Liverpool Eye Toulouse Midfielder
The hunt for another midfielder continues as Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli continue to churn out new targets. Latest reports suggest that the Reds are now looking at Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko. The 21 year old is quoted at 18 million. Arsenal and Manchester City are also said to be interested in the player.
THT Verdict: An interest in Sissoko is indeed another indication of Liverpool’s youth-targeting policy. The midfielder is highly regarded in French football and has a dominating presence in the centre of the park. Liverpool do have the financial clout for his signature but the only reason this deal might not go through is that Liverpool cannot offer Champions League football to the player next season.
Sunderland Sign Sebastian Larrson
Swedish midfielder Sebastian Larrson has agreed a deal with Sunderland and is expected to join the club on 1st of July. The terms of the deal aren’t disclosed as yet.
THT Verdict: Sunderland have beaten a host of Premier League clubs to the signature of the Swede and this is no doubt a good signing for the Black Cats. The ex-Arsenal trainee would only solidify the Sunderland midfield which saw a void created after the departure of Jordan Henderson to Liverpool.
French Pair Possibly Heading Towards St.James’ Park
Having already snapped up 2 French players so far this summer, Newcastle United’s hunger for the French doesn’t seem to have quenched. According to Skysports, the Magpies are lining up a move for French players Blaise Matudi and Mevlut Erding.
THT Verdict: PSG striker Erding and St.Etienne midfielder Matudi are prospective players. Matudi was on the radar of several high profile English clubs including Liverpool. Mevlut on the other hand is another upcoming player who has enjoyed a good season at St.Etienne. Newcastle United has always been a favourable destination for French players in the past and following the previous two French signings in Cabaye and Marveaux, it is highly likely that Mevlut and Matudi could be joining them.
Juventus Confirm Permanent Deals for 4 Players
Confirmed by official site. Alessandro Matri signs a 4 year deal worth 15 million Euros. Fabio Qualgiarella signs a 3 year deal worth 10.5 million Euros. Simon Pepe signs a 3 year deal worth 7.5 million Euros. Marco Motta signs a 3 year deal worth 3.75 million Euros. All deals are payable over three years.
THT Verdict: Matri was an expected signing, during his loan spell he was very impressive and scored goals at regular interval. Quagliarella’s case is a bit dicey. The ex-Napoli striker was brilliant in first six months of 2010/11 season but has never been consistent over a season. It also remains to be seen how lethal the 27 year old Quags will be after recovering from a long injury lay-off. There was no need for finalizing Pepe’s stay. He had been strictly ordinary during his time in Juve. Juve would have been better off investing on a quality left-winger or bringing Giovinco back. Marco Motta shouldn’t be allowed to wear a Juventus jersey as long he is playing football. He is most likely to be used as a transfer bait.
Clichy Headed Towards Roma
Gael Clichy looks set to leave the Emirates with Roma a likely destination. The Serie A side are said to be willing to pay £7m and may invlude striker Mirko Vucinic in the deal.
THT Verdict: Roma are in the market for a left back and joined the race with Liverpool over the French defender. Italy would be a fresh and challenging environment for the Arsenal player who has grown frustrated due to lack of trophies at the Emirates. A fee of 7 million pounds indicates a bargain buy and Roma sure do have the wherewithal for that kind of money.
United Starlet Loaned Out to Monchengladbach
Borussia Monchengladbach have confirmed that Manchester United forward Joshua King is set for a season long loan with the club.
THT Verdict: Good move, Joushu King is at that stage in his development where he needs to play constantly and not just for the reserves. Both Cleverley and Welbeck benefited hugely from loan moves away from Old Trafford. Also, United aren’t short of striking options for the first team, King would have rarely featured in the first team at Man United. The once mighty Borussia Monchengladbach provides a perfect platform for the teenage Norwegian to showcase his skills.
Tottenham Set Sights On Bolton’s Gary Cahill
The Lilywhites have reportedly expressed an interest in acquiring the services of Bolton shot stopper Gary Cahill. A bid in the region of 17 million pounds is believed to be made for the defender.
THT Verdict: Gary Cahill has had a couple of good seasons with the Trotters and deserves a move to a big club. Having been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool in the past, one might have expected the player to sign on for a Champions League side. However, Spurs seemed to have leapfrogged ahead of their rivals in the chase for the player. Cahill would be a good addition to the squad alongside Ledley King and Alan Dawson and this would no doubt solidify the defensive line at White Hart Lane.
Hughton To Be Unveiled As Birmingham Manager
Concrete reports coming from England state that Birmingham City have approached and selected former Newcastle boss Chris Hughton as their new manager following Alex McLeish’s departure.
THT Verdict: This seems a good deal for Birmingham City. Hughton led Newcastle back to the Premiership with a record points total. Now that McLeish has joined rivals Villa, Chris Hughton’s appointment looks like a step in the right direction for the Blues. Now, it’s up to Hughton to first hold on to his important players and get the club back on its feet.
Eto Lined Up As First Chelsea Target
Shortly after been announced as Chelsea’s new manager, Villa-Boas has identified Inter Milan’s Samuel Eto to be his transfer target, Skysports reports.
THT Verdict: Likely. It is a move in the right direction as far as Chelsea is concerned since Samuel Eto could form a healthy partnership with the club’s summer signing, Fernando Torres. Chelsea’s strikers weren’t really firing on all cylinders in the second half of last season and new recruit Fernando Torres couldn’t really be used effectively. The presence of Eto would help him start over again and together, the pair could prove lethal in the Premiership.
Andre-Villa Boas Confirmed as Chelsea Manager
Latest reports coming from England have confirmed that Chelsea have appointed ex-Porto manager Andre Villa-Boas as their new manager. The young coach has signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge and is expected to get into the drift of things right away.
THT Verdict: It was a fairly simple and yet perfect choice for Roman and his management. Chelsea have taken their time in finding their right man and Villa-Boas fits the bill. Having worked at Chelsea previously for a period of three years, Villa-Boas would be well aware of the club’s ethos and would bring in a lot of experience even at this young age. Things are looking up at Stamford Bridge.
Inter Eye Hiddink
After undergoing a dismal season under Leonardo, Inter Milan have now switched sights to former Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink; and, in response, the manager’s agent has indicated that Hiddink would be interested to take over the reins at the San Siro.
THT Verdict: A likely move and a good move for the club. Few had expected Inter Milan to fall into slumber after having won the Champions League 2 seasons back but after having missed out on the same competition again last season, coupled with their poor domestic form, Inter have wasted little time in taking measures to get themselves back on their feet. Guus Hiddink would definitely be the right choice.
Liverpool Target Wickham And Roux
Liverpool are stepping on the gas with regards to their pursuit for a third striker and it seems that Ipswich striker Conor Wickham and Brest striker Nolan Roux are under the Reds’ radar. While Ipswich are holding out for 12 million for their man, Brest have reportedly received a bid of 6.5 million pounds for Roux.
THT Verdict: Mix reviews have been coming in for Roux but at the age of 23, the striker still has a lot of time ahead of him and can be a polished gem under Kenny Dalglish. On the other hand, buying Conor Wickham will add to the pool of national talent at Merseyside which Kenny Dalglish seems to be really comfortable working with. The price seems to be a little bit on the higher side for the Ipswich striker but if Comolli can thread a cut-price deal, then Liverpool would be in for a transfer coup.
Dynamo Kiev Open Talks With Nico Krancjar
After finishing without a trophy in season 2010/11, Dynamo Kiev is looking to bolster its squad with big name players. They have opened talks with Krancjar’s agent to rope in the Croatian from Spurs.
THT Verdict: Likely. Krancjar has lost his starting spot in Spurs and given Luca Modric and van der Vaart’s form it is unlikely he will recover his position soon. Spurs are interested in selling Krancjar but Dyanamo has to compete with Celtic and Atletico in order to sign Krancjar. Dynamo are financially better placed than both clubs to offer Krancjar a better contract.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11675_6998154,00.html
Madrid Eye Raphael Varane
Raphael Varane is rumored to be on Madrid’s wish list and the Spanish giants seem to be fighting for his signature with Manchester United. Varane is a fantastic prospect and is only 18 years old and could be considered by Real as a possible replacement to Ricardo Carvalho for the future. The fee reported is 10 million euros.
THT Verdict : Likely. Carvalho is not getting younger and Varane could be his possible replacement. But Varane has mentioned that he would sign for a club only if assured of first team action which looks a bit difficult at Real Madrid currently. But when Real Madrid come calling and with Jose Mourinho expressing interest, it could be hard for Varane to reject this move. It could be a great signing to Madrid and could mean the possible departure of Garay.
Parma to Buy One Half of Sebastian Giovinco’s Contract.
Parma president Pietro Leonardi has confirmed that Parma will be paying 3.5 million Euros to buy one half of Sebastian Giovinco’s contract to co-own him with Juventus. Giovinco had an impressive season on loan at Parma and earned a call to Italy National Team as well. New Juve coach Antonio Conte was reportedly interested in bringing Giovinco back in Juventus.
THT Verdict: Juventus completely failed to utilize Giovinco’s potential. Lack of a pacy and technically adept player has plagued Juve in recent times – two qualities possessed by the Atomic Ant. Giovinco usually does well as an advanced left-winger in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. There is a good chance that Conte will field a similar formation and Giovinco could have been useful in that case. However, with Juve closing in on Michel Bastos, Giovinco’s position in first team is not guaranteed in Juventus while in Parma is assured of a first team slot.