Manchester City set sights on Antonio Cassano
December 31, 2009
Manchester City are readying a bid for Sampdoria’s talented playmaker Antonio Cassano. With Roberto Mancini at the helm at City, the focus is on acquiring skilled Italians whom the manager knows well and can fit right into the scheme of things at Eastlands. Apart from Petrov and SWP, City lack an out and out winger. The trickery and pace of the Italian international, who also had a spell at Real Madrid will be beneficial to City in that respect. Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho is also believed to be an admirer of the hot-headed star but City are favourites to see of the Milan giants.
Sampdoria are currently eighth in the League table riding on goals from Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini. It comes as no surprise that City have also been linked with a move for Pazzini. Other Italian players that Mancini is rumoured to be tracking are Dejan Stankovic, Mario Balotelli, Leonardo Bonucci, Simon Kjaer and Goran Pandev.
Sampdoria chief Marotta said: “I have read what is written in the English newspapers but I can assure you that we have not been contacted by Man City, nor have we any news relating to Cassano. We know, however, that Mancini worships Cassano, but as for the rest, there have not been any official offers of any type.”
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailWalsall complete Clayton McDonald signing
December 29, 2009
League One club Walsall have announced the signing of Clayton McDonald on a permanent basis. The Saddlers have signed the defender on an eighteen month contract. McDonald was at Manchester City before moving to the Banks’ Stadium.
The 6’6″ tall McDonald rose through the youth ranks at City and spent time on loan at Chesterfield, Macclesfield Town, and most recently, Walsall. He was released by the Premier League club, paving the way for his move to Walsall.
Walsall manager Chris Hutchings said that he was delighted to have completed McDonald’s signing on a permanent basis
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailForest to open talks with Villa over extending Shorey deal
December 29, 2009
Nottingham Forest are expected to open talks with Aston Villa soon as they try to extend Nicky Shorey’s loan deal. Left back Shorey had moved from Villa Park to the City Ground on a one month loan in November 2009 that expired recently.
Shorey made seven appearances for Forest in that period, the last of which came yesterday night in the 2-0 win over Coventry City at home. Forest manager Billy Davies had initially expressed an interest to sign Shorey on a permanent basis if Villa would agree to a fee of somewhere around £3m, but it seems that Forest now want to again take him on loan.
Shorey has struggled to hold down a first place at Villa and has made only three league appearances for the Midlands outfit in the 2009-10 season.
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailGunners favourites to sign unsettled Bellamy
December 27, 2009
Arsenal have emerged favourites to sign Craig Bellamy in the January market following reports that the Welsh skipper handed in a transfer request at Eastlands last night. Bellamy, 30, was reportedly unhappy with the way Mark Hughes was shown the door by City, and did not start in the club’s 2-0 win over Stoke yesterday.
Arsenal are looking to bolster their striking options as they seek to keep pace with Manchester United and Chelsea at the top of the table. The Gunners have already lost Robin Van Persie to injury and a striker is reportedly on the top of Arsene Wenger’s shopping list for January. Moroccan international Marouane Chamakh has been heavily linked with the London club. Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Mario Balotelli’s names have also been bandied about in the press.
Arsenal’s bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur are also contemplating a move for Bellamy in the winter market.
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailMoney may prove to be stumbling block in Liverpool’s pursuit of Heskey
December 23, 2009
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez reportedly wants to sign Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey, but the Reds’ current financial position is proving to be a stumbling block in the deal. Liverpool, runners up last season, have not looked like a team wanting to challenge for the title this season, and were dumped out of the group stages of the Champions League.
The absence of a suitable replacement for Fernando Torres is one of the reasons for the Reds’ failure to collect points on a regular basis. Andriy Voronin has been unimpressive, while David Ngog lacks the experience needed at this level. Dirk Kuyt has moved from the right wing whenever required, but the Dutchman is not as prolific a goal scorer like El Nino.
Aston Villa originally signed Heskey from Wigan for £3.5m. The striker is also said not to be averse to a switch to Anfield because it will give him regular football with the 2010 World Cup just six months away.
Liverpool signed Heskey from Leicester City in 2001 for a club record £11m, but let him go to Birmingham at the end of the 2003-04 season for less than half of the amount they splashed out on him.
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailRovers to swap Roberts for Beattie in January
December 22, 2009
Blackburn Rovers are reportedly considering a move for Stoke City hitman James Beattie in the winter window, with Jason Roberts expected to be offered as bait to the Potters. Rovers are said to prefer a straight player exchange with no cash involved.
Former Southampton striker Beattie had a huge bust up with Stoke boss Tony Pulis earlier this month, raising questions about his future at the Britannia Stadium. The 31 year old, who has been capped five times by England, was born in Lancashire, and was a trainee at Blackburn before moving to the South Coast in 1998 for £1m.
Stoke signed Beattie from Sheffield United in January 2009 for £3.5m. The Staffordshire outfit will be expecting to recoup some of that investment, and may chose to give Rovers’ straight swap offer the thumbs down given that Beattie has no dearth of suitors in the Premiership and the Championship.
Rovers boss Sam Allardyce virtually has no money to splash out in the winter market. Going into Christmas, Blackburn are thirteenth in the table, but are just three points away from the relegation zone. Their next game is against Roberto Martinez’s Wigan on Boxing Day.
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailRobinho to stay at Manchester City
December 22, 2009
Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has ruled out a move for Manchester City’s Robinho during the January transfer window. Robinho has been continuously linked with a move with the La Liga champions but Barcelona insist the club have no further plans to sign the player in the transfer window.
Barcelona had made a bid for the Brazilian international star but that offer was rejected by City and Laporta said. “Our offer for Robinho was not accepted and with the team we have, barring any unexpected last minute changes, we will not be signing during the winter window.”
Robinho said he is very happy at city and said his future is in hands of club but did say: “Of course I would like to play for Barcelona, who wouldn’t? We could really enjoy ourselves. It would be a pleasure to play alongside Lionel Messi, my compatriot Dani Alves, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, everyone. They are a great team. I have played against them and I know all about their quality. But until now I have only been able to play with them on the PlayStation.”
Man City’s new manager Roberto Mancini wants Robinho to stay at City and is keen to get the £32.5 million signing to settle at the club. Mancini said “Robinho is a fantastic player, but for a big player like him, it is important to make the history of a club. I played at Sampdoria for 15 years. I wrote the history. It is important. Robinho can do that here.”
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailBlack Cats eye Petrovic
December 21, 2009
Sunderland are reportedly planning to swoop for Serbian midfielder Radoslav Petrovic in the January window. The Partizan starlet, 20, is one of the names being lined up by Black Cats boss Steve Bruce as he seeks to inject his side with fresh blood in the winter market.
Partizan’s asking price for the 20 year old is reportedly somewhere around £3m, a price that Bruce is more than willing to pay. Sunderland are also looking for a left back and a winger in the window.
Sunderland’s dismal away form, which has seen them take just four points from nine games, is something Bruce wants to arrest before the Black Cats are thrown into the bottom half of the table. The Wearsiders are currently 10th in the table with 21 points and were beaten 4-3 by Manchester City on Saturday, a game that also proved to be Mark Hughes’ last in charge of City.
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailZigic agent denies Tottenham interest
December 20, 2009
Serbian striker Nikola Zigic’s agent has denied that Tottenham are planning a January swoop for the Valencia striker. It’s been claimed in the media that Spurs were lining up a move for the towering striker. However his agent Milan Calasan has revealed hes heard nothing from Tottenham.
“I have heard nothing from Tottenham, no-one from Tottenham has contacted me about Zigic,” Calasan told skysports.com.
“I think any move to Tottenham would be impossible as they already have (Peter) Crouch there so I don’t think they would also want Zigic.”
The 29 year-old is currently out of favour at Valencia and was loaned out to Racing Santander last season, where he proved a success as he finished the season as Racing’s top scorer. His agent has also revealed that the striker has turned down a move to Russian side Zenit St Petersburg and doesn’t think Italian side Roma could afford the striker. “Zenit St Petersburg were interested in Zigic, but the player did not want to go there,” added Calasan.
“Roma have also shown an interest, but I am not sure they have the money to buy Zigic so we will wait and see what happens.”
Subscribe to Football Transfers by EmailCoventry chase Posh pair
December 19, 2009
Championship side Coventry are chasing Peterborough duo Aaron McLean and Craig Mackail-Smith. Coventry got in touch with Peterborough chief Barry Fry last weekend after Coventry beat the Posh 3-2 at the Ricoh Arena. Fry confirmed that Coventry had already had bids turned down for the pair but told them that he didn’t think they have enough money to sign either of them.
Fry told the Peterborough Evening Telegraph: “Coventry told me straight after our game there on Saturday they wanted to sign Aaron and Craig in January so I told them our asking price,”
“They are going to discuss it at a board meeting and get back to me but believe me there isn’t enough money in Coventry to get either of them. We are not interested in selling Craig anyway. If we were we would be more likely to sell him to a Premier League club because there has been a bit of interest.
“But our chairman is keen to keep as much of the squad together as possible because even if we suffered the misfortune of relegation we would have a strong team for a League One campaign.”
Striker Aaron McLean is on the transfer list as he has recently revealed that the hes unhappy at the club due to Posh’s bottom place position in the Championship.
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