Reds interested in Athletic Bilbao defender

August 17, 2009

According to reports in the press, Liverpool are said to be interested in signing Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta. The Reds reportedly deputed scouts to Bilbao’s Spanish Super Cup game against Barcelona to watch the 24 year old centre back.

Amorebieta started off with Bilbao’s feeder club CD Baskonia in 2003, and moved to Bilbao Athletic a year later. Bilbao Athletic, for the uninitiated, is often referred to as Athletic Bilbao’s B team.

Amorebieta has made over a 100 appearances for Athletic, and was also called up to the Spanish national team by Vicente Del Bosque. He has however not yet made his debut for La Furia Roja.

Reports suggest that a fee of around €11.5m could be demanded by Bilbao. Liverpool have already made one defensive signing in the form of Glen Johnson, and were heavily linked with Hull City’s Michael Turner, but were put off by the Tigers’ asking price.

Liverpool started their Premier League title challenge in unconvincing fashion as they lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur. The Reds need to bring in signings to increase their squad strength- they were forced to bring in young Ayala to replace the injured Skrtel in the game against Spurs.

Amorebieta was born in Valencia, but was raised in Spain. Both his parents are from the autonomous Basque country region in the north of the country.

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Written by soccer-writer · Filed Under Football Rumours, Premier League Transfers

Bikey completes Burnley medical

August 17, 2009

Reading defender Andre Bikey is set for a move to Premier League Burnley, the fee is believed to be close to the £3million mark. Reading don’t want to sell their Cameroonian defender, but Bikey has a £3million release clause in his contract and has let it be known that he wishes to move elsewhere to help his chances of making his national teams squad for next year’s World Cup.

The 24 year-old is yet to appear for the Royals this season, as he’s been serving a three match ban after picking up a red card against Burnley in the Championship play-off semi-final last season. He is now available for selection, but it looks like hes played his last game for the Royals.

Reading manager Brendan Rodgers told the Reading Post: “He has many competitors in the Cameroon squad, who he may feel will be in front of him unless he’s playing at the highest level.

“This is a World Cup year, those in the international reckoning will feel that they have to be playing at the very highest level to have a chance to go to a World Cup.”

Burnley boss Owen Coyle is keen to strengthen his defence with a tough and powerful centre-back and believes the former Lokomotiv Moscow star is the right man to shore up his shaky backline. The Scot is currently without influential defender Stephen Caldwell, who picked up an injury while on international duty with Scotland on Wednesday night.

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Written by football writer · Filed Under Championship, Premier League Transfers

Toni set for Roma move

August 16, 2009

Italian international striker Luca Toni looks set to return to his homeland with Roma, a fee has yet to be revealed. The 32 year-old has been linked with a move to Premier League West Ham and Ligue 1 side Monaco, but he knows that a return to Serie A will help his chances of playing in next summers World Cup.

Toni faces stiff competition for a place up front this season at Bayern, after the German giants signed strikers Mario Gomez from Stuttgart and Ivica Olic from Hamburg this summer. Bayern also already have German international striker Miroslav Klose as a forward option.

Toni’s agent Jose Alberti told Roma Giallo Rossa:“It’s a situation that is 80 per cent likely to be concluded successfully,”

“At the moment, there is no negotiation – only an interest on Roma’s part.

“Both the club and the player have been informed and Roma are awaiting a response from Bayern Munich.

“Toni is very willing to return to Italy, particularly because he played in the World Cup in Germany alongside [Francesco] Totti, so that would be an extra incentive for him.”

He continued: “He wants to regain the faith of those who didn’t believe in him in Germany.”

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Written by football writer · Filed Under Football Rumours

Carlisle hope to secure Hurst signature

August 15, 2009

Carlisle United are in talks with Scunthorpe United over a potential permanent transfer for out of favour Iron winger Kevan Hurst. Iron boss Nigel Adkin confirmed on Scunthorpe’s official site that Hurst was contemplating a move to Brunton Park, but also added that both the sides had yet to agree a transfer fee.

Hurst, 27, was signed by Scunthorpe from Sheffield United for £200,000 in 2007. He recently put pen to paper a two year contract, but has not featured in any of Scunthorpe’s games this season, and was not in the squad which beat Derby County 3-2 last night.

Carlisle are looking at Hurst as a possible replacement for Cleveland Taylor, whom they sold to Brentford a few days ago.

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Written by Le Foot · Filed Under League One

Doncaster Rovers sign Shackell on loan

August 15, 2009

Newly promoted Coca Cola Championship outfit Doncaster Rovers have taken Jason Shackell on a month long loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 25 year old defender joined Wolves from Norwich City for £1m in September 2008, but has struggled to establish himself at Molineux, and was loaned back to his former club in February 2009 till the end of the 2008-09 season.

Shackell, who will wear the No.20 shirt in his month long stay at the Keepmoat Stadium, made his DRFC debut against Preston North End on Saturday, August 15. The game ended in 1 -1 draw. He could make as many as six appearances for the Vikings, and should also appear in their tough league ties against Reading and West Bromwich Albion on September 12 and 15 respectively.

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Written by Le Foot · Filed Under Championship

QPR sign Thomas Heaton on three month loan

August 15, 2009

QPR have signed Manchester United goalkeeper Thomas Heaton on a three month loan. The Hoops have brought in the former England U-21 international as cover for Radek Cerny, who is currently the No.1 goalkeeper at Loftus Road.

Heaton is not new to the experience of playing in the Championship, having made 21 appearances for Cardiff City last season. The terms of the loan allow Heaton to play in Carling Cup games too.

QPR is the fourth club that the 23 year old Heaton has had a loan spell at, after Swindon Town, Royal Antwerp, and as mentioned before, Cardiff City.

QPR have taken two points from their two Championship games, and were held to a draw by Plymouth Argyle in their weekend match.

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Written by Le Foot · Filed Under Championship

Aguero linked with a move to Chelsea

August 15, 2009

Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero is again being linked with a move to Premier League Chelsea. A fee in the region of £42million has been mooted, but the Spanish club have already revealed that they don’t want to sell their top star. However the Argentinian striker has a £50million release clause.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic really wants a big name signing after a quiet summer so far. Aguero fits the bill of a star signing. Chelsea will have to move quickly if they are to sign him, as the starlet will be cup-tied if he appears for Atletico on Wednesday against Panathinaikos in the Champions League.

Aguero has also been linked with Premier League champions Manchester United. However it looks like the Blues are more likely to sign the 21 year-old, as United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed his summer spending is over.

Chelsea’s only major signing this summer was Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow for a fee believed to be £15million. Their other signings Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City and Ross Turnbull from Middlesbrough were bosman signings.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is also being linked with a move for former England captain David Beckham. The former United midfielder has fallen out with his American club LA Galaxy after clashes with some of his own fans. Beckham however could well return to AC Milan on-loan in January.

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Written by football writer · Filed Under Premier League Transfers

Mensah switch to Sunderland almost complete

August 15, 2009

The agent of Ghana defender John Mensah has said that his client’s move across the Channel is almost complete, and will go through on Monday.

Mensah, who plays for French giants Olympique Lyon, will reportedly go to the Stadium of Light on a one year loan deal, with the Black Cats having the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.

Lyon were initially reluctant to send Mensah to England on loan, and wanted a permanent transfer, but a deal has now been struck between Les Gones and Sunderland.

Mensah is said to be keen to work under Steve Bruce and his assistant Eric Black, who speaks fluent French, and is said to be the man who invited Mensah to try his luck in England.

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Written by Le Foot · Filed Under Premier League Transfers

Notts County sign Kasper Schmeichel

August 14, 2009

Notts County have signed Danish legend Peter Schmeichel’s son Kasper from Manchester City for an undisclosed fee. Reports suggest that it is in seven figures, and eclipses the £685,000 Notts County paid for Tony Agana nearly two decades back. This would make Schmeichel the Magpies’ club record signing.

Schmeichel has put pen to paper a five year deal at Meadow Lane.

Schmeichel joined City at the age of fifteen in 2002, and is a product of the club’s famed youth system. He has had spells on loan at Darlington, Falkirk, Bury, Cardiff and Coventry City. Unfortunately, the presence of Shay Given and Joe Hart at Eastlands meant that opportunities in the future would be limited for him, and he agreed to rejoin former City boss Sven Goran Eriksson, who currently serves as Director of Football at Notts County.

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Written by Le Foot · Filed Under League Two

Duff in Fulham talks

August 14, 2009

Fulham are hoping to sign Newcastle winger Damien Duff in a deal worth £4million. The Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson has revealed that the club are in talks with Newcastle over a possible move. The 30 year-old had previously stated that he wanted to stay and help the Magpies back up in to the Premier League, but now looks likely to leave.

“The clubs are talking and I hope the deal will go through. He’s a player that interests us,” revealed Hodgson

“Damien and I go back a long way from when we worked together at Blackburn. He wants to come back to West London.

“Damien had injury problems at Chelsea and has done well at Newcastle given the turmoil there.

“Every time he’s played for Ireland he’s consistently been one of their best performers.

“We know what we’d be getting with Damien – he’s an experienced and quality player.”

He has also revealed that he is yet to receive a bid for giant defender Brede Hangeland, who has been heavily linked with Arsenal all summer.

“There has been no approach from any club for Hangeland and as a result we’re expecting him to play for us this season,” Hodgson stated.

The Norwegian international was a revelation last season at the heart of the Fulham defence, as the club qualified finished seventh in the Premier League and qualified for Europe. He stated earlier in the summer that he is happy to stay at Fulham and doesn’t wish to move.

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Written by football writer · Filed Under Premier League Transfers

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