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.

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.

 

 

 

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.

What next for Romelu Lukaku?

Romelu Lukaku is a big, powerful, Belgian striker who is currently out on loan at West Brom from Chelsea. Lukaku is seen as a player with a lot of potential, he is only 19 and has already played for the Belgium national team 19 times. Lukaku was bought by Chelsea from Anderlecht in August 2011. Lukaku had attracted interest from lots of top clubs whilst playing in Belgium. It was Chelsea that eventually signed the player that was dubbed as the “new Didier Drogba” for a fee in the region of £10 million which would rise to £17 million because of add-ons. Lukaku signed a five year contract with Chelsea.

Lukaku didn’t figure much for Chelsea in the 2011/12 season, he made 12 appearances but didn’t manage to score his first goal for the blues. It was a frustrating season for Lukaku as he was used to being one of the top players for Anderlecht having played 98 times for the Belgium side and scoring 41 goals. There was a lot of speculation at the end of the season surrounding Lukaku and a possible loan. Fulham were strongly linked with a loan move for Lukaku, however nothing materialised between Lukaku and Fulham. It was later announced on the 10th August that Lukaku would join West Bromwich Albion on loan for the entire 2012/13 season. He then scored his first league goal for the baggies eight days later as he struck home in a 3-0 win against Liverpool. Lukaku then made his full debut against Reading and scored the only goal of the game to give West Brom the 3 points. Lukaku hasn’t had it easy at West Brom, he has had to battle with Shane Long for a place in Steve Clarke’s team this season. Lukaku has so far made 34 appearances for the baggies and has netted 14 goals, which have all come in the Premier League. This loan spell has proved extremely beneficial for Romelu Lukaku, he has gained some key Premier League experience and has played against some of the best defenders in the world. However, with his loan spell at West Brom ending what is next for Lukaku?

It has been widely reported in both England and Belgium that Lukaku has controversially said that he doesn’t want to go back to parent club, Chelsea, and wishes to stay out on loan for another season. Although Lukaku has told the press that he still wishes to become a legend at Stamford Bridge. This decision from Lukaku is completely understandable. Chelsea already have Demba Ba and Fernando Torres that play up front. It has also been reported throughout the season that Chelsea will sign Radamel Falcao in the summer transfer window, another striker with a hefty price tag. Therefore Lukaku feels that his playing time at Stamford Bridge will be very limited, this is something that no young player wants. Lukaku may choose to stay at West Brom on loan for another season, though the baggies could still miss out on the big Belgium, as people are claiming that Lukaku is craving to play Champions League football, which he already has experience of from is time with Anderlecht. Therefore if Chelsea do sanction another loan he may look to a side with Champions League or Europa League football.

Chelsea are unlikely to make a decision on Lukaku until a replacement is found for interim manager, Rafa Benitez. Nevertheless Lukaku still seems unconvinced about his first team prospects at Stamford Bridge. the 2013/14 season is going to be very important for Lukaku as he wants to show that he is able to lead the line for Belgium, who are dark horses for the 2014 World Cup Finals. One thing that is for certain is that interest in Lukaku will be high, the young Belgium has been nominated for the Premier League Young Player of the Year Award. Lukaku was very proud to be nominated for this award, he said “To be there in the list is a dream come true. I never expected it this early in my career. Everything that happens seems to happen so fast and I’m getting used to it. Because I’m young I have to get used to breaking records all the time.”

It seems as though West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Clarke is expecting to lose Lukaku at the end of the season and doesn’t expect him to return for another loan spell. Clarke has said, “He’s Chelsea’s player but he is contracted to us until June. I’m 99 per cent sure that he will do a pre-season with them. And then a decision will be taken on whether to let him out again.” he went on to add “I’d love him to stay with us. But we have to prepare for life without him.” This is the biggest hint yet that Lukaku may be playing his football away from the Hawthorns next season, whether it be at Stamford Bridge or else where, he is sure to become a fantastic player in the future.

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!