Today’s rumours like to sing and dance when the mood’s right

That one off the big roadside billboards. Where you can’t see her face, just, um, you know. The Marks & Spencer ads. That one. Well, it’s not good news, The Mill is afraid. Today’s Sun has the story: “dating Premier League footballer… inseparable from… Romantic holiday in Dubai… KIERAN RICHARDSON”. Well, at least there’s some kind of clue here, finally, as to what he’s actually been doing with himself for the last couple of years.

Elsewhere, more unlikely couplings as a low-level background rumour – more of an ambient rumour – is transformed into today’s expansively twiddling back page saxophone solo: It’s “Van Utd” with the news that Sir Alex Ferguson is “monitoring Robin Van Persie“, presumably with the help of a machine that goes “poyoyoyoing” every 30 seconds and an old-fashioned set of really heavy Bakelite headphones. “Robin loves it at Arsenal but he is getting to the age when he wants to win things and earn significantly more money just for sitting next to Ben Foster and occasionally warming up,” says a Dutch “source”. The increasingly demented Real Madrid now want Big Brother’s Marcus, the cats of Martina Cole’s The Take, the last red telephone box in London, a really good new pair of jeans and £8m worth of Alvaro Arbeloa. But will they be happy?

They will at least be dancing in north London’s irritating tapas bars full of people called Josh at the news “Barça” Lona want to spend £17m on Pepe Reina. Victor Valdes is on is way out and Pepe can look forward to earning £150,000 a week for standing about watching assorted midfield gnomes ping it around for 90 minutes and occasionally joining in the goal celebration bundle. It’s enough to make even Kieran Richardson wonder where it all went wrong.

The Mirror has news of a thrillingly pointless swap deal involving slow-witted, but kindly Spurs midfielder, Lennie From Of Mice And Men – also known as “Tom Huddleston” – and Nigel Reo-Coker, who fouls a lot. Tesco-Value-Range-Roberto-Carlos Andrea Dossena’s move to Juventus is “on hold”. The Mill can’t think why.

In The Daily Star Gary Megson is striding about with a banana in his pocket wearing a Zapata moustache and planning to “hijack” Lee Bowyer’s move to Birmingham. In The Times Sol Campbell is considering taking a 50% pay cut to continue jogging very slowly with a sombre expression on his face for another season at Portsmouth. ‘Arry Redknapp has been getting sweaty and short of breath at the thought of Moussa Sissoko and Étienne Capoue of Toulouse, a midfield-scuffling duo who should hang about vaguely for an inconclusive season or two before going out on loan to Middlesborough, being “misquoted” saying horrible things in a French newspaper and then weirdly reappearing a couple of years later as world-beaters at somewhere like Internazionale or Valencia. Malaga are keen to solve their ongoing first-team vowel shortage by signing Spurs jinker Adel Taarabt. Manchester City, stumbling blindly from airport check-in lounge to Eurotrash hotel suite, have decided to try and sign Joan Angel Román, a 16-year-old Espanyol midfielder. For pity’s sake. He’s just a boy. Leave him be. Sam Allardyce thinks he’s on to something with Borussia Dortmund’s Mohamed Zidan, who reminds him of someone – he can’t think who.

And Andriy Shevchenko has been “offered” to Monaco, in much the same way you might offer the last remaining executive truffle liqueur from a particularly plush box of A-list chocolates, even though you know it’s actually a revolting banana-tiramisu surprise that’s just going to collapse into a mush and drip down your wrist the moment you bite into it.

The Daily Mail has Manchester United “on the trail of” Roma striker Mirko Vucinic, who runs around a lot and would cost £15m. Also, there’s talk of “tentative inquiries” about Porto’s Hulk. Fiorentina are “keen on” Philippe Senderos, but then who isn’t? Some kind of swap deal may be in the offing involving Brazilian midfielder Melo, who’s just a really laidback guy.

On Goal.com Lyon’s president will “neither confirm or deny” that Inter are about to pay £15m for his midfielder Ederson, who invented the light bulb. Paolo Rossi says that Giuseppe Rossi is his “heir”, which is confusing. And David Villa will join Barcelona only if Bojan Krkic has disappeared and resurfaced at Valencia by the time he opens his eyes again.

Have you got a sizzling hot rumour that the world must know about? Tell us in the comments section below.

]]> http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-liverpools-pepe-reina-to-barcelona/feed/ 0 http://www.latestfootballnews.net/transfer-rumors-15-june-09-man-united-after-valencia-stars-villa-and-silva-aston-villa-close-on-tottenham-duo-berbatov-and-pavlyuchenko-linked-with-bundesliga-moves-and-more/ http://www.latestfootballnews.net/transfer-rumors-15-june-09-man-united-after-valencia-stars-villa-and-silva-aston-villa-close-on-tottenham-duo-berbatov-and-pavlyuchenko-linked-with-bundesliga-moves-and-more/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:31:37 +0000 admin http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-news/transfer-rumors-15-june-09-man-united-after-valencia-stars-villa-and-silva-aston-villa-close-on-tottenham-duo-berbatov-and-pavlyuchenko-linked-with-bundesliga-moves-and-more/

We’re already in the middle of June, and though the signings haven’t been coming hard and fast just yet, that doesn’t mean that there’s a shortage of action thus far in the summer transfer window.

In this morning’s transfer news and rumors roundup, we’ve got tidbits from England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and Greece, with many big names and big clubs looking to spend, spend, spend. Some of the rumors are pretty concrete, while there is at least one in the bunch that, like Manchester United being linked with a move for Fernando Torres, are a little head-scratching, to say the least.

There are also a couple of signings to report, and remember, to keep up with all of the latest confirmed signings, check out our summer 2009 transfer lists.

England

Manchester United After Valencia Stars

There has been a great deal of speculation over the last few days about what Manchester United are going to do with the money they get from selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, and it could be that a sizable chunk of those funds go towards signing Valencia stars David Villa and David Silva.

United are reportedly set to make a £45m bid for Villa (The Mirror). The competition could wide open between United, Barcelona (Sky Sports), and Chelsea for Villa, as his potential move to Real Madrid appears to have broken down (Daily Mail).

Meanwhile. Rafa Benitez might not like hearing about United making a concerted effort to land Silva, as the winger has been a target for Benitez for a while now but could be the subject of a £25m bid from United. (The Mirror)

Analysis: £25m looks to certainly be enough to land Silva, but even though they could outbid Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Chelsea for Villa, they could be out of luck if Villa prefers the chance to stay in Spain. Of course, if Barcelona land Villa, that’d all but free up the opportunity for a United move for Samuel Eto’o.

United and Boro In Downing Swap Deal?

Middlesbrough are heavily interested in Manchester United duo Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, and there are reports that they could offer Stewart Downing to United to try to make a deal happen. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Both Scholes and Neville could be reluctant for such a move, but even so, it’d seem like United would come out a lot better in this deal, especially if they didn’t have to spend much of that sizable transfer kitty on purchasing Downing.

Costa On Shortlist To Replace Ronaldo?

Along with the moves mentioned above, United could be set to swoop for Gremio starlet Douglas Costa. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Brazil’s becoming more and more of a hotspot for United, and signing a prospect of Costa’s ability and potential would be worth the fee United may have to stump up. He’s only 18, so he’s more one for the future and wouldn’t be expected to step in and star right away. But as Ronaldo did when he arrived at United, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him earn first-team opportunities immediately.

Bolton Lead Race For Veloso?

Bolton are back in for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso, and after refusing to overbid for Veloso in January, could be in with a £10.2m offer for the 23-year-old, who’s also been linked with Arsenal. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: £10.2m is still a little lower than Sporting might like to get for Veloso, but it could be a sign that Bolton are willing to fork out a little more in order to land him.

Bentley And Huddlestone To Sign For Villa?

It could only be a matter of time before Aston Villa seal the deal on a couple of new signings, as there are reports that they are close on Tottenham pair David Bentley (Goal.com) and Tom Huddlestone (Birmingham Mail).

Analysis: Considering their interest in Bentley, Huddlestone, and Jermaine Jenas, I’m surprised they haven’t been strongly linked with Darren Bent or Roman Pavlyuchenko, considering a forward should also be on their summer wishlist.

Several Sides Interested In Newcastle’s Martins

Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Everton are all interested in Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins (Tribal Football), but they could face competition from a mystery Bundesliga club (Tribal Football).

Analysis: Everton would be a great fit, considering the familiar faces that would await, but wages would likely be a stumbling block, and that could also be the case with Aston Villa. No telling what the situation could be with the Bundesliga club, but Arsenal may well be the best match financially – but that could all hinge on whether or not they sell Emmanuel Adebayor.

Fulham And West Ham Interested In Acquafresca

It’s a London battle for young Italian striker Robert Acquafresca, as Fulham and West Ham are both interested in the 21-year-old. Acquafresca was supposed to go to Genoa as part of the deal that brought Diego Milito and Thiago Motta to Inter, but he could yet move elsewhere, with even Juventus being linked with a move. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: I don’t have any doubts that Acquafresca could succeed in the Premier League, but if Juventus come in for him, that might be an opportunity that’s too hard to pass up.

Sunderland Bid For Cattermole

Sunderland have made a £7m bid for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Well they sure aren’t sitting on their money, are they? That’s certainly a tempting offer for Wigan, considering it’s double what they paid for Cattermole just last summer. I don’t know if Wigan will offload him right now though, unless he’s just that eager to be reunited with Steve Bruce. If someone’s willing to pay 7m for him right now, they could be in line to get a lot more if he continues to develop well over the next season or two. Besides, the sale of Antonio Valencia will net a nice amount of transfer funds for Roberto Martinez.

Wolves Sign Milijas

Wolves have completed the signing of Red Star Belgrade midfielder Nenad Milijas. (The Guardian)

Analysis: For a little while, the deal looked to be in some doubt, but in the end, Wolves fought off some pretty good competition to land the free-scoring midfielder.

Birmingham Bid For Gomez

Birmingham have made a £1.5m offer to Espanyol for midfielder Jordi Gomez, who starred on loan for Swansea last season. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: With Roberto Martinez set to complete his move from Swansea to Wigan anytime now, Birmingham could face some competition from Wigan for Gomez, so it might be in Birmingham’s best interests to try to get him signed, sealed, and delivered as soon as possible.

Spain

Real Madrid Offer Sneijder For Inter’s Maicon

Real Madrid could be set to offer Inter Milan €20m plus attacker Wesley Sneijder in a bid for right back Maicon. (Goal.com)

Analysis: Sounds like a reasonable deal. Sneijder’s someone that has been linked with Inter, and €20m + Sneijder would meet the €40m asking price that Inter have for Maicon.

Italy

AC Milan Sign Cissokho

AC Milan have completed the signing of Porto defender Aly Cissokho for €15m. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: This time last summer, Cissokho had just made the jump from France’s Ligue 2 to Portugal, joining Vitoria du Setubal, and now, he’s signed for AC Milan. Talk about a quick rise!

Inter Closing In On Double Swoop

Jose Mourinho could be close to being reunited with Deco and Ricardo Carvalho, as Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti spoke hopefully about being able to agree a deal with Chelsea for the duo. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Seems to be only a formality, really.

Juventus To Swap Trezeguet For Rossi?

Juventus are prepared to offer striker David Trezeguet as part of a swap deal for Villarreal star Giuseppe Rossi. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: £15m + Trezeguet would fall a little short of Rossi’s buyout clause of £40m, but it could get Villarreal to bite, or at least think seriously about the offer. Trezeguet might turn down the chance though, considering the interest that he’s had from the likes of Inter, Real Madrid, and others.

Lazio In Talks For Barnetta

Lazio are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over a move for Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Barnetta’s valuation is reportedly €10m, but even though Lazio don’t exactly have the room to break the bank on summer purchases, it shouldn’t be a problem to spend the right amount on a player who’s certainly worth it.

Germany

Wolfsburg Want Berbatov?

In one of the more interesting transfer rumors of the day, Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is being linked with a loan move to VfL Wolfsburg. (Sofia Echo)

Analysis: Though things didn’t exactly go completely swimmingly at United last season, Berbatov’s not going anywhere.

Stuttgart Interested In Tottenham Striker

VfB Stuttgart could be targeting Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. According to Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt, the Russian striker has come up in discussions within the club. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: After selling Mario Gomez to Bayern Munich for €30m, Stuttgart have money to spend and a big void to fill up front. Replicating Gomez’s 33-goal output from this past season might be a little much to ask, but Pavlyuchenko does have the quality to succeed in the Bundesliga, even though his struggles at Tottenham last season might convince some otherwise.

France

Shevchenko Offered To French Trio

Chelsea have offered striker Andriy Shevchenko to Lyon, Marseille, and Monaco. Lyon have turned down the opportunity to sign the Ukrainian, but Marseille and Monaco are still considering the chance to snap him up. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Safe to say then that Sheva doesn’t have a future at Chelsea, eh?

Coupet To Sign For PSG

Former Lyon goalkeeper Gregory Coupet could be set for a quick return to Ligue 1, as he has agreed personal terms over a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Coupet moved from Lyon to Atletico Madrid last summer, but after seeing little time last season, will be back on familiar soil if a fee can be agreed. (Goal.com)

Analysis: With current #1 Mickael Landreau looking to leave, PSG needed to swoop for a quality replacement, and Coupet, with his long history of success with Lyon, certainly fits the bill.

Greece

Panathinaikos Close On Drenthe?

Panathinaikos are going all out in their efforts to sign Real Madrid’s Royston Drenthe, as they could offer £11m in order to land the versatile Dutchman. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: That’s about the same amount Real spent to sign Drenthe from Feyenoord in the summer of 2007, so I don’t see them turning down an offer of that amount. Drenthe hasn’t exactly blossomed at Real, and he wouldn’t appear to have much of a future there, so the only holdup might be whether or not he wants to move to Greece or to a more elite league.

“Transfer Rumors (15 June 09): Man United after Valencia stars Villa and Silva, Aston Villa close on Tottenham duo, Berbatov and Pavlyuchenko linked with Bundesliga moves, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

The biggest news in the football world is still the impending sale of Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world-record £80m.

However, in this morning’s transfer roundup, you won’t find any Ronaldo-related news, though there is a mention of someone that Manchester United could go after with the money they’re set to soon receive from Real.

Who is else in the transfer pages? The tidbits are light this morning, but there’s more than enough to keep you tided over until the next time around. Let’s hop on the transfer train, shall we?

England

Liverpool Step Up Johnson Hunt

Liverpool will step up their efforts to pip Chelsea to the signing of Portsmouth right back Glen Johnson. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: I think Chelsea are still the team to beat for Johnson, but if Liverpool don’t land him, it won’t be for a lack of trying.

Manchester City Chase Forlan And Lescott

Manchester City are stepping up their efforts to land Diego Forlan and Joleon Lescott. They are set to send a delegation to Spain to push through a 20m deal, while they’re also hoping to persuade Everton to part with Lescott. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Forlan’s well within their reach, though they might have to trump up a little more than £20m to land him. On the other hand, I don’t see Everton taking the money and letting Lescott go, but I could be wrong.

Sunderland To Bid For Keane

Sunderland are plotting an audacious £15m bid for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane. (The Mirror)

Analysis: That’s a nice sum of money, but of the many names that will be leaving Tottenham this summer, I don’t foresee him being one of them.

Tottenham Want Aston Villa’s Carew

Tottenham are interested in Aston Villa striker John Carew, and the Norway international could be (Daily Mail)

Analysis: As much as Carew’s been linked with a move away from Villa, I think he’s one of the last players they should consider selling. There have been reported issues in regards to attitude, but he was their most consistent producer last season, and if not for a few key goals from him, their slump through the last few months of the season could’ve been all the more unsightly.

Dann’s The Man For Birmingham

Birmingham have completed the signing of Coventry defender Scott Dann. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: The word was that Dann preferred Wolves to Birmingham, and it’s pretty unfortunate for Wolves to lose out on him, because as I’ve stated before, the back line should be their priority this summer ahead of next season.

Spain

Atletico Open Door To Aguero Sale

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says that the club will open talks over forward Sergio Aguero if an ‘interesting offer’ comes in for the Argentine star, who has been linked with Chelsea and could potentially be a target for Manchester United. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: With the money that Sir Alex Ferguson will have at his disposal, Aguero should be one of the names at the top of his list. Whether or not he’d move for him, given an asking price that could be upwards of £50m, is another story.

Barcelona Offer Eto’o For Mascherano

Barcelona have offered striker Samuel Eto’o to tempt Liverpool to part with midfielder Javier Mascherano. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Tempting offer, especially because Liverpool could use a striker like Eto’o, but it’s not a deal that needs to come at the price of selling someone as influential as Mascherano.

Atletico Madrid Plan Sneijder Swoop

Atletico Madrid are planning to raid city rivals Real for midfielder Wesley Sneijder. The Dutchman could be set to leave the club this summer, and he’s also been linked with Bayern Munich, Tottenham, and Inter Milan. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: With Maxi Rodriguez being linked with a move to Tottenham, Atletico could be in need of someone to replace his production in attack, and Sneijder, while likely costing more than what they’d receive in any sale of Rodriguez, would be a more than capable replacement, provided fitness doesn’t become an issue.

“Transfer Rumors (13 Jun 09): Barcelona offer Eto’o as bait for Liverpool’s Mascherano, Atletico Madrid open to selling Chelsea target Aguero, Sunderland plan audacious bid for Tottenham’s Keane, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Here is a list of some celebrities who follow Barcelona or Manchester United.

Barcelona

Kobe Bryant (basketball player) 
The 30-year-old LA Lakers star will warm up before the semifinal game number five against Denver Nugget in NBA finals later that evening with the Champions League final. “I was captivated by Ronaldinho, and that was how I began to follow Barcelona”, he recently told ESPN.

Antonio Banderas (actor) 
Banderas is not only Zorro, Mambo King and Puss in Boots, he is also Barcelonafan. The 48-year-old actor has roots in Malaga and is also a supporter of the team, but has Barcelona as its second team.

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (Prime Minister) 
The socialiste Prime Minister is a known fan and will be present at the Olympic Stadium lighter together with Spain’s King Carlos.Zapatero was also in place at Camp Nou when Barca faced Chelsea in the semi final.

José Carreras (opera singer) 
He was together with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo use of “the three tenor of”. But unlike his colleagues, love for Juventus and Real Madrid, so is Barcelona-born Carreras a large Barca-fan.

Paul McCartney (artist) 
The legendary Beatles musician can hardly be classed as a “culé” (fanatic Barca-fan), but Barcelona’s press department argues persistently that McCartney “sympathize” with the club. That he comes from Liverpool should be reason enough.

Snoop Dogg (artist) 

Rapper claims to be a big football fan and hanging with Chelsea on a NOISY event in Hollywood last year. But it is with Barcelona’s shirt, he appeared on stage, together with Thierry Henry.

Some other famous Barcelona Fans: Gypsy Kings (musicians), José María Olazabal (former golf star), Miguel Indurain (former bike star), Eddy Merckx (former bike star),
Manchester United

Ian Brown (artist) 
The singer in indie band Stone Roses, and guitarist John Squire, is the major United Fans. Love appears mutual. Manchester United uses the Stones Roses song “This is the One” from the band’s classic debut album in the context of matches.

Ulrika Jonsson (TV profile) 
She is equally known in England from television from the tabloid gossip columns. But neither Sven-Göran Eriksson and Stan Collymore has made such a footprint as Manchester United. The Swede has a red devil talk on the butt, have included The Independent said.

Gary Rhodes (celebrity chef) 

Well known British television chef and known Unitedfan. Or rather notorious. Landed on The Times list of ”worst fans”. Recently responded to the last time he was about to cry was when he thought Chelsea would win last year’s Champions League final against United. 

Mick Hucknall (Artist) 
Simply Red-red-haired singer who is buddies with the United Legendarer that Éric Cantona and Alex Ferguson. “Alex is almost like a band leader. He is the man that must be hard not because he comes with both good and bad news to the team, and I can relate to it, “Hucknall has said.

Elijah Wood (actor) 
West Ham-hooligan in Green Street Hooligan “, but the Manchester United-fan in reality. Dominic Monaghan took all the credit: “I was always a Canton-and a season-dvd with me (during the recording of” Lord of the Rings “) that I forced the Elijah to see”, said Monaghan on FourFourTwo.

Morrissey (artist) 
“I bought a time a Manchester United hat, a person ran up to me and stole it. I thought: it is a cruel world, I am not ready for it, and I decided to take revenge, “said the former The Smiths-singer for the NME in 1988 about his inspiration.

Some other well-known Manchester United Fans: Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran singer), Liv Tyler (actor), Jarkko Nieminen (Finnish tennis player), Richard Ashcroft (The Verve singer).

Carlos Tevez is out, Dimitar Berbatov is out, Park Ji-Sung and Ryan Giggs are in. The paper claims it’s a real ”insult” to Tevez to be left out, but we’re not sure why as no-one has expected him to play from the start with all the focus on his future.

John O’Shea keeps his place at right-back and Cristiano Ronaldo continues his not-going-to-give-the-ball-away-as-much effort as a lone striker. So it’s pretty much exactly the same team as against Arsenal in the semi. Except Darren Fletcher of course.

Transfer gossip now, and there are some pretty interesting deals going on if you believe the media. Chelsea, for some reason, are being linked with a new right-back. We all thought Jose Bosingwa had done rather well this season, but the Blues are apparently tracking Inter Milan’s Brazilian defender Maicon for £22m.

The Daily Star reckon that when Carlo Ancelotti takes over in the summer, he’d just love to take him along for the ride. Probably wouldn’t please Jose much, but he has given his backing to the Italian for the Stamford Bridge post.

Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, is looking to Fulham for his defensive stability next season. Brede Hangeland has done a good job at the heart of the Cottagers defence, and his extra height and power has caught the eye of the Frenchman, according to the Sun. But would he really spend £15m on him?

The Sun also have the news that ‘Arry Redknapp is keen to raid his old club once again for full-back Glen Johnson. Liverpool are believed to be in the prime position to sign the England defender as they need a player to shout back at Jamie Carragher when he gets in a mood; but Tottenham may swoop for their fourth right-back in the past year.

Once an England player, Dean Ashton gets the treatment (and he’s used to that) in the Daily Mirror. The paper thinks he’d be offloaded to Newcastle or Aston Villa in the summer, but someone would have to take a big chance to take the injury-prone striker anywhere.

However, Newcastle won’t be signing anyone decent if they go down and Sebastian Bassong could be the first to leave, says the Times.

Another team struggling for top flight status, Sunderland, could turn to Hamburg manager Martin Jol next season, according to the Daily Star. Quite why the Dutchman would want to trade a chance at the Bundesliga title and possible qualification for Europe for the drudgery of another relegation battle is beyond understanding. So he’ll probably just stay put.

And finally, Chelsea have cancelled their plans for an FA Cup parade. Not because they haven’t won it yet. Not because it’s a mere consolation prize given they really wanted to claim the Champions League. But because of the CREDIT CRUNCH! We know Roman Abramovich has been cutting costs, but if one of the world’s richest men can’t even get a open bus tour together, we know it’s bad.

Today’s tittle-tattle is off to live in a floating duck house – because we deserve to be safe from foxes too

Forget Manchester United v Barcelona, The New Harry Potter Movie v The New Terminator Movie or Peter Andre and Katie Price v The Possibility That Newspapers Might Stop Writing About Them Soon, the real heavyweight clash of the summer is going to be an all-out three-way tussle between Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Glen Johnson for the title of Interminable Transfer Story of the Year 2009.

Today’s updates in brief, because if we’re not sick of these yarns already we certainly will be soon:

1) Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t going anywhere – “at the moment I’m at United and I don’t care what happens in Madrid”.

2) Nobody could be arsed making up anything new about Carlos Tevez yesterday, except for the not entirely surprising revelation that he’s going to start next week’s Champions League final on the bench.

3) Harry Redknapp and Rafa Benítez are giving Glen Johnson a clear choice between cockerel and liver bird. Either way it looks like he’ll have some kind of avian lifeform on his chest next season.

Now, on with the other stuff.

Firstly, an excuse to point you in the direction of the undisputed goal of the season (alright, you can dispute it if you like, but it’s pretty popular here at the Mill): Swindon goal machine Simon Cox is favouring a £1.2m switch to Celtic over rival offers from West Brom, Bolton and Leicester.

Because a couple of them happen to be quite tall, today’s defensive rumours will be brought to you in order of the players’ height: Birmingham City want 6ft 6in Zat Knight to make the long trudge from Villa Park in order to create a dream defensive partnership with coming-on-a-free veteran Bobo Balde. Arsenal – for whom Emmanuel Adebayor looks to have played his last game – are ready to test Fulham’s resolve with a £15m bid for 6ft 5in Brede Hangeland (for that money, the only thing they’ll be testing is Mohamed Al Fayed’s resolve to agree gracefully, rather than dropping to his knees, drooling and crying “yes, yes, yes” repeatedly).

And Chelsea are lining up a sensational £22m swoop for Internazionale’s 6ft 1in Douglas Maicon, although Real Madrid are also interested. If this is true and the deal indeed goes through at this price, it would take Roman Abramovich’s spending on first-team right-backs alone to £57.5m, following the purchases of Jose Bosingwa (£16.3m), Paulo Ferreira (£13.2m) and our good friend, the Rumour Mill veteran Glen Johnson (£6m).

Back to Birmingham, who are vying with Villa for £8m-rated Argentinian midfield starlet Lucas Biglia, currently wowing Belgians with Anderlecht, and plotting a £6m double raid on Derby County for Kris Commons and Giles Barnes.

While Blues are planning for promotion, Newcastle are making contingency plans for relegation. If they do go down, Sébastien Bassong will be off sharpish. “You have to plan for your career and playing in the second division would be a step backwards,” he says in one paper. “I’m an ambitious boy and playing Championship football never crossed my mind – it would be a step backwards,” he adds in another. It’s all in the translation, you see. They would also be happy to loan Alan Smith for the season if they go down – perfect for any club that needs a £60,000-a-week adornment to their treatment room.

Talking of which, West Ham are open to offers for Dean Ashton – perfect for any club that meeds a £7m adornment to their treatment room.

And Sunderland want Hamburg’s former Tottenham manager Martin Jol to replace Ricky Sbragia. “He wants another chance in the Premier League, where he feels he has unfinished business,” says “a source”.

]]> http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-brede-hangeland-to-arsenal/feed/ 0 http://www.latestfootballnews.net/transfer-rumors-20-may-09-no-manchester-city-approach-for-barcelona%e2%80%99s-messi-tottenham-interested-in-aston-villa%e2%80%99s-barry/ http://www.latestfootballnews.net/transfer-rumors-20-may-09-no-manchester-city-approach-for-barcelona%e2%80%99s-messi-tottenham-interested-in-aston-villa%e2%80%99s-barry/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 19:52:34 +0000 admin http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-news/transfer-rumors-20-may-09-no-manchester-city-approach-for-barcelona%e2%80%99s-messi-tottenham-interested-in-aston-villa%e2%80%99s-barry/

Who’s being linked with moves in today’s transfer gossip pages? In today’s transfer news and rumors roundup, we’ve got a little something from several top European leagues to get you over the Wednesday hump.

England

Manchester City Deny Messi Move

Manchester City are denying that they’ve made an approach for Barcelona star Lionel Messi, after reports that City had offered 150m to buy out the remainder of Messi’s contract. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: So if they had made an approach for him, would they have let us know? Not particularly relevant either way, really, since he wouldn’t leave his comfy, cozy situation at Barca for Manchester City right now.

Redknapp to Target Villa Star Barry?

Harry Redknapp is reportedly eying Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry to strengthen his midfield. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: I don’t see Barry wanting to leave Aston Villa for Tottenham, especially if Spurs don’t wind up in Europe.

Spurs After Juventus Forward Iaquinta

Tottenham have been linked with many a striker already, and their latest target is Juventus man Vincenzo Iaquinta. Spurs have already reportedly contacted Iaquinta and are in discussions with Juve over a fee for the 29-year-old. (Setanta Sports)

Analysis: Iaquinta’s already come out and said that he doesn’t want to leave Juve, so even if the two clubs can find an agreement fee-wise, Iaquinta could nix the deal.

West Brom Interested in Rangers’ Ferguson?

West Brom are reportedly interested in a move for Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson, who could be set to leave the club after the scandal that saw him lose his club captaincy and his Scotland place. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Ferguson may well have a future at Rangers, but if they do decide to let him go in the summer, West Brom would be a solid option. They’re a good bet to bounce back into the Premier League (and hopefully stay there for a little while next time), and adding his experience and quality would be a big addition to their promotion push.

Spain

Barcelona to Make Big-Money Bid for Villarreal Star Llorente?

Barcelona are going to move for a striker in the summer, and one of their top targets is said to be Villareal’s Joseba Llorente. The 29-year-old has scored 11 league goals this season for Villareal this season and netted four times in Villarreal’s run to the Champions League quarterfinals. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Llorente’s proven himself to be one of La Liga’s top strikers over the last couple of seasons with his success at Valladolid and Villarreal, but I don’t really see him being a serious option unless Barca can’t land Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and even then, the £28m would be a little too much in my eyes.

Madrid Rivals to Battle for Swiss Star Barnetta

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid could be set to battle it out for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Barnetta’s quite a talent, and he’s got age on his side as well. The chance to play in the Champions League and for one of La Liga’s top sides would no doubt be appealing, but if he does land in Madrid, I think it’d be with Atletico. Real seem to have their sights set on huge names this summer, so Barnetta would seem to be on their ‘backup options’ shortlist.

Italy

Fiorentina Closing In on AZ Alkmaar’s Dembele

Fiorentina are close to sealing a deal for AZ Alkmaar striker Moussa Dembele. The Belgian international scored 10 league goals for the Dutch champions this season. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: This is a great signing for the future, certainly. Dembele has a large amount of experience at a high level at a young age, as the 21-year-old already has 19 caps for his country and has been making regular first-team appearances on club level since the 2004/05 season.

France

Bordeaux In Talks to Make Gourcuff Move Permanent

It has been revealed that Bordeaux are in talks with AC Milan to make loan star Yoann Gourcuff a permanent signing. Gourcuff has had a stellar season in helping put Bordeaux on the cusp of the Ligue 1 title. (Setanta Sports)

Analysis: Even if they are able to complete a permanent deal for him, it’s likely only a matter of time before he moves elsewhere, but at least if they can complete a permanent deal for him, they can turn a solid profit when he makes a move.

Russia

Fiorentina’s Mutu to Move to Zenit?

With striker Pavel Pogrebnyak potentially on the way to Arsenal or another Premier League club, Zenit St. Petersburg could be targeting Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu to replace him. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Considering how key of a player Mutu has been for Fiorentina over the last few seasons, I question whether or not they’d want to sell him. But, £11.5m is a nice number, and with them making moves for Dembele and Hernan Crespo, maybe Mutu is expendable.

Greece

Olympiakos to Make Bid for Loan Star Derbyshire

Olympiakos could be set to offer Blackburn £3m to make striker Matt Derbyshire’s loan stay a permanent one. Derbyshire had a big hand in helping Olympiakos secure the league and cup double after his loan move to Greece in January, and he’s revealed that he wants to remain in Greece. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Given what he did in a half season in Greece and how key he was to their successful finish, £3m is a bargain.

Daily Links

UEFA Cup Final Live Blog

Werder Bremen and Shakhtar Donetsk are contesting the UEFA Cup final today in Istanbul, and footballlens is bringing the action live from start to finish.

Premier League 2009/10 Kit Launch Dates

Want to know when your favorite Premier League club will be revealing what kits they’ll be sporting next season?

Top 30 Worst Sitter Misses

In case you need a laugh today, looking at this compilation of woeful misses should help, unless your favorite club is somewhere in this list.

“Transfer Rumors (20 May 09): No Manchester City approach for Barcelona’s Messi, Tottenham interested in Aston Villa’s Barry,” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Tournaments like Arsenal’s ‘Emirates Cup’ and AJAX’s ‘Amsterdam Tournament’ have become big draws for football fans looking for some quality football in the summer season. With high quality clubs and big venues, you almost get the same experience of an early season Champions League group stage match in what is the slowest time of the year for the sport.

With both tournaments bringing in big draws, it only seemed right that England’s biggest venue get in on the summer fun with a tournament of their own. So this summer on the 24th & 26th of July, Wembley will play host to four of the biggest clubs in the world in the inaugural ‘Wembley Cup.’

Sports and media group IMG was the catalyst behind the tournament that will see Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Celtic and Egyptian club Al-Ahly face each other in a tournament that’s being billed as the “carnival of football.”

“We are delighted with the clubs we have attracted to play in this cup,” said Shiva Misra, Vice-President of IMG Football. “Of course, Wembley’s draw for football teams is extremely strong, so that made the task of recruiting teams easier. Venues are synonymous with a certain sport, such as tennis at Wimbledon, the Grand Prix in Monaco and horse-racing at places like Aintree, Epsom and Cheltenham. Wembley is commonly referred to as ‘the home of football’ and that’s exactly how we see it.”

“Could this tournament become an annual competition? Absolutely. The future of the Wembley Cup will all depend on this year’s event, so everyone at IMG is determined to make it as successful as possible.”

Spurs will act as the home club of sorts for the matches that will allow London-based fans to see the likes of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Aiden McGeady in the same stadium. Better yet, fans will also be able to see two matches per day for a reasonable £29 per person.

The name of the tournament is still under negotiations. At the moment the event is being billed as the ‘Wembley Cup,’ but there have been rumours that the event’s name could change if a sponsor meets the current asking price for the naming rights.

“Inaugural Wembley Cup set to host Barca, Celtic, Tottenham and Al-Ahly” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.