Kyriagkos Leaves Liverpool
Liverpool defender Sotiros Kyriagkos has left the club to join Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg for a fee in the region of 1.5 million pounds.
THT Verdict: It was inevitable. With the clear-out now underway at Merseyside, it is obvious Kyriagkos knew this was coming his way. The player has the heart of a lion and was definitely one of Rafa’s buys who made his way into the hearts of supporters with time. Soto is a lover of the game and no matter how old he gets, he never fails to give his honest effort on the pitch. Wolfsburg have got a really good man in their ranks now.
Inter Make Kuyt Offer
Skysports is reporting that Internazionale have made an offer for Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt.
THT Verdict: Won’t happen. The player signed a contract extension at the end of the last season which means he is vital to Kenny Dalglish’s plans. Kuyt has been indispensable to the club and has impressed everybody with his work rate and commitment to the club on and off the pitch. Liverpool will reject the offer. They have other players whose exit is far more important for the club.
Wenger Eyes Zarate
Arsenal are set to open talks with Lazio striker Mauro Zarate and hope to have the Argentine in the squad in time for the weekend’s match against Manchester United.
THT Verdict: Unlikely. An overrated striker from Italy is probably the last thing that Arsenal needs. But, at this time, they are short of options upfront unless they plan to shift Theo upfront supporting Van Persie.
Gunners Offer Bendtner for Mertesacker?
Arsenal are reportedly offering striker Nicklas Bendtner to Werder Bremen in a swap deal for experienced centre back Per Mertesacker.
THT Verdict: The part that renders the deal invalid is, Bremen are not interested in Bendtner, they have categorically mentioned that before. But, since Mertesacker can be exchanged with paying much upfront for the Dane striker, this exchange can very well go through, one would have to wait till the late hours of August 31st for such deals to happen.
Arsenal Target Ligue-1 Stars
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made bids of £15m and more than £20m respectively for Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila and Lille forward Eden Hazard. The Frenchman may also return to Everton with a fresh approach for defender Phil Jagielka.
THT Verdict: M’Vila is a defensive midfielder, a regular with French side Rennes, having already started matches for France, can be a very good backup when the defensive midfielders at Arsenal would be Africa-bound in January.
Eden Hazard has been a long-time target for Arsenal. The midfielder/winger is almost in the same mould as Samir Nasri, if the latter is sold to City, Arsene would surely target the Lille man who already has a great understanding with Gervinho.
Red Devils Express Interest in Dortmund Star
According to reports, Manchester United might lodge a 22 million bid for Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa.
THT Verdict: Manchester United will continue to get linked with every player who plays in that positiin i.e Central Midfield. Kagwa was an integral part of the Dortmund team that won the Bunesliga title last season and after parting company with Nuri Sahin, the defending champions won’t like to lose another prized asset. However, if United are indeed interested, Kagawa will be a great addition to their squad.
United Turn Down PSG’s Berbatov Interest
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Paris Saint-German attempted to sign Dimitar Berbatov, but that he wants to keep the striker at Old Trafford.
THT Verdict: The Bulgarian won the Golden Boot last season for Manchester United, however the emergence of Chicharito greatly curtailed Berbatov’s playing time. Furthermore, Danny Welbeck has been preferred this season although Berbatov is fit and fine. Berbatov doesn’t seem to be in the manager’s plan any more, not at the forefront anyways and with less than a year left on the Bulgarian’s contract, Ferguson might be forced to sell his record signing, if the right offer comes along.
Meireles-Sturridge Swap on the Cards?
The future of Raul Meireles is still kept in the hanging by the media. Sources are now reporting that Liverpool are willing to exchange the player with Chelsea player Daniel Sturridge.
THT Verdict: Unlikely. Why would two clubs who each value their respective player consider swapping him for the other? Villas-Boas has been impressed by Sturridge during the pre-season and has spoken of a greater role in this campaign. The only reason why he hasn’t featured thus far is because of a ban he picked up last season. When available, he would compete with Anelka for a starting berth on the right side of the three-pronged attack. Similarly, Meireles is an invaluable asset for Liverpool, as shown by his recent cameo against Arsenal, and Dalglish will be reluctant to let him go.
Chelsea Set Sights on Jovetic
According to certain media sources, the Blues are looking to make a move for Fiorentina attacker Stefan Jovetic.
THT Verdict: Unlikely. Chelsea have made the signings they were looking to make this summer and a third bid for Modric can be the only transfer activity we can expect the club to do between now and the end of the window.
Spurs Eye Barton?
London outfit Tottenham are reportedly interested in bringing Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton to White Hart Lane.
THT Verdict: After his fallout with the Newcastle management, Barton was linked to a number of clubs but nothing materialized, maybe due to the reluctance of managers, considering his volatile nature. However, in the two matches thus far, Barton has delivered good performances on the pitch. Yes, he was involved in an ugly incident with Gervinho, but one can’t overlook the good work he did before and after that, to ensure a good start to the campaign. Barton is a valuable buy for teams looking to add a bit of steel in the middle of the park, but Pardew may not want to sell him now.