Archive » 2010 » April

Derby manager Nigel Clough is leading the chase for Notts County keeper Kasper Schmeichel. The Dane, 23, has been paid up by the League Two champions and is available on a free transfer. Birmingham and Tottenham are also interested in Schmeichel. Derby have opened talks to sign on-loan Wigan striker Tomasz Cywka, 21, on a permanent basis.

Source: Daily Mail

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish admitted Joe Hart would return to Manchester City next season as their No 1 keeper following Shay Given’s injury. McLeish will approach Manchester United about taking Ben Foster on a season-long loan.

Source: Daily Mail

According to German daily Bild, Manchester City are one of four clubs fighting it out to sign experienced Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi. The 28 year-old is one of the Bundesliga’s top scorers this season with 18 goals so far for title-chasing Schalke. After ten successful years in Germany’s top division, where he has scored over 100 goals, it is thought that Kuranyi is keen to take up the challenge of playing abroad. Kuranyi’s Schalke contract expires at the end of the season, meaning that the experienced front man would be available for free, a transfer hinging on a lucrative wage packet. Bild speculates that Manchester City will compete with Turkish giants Besiktas and Fenerbahce along with Dynamo Moscow to offer a deal worth at least 6 million Euros per season to capture the striker.

Source: IMScouting

Borussia Dortmund have warned Manchester United that they will need deep pockets to sign Neven Subotic. Reports in Germany claim the Barclays Premier League champions have joined Arsenal and Manchester City in the race for 21-year-old centre half. It is thought bids approaching £20million would be needed to land Subotic, who partners United’s Nemanja Vidic in the Serbia defence. But Dortmund managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke warned: ‘If Manchester want to have him, they have to sign over two oil fields to us. Or cart over at least two big lorries tightly packed full of English banknotes. ‘We have no intention to sell the player, he is under contract.’

Source: Daily Mail

Manchester United have been linked with a £17million move for Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra. Liverpool are also said to be tracking the tough-tackling France international but could be priced out of a move for the former Arsenal, Chelsea and Portsmouth player. The 25-year-old impressed in La Liga after moving to Madrid from Pompey in a £20m deal 15 months ago, but he has grown frustrated at losing his place to Fernando Gago.

Source: Daily Mail

Everton have emerged as favourites to beat Fulham to the signature of Paul Scharner. Wigan plan a small clear-out this summer and the Austrian is unlikely to get a new contract after becoming disgruntled in recent weeks. Scharner is likely to head a list of around six first team squad players, including Jason Koumas and Olivier Kapo, who the club will look to move on after chairman Dave Whelan vowed to avoid another relegation fight.

Source: Daily Mail

Rumours have been circulating over the last few days that Carlos Tevez is far from happy at Man City and that he is on the verge of demanding a transfer with Liverpool seen as a likely destination. At first the story was seen as pure gossip but now both the Spanish and Italian media are also running with the story and in fact the Italians are fairly confident that Tevez will be at Anfield next season partnering up with his old mate Javier Mascherano and forming a world class partnership with Fernando Torres. The story goes that Liverpool can afford to pay up to £18 Million and that Man City may well be interested in accepting the bid rather than keep a player that is unhappy in the dressing room, they may even use Tevez has bait to tempt Liverpool to sell Anfield captain Steven Gerrard to City.

Source: Footylatest

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini could make a move for burly striker Luca Toni, according to German daily Bild. The 32 year-old is currently on loan at Serie A title challengers Roma from Bayern Munich. He has hit 5 goals in 12 appearances for Roma, but has had to make do with a place on the bench for much of the time. Bild speculates that Roma will not opt to sign Toni at the end of the season, given his age and the probable asking price. This would be less of a concern to cash-rich Manchester City . Bild claims sources indicate that Mancini is interested in bringing Toni to Eastlands. Should he do so, Toni would bring an enviable scoring pedigree to Manchester City . Last season the 6ft 4in striker claimed goals 17 in 33 appearances whilst in 2007/2008, Toni scored 24 goals in 31 matches. He also has over 40 international caps to his name.

Source: IMScouting

Steven Taylor has caught the eye of Barcelona who are ready to make a summer move for the England Under-21 defender. The Geordie stopper has a year left on his deal and faces crunch talks with the club next month over his future. Newcastle are unlikely to risk letting Taylor walk away on a free in a years’ time, writing off a potential £8million transfer fee, and will need to secure him on a longer term deal. But with money tight at St James’ Park it is doubtful that £30k a week Taylor will get the rise he wants and it could spell the end, with the Spanish giants interested, along with Everton and Aston Villa.

Source: The Mirror

Real Madrid are preparing to spark another summer transfer battle with Manchester United by launching a £20million move for Patrice Evra. The Spanish giants are determined to land a left back this summer after identifying former Liverpool player Alvaro Arbeloa as the weak link in a defence that has conceded 50 per cent more goals than Barcelona in 34 La Liga games this season. Bernabeu director general Jorge Valdano has identified a number of candidates – including Arsenal’s Gael Clichy, Chelsea’s Ashley Cole and Fiorentina’s Juan Manuel Vargas – but Evra is said to have jumped to the top of the list on the recommendation of Cristiano Ronaldo. Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson reluctantly allowed Ronaldo to leave United for Madrid in a world record £80m deal last summer, but he will not want to lose another of his star players. However, sources in France claim that Evra could be tempted by a new challenge after winning about as much as he could have dreamed of since leaving Monaco four-and-a-half years ago.

Source: Daily Mail