Archive » 2012 » January » 13

Kenny Dalglish has made his opening move for Wilfried Zaha after making a personal call to Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman.

Liverpool are in the running to sign the £10million-rated forward having kept tabs on the England Under-19 international for 18 months.

And Sportsmail can reveal that Dalglish has contacted Freedman with regards to the Anfield club’s interest in Zaha.

During the phone call, Dalglish asked the Eagles manager more about the 19-year-old’s character than his footballing ability.

Source: Daily Mail

Newcastle United are ready to return with an improved offer for Manchester United’s talented but troubled 18-year-old midfielder Ravel Morrison, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Manchester United have already turned down a £500,000 bid from their Premier League rivals, but that has not deterred Newcastle officials and they are prepared to increase their offer.

Morrison has been mentioned in the same bracket for natural talent as Ryan Giggs during his time as a youngster at Old Trafford. However, the player has not been offered a new deal and that has alerted clubs throughout Europe.

Source: The Independent

New Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Hughes is stepping up his bid to sign Fulham striker Bobby Zamora.

Hughes wants to rebuild his attack around the 30-year-old, who he worked with at Craven Cottage last season.

QPR are one point above the relegation zone and have scored just 19 times in 20 Premier League games this season, the second-fewest total in the top-flight. The club’s two summer signings, DJ Campbell and Jay Bothroyd, have contributed just three League goals between them.

Hughes said: “It is fair to say that certain areas need to be addressed. At Premier League level, the ability to take chances and score goals is crucial.”

Source: London Evening Standard

Mark Hughes is considering a cut-price move for Roque Santa Cruz from former club Manchester City.

The 30-year-old striker is currently on loan at Spain’s Real Betis, where he has hit five goals in 20 appearances this season – including two in his last two.

Hughes signed Santa Cruz for Blackburn as well as for City, and also tried to get him during his time as Fulham boss.

The Paraguayan would have to take a wage cut to go to Rangers but City, who are paying some of his wages during his loan spell at Betis, would be happy to get him off their wage bill.

Source: The Mirror

Blackburn have launched a surprise bid to steal Andy Johnson from under QPR’s nose, and have reportedly lodged a formal bid with Fulham.

The Premier League strugglers have identified the 30-year-old striker as the ideal foil to Yakubu, and believe the former Crystal Palace man can help propel them away from the relegation zone.

Rovers are currently rooted to the bottom of the table, and could offer Johnson the contract that’s not been forthcoming at Craven Cottage in the hope that he can fire them to safety.

But with QPR also in the hunt, it may come down to who’s ready to match Fulham’s £2million valuation of the goalscorer, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Source: Metro

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is plotting a summer swoop for highly-rated Lille playmaker Eden Hazard.

The Blues are weighing up a £25million bid for the Belgian international, who has scored seven goals in 19 league games this season.

However, Lille are likely to resist that approach as they value the 21-year-old nearer £33m.

Hazard is one of the most sought after players in Europe and is also being watched by Arsenal, Juventus, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Source: The Sun

Carlos Tevez is still hopeful that his move to Milan can be resurrected after Manchester City’s insistence yesterday that the Italian club pay a transfer fee in excess of €25m (£21m) led to the collapse of the latest round of negotiations.

The dispiriting saga of Tevez’s rift with City, which began with his infamous refusal to come on as a substitute in the Champions League against Bayern Munich on 27 September, and has continued with the lengthy disciplinary process was close to an end yesterday during meetings between the two clubs in London.

Earlier in the day the Internazionale president, Massimo Moratti, had signalled defeat in his club’s bid to sign Tevez and said that he believed the Argentine was on his way to Milan. However, Milan were unable to meet City’s valuation on the player and the club’s hardline stance has not wavered at all: any prospective new club for Tevez must agree a permanent deal and they must meet City’s valuation.

Source: The Independent