Archive » 2011 » October » 27

Sevilla goalkeeper Javi Varas is being linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer.

The 29-year-old has hit the headlines in Spain after saving Lionel Messi’s penalty at the weekend, with Los Rojiblancos holding Barca to a 0-0 draw in La Liga, allowing Levante to take a shock lead in the table.

Cadena Ser reports that Arsene Wenger has put the keeper on his Arsenal radar, with the Frenchman eager to strengthen his goalkeeping ranks at the Emirates.

The report goes on to claim Wenger has asked for additional reports on the player as he weighs up his options, whilst a handful of other stoppers are thought to be of interest to Arsenal.

Wojciech Szczesny has made the No.1 jersey his own in north London after a fine start to the campaign, but with Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski tipped to leave the club next year, experience could be key to providing some competition to the Arsenal first choice.

Source: Give Me Football.

Manchester City have emerged as contenders for the signature of Cagliari’s tough-tackling midfielder Radja Nainggolan.

The 23-year-old Belgian broke through into Cagliari’s first team last year and has been impressing ever since, quickly being dubbed the “new Gennaro Gattuso” within Italy.

And AC Milan soon became regular watchers of Nainggolan, with talk growing that the Rossoneri see the midfielder as a potential replacement for the ageing Gattuso.

It is not just Milan who can be counted amongst Nainggolan’s fan club however, with Spanish giants Real Madrid hot on the former Piacenza player’s tail.

Jose Mourinho is always keen to add young talent to Los Blancos’ ranks and, through contacts built up in Serie A from his time as Inter coach, was quickly alerted to the Cagliari man’s potential.

But now, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City have arrived on the scene.

While the Citizens have considerable talent in the middle of the park, Mancini was concerned when injuries robbed him of ball-winner Nigel de Jong and midfielder James Milner in September, stating openly that he felt the club had a lack of depth in the department.

A move for the quickly progressing Nainggolan would make sense for City, although pipping Milan and Real Madrid to his signature will be a tough task.

Source: Inside Futbol.

Manchester United have stepped up their interest in Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes, after sending newly appointed scout Paul Scholes to run the rule over the free-scoring 21-year-old.

Scholes was in the stands at the Galpharm Stadium last night, where Rhodes found the net once again, as Huddersfield drew 2-2 with Scunthorpe United.

The strike was Rhodes’ ninth in his last four matches for the Terriers, while a hat-trick for Scotland’s Under-21′s in-between means he has 12 goals in five matches for club and country, in a remarkable purple patch.

That superb form has led to increased speculation about Rhodes’ future, with a host of Premier League clubs now increasing their interest in the powerful hitman, who bagged 22 strikes in all competitions last term.

Source: Metro.

Roma are set to launch an ambitious loan raid for Manchester-based duo Rio Ferdinand and Carlos Tevez, according to reports in Italy.

The Serie A side are currently seventh in the table, and new manager Luis Enrique is under pressure to improve the fortunes of the unconvincing Giallorossi.

It’s now believed Enrique, with the help of former England general manager Franco Baldini, will try to persuade Ferdinand to up sticks and join them in the Italian capital.

Baldini, who is operating as an executive for Roma, knows the United centre-back well from their time together with the Three Lions, and is convinced the 32-year-old could revitalise his career in Serie A.

Ferdinand’s place is under threat at Old Trafford following a run of questionable form, persistent injury problems, and the signing of Phil Jones, so although he’s recently ruled out a move to Qatar or America, an offer of top level football from Roma could well tempt the England international.

Tevez is another man on Enrique’s radar, and although there is no issue over whether the Argentine would leave City, the main stumbling block will once again be the issue of wages and loan fee.

Source: Metro.