Bastos Snubs Juventus
According to Sky, Lyon full back Michel Bastos has turned down Juventus and has opted to stay with the French club for the following season.
THT Verdict: It is looking increasingly likely that Juventus will opt to buy Juan Vargas from Fiorentina. Bastos is a quality player but Bastos’ experience in Serie A favoured him ahead of the Brazilian.
Spurs Close to Signing Diarra
Lassana Diarra is a step closer to a move to Spurs after Real Madrid cut their asking price for the midfielder.
THT Verdict: The odds of this happening remain higher than ever. Real need to offload players in their squad and Lass is one of them. Spurs are interested in him and after the sale of Palacios to Stoke, can surely accommodate Lass in their squad. Only thing that could drag the transfer is the wages issue and Spurs and Lass need to resolve it among themselves.
Sneijder Close to Sealing United Move?
According to the mirror, Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder is edging closer to joining Manchester United for a fee believed to be 32 million pounds.
THT Verdict: The Wesley Sneijder to United saga refuses to die out, there is obviously some truth in the story as even Sneijder had himself shown some inclination earlier in the week. However United and Inter would first have to match each other’s evaluation following that the Red Devils must finalize personal terms with the player. The Dutch maestro’s wage demands seemed a hurdle that United were unwilling to cross, lets hope for a swift end to this prolonged drama as the English season is just days away from commencement.
Keane Open To Move
Tottenham striker Robbie Keane has denied claims he is unwilling to move away from London and is ready to listen to any offers coming in for the player.
THT Verdict: Keane would be a good buy for a mid-table club. A player who has a lot of experience having played in various clubs across Europe and England, Keane would add value to any team looking to improve its mediocre Premier League status.
Chelsea set to offer Benayoun for Modric
The Blues are reportedly ready to sacrifice Benayoun to bring in Luka Modric to Stamford Bridge.
THT Verdict: The Chelsea midfield will not be much strengthened if they send a player, who has done well ever since returning from injury, the other way. Benayoun has played really well of late, and is on very low wages. If Tottenham are interested in taking a Chelsea players, it should be one of the high-earning forwards at Chelsea. The ideal player for both clubs in this scenario could be Anelka, as Tottenham also need a proven goal scorer.
Upson Joins Stoke
Confirmed reports from Sky suggest that West Ham defender Matthew Upson has agreed a move to Premier League side Stoke City.
THT Verdict: A really good move by Tony Pulis. Upson carries heaps of Premier League experience with him and would be definitely be a good value add for a side like Stoke. Looks like Tony Pulis is doing all the right things to ensure the club has a strong Premier League campaign in 2011/12.
Liverpool Target Dann
Reports doing the rounds in media are of the nature that Liverpool are most likely to bid for Birmingham defender Scott Dann.
THT Verdict: Likely. The centre-back slot is something that needs to be addressed at Anfield. With age catching up on Carragher and Kyriagkos alongside Agger’s sporadic injuries, the Reds definitely need to bring in able first team players who will stand up against Premier League strikers. Dann had a good season with Birmingham when they contesting in the Premier League and although Liverpool will be a step up, the presence of Steve Clarke to administer defense will surely help the player grow.