Ulsan Tigers midfielder Lee Chun-Soo, with both clubs under pressure to sign a Korean because of their sponsorship deals with firms from that nation. (The Sun)

Celtic midfielder Thomas Gravesen is poised for a shock £3m switch to Sheffield United. (Various)

Midfielder Jose Antonio Reyes, who has been on loan at Real Madrid from Arsenal, has begged the Spanish club to let him stay after he helped them lift the title on Sunday. (Daily Mirror)

Wigan are ready to sign Helsingborg defender Andreas Granqvist for £750,000 following a loan spell last season. (The Sun)

Wigan are lining up Preston keeper Carlo Nash for a permanent switch to the JJB. (Various)

Newcastle are poised to complete a £2m move for Czech defender David Rozehnal from PSG. (Daily Mail)

Birmingham have had a £3m bid for striker Marlon Harewood rejected by West Ham. (Various)

Blues boss Steve Bruce has been told he will have to pay £4.5m for Harewood. (Daily Express)

Liverpool owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have vowed to give manager Rafael Benitez money to splash out in the transfer market following rumours of unrest at the club. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea flop Khalid Boulahrouz has been lined up for a £4m move to Seville. (Various)

Billy Sharp is heading for showdown talks with S****horpe that could see him quit the club. (Daily Star)

Freddy Eastwood has pleaded with Southend to let him complete a £1.5m move to Wolves. (Daily Star)

Reading's Stephen Hunt is demanding a new deal only six months after signing a new two-and-a-half year deal. (Various)

Millwall are ready to offer a trial to former jailbird Fiston Manuella, who plays for Chelmsford. (Daily Star)

Nottingham Forest want to sign Birmingham midfielder Neil Danns for £500,000. (Daily Star)

Middlesbrough are ready to hand a return to England to Ian Harte, who plays in Spain for Levante. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham have dropped their interest in Fulham's Zat Knight to chase Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Liege - and they also want Cardiff winger Joe Ledley. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City are ready to steal Bolton teenage star Kyle Bartley from under Arsenal's noses. (Daily Mirror)

Charlton plan a surprise £500,000 bid for Birmingham midfielder Stephen Clemence. (The Sun)

Mark McGhee is set to make former St Johnstone midfielder Simon Mensing his first signing after taking over as Motherwell boss. (Daily Record)

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

19/06/07

SOME PEOPLE AT CITEH WANT SVEN
Sven-Goran Eriksson is back in the frame to take the vacant job of manager at Manchester City.

It is reported by both The Guardian and Daily Telegraph that Thaksin Shinawatra, whose takeover bid continues to crawl slowly along, wants to appoint a high-profile manager. However, Citeh being Citeh, there's a catch - even some of Shinawatra's closest advisors think it's a terrible idea.

'In the kind of confused plot that perhaps only City could be capable of, Eriksson is now among the leading candidates to be offered the job if Thaksin's takeover goes through, notwithstanding the misgivings of everyone in the recruitment process bar Thaksin himself. City have missed out on his first-choice target, Claudio Ranieri, as well as having unsuccessful talks with Didier Deschamps, and Thaksin seems unimpressed by Sevilla's Juande Ramos,' says The Guardian, while The Telegraph describes 'Shinawatra's camp' as 'splitting into rival groups'.


BORO LOOK AT SMITH AS YAKUBU LOOKS FOR WAY OUT
Rather than be a replacement for Mark Viduka, could Jeremie Aliadiere's arrival at Middlesbrough signal the departure of Yakubu? Tony Blair's favourite newspaper, The Independent, thinks so.

According to the newspaper, 'Boro have also now expressed an interest in Manchester United's Alan Smith', and with the £3m Aliadiere on his way north along with Turkish striker Tuncay Sanli, 'significant doubts over the future of Yakubu' are now being raised.

Boro are apparently willing to spend £6m on Smith, although they will first have to wait for the Yorkshireman to hold talks with Sir Alex Ferguson. Yakubu, meanwhile, continues to be linked with a move back to Pompey.


WENGER TO BARCA ETC ETC
The Gossip Column has been expecting to write this tale ever since Arsene Wenger was apparently spotted in talks with Barcelona last week discussing the sale of Thierry Henry: Barca want Wenger to be their new boss.

That's the story splashed all over the back page of The Sun, although the small print is notably dubious.

'The Spanish giants made Arsenal boss Wenger their No 1 target to replace him and reports in France last week said Wenger met with Barca director Feran Soriano in Paris. There was speculation the meeting was to discuss the transfer of Thierry Henry to Barca.

'But senior sources at the Nou Camp were last night insisting Wenger's own future was also a topic of discussion.'

Just how many sources are there at the Nou Camp? Do Barca employ someone expressly for the task of answering the hotline to Fleet Street? Whoever he is, he's certainly earning his money this year.

As for The Sun, they themselves don't sound especially convinced that Wenger will leave Arsenal, noting that 'The Frenchman prides himself on having always honoured contracts. He has one year remaining on his Arsenal deal and recently vowed to see it out'.


READING ARE BETTER THAN ARSENAL
Still, it's been a troubled summer for Arsenal, and it appears that even staying at Reading is now considered a better career choice than moving to the Emirates.

The Daily Mail claims that Nicky Hammond, a former youth team goalkeeper at Arsenal, has snubbed an invitation from Wenger to become the club's Director of Football.

'Sportsmail can reveal that Hammond, who holds a similar position at the Madejski Stadium, was offered the job on Friday but had a last-minute change of heart and decided to stick with Reading,' it reports. 'But Hammond's decision to turn down the job has shocked Wenger while Reading chiefs, too, are surprised that he is staying.'

It's a lucky escape for Arsenal. Anybody who would even think about staying at Reading in such circumstances can't possibly have been a suitable candidate.


VERY GOOD YOUNGSTER IN DEMAND
The Independent believes that Sunderland and West Ham United are leading the chase to sign Feyenoord's Royston Drenthe. The player is given the rank of 'star of this month's European Under-21 Championship' but your Gossip Columnist couldn't possibly comment as he's been far too busy reading the newspapers.

However, Drenthe is certainly in demand with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Manchester City also reportedly sending representatives to watch the left-sided player in action.

'The 20-year-old - who has been converted from a left-back to left-winger - is available for around £3.6m although a final decision as to whether or not he will be sold will be taken by the Rotterdam club at the beginning of next week. There is also strong interest in the player from other European leagues although it is thought that if he leaves, his most likely destination is England.'

Arsenal's scouts were also in attendance to watch Ryan Babel, although The Indy continues to maintain that 'Wenger is unsure if he would make the grade'.


REYES TO CHANGE CLUBS BUT STAY IN MADRID
Real Madrid title hero Jose Antonio Reyes is reportedly set for a move to their city rivals Atletico.

Reyes, who spent the season on loan at the Santiago Bernabeu from Arsenal, has been linked strongly with Atletico during recent weeks. And according to Radio Marca he'll complete a move to the Vicente Calderon later this week.


AND THE REST
Valencia defender Miguel is a target for Chelsea and Arsenal but he will cost them £13m...Thomas Gravesen could make a shock £3m move to Sheffield United...Helsingborgs defender Andreas Granqvist could join Wigan for £750,000 after a loan spell last season...Carlo Nash could join him...Nottingham Forest want Birmingham midfielder Neil Danns for £500,000...

Derby hope to make West Ham's Tyrone Mears their first summer signing...Chelsea are ready to hijack Fulham's move for Korean star Lee Chun-Soo...Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp hopes to sign former West Ham and Spurs striker Fredi Kanoute from Sevilla...Darren Bent has told Liverpool and Spurs he'll join the club that gives him best chance of becoming an England regular...Marseille hope to thrash out a deal to keep Djibril Cisse on loan from Liverpool from another year...

Chelsea flop Khalid Boulahrouz is a £4million target for Sevilla...Billy Sharp is heading for showdown talks with S****horpe, and could quit the Championship newcomers...West Ham have told Birmingham to stump up £4.5million for Marlon Harewood...West Ham's attempts to sign a striker have hit another dead-end after Blackburn rejected the Hammers' approach for Benni McCarthy...Newcastle are close to a deal for Czech defender David Rozehnal...

Birmingham have dropped out of the race for Fulham's Zat Knight and turned their attentions to Oguchi Onyewu, who was on loan at Newcastle from Standard Liege...Celtic keeper Artur Boruc has again raised doubts about his future by claiming the derby games with Rangers are the only reason to stay in Scotland...Ian Harte is being linked with a return to England with Boro...Charlton could pay £500,000 for Birmingham's Stephen Clemence...

Aberdeen goalkeeper Jamie Langfield is a target for Cardiff and Norwich...Celtic striker Craig Beattie is apparently wanted by West Brom and Sheffield United.

 

[joe516]

Spurs have edged closer to signing striker Darren Bent from Charlton for a fee between £12-14m. (Various)

West Ham have been offered Argentina striker Javier Saviola to replace Carlos Tevez. (The Sun)

Newcastle have slapped in a take-it-or-leave-it £2.8m bid for Paris St Germain defender David Rozehnal. (Daily Star)

Sunderland boss Roy Keane wants Wigan skipper Leighton Baines - but will have to pay £6m for the defender. (Daily Mirror)

Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira says French striker Thierry Henry will leave unless Arsenal spend big to strengthen their team. (Daily Mirror)

And Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o says he expects Henry to join him at the club next season. (The Times)

Meanwhile, Barcelona winger Ludovic Giuly has angrily denied reports that he is tapping up French pal Thierry Henry. (The Sun)

Middlesbrough have rejected a bid of £10m from Portsmouth for striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu. (The Independent)

Everton are in talks to sign Manchester United defender Phil Bardsley. (Various)

Sampdoria have told Celtic they need to find £3m if they want to land Italian star Gennaro Delvecchio. (Daily Record)

Aston Villa and Birmingham are competing for the signature of West Ham striker Marlon Harewood. (Daily Star)

Swiss midfielder Bruce Lalombongo has turned down a move to Everton. (Daily Mirror)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is still hopeful of snapping up striker Fredi Kanoute. (Daily Star)

Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse is in talks about spending another season on loan with Marseille. (The Sun)

If Cisse is not allowed to leave for another loan spell, Bolton are ready to move in for him. (Daily Mirror)

Everton and Celtic are both chasing 20-year-old Chateauroux defender Yassin Moutaouakil. (The Times)

Wigan and Portsmouth are both keen on Reading's Stephen Hunt. (Daily Mirror)

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

20/06/07

THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A PRICE CRASH
Spurs are reportedly close to sealing the signing of Darren Bent for, depending on what paper you believe, £12m, £13m or £14m.

Charlton's hopes of getting nearly £18m for the striker were hit when he refused to move to West Ham, leaving Spurs as the only party committed to landing him. There is also talk of Anthony Gardner moving in the opposite direction.

Liverpool are still believed to be interested, but will not be drawn into a bidding war.


BORO TURN DOWN YAKUBU BID
Talking of strikers, Harry Redknapp still wants to take Yakubu back to Pompey. But Gareth Southgate has both arms wrapped around the Nigerian's ankles and isn't letting go...at least until another couple of million are added on to the fee.

Boro, says The Independent, 'are believed to be prepared to listen to offers after accepting that the Nigerian striker is keen to move.

'It is understood that Boro have told Portsmouth that they will sell Yakubu for £14m, but it is highly unlikely that any club will meet that valuation which means that the price tag may have to be lowered.

'In the meantime, Portsmouth are looking at other options, including Frédi Kanouté, who was watched by their manager, Harry Redknapp, as he played in Seville's last league game of the season on Sunday evening.

'Redknapp is also interested in Ryan Babel but, like Newcastle United, is unwilling to pay the £10.8m fee that is being demanded by Ajax.

'Portsmouth have also balked at the valuation of between £8m to £10m that Preston have placed on David Nugent while Redknapp's interest in the Rennes striker John Utaka has cooled. The Nigerian is available for £5.6m.'

Meanwhile, Redknapp is 'close' to signing £6m Lyon midfielder Alou Diarra.


THE LATEST ON HENRY
Ludovic Giuly has reiterated that he has not tried to tap up Thierry Henry for Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Samuel Eto'o is tapping up Thierry Henry for Barcelona.


KABOUL TO PREMIER LEAGUE, DAVIES STUCK IN CHAMPIONSHIP
'The Auxerre defender Younes Kaboul,' says The Independent, 'is expected to complete his £8m move to Tottenham within the next week. Auxerre's vice-chairman Gérard Bourgoin admitted that "negotiations are very advanced" for the France Under-21 captain.

'If Kaboul signs, it will come as a blow to West Bromwich's Curtis Davies who had hoped to move to White Hart Lane. However, Spurs, who have had a previous offer of £5m rejected, do not want to meet West Bromwich's valuation of at least £8m.'


SAVIOLA HEADING FOR THE PREMIER LEAGUE
We're genuinely surprised there was such a large gap between Javier Saviola leaving Barcelona at the weekend and reports appearing linking him with a move to the Premier League.

Still, it's here now. The Sun say West Ham may look to the Argentinian to replace Carlos Tevez when Kia Joorabchian decides to move Tevez to another club.

Expect more clubs to be linked to the diminutive striker as the week goes on.


TOFFEES AREN'T IN FOR PHIL
Phil Bardsley's representative Des Wroe insists talk of the defender moving to Everton is well wide of the mark.

Wroe said: "I don't know where this has come from."

The Toffees have reportedly had a £2m bid accepted for the defender, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, and will try to persuade him that his future lies away from Old Trafford.


AND THE REST
Bolton have targeted Liverpool's Scott Carson and Sheffield United's Paddy Kenny as possible replacements for wantaway 'keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen...They will also move for Djibril Cisse if Liverpool decide against allowing Marseille to keep the striker on loan for another season...Leicester are ready to offer Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie £1m per year in a bid to lure him to the Walkers Stadium, and are chasing Birmingham striker DJ Campbell...Roy Keane is hoping to land Wigan skipper Leighton Baines and is preparing a £4million bid...Wigan and Portsmouth are keeping tabs on Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt...

...Oldham are in talks with defender Gordon Greer after he was freed by Kilmarnock...Swiss midfielder Bruce Lalombongo has turned down a move to Everton...Wigan are set to up their offer to £5million for West Brom's in-demand midfielder Jason Koumas...Celtic have been told they will have to stump up £3million if they want to sign midfielder Gennaro Delvecchio from Sampdoria...DaMarcus Beasley has admitted Rangers are keen on his signature, but he will not walk out on America's Gold Cup squad to seal a deal...Hibs' out-of-favour winger Ivan Sproule is set to join Bristol City for £250,000.

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

21/06/07

IS FAT SAM GOING TO LOSE BOTH OF HIS STRIKERS?
'Sam Allardyce faces the prospect of losing both of Newcastle United's first-choice strikers before the start of next season after it emerged that Obafemi Martins, like Michael Owen, has a buyout clause in his contract at St James' Park,' says The Independent.

'The existence of the agreement in Martins' contract - the Nigerian is available to any club willing to pay £13m for his services - has infuriated Allardyce, who was unaware of the clause when he moved to the north-east. That anger has been heightened by the fact that it has become public knowledge that Owen can leave if a bid of £9m is lodged for the England forward, following Newcastle's failure to qualify for Europe next season.'

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror says Newcastle will step up their interest in Charlton's Luke Young.


RAFA LOOKS TO LA LIGA FOR PLAYERS...
As was widely reported yesterday afternoon, and is being even more widely reported this morning, Liverpool are believed to be haggling for the services of Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres. The Atletico club captain would set the Reds back around £25m.

Whether that will be paid as well as or instead of a £15.5m fee for Diego Forlan remains to be seen. The Daily Mail has installed Liverpool as favourites to sign the former ManYoo striker, who they claim has also attracted the interest of Newcastle, Sunderland and Aston Villa to Villarreal's £15.5m striker Diego Forlan.


...WHILE WENGER LOOKS TO LA LIGA FOR JOB
'ARSENE WENGER has set a December deadline to decide his Arsenal future,' says The Sun.

'The Emirates boss will give the Gunners board six months to come up with the new investment he needs to rebuild the team.

'And if there is not significant change by Christmas, Wenger will quit at the end of next season.

'He has one year left on his contract and remains Barcelona's first choice to succeed Frank Rijkaard.'


CHELSKI WANT DRENTHE BUT CAN'T GET MALOUDA CHEAP
Chelski are the latest Premier League club to be linked with a move for Royston Drenthe, who can play at left-back or as a winger and who has been in great form for the Netherlands (good luck to them in the final, by the way) during the European Under-21 Championship.

But, says The Independent, the Blues 'have failed in an audacious swap deal after offering midfielder Lassana Diarra in return for the Lyon winger Florent Malouda.

'The French champions dismissed out-of-hand the deal, claiming that Malouda, an established international, was worth more than two times the value of Diarra, who has only recently broken into the national squad.

'Chelsea's tactics again show the desire at the club to try to secure cut-price deals. With Liverpool also believed to have fallen out of the running for Malouda, whose value has risen from £10m to £17m given the Premiership interest in him, it opens the way for Arsenal, who want to appease Thierry Henry, to make a bid. However they, too, are unlikely to pay the inflated asking price for the 26-year-old.'


SOME JUSSI (JUICY) GOSSIP
Bolton have admitted they will have to sell Jussi Jaaskelainen to Aston Villa or Sunderland this summer if he does not sign a new contract, says The Sun. The Trotters could make upwards of £4m by selling the goalkeeper now, otherwise he could walk out on a free transfer next summer. They are said to be lining up Sheffield United's Paddy Kenny as a replacement.


THE LATEST DARREN BENT NEWS
As told by the Indy: 'Tottenham Hotspur remain favourites to sign the Charlton Athletic striker Darren Bent, although it is unlikely that a deal appears imminent for the 23-year-old. Spurs will not match the £16m offered by West Ham United for Bent but an offer of around £12m is likely to prove successful eventually.'

Once Spurs complete the deal, they will listen to offers for Jermain Defoe - Aston Villa, Portsmouth, Everton and West Ham are all interested in the striker.

Meanwhile, Mido is close to completing a move to Fulham for £4m. Lawrie Sanchez also wants to sign Aston Villa's Aaron Hughes, Chris Baird of Southampton and David Healy of Leeds, and is close to signing West Brom's Jason Koumas for £5.5million, with Heidar Helguson moving in the opposite direction.


AND THE REST...
Birmingham have made a £2.5million move for Scotland international striker Garry O'Connor...Wigan have given midfielder Josip Skoko until the end of the month to decide on his future...Charlton have signed French under-21 captain Yassin Moutaouakil...Fulham's Jimmy Bullard will miss the start of next season but hopes to return to action in September...Bolton forward Ricardo Vaz Te has said he wants to leave the club...Luton could sign veteran striker Paul Peschisolido from Derby...

...Blackburn will have to stump up £1.4million if they want to sign Roma striker Shabani Nonda on a permanent deal...Paddy Kenny has told Sheffield United he will quit the club if he is not offered a new deal...Wigan will sign goalkeeper Carlo Nash from Preston...Sheffield United will hold talks with Lee Hendrie and are prepared to offer the midfielder £25,000 a week...Burnley boss Steve Cotterill has been handed a £10million transfer budget by director Brendan Flood...

 

[joe516]

Sven-Goran Eriksson will take over as Man City boss next week - and will launch an audacious bid for Newcastle striker Michael Owen. (Various)

Newcastle have won the race to sign Man Utd misfit Alan Smith for £3.5m. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool will increase their bid for West Ham's Yossi Benayoun to £4.5m. (Various)

Charlton are ready to accept Spurs' £16m bid for striker Darren Bent. (Guardian)

Real Madrid say they are winning the race to sign West Ham's Carlos Tevez - and will pay £30m. (Various)

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill wants to buy England Under-21 keeper Scott Carson from Liverpool for £3.5m. (Daily Mirror)

O'Neill is also keen on luring Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips for £10m. (Daily Star)

Sunderland will clinch the £7m signing of Preston's David Nugent next week. (Various)

Reading's Seol Ki-Hyeon is on the verge of a £1m move to Fulham. (Various)

Hibs want Newcastle's highly-rated Republic of Ireland winger Alan O'Brien. (Daily Record)

Charlton's £3m defender Luke Young is wanted by Bolton, Newcastle and Aston Villa. (Daily Mirror)

Crystal Palace want to sign Chelsea's Scott Sinclair on a season-long loan. (Daily Express)

Middlesbrough are chasing Fulham defender Liam Rosenior and could consider a swap deal involving James Morrison. (Daily Star)

Juventus are set to launch a bid for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins. (Daily Star)

Bolton are ready to step up their £6m battle with Marseille to sign Djibril Cisse. (The Sun)

Bordeaux's Laurent Blanc wants to hijack Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp's attempt to sign France midfielder Alou Diarra for £5.8m. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool's hopes of landing Fernando Torres have hit a setback as Atletico Madrid are refusing to drop their £27m asking price. (The Sun)

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

22/06/07

THE LATEST DARREN BENT NEWS
'Darren Bent is expected to complete a £16m move to Tottenham within the next seven days after Charlton agreed to accept a reduced offer for their striker,' says The Guardian.

'Peter Varney, Charlton's chief executive, had said Bent would remain with the club unless their £17m valuation was matched. West Ham had agreed to that figure and offered Bent a five-year contract worth about £75,000 a week but after talks and a medical was arranged the 23-year-old England forward pulled out.'


INS AND OUTS AT LIVERPOOL
Yesterday Fernando Torres was the talk of Merseyside. But after Atletico Madrid refused to lower their £27m asking price, and David Silva decided against a move to Anfield, today we're back to Yossi Benayoun.

And the Reds will up their offer to £4.5m as they seek to bring some creativity to their midfield with the addition of the Israeli.

£3.5m of that will come from Aston Villa, if you believe the Daily Mirror, who will move for Scott Carson after Jussi Jaaskelainen decided to see out the final year of his contract at the Reebok Stadium.


WHICH BRINGS US TO VILLA
After a few quiet days with regards to the transfer fund Martin O'Neill is sitting on, the tabloids are speculating again.

The Daily Star claim MON wants to add Shaun Wright-Phillips to his squad, and Chelski will allow the winger to leave for a fee of around £10m.

While the Daily Mirror also claims that Villa will move for Charlton's Luke Young - facing competition from Newcastle and Bolton.


WHICH BRINGS US TO BOLTON
This is smooth linking, eh?

'BOLTON are ready to step up their £6million battle with Marseille to sign Djibril Cisse,' says The Sun.

'Wanderers boss Sammy Lee would love to have Liverpool's French strike ace, 25, playing alongside Nicolas Anelka and El-Hadji Diouf.

'And Lee hopes to persuade his old club to let him have Cisse, who was on loan at Marseille last season, for the next campaign before finalising a deal in the summer of 2008.'


WHICH BRINGS US TO REAL MADRID
Okay, forget the smooth linking. The latest on Carlos Tevez is that he's heading to Real Madrid.

Los merengues are, says the Daily Mail, 'in talks with Carlos Tevez's owner Kia Joorabchian over a controversial £30million deal.

'The Spanish champions have held a meeting between top negotiator Predrag Mijatovic and Joorabchian, who still claims to have the rights to West Ham's Argentina striker.

'Tevez's future could be decided in the next 48 hours, with Inter Milan also keen, but both Liverpool and Chelsea are reluctant to meet Joorabchian's asking price.

'Hammers chairman Eggert Magnusson insists his club own Tevez, but Joorabchian is blatantly hawking him around Europe.

'Now Real are the most likely buyers as they are happy to pay the fee demanded by Joorabchian and the investors behind MSI.'


AND THE REST
West Ham are monitoring PSV's Ivory Coast striker Aroune Kone, and want Craig Bellamy...As well as making a move for Michael Owen, Sven-Goran Eriksson will swoop for West Ham's Nigel Reo-Coker if he takes over at Man Citeh...Reading winger Seol Ki-Hyeon is on the verge of a £1million move to Fulham...West Brom skipper Curtis Davies handed in a transfer request on Thursday, but he has been told he won't be able to leave for anything less than £10m...Newcastle have won the race to sign Alan Smith in a deal worth around £3.5m...Reading will offer striker Leroy Lita a new deal to fend off interest from other clubs...Middlesbrough are chasing Fulham right-back Liam Rosenior...Hibs want to sign Newcastle winger Alan O'Brien, who was at Easter Road for talks over a move on Thursday...Sunderland are expected to seal a £7m deal for David Nugent .

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

23/06/07

HENRY VA VA VOOOMS OFF TO SPAIN
Just in case you've somehow missed it.

Thierry Henry has admitted he is off to Barcelona. "I still must pass a medical on Monday but yes, I have chosen Barcelona," the 29-year-old striker told L'Equipe.

Barcelona vice-president Ferran Soriano said earlier that talks with the French star over a reported £16million deal were at an "advanced" stage.

However, Soriano did reveal that it was "the wish of all parties" for an agreement to be reached for the transfer of Henry.

The Barca vice-president also insisted they waited for the green light from Arsenal before making their move for the 29-year-old striker, who is the Gunners' all-time record goalscorer.

"We don't want to point a gun at anybody," Soriano said.

"We have good relationships with the European clubs."


MIND YOU, ON THE PLUS SIDE
Cheer up, Arsenal fans. The Daily Mirror says you're signing Carlos Tevez from (Kia Joorabchian) West Ham.


IT'S ALL GOING ON AT UPTON PARK TOO
'West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Reading's Nicky Shorey and hope to announce a £6m deal for the left-back next week,' says The Independent.

Reading are working hard to keep Shorey and have opened contract talks with the defender, who made his England debut this month, although they are interested in taking Hayden Mullins from Upton Park. The midfielder could become a makeweight in the transfer.'

'West Ham are also concentrating on securing Craig Bellamy from Liverpool, with Yossi Benayoun moving in the opposite direction,' the paper continues.

'Liverpool have indicated that they are prepared to pay £4.5m for Benayoun after West Ham withdrew a new contract offer for the Israeli international. Bellamy has been valued at £12m but it is likely a deal will be brokered involving Benayoun.

'If the midfielder leaves, West Ham will turn their attentions once again to trying to sign Shaun Wright-Phillips having had a £10m bid for the winger accepted by Chelsea in January only for him to refuse to move.'

Paul Konchesky, meanwhile, is on his way out of the Upton Park door.


VILLA IN FOR NUGENT
'MARTIN O'NEILL plans to dish out an early lesson to rookie boss Roy Keane by hijacking Sunderland's bid for England striker David Nugent,' says The Sun.

'Aston Villa have also been given permission by Preston to speak to their £6million-rated star.

'Nugent, 22, has made it clear he wants a move to the Premiership after North End missed out on promotion last season.

'He is due for talks with Black Cats boss Keane this weekend but now Villa chief O'Neill has officially joined the race.

'O'Neill wants burly Nugent to partner 6ft 4in John Carew in bulldozing through Premiership defences next season.'


KEEPING THINGS FRIENDLY IN THE NORTH-WEST
Liverpool fans will love this news from The Sun.

Their 'budget bid for striker Fernando Torres has been wrecked by Alex Ferguson.

'Atletico Madrid insist there is no way they will drop 23-year-old Torres' £27million price tag after Manchester United agreed a £21m deal for Nani from Sporting Lisbon.

'Kop boss Rafa Benitez has offered £16m plus £7m-rated Luis Garcia for the Spanish international.

'But Torres' spokesman insisted: "That offer is not enough - taking into account Fernando Torres guarantees 15 goals a year to his club and - above all - when Nani, an unknown, costs £21m."'


SPARKY IS CITEH'S BACK-UP PLAN
'Sven-Goran Eriksson's advisers have indicated he is 70% likely to accept Thaksin Shinawatra's offer to relaunch his managerial career at Manchester City,' says The GUardian.

'The club hope for official confirmation this weekend but they have contingency plans in place and the Blackburn Rovers manager, Mark Hughes, has overtaken Sevilla's Juande Ramos as the next name on their shortlist.'

Presumably because Shinawatra realised no-one in their right minds would quit Sevilla to manage Man Citeh.

More to follow...

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

And The Rest...

Darren Bent is apparently willing to accept a weekly salary of about £48,000 from Spurs, considerably less than the £75,000 he turned down at West Ham - but Newcastle are also interested, even though Michael Owen is planning on staying put...Dennis Rommedahl has got to decide between a switch to Rennes or Galatasaray...Southend have turned down a £1.5m bid from Norwich for Freddy Eastwood...Reading will offer Leroy Lita a new deal...Harry Redknapp is chasing £7m-rated striker Fredi Kanoute and will travel to Spain to watch him play for Sevilla in the Spanish Cup Final...Tottenham have made an £8m bid for Auxerre defender Younes Kaboul...Benni McCarthy has once again begged a Champions League club to come and sign him...

...S****horpe's Billy Sharp has agreed to join Norwich for £3m...Matt Holland will turn down a move to Leicester and stay with Charlton...Curtis Davies is set to put in another transfer request to West Brom...Celtic have landed AC Milan's Massimo Donati for £3m... Darren Dodds has completed a move to Dundee United...Phil Jagielka will stay at Sheffield United if they are reinstated to the Premier League.

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

25/06/07

ATLETICO WANT THE BIG MAN
This report from the Daily Star seems so odd that we're willing to give it credence on the grounds that you really couldn't make it up. They claim that Atletico will only sell Fernando Torres to Liverpool if they send them Peter Crouch in return. They're not interested in Luis Garcia, they want the big man. This follows reports in the Sunday Mirror that ManYoo will hijack the transfer as Liverpool stall on the £27m asking price.


GUNNERS BOARD NOT KEEN ON LE SULK?
'Arsene Wenger's future at Arsenal was thrown into further doubt last night when it emerged that certain key board members are against his plan to bring bad boy Nicolas Anelka back to the club,' says the Daily Express. Apparently, they've not forgotten that Anelka practically threatened to go on strike to engineer a move to Real Madrid during his first spell with Arsenal.


SMITHY FOR THE BORO?
As you've probably read elsewhere on the site, Boro have apparently agreed a £6m fee for Alan 'not really good enough for the Big Four' Smith. But don't expect that to be the end of the matter - The Sun reckons that Portsmouth have plans to hijack the bid, while the Toon and Sunderland may also make moves now everyone knows that United are willing to sell.


SVEN LOOKS TO FREDDIE
Sven-Goran Eriksson is apparently very ready to say 'yes' to the offer of a three-year deal at post-takeover Manchester City, and The Guardian says that his first signing will be Arsenal's Swedish winger Freddie Ljungberg, who has fallen out of favour with Arsene Wenger. If the Daily Mirror are to be believed, he'll be linking up with Marlon Harewood, who apparently almost went to the World Cup last year before he got injured.


AND THE REST
Sunderland have tabled a £3million offer for Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon...Tottenham's move for Charlton striker Darren Bent is being held up because the Addicks want more than the £15million Spurs have bid...Bryan Hughes is set to join Hull City on a two-year contract...Djibril Cisse has been told he can only leave Liverpool if he is offered a permanent deal elsewhere...Sevilla striker Fredi Kanoute has quashed rumours that he is planning a return to the Premiership...Bordeaux have slapped a £10million price tag on the head of Rangers target Julien Faubert.

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

26/06/07

WILL WENGER BE THE NEXT OUT OF ARSENAL?
Now that Thierry Henry has finally moved to Barcelona, the future of Arsene Wenger is the hot topic of the summer. Which is just about the only time this month that you've seen the words 'hot' and 'summer' in the same sentence.

Wenger has just a single season remaining on his contract at Arsenal, and it is believed that the club's board has already approached the Frenchman about signing a new deal.

'Arsene Wenger will tell the Arsenal board he will only sign a new contract if David Dein is brought back to the club. The manager is set to meet with chairman Peter Hill-Wood and managing director Keith Edelman this week to try to thrash out his future,' reports The Daily Mail.

In direct contradiction, The Independent announces: 'Wenger is on holiday and there is no meeting scheduled with directors for this week...but neither, despite reports yesterday, will he make demands to the club's board that they have to reinstate his friend and confidant David Dein who was forced out as vice-chairman in April.'

So will he eventually agree to stay?

'The Arsenal board believes that the freedom and control that Wenger enjoys in his role as manager at the Emirates Stadium will be the crucial factor in the Frenchman deciding to stay at the club,' says The Times. 'But Wenger remains torn about a takeover because he is uneasy about the prospect of foreign investment in the club and is worried that it would interfere with his strategy of developing of young players.'

As in so much of footballing life, money could talk decisively.

The Sun claims that Wenger will be given a 50 per cent pay rise and plenty of cash to spend in order to persuade him to stay at the Emirates.

'The Frenchman has been offered £75,000 a week - nearly £11million in a three-year deal - plus £30m for summer signings. The Gunners are even ready to include a clause allowing Wenger to leave next year if he wants. The 57-year-old manager's current £50,000-a-week contract expires next summer and he has so far resisted all the club's efforts to extend his stay. But now Wenger is ready to relent, as he knows the speculation is threatening to destabilise the entire club.'

Incidentally, The Daily Telegraph reports that Gilles Grimandi, once tagged the Most Cynical Player in the Premiership by F365, will be 'appointed as director of football in place of the former vice-chairman David Dein in the next few weeks'.


OR WILL IT BE CESC?
According to the Daily Mirror, Real Madrid and Barcelona will try to take advantage of the 'turmoil' at Asenal by making a £15m move for Cesc Fabegas. Despite signing an eight-year deal last season, Fabregas has understandably been rocked by Thierry Henry's exit and the uncertainty surrounding Arsene Wenger's future.


HERE COMES SVEN
Sven-Goran Eriksson could be named Manchester City's new manager within the next 24 hours.

It is understood the former England coach is poised to sign a lucrative contract at Eastlands. Prospective owner Thaksin Shinawatra's advisors believe the 59-year-old Swede is the man to take City forward and establish the club as a force in the Premier League.


SMITH SAYS NO TO BORO
There's similar contradiction - if contradiction can be similar - in the papers about the future of Alan Smith.

Although The Daily Telegraph and Guardian believe that the ManYoo forward will make a decision on a proposed move to Middlesbrough when he returns on holiday later this week, The Sun says that he has already decided to say no.

'Gareth Southgate will fail to lure Alan Smith to Middlesbrough,' it reports. 'Smith, 26, wants European football and is set to snub Boro. Spurs are favourites with Sunderland, Everton and Portsmouth also keen.'

The Daily Mail agrees with the Spurs angle, announcing on its back page that 'Tottenham have joined the race for £6million-rated Manchester United forward Alan Smith.'


SHOREY TO BE GIVEN MORE MONEY
Reading will attempt to rebuff Newcastle's interest in Nicky Shorey by offering the full-back a new contract.

Both Newcastle and West Ham are, according to The Guardian, 'considering making bids of about £6m for the England left-back.

In response, Shorey will be presented with a new 20k-a-week contract, which would make him one of the Royals' highest-paid players but would still be considerably less than the bonkers money available at Upton Park.


NO TORRES BID YET
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo insists there are no offers on the table for star striker Fernando Torres.

Some of Europe's biggest clubs have reportedly been interested in Torres over the last few years, with Champions League finalists Liverpool the latest side to be closely linked with the Spain international.

However, Cerezo claimed today they had received no approach from Liverpool or any other side for their club captain.


AND THE REST
West Ham's Carlos Tevez has admitted he's interested in a move to Arsenal...Sunderland boss Roy Keane has made an approach for Wigan's £6million-rated England U-21 left-back Leighton Baines...Manchester City will make a £4million bid to snatch Yossi Benayoun from under Liverpool's noses...West Brom's Zoltan Gera is back on Gareth Southgate's shopping list at Middlesbrough...Darren Bent looks set to complete a £14m move to Tottenham in the next 48 hours...

Bolton are preparing a £5million raid for Reading hotshot Leroy Lita - possibly as a replacement for Nicolas Anelka...Sunderland target David Nugent's future remains uncertain despite holding talks with the Wearsiders...Bordeaux admitted last night that winger Julien Faubert is desperate to sign for Rangers...Chelsea are facing stiff competition from AC Milan for Brazilian wonderkid Alexandre Pato...

Heidar Helguson could make a return to Watford from Fulham...Parma will bid £6m for Giuseppe Rossi...Steaua Bucharest are to offer Tommy Miller the shock chance of European football...Rennes' Nigeria forward John Utaka is in talks with Portsmouth...West Ham winger Matt Etherington is the subject of a £2m bid from Derby...Bolton's Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz Teis also a Rams' target...

Birmingham are trying to sign midfielder Olivier Kapo from Juventus on a season-long loan...Luton want veteran striker Paul Furlong...Celtic midfielder Thomas Gravesen is being tracked by Turkish club Besiktas...Preston are moving for former Leeds captain Kevin Nicholls.

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

27/06/07

MONEY IS THE ROOT OF TORRES' EVIL
Although The Sun says something rather different, The Daily Mail claims that 'Fernando Torres is ready to confront his Atletico Madrid bosses in an effort to break the deadlock over his proposed move to Liverpool'.

The deal has been discussed for almost a month but, as yet, there has been no sign of a breakthrough. 'Atletico's £27million asking price is proving a stumbling block, though Liverpool could find a way round it by including Djibril Cisse and Luis Garcia in part exchange,' reckons the Mail.

The Sun agrees that money - as ever - is the stumbling block, but claims the dispute is of an entirely different kind to that cited by the Mail.

'Liverpool's record bid for Fernando Torres is being held up by the Atletico Madrid striker's £2.5m pay-off clause,' it announces. 'Anfield chief Rafa Benitez has agreed to pay £25m for the 23-year-old Spanish international. But Torres is entitled to 10 per cent of any fee and Atletico insist Liverpool should pay it.'


BOLTON LINE UP ANELKA REPLACEMENT
The intriguing prospect of Nicolas Anelka returning to Arsenal has been strengthened by a claim in The Daily Mail that 'Leroy Lita is wanted by Bolton after his impressive displays for England in the Under-21 European Championships'.

'Lita, 22, has opened talks on a new contract at Reading but he has caught the attention of Sammy Lee, who is planning for a future without Nicolas Anelka at the Reebok.

'Anelka looks increasingly likely to be on the move again with interest from Arsenal and possible replacements are a key element of Bolton's summer transfer strategy.'

However, The Independent says that 'Reading director of football Nicky Hammond is optimistic that Nicky Shorey and Leroy Lita will sign new contracts at the Madejski Stadium'.

Bolton also continue to be linked with a move for Djibril Cisse - although he may yet be used as a makeweight in the Torres deal and is also wanted by Marseille after spending last season on loan at the French club.


NO BENT BREAKTHROUGH...YET
There's still no reason to believe that Darren Bent's future will be determined imminently with The Independent reporting that 'Charlton are refusing to budge on their £17m valuation of Darren Bent, which means he may miss out on a move to Tottenham'.

The paper quotes a source saying: "It's £17m or no go."

Yet there's still hope for Tottenham. The player has apparently 'set his heart on a move to White Hart Lane' and, despite their obstinacy, 'Charlton do accept that Bent's departure is inevitable, given their relegation from the Premiership, and have already started to plan for him leaving'.

Blackburn's Jason Roberts is believed to be under consideration.

But the Daily Mirror insists that Bent will eventually move for just £13m, with Spurs ready to listen to offers for Jermain Defoe as soon as the deal goes through.


SMITH STILL EXPECTED TO SAY NO
Nor are matters progressing swiftly for Alan Smith.

The Times says that the ManYoo forward is 'expected to snub a move to Middlesbrough because he wants European football next season', but we've been expecting confirmation of the snub for almost a week.

Next they'll be telling us that Spurs are interested.

Oh, hang on...

'Tottenham Hotspur and Everton are also keen on Smith, while Sunderland and Portsmouth are waiting in the wings.'

Sod it, unlike Smith himself, let's move on quickly to something more exciting...


£50m FOR ALLARDYCE. PERHAPS
It's suitably vague but The Daily Mirror believes that, following his takeover of Newcastle, 'Mike Ashley is prepared to invest £50million in transfer cash to trigger the club's revival'.

There's no mention of just who Allardyce would wish to recruit if armed with such a hefty budget, but 'In the short term he will bring in Marseille defender Habib Beye to join new recruit David Rozehnal plus Liverpool's Sami Hyypia once the Scousers find a replacement'.

The Guardian is rather more circumspect about the whole issue, noting that 'Allardyce can expect to feel the knock-on effect soon. Ashley's primary motivation in buying Newcastle remains unknown but even if it is fundamentally financial the manager can anticipate an injection of funds and a flurry of headline figures.'

Meanwhile, The Times discloses that 'Mark Taylor, who worked with Allardyce at Bolton Wanderers, will shortly be named as Newcastle's head of sports science and the manager is still intent on bringing Mike Forde from his former club as performance director.

'Such important changes will involve a significant level of funding, but a source close to Ashley has already confirmed the reclusive tycoon's determination to "build the biggest and the best and be successful".'

In short, wait and see.


SWP BACK TO CITEH
And what of Manchester City, another club in the midst of a takeover?

There's a lot of talk about Thaksin Shinawatra pledging to give Sven-Goran Eriksson a £50m kitty, and The Sun says that the Thai 'believes Shaun Wright-Phillips will launch his Manchester City revolution in spectacular style. And City's new owner is ready to shatter the club's wage structure to ensure the former Eastlands hero comes 'home' from Chelsea.'

Erm, shouldn't it be the manager rather than the new owner who actually decides who to sign?

The Times thinks so and reports: 'Eriksson is optimistic that he can exploit his relationship with Pini Zahavi, the powerful Israeli agent, to sign Yossi Benayoun, the West Ham United midfield player. Liverpool have already made a bid for Benayoun, but, with the Merseyside club struggling to meet West Ham's £4 million valuation, City believe their new-found financial strength could prove decisive.

'Fredrik Ljungberg, the Arsenal midfield player, is another possible recruit for Eriksson, while a more tantalising addition would be Shaun Wright-Phillips, the former City favourite who is available from Chelsea after failing to win a regular place in two seasons at Stamford Bridge.'


ARE VILLA ABOUT TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING?
However, it should disconcert both Citeh and Newcastle supporters that Aston Villa have been so quiet this summer.

At the end of the season, there was plenty of talk that the club, backed by its new American owner Randy Lerner, would emerge as a major player in transfer market before it closes on August 31. To date, Villa have barely been spotted, but The Independent is confident that Martin O'Neill is finally set to launch his much-anticipated spending spree with a renewed bid for Nigel Reo-Coker.

'Villa have made contact with the Hammers and, although no formal bid has been made, are understood to be ready to pay £7m for the England Under-21 captain. West Ham are looking for a larger offer for the player they bought from Wimbledon for £500,000 three and a half years ago. But reports indicating they want £10m to £12m are wide of the mark, with £8m a more realistic figure,' the paper reports.

'O'Neill is also lining up a £5m cash plus player bid for the West Bromwich Albion playmaker Jason Koumas as his interest in Ajax's Wesley Sneijder has cooled, with the midfielder preferring to move to Spain. Koumas has stated his desire to return to the Premiership after Albion failed to gain promotion from the Championship at the first attempt. The Baggies have already rejected a joint bid of £5m from Birmingham City for Koumas and leading scorer Diomansy Kamara.

'But O'Neill is understood to be willing to allow some fringe players - possibly the central defender Gary Cahill and the midfielder Isaiah Osbourne - to join Albion on loan as part of the deal.'


TEVEZ THE TEDIOUS DOES IT AGAIN
Remember this by Steve B in Tuesday morning's mailbox: 'Like a mosquito bite on yer nutsack the Carlos Tevez drama is beginning to annoy the f**k out of me, is it just me, or when he's linked with a random club each week, he's instantly out with a statement that says something along the lines of "well obviously when a big club like [insert club ] show an interest it's flattering" he also uses terms like "beautiful" and "amazing" to describe the clubs fawning over him'?

Yesterday was also the day which saw Tevez speak enthusastically about a link to Arsenal. Now the Argentine has popped up again to, in the words of The Indy, 'express his admiration for Internazionale in the Italian press as he attempts to engineer a move away from Upton Park.'

"Inter is a great club," Tevez told Gazzetta dello Sport. "There is a possibility that I will wear the Nerazzurri colours next season. It's true that Real are interested in my services but my agent knows exactly how I feel about it - better Inter than Real."

And better just about anything than West Ham, apparently.


THREE MORE FOR SUNDERLAND
Sunderland could be on the verge of signing three more players.

Roy Keane is understood to be close to landing Aberdeen captain Russell Anderson in a £1million move (for more on this story, click here), while The Daily Mail declares: 'Keane has made a £5million bid for West Bromwich Albion defensive pair Paul Robinson and Paul McShane. Left-back Robinson, 28, has told the club he wants to leave after they missed out on promotion to the Premiership.'



more to follow...

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

This Goes On And On

BRUM TO LAUNCH RAID WHICH REALLY DOESN'T DESERVE 'SPECTACULAR' BILLING
It doesn't quite tally with F365's understanding of a 'spectacular double summer raid' but their own claim that Birmingham are considering signing Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini and Dutchman Daniel de Ridder has sent The Sun giddy with excitement.

Flamini is set to be released by Arsenal after failing to establish himself as a first-team regular while 'hotshot' De Ridder 'starred for the Under-21s in this month's European Championships.'

But there's less good news for Brum in The Mail which reports that 'Wayne Bridge is the latest player to disappoint West Ham by insisting he has no plans to leave Chelsea.'

And how does that connect to Birmingham? Because 'as a result, Hammers boss Alan Curbishley will not sanction the sale of Paul Konchesky, who is wanted by Birmingham.


AND THE REST
Everton will urge David Nugent to hold his nerve as they attempt to engineer his dream move to Goodison Park from Preston...Fulham have made a £4.5m offer for West Brom striker Diomansy Kamara after Heidar Helguson snubbed a swap move...Blackburn boss Mark Hughes is pulling out of the deal to sign Shabani Nonda and will offload Francis Jeffers to shake-up his strikers..Wigan are ready to sell striker Lee McCulloch to Rangers - as long as the Glasgow giants agree to take centre-half Andy Webster too...

Chris Coleman jetted out to Spain last night after being offered the manager's job at Real Sociedad...Middlesbrough have told AZ Alkmaar to slash their £4million valuation of Gretar Steinsson if they want to do business...Rangers fear their chances of landing Julien Faubert are no better than 50-50 despite opening talks with Bordeaux...Parma have aparently made a £m bid for Guiseppe Rossi...

Fulham are ready to battle with Reading to sign Didier Digard...Crystal Palace's move for Benfica defender Jose Fonte is in jeopardy after interest from Steaua Bucharest...Wolves are close to a £500,000 deal for Crystal Palace defender Darren Ward...Bolton have emerged as favourites to sign Sheffield United's Phil Jagielka.

 

[ice2004]

Sunderland secured the deal for Russell Anderson this afternoon

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aberdeen/6244320.stm

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

ARSENAL WANT MARTINS TO REPLACE HENRY
'Arsenal have identified Obafemi Martins as their main transfer target this summer and are planning to make a £13m move for the Newcastle United striker in the next few days.'

That's the bombshell news on the backpage of this morning's Independent. The same claim is also made in The Sun, but without the same amount of detail and confidence as The Indy's report.

'Martins is wanted by Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, to replace Thierry Henry following his £16m departure to Barcelona this week. If he agrees to move to the Emirates Stadium, it will break Arsenal's transfer record, beating the £11m paid to Bordeaux for Sylvain Wiltord in 2000.

'Newcastle would be loath to lose the 22-year-old Nigerian but know that they are powerless to stop him moving because of the buyout clause in his contract. The existence of the clause, which has annoyed the Newcastle manager, Sam Allardyce, was revealed by The Independent last week, as was Arsenal's interest in the striker. That has now hardened,' the newspaper claims.

At 22, Martins is far younger than Henry, but his signing would be a considerable surprise. The Nigerian has a reputation for being a hit-and-miss player, and went AWOL for Newcastle's final game of last season.

Still, Arsene knows. Apparently.


ROBBEN IN DOUBT AS CHELSKI KNOCK LIVERPOOL OUT OF MALOUDA CHASE
As The Guardian says, Chelski's £12m bid for Florent Malouda 'suggests that Arjen Robben's stay at Stamford Bridge is coming to a close.'

The Dutchman had been expected to stay after being offered a new five-year contract but 'he is understood to favour a move to the Bernabéu, where he would link up with his international team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy.'

However, the newspaper is at odds with The Independent over the likelihood of Malouda moving to Stamford Bridge. Although The Guardian says that 'Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested in Malouda but are not likely to enter an auction with Chelsea', The Indy says Arsenal remain keen but Pool are out of the running:

'Wenger remains keen on the Lyon winger. He has been in contact with the French champions and informed them that he would follow up his interest once he had dealt with other matters, including the sale of Henry. Liverpool have dropped out of the running for Malouda and, although Chelsea are interested, neither they nor Arsenal are expected to meet Lyon's £17m valuation. Wenger has told them to reduce the fee to £12m.'

Chelski obviously heard that as well.

Nevertheless, if Arsenal are indeed still in the chase then expect Chelski's bid to be rebuffed as Lyon demand more dosh.


NO CHANGING TIMES FOR LAMPARD
Let's stick with Chelski for a while with the report that you have surely been expecting all summer: Barca are in for Frank Lampard.

'Barcelona are determined to take the England midfield player to the Nou Camp and will test José Mourinho's resolve with a £15 million bid,' declares The Times.

However, aside from billing Barca's interest in Lampard as 'their priority this summer after deciding that Deco is surplus to requirements', the story is as wishy-washy as a tent at Glastonbury.

Apparently, the deal will be financed by the sale of Deco to Inter Milan. Then, just to cover all bases, the Times suggests that 'there remains the intriguing possibility that Barcelona will offer Chelsea the Portugal midfield player in a swap-plus-cash deal.'

As soon as a newspaper starts hedging its bets in such fashion then you can be sure that they don't really know what's going on.

Let's move on.


WHY LIVERPOOL FANS SHOULDN'T READ THE TELEGRAPH
At some stage this summer, Liverpool will surely sign Fernando Torres. But when?

The Daily Telegraph and Times are both confident that the striker will be at Anfield before August 31, yet neither newspaper believes that his arrival is imminent.

'Liverpool's efforts to sign Atletico Madrid forward moved a step closer last night when an influential figure at the Spanish club conceded the player's destiny was in his own hands. However, the two clubs remain apart on key areas in the structure of a complicated transfer deal and, with Torres on holiday, sources at Anfield are not expecting a speedy resolution to their courting of the 23-year-old,' says the Telegraph.

The problem with the Telegraph is that it's just so darn difficult to take seriously. It makes so few forays into the murky world of transfer gossip that unless their report carries an inside line from 'a club source' it's just too easy to believe that it is merely blurting out what it has heard elsewhere like an old man waking up from an afternoon nap.

And in any case, where's the fun in saying 'Torres is understood to be on vacation until July 10 and unwilling to enter negotiations until then'?

It's also self-defeating. Unless it's wrong, there's now no reason for Pool fans to read the paper for almost two weeks.

The Times, despite its former broadsheet pedigree, is a far more frequent gossiper and deserves to be regarded as a skilled operator.

It links the Torres situation to Bentiez's oft-stated unhappiness at 'Liverpool's lack of progress in the transfer market' but assures readers that 'the growing likelihood of a deal for Torres, the Spain forward, should ease some of his concerns.'

'Atlético have yet to receive a formal offer for Torres, but Liverpool - after a series of proposals through intermediaries - are expected to make an official bid in the coming days. Sources indicate that, while a deal is not imminent, Benítez is increasingly confident of getting his man, with Liverpool planning to bridge a gap between the clubs.'

It's an impressive piece of work. Whereas The Telegraph has made itself a no-go area until July 10, The Times' authoritative tone will keep luring readers to peek over its garden fence until the Torres deal is finally sorted.

F365 knows which newspaper it would prefer to have as a neighbour.


WHY DO YOU NEED FOOTBALL GOSSIP WHEN YOU HAVE F365?
'Persuading Michael Owen to join is the longest of shots, but City should certainly be competing with the likes of Portsmouth for players like Yakubu (you heard it here first...just think Pini Zahavi)' - Football365, 27 June.

'Sven Goran Eriksson is ready to move for Middlesbrough striker Yakubu as soon as he signs his Manchester City contract' - The Daily Mirror, 28 June.


CITEH IN FOR REO-COKER
Both The Times and Guardian also believe that Sven is ready to hijack Nigel Reo-Coker's expected move to Aston Villa.

The Birmingham club have been tracking the West Ham midfielder all summer (honestly, it is summer, don't let those floods convince you otherwise), but could lose out after Thaksin Shinawatra promised the Swede a bonkers amount of money just as soon as his takeover of Citeh is completed.

According to The Guardian, 'City have registered a firm interest in the England Under-21 captain.'

The Times isn't so sure, reporting that: 'Eriksson is understood to have made an inquiry about the 23-year-old through an intermediary on Tuesday evening, but, while he is also interested in another West Ham player, Yossi Benayoun, it is not clear whether any official contact has been made between the clubs.'

As such, they continue to regard Villa as the favourites to sign Reo-Coker.


POMPEY LOOK TO HAREWOOD
As predicted by F365 over a month ago, 'Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp plans to bolster his attack this summer and is monitoring West Ham striker Marlon Harewood.'

"I've been keeping an eye on Marlon. I like him - he's strong, quick and powerful," said Redknapp in the Portsmouth News.


GEREMI AT TOON
Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is closing in on a deal to take Chelsea utility man Geremi to St James' Park.

It is understood the Magpies are hopeful of securing the 28-year-old Cameroon international on a Bosman free transfer as he approaches the end of his four-year deal at Stamford Bridge.


AND THE REST...
Former Fulham boss Chris Coleman will decide today whether take over the
reigns at Spanish club Real Sociedad.

Birmingham, Derby and Fenerbahce are chasing Nigerian international
midfielder Onyekachi Okonkwo....Sunderland are favourites to land Manchester United midfielder Kieran Richardson but face competition from Sheffield United...Everton's Dutch winger Andy van der Meyde looks to have played his last game for the club...Arsenal and Tottenham are battling it out to sign Nigerian striker Chinedu Ogbuke, who plays for Lyn Oslo in Norway...Celtic are lining up a shock £2million swoop for Watford defender Danny Shittu...Alan Curbishley will move for Bolton's Kevin Nolan as a replacement for Nigel Reo-Coker...Nicky Shorey will sign a new contract with Reading, snubbing interest from Newcastle and West Ham.

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

29/06/07

BENT'S IN, DEFOE'S OUT
While some Spurs fans will tell you Bent is a replacement for Mido and Jermain Defoe isn't going anywhere, the reality is that the occasional England man is not going to be happy with a fourth-choice role at White Hart Lane. He's off.

The only question is where he goes. Aston Villa are favourites to sign him, says The Independent, but Newcastle, Pompey and (of course) Man Citeh (who are linked with everyone right now) have been touted as well...and so have Liverpool and ManYoo. It all depends what paper you read.

Of course, maybe he'll stay, and Spurs will have four top-class strikers. But we can't see it happening.


TALKING OF TOP-CLASS STRIKERS
Carlos Tevez has turned down a move to Inter Milan after the Serie A champions imposed a deadline for him to make a decision.

The Argentina international, who is currently in Venezuela for his country's Copa America campaign, has been linked to several clubs in England and abroad but is keen to remain in the Premier League.

A statement from Tevez's representative Kia Joorabchian, said: "Inter put a deadline on the decision and Carlos' heart is really in the Premier League, so he was not prepared to meet that cut-off point."

Obviously Arsenal are being widely linked after the departure of Thierry Henry.


TALKING OF ARSENAL
Meanwhile, The Sun says Cesc Fabregas is devastated at the departure of Thierry Henry, and wants to move to Real Madrid. A move to Barcelona would make more sense to us, but hey, what do we know? Don't answer that.


TALKING OF REAL MADRID
They want Chelski's Arjen Robben too, says The Sun.


TALKING OF CHELSKI PLAYERS
Frank Lampard says he wants to know where he'll be playing next season by Monday. You can read that as 'wants Chelski to offer him loads more money by Monday' if you like. Otherwise, he'll be tempted by the slimming stripes of Juventus, or that late night falafel bar in Barcelona where the Gossip Column fell in love for the first time but was too scared to talk to her. A girl, we mean, not a falafel.

Meanwhile, Pompey are chasing Claude Makelele, using Harry Redknapp's tried and trusted method of telling the whole world his transfer plans and hoping they work out.


MANYOO WANT OWEN
ManYoo not only plan to take Owen from Newcastle, they don't even want to pay the £9m release clause.

Instead the Old Trafford side, says The Sun, will offer a meagre £4m plus a meagre Alan Smith for one of England's all time top scorers.

With Obafemi Martins still being linked with a move to Arsenal, these are worrying times for Newcastle. Even if the Daily Star does say they're signing Edmilson on a free.


WE HAVE A QUESTION
While we're on the subject of free transfers for Barca players, why is no-one rushing to sign Javier Saviola? He's really quite good.

More to follow...

 

[Welshboy Taffy]

30/06/07

OOOOH, NOW THIS IS INTERESTING
Phil Chisnall, 1964. The last time a player moved directly between England's two biggest clubs.

Gabriel Heinze, 2007. The next time a player will move directly between England's two biggest clubs.

That, at least, is what The Sun reckons.

'Argentine left-back Heinze looked poised for a £5million move to Juventus. But Liverpool boss Benitez is set to hijack the deal,' they report.

Should the move happen, the Gossip Column genuinely can't predict what reaction Heinze would get from either set of fans.

Heinze was voted Player Of The Season at Old Trafford two years ago, remember. But with Patrice Evra still Sir Fergie's preferred option, he could be crossing the greatest of great divides.

'Clearly Fergie would prefer to sell to a foreign side, rather than a major domestic rival,' says The Sun.

'But if Benitez is prepared to cough up the cash, he has every chance of pulling off another coup after agreeing a £27m club-record swoop for Atletico Madrid hitman Fernando Torres.'


GOOD OLD DIDIER DROGBA
Didier. Didier! You haven't been in the news for a couple of days. What are you going to do about it?

Well, mon ami, I'm going to tell the nation's biggest-selling newspaper that I'm thinking of leaving Chelski. That should get people talking about me again.

And that's pretty much what's happened.

"You want to know if I will still return to Chelsea?" asked the Ivorian.

"I will reply to that when I am ready. For now I am having a deserved vacation.

"I love the English league and may not be in a hurry to leave England if you insist.

"But it's difficult to really predict what I want to do in the next week."

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has told the club they need to sort out Frank Lampard's contract, and do it now, before he waddles off to Turin or Barcelona.


VILLA READY TO MAKE THEIR MOVE
It's been something of a surprise that Martin O'Neill is yet to dip into Randy Lerner's transfer warchest, spilling over with gold and jewels as it is. If you believe your gossip (as opposed to your Gossip Column, which isn't 100% about all this), that's all about to change.

First of all, the Daily Mirror says £10m will be spent on Shaun Wright-Phillips, also a target for cash-splashing Spurs.

Then, as everyone was saying yesterday and as the Daily Express is saying today, O'Neill will move for a man higher in England's pecking order than Tottenham's, and bring Jermain Defoe to Villa Park for a similar amount.

And the pair will be able to share a cab up from London with Nigel Reo-Coker, whose transfer from West Ham will finally be resolved in the next few days, and possibly Geremi - also a target for Newcastle.


OOH, BUT IF SPURS BEAT VILLA TO SWP...
...They will also move for Lassana Diarra, taking their summer spending to around the £40m mark.


CISSE TO MARSEILLE, NOT HAMMERS
'Djibril Cissé appears to be on the verge of a move to Marseilles from Liverpool, ruling out the possibility of a move to West Ham, who had put in a late offer,' says The Independent.

Liverpool had previously said Cisse would not be allowed out on loan again.

Meanwhile, Craig Bellamy is heading for a cut-price £6million departure from Liverpool - because no-one would even consider paying Rafa Benitez's ridiculous £12m asking price.


AND THE REST
Blackburn have joined the £4million chase for Holland striker Maceo Rigters...Svetoslav Todorov has turned down a new contract offer at Portsmouth...Brazilian World Cup winner Edmilson has indicated he would be keen on a move to Newcastle...Dunfermline goalkeeper Stevie Woods has emerged as Celtic's latest transfer target.

 

[Aku-Aku]

David Beckham's new side LA Galaxy want Dec out of Ant and Dec to attend trials after the Geordie TV legend impressed chiefs with his finishing during a kickabout with Robbie Williams. (Daily Star)

LOL which one is he again?