Archive » 2011 » November » 15

Fulham striker Moussa Dembele has talked up a potential £10million switch to Tottenham, following renewed interest from the north Londoners.

The Belgian forward was linked to Spurs before making his £5m move to Craven Cottage in December 2010, and some impressive performances has seen him crop back up on Harry Redknapp’s radar with January approaching.

Arsenal and Liverpool have also been mooted as potential suitors, but the 24-year-old admitted he would be interested in a move to White Hart Lane.

‘It would obviously be a step higher, and that has always been my goal,’ he told De Standaard.

‘I did well last season when I was not injured, through many matches for Fulham. So why not step higher?’

Dembele, who has 18-months left to run on his Fulham contract, has just one goal in 16 appearances this season for the Cottagers, and admits his strike rate is an area he is working on improving under Martin Jol.

‘My thinking has changed somewhat. I shoot much more on target. The Fulham coach says that I’m evolving,’ he said.

‘In the past, I could have gone four games and not taken a shot at goal. That no longer happens.

‘Each match I shoot four times. I have also scored. Not enough, I know, but it will come.’

Source: Metro.

Alan Pardew is ready for a £2million scrap with Celtic for Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes.

Newcastle boss Pardew will battle the Glasgow giants to sign the Scotland international when the transfer window opens in January.

Rhodes has a £2m escape-clause in his contract at his League One club, and Pardew is prepared to stump up the cash and steal a march on Celtic counterpart Neil Lennon.

Pardew is keen to recruit young talent and has identified Rhodes as a top target.

The 21-year-old has scored 58 goals in under two years, and made his Scotland debut, since joining the Terriers from Ipswich for around £500,000.

Source: Daily Mirror.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has been so impressed with Spanish midfielder Oriol Romeu that he is bidding to repeat the trick by swooping on Barcelona once again.

This time the Portuguese’s target is another promising midfielder in the shape of Sergi Roberto.

Villas-Boas is thought to have received glowing reports on the 19-year-old, who was handed his La Liga debut in Barcelona’s end of season clash against Malaga in May.

Chances for progression at a club rich in midfield talent appear slim however and Sergi Roberto will have noted the increased first team football enjoyed by Romeu following his switch to Stamford Bridge.

The midfielder’s former Camp Nou team-mate has already clocked up six appearances for Chelsea – more than he managed for Barcelona’s senior team during his seven-year progression with Josep Guardiola’s men.

Like Romeu, Barcelona rate Sergi Roberto highly, expecting great things from the 19-year-old.

But, despite signing the starlet to a new contract recently, which committed him to the European champions until 2015, the player’s deal includes a buy-out clause of €12M.

Villas-Boas could choose to activate this and then sell the Stamford Bridge challenge to Sergi Roberto.

Alternatively, the Chelsea boss may approach Barcelona with a view to setting up a deal similar to that worked out for Romeu, where the Catalans would continue to hold a buy-back clause for the player during his first two years in England.

Source: Inside Futbol.

Jack Wilshere has emerged as a long-term target for Real Madrid.

The Arsenal and England midfielder is on a five-man short-list of players the Spanish giants want in their colours by 2014.

Wilshere is under contract until 2015, and last week the 19-year-old was quoted as saying he would stay with the Gunners for the rest of his career.

Spanish paper Marca, which is seen as a mouthpiece for Real, has run a story that the Bernabeu side want to sign Europe’s best young players for fees around the £25million mark rather than go for proven mega-stars.

Real smashed the transfer record to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for £80m from Manchester United two years ago, but now the club’s hierarchy want to sign younger talents and mould them into their style.

Bayern Munich defender Rafinha, Athletic Bilbao winger Iker Muniain, Lille’s Belgian starlet Eden Hazard – who is also an Arsenal target – and Borussia Dortmund forward Mario Gotze are also on the list.

Source: Daily Mirror.