Transfer Gossip #6

Welcome to the 6^th installment of Transfer Gossip at Football Fan Dan.

Manchester United make £25 million Fabregas bid.

United have reportedly made a £25 million bid for Barcelona’s ex-Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas. Manchester United’s offer is being ‘considered’ but is understood to be below Barcelona’s evaluation of Fabregas.  There are also various clauses in Fabregas contract that mean that Arsenal could be in with a chance of signing the Spaniard. Arsenal have first refusal on the player and are able to hold exclusive talks, they would also receive a sell on percentage believed to be around 10% should Fabregas move elsewhere.

Although Fabregas isn’t pushing for a move, it is believed that he could be open to a return to England. This is likely to be because is playing time at the Spanish club is likely to remain inconsistent even though they have recently sold Thiago to Bayern Munich. The 26 year old midfielder will make a decision based on whether Barcelona are prepared to accept an offer for him.

The Suarez saga continues.

Yesterday Liverpool’s managing director Ian Ayre confirmed that Liverpool had rejected a £30 million bid for Luis Suarez from Arsenal! It seems as though Arsene Wenger has now made Suarez his top priority this summer and is set to up his bid to £35 million. Ayre has said that it is Liverpool’s job to try and ‘convince’ Suarez to stay at the club. They don’t seem to be doing a great job as Suarez has suggested that he would be prepared to leave Liverpool if the right offer came along after suggesting that he is keen to remain in the Premier League.

Liverpool are now also bracing themselves for Real Madrid to make a formal bid for the Uruguay international. It was heavily reported late last night that Real Madrid could be set to offer Liverpool £10 million along with Arsenal target Gonzalo Higuain. However I have been led to believe that Liverpool have no real interest and would prefer a ‘cash only’ deal for Luis Suarez.

Cavani is close to joining PSG.

Chelsea have been left frustrated as new has come in that Edinson Cavani has passed his medical ahead of a move from Napoli to Paris St-Germain. The 26 year old forward, who was the Serie A top goal scorer last season with 29 goals, was in Paris on Monday before heading to PSG for his medical. Cavani is expected to sign a 5 year deal at PSG, with the transfer fee of the player believed to be around £55 million. This would be a new Ligue 1 record after Radamel Falcao signed for Monaco early this summer for £52 million.

If Cavani does join PSG he will be playing alongside former Napoli team mate, Ezequiel Lavezzi. PSG are looking to build a very solid team next season so they can fight of the challenge of newly promoted and freely spending Monaco, as well as going for Champions League glory.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs chase Brazilian Bernard.

Athletic Minero’s 20 year old Brazilian winger is a reported summer target of Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs, with Arsenal said to be leading the race. Wenger is keen to sign the young pacy winger who could come in as a replacement for the outgoing Gervinho. Bernard himself has hinted that he could be set to play his last game for Athletic Minero in the Copa Libertadores final this week.

Bernard said “If it’s my last game (for Athletic Minero) or not, it will be one of the most important titles in my career.” He continued to say “I’ll do my best to make the fans happy, as moments like that may not happen again.”

It now seems that Spurs are almost out of the running as they decided to splash the cash on Bernard’s Brazil team mate Paulinho and have drawn a line under the transfer of Bernard. So Liverpool and Arsenal look to set to battle it for the young Brazilian star that is believed to be valued at around £20 million. Arsenal do have a distinct advantage over Liverpool and that is that they can offer Bernard Champions League football next season, if they get past the qualification stage.

Spurs pursue Benteke.

Tottenham Hotspur are ramping up their interest in Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke, as they look to lodge a formal bid for the Belgium forward. It is understood that the North London club will offer Villa £20 million for Benteke sometime this week. However Villa have been clear that they will reject any bids below £25 million as they look to try and keep Benteke at Villa Park.

Spurs have also being toying with offering players in part-exchange for Benteke but Villa owner Randy Learner has said that he will reject any bid that doesn’t match the clubs valuation. Source that are close to Benteke have suggested that if Villa can keep Benteke, he will sign a 5 year deal with the club.

Leaner expects Benteke to report for pre season training next week. However this morning news has come in that Benteke is asking Spurs to up their interest and offer as he has no intentions of returning to Aston Villa next week.

 

Is this Arsenal’s best chance of winning the title for years?

There seems to be a lot more optimism surrounding Arsenal’s chances of a trophy this season, even though they are yet to sign a high calibre player. Arsene Wenger himself believes that Arsenal can pose a serious title challenge for the first time in years. Wenger has failed to win a trophy with Arsenal for the last 8 seasons, with the last trophy being the 2005 FA Cup. However “Le Professeur” believes that this summers managerial merry-go-round at the top of the Premier League may lead to a more open title race. With Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all changing their managers, Wenger is left as the only top four manager from last season.

Wenger believes that Arsenal maybe able to capitalise on the managerial changes going on around them. At yesterday’s press conference, at the start of Arsenal’s Asia Tour, Wenger said “Nobody knows what effect the changes will have but we hope to take advantage of our greater stability.” He continued to say “What has been frustrating for me is that in recent years we couldn’t give the fans what they expected of us. But we are now in a position where we want to compete for the title again.” Arsene Wenger’s optimism can surely only be a good thing for Arsenal, it also shows that he will look to improve the squad this summer in order to challenge of the title. I feel that keeping the same manager when all the teams around Arsenal are chopping and changing could be a very intelligent move. It often takes a new manager a fair bit of time to get the team to adapt to his style of play, this of course won’t be a problem at Arsenal. Therefore if Arsenal start the season well, whilst other teams around the are adapting to their new strategies, they could find themselves firmly challenging for the title.

Wenger also reviled last night that he has begun talks at Arsenal to extend his contract, which runs out at the end of the season. Negotiations have begun to try and get Wenger to sign an extension until 2016. Wenger seems very happy at Arsenal and has somewhat committed his future to the club, even though lucrative offers have come in from PSG. During yesterday’s conference Wenger said “I’am committed to staying longer at this club and we have already had a chat with Ivan. The talks went well and it’s not a problem. But I will not use my longevity as an advantage to stay in the position longer if I do not do well.” This news would bring delight to most Arsenal fans. I personally believe that Wenger is the right man to take Arsenal forward and push on for titles.

Arsenal are now also in a great position financially. They are set to receive a lot of money from the sponsorship deal with Fly Emirates and from a possible new kit deal with Puma for the 2014/15 season. This means that Arsenal will be able to increase their transfer budget and bring in some new, quality, players. We already know that Wenger has around £70 million to spend, although the Frenchman is yet to part with any of his cash yet. Arsenal’s only signing has been the young striker Yaya Sanogo from Auxerre on a free transfer. Arsenal were also heavily linked with a move for Gonzalo Higuain although it seems that this deal has broken down. Wenger is now reportedly looking to make the unlikeliest of signings in Luis Suarez. The Gunners had a £30 million bid rejected and are looking to come back with a £35 million bid, although Liverpool are unlikely to accept a bid under £40million. It’s been a very exciting transfer window for Arsenal fans as they have been linked with an array of players, even if they are yet to make a high calibre signing.

I do believe that Arsenal need to make at least 2 or 3 top transfers to be able to challenge for the title. I think that Wenger needs to sign a defensive midfielder, a striker and a centre back. Arsenal may also need to sign a winger if Gervinho leaves, I would personally like to see the young Brazilian Bernard replace the Ivorian. It seems that in the striker department Wenger has already missed out on Jovetic, Higuain and Rooney, therefore I have no idea who I would like to see Wenger bring in up top. In defence I feel we need a new centre back as cover. Djourou has left the club and Vermaelen is injured so the only cent backs available at the moment are Koscielny, Mertersacker and Miquel. I would like to see Arsenal bring in the young Belgium talent Cheikou Kouyate to fill the gap. The most important position that Arsenal need to strengthen in is defensive midfield. After Alex Song left the club no real defensive replacement was brought in. During last season both Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey took stints in the defensive midfield role, but nether looked natural in that position. I personally feel that Victor Wanyama would have been a good signing for the Gunners but he has already joined Southampton. There has been talk of Arsenal interest in Gareth Barry, however I don’t really see him suiting Arsenals style of play. I would personally like to see Fellaini or De Rossi playing in front of the Arsenal back four next season.

I personally would like to believe that this is Arsenal best chance of winning the league in the last eight years. The club is structurally sound, with Wenger still in the mangers seat and with money coming in. If Arsenal can make the right transfers and get off to a good start, I see no reason as to why they shouldn’t be up there challenging for the Premier League trophy this season.

Transfer Gossip #5

Welcome to the 5th installment of Transfer Gossip.

Southampton set to steal Wanyama.

Southampton could be set to sign Celtic’s defensive midfielder, Victor Wanyama. Wanyama has been linked with a host of clubs this summer, including Arsenal and Inter Milan, however it now seems as though the Kenyan international could be on his way to St. Mary’s. Southampton have reportedly agreed a £10 million deal with the Scottish club to sign Wanyama. Although the Saints could still face some stiff competition as Arsenal, Liverpool and Inter Milan are all lurking around. Wanyama is a combative defensive midfield, who is prone to putting in some strong challenges. Wanyama also is a technically sound player, he has good vision and a great range of pass. These attributes make Wanyama a very good defensive midfielder, he also has age on his side, he is only 21 years old and could be a player that vastly improves in the coming years.

Arsene Wenger looks to splash the cash.

It looks as though Arsenal are set to make their first signing of the summer, and break their record transfer fee, as they prepare a £20 million bid for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentinean striker is expected to join the Gunners in the next fee weeks before they go on their tour of Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan. Wenger is also interested in securing the services of Everton’s Marouane Fellaini. Arsenal are expected to activate the Belgian’s release clause, which is said to be in the region of £22-24 million, in the next few weeks. According to recent reports Arsenal have also had a £70,000 a week contract turned down my the Belgium players associates, however Arsenal are likely to increase this and offer around £85,000 a week to the giant Belgium midfielder. It seems that times are changing at the North London club as Arsene Wenger looks to splash the cash to try and insure a trophy for the Arsenal fans next season.

Manchester United in for Spanish starlet Thiago Alcantara.

David Moyes is looking to make Barcelona’s Thiago Alcantara his first signing at Manchester United since taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson. The highly rated 22 year old midfielder impressed whilst at the Under 21 European Championships where he scored a hat-trick in the final as Spain beat Italy. Moyes is close to bringing the £15 million rated midfielder to the Premier League Champions, however a deal could be scuppered if Barcelona can guarantee Thiago more playing time at the Camp Nou. The young midfielder has found it hard to make an impact at Barcelona with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and Busquets all ahead of him in the squad. Thiago is a very talented young midfielder who fits the mold of the modern day Spanish midfielder. He posses great technical ability and can play sublime passes. Some people may say that the Premier Champions were missing an attacking midfielder like Thiago last season.

Manchester City and Real Madrid go head to head for Isco.

Manchester City look set to challenge Real Madrid for the coveted signature of Malaga’s Isco. However at the moment it seems that Real Madrid are the more likely as they have supposedly had a £25 million offer accepted my Malaga. Isco is another player much like Thiago would fits the mold of the modern Spanish attacking midfielder. He has great technical ability and vision making him a very sort after player. New Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini looks set to try and hijack Isco has he tries to reunite himself with a player that he coached at Malaga last season before becoming the boss of Manchester City. City have yet to make an offer for Isco but are said to be very interested in the Spanish international. It is thought that Manchester City would have to match Real Madrid’s offer of £25 million to have any chance of signing Isco. If Manchester City so complete the signing of Isco he would become the clubs third summer signing as they have already seen Fernandinho and Jesus Navas arrive from Shakhtar Donetsk and Sevilla respectively.

Liverpool sign Sevilla’s Luis Alberto.

Liverpool have wrapped up the signing of Sevilla’s Spain Under 21 international Luis Alberto on a long-term deal for a fee believed to be around £7 million. The 20 year old forward spent last season on loan at Barcelona B but the Spanish champions decided against taking up their option of signing the young Spaniard, allowing Liverpool to step in. Liverpool boss Brendan Rogers said: “I look forward to working with him to develop his talent.”. Luis Alberto is set to be joined at Anfield by Sunderland’s Simone Mignolet and Celta Vigo’s Iago Asapas. Liverpool are also progressing with a move to sign Shakhtar Donetsk’s Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan but face competition from a number of European clubs. The 24-year-old has a release clause in his contract, believed to be around £20 million which Liverpool are willing to meet it in an attempt to sign one of European football’s most coveted emerging players.

Manchester United try to hijack Chelsea’s move for Marco van Ginkel.

Manchester United and Chelsea are scrapping to try and sign to Dutch youngster Marco Van Ginkel. Chelsea look the most likely to sign the 20 year old Vitesse Arnhem midfielder, however David Moyes is looking to make a late bid for the player. Chelsea are willing to let Gael Kakuta move in the opposite direction, as Vitesse Arnhem are demanding that Kakuta’s loan spell at the Geldredome should be turned into a permanent deal. Van Ginkel is valued at around £8 million and it looks as though he will have to make a choice between Manchester United for Chelsea as both clubs are willing to match the valuation of the Dutch midfielder. Van Ginkel is just 20 years old and is set to have a bright future ahead of him.

Gonzalo Higuain: El Pipita

After much anticipation it seems that Gonzalo Higuain could be on his way to Arsenal. The Argentinean striker, nicknamed El Pipita, has been the focus of most of the Arsenal related transfer news in the past couple of weeks. Higuain is now odds on to join the Gunners as various newspapers have reported that he has reached an agreement in principle with the North London club. Could Arsene Wenger be ready to break Arsenal’s transfer record and make Higuain the highest paid player at the club?

The answer to this seems to be yes! According to recent reports Arsenal have offered Higuain a £130,000 per week contract, which will make him the highest paid player at the club by £30,000 per week. It is also being reported that Wenger is ready to smash Arsenal’s transfer record by offering Real Madrid £20 million for the 25 year old Argentinean. Arsenal would ultimately like to get this deal wrapped up before 11th July when the team departs for their tour of Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan. The final barrier between Higuain and Arsenal is that Real Madrid don’t currently have a manager that can sign off the outgoing player. Los Blancos, who recently departed company with Jose Mourinho, are currently looking for a new manager to take the helm at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid President, Florentino Pérez, is said to be keen on bringing Carlo Ancelotti to the club. It is then expected that Ancelotti would sanction Higuain’s move to the Gunners.

But what will Higuain bring to the Arsenal team? He is a proven clinical finisher who has performed well at the highest level. Therefore Higuain brings both experience and clinical finishing to the Arsenal squad, two things which some fans would say the Gunners lack. Higuain also has an eye for key passes and can hold on the ball well. In La Liga last season Higuain made 19 appearances for Real Madrid (9 of which were as a substitute). He managed to score a very impressive 16 goals along with 5 assists. Higuain also had a shot accuracy of 51.8% and a conversion rate (shots to goals) of 28.6%. Another interesting stat, courtesy of Opta, that will excite Arsenal fans is that Higuain has averaged a goal every 112 minutes in the La Liga since he made his debut for Real Madrid on January 14th 2007.

In my opinion Higuain could be the first marquee signing this summer for Arsenal, I would also expect them to sign at least two more “big” signings. Since Robin Van Persie left the club Arsenal have struggled to score goals and lack a clinical finisher up top. Olivier Giroud has done well for Arsenal scoring 17 goals in all competitions last season, although I don’t think Giroud as the quality to lead the line for Arsenal. However I could see Gonzalo Higuain leading the line for the Gunners. Higuain has proven himself to be a lethal finisher at the highest levels and I believe he could continue to do so at Arsenal. I think that Higuain would fit into the Arsenal team very nicely, he not only has good finishing abilities but also very good link up play with others around him, this would make him the perfect fit for Arsenal.

Higuain looks to become a very solid investment for Arsenal. At 25 years old, he can come into the club as a ready made striker, as oppose to a young prodigy, however I can also see Higuain improving whilst with Arsenal, as he has improved every year at Real Madrid. I would say that the transfer is very likely to happen as Higuain is looking for first team football next season, to try and guarantee his place in Argentina’s World Cup squad for next summer as he faces stiff competition for the likes of Aguero, Tevez and Messi.

If Arsenal can get this transfer wrapped up relatively quickly Arsene Wenger can then look to bring more players into the club, with the likes of Fellaini and Rooney being linked heavily with the Gunners.

Transfer Gossip #4

Welcome to the fourth installment of Transfer Gossip!

Man City sign Jesus Navas.

Manchester City have agreed a fee with Sevilla of around £17 million plus add-ons for the Spain international winger. Navas has said “It was my choice. I’m very happy with the decision.” The Spanish international winger looks set to be City’s first signing of the summer, as they look to bolster their squad to challenge for the Premier League next season. Navas has lots of pace and can play in a great ball, which we have seen him do many times for Sevilla. I think that Navas will be a good addition to the City team as they are lacking a winger with genuine pace and skill.

Arsenal set to sign Brazilian goalkeeper.

It seems as though Arsenal have wrapped up the signing of 33 year old goalkeeper Julio Cesar from Queens Park Rangers. Last season Szczesny didn’t perform too well and a lot of the Arsenal fans wanted to see a more experienced world-class goalkeeper to come to the club. Arsenal look set to buy the Brazilian international for a fee of around £1 million, Cesar’s wages are expected to be around £80,000 a week. If this transfer does go through I would expect Julio Cesar to play a big part in the 2012/13 campaign for Arsenal, and act as a tutor for Szczesny as the young Polish goalkeeper develops.

Liverpool chase Mkhitaryan.

Liverpool are still looking to sign Mkhitaryan and have not been deterred by the £22 million valuation that Shakhtar Donetsk have put on Armenia international midfielder who scored a record 25 goals in the Ukrainian Premier League last season. Although this a quite a large fee Mkhitaryan could be the goal scoring midfield who fills the gap that Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard leaves when he eventually retires. Signing Mkhitaryan for such a big fee does have a certain risk to it, if Liverpool match the evaluation, Mkhitaryan has been playing in the Ukraine League for 3 years which is by no means the toughest league in the world, it may possibly be hard for him to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

Arsenal in for Wanyama.

It has been widely reported this summer that Arsenal are after a defensive midfield who poses a big physical presence but also has the technical ability to fit into the side. In recent news it seems as though Arsenal may have found the perfect player to fill this position, Celtic’s Kenyan midfielder Victor Wanyama. The 21 year old Kenyan impressed a lot of Europe’s top sides with his performances in the Champions League, particularly against Barcelona. You only have to look at Wanyama to see his physical capabilities but he also has good technical ability and an eye for a pass which would make him perfect for Arsenal. Wanyama’s agent has even declared that Arsenal have shown and interest in the player and that Wanyama himself would be open to a move away from Celtic.

Stekelenburg to Fulham.

It seems as though Roma goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg will be on his way to Craven Cottage this summer in a £3 million move. The Dutch goalkeeper has been a long term target of Fulham and their manager Martin Jol. It is believed that Fulham came close to signing the Dutch international back in January but the two sides could not agree a fee in time. However it now looks as though the sides have come to an agreement and the 30 year old goalkeeper is expected to complete is move in the coming weeks.

Negredo rejects West Ham.

West Ham have reportedly had a £14.5 million bid for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo rejected, according to the Spanish club’s president. Jose Maria Del Nido said “West Ham offered 17 million (euros) with more in incentives but we do not value the offer and the player refused. He has four years left on his contract. He is at home here, he has scored a lot of goals and delighted us with his football.” Negredo proved that he is a striker worthy of the £14.5 million price tag as he 27 year old Spain international scored 31 goals last season. However it seems as though Negredo will be staying with Sevilla next season.

 

 

 

Remember the Name: Yaya Sanogo #8

Yaya Sanogo is a 20 year old French striker who plays for Auxerre in Ligue 2. In recent days it has been reported that the talented youngster will join Arsenal on a 4 year contract for free in the summer, as his contract is up at Auxerre. Sanogo is a big, powerful and pacey striker who stands at 6ft 3″. Sanogo’s biggest aspects of his game are his pace and power but he also has an eye for a goal and is known for scoring magnificent goals. Sanogo’s two most notable finishes are two extraordinary overhead kicks (worth a watch on YouTube.)

Sanogo has electric pace and stupendous strength. If I were to compare him to another top player I would say that Sanogo players similarly to Aston Villa’s Christian Benteke. Sanogo has a very adept first touch and can hold the ball up well, much like Olivier Giroud, but Sanogo is then able to use his pace and power to burst away from defenders, something that Giroud lacks.

Sanogo has a record of 16 goals in 24 games which would be enough to get any fans excited about a new signing, but when you realise that comes after four seasons of football there are reasons to be sceptical. Sanogo is a very injury prone player but always comes back strong. He has a had a few bad injuries which include a broken leg. Hopefully Sanogo will be able to stay injury free and fulfill his full potential.

Sanogo has made 11 appearances for Auxerre this season and has notched a very impressive 9 goals. 4 of the goals came in a game against Laval FC where Sanogo put in an inspiring performance. Sanogo clearly has the talent to become one of the most deadly strikers in the world but he will have to stay as fit as possible.It must also be noted that Sanogo has an impressive record for the French youth squad, he has played for France at U16’s, U17’s, U19’s, U21’s side, he has scored 29 goals in 45 games. If Sanogo completes his move to Arsenal, Wenger will hope that he has unearthed another French gem for no price at all.

Remember the Name: Yaya Sanogo

Transfer Gossip #3

Welcome to the third instalment of transfer gossip.

Rooney set to leave United
It has been reported recently that Wayne Rooney has handed in a transfer request at Manchester United. These reports were backed up by the fact that Rooney was completely left out of the team in Manchester United’s last home game of the season, although he did go onto the pitch to collect his winners medal. We do know that Rooney doesn’t have a good relationship with his new manager David Moyes, as Moyes once took Rooney to court for libel, this could be a big factor in Rooney leaving Manchester United this summer.

Napoli want Mignolet
Italian giants Napoli are said to be interested in signing Simon Mignolet from Sunderland this summer. The Belgium goalkeeper has been one of Sunderland’s best players this season. He is another player who has attracted a lot of interest from other clubs. Its believed that he would cost in the region of £10 million.

Man City offered Robben
It appears that Bayern Munich may have offered Dutch winger Arjen Robben to Manchester City. It has been reported that the Bavarians offered Robben up £17 million. However the ever spending, Manchester City, are unlikely to pay that sum of money for a 29 year old. Although it is now clear that Robben certainly isn’t a part of Pep Guardiola’s plans at Bayern.

QPR look to experience
QPR are set to look to add to their squad as they prepare for life in the Championship next season. They look set to lose some of their top players such as Loic Remy and Adel Taarabt. This has led to reports that Harry Redknap is looking to bring some experience into the side. He is said to be interested in Spurs midfielder Scott Parker, as he used to play under Redknap at Spurs. Tottenham would be willing to sell the 32 year old midfielder as he is no longer a part of their long term plans.

Fabregas on the move
Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas could be on his way out of Barcelona this summer. Reports suggested that Fabregas is fed up at the Catalonian club and feels that he should get more game time. Lots of clubs would be intrested in Fabregas with Arsenal and Manchester United leading the race for the £25 million rated midfielder.

Benteke a target for Dortmund
It looks as though Borussia Dortmund may lose in-form striker Robert Lewandowski this summer. This has led to reports that Dortmund maybe interested in signing Aston Villa’s Belgium striker, Christian Benteke. Benteke has put in some magnificent performaces this season which have alerted many of Europe’s top clubs, there could be a big battle to sign the Belgium forward.

Transfer Gossip #2

Welcome to the second installment of Transfer Gossip!

Tottenham want Ince.

It is being reported this week that Spurs are interested in 21 year old Blackpool winger, Tom Ince. Tottenham are supposedly preparing a £6.5 million bid for the young winger who has scored 18 Championship goals this season. Ince has been in impressive form an has attracted interest from many top flight clubs.

Arsenal to put in a shock bid for Schneiderlin?

It has been reported today that Arsenal may put a shock £10 million bid in for Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin. He would be brought into the squad to replace the forever injured Abou Diaby.

Galatasary look to strengthen squad.

The Turkish side are looking to strengthen their squad in the summer. They are supposedly lining up a bid for Manchester City’s Gael Clichy. They are also said to interested in Bayern’s Arjen Robben and will offer the German team £12 million.

West Ham to turn to Jelavic?

The hammers may try to buy Everton striker, Nikica Jelavic, this summer. They have decided that the £17 million price tag that Liverpool have set for Andy Carroll is extortionate. The London club reportedly offered £10 million for Carroll which Liverpool completely dismissed. Liverpool are sure to lose money on the £30 million that they paid for Carroll.

Cristiano Ronaldo set to leave Madrid.

There have been reports throughout this season that Ronaldo will leave the Galacticos. Manchester United are said to be interested in their ex-player. However they face stiff competition from Paris St.Germain who have made Real Madrid a “substantial offer” for the Portuguese star.

PSG want Wenger.

Paris St.Germain are said to be confident that they will be able to prize Arsene Wenger away from Arsenal to manage the French giants. This has come after news that Carlo Ancelotti is expected to become the new Real Madrid boss when Mourinho leaves at the end of the season.

Frieburg to hold onto young star.

Frieburg have said that starlet, Matthias Ginter will not be leaving the club during the summer transfer window. Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool are all said to be on the trail for German defender.

Danny Rose to snub Sunderland in favor of Spurs stay.

Andre Villas-Boas is trying to persuade England Under 21’s star, Danny Rose to snub a move to Sunderland to stay at Tottenham. The young left-back has been very impressive whilst out on a season long loan at Sunderland, who are reportedly looking to sign him on a permanent basis for around £8 million.

Arsenal looking to sign a Goalkeeper.

Arsenal are said to be interested in signing a new goalkeeper this summer. Lots of names have come up including QPR’s Julio Cesar who is set to leave after Rangers were relegated to the Championship. Another name that has come is Hamburg’s Rene Adler, however the German club are insisting that Arsenal have not approached them about a potential move for the German shot stopper.

Jovetic could snub Arsenal for a move to Milan.

It has been reported today that long term Arsenal target Stevan Jovetic may snub the North London club in favor for a move to AC Milan. It seems as though Arsenal will be facing some stiff competition as they look to try and sign their number 1 transfer target. It would be a huge disappointment for Arsenal if the young Montenegrin was snatched by AC Milan.

Transfer Gossip #1

Transfer Gossip is a new series of article which will be out once a week. In the articles I will talk about the latest transfer news and rumors from around the footballing world.

Stevan Jovetic to Arsenal?

There have been rumors of this transfer going on for a few months now. It has recently been reported that Arsenal have opened negotiations with Fiorentina over a move for the young Montenegrin. Jovetic is said to be valued at £25 million, however Arsenal are hoping to get this fee lowered. Although they must move quickly as Manchester City and Juventus are also monitoring the player.

Loic Remy to leave struggling QPR?

It looks as though Queens Park Rangers will be playing in the Championship next season. Loic Remy will surely leave QPR this summer as the former Marseille player will not want to play in Championship. It has been reported that there is a release clause in his contract of around £8 million. This has alerted a lot of Premier League Clubs including Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal. I am almost certain that Remy will not be at QPR next season, however I am not sure where he will be playing his club football.

Manchester City ready to splash the cash on Cavani.

It is being reported that Manchester City are ready to trigger Napoli’s Edinson Cavani’s buyout clause of £52 million. To try and secure the services of the Uruguayan striker City are ready to offer him £250,000 a week in order to beat PSG and Real Madrid to the signature of the highly rated forward.

Tottenham looking to sign a striker.

Tottenham failed to sign a striker in January and will now look to sign a front man in the summer transfer window. Spurs are still said to be interested in Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao but it is also being reported that they may make a move for Valencia captain, Roberto Soldado. Soldado’s impressive goal tally of 70 goals in 105 starts for Valencia over three seasons has attracted interest from the North London club.

Will Lewandowski get his dream move to Manchester United?

Sir Alex Ferguson has refused to rule out a move for Polish striker, Robert Lewandowski, even though he already has Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie. The 24 year old Borussia Dortmund striker has also reveled that it is his dream to play for Manchester United, he may even snub a move from Real Madrid to join the Red Devils.

Bayern Munich ready to make a move for Suarez.

Bayern Munich are starting to feel that they may miss out on the highly rated Robert Lewandowski. They are now reportedly preparing a bid for Liverpool striker Luis Suarez who has recently been given a 10 match ban for biting Branislav Ivanovic, this means he would miss Liverpool’s first 6 Premier League games next season (4 this season). Suarez may leave Anfield to play Champions League football with Bayern Munich.

Gonalons to the Gunners?

It is being reported that Arsenal have opened preliminary talks with Lyon over the transfer of the young French defensive midfielder. Arsenal have a £70 million pound transfer fund and Gonalons would probably cost the gunners around £10 million, as they look to fill the void that was left by Alex Song last season.

Gotze to Munich is a done deal!

Mario Gotze will become a Bayern Munich player on the 1st July 2013. Bayern Munich activated Gotze’s release clause which will see him leave Borussia Dortmund for £31.5 million. Gotze is in an uneasy position as it looks as though he may be facing his future club in the Champions League Final for Borussia Dortmund.

Casillas set to leave Madrid.

Iker Casillas is reportedly contemplating a move away from the Bernabeu after a huge falling out with Madrid manager Jose Mourinho. The Spanish shot stopper is yet to feature for Real Madrid in 2013 as Mourinho has opted to play Diego Lopez. It is understood that the falling out between player and coach has alerted lots of top teams. Arsenal are looking to sign a new goalkeeper and they see Casillas as the perfect player.

Mourinho and Falcao to Chelsea?

It has been reported this week the Jose Mourinho will make a sensational return to Chelsea after leaving the club to manage Real Madrid. It is also being reported that Chelsea are leading the race for the highly rated Colombian striker, Radamel Falcao. Roman Abramovich looks set to splash the cash again this summer. Mourinho and Falcao will not come cheap. Chelsea are also believed to be wrapping up the £20 million transfer of Andre Schurrle from Leverkusen.

Mario Gotze is off to Munich!

It has been officially annouced that Mario Gotze will transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich when the transfer window opens on July 1st. After there has been a lot of speculation about the young Germans future, it has bee reported that Bayern have agreed to pay Mario Gotze buy out clause which stands at £31.5 million.

This move will make Gotze the most expensive ever German footballer. The previous most expensive transfer was that of Mario Gomez from Stuttgart to Munich, they payed £26.5 million for the striker. The third most expensive German player of all time is Mesut Ozil who transferred from Werder Bremen to Real Madrid for £16 million.

Mario Gotze is a magnificent young footballer. He is part of the current crop of young Germans who have come through the system, this includes the likes of Schurrle and Gundogan, who have abundant amount of talent. He plays as an attacking midfielder, but is capable of operating as a right or left winger. Gotze is considered a potential world class player, possessing high speed, excellent technical ability and dribbling skill, along with superb creativity. Former German Football Association technical director Matthias Sammer believes that Gotze is “one of the best talents that we’ve (Germany) ever had”.

Gotze will arrive at Bayern Munich at the same time as Pep Guardiola, who the Bavarian club named as their new manager, to replace the retiring Jupp Heynckes. Lots of people see this as one of the big factors as to why Gotze has decided to join Bayern. Jurgan Klopp, who is Gotze’s manager at Dortmund said, “Gotze was the player Guardiola wished to sign. So if it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine. I cannot make myself 15cm smaller and learn Spanish. Gotze wants to work with this extraordinary coach that is Guardiola. I cannot preach football of quick transitions and now start playing Tiki Taka.”

Bayern Munich looks set to be a good destination for Gotze, as they won the German Bundesliga on the 6th April and are currently 20 points ahead of Gotze’s current team who sit in 2nd place. Gotze had made 42 appearances for Dortmund this season and has scored 16 goals. He is also a full German international, having made 22 appearances whilst scoring 5 goals. He also won the under 17 European Champions with Germany back in 2009, where he was one of the star players. I believe that Gotze could become one of the best attacking midfielders in the world at Munich, under the guidance of some experienced players and the legendary Pep Guardiola.

Gotze will be packing his bags for Bavaria this summer!