Extreme Football Forum  |  Football Forums  |  FA Barclaycard Premiership  |  Topic: Transfer Chit Chat and daft deals?

Ok then to start it off here are the latest from the guardian.

This morning's grapevine juice – freshly squeezed and chilled at precisely 1.2 degrees – is that Benítez has pulled himself away from the Coinstar machine at his local Aldi in Liverpool for long enough to leer lovingly in the direction of Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini, Sevilla winger Jesús Navas and Carlton Cole.


Cole is also wanted by Aston Villa and Birmingham. Indeed, Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is so keen to ward off second-season syndrome that he has bid for 247 different players – including £8m for Wigan winger Charles Insomnia – and employed a crack team of researchers to assess whether it's worth Birmingham bothering to turn up next season, given the crushing inevitability of said syndrome.


West Ham United will replace Cole with Everton unit Yakubu. They may bring in Lyon's Sidney Govou, too, just because they can.

As for Lord Ferg, he is living, youseing, empurpled proof that obsession need not be narrow-minded. Having spent years sniffing like an unfeasibly zesty dog around one Lyon starlet, Karim Benzema, he is now pursuing another: Benzema's old chum Hatem Ben Arfa.

Ferguson has also made enquiries about Benfica's magisterial left-winger Angel di Maria, apparently ignoring the fact that, whatever he bids, Real Madrid/Manchester City will double, and then treble, and then multiply by £4.7m.

In an unrelated and essentially hilarious development, Neil Lennon plans to make Crystal Palace's Darren Ambrose his first big signing if he gets the Celtic job.

daily mail

West Bromwich Albion are set to bid £3.5million for Hull City winger Stephen Hunt even though he may not be fit until October.


Foot injury: Stephen Hunt may not be fit until October

Hunt missed the run-in to the season because of a foot injury which will force him to miss the start of 2010/11.

While Wolves and Stoke are also interested in the Republic of Ireland international, newly promoted West Brom are keen to tie up the deal.

Cash-strapped Hull, who have debts of  £34m, still owe Reading  £2.75m for Hunt's transfer last August so the Tigers would be left with only £750,000 from the move.

Hull turned down a £5m bid for their Player of the Year in January because they needed Hunt in their ultimately unsuccessful battle against relegation.

Dean Marney is also set to leave the KC Stadium to join Burnley in a  £1m transfer

The daftest rumour that I have heard is that Arsenal have bid £ 12 million of Pepe Reinna.

He has just signed a very long term deal at Anfailed.

dail mail

Cesc Fabregas wants to play for us, boast Barcelona as they step up bid for Arsenal captain with a swap for Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Barcelona have confirmed their interest in signing Cesc Fabregas and insist the Arsenal skipper is itching for a move to the Nou Camp.
The Catalan giants admit they are close to sealing a deal for Valencia striker David Villa - but the recruitment won't stop there, with Fabregas earmarked for a possible swap deal with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Nou Camp vice-president Rafael Yuste said: 'Negotiations are progressing well especially in the case of Villa



'The situation with Cesc is different because even if you have the will of the player it is very important to talk to his club and, if you can, find an agreement.
'But what makes it easier is that both players want to come to Barca.'
Yuste was speaking after the newly re-crowned La Liga champions held a 'technical summit' on Monday in which they discussed ways to improve a squad which is already bursting with stars.
Sources in Spain claim Fabregas will now speak to Arsene Wenger about his future today, strengthened by Barca declaring their hand, though he has been pictured this week working on his fitness in the Collserola mountains near Barcelona.
A number of options are available, with midfielder Yaya Toure and 19-year-old striker Bojan long been mooted for moves to north London, though the latest option could be to offer Ibrahimovic to Wenger.

Mexico defender Rafael Marquez, 31, is another possibility and would fit Wenger's desire to add experience to a central defence which is likely to lose William Gallas this summer.

 Come home: Cesc on Spain duty
Sweden striker Ibrahimovic has been criticised for a lacklustre season, scoring a relatively disappointing 21 goals in 41 appearances for the free-scoring side since a move from Inter Milan last summer that cost £40m plus Samuel Eto'o.

Sportsmail revealed last week that Chelsea and Manchester City had been offered the 28-year-old for about £40m and Barca value Fabregas at the same amount.

The Arsenal midfielder has been diplomatic in handling constant questions about his return to Catalonia.

Few doubt he will one day return to the club he adores but left as a 16-year-old, though Fabregas has also shown immense commitment to Arsenal after the way they have shaped his career.
The 23-year-old has a further four years left on his contract at the Emirates Stadium and the Gunners are reluctant to let go of their midfield marvel.

However, Wenger has rarely stood in the way of those who want to leave and would seek a hefty transfer fee if the deal was to be done this summer.

The deal for Villa could go through before the end of the week, with the fee thought to be about £40million, while Barca are preparing to offer a number of players in part-exchange for Fabregas.

Fabregas set the tone at a promotional event last week when he confirmed his desire to eventually pull on the blaugrana shirt once more.
'You see your (Spain) team-mates succeeding here (in Barcelona) and it is exciting because you have worked alongside them for so long.
'I think I would like to go to Barcelona, whether or not they want me is another thing.'
However, as he has always been keen to stress, he added: 'I don't know when it will happen. I am happy at Arsenal and I am not in a rush to leave.

'Before I leave for the World Cup I want my future sorted out because it benefits nobody if I go into the tournament with something else on my mind.'
Fabregas is due to meet up with the Spain squad next Monday and, in an ideal world, would hope to have all the answers before turning his attentions to South Africa.

However, Yuste's comments confirm there is work to be done on the deal, while a move for Villa is much more straight forward.
Spain hot shot Villa has been courted by Europe's top clubs after hitting 20 goals or more in each of his 11 full seasons as a professional.
His 28 in 42 games in this campaign helped Valencia to third in La Liga and Champions League qualification, but the cash-strapped club could definitely do with the £40million they would receive from Barca.

Manchester United and Chelsea have been among Villa's suitors in the last 18 months, but the 28-year-old has always been half-hearted about leaving Spain.
Meanwhile, Toure's agent played down the prospect his player being used in a swap deal for Fabregas, but admitted a Nou Camp exit was on the cards for the 27-year-old.

Dimitri Selcuk said: 'Toure wants to play every game. It is likely that Toure will not remain at Barcelona.
'He is happy there, it is a great club but he does not want to spend his time on the bench.
'There is a onein a thousand chance that Toure will be involved in the move for Cesc with Arsenal.'

Goal.com

Premier League outfit Everton have made an €11 million offer for Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen of Dutch powerhouse Ajax, only to see their bid turned down by the Amsterdam side, according to a report in AD/Sportwereld.

Everton coach David Moyes is eager to add a new defender to his squad in the summer transfer window and the Toffees rate Vertonghen and Torino's Angelo Ogbonna amongst their favourite potential additions.

The Belgian international has developed into one of the key players at Ajax in the past two seasons and his strong performances haven't gone unnoticed in the rest of Europe.

Vertonghen has been linked with several Primera Division sides, with Liverpool also believed to be keeping tabs on the versatile defender.

Ajax are reluctant to let go of Vertonghen though and a transfer fee of €15m could be required to lure the defender away from Amsterdam. The defender's current Ajax deal is due to expire in the summer of 2013.

daily telegraph

Manager David Moyes is keen to bolster his squad, although has limited funds, and Petrov is seen as the ideal addition providing his wage demands are reasonable.

According to The Sun, the Bulgarian international earns around £45,000 a week, which would be at the top end of Everton's wage bracket.
 
Injuries to Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta in recent seasons have regularly decimated the Everton midfield and 31 year-old Petrov would bring a wealth of experience to the club's cause.

Moyes was linked with the left-sided midfielder 12 months ago but Petrov decided to remain at Man City.

However, he is now out of contract and unlikely to feature much in Roberto Mancini's plans as City plan to splash the cash this summer.

Cesc Fabregas price war: Livid Arsenal hit back at Barcelona by pushing fee to £80m

daily mail

Arsenal last night hit back at Barcelona as they battle to cling on to their talismanic skipper Cesc Fabregas.

The Premier League club said Fabregas is going nowhere unless the Spanish giants stump up a fee in the region of the £80million that lured Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid from Manchester United.

Barcelona had hoped to unveil both Fabregas and David Villa at the Nou Camp tomorrow and believe they have agreed terms with the Arsenal player.

His club, however, remain in no mood to do business despite the 23-year-old telling Arsene Wenger on Tuesday
After signing Villa from Valencia for £34m yesterday, Barcelona’s focus has switched to tying up a deal for Fabregas with the same speed.

Indeed, Barca’s desire to rush through the midfielder’s capture — they want to
conclude a deal before he joins up with the Spain World Cup squad in Madrid on Monday — could prove to be their undoing.

Having intimated the club would take an offer in the region of £50m to even consider doing business, Wenger and the Arsenal ’s board are now so determined to hang on to their captain that they are adamant it will take somewhere in the region of £80m for them to sell.

That would provide Wenger with the funds to land players normally only within the grasp of Barca, Real, Chelsea, Manchester United and, more recently, Manchester City.
There is no prospect of Barca parting with that kind of cash for Fabregas, although there is every possibility that an opening bid in the region of £30m will be faxed through to Arsenal today. As of last night no offer, official or otherwise, had been forthcoming.

The fact that Fabregas has five years remaining on his deal at the Emirates, not four as previously believed, certainly strengthens Arsenal’s hand.

Barca were yesterday playing a cagey game, no doubt mindful of remaining on the right side of FIFA’s regulations regarding transfers.

Sporting director Txiki Begiristain said: ‘It’s great news that he wants to come here and I think that one day Cesc will have to come to Barca. But what matters is Arsenal and what their decision is. They think he is a very important player for them. We have to respect that.

‘I wish it was as soon as possible. But we have to respect Arsenal’s wishes and the contract he has. At times the wishes of players do not come true because they are under contract.'
Fabregas was doubtless hoping for a much more committed message from Barca after plucking up the courage to tell Wenger of his desire to leave.

As Arsenal dig in, Fabregas could even be forced to hand in a written transfer request. Such an unedifying end to his seven years at Arsenal is the last thing the 23-year-old midfielder wants even if he has made his mind up to go.