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.

We’ve got a laundry list of transfer news and rumors in today’s roundup, from England, Scotland, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France. Who’s being linked with big (and small) moves for names from here and there? It’s worth noting that Steve McClaren might not be too happy of a man if he read today’s roundup. With that little hint, why don’t we get to the good stuff?

England

Liverpool Bid for Portsmouth’s Johnson

Liverpool have made a £15m bid for Portsmouth defender Glen Johnson. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: £15m is a lot higher than the prices that have been previously mentioned with Johnson, but Portsmouth certainly won’t be complaining if they do get that for him, given their financial situation.

Arsenal and Manchester City to Battle for Everton’s Yobo?

Everton defender Joseph Yobo has turned down a new contract, which could see Arsenal and Manchester City step up their interest in the Nigerian. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: He may not be a regular starter at Arsenal, but I see him as a great fit there. Not only could he help provide some depth at left back, but in the center, he could see some regular time depending on who Arsenal sign in the summer and what they do with William Gallas and Kolo Toure.

Scotland

Celtic Target Everton’s Moyes As Next Manager?

Celtic could be targeting Everton manager David Moyes if Gordon Strachan elects to leave his post after the Scottish Premier League season ends this weekend. (The Mirror)

Analysis: As a Glasgow native and a former Celtic player, it would no doubt be a huge honor for Moyes to manage Celtic. Besides that, he’s almost virtually assured of Champions League football every year, and though the transfer budget isn’t massive, there are few better managers that know how to work within monetary bounds than Moyes. However, it all depends on if he feels that he’s taken Everton as far as he can, and whether or not he thinks that Celtic are a lateral move or a step up.

Spain

Real Madrid to Offer 23m for Liverpool’s Alonso

Real Madrid are set to tempt Liverpool with a £23m bid for star midfielder Xabi Alonso. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Liverpool are going to be spending big in the summer, and they might have to make a few sales to do so, but Alonso won’t (or at least he shouldn’t) be one of those who are offloaded.

Valencia Offer Contract to Toulouse’s Mathieu

Valencia have made a four-year contract offer to Toulouse defender Jeremy Mathieu. The French international will be available on a free transfer next month, and he’s also drawn the interest of Roma, Genoa, and Palermo. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Being able to land quality players for free makes for excellent business for Valencia, so being able to secure the services of a top left back like Mathieu would be a huge addition to kick off what should be a busy summer at the Mestalla.

Atletico Madrid Move for Udinese’s D’Agostino

Atletico Madrid have made a £5m bid for Udinese midfielder Gaetano D’Agostino. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: D’Agostino has had a career season in helping Udinese stay within reach of a UEFA Cup slot, and though Atletico Madrid could prove to be an enticing offer if they land a Champions League spot again, he could hold out for a move to Inter, who have also been linked with him.

Italy

Inter Complete Double Deal for Milito and Motta

Inter Milan have completed the signings of Genoa duo Diego Milito and Thiago Motta. In exchange, Genoa are receiving Inter striker Robert Acquafresca and an undisclosed amount of money. (Goal.com)

Analysis: As I said a few days ago, losing Milito and Motta is a big loss for Genoa, but it’s offset by the acquisition of Acquafresca, and they’re also already putting the cash received to good use by getting another solid striker in Atalanta’s Sergio Floccari.

Inter in Talks for Austrian Striker Arnautovic

Inter could be looking to further bolster their front line with FC Twente attacker Marko Arnautovic. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Only natural that they help replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the guy known as the next Ibrahimovic, right? Arnautovic is young (just turned 20), versatile (can play as both a striker and a winger), and like Ibrahimovic, is quite the physical presence at 6′3”.

Sampdoria Defender to Sign with Fiorentina

Sampdoria defender Hugo Campagnaro could be set to sign with Fiorentina in a £4m deal. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Campagnaro has been limited to only 11 Serie A starts this season due to injury issues, but if he can avoid the same at Fiorentina, he’ll help add experience and depth to Fiorentina’s back line as they chase Serie A and Champions League glory next season.

Germany

Bayern Munich in Pole Position for Twente Star?

Bayern Munich are reportedly leading the queue for FC Twente winger Eljero Elia. The is also garnering interest from several top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: The 22-year-old had a real breakout season in helping Twente secure the runner-up spot in the Eredivisie this season, and though it’s not likely that Steve McClaren will be able to hold on to him through the summer, he will land a good fee for him.

France

Marseille and PSG Battle for Arsenal’s Gallas

Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain are both in the hunt for Arsenal center back William Gallas. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: The chance to link up with former Chelsea teammate Claude Makelele at PSG could be appealing, but I think he would prefer to make a return to his old club Marseille, where he could have Champions League football and a chance to win the Ligue 1 title.

PSG to Bid for Former Liverpool Striker

PSG are set to make an offer for former Liverpool striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle. The Atletico Madrid man is reportedly one of PSG’s top transfer targets for the summer. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Sinama-Pongolle hasn’t exactly justified the €10m fee that Atletico Madrid paid for him last summer after two solid seasons at Recreativo Huelva, but he might not be too quick to return to France, especially if Atletico happen to sell Forlan in the summer.

Daily Links

Top Five Premier League Signings of the Season

Which five Premier League transfer signings have proven to be the best buys of this season?

Premier League Weekend Preview

The final weekend of the Premier League season looms this weekend, and EPLTalk previews all of the action and breaks down which strugglers need to do what to stay up.

16 football Postcards

Looking for some great football postcards? The Offside has compiled a list of some of the best out there.

“Transfer Rumors (21 May 09): Liverpool in 15m bid for Portsmouth defender Johnson, Celtic target Everton’s Moyes as next manager, Bayern Munich lead race for Arsenal target Elia, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Two goals in the last 9 games. That is the total tally for Samuel Eto’o. Here is an overview over the games:

1. FC Barcelona vs. Recreativo Huelva 2-0 (Eto’o didn’t participate)
2. Bayern Munich vs. FC Barcelona 1-1
3. Getafe vs. FC Barcelona 0-1
4. FC Barcelona vs. Sevilla 4-0 (Eto’o scored a tap-in)
5. Valencia vs. FC Barcelona 2-2
6. FC Barcelona vs. Chelsea 0-0
7. Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona 2-6
8. Chelsea vs. FC Barcelona 1-1
9. FC Barcelona vs. Villarreal 3-3 (Eto’o scored another tap-in)
10. Athletic Bilbao vs. FC Barcelona 1-4

The games tell the very true story that Eto’o simply can’t seem to find the net at the moment. The two goals he has scored in this 10 period games where easy can’t miss chances.

In this period, Guardiola has played Eto’o more on the flanks than previously which carries some of the blame. However, he only chose to do so after he stopped scoring and it intensified after Henry’s injury. Against Madrid he played a right wing for most of the game with Messi in center, and yesterday against Bilbao he was in the left wing spot.

Unfortunately this isn’t the whole story. As the commentators said under the game yesterday, Eto’o should have scored a hattrick. He still gets to the chances but he just can’t seem to convert them anymore.

His drop in form is a big worry for the Blaugrana. In order to beat Manchester United in the Champions League final, every player has to play up to his best. This includes Eto’o.

We can’t afford to seem him miss chances like the ones yesterday. His miss in the first game against Chelsea was also very close to costing the Champions League finals pot. It has to be said that he created the chance by himself. The problem is, that he would have converted it when he was scoring at will in the autumn – he doesn’t do that anymore.

So Guardiola faces a tough decision. Rest Eto’o in the coming matches or play him and hope that he regains his form? The answer to that question is a very hard one and it will be exciting to see what Guardiola chooses to do.

This article was originally published at www.elbarca.net

“Samuel Eto’o’s form leaves Guardiola with some big decisions” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Is it safe to say that striker receives more time in the transfer gossip pages from January to December than any other position? Several well-known strikers are in today’s transfer news and rumors, but the goal-getters aren’t the only men in the summer shop window. In today’s roundup, we’ve got tidbits from several of Europe’s top leagues, with several big names being linked with big clubs.

England

Chelsea After Adebayor and Young

It’s looking increasingly likely that Carlo Ancelotti will be Chelsea’s next manager, and two names he could look to in order to strength his attack could be Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor and Aston Villa’s Ashley Young. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Martin O’Neill’s not letting Young go anywhere anytime soon, so that one can be dismissed right off the bat. I don’t rate Adebayor’s chances of being at Arsenal next season that highly, but I don’t think Arsene would let him go to Chelsea, unless the money offered was something that absolutely couldn’t be refused.

Chelsea Interested in Wolfsburg Star Dzeko

Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko has confirmed Chelsea’s interest in him, and the Bosnian goal-getter also says that his future is up in the air, due to Felix Magath’s impending departure to Schalke 04. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: I’m sure Wolfsburg will bring in a solid replacement for Magath, but I think the chances of him remaining at Wolfsburg aren’t too high, especially with some top sides sure to come after him. He certainly won’t come on the cheap though, because he’s young and he’s proven his worth as a prolific scorer in a top league.

Tottenham to Pip Man City to Santa Cruz?

Harry Redknapp will likely be in the market for at least one new striker in the summer, and one of his prime targets looks to be Blackburn’s Roque Santa Cruz, who, in case we didn’t know already, wants to leave Ewood Park. In return for Santa Cruz, Blackburn could receive cash and striker Darren Bent. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: It seems like Manchester City’s interest in Santa Cruz waned in January, so he could be Harry’s to lose. Given his injury issues and a loss of form this season, his valuation takes a big hit, but cash plus a solid striker in Bent is a reasonable deal.

Newcastle Interested in Wigan’s Scharner

Defense will be one of Newcastle’s main issues to address in the summer if they remain in the Premier League, and one of the targets at the top of Alan Shearer’s wishlist is Wigan center back Paul Scharner. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: I find it a little strange that Newcastle are being linked with such transfers when their safety is anything but secured, but I digress. Steve Bruce wouldn’t want to see him leave, but the £6m is something that Newcastle could afford to pay if they do go after him.

Blackburn to Seal Permanent Givet Deal

Blackburn are set to shell out the 4m needed to make defender Gael Givet a permanent signing. The French defender has impressed since joining from Marseille on loan in January. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Defensive improvement over the last few months has been key towards Blackburn moving away from the relegation zone and securing their safety, and Givet has had a big hand in that, so making the deal permanent was the right move.

Bolton to Bid for Middlesbrough’s O’Neil

Bolton are set to make a £4m bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O’Neil. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Middlesbrough rebuffed advances for O’Neil in January, but their potential relegation combined with his reported issues with settling in the area make his sale a realistic possibility. I’d have to favor Portsmouth over Bolton, however.

Spain

Barcelona to Swoop for Ibrahimovic?

According to Italian news reports, Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already agreed personal terms and signed a pre-contract with Barcelona. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: The knock on Ibrahimovic is his performances (or lack thereof, rather) in big games, but in a squad as talented as Barcelona, he’d have no reason not to do well in those situations. At the same time, he could get away with his disappearing act, with Messi, Henry, or Iniesta all too ready and raring to step up.

Italy

Inter Lead Race for Milito

Despite a bevy of interest from abroad, including the Premier League, it appears that Genoa striker Diego Milito could be set to remain in Italy,

Analysis: I was hoping to be able to see Milito in the Premier League next season, but it appears that Inter will be needing a replacement (not a partner, as Milito’s agent says) for Ibrahimovic, so they’re going to be hard to beat.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12876_5323530,00.html

AC Milan to Lure Toni Back to Italy?

AC Milan could try to use Yoann Gourcuff as bait to persuade Bayern Munich to sell striker Luca Toni. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: No disrespect to Toni, who’s a great striker and is by no means on the decline, but shouldn’t AC Milan be trying to inject a little more youth in their squad?

France

Bordeaux Step Up Interest in Kameni

Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc sees Espanyol keeper Carlos Kameni as his ideal #1 for next season. But, he’ll have to face some competition from Benfica, who have already made an offer for the Cameroonian, who’ll be out of contract in June. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Considering how much mention Kameni has gotten in the transfer pages in recent years, you’d think he’d have more than just the one offer from Benfica, but he’ll certainly land on his feet.

Scotland

Celtic Bid for Hamilton’s McCarthy

Celtic have made a bid for highly-rated Hamilton midfielder James McCarthy, but the club says that this offer, just as with Portsmouth’s recent offer, will be rejected. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: The interest is reciprocal, which is no surprise, but Hamilton aren’t about to be ripped off for their prized asset. There’s a good chance Celtic will come back at least another time or two in the summer, but I think he’ll remain at Hamilton for at least one more season, if not more.

Portugal

Benfica Linked with Quaresma

Inter are likely going to offload Ricardo Quaresma in the summer, and Benfica are closely watching any developments. The Portuguese winger is currently on loan at Chelsea, but with him seeing very little time on the pitch since Guus Hiddink’s arrival, a permanent deal at Stamford Bridge doesn’t look too likely. (Benfica Linked with Quaresma”>Sky Sports)

Analysis: His talent’s unquestioned, but he’s always played better in Portugal than he has anywhere else. His performances at Sporting and Porto have earned him moves to bigger clubs, so he might as well make the rounds to all of Portugal’s Big Three, earn a move back to Italy, Spain, or England in a couple of seasons, and hopefully stick.

“Transfer Rumors (14 May 09): Chelsea after Arsenal’s Adebayor and Villa’s Young, Tottenham want Santa Cruz, Barcelona to land Inter’s Ibrahimovic, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Former Real Madrid player Steve McManaman called it the “Disneyfication of Real Madrid”; others scoffed at the idea as a bad science experiment gone wrong. If there was ever a time where football was at its peak of absurdity, this was most definitely the time.

Los Galacticos. The mere mention of the two words together conjure up memories of watching some of the world’s great names in the sport — Beckham, Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Owen — stepping onto the same pitch wearing the same kit and playing together in a match that wasn’t a friendly for charity. For the first time ever Real Madrid had bought the greatest names in the world to form the biggest mega-power on and off the pitch that we’ve ever seen.

Florentino Perez, who was the president at the time, built the team with the intent of making the club the biggest “brand” on the planet. The idea worked; it’s just too bad the lack of consistency on the pitch didn’t match the money Madrid was making off it. In 2006 Perez was ousted at Madrid to never come back.

The Galácticos era was officially over — or so we thought.

With the lack of success recently at Real Madrid, a decision was made to bring in a new president to turn things around. What Real Madrid needed was a spark; someone who could come in and bring the club back to respectability.

Enter Florentino Perez. The former president, who was was forced to step down in 2006, has decided that he’s seen enough of Barcelona at the top of the table. So earlier today Perez did something that could back into the good graces of the Madrid faithful: he entered his name in the elections and promised a return to the Galácticos era if given the chance.

“I know that the status of the club is precarious and is a challenge and I should not have left without having assured that there was the stability that Real Madrid needed,” Perez said to a packed press conference earlier today.

Rumours are that Perez will announce in the coming days who his transfer targets would be for the summer if he won the election. And with the likes of Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, Milan’s Kaka, Arsenal’s Cesc Fábregas, Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribéry and Valencia’s David Villa floating around, there’s a very good chance that if Perez was elected president, that we could see the start of a new Galácticos era.

And who would manage such a club? When asked to confirm if Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger or Inter’s Jose Mourinho were on his list, Perez said coyly, “They are great managers.”

Real Madrid’s election are on June 14th, but if today’s conference was a sign of things to come, then chances are pretty good that we’ll see some more fireworks from Perez over the next month.

“Perez dreams of Galácticos return to the Bernabéu” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Several of England and Europe’s top clubs already being proactive with their summer transfer plans. Who’s making bids and trying to seal a few deals before the window officially opens?

England

Liverpool Make £15m Bid for Valencia’s Silva

Liverpool have made a take-it-or-leave-it offer of £15m to Valencia for winger David Silva. (The Mirror)

Analysis: I was expecting Liverpool to make a bid for Silva before too long, but with some superior offers likely to come in (which Valencia no doubt hope for), Rafa might be left hoping and praying that the lure of Liverpool is too much to resist.

Rafa to Move for Forlan?

While Silva may be far from a certainty, Liverpool could be set to land Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan in a cash-plush-Lucas Leiva swap. The former Manchester United man has already reportedly agreed terms with Liverpool, but the stumbling block could be the fee. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: You have to wonder where all these funds are going to come from, but Liverpool could do to add another prolific striker, and Forlan’s been just that since he moved to Spain. The capper on the deal, at least for Liverpool fans, could be seeing Lucas be sent on his merry way out of Merseyside.

Manchester United to Sign Brazilian Center Back

Manchester United have agreed a £5.4m deal for Corinthians center back Dodo. The 17-year-old Brazilian youth international has a Portuguese passport, so he should have no problems being able to make his way to England. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: All Fergie needs now is one more Brazilian center back, and United could have an all-Brazilian backline in just a few short years. I’m sure he’s already got his eye on that other center back, so it won’t be long.

Blackburn Interested in Barcelona’s Krkic

Blackburn have reportedly made quite the ambitious attempt to bolster their front line, putting forth a loan offer for Barcelona starlet Bojan Krkic. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Bojan may well go out on loan to get regular first-team opportunities next season, but I think there’ll be better offers than Blackburn.

Wigan’s Bruce Expects Valencia to Leave

Wigan manager Steve Bruce has resigned himself to the fact that he could lose star winger Antonio Valencia in the summer, with Real Madrid and Manchester United both heavily interested in the Ecuadorian. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Well, he may lose Valencia, but the sizable fee that he stands to receive for him will be more than enough to make several quality additions to his squad for next season.

Tottenham After Fulham’s Schwarzer

Tottenham and Aston Villa are both being linked with Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who has been a huge reason why the Cottagers have Europe in their sights. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: I don’t see them letting him go, or him wanting to go just to compete for a starting spot, when he already has one more than assured where he is.

Italy

Werder Bremen Star Diego Inks with Juve

According to the agent of Werder Bremen star Diego, the Brazilian playmaker signed a five-year deal with Juventus last week. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: You always have to wait on the official confirmation for these such things, but I do think it’s only a matter of time before this one’s official, much to the disappointment of Bayern Munich.

Sao Paulo Look to Seal Ronaldinho Deal

Brazilian side Sao Paulo are looking to make a quick deal for AC Milan’s Ronaldinho, as they’ve made contact with his brother/agent about a potential move. A sweetener to the deal for AC Milan could be Sao Paulo defender and Rossoneri target Joao Miranda. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Things haven’t quite panned out as well as Ronnie would’ve hoped when he spurned Manchester City for Milan, but will he take the same route that Ronaldo and Adriano have to rejuvenate their caeers? It’s certainly not a bad idea.

“Transfer Rumors (13 May 09): Liverpool bid for Valencia’s Silva, Manchester United land another young Brazilian defender, Blackburn bid for Barcelona’s Bojan, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

Sir Alex Ferguson is leading the race to sign the £20million-rated Ecuadorian, who is also attracting interest from Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Sources close to United told The Sun that the player wants to move to Old Trafford and Wigan boss Steve Bruce said: “It’s inevitable Antonio will leave – but where he goes I’m not quite sure.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, who was yesterday linked with a revived bid for Valencia’s David Silva, is consoling himself by preparing to splash out £15million to bring former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan to Anfield in the summer, according to the Daily Star.

The Atletico Madrid striker has scored 27 goals in La Liga this season and is closing in on his second pichichi, the top scorer award in Spain, only one goal behind Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o, who has netted 28 times.

Liverpool’s ranks will not be depleted by the departure of midfielder Xabi Alonso, who has been linked with a host of top European clubs for the successive summers, as his agent has revealed the Spaniard is eager to stay at Anfield.

Ignacio Ibañez denied there had been any approaches for his client and told The Guardian: “I know nothing about these reports. As Xabi has always said, he is happy at Liverpool and focused on them.”

Frustratingly frugal Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could also dip into the transfer market this season after billionaire shareholder Alisher Usmanov initiated proceedings to clear the club’s debt – a result of building the Emirates Stadium – that has hamstrung the Gunners.

The Daily Telegraph report that the Russian is ready to suggest that Stan Kroenke and other stakeholders join him in making a commitment to tackle the £318m burden.

But that will not prevent the Gunners from flogging infuriating striker Emmanuel Adebayor to Chelsea for £10m in the transfer window, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Blues are set to part company with Didier Drogba should Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti take charge at Stamford Bridge as expected and Adebayor, who was linked with the Rossoneri last summer, is top of the Italian’s wanted list.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko expects to remain at the club next season and claims he has been given assurances about his future at White Hart Lane.

The Independent claim that the Russian striker met with manager Harry Redknapp and then declared: “I am a Tottenham player and want to remain one.”

The Daily Mail ‘exclusively reveal’ that Manchester City star Stephen Ireland is on the verge of signing a new £4million-a-year deal at Eastlands after he verbally agreed a double-your-money new contract worth £80,000-a-week.

And finally… The Times report that Adrian Boothroyd, Phil Parkinson and Gus Poyet are the favourites to replace Steve Coppell as reading manager.

Today’s rumours chow in public to 80s tunes

The Mill almost got away with it. Mrs Mill’s birthday yesterday sneaked up unexpectedly, but some emergency last-ditch present buying (books, clothes, wine, online experience) looked to have saved the day.

The birthday meal venue, though, was a bit of a disaster. Even the Mill, not being quite as stupid as he looks, knew the Somewhere With A Telly idea was a non-starter, so a quiet table for two in the new local seafood restaurant seemed like a decent back-up. What the Mill didn’t expect was the weird 80s-styled interior, sickly neon-pink lighting and a banging soundtrack stripped straight from Now That’s What I Call Music 4.

The creeping sense of horror as the Mill chowed down his lobster spaghetti (yeah, that’s right, the Mill likes lobster – what of it?) to the romantic strains of ‘YMCA’ at ear-bleeding volume must be something akin to the feeling Internazionale fans must be suffering this morning over talk that Manchester United and the San Siro side are planning a swap deal involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dimitar Berbatov.

Speaking of young men with no need to feel down, Marc-Antoine Fortune won’t have to worry about dropping out of the Premier League next season even if his West Brom side do. Newly promoted Birmingham and Wolves are keen to have the on-loan Nancy striker lead their relegation fight in 2010. The Blues are also keen on Greek Cup hero Matt Derbyshire, while Wolves want to bring Lee Naylor back to Molineux from Celtic.

There’s a place you can go when you’re short on your dough, and it’s called Outside The Premier League. Everton are ready to spend £6m on Cardiff’s Joe Ledley and £2m on Huddersfield keeper Alex Smithies. (So I suppose they’re not that short on their dough. Let’s just pretend they are.)

One young man (well, he’s 31 – this riff is unravelling by the second really isn’t it?) still hoping to make real his dreams, is Juventus striker David Trezeguet. According to Trezeguet Sr, Dave is wanted by “Everyone in England”. Manchester City and Chelsea lead the chase, but they face competition from Lyon.

And for any half-decent striker on the market there’s no. Need. To. Be. Unhappy. Demand is high for your services. Everton want Roman Pavlyuchenko. Tottenham lead the race to sign Bordeaux’s £8m-rated Marouane Chamakh. West Ham want Spurs misfit Giovani dos Santos. Fulham want to do battle with Valencia, Villarreal, Rennes and Hoffenheim over Al-Itifaq’s Ghanaian forward Prince Tagoe. Atalanta are keen on Pippo Inzaghi. Shahktar Donetsk want Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu. Even if your name is Michael Chopra, Roy Keane can find a place for you in his Ipswich revolution.

Away from YMCA riffs, Wigan are keen on Portsmouth’s Sean Davis, Aston Villa want Gael Givet from Blackburn, Bayern Munich have laughed off reports that Chelsea could hijack a deal for Zenit St Petersberg’s Anatoliy Tymoschuk and Liverpool are closing in on Heerenveen’s left-sided utility man Danijel Pranjic.

Leave your own thoughts, no one else’s mind, below

]]> http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-manchester-uniteds-dimitar-berbatov-to-internazionale/feed/ 0 http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-joey-barton-to-tottenham-hotspur/ http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-joey-barton-to-tottenham-hotspur/#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 12:37:59 +0000 admin http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-joey-barton-to-tottenham-hotspur/

How big is a man’s locker if he can accommodate 250 pairs of pants in one go?

The fallout from Arsenal’s flag day hogs this morning’s coverage with epic homilies on the failings of youth, marks out of 10 for Johan Djourou that range from a creditable seven to a “see me later” three, buckets of justifiable praise for Cristiano Ronaldo and sympathy for Darren Fletcher.

There’s not much sympathy in evidence for Joey Barton, however, as everyone apart from Peter Kay (no, the other one) feels that their patience has been exhausted by the “bad-boy midfielder”. The Sun led the way yesterday with an account of the alleged tirade delivered by the BBM in the general direction of Alan Shearer during which, we were told, the caretaker was called a “s*** manager” with “s*** tactics”. Today the Mail gives its asterisk key a good hammering to elaborate and says he called Iain Dowie a “p***k” for good measure. The fine has been levied and Shearer, according to the Mirror, has said “he doesn’t want to see the player’s face near the club at any time” over the next three weeks.

He’s off, then. Well, his Mr 15% Willie McKay comes over all Bronski-Beat-meets-the-Gershwins to declare it ain’t necessarily so. He’s got three years left on his contract, blah, blah and will stay if Shearer goes. Not so, trumpet everyone else. The BBM apparently respects Sam Allardyce so would happily go to Blackburn. Bolton and Portsmouth have been interested in the past and would probably be again at £2m while the Mirror thinks Sheffield United, if promoted, would gamble on fashioning a rehabilitation. The Sun comes up with a new possible destination – Tottenham fans it’s your turn to shout “No!”

Nemanja Vidic was reported to have criticised the Manchester weather a few months back but the Mail thinks it’s his wife who fancies warmer climes. This has aroused the interest of Barcelona but his agent, Silvano Martina, pertinently points out that “Italian clubs cannot afford to buy him, nor can Spanish ones”. Case closed, Watson.

Sunderland will send Djibril Cisse back to Marseille regardless of whether they stay up and save the £12m they agreed to pay when Roy Keane brought him in on loan and instead pay £5m for Stephen Hunt.

The Mirror fires the starting pistol on Birmingham’s summer transfer spree and identifies Oldham’s left winger Chris Taylor as a £600,000 first target. Nigel Clough is also ready to make his first long-term signings and wants Norwich’s winger Lee Croft and the Rotherham forward Reuben Reid. The Star has further news from the east Midlands with a snippet about Portsmouth’s raid on Forest for £1m James Perch while Kanu will be taking his size 15 boots to Perth Glory at the end of June.

The Mail has its eyes set firmly on Stoke who can’t blink without someone getting straight on the blower to Kensington High Street to grass them up. Tony Pulis, it says, will dip into his baseball cap budget to find £5m for Hoffenheim’s Isaac Vorsah and has also taken a liking to another Ghanaian, the Hearts of Oak striker Godwin Bonsu. Fulham didn’t get where they are today by letting Stoke hoover up all the available Ghana internationals and will hit back with a bid for Al-Ittifaq’s Prince Tagoe.

Franck Ribéry’s move to Manchester United, trailblazed yesterday, is not only dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo going to Real Madrid, says calciomercato. The deal hinges on Bayern Munich getting Werder Bremen’s Diego. But what if that’s linked to Werder Bremen getting someone to replace the Brazilian and the club they buy that possible replacement from getting a reinforcement? We could be here all summer … and yes, we probably will be.

Finally, hats off to the Express who have outed Ronaldo as the world’s kindest bulk purchaser of underwear. He didn’t want Danny Welbeck to face the scorn of his team-mates on promotion to the first-team dressing room for wearing chain-store trolleys so he left a gift of £2,500 worth of Clavin Klein grundies in his locker.

Have your say on any of the transfer rumours below

]]> http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-joey-barton-to-tottenham-hotspur/feed/ 0 http://www.latestfootballnews.net/transfer-rumors-11-may-09-spurs-enter-race-for-manchester-united%e2%80%99s-tevez-arsenal-want-russian-striker-pogrebnyak-valencia%e2%80%99s-silva-in-juventus-negotiations-and-more/ http://www.latestfootballnews.net/transfer-rumors-11-may-09-spurs-enter-race-for-manchester-united%e2%80%99s-tevez-arsenal-want-russian-striker-pogrebnyak-valencia%e2%80%99s-silva-in-juventus-negotiations-and-more/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 07:59:01 +0000 admin http://www.latestfootballnews.net/transfer-rumors-11-may-09-spurs-enter-race-for-manchester-united%e2%80%99s-tevez-arsenal-want-russian-striker-pogrebnyak-valencia%e2%80%99s-silva-in-juventus-negotiations-and-more/

It’s a new week, and we’ve got a fresh batch of transfer news and rumors from around Europe. We’ve got tidbits from England, Italy, and Germany in today’s roundup, with names big, medium, and small all being linked with moves from here to there.

England

Tottenham Enter Race for Tevez

Tottenham have joined the queue of teams looking to sign Carlos Tevez, as Spurs are being linked with a 25m offer for the Argentine hit-man. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: If he can combine effort and goal-scoring more often, he’s easily worth the 25m and then some, but if he did combine those two things more, he wouldn’t be on the market right now.

Cisse Reveals Summer Spurs Switch

On-loan Sunderland striker Djibril Cisse reacted to being left out of the starting XI for the club’s weekend match at Bolton by telling his teammates that he’s off to Tottenham in the summer. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Well, that’s a good way to assure that you won’t be in the starting lineup for the last two games, eh Djibril? There’s no telling whether or not this is actually true, or if he was saying it just for devilment, but given his little outburst, I might be considering if my name was Harry Redknapp.

Arsenal After Zenit Striker Pogrebnyak

After striking gold with Andrei Arshavin, Arsenal are going digging in St. Petersburg again, this time lining up Arshavin’s former Zenit teammate Pavel Pogrebnyak as a replacement for the itching-to-leave Emmanuel Adebayor. (The Mirror)

Analysis: He’d certainly be one of the less expensive options on the market, and Zenit won’t have much room to do what they did with Arshavin, considering that Pogrebnyak is out of contract in six months.

Aston Villa Like Ajax’s Vermaelen

Aston Villa could be in the market for a new center back in the summer, and one of the names at the top of their list is Ajax defender Thomas Vermaelen, who Martin O’Neill went to personally scout over the weekend. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Even if Laursen is able to overcome his injury problems, Villa do need to bolster their defense, and adding a player who’s young and has experience at a high level for club and country can only improve their back line.

Fulham In for Stockport Striker Johnson

Roy Hodgson is looking to the lower leagues to bolster his front line, targeting 21-year-old Stockport County striker Oli Johnson. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Given Stockport’s current financial straits, Fulham should be able to get him on the cheap. He looks to be more for the future than the present, but to make the move up from non-league to League One to the Premier League in less than a year is certainly something to be proud of either way.

Portsmouth’s Davis Wanted by Several

Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davis is a serious target for newly-promoted Birmingham, but Alex McLeish could face competition from Wigan, Bolton, and fellow promoted side Wolves for the 29-year-old. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Davis will be out of contract this summer, so it might all come down to who’s going to fork out the best wages. Birmingham seem to be willing to fork out a sizable amount to add his experience to their ranks, so they’ve got a chance.

Italy

Juventus Set for Talks for Valencia’s Silva

Valencia winger David Silva confirmed yesterday that the club has given his agent the go-ahead to negotiate with Juventus. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Silva may not want to leave Valencia, but selling him would certainly be a much-needed boost for the club financially (and so will Champions League qualification), and I think you can expect a few more clubs, including one or two (or more) from the Premier League, to enter the race with this bit of news.

Inter After Fiorentina Star Melo

Jose Mourinho is reportedly eyeing Fiorentina midfielder Felipe Melo as a potential replacement for Patrick Vieira. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Fiorentina signed Melo just last summer from Almeria for 13m, and he’s already discussing an extension to his current contract, but Inter would have no problem paying the 12m buyout clause, so this one can‘t be ruled out yet.

Shevchenko Wants to Stay at AC Milan

His second spell at the club has been nowhere near as successful as his first, but on-loan AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko says he would like to finish his career at the San Siro. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: So, does that mean he’s going to retire after this season? In all seriousness, it doesn’t seem too likely at present that his stay in Milan will be extended, and his future at Chelsea seems to be grim, so he may just have to hope that Milan have enough faith in his abilities to keep him past this season.

Germany

Bayern Confirm Interest In Barcelona’s Hleb

Bayern Munich are hoping to beat out Juventus for Werder Bremen star Diego, but if they miss out on the Brazilian, Alexander Hleb is next on their wish list. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: This is like someone telling you, “Yeah, I like you, but I’ll only date you if the guy I like more turns me down.” As is though, he could be their guy in the end, because I don’t see Werder selling to Bayern, especially if Juventus offer what they’ve been holding out for.

Daily Links

Fletcher to Miss UEFA Champions League Final

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher will not play in the Champions League final against Barcelona, as UEFA unsurprisingly upheld his red card against Arsenal.

Mexico Withdraws from CONMEBOL Tournaments

Mexico’s football federation has withdrawn its teams from participation in CONMEBOL tournaments after the South American football federation’s decision to force two Mexican sides to play their Copa Libertadores home legs in Colombia.

“Transfer Rumors (11 May 09): Spurs enter race for Manchester United’s Tevez, Arsenal want Russian striker Pogrebnyak, Valencia’s Silva in Juventus negotiations, and more” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.