EPL Gossip Thursday April 8th
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will try to lure Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to Old Trafford with the prospect of more regular first-team football. L’Equipe (in French)
Or Benzema can sit on the bench as well right along with Dimitar Berbatov.
Wolfsburg coach Lorenz Gunther Kostner is desperate for striker Edin Dzeko to reject a summer move to Chelsea or Manchester City. The Sun
Good as gone considering the season Wolfsburg has had.
Sporting Lisbon will attempt to sign Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario this summer. Abola
Only way Hilario goes to Sporting is if Chelsea doesn’t want him anymore.
Spartak Moscow manager Valery Karpin has hit out at Liverpool winger Albert Riera over his wage demands and ruled out signing the Spaniard before the Russian transfer window closes on Thursday. Daily Mail
What a gaint waste of time this whole Albert Riera-Liverpool mess was in the end.
Feyenoord’s £5m-rated midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum admits it would be a “dream” to move to Liverpool after catching the eye of the club’s scouts. Daily Mirror
It would also be a dream for Liverpool to sign Wijnaldum for only £5 million.
Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Neo-Coker plans to see out the remaining year of his £2m-a-year contract at Villa Park despite the club’s desire to recoup some of the £7.5m they paid West Ham in 2007. Daily Star
Would be a big F.U for Neo-Coker to see out the final year of his deal before moving on as a free transfer.
Burnley manager Brian Laws is on the brink of being sacked, barely three months after he was appointed at Turf Moor, following a run of only one win in 14 games. Daily Mail
If you are Wolves, Bolton, Wigan and West Ham you love that Burnley and Hull have appointed managers who clearly can’t cut it in the top flight.
Arsenal will make significant changes on and off the pitch this summer, with boss Arsene Wenger ready to make central defence a transfer priority and Stan Kroenke poised to make a pivotal decision in the long-term battle for control of the club. Daily Telegraph
Central defender to replace Gallas and a real holding midfielder in the Patrick Vieira mold as Alex Song will not get it done against the games top players.
Benitez has admitted for the first time that he feels he has taken Liverpool as far as he can after six years of “wheeling and dealing”, insisting the club will not be able to compete for the Premier League or Champions League without the cash injection provided by fresh investment. Daily Telegraph
One more reason why ownership will close the chequebook this summer. Even if they do have money to spend are they going to trust Benitez to spend it now?