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.

Today’s rumours are looking for a comfortable dark place in which to hide

Yes, he’s really off now. Off. This time. Going now. Five-goal ace Carlos Tevez really is packing up his little scurrying legs and taking his wounded, puppyish baby-brown eyes off to somewhere else, somewhere better, somewhere his organ grinder can get a few more quid to put towards that small Pacific Island complex where he plans to raise his next generation of energetic, saleable human beings. According to The Sun, Tevez gave the United-Player-of the-Year do the swerve, choosing instead to scurry about ceaselessly at home making rehearsed emotional gestures (or “looking after his daughter who had a temperature”). “Now free agent Tevez is set to join United’s fiercest rivals Liverpool — and there will be nothing Ferguson can do about it”. Except, of course, pay a bit more money if he really wanted him that much.

Also on the go is Paul Scharner, who believes he may have to give up spinning really quickly on his big toe to the music of Martha and the Vandelas and leave Wigan for good in order to play in the Champions League. “That is any player’s dream,” he says. Hamburg and Schalke are reported to be “interested”, but they might just be being polite. Formerly Granny finagling oddball turned sparky midfield thruster Stephen Ireland could be on his way out of Manchester City if he’s not offered a bulging new contract. “I think I’ve done enough this year, let my football do the talking,” he sighed. And Tony Mowbray “faces a fight” to keep loan striker Marc-Antoine Fortuné. A proper jacket-off, tell-the-wife-to-go-home, slowly-remove-your-watch-and-adopt-kung-
fu-pose-in-the-car park kind of fight too.

The Mirror is convinced City are on the verge of paying £20m to secure the amiable Diego Forlán, who’s good in Spain. And in no way destined to replicate his Old Trafford turn as a scurrying and vaguely hunchbacked goal-shy gnome. Apparently David Villa costs too much. Milan believe they have “a good hope” of being allowed to pay Emmanuel Adebayor lots of money to stroll about shrugging and wanging footballs at the corner flag next season. And Peter Andre meanwhile is “crushed”. Not, however, beneath a sudden and violent volcanic mudslide. But by being dumped by Jordan and, at a push, the weight of his own looming absurdity.

In The Times there’s talk of a crimp in Chelsea’s bid to install the man who looks most like Guus Hiddink if you squint: Carlo Ancellotti may not be allowed to bring his coaches Mauro Tassotti and Filippo Galli with him, but may instead have to sit next to Ray Wilkins. The club are currently trying to persuade Ancelotti that this would be, not just tremendous, but also super.

The Daily Mail has Stewart Downing putting on a rough smock, growing a locust-infested beard and “leading the exodus” when Middlesbrough are relegated. Sorry, if. Liverpool are “leading the race”. And amazingly Chelsea are interested in Tuncay. ‘Arry Redknapp has been getting hot and sweaty and muttering quietly in his sleep about 23-year-old Bosnian striker Edin Džeko, who plays for Wolfsburg. Džeko, who the Mill imagines John Motson will call “Duzechko” and “Jekko”, before settling on “Djjejjchko” will cost £12m, score one goal in 23 appearances, have a moan in a foreign newspaper but claim he was “misquoted” and eventually go out on loan to Portsmouth before being signed by either a third rate Spanish club or someone in Turkey. Brazil defender Luisão could be moving to Manchester City for £15m. Apparently he’s “a good friend of Robinho” (disco! disco!) And Steve Bruce has agreed a £21.5m deal with Real Madrid for occasionally quite eye-catching winger Antonio Valencia. But he’s still waiting to see if Sir Alex can match it. Why would he do that, the Mill wonders? Steve, just take the money. Take the £21.5m. Take it Steve.

And according to Tuttosport, via Goal.com, the aged Fabio Cannavaro will leave Real Madrid for Juventus. Cannavaro has already had a medical, which determined that he was, indeed, very old and quite small. Middlesbrough youngster Adam Johnson’s odd and unexpected but still strangely exciting move to Atletico Madrid could be a goer. And Internazionale have set their sights on prising Nemanja Vidic away from Manchester United. Well, it’s nice to have ambitions. Back in the world of things that might actually happen, Milan are eyeing up Shakhtar Donetsk’s very nifty Croatian wing-back Darijo Srna.

And according to Calciomercato.com, who appear to have taken laudanum and embarked on a 17-hour dream-like Serie A transfer-related trance, next season’s “new Inter” will feature not just Vidic, but also Thiago Motta, Diego Milito, someone called Marko Arnautović, Didier Drogba and, yes, Emmanuel Eboué. With, presumably, Peter Andre, Carlos Tevez, Garrincha and Howard from the Halifax ads on the bench.

Got a rumour of your own? Have your say in the comments section below.

]]> http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-diego-forlan-to-manchester-city/feed/ 0 http://www.latestfootballnews.net/italian-invasion-five-of-the-best-and-worst-italians-to-ever-play-in-england/ http://www.latestfootballnews.net/italian-invasion-five-of-the-best-and-worst-italians-to-ever-play-in-england/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 21:15:02 +0000 admin http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-news/italian-invasion-five-of-the-best-and-worst-italians-to-ever-play-in-england/

There haven’t been too many Italians that have made that considerably bold step leap of moving from the proverbial comfort zone of Serie A to the Premier League. Although if young Federico Macheda needs any advice on how he may be able to forge a long and fruitful career at Old Trafford then he may be best served having a quick glance at my run down of five of the best (and worst) Italians to have plied their trade in England’s top flight.

Some of the names on this list are remembered with fond memories of success and silverware. These Italians made a difference when they stepped on the pitch. Some of the other names, however, make some supporters cringe to this day. One look at a couple of these names will have some people throwing their hands up in disgust.

It’s time to take a look at the best and worst Italy had to offer the Premier League. Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Italian invasion!

Five successful Italians in England

Gianfranco Zola

If you had to compile a list of the foreign players that have changed the face of the Premier League I’m pretty sure this ‘clever little so-and-so’ would rank towards the top of nearly all of your selections.

Zola was Chelsea’s creative spark during the late nineties helping guide the West London club to their first FA Cup triumph in some 27 years.

The diminutive, pocket-rocket playmaker would go on to win another FA Cup in 2000 as well as a UEFA Cup Winners Cup in 1998 (Chelsea’s first European trophy since 1971 would you believe) amongst many other personal and team accolades.

Paolo Di Canio

The king of controversy, whether you loved him or despised him, Di Canio certainly made a significant impression in English football.

He may well be most remembered for that now rather infamous push but there was certainly more to Di Canio than petulant behaviour and goaded reactions.

Despite failing to claim any silverware during his time in British football, Di Canio’s goals and bad boy attitude made him an instant hero with West Ham fans and who can forget one of the greatest goals ever scored in the Premier League.

Gianluca Vialli

It’s hard to categorically state that Gianluca Vialli was an overriding success during his playing career in England because at the end of the day, he wasn’t.

This was mainly due to the fact that he rarely saw eye to eye with his then manager Ruud Gullit which was a shame as Vialli definitely possessed the ability to warrant more playing time in Chelsea blue.

Although I am going to tepidly place him in this category purely because when he was selected, he rarely failed to disappoint. As well as winning the FA Cup in his first season with the Blues (including two goals in the 4-2 comeback victory over Liverpool), Vialli scored 40 goals for Chelsea and went on to do a pretty decent job as manager of the club too.

Fabrizio Ravanelli

Don’t tell me you’ve never done it? You know, the Ravanelli! Park football was never to be the same again after this ‘white feather’ revolutionised signature celebrations with his shirt over head routine.

Ravanelli announced himself in England with a hat-trick on his debut for Middlesbrough against Liverpool in 1996 and despite enduring an ultimately disappointing season of relegation, the silver haired hit man notched up an impressive tally of 31 goals.

The Perugia born striker would go on to join Derby County later in his career and although he managed nine league goals in his first season with the Rams, he couldn’t prevent the club from sliding into the First Division.

Roberto Di Matteo

Another one of Chelsea’s Italian trio who adapted superbly well to his new English surroundings and was one of the main catalysts behind the clubs 1997 and 2000 FA Cup successes.

Di Matteo was the master of the pass and he wasn’t half bad at finding the back of the net from range either. During six years with Chelsea, Di Matteo made 175 appearances for the club, scoring 26 goals and winning six trophies along the way.

The Swiss born midfielder was sadly forced to retire from football in 2002 after failing to recover from a serious triple leg fracture but he’s since shown that he’s something of a dab hand when it comes to the tactics board too!

Five unsuccessful Italians in England

Massimo Taibi

Manchester United fans look away now! Massimo Taibi, the somewhat calamitous Italian goalkeeper will be rather regrettably remembered for his disastrous one year spell with the English giants.

Sir Alex Ferguson splashed out £4 million to bring the Venezia stopper to Old Trafford and despite playing a blinder in his debut against Liverpool, the signs thereafter were pretty ominous.

It would be against Southampton in only his third game in England that Taibi would make his most glaring blunder. A gem for every conceivable football gaffe DVD released ever since as he allowed Matt Le Tissier’s tame 35-yard effort to spill under his body and into the empty net.

Taibi would play only one further game in a Manchester United goalkeeper jersey. A 5-0 defeat to Chelsea which ended United’s 29 game unbeaten run. Need I say anymore?!

Rolando Bianchi

It all looked rather good for Bianchi when he first joined Manchester City. A goal on his debut against West Ham was followed up with a 20-yard strike against Bristol City in the Carling Cup a few games later but his Eastlands career effectively failed to come to life thereafter.

With Sven Goran Eriksson shelling out nearly £9 million to land a player who the season before had been one of the top scorers in Serie A with lowly Reggina, you perhaps would have expected a better return than five goals in 24 games.

Bianchi will blame injuries and a lack of playing time for his failure to adapt, although I’m sorry Rolando but I just don’t think you were quite ready for the hustle and bustle of the Premier League.

Marco Materazzi

You never hear too much about Materazzi’s time on Merseyside. A controversial World Cup winner who went on to become a mainstay in the Inter back four but not before an ill-fated spell with Everton.

Yes back in 1998 a fresh faced Materazzi joined the Toffees for £2.8 million and manager Walter Smith was confident that the Italian had all the credentials to ‘handle the Premiership, no problem.’

32 games and four red cards later and Marco was on a plane back to Italy, never to be seen at Goodison Park again.

Pierluigi Casiraghi

It’s difficult to label Casiraghi as an undisputed flop and failure of English football as, to be fair, he suffered a serious knee ligament injury that ultimately brought an end to his playing career.

One goal in 15 games didn’t exactly represent a prolific goalscoring record for Chelsea and Casiraghi’s luck seemingly ran out in November 1998 when he collided with West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop that would prove to end his days a player.

The now Italy under 21’s gaffer didn’t help his cause at Stamford Bridge when he lashed out at the club for not offering him sufficient support. Although after ten operations, you can’t help but understand his frustrations.

Bernardo Corradi

Although not quite as bad as a Jonathan Woodgate debut, Corradi hardly left City fans with any real room for optimism when in his first competitive match for the Manchester based club he was sent off after 63 minutes.

It would take 13 games before Corradi would find the net for City, a brace against Fulham in fact, but only one further goal would come for the Siena born striker during a pretty horrendous spell with the Eastlands club.

To compel the misery of Manchester City fans, Corradi received his marching orders once again, this time for diving in the derby against Manchester United. Not the best thing to do when you have Stuart Pearce as a boss.

“Italian invasion: Five of the best and worst Italians to ever play in England” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

There’s quite a few stories doing the rounds on Saturday, including The Sun’s story. The paper has quotes via Argentina coach Diego Maradona which suggest that Sir Alex Ferguson does not like the little striker, and Tevez sees his boss as an “old man” who is just trying to lower his value. Remember, Diego is quoted and not Tevez himself.

On the transfer itself, the Daily Mail reports Real Madrid’s £40m interest is taking him to La Liga, but the player has no intention of moving to Spain.

A few other transfer stories, starting with Tottenham and in The Sun it is said that Harry Redknapp sees £5m-rated Almeria left-winger Albert Crusat. as a second choice if he cannot sign Stewart Downing.

And an amazing Chelsea-Middlesbrough link with The Daily Mirror claiming Chelsea will make a move for out-of-favour goalkeeper Ross Turnbull!

It’s the second, second, second, second, final, second chance for Joey Barton at Newcastle United with The Sun claiming Alan Shearer with give him a second chance.

And finally… Andrei Arshavin will not be popular among the ladies of England are claiming they should not be driving and should be given their own roads. It’s in the Daily Mail.

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.

Today’s tell-all want to be buried in the unmarked grave beside Arch Stanton

Marriages of convenience fractured beyond repair feature prominently in today’s super soaraway Sun, with Katie Price taking up the front page to announce how “devastated” she is at being dumped by Peter Andre, while Carlos Tevez features on the back announcing that he wants to leave Sir Alex Ferguson and move to Liverpool. Except on closer inspection he doesn’t – the story that appears under the headline “Tevez: I’ll play for Kop” and claims “Liverpool have contacted Tevez’s owner Kia Joorabchian to register their interest and the Argentine is keen on the move,” is entirely devoid of quotes from anyone and would be a bit more convincing if it featured input from somebody … anybody connected to either Liverpool or Tevez to take the bare look off it. Yes, even if it was only from one of our old friends “sources close to the the Argentinian forward” or “Anfield insiders”.

Elsewhere in the Currant Bun, in a story that’s equally light on any kind of evidence to back it up, it is revealed that Jose Mourinho is ready to make a £15m bid for Chelsea’s Jon Obi Mikel. Despite having two years left on his contract and looking like a middle-aged woman who’s had a little too much plastic surgery, the young Nigerian will be offered a five-year deal by the manager who poached him from under Manchester United’s noses in 2006.

In common with most other newspapers, today’s Daily Mail grumbles about shameless Tory MPs claiming “expenses for swimming pools, helipad, chandelier … and even a moat”, no doubt feeling aggrieved that the money being lavished on such excesses (if you consider them excesses – what kind of slovenly creature wants to live in a house with no helipad or chandelier, surrounded by a dirty moat?) could be better spent on ridiculously expensive PR campaigns, completely unnecessary public information bulletins about Swine Flu or helping Manchester United replace Cristiano Ronaldo with Wigan’s Antonio Valencia. According to the Mail a £20m deal has already been agreed in principle for when Cristiano Ronaldo gets his move to the Bernabéu. Meanwhile at Anfield, Liverpool are preparing a £12m bid for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing, which seems like an awful lot of money to pay for a winger who isn’t very good at crossing the ball.

Today’s Mail also reveals that “Bolton have slapped a £20m price tag on defender Gary Cahill” to put off interest from Arsenal. If the Mail’s story is correct, we can only assume they didn’t use a Motex MX-5500 pricing gun, as it only has six digits and is limited to printing tags for items priced no higher than £99.99. Items like former Ipswich and Sunderland striker Marcus Stewart, for example, who has just signed a one-year deal to play for Exeter City.

Heard any transfer speculation of your own? Come now, out with it …

]]> http://www.latestfootballnews.net/football-transfer-rumours-carlos-tevez-to-liverpool/feed/ 0 http://www.latestfootballnews.net/shearer-tactical-genius/ http://www.latestfootballnews.net/shearer-tactical-genius/#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 16:48:55 +0000 admin http://www.latestfootballnews.net/shearer-tactical-genius/ There’s only one place to start with a round-up of Tuesday morning’s UK papers and that’s with the fallout from Newcastle’s 3-1 win over Middlesbrough.

The Magpies went behind early but managed to equalise before the break and allowed Alan Shearer to pull off what the Sun called a “tactical masterstroke” and the Daily Mail labelled “the managerial magic that could keep Newcastle in the Premier League”.

The Daily Star and the Daily Mirror both call Obafemi Martins and Peter Lovenkrands “supersubs” after Shearer brought them both on and watched as they scored the goals to seal victory in the tensest north-east derby in years.

The Daily Express claim Shearer’s decision to bring on Martins and Lovenkrands will earn them £50m arguing the win will stave off relegation, while the Times warn that the result means the writing is on the wall for Championship-bound Boro.

The Independent argue that the result signalled the moment Shearer arrived as a manager because it suggested he showed the skill all good managers must have: the ability to affect the course of a game at critical moments.

It’s a sentiment no doubt echoed by the Newcastle fans who worship Shearer, and who, as the Daily Telegraph mention “continues to give the Toon hope and joy, continues to script dramas in this passionate Geordie theatre”.

Elsewhere the Guardian claim that Chelsea officials met Carlo Ancelotti and his representatives on Monday night seeking assurances that he still intends to swap San Siro for Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

If Ancelotti does leave AC Milan it could mean that he misses the chance to coach Carlos Tevez, who the Daily Mail claim will be heading to the San Siro in a £40m deal from Manchester United.

The Sun however say that Tevez will move to Liverpool in the summer after United failed to make the Argentine feel wanted. The Daily Mail also reckon Liverpool are keen on Boro’s Stewart Downing and will make a £12m bid at the end of the season.

In other transfer news the Daily Mirror claim Jose Mourinho is ready to offer Chelsea £15m for midfielder John Obi Mikel, while the Daily Star report that Arsenal are targeting a summer move for defender Gary Cahill – but have been told it will take £20m to tempt Bolton into selling.

And finally the Sun have the story that Harry Redknapp will order a booze ban at Tottenham in the wake of Ledley King’s nightclub bust-up.

Bearing in mind the slump in form at Spurs last year when Juande Ramos banned ketchup at the training ground Harry will have to hope the players don’t miss a few beers or glasses of Cristal as much as the missed red sauce on their chips…

St James’ Park didn’t know what to think. Michael Owen did, but he knew he better not say. The captain’s armband had already passed to Nicky Butt by the time the fourth official’s board went up. Newcastle’s skipper’s number was on it. Their former skipper’s, and current manager’s, number was the one to replace him. Nine on, ten off.

In the commentary box, Craig Burley opined that this decision–replacing Owen with Obafemi Martins, twenty minutes from the end of a game they simply HAD to win–“could backfire” on Alan Shearer, and that “no other manager would have gotten away with that substitution”. He was probably right, but fifty five seconds later Burley’s musings appeared to be fallacy as Martins shimmied inside Robert Huth to steer a right foot strike beyond the despairing Brad Jones and give Newcastle an ultimately-decisive advantage. “Better to be lucky than to be good” was Shearer’s typically cliché-dripping retort.

Luck, like Shearer, appeared to have left Tyneside permanently some-time in the 1980s and, like Shearer, has been banded as just about the only thing that could save Newcastle during this tumultuous campaign. But to attribute this hard-fought, hard-earned victory to anything as subjective as good fortune would be doing a disservice to both Shearer, and his players.

The St James’ regulars have not had much to cheer about this season, home or away. Just six league victories from thirty five games had left their side wallowing in the bottom three for much longer, much later, than anyone had expected. Especially Shearer. His arrival had threatened to sweep the Magpies to safety on a wave of “feel-good-factor”, before last night it had simply seen another legend fall victim to the curse of the Gallowgate. One point from four games had left this Tyne-Tees derby–rightly or wrongly–wearing the tag of “The Biggest Game in Newcastle’s history”

Good job then, that Middlesbrough are in as much turmoil–on the pitch at least–as their rivals. Gareth Southgate may well have endeared himself to the footballing world with his lucid, thoughtful contributions in pre and post-match interviews, and his suits may well be improving, but his side’s results were not. At start of play last night they were locked on 31 points with their crisis-riddled neighbours, and knew that only a four-goal victory could lift them above Hull City and out of the bottom three.

St James’ was a cauldron for kick-off, the black and white cards left on each seat may well smack of organised spontaneity, but they created quite a sight. The tradition began at Shearer’s own testimonial in 2006, and was revived here for a game of equal significance to the Tyneside masses.

Yet within three minutes, most of the cards had been scrunched up into tiny balls and thrown in anger at the ground, Newcastle’s boisterous start undone by Sanli Tuncay’s footwork to negotiate his way past Steven Taylor, and Habib Beye’s misfortune in dragging the ball into his own net after Steve Harper had blocked at the Turk’s feet. Fingers to lips time for Tuncay, fingers in ears time for Magpies.

Middlesbrough are not a good side, it must be said. But still the inkling here was that Newcastle simply would not have the stomach to fight back, that this early sucker punch would be one too many. Thankfully for Shearer and the fans, this notion proved misguided. They were level within six minutes, home-grown Steven Taylor meeting Danny Guthrie’s corner with a bullet header after outdoing Matthew Bates with some Shearer-esque movement. Mark Viduka had already hit a post, Owen would bring a smart save out of Brad Jones with a glancing header, and the performance as a whole was at least approaching cohesive.

There were still defensive lapses; there will always be in a game involving Newcastle. Especially one of this importance. Sebastian Bassong chose this game to have one of his poorer outings for the club, but alongside him Taylor, Habib Beye and Damien Duff limited Boro to just a couple of chances- both of which fell to Marvin Emnes, neither of which he could take.

Shearer spoke post-match about some “Big, big performances from some big men”, and it was not hard to suss out where the compliments were aimed. Jokes about his waist aside, there are few bigger players at Newcastle (when on-form) than Viduka, and the Australian was in imperious form throughout. It was his composure and hold up play that gave Newcastle a pivot from which to attack, and his physical presence allowed Newcastle to commit more men from midfield than at any point during Shearer’s tenure thus far. The difference was marked.

Where Nicky Butt dealt almost exclusively in the rushed and the hopeful, Guthrie possesses a liking for the simple pass, moving intelligently into space to take the ball back, rather than the round-the-corner antics of Butt (and Geremi & Alan Smith before him). His composure and thoughtfulness seemed to rub off on his former Bolton colleague Kevin Nolan, who had his best game for the club by a country mile, culminating in a tidy assist for Peter Løvenkrands’ clincher.

Even defensively there were some promising signs. Boro’s attack may be powder-puff- not many clubs would view an injury to Afonso Alves as a blow, and Jèrèmiè Aliadièrè possesses “more syllables than goals” according to Setanta commentator Jon Champion (harsh perhaps but do the maths….)–but Newcastle gave up far fewer chances than usual. Harper did make one smart save to deny Gary O’Neil–Boro’s best player on the night- whilst Aliadièrè sent a presentable headed chance wide seconds after Martins’ momentous contribution, but on the whole it seemed unlikely that a winner would come from a red shirt.

And so to Martins. Shearer himself admitted he knew better than to expect instant rewards for a bold substitution, and those proclaiming him as a tactical genius should view the switch with a more logical eye. Yes Newcastle needed a goal; yes Owen has–in the past–scored goals. But so has Martins, and more often than Owen during his stint on Tyneside. Viduka’s performance meant he was essential in the last twenty minutes, whilst to withdraw a midfielder would have meant a tactical reshuffle that may well have allowed Boro’s better players–Tuncay and Stewart Downing–to exploit an increase in space down the flanks. Owen was the natural choice for replacement.

Of course the fact that Martins, and Shearer’s other substitute Løvenkrands, made such a telling impact reflects well on the manager. Both finishes were confident, clinical even. Neither of those words could be tossed at the men they replaced–Owen and Jonas Gutierrez, whose gameness endears him to the public, but whose tangible returns have been minimal over the course of this admittedly-tough debut season.

Shearer was keen to stress that “nothing has been achieved yet, it is one win”, as the black & white clad army made its way down to the Quayside for that rarest of treats, a celebratory pint, but his side have leapfrogged a Hull side that seems to have forgotten how to win, and have another home game to look forward to on Saturday against Fulham. A win there is likely to ensure their Premier League status, and Shearer’s as a legend. Not that he ever needed reassuring of course.

For Boro, the prospect of Championship football looms large. Alves will miss the rest of the season with his ankle injury, and with David Wheater, Emmanuel Pogatetz and Chris Riggott all missing, there is a paucity of options in central defence that even utility-man Bates seems unable to fill. Gareth Southgate hinted at his own desperation in handing a first Premier League start to the Dutchman Emnes, but unlike Shearer, his calculated risk failed to work. They have two games remaining–at home to Aston Villa & away to West Ham–both of which have to be won if they are to stand any chance of staying up. On this showing, they are doomed.

They have some players of quality. Tuncay, Downing and O’Neil will all be Premier League players next season I suspect, whilst Huth is a defender of presence and power, but around them there is a distinct lack of class and conviction in their side. Mohamed Shawky was given a start in midfield and was made to look pedestrian by Butt & Nolan (no mean feat that), whilst Aliadièrè & Justin Hoyte must long for the days of Carling Cup run-outs at Highbury with which they could convince observers they were players of potential. Even Jones in goal, although blameless here, does not strike you as someone who could make match-winning contributions on anything other than a semi-regular basis. The manager, whether that is Southgate or not, has some work to do this summer if Boro are to bounce back at the first time of asking.

Onwards and upwards then for Newcastle. One grinning Magpie quipped that they were looking for the “top six” next season on his way out of St James’. He was only half-joking.

“Big men step up to the plate as Newcastle wrestle free” was originally published at footballlens.com – football news.

We’ve come to that point in the Premier League campaign where teams go one of two ways: they either learn to rise above the the rest and make an indelible mark at the end of the season, or they end up falling into a pit of despair and never coming back.

Which road will your team take this weekend?

For a handful of teams this weekend could ultimately decide their relegation or European hopes — or in Liverpool’s case, whether their title dreams live to see another day. As usual, we’ve got the predictions and the previews for all of the matches.

Saturday 9 May 2009

West Ham v Liverpool

Liverpool’s title hopes essentially rest on this one match. Rafa Benitez will be walking into a house of horrors at Upton Park, where his squad surely remembers their shocking loss last season to the Hammers. Mark Noble slammed home a 93rd minute penalty that sent the crowd into raptures.

They can’t let that happen again. Judging by the improved mentality and self assurance of Liverpool, it will be a completely different team this time around. West Ham are still fighting for that final Europa spot, so I’d imagine they’ll give Liverpool all they can handle.

Soccerlens Prediction: Liverpool to win

Everton v Tottenham
Like West Ham, Tottenahm are still have an outside shot of stealing the final Europa Cup spot. They looked absolutely shambolic at the weekend against West Brom, so any repeat performance will almost certainly get them run out of Goodison Park.

Everton are safe from just about everyone and looked destined for European football next year. They would love nothing more to kill Tottenham’s European dream. Their squad is beyond thin, but every time people doubt them they come and pull off the shock. They’ll be using this game as a potential tune-up for the FA Cup final.

Soccerlens Prediction: Everton to win

Fulham v Aston Villa

Villa’s 1-0 win over Hull City was far from impressive and if it wasn’t for Hull’s reeling form, I have a feeling the result may have ended differently. They seem to be playing without emotion after looking like a serious challenger to the top four for most of the season. They’ve all but wrapped up a European spot, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take their foot off the gas and coast into the summer.

Fulham are a point behind West Ham for the final Europa spot and have been playing some magnificent football. Last week’s loss at Chelsea was a humbling experience and I think it got some of the players fired up. Expect to see a rejuvenated club when they step foot on the Craven Cottage pitch.

Soccerlens Prediction: Fulham to win

Hull City v Stoke City

Hull City know three points could all be solidify their spot in the Premier League for next year. They’ve been reeling for the last couple of months and have seen only one point in their last seven matches. That’s got to change if they want to hang around for another year. Phil Brown will need to rally the squad for what could be their most critical match of the season. They question is: can Hull keep their emotions in-check and get the job done.

Stoke are sitting close to the towards the bottom in the league and really don’t have much to play for other than pride.  They have a final home match against Wigan next week that could be on their minds, so I’d expect them to be a little more relaxed for this match.

Soccerlens Prediction: Hull City to win

West Brom v Wigan

West Brom HAVE to win this weekend. There’s no other way of looking at it. Three points could see Tony Mowbray’s side take a huge step towards Premier League survival. Sitting at the bottom of the table this late in year can drain you emotionally, but so far West Brom have taken to the role with gusto.

They almost won last weekend against Tottenham and looked clinical against Sunderland at home. I wouldn’t put it past them to get a result.

Wigan are still playing for Europe and could be out for blood against West Brom. Wigan haven’t won a Premier League match since March 22nd against Hull City, and I don’t expect them to find their way back to the tracks anytime soon.

Soccerlens Prediction: Draw

Bolton v Sunderland

Bolton have enjoyed winning at home of late, whilst Sunderland have enjoyed getting thumped away from the Stadium of Lights. That sounds like a perfect recipe for three points going one teams direction — and that team won’t be Sunderland.

In all seriousness, I’d expect Bolton to grab the three points and move further up the table. They could finish the season in the top 10 and judging by where they were last year, this would be a welcomed surprise.

Soccerlens Prediction: Bolton to win

Blackburn v Portsmouth

Two clubs sitting near the bottom of the table but not close enough to the relegation battle face each other in a match that could be an absolute snoozer.

Pompey have scored a whopping three goals in their last six matches, whilst Blackburn have scored six in their last six. Neither team has an edge in this match, so I’d expect this one to go either way.

Soccerlens Prediction: Blackburn to win

Sunday 10 May 2009

Manchester United v Manchester City

The Manchester Derby will have a lot on the line when these two teams take the pitch at Old Trafford.

United will be playing for the chance to stay three point clear of Liverpool (assuming Rafa’s side wins) and move ever closer to the Premier League title. After sleepwalking through a couple of fixtures, United came alive against Tottenham and have looked like a different team since. The victory over Arsenal should have them in good spirits for this critical clash between two clubs that absolutely despise each other.

Manchester City have been no slouch late in the season. They’ve been averaging two goals per game over their last five and have the history of last season’s shock win at Old Trafford on their side. They’d love nothing more than to put a massive dent in United’s title hopes. They’ll need a stellar match from Stephen Ireland if they want to get past their rival.

Soccerlens Prediction: Draw

Arsenal v Chelsea

This had all the makings of an absolute classic. But that was before this week’s disheartening losses in the Champions League. I’d imagine Chelsea are still fuming from their controversial loss to Barcelona; Arsenal find themselves in a dark place after an embarrassing loss at the Emirates against Manchester United that saw Wenger’s young group take an emotional hit.

Neither team has much to play for at the moment, so I’d expect both to just go out there and let loose. Either that or both clubs will come out on to the pitch in a comatose state and hold the ball for minutes on end. I’d like to see the former!

Soccerlens Prediction: Draw

Monday 11 May 2009

Newcastle United v Middlesbrough

Newcastle are playing for their Premier League lives. Simple as that. Shearer came in with the goal of saving Newcastle’s lives and this match could be the one that goes down in the history books as the game where he pulled the club out by the scruff of their neck or let them fall off the cliff. Their recent draw against Portsmouth was far from impressive, while the loss against Liverpool (and the loss of Joey Barton) just added more fuel to the fire. Do they have the moxy to beat the drop?

Middlesbrough sit on 31 points with Newcastle and will surely be looking for the same thing, which is three points. Boro have been horrific of late and look like a mirror image of Newcastle. They’ll want to look back to their 3-1 home performance against Hull as motivation. They’ll need that type of performance again at St. James’ Park to get a result. It should be a cracker of a match.

Soccerlens Prediction: Newcastle to win

Wednesday 13 May 2009

Wigan v Manchester United

Assuming Manchester United win against Manchester City on Sunday, this match could seal the title for the club for the third straight season. If they do get the three points in the derby, I’d expect them to come out firing at the Wigan defence from the start. Even with the short rest you’d have to expect them to be running on adrenaline with the finish line in sight.

They won the title against Wigan last year at the JJB and could do it again. It would be fitting to see them secure the title on the same pitch.

Soccerlens Prediction: Manchester United to win

Don’t agree with the predictions? Take the time to copy and paste the fixture list below and give us your take!

Footballpools.com

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English Premier League fixtures

Blackburn v Portsmouth
Bolton v Sunderland
Everton v Tottenham
Fulham v Aston Villa
Hull City v Stoke City
West Brom v Wigan
West Ham v Liverpool
Manchester United v Manchester City
Arsenal v Chelsea
Newcastle v Middlesbrough
Wigan v Manchester United

“Premier League Predictions: Arsenal, Chelsea, United and City to draw, Everton to beat Tottenham, Newcastle to beat Middlesbrough and more” was originally published at Soccerlens.com – Football News.