Archive for the ‘EPL Gossip’ Category

EPL Gossip Tuesday September 13th

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Asamoah Gyan could yet have a future at Sunderland after agreeing to pay a chunk of his £200k-a-week wages while on loan at United Arab Emirates club Al-Ain to the Black Cats’ charity foundation.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Guess Gyan had 200,000 reasons to make the shock move to Al-Ain. First Darren Bent, now Asamoah Gyan leaves. Either they don’t like life in Northern England or more to the point they don’t like Steve Bruce.

Arsenal will re-enter the transfer window in January and are planning a cut-price double swoop for Bolton defender Gary Cahill and Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo. Full story: Footybunker.com

the Gunners are also lining up a summer swoop for 24-year-old Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero, according to reports in Spain. Full story: talkSPORT

Don’t care much for the Cahill and Montolivo rumours. Been there done that. As for Granero do you really think Jose Mourinho is going to give Wenger a player he likes but sadly can’t play much?

Celtic striker Islam Feruz, 16, dubbed the ‘Scottish Wayne Rooney’ is set to join Chelsea.
Full story: Metro

When I think of the Scottish Wayne Rooney the name Islam Feruz springs to mind.

Serie A giants Juventus are hoping to tempt Manchester City left-back Aleksandar Kolarov back to Italy in January. Full story: talkSPORT

17 million for a 3rd choice left back. I like Kolarov but you know Lazio did a fist pump the second they sold him to Manchester City.

Arsenal failed in a deadline day swoop for Fiorentina striker and Chelsea target Stefan Jovetic. The 21-year-old joined Fiorentina in 2008 for around £7m from Partizan Belgrade.
Full story: talkSPORT

Key words being Arsenal failed.

Bolton and England defender Gary Cahill has emerged as a possible target for Italian club Juventus.
Full story: Inside Futbol

Juventus isn’t going to pay 20 million for an English centre back. Hopefully Juventus signs Bruno Alves so I can see him play week in and week out again.

Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles says he was surprised when former club Liverpool wanted to sell him.
Full story: Metro

Daniel Sturridge deserves all the credit in the world for his goal on the weekend but look at that pass from Raul Meireles. That’s a pass Xavi would be proud of. I get why Liverpool wanted to sell Meireles and I get why Meireles wanted to go but I will say this. Liverpool can’t play Meireles ahead of golden boy Steven Gerrard everyone knows that but it would not shock me if Meireles has more of an impact with Chelsea than Gerrard does with Liverpool when he gets back.

EPL Gossip Monday September 12th

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Manchester City will make an audacious £35m offer for Barcelona defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets in January. Full story: Caughtoffside.com

Well we did learn Sergio Busquets has a hand for goal this past weekend.

England boss Fabio Capello has been targeted for one huge final pay-day by big-spending Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. Full story: Daily Mail

All I know is that England would be fools to dump Capello before Euro 2012. Like most people I heard the rumours of Anzhi 25 million euro offer to Jose Mourinho. If you are a coach like Capello and they offer “only” 10 million do you feel insulted?

Striker Emmanuel Adebayor – on loan at Tottenham from Premier League rivals Manchester City – has declared his career at Etihad Stadium “over”. “The love between myself and Manchester City is broken,” he said. Full story: Daily Mail

If anything Adebayor love with Manchester City was more like a one night stand. It didn’t last very long.

Italian giants AC Milan are keeping tabs on Chelsea striker Fernando Torres and could make a loan bid for the Spaniard, who has yet to find his best form at Stamford Bridge. Full story: Inside Futbol

A.C Milan already has enough moody strikers. With Álvaro Negredo tearing it up in Spain Torres shouldn’t even be in the national team set up anymore.

Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes wants to leave the club in January after losing his place to summer signing Brad Friedel. Full story: Daily Mirror

Tottenham rightly can’t trust Gomes. He can make some unreal saves but on the flip side pulls a David James and lets in a few that should never go in.

Danny Wilson is a loan target for Championship outfit Leeds United as the Scotland defender continues to find himself out of the Liverpool first team. (Daily Record)

It does bug me when top clubs buy young players then don’t throw them into the fire. Look at Daniel Sturridge, he has been ready for over a year now to produce at Chelsea and only now he is getting that chance.

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has broken his silence on the Gunners’ deadline-day transfer spending. Manager Arsene Wenger brought in Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker but Kroenke admitted: “There’s a risk of going backwards if you overreact and start throwing money around in an attempt to solve your problems.”
Full story: Caughtoffside.com

Like Stan Kroenke knows a damn thing about soccer aside that it makes him a boatload of money.

Harry Redknapp has revealed Spurs missed out on a £13m windfall for Giovani dos Santos in January. Italian side Udinese made the offer but the forward wanted to go to Sevilla, who tabled a much lower bid. Full story: Daily Mirror

Behind Porto no other club knows how to work the transfer market like Udinese. For example watch out for Gabriel Torje. In two years a top club will pay a lot of money for his services.

Sergio Aguero has vowed to do for Manchester City what Diego Maradona did for Napoli.
Full story: Daily Mirror

If you are a Manchester City fan you have to be beaming right now. Last year they were still playing with Tevez up front by himself. Now Manchester City looks to take the game to anyone they play.

Andre Villas-Boas wants to see changes made to the way teams drop out of the Champions League and into the Europa League. The side finishing third in each group currently moves into Europe’s second club competition, but Villas-Boas says that rewards failure. Full story: Sky Sports

Pretty smart thinking by Villas-Boas.

EPL Gossip Friday September 9th

Friday, September 9th, 2011

Tottenham are set to go head-to-head with QPR to snap up former England captain David Beckham, 36, when his contract at LA Galaxy expires in November. Full story: Daily Mirror

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp wants to help Beckham achieve his dream of playing for Team GB at the 2012 Olympics by signing him in January. Full story: the Sun

I can honestly say I have no idea what Beckham is going to do when his contract is up but it is smart for Harry Redknapp to throw out that Olympic team carrot out there.

Liverpool are locked in a battle with Italian side AC Milan to sign Ajax’s teenage midfielder Christian Eriksen. Full story: talkSPORT

Smart move by Eriksen who could of moved in the summer put decided playing week in and week out for Ajax was a better choice.

Arsenal look set to lose out on signing Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo, after his agent, Giovanni Branchini, confirmed that he would like to pledge his long-term future to the Italian club.
Full story: talkSPORT

Fiorentina most likely wanted a transfer fee that was actually market value which killed Arsenal chances of signing Montolivo.

Villas-Boas has also warned striker Fernando Torres that he faces being dropped if his goal drought starts to damage Chelsea’s title aspirations. Full story: Daily Mirror

It’s about time someone dropped the hammer. Torres has had a full pre season with Chelsea, it’s time to start scoring.

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has claimed he has turned down jobs all over the world as he awaits his return to football management. Full story: Daily Mirror

Rafa is in a bad spot right now. These things can change in a heartbeat with the way coaches are fired but Benitez isn’t coaching Real Madrid or Barcelona anytime soon and I’m sure he sees himself as too good of a coach for any other Spanish team. He isn’t going back to Liverpool and he burned his bridge in Italy with his foolish power play. What team out there is a fit for Rafa without him taking a step down?

EPL Gossip Tuesday September 7th

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Old Trafford for the Bernabeu in an £80m world-record deal in 2009, has refused to close the door on a potential return to Manchester United. Full story: Metro

You know it’s a slow news day when. He also said he’d sign a 10 year contract with Real Madrid if they wanted to offer him one. You never know what the future holds but it’s safe to say the Ronaldo-Manchester United chapter has been written.

QPR have denied rumours that former England captain David Beckham is set to join the London club in November when his LA Galaxy contract expires. Full story: Metro

But the Daily Mail insists QPR have opened talks with the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder. Full story: Daily Mail

You could make the case that the LA Galaxy may be a better team now than Q.P.R. Can’t blame them for at least picking up the phone to see if Beckham has any interest in a move.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle wants England defender Gary Cahill to sign a new deal at the club. The former Aston Villa centre-back, who is rated at £17m, is a target for both Tottenham and Arsenal.
Full story: the Sun

Unless there is a low release clause there is no way if I’m Gary Cahill I’m signing a new deal with Bolton.

Young players Josh McEachran and Romelu Lukaku will be allowed to leave Chelsea on loan if they do not play enough games this year. Full story: the Sun

In any other country even the top teams would make room to bring players like McEachran and Lukaku to the first team. In England where a coach can be fired after three bad results usually means a coach isn’t going to throw many young players into the fire.

Arsenal attacker Andrey Arshavin has revealed his frustration at the club missing out on Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila during the final moments of transfer deadline day. Full story: Metro

Arsenal should reveal there frustration with Andrey Arshavin.

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane’s possible appointment as the national coach of Iceland is in doubt after he failed to show up for a meeting with the Icelandic Football Association. Full story: Daily Mail

Maybe he didn’t like the quality of the training grounds in Iceland?

EPL Gossip Monday August 29th

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is closing in on West Ham midfielder Scott Parker after putting in an improved £6m offer. Full story: the Sun

Sunderland are eyeing a move for Tottenham striker Peter Crouch, as Stoke continue their pursuit of the England frontman. Full story: the Guardian

Stoke boss Tony Pulis is set to sign Honduras midfielder Wilson Palacios from Tottenham for £6m.
Full story: the Sun

You know with Harry Redknapp’s history and after the trashing Manchester City gave them that Tottenham is going to clear players in and out before the transfer window closes.

Arsenal are interested in signing £10m-rated Chelsea’s Brazilian defender Alex.
Full story: the Sun

Since I had money on Arsenal against Udiense I was quite happy with their performance but never did I think it was going to lead to a turn around. Arsenal defeated a team who sold their best player and best defender in the off season. Plus Udiense isn’t considered a giant of Italian football to begin with. If I was an Arsenal fan I’d almost be insulted after racking in close to 65 million in transfer fees the first player Wenger brings in is a South Korean striker playing in the French second division for 3 million. By all amounts he is a decent player but he isn’t going to change things. The trouble is players go to teams to either win or get paid and Arsenal can offer neither at this point.

Juventus defender Zdenek Grygera is set for a move to Fulham as boss Martin Jol chases Birmingham forward Cameron Jerome and Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha. Full story: Daily Mail

It’s funny how the second Martin Jol takes over a team they start leaking in goals.

Harry Redknapp has revealed that Luka Modric asked him not to play him against Manchester City on Sunday. The Croatian playmaker did start, but was taken off in the second half. (Various)

I’d love to ask my boss to not make me work.

Tim Howard hailed Everton’s “crazy” win over Blackburn as the potential turning point that can spark their season. The Blues keeper saved a penalty and saw another against him missed before Mikel Arteta’s spot-kick success gave Everton their first win of the season.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Bad things happen to bad teams and Blackburn is a bad team.

EPL Gossip Wednesday August 24th

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Tottenham have agreed a loan deal for Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
Full story: the Sun

After throwing in the towel against Manchester United on Monday you know Tottenham is going to want and make a move in a hurry

Forward El-Hadji Diouf has criticised Blackburn manager Steve Kean for freezing him out at Ewood Park.
Full story: the Sun

I wouldn’t let El-Hadji Diouf come within the city limits never mind play him on my football team.

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli says he fancies a move to Serie A side Palermo – the city where he was born. Full story: Daily Mirror

But Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini insists the club have little chance of signing Balotelli because he is too expensive. Full story: talkSPORT

Pretty much ends this story.

Aston Villa are set to make a £3.5m bid for Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson.
Full story: Daily Mail

Darron Gibson should see the writting on the wall and pack his bags.

Arsenal target Eden Hazard has once again reaffirmed his commitment to Lille by ruling out a move to the Emirates this summer. Full story: talkSPORT

Shame for Arsenal

Misfit Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole wants a permanent move away from Anfield – and wants to join Tottenham. Full story: Daily Mirror

Another club where he wouldn’t play everyday at.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have lodged a bid of around €20m [£16.6m] for the highly rated Porto wing-back Alvaro Pereira. Full story: the Guardian

Well, it wouldn’t be the first time he has replaced Jose Bosingwa.

Rumours that striker Andy Carroll was leaving Liverpool erupted on Twitter after he was ‘spotted’ outside Manchester City’s stadium. But thankfully for Kopites, it was just a case of mistaken identity after his namesake’s tiling firm rocked up outside City’s club shop. Full story: Metro

I find it funny that people figured this could be real. Not for nothing but I don’t think teams are tripping themselves to say Andy Carroll right now.

EPL Gossip Tuesday August 23

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

AC Milan confirm they are in talks to sign Liverpool’s Alberto Aquilani, as QPR target a loan deal for his Anfield team-mate Joe Cole. Full story: Daily Mirror

Liverpool needs to clear the deck and if that means selling Aquilani for 6 million then so be it. As for Joe Cole he has a 1% chance of making it to Euro 2012. The only way he can do so is by going to Q.P.R and playing week in and week out.

West Ham’s Kevin Nolan has encouraged the club to sign his former Newcastle team-mate Joey Barton if they sell Scott Parker before the summer transfer window closes. Full story: Daily Mirror

I don’t even think Joey Barton wants to leave and if he does I’m sure there are options in the EPL he can go to.

Bolton aim to sign three players this week – Liverpool striker David Ngog for £4m-plus and Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips for £2m, while also taking City’s defender Dedryck Boyata on loan.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Not the biggest Ngog fan but Wright-Phillips and Boyata would prove useful if Bolton can nab them.

But Reds boss Kenny Dalglish is more likely to succeed with an £8m move for Birmingham defender Scott Dann. Full story: Daily Star

For a player like Scott Dann you must be nervous with each passing day that goes by and your still at Birmingham.

Arsenal are ready to break the bank to bring Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger to Emirates Stadium. Full story: Fanatix

Good luck with that. I don’t believe Arsenal would really make a run at Schweinsteiger however.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is planning to bolster his defence by signing Porto’s Rolando and Ajax’s Gregory van der Wiel before the transfer window shuts. Full story: Fanatix

It’s not who Chelsea bring in and it’s Chelsea ships out is what I want to see before I can consider them true contenders for Europe.

Arsenal are trying to offload Sebastian Squillaci – but they cannot find a taker for the French defender. Full story: talkSPORT

Shocking, I know

Tottenham failed with bids for Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Stewart Downing during the current transfer window. Full story: Metro

Is this suppose to make Spurs fans feel better?

Inter Milan are weighing up a move for Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt, according to sources in Italy.
Full story: talkSPORT

Striker Kuyt will reject Inter’s interest in favour of staying at Anfield.
Full story: Daily Mail

I can’t begin to image the culture shock Dirk Kuyt would have playing in the laid back pace of Serie A compared to the EPL.

Manchester City have been set a deadline of Wednesday morning to complete a deal for Samir Nasri else risk the player being cup tied for the Champions League, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger looking to include Nasri in the starting XI in their qualifying second leg. Full story: Footybunker.com

Bye Bye Nasri. It still shocks me how Wenger would come out and say he plans to keep both Cesc and Nasri. It’s almost be insulting if I was an Arsenal fan and Wenger let this drag on into the season.

Lille striker Moussa Sow is keen on a move to Arsenal and Real Madrid.
Full story: Inside Futbol

Sow stock has done a world of good since signing as a free transfer I believe last year.

Rangers were incensed to learn an appeal against Steven Whittaker’s three-match ban was rejected by Uefa because of his sending off for Scotland nearly a year ago. Full story: Daily Record

Yuo really have a question a player who gets sent off within the first 30 minutes in a game where Rangers needed to win in order to advance.

EPL Gossip Monday August 22nd

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made bids of £15m and more than £20m respectively for Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila and Lille forward Eden Hazard. The Frenchman may also return to Everton with a fresh approach for defender Phil Jagielka. Full story: Daily Mirror

It’s no fun knocking you Wenger please sign Hazard and M’Vila. Pull a Liverpool and over pay if you have too but do it.

The Gunners are reportedly offering striker Nicklas Bendtner to Werder Bremen in a swap deal for experienced centre back Per Mertesacker. Full story: Caught Offside

Swap deals rarely happen but if I’m Werder Bremen I’d conisder it.

Tottenham could renew their efforts to sign Atletico Madrid frontman Diego Forlan as the Uruguayan has grown unsettled at the Vicente Calderon. Full story: Fanatix

Forlan should save some time and pack his bags to join Inter as Eto’o replacement.

Out-of-favour Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani has claimed he is close to joining AC Milan.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Aquilani would be a nice little pick up for the Italian Champions.

Chelsea will make a move for Fiorentina attacker Stevan Jovetic as soon as their deal to sign Juan Mata from Valencia has been finalised. Full story: Fanatix

The problem with Chelsea isn’t the players they are bringing in. Both Mata and Jovetic are players I like. It’s the fact no one has moved out which worries me. It’s early but Chelsea still look the same to me.

Ferguson is reportedly monitoring Japanese international Shinji Kagawa, the 22-year-old midfielder currently with Borussia Dortmund. Full story: Caught Offside

Good for Dortmund who thus far have been able to keep all their top players.

Arsenal are set to open talks with Lazio striker Mauro Zarate and hope to have the Argentine in the squad in time for the weekend’s match against Manchester United. Full story: Footy Bunker

Arsenal have one flake in Zarate who you never know what your going to get game by game. They don’t need another player in the same mold.

Liverpool are tempted by a possible swap deal that would send midfielder Raul Meireles to Chelsea in exchange for striker Daniel Sturridge. Full story: Caught Offside

Sturridge was will a long career but if your looking to win now you need Meireles in your starting 11 when fit.

EPL Gossip Friday August 19th

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Daily Mirror

Left-back Jose Enrique – who left Newcastle for Liverpool last week – claims Toon players are nervous about the club’s future which is why they want to leave.

You know if I was some billionaire looking to dump vast amounts of money into a football club Newcastle would be high on the list of clubs I’d buy.

Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri is joining Manchester City – but has admitted he would rather have joined United, Barcelona or Real Madrid.

I get it, Nasri is a fine player but it’s not like Manchester City has had huge success buying Arsenal players previously.

Blackburn have agreed a £6m fee for Hoffenheim striker Vedad Ibisevic and hope to seal a deal for Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder Simon Vukcevic today.

Both players I actually kind of like.

The Sun

Chelsea still want to sign Spurs midfielder Luka Modric and are set to offer £30m plus Yossi Benayoun.

I’m sure Yossi Benayoun is going to push this offer over the top.

QPR and Norwich are leading the chase for Hull midfielder Jimmy Bullard who has had his contract terminated by the Tigers.

Have a feeling the second after Bullard signs he’s strain a hamstring or something.

Fulham are lining up a bid for FC Twente winger Bryan Ruiz.

I’m shocked more clubs haven’t made bids for Bryan Ruiz. Been a top player in Holland for awhile now.

the Daily Telegraph

Chelsea last night bid £27million for the Spain international Juan Mata as manager Andre Villas-Boas made a decisive move to improve his squad before the transfer window closes.

It says something about La Liga when Valencia could sell three players for 100 million dollars and yet when all three of them were on the team they couldn’t come close to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

EPL Gossip Thursday August 18th

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

Daily Mirror

Harry Redknapp has admitted for the first time that Tottenham could sell Chelsea target Luka Modric this summer.

Redknapp has changed his tune where he pretty much said Modric wouldn’t be sold at any cost.

Samir Nasri is on the verge of completing a £22million move from Arsenal to Manchester City.

Arsenal won’t miss him….sadly I really don’t have faith in Arsenal to reinvest that money in a player or two who can help them now.

Harry Redknapp believes Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor could be a “sensational” signing for Tottenham.

He would be an upgrade to Peter Crouch. Plus you know Adebayor would love to stick it to Arsenal.

West Ham are hoping to offload Scott Parker to QPR and Carlton Cole to Fulham

If Scott Parker wishes to stay on the England team he’ll need to play for an EPL team even if it is Q.P.R.

Liverpool are lining up a cash-plus-players deal for Bolton defender Gary Cahill.

Cahill didn’t hurt his stock any with his great goal on the weekend.

Chelsea have had a £22million bid for Juan Mata rejected by Valencia.

Like Mata but he isn’t a good fit for Chelsea.

Fulham are ready to offer £1.4million for Porto right-back Miguel Lopes.

They are a handful of players who don’t see the light of day at Porto who could help out many EPL clubs.

Daily Telegraph

Chelsea were in negotiations with Porto on Wednesday night to sign Joao Moutinho and Alvaro Pereira.

As a Porto fan can’t wait til this transfer window shuts.