EPL Gossip Thursday March 24th
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti wants £60m-rated Palermo playmaker Javier Pastore to provide the ammunition for misfiring Fernando Torres but hopes to land him for £30m. Daily Mirror
Now that Chelsea is winning the press are linking Ancelotti with players again instead of him being out of a job. As for Javier Pastore I’m a big fan of his and think he could play on any team. My only question if this move were to happen would be for Pastore to shine he’ll need to take up the space Frank Lampard currently fits. Not going to be easy pushing Lampard to the side.
Liverpool are set to go head to head with Manchester United for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young. The 25-year-old tops a list of summer targets for the the Merseysiders that also includes Wolves wideman Matt Jarvis, Bolton defender Gary Cahill and Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam. the Times (requires subscription)
I do think Ashley Young is gone come this summer. I do think it would be a great coup if Liverpool could one up Manchester United and sign Young. At the very least it should drive the price up.
Manchester City have started to sound out possible replacements for controversial forward Mario Balotelli, with Napoli striker Ezequiel Lavezzi at the top of their list. talkSPORT
Lavezzi is a very good player but it isn’t like he is of sound body and mind either.
Juventus have Liverpool and England’s Glen Johnson and Chelsea’s Jose Bosingwa on their list of right-back targets for next season. Daily Mirror
Glen Johnson like many English players would be a fish out of water playing in Italy.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is understood to have approached French club Lille about the possibility of securing both Moussa Sow and Gervinho on a deal that would result in the pair spearheading a £40m-rated Magpies attack next season. Metro
I’d rather stay in France.
AC Milan centre-back Thiago Silva has suggested he may be open to a summer move to Manchester United. Caught Offside
In other words Thiago Silva is open to more money but either A.C Milan or Manchester United this summer.
Scouts representing Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham will watch Ipswich striker Connor Wickham on England Under-21 duty against Denmark on Thursday night. Daily Mirror
Arsenal should sell Bendter sign Wickham and I’d be happy.
Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has admitted it would be “a dream” to return to Anfield. The Spaniard was sacked by Inter Milan in December. Sky Sports
At this point it would be a dream to coach any coach. I love how Rafa is doing all this media now.
England manager Fabio Capello, criticised by some for his strict regime during England’s unsuccessful 2010 World Cup campaign, refused to allow his players to play golf in the sun on Wednesday, instead instructing them to stay in their rooms at their hotel in Watford. the Independent
It’s one thing not letting your players go to a bar or nightclub. It’s another not letting them golf in the afternoon. Capello is just being a prick with that move.