Transfer news and rumours LIVE: Wilfried Bony and Daley Blind updates plus all the done deals
With a little over three weeks left managers all over are frantically scrambling to get moves over the line and finalise their squads
- Arsenal gossip round-up: Hummels still on Wenger's radar?
- Liverpool gossip round-up: Icardi would cost Reds €30million
- United gossip round-up: Cuadrado demands Fiorentina exit
11:49 am
Ed Malyon
And while we're talking Liverpool, Kolo Toure's transfer to Trabzonspor appears to be edging closer.
Reports are that he is flying to Turkey to meet new boss Vahid Halihodzic in Trabzon (you may remember him as Algeria boss during the World Cup) and then finalise a two-year deal with the Super Lig club.
It's a shame, but we'll always have this story.... and consequently this picture:
11:41 am
Alan Nixon
Bony idol
Brendan Rodgers wants his Liverpool bosses to push the boat out and land Wilfried Bony.
Rodgers has had the Swansea scoring sensation at the top of his wish list for weeks and still sees him as the best man for the job.
Bony is keen on making a move to Merseyside too – but the major obstacle is that the Anfield ‘transfer committee’ are worried the 25-year-old is not worth his £19million price-tag.
For the rest of that story, click here.
11:37 am
Ed Malyon
The season didn't start too well for Leeds United yesterday with an opening-day loss at Millwall.
And Massimo Cellino could be hit with another blow as Frederik Sorensen - the Juventus centre-back who was set to join his Yorkshire revolution - could now move to Genoa instead.
Sorensen looked to be a very good signing for Championship Leeds but Serie A interest appears to have made all the difference and David Hockaday won't be able to count on the Dane's arrival.
11:11 am
Simon Mullock
Eliaquim Mangala has been training on his own to ensure his fitness levels are high when his £32million arrival at Manchester City is confirmed.
The France defender’s move from Porto has been delayed by third-party complications and while he remains in limbo he is unable to train with either club.
Mangala had a three-week break after the World Cup, but has since employed a personal trainer because he has missed pre-season.
City insist that talks about how payments to the parties who own Mangala will be divided will not derail the transfer. As soon as the intricacies have been decided the champions will be able to confirm the signing – and the hope is that formalities will be completed before the Premier League opener at Newcastle.
It is unlikely that Mangala will feature at St James’ Park, but the Frenchman is doing all he can to make sure he hits the ground running.
City were last night waiting to hear whether Javi Garcia has agreed personal terms with Zenit St Petersburg after accepting a £12m bid.
The Spanish international has been told Mangala’s arrival will make him surplus to requirements because City have to cut their quota of foreign players.
11:02 am
Ed Malyon
Henrique Hilario has hung up his gloves to join Chelsea’s backroom staff.
Hilario’s eight-year stay as Chelsea back-up goalkeeper came to an end this summer.
And the Portuguese stopper, who made just 39 appearances, has now opted to retire to take up a coaching role.
Hilario, 38, will work alongside current goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon at Stamford Bridge.
He said: “It was not a sudden or easy decision and my age played no part.
“But I simply could not refuse the opportunity proposed.
“I now have the opportunity to stay in the game and pass on my experience and knowledge to a new generation of goalkeepers.”
10:46 am
Simon Mullock
Blind faith
Ajax are bracing themselves for a Manchester United bid for Dutch international Daley Blind this week.
Louis van Gaal is expected to sanction a £15million offer for the versatile 24-year-old in the next 48 hours after losing out to Barcelona in the race to sign Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen.
Barca are also interested in Blind, but their successful pursuit of Vermaelen has strengthened United’s resolve to beat the Catalans to a player Van Gaal knows well.
Sunday Mirror Sport understands that Ajax are resigned to losing Blind and have already lined up PAOK Athens’ Dutch international Hedwiges Maduro as a replacement.
For the full story, click here
10:36 am
Steve Stammers
Agger do (or don't)
Daniel Agger’s future is being monitored by three London clubs after making it clear to Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers he wants to leave.
The Denmark international feels he needs regular first-team football and that those chances will be further limited following the arrival of Dejan Lovren from Southampton.
West Ham are believed to be interested as he would be in their price range at about £10 million, while Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger needs a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen who is joining Barcelona. Tottenham will also be keen if they fail in their attempt to sign Mateo Musacchio from Villarreal.
10:14 am
Steve Bates
Sunderland are on the trail of Tottenham winger Nacer Chadli.
Manager Gus Poyet has inquired about taking Belgian international Chadli to the Black Cats .
Poyet would prefer a season-long loan rather than a permanent deal for the 25-year-old attacker, who joined Spurs in a £7million deal a year ago.
Chadli has not been a huge hit at White Hart Lane – and Spurs would prefer to sell him outright rather than agree a loan deal with Sunderland.
The Belgian could be used as a make-weight in Tottenham’s pursuit of PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay.
New boss Mauricio Pochettino was impressed by Depay, who scored key goals for Holland at the World Cup and he is willing to trade Chadli in any deal for the Dutchman.
However Chadli has made it clear he would not be keen on joining PSV.
10:11 am
Serge Gnabry is at the centre of a three-way Premier League scrap after being told by Arsenal he will be sent out on loan.
The Gunners winger, 19, is wanted by Crystal Palace, Southampton and Newcastle, but Gnabry is reluctant to move despite assurances he is part of Arsenal’s long-term plans.
He wants to stay and build-on his breakthrough season at the Emirates.
But with the arrival of Alexis Sanchez and with Theo Walcott on the way back to fitness, Arsene Wenger has urged him to continue his education elsewhere at least until January.
9:49 am
Samuel Eto’o will fly into Amsterdam today to watch Ajax face Vitesse Arnhem.
After the game he will tell Ajax technical director Marc Overmars if he is ready to join the Dutch champions on a one-year contract.
Eto’o has had offers from all over the world but though Ajax’s maximum wage packet is £35,000 a week –
10 times less than Eto’o got in his Anzhi days – the ex-Chelsea star has told Overmars he is not purely motivated by money.
10 times less than Eto’o got in his Anzhi days – the ex-Chelsea star has told Overmars he is not purely motivated by money.
At Ajax, he can enjoy an easier league, a great lifestyle and still be involved in the Champions League.
Overmars said: “Samuel still has a big drive to win trophies. He knows that it can happen at Ajax.”
9:31 am
Swansea are apparently keen on Argentina international Feda Fernandez.
Chico Flores completed a £4million move to follow former boss Michael Laudrup to Qatar yesterday leaving a hole in central defence.
And Wales Online suggest the Napoli is the man eyed to fill it.
That said, manager Garry Monk was playing his cards close to his chest when quizzed on him yesterday.
"There is no update," he said. "We are looking at a number of options in that position, he is one of the names that crop up, but there are a number of names we have been looking at for that position.
"So we are trying to get answers from the people we are talking to so we can get someone is as soon as possible.”
9:06 am
And last but not least ... Manchester United.
Louis van Gaal's men have been given until Friday to sign Juan Cuadrado.
The Colombian enjoyed an eye-catching World Cup and is believed to be firmly on Louis van Gaal's radar.
And he will have been boosted by the news that the 26-year-old has asked to leave Fiorentina.
Club president Andrea Della Valle has revealed he has spoken to the player in recent days.
"I met with Juan (Cuadrado) today, and he asked me if he could leave. I asked him, 'Stay one more year', but I’m not optimistic," he told Sport Mediaset.
More *points at link* HERE.
8:57 am
And *has another rummage* Liverpool next ...
The Reds will rival Monaco for Inter Milan hitman Mauro Icardi - but they will have to cough up big to do so.
The moneybags French side have even more cash at their disposal following James Rodriguez's sale and are intent on spending it.
The Anfield club themselves have cash to splash too and are keen on the fiery Argentine according to Tuttosport.
They suggest both parties are ready to bid as much as €30million for the 21-year-old before the window shuts.
Whether Inter would countenance a sale is another matter but that figure would represent a very healthy profit on a player they bought only 12 months ago.
8:44 am
How about we start the day with some club-by-club round-ups ...
Let's begin with *rummages in round-up bag* Arsenal ...
Arsenal are set to battle with Manchester United for Borussia Dortmund centre half Mats Hummels.
The Gunners, now armed with Thomas Vermaelen cash, are firmly in the market for defensive reinforcements this summer.
United are known admirers of the German international and despite being rebuffed thus far still believe they can get him.
But they may have to beat the Gunners to the punch according to the Mail on Sunday.
Dortmund value Hummels at upwards of £25million but would hope to encourage a bidding war should they concede they have to sell before the window shuts.
8:37 am
Morning ladies and gents, how are we all feeling today?
Bright and breezy? Still sleepy? Nursing a hangover? A bizarre combination of all three?
Whatever your condition we've got the cure for what ails you - transfer news by the barrel-load.
There are only three weeks left until the window quite literally slams shut leaving managers scrambling around to get the new faces they want in ahead of the deadline.
That means rumours, rumours and more rumours and we'll have all of the latest right here for you as they happen so don't touch that dial.
So, without further ado, in the words of Brendan Rodgers, we go again ...
Comments
Post a Comment