ESPN Soccernet - On The Move
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On The Move
Posted by ESPNsoccernet Staff on 07/12/2012

ESPNsoccernet's On the Move transfer blog is where you will find a hearty round-up of all the rumours and signings during the summer transfer window. Get your teeth into what's below to find out which player(s) your club are being linked with today.

Also, you can always check the full list of completed deals in England and the SPL by clicking right here.

Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva are big-money transfer targets © PA Photos

23.38 BST ...and that's that for the blog for tonight. It's been a genuinely exciting one, with Silvio Berlusconi confirming he's selling his best two players, and hopefully there'll be plenty more where that came from tomorrow. Thanks for joining us - we'll be back at 0800 BST.

23.33 BST While AC Milan appear to be selling off their title hopes, there's a chance Inter could lose some big names too. Club president Massimo Moratti has had a chat with his club's official website on various subjects following a friendly with Trentino, although you may struggle to make sense of a lot of it.

On the reports Wesley Sneijder could potentially follow Samuel Eto'o to Anzhi: "You never know whether to call these things a risk or call them... It's possible that there could be such a risk. As for me, I consider Sneijder to be quite a decisive player for Inter, beyond what can be the proper attention and willingness from other teams."

Quite what that means we're unsure. Asked about Maicon's future, he - again, rather confusingly - said: "Well, now they're all here..."

On whether Giampaolo Pazzini will stay after his recent tantrum, he said: "You have to rate Pazzini because he's a proper centre forward and when he's in form he scores all the time. This we already know. He has a strong-willed character. I'll repeat what I've already said before: it may so happen that there are necessities from a coaching standpoint that influence whether players are to be bought or sold. It's nothing dramatic, but I'm genuinely sorry about it."

Regarding a potential signing - Sao Paulo wonderkid Lucas Moura - he said: "He's certainly a player of great talent, but right now it's also possible to make a few sacrifices here and not take everyone that appeals to you. But we're watching him closely."

23.07 BST Manchester City forward John Guidetti has revealed he’s keen on a move to Serie A. The Swede, who impressed on loan at Feyenoord last season, has been linked to Lazio and said: “My grandfather was Italian. There is a strong bond, and my family have an apartment in Rome. I’ve always dreamed of playing in Serie A one day.”

22.49 BST Michael Owen may remain unemployed, but he still doesn't fancy dropping to England's second tier.

He tweets: "Not being disrespectful when saying I wouldn't play in The Championship. Always said I wouldn't drop down the leagues like some have done. After playing for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle, Man Utd and England I don't think I would enjoy that football.

"If a good opportunity doesn't come my way then so be it. At this stage of my career it has to be something that I'm going to enjoy doing. I know I can still bang them in at the top level. I proved that nearly every time I played for Man Utd. At 32, still got a few years in me."

22.36 BST Marca on Real Madrid’s attempts to secure a good deal for Luka Modric: “Madrid doesn't plan to pay more than €35 million, whilst Tottenham began negotiations at €50 million. So the path chosen is to wait for the player himself to put pressure on Tottenham. Los Blancos trust that Luka will insist on leaving the London club, and that his transfer be to Real Madrid. In this tug of war, the club presided over by Florentino Pérez hopes that with time Daniel Levy, the Tottenham director, will become nervous and lower the price.”

22.15 BST France midfielder Moussa Sissoko, 22, doesn’t seem to mind whether he remains at Toulouse. “That’s something my uncle deals with,” he told L’Equipe. “It’s not my concern. It may be that I go, or may be that I stay.” Nice and relaxed.

22.01 BST Spanish newspaper AS suggests that AC Milan will consider taking Kaka back to the San Siro, in addition to a striker to replace Ibra. Mattia Destro, Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko are the names cropping up most regularly at this point, along with Andy Carroll, of course.

21.54 BST RMC Sport in France thinks Zlatan Ibrahimovic has agreed a contract with PSG and that Milan are going to receive about €70 million from the double deal.

21.47 BST Sky Sports News says Joao Moutinho is eager to move to Spurs and a deal could be tied up in the next week for the Portugal midfielder.

21.38 BST Here’s an odd one. Clemente Mastella, who used to be on the board at Napoli, says he’s had lunch with FIFA agent Ernesto Bronzetti and Napoli are in talks with Real Madrid to sign Kaka on loan. The politician told Radio Gol: “I am happy. Napoli and Real Madrid are negotiating a loan deal to take Kaka to Naples. On Friday I had dinner with Ernesto Bronzetti, who is mediating the talks. Napoli will pay only 40% of the contract.” Hmm.

21.30 BST Sky Italia is reporting that Fabio Borini to Liverpool is a done deal. Roma have reportedly accepted a deal starting at €13 million. More as and when we get it...

21.04 BST Porto's James Rodriguez has been linked with a move away, with Manchester United quite regularly mentioned, but it appears it's not happening. Speaking on his 21st birthday, he said: "Porto are my present. It's a great club. I'm not thinking about anything other than Porto."

20.52 BST Belgium’s Het Nieuwsblad is reporting that Werder Bremen are keen to sign Kevin De Bruyne on loan from Chelsea. The winger has only just arrived at Stamford Bridge after agreeing a move from Racing Genk earlier this year, but it was always expected that he’d be sent out to further his development.

20.40 BST It's probably a little early to start speculating on who AC Milan will target as a replacement for Zlatan, but reader TomTom feels now is as good a time as any.

"A team about to receive 62 million euros should invest that money into a bargain like Van Persie. He's the only reasonable center forward to replace Ibrahimovic with. Tevez is too expensive and will probably want a tree that grows money as part of the personal terms. Van Persie isn't all about the money, apparently."

20.34 BST A tweet from the prolific @barcastuff: "Karel Jansen (agent Afellay): 'Barça don't want to sell him and Ibrahim doesn't want to leave Barça.' [footmercato]"

20.23 BST Leaving that one aside for a moment, Sky Sports News believes QPR are leading the race to sign Junior Hoillett. The striker's out of contract at Blackburn but, as he's under 24, some compensation will be due to Rovers.

19.56 BST The story on Ibra-Silva to PSG is right here.

19.45 BST ...and Silvio Berlusconi has been quoted as confirming that both Ibra and Thiago Silva will leave the San Siro. More to follow...

19.43 BST Well, well. L'Equipe is reporting that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has agreed a move to PSG in principle.

19.32 BST: DONE DEAL Forgive our tardiness on this one: Racing Santander have signed Gai Assulin on a one-year deal. The former Barcelona forward was released by Manchester City this summer having failed to make the grade.

19.06 BST: DONE DEAL Brest have signed Caen goalkeeper Alexis Thebaux to fill the void left by Steeve Elana's departure to Lille.

18.47 BST It’s far from clear what Juan Roman Riquelme will do next after he quit Boca Juniors. There’s talk of a move to Brazil or the Middle East and even potential retirement.

18.24 BST Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham, who spent time on loan at Nottingham Forest last season, is unsure where he'll be playing next season. The 33-year-old told Sky Sports News: "That's not in my hands. The gaffer will decide what he wants to do."

18.05 BST Villarreal forward Nilmar is on the verge of a move to Qatar. "Nilmar [is set] to complete the negotiations attached to the club Al Rayyan," read a statement on the Qatar club's website.

17.55 BST Manchester City defender Kolo Toure could be on his way out of the club after Bursaspor boss Ertugrul Saglam revealed the Turkish side are in negotiations to sign him. Full story

17.27 BST - DONE DEAL - Hugo Rodallega has completed his move to Fulham. The former Wigan striker joins on a free transfer and has signed a three-year contract. "I wanted to stay in England and I’m delighted that I now have this opportunity with Fulham," he said. Full story

17.20 BST Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez has no intention of departing the club this summer, despite reported interest from Barcelona. Full story

17.06 BST Emre Belozoglu cannot wait to get down to work with his new Atletico Madrid team-mates, and in particular his fellow Turkey international Arda Turan. "I had other options in China and Russia, but I wanted to play three more years at the highest level," he told AS.

16.47 BST "We have drawn up a target profile and Rafael van der Vaart would be an ideal fit," Hamburg coach Thorsten Fink has told Sport1.de amid speculation his club will make a move for the Tottenham midfielder. Full story

16.25 BST Aleksandar Kolarov is reportedly seeking showdown talks with Manchester City over his lack of playing time, as AC Milan prepare to tempt him back to Italy with a £7 million bid.

16.01 BST In yet more Tottenham Hotspur news, Marca claim the London club are set to pay the buy-out clause for Atletico striker Adrian - set at €18 million.

15.22 BST Alberto Aquilani will stay at Liverpool and fight for his place in the first team next season, according to his agent. "Alberto is back in England and is still a Liverpool player. He will play there next season," Franco Zavaglia told Calcio Mercato.

15.02 BST Here's the full story on PSG's €62 million double swoop for AC Milan's Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

14.50 BST Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes he could make "possibly one more" signing during the summer transfer window. Full story

14.26 BST PSG sporting director Leonardo has confirmed negotiations are underway with AC Milan for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. A meeting with agent Mino Raiola is reportedly planned for 16:30.

14.22 BST Maxi Rodriguez looks set to leave Liverpool this summer after Newell's Old Boys revealed they have agreed a deal to bring the forward back to Argentina. Full story

14.01 BST - DONE DEAL - Birmingham City manager Lee Clark has completed his third signing in four days by bringing in experienced utility man Hayden Mullins from Portsmouth.

13.50 BST: Denmark international Anders Lindegaard has said there is nowhere he would rather be than Manchester United – but has stressed that he wants to be first choice and will do all he can to challenge David de Gea for the first team spot.

13.40 BST: Thiago Silva has agreed to move to Paris St Germain on a five-year, €7.5 million-a-year contract, according to report in Gazzetta dello Sport. The report claims the terms were agreed last month.

12.40 BST: Arsenal scout Gilles Grimandi has said that new £13 million striker Olivier Giroud was signed, in part, to limit the damage of a potential Robin Van Persie departure.

12.30 BST: Wesley Sneijder's agent has dismissed speculation in Russia linking his client with a move from Inter Milan to Anzhi Makhachkala. “There is no truth in those reports - they are just rumours,'' Soren Lerby told Gazzetta dello Sport. “There is nothing between Anzhi and Wesley.”

12.06 BST: Chievo midfielder Michael Bradley should complete a €5 million transfer to Roma by tomorrow, his agent has said. Alberto Faccini told asromanews.it: “I am confident because I have been given assurances. I am convinced that, in 24 hours, all will be resolved.”

11.36 BST: West Ham are reported to have cooled, and possibly abandoned, any interest in signing Wolves winger Matt Jarvis because they believe the £11 million price tag is too high. Molineux manager Stale Solbakken has said he is prepared to sell both Jarvis and striker Steven Fletcher.

11.15 BST - DONE DEAL: Spurs confirm that their somewhat protracted deal for Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen has been done, done, done. "We are delighted to announce that @Jan_Vertonghen has completed his transfer from Ajax after passing his medical ‪#COYS," the club said on Twitter.‬ Read the full story here.

11.10 BST: Swansea manger Michael Laudrup would like anyone interested in signing any of his key players – and especially in bidding for midfielder Joe Allen – to go away.

Allen has been linked with a move to Anfield, where former Swans boss Brendan Rodgers is now at the helm. Laudrup said there had been no bid, adding: “I want Joe to stay here because he is very important for the team. As far as I know, we have heard nothing from Liverpool. If it is more than just rumours then I'm sure the chairman will talk to me about it.”

11.08 BST: Bournemouth are reported to have agreed a deal to sign Derby defender Miles Addison after he impressed while on loan at Dean Court during the second half of last season.

10.51 BST: Alan Dzagoev has been told he’s not going anywhere by CSKA Moscow. The Russia international midfielder has been linked with a move to either the Premier League or Italy: Spurs, Arsenal, Inter Milan and Juventus are reported to be the interested parties.

10.47 BST: Gazzetta dello Sport reports that AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has been putting prices on people. Thiago Silva is yours for €42 million, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic would set you back €20 million. That comes after reports that Paris St Germain and their piles of money were considering a double swoop for the players.

10.31 BST: Thomas Muller says he isn’t leaving Bayern Munich, although he might do, although then again it all depends. The Germany international has hinted that he could move on if he doesn’t get a regular starting place, and there would be no shortage of interest.

Muller's contract in Bavaria runs until 2015 and, although he has been linked with both AC and Inter Milan, he told Bild: “I am a Bayern player through and through, and that should not really change.”

But... “I would not be the kind of person to just sit out my contract if I was not satisfied with my situation in my club.”

But... “I don't feel any transfer intentions at the moment.''

10.01 BST: The Birmingham City manager Lee Clark says the Blues have received no offers for defender Curtis Davies. Davies is reported to be target for former Birmingham boss Chris Hughton, who is now the manager of Norwich City.

09.20 BST: Roma are strong contenders to sign Mattia Destro, who is co-owned by Siena and Genoa on one of those odd-seeming arrangements.

Genoa president Enrico Preziosi says Roma have been the first to make contact over a possible deal for the forward, who is also reported to be interesting Inter Milan and Juventus.

Reports in Italy suggest that a deal could be done with the proceeds from the sale of Roma striker Fabio Borini reinvested in Destro.

09.01 BST - DONE DEAL: Fiorentina have signed Argentinian defender Facundo Roncaglia, who became a free agent after his Boca Juniors contract expired last month. He moves to Tuscany on a three-year deal as the club’s second signing in a week after striker Mounir El Hamdaoui arrived from Ajax.

08.35 BST: It’s a novelty-style sunny morning and its dominant figure, as far as transfer speculation goes, appears to be Luka Modric after Wednesday’s Andre Villas-Boas press conference at Tottenham.

AVB, while admitting that Modric wants to leave, is adamant that the playmaker will only do so for the right price – and that's reported to be in the region of £40 million.

The Sun reports AVB as saying that the “Croatian sensation” (that’s the paper’s description of Modric, not the coach’s) “is a player of major importance for the club, and that’s why he attracts the attention of so many.”

He adds: “It is in the hands of the chairman to accept the right proposition. Chelsea were involved last year, so there is nothing new in the situation. There is interest, and the player raises interest.

“If the player’s ambition is to move, we can respect that. But there are club interests that the chairman will defend, and only when the right offer is made will there be more news.”

In the world beyond White Hart Lane, the Sun reports that Wigan’s Hugo Rodallega has put Everton off with his wage demands – and that means he is going to Fulham instead.

The paper says: “Rodallega’s £70,000-a-week wage demands would have immediately put him at the top of Toffees’ pay scale. Boss [David] Moyes offered him £20,000 less before pulling out of the deal.”

It claims Stoke and Aston Villa were also interested in signing the 27-year-old, but those possibilities also seem to have come to nothing.

In The Mirror, meanwhile, they’re intrigued by the possibility of all-time Liverpool bargain Andy Carroll turning up at Craven Cottage, and suggest there could be some sort of deal involving Clint Dempsey moving the other way.

The US international apparently wants to leave Craven Cottage for a bigger club, and Liverpool are rumoured to be keen to sign him. Do you see the conclusion they’ve drawn there?

The Daily Mail also concentrates on Carroll, suggesting that that he could make a "sensational return” (is there any other type of return?) to Newcastle, from whom Liverpool signed him in that description-defying deal in 2011.

Magpies manager Alan Pardew, who already has a pretty handy strike force, said: “Andy did a terrific job here. I have always supported him, even while he has been at Liverpool, when others weren't.

"I think he got a bit of a raw deal, not by Liverpool but from the media in general. He is going to be a great player.” Like some sort of slighty coy theatrical agent, Pardew then adds: “Where he treads the boards, we will have to see.”

The Star reports that newly-promoted Southampton could make a double swoop on former Championship colleagues Crystal Palace. Forward Wilfried Zaha and defender Nathaniel Clyne are reported to be on their radar, as is Spurs right-back Kyle Naughton, who was on loan at Norwich last season.

Comments

Posted by Nits on 07/12/2012

If Modric doesnt go then Tottenham cant spend money on players, seems he had 100 M to spend,all this noise for nothing AVB proved he is loser in premier league, he will remain one,Redknapp saved Tottenham , they were 18 th when he took over, his loyalty was paid kicked , there is a justice and at end of season we will see

Posted by capicua11 on 07/12/2012

SAF needs to gain something here in this window. Evra is looking his age as the season draws on and his replacement, Fabio, is out to QPR now. Leighton Baines would fit the bill, but there's not much movement from Man U. What about a replacement for Scholes? I admit that I like the Kagawa signing, but we need someone else since Anderson is not reliable, Carrick is more defensive, Fletcher might not come back, and Cleverley is still learning. Moutinho is looking at Tottenham, Modric is doing a dance with Real Madrid, and Man U sit back and watch it all. SAF needs to make something happen. In Sir Alex we trust!

Posted by capicua11 on 07/12/2012

P.S. Can someone take Berbatov? He's sitting on the bench taking up some space and MONEY that could be put to use elsewhere. I know he's not exactly what you're looking for, but who knows? He could have another Golden Boot season in him.

Posted by capicua11 on 07/12/2012

I hope the dominoes start falling at the top: Ibra and Silva to PSG, Tevez to AC Milan, RVP to Man City, Arsenal finally buys other players. They've admitted to already getting RVP's replacement, so let's see what they do. If Modric stays at Tottenham, I imagine his free transfer won't bring him the big bucks he's hoping to score.

Posted by capicua11 on 07/12/2012

Man U needs a freaking right back. Rafael is progressing slowly and obviously it was a tough position to fill since almost all of our other defenders tried to play there. Right back, creative midfielder to take over for Scholes, and a replacement for Evra. That would be a great transfer pick-up.

Posted by josh on 07/12/2012

I'm a Spurs fan, and I love modric, but £40 million could fix a lot of our depth issues...

Posted by JP BAYLISS on 07/12/2012

What players are likley to go to United? Modric, Lucas and Lewandowski are my picks.

Posted by GI Joe on 07/12/2012

Roma are interested in Destro? Are they also looking into Cobra Commander?
The 'Joes' team will intercept them before they can conclude whatever diabolical plan they are scheming.

Posted by Joey on 07/12/2012

Anything on Lucas to Manchester United?

Posted by Joey on 07/12/2012

Baines to MU would be great, he could send balls to Rooney/Hernandez from the left and Lucas is quick with a good shot so he's a good midfielder to have. Too bad there is "maybe one more siging"...

Posted by Alex on 07/12/2012

Chelsea should go for a young striker who has proven to be a reliable goalscorer. Remy and Doumbia would be good choices, as they will probably want to both leave for clubs who are playing in the UCL next season.

Posted by Joe Smith on 07/12/2012

I notice that more and more there is a Renaissance of sorts beginning to take place in Premier Soccer (I'm American). Players are increasingly being drawn to the Middle East, whether it's Qatar or another venue. As everyone knows, the European Renaissance came with the conquering of Constantinople. Scientists, artists, educators, etc...all headed West. Now, many players are headed East. One only has to look at the riches of Sheikhs and the demand for soccer to understand the draw. Asamoah Gyan already left, and I know he isn't as prominent as say, the "Croatian Sensation," Imagine what the game would look like if Manchester City's owner didn't own Man City, but a team in the Middle East. Interesting to see if this pattern continues...

Posted by TomTom on 07/12/2012

Any possible replacements for Ibrahimovic just yet? Milan is the place to win titles, especially for a greedy man like Robin van Persie.

Posted by CK on 07/12/2012

So is AC Milan the new feeder club for PSG? just like Arsenal are for City? I think that kind of talk is silly. Why are clubs that are fiscally responsible hammered by their supporters for prudent buying/selling and wadges. Not everyone can have a sheik for an owner. Arsenal are will have a really good team this year even without RVP and with Wenger's ability to reinvest those funds well they should be set up to have a chance to win on all fronts this year.

Posted by TomTom on 07/12/2012

A team about to receive 62 million euros should invest that money into a bargain like Van Persie. He's the only reasonable center forward to replace Ibrahimovic with. Tevez is too expensive and will probably want a tree that grows money as part of the personal terms. Van Persie isn't all about the money, apparently.

Posted by Derek M on 07/12/2012

With AC Milan dumping Ibra's big contract and having a trucks load of money maybe they will make a move for "future" target Andy Carrol on a permanent basis...

Posted by silver on 07/12/2012

if ibra is leaving you can see why AC are looking at Andy Carroll, though i still believe letting go of carroll will be a poor decision by rodgers. we should really try to lure Christian Erikson though he'l b a perfect fit.

Posted by Will H. on 07/12/2012

Why would Van Persie want to go to AC Milan they just gave away they're best two players. He wants to win trophies, he clearly doesn't want to have to deal with a rebuilding (Arsenal). As a Man City fan I'd love to see them unload one of their strikers (Tevez or Dzeko).

Posted by Austin O on 07/12/2012

De Bruyne deal to Werder Bremen makes sense because I think part of the deal to bring Marin to Chelsea would be a loan player in return ... I know that Lukaku was mentioned to go on loan there back when the deal was complete. I predict the least impressive youngster on tour in the States will be loaned out to Bremen.

Posted by Austin O on 07/12/2012

De Bruyne deal to Werder Bremen makes sense because I think part of the deal to bring Marin to Chelsea would be a loan player in return ... I know that Lukaku was mentioned to go on loan there back when the deal was complete. I predict the least impressive youngster on tour in the States will be loaned out to Bremen.

Posted by Lo Sbandato on 07/12/2012

Plenty of talk about Ibra replacements, but who replaces TS? Silva was often the the thin line between Milan and total disaster at the back. They can't possibly believe Bonera is a straight swap, can they?

And Mickey Owen, your "few good years left" are out on the golf course.

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