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Latest Transfer News – Thursday 17 May 2012

editor — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:21:53 +0000

Manchester City are ready to pay AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic £300,000 per-week in wages. (The Sun)

Barcelona will take advantage of Kenny Dalglish’s sacking at Liverpool by bidding for Luis Suarez. (Caught Offside)

Juventus have turned their attention from Robin van Persie to Edinson Cavani. (Metro)

Manchester United will listen to offers for Nani if he stalls on signing a new contract. (The Sun)

Manchester City are prepared to meet the £28.7m release clasue for Atheltic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente. (talkSPORT)

Montpellier playmaker Younes Belhanda has cooled talk of a move to Arsenal or Liverpool. (Inside Futbol)

Manchester United are expected to end Michael Owen’s stay at Old Trafford. (Daily Telegraph)

Chelsea and Everton target Oscar Cardozo has been told he can leave Benfica. (TalkSPORT)

Everton striker Nikica Jelavic has recommended former Rangers teammate Steven Naismith. (Daily Record)

England squad announced for Euro 2012

editor — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:14:14 +0000

England‘s 23-man squad

Goalkepeers: Joe Hart (Man City), Robert Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich).

Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton).

Midfielders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Ashley Young (Man United), James Milner (Man City).

Strikers: Wayne Rooney (Man United), Danny Welbeck (Man United), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham).

Liverpool sack manager Kenny Dalglish

editor — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:53:33 +0000

Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool reign is over following face to face talks with the club’s American owners.

After 18 months back at the helm, Dalglish has paid the price for a poor league performance, during which time he lost the faith of his board.

A statement on the club’s official website read: “Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and Liverpool Football Club announce that Kenny Dalglish is to leave his post today as Manager after having his contract terminated.

“After a careful and deliberative review of the season, the Club came to the decision that a change was appropriate. It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily.

“The search for a new Manager will begin immediately.”

Fenway Sports Group are in the midst of a major restructure at Anfield, and their review of the club includes the manager’s chair.

During a summit in Boston they told Dalglish of their frustration with his poor use of club resources in the transfer market. The £110 million spent on seven players did not bring the improvement they anticipated, despite a strong showing in the domestic cups.

Principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner became disillusioned with the inconsistency of performances and have become intolerant of suggestions bad luck was the main cause for Liverpool’s failure to challenge the top four.

For Dalglish, an emotional return has come to a disappointing end. He hoped winning the Carling Cup would be the catalyst for another golden period, repeating his first glorious spell in charge.

He knew he was in a vulnerable position when Director of Football Damien Comolli was sacked for buying too many under-performing players. The implication was Dalglish, too, was being blamed for targeting mediocre signings.

Although Werner said at the time Dalglish had his “full support”, there were no promises he’d remain in charge if Liverpool did not improve their league position.

Home defeats to Wigan and Fulham made the situation even worse and there was a feeling only winning the FA Cup would save the manager.

Losing to Chelsea at Wembley raised concerns Dalglish’s fate was sealed, and the refusal of the board to publicly comment on the manager’s future was a sign his position was being assessed.

Off the field there were also problems, with the mishandling of the Luis Suarez racism case at one stage prompting Dalglish to issue an apology for his tone while being interviewed on television. That revealed the first cracks in the relationship between the manager and his bosses.

Dalglish decided to travel to Boston to determine for himself what the club’s plans were. He soon realised they did not involve him remaining in charge.

FSG are now expected to pursue a younger coach who will match the criteria they set out on first buying the club. They were convinced to appoint Dalglish after his success in a caretaker role and because of his legendary status and popularity among fans.

Now, the owners have numerous vacancies to fill at Anfield, the most important of all being that of the manager.

It promises to be a defining summer in Liverpool’s modern history as the club seeks to restore its dwindling status in the upper echelons of English and European football.

Principal owner John Henry was fulsome in his praise for the outgoing manager.

“Kenny will always be more than a championship winning manager, more than a championship winning star player,” he said. “He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club.

“He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool Football Club. He has always put the club and its supporters first. Kenny will always be a part of the family at Anfield.

“Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months.”

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has admitted it was a tough decision, but ultimately one that needed to be made.

“Kenny came into the club as manager at our request at a time when Liverpool really needed him. He didn’t ask to be manager; he was asked to assume the role.

“He did so because he knew the club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year-and-a-half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.

“However, results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change.

“We are committed to delivering success for our supporters and our ambition remains resolute to return this great club to the elite of England and Europe, where it belongs.”

Source: Telegraph

Latest Transfer News – Wednesday 16 May 2012

editor — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:50:19 +0000

Barcelona are eyeing up a move to nab Didier Drogba on a free transfer from Chelsea. (The Sun)

Arsenal, Spurs and QPR are on alert after Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero revealed he wants a Premier League move to a London club after 19 years with Juventus. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle are locked in a battle with Borussia Monchengladbach to sign Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. (talkSPORT)

Tony Pulis will listen to offers for Kenwyne Jones as he tries to slash Stoke’s wage bill. Southampton, Anzhi Makhachkala and QPR are interested. (Daily Mail)

Juventus have pulled out of the race to sign Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, having now made Napoli forward Edinson Cavani their top target. (Goal.com)

Martin O’Neill is ready to test Wolves with a bid for record-signing Steven Fletcher, who is valued at £10m. Sunderland also want Ryan Bertrand. (Daily Mail)

Tottenham have agreed personal terms with Ajax star Jan Vertonghen but the move has hit a snag over the Dutch club’s £13 million asking price. Spurs are only willing to offer £8.1m. (Goal.com)

Everton face missing out on Heerenveen’s Bas Dost after Wolfsburg made a £6.5m bid. The striker, who is 6ft 4in, has also been watched extensively by Aston Villa. (Daily Mail)

Martin Skrtel has lined up talks with the Liverpool hierarchy as the defender considers his future and possibly a move away from Anfield, says his agent. (Goal.com)

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa has confirmed that he met with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson on a trip to Manchester before adding that it would be “good to play in the Premier League”. (Goal.com)

Latest Transfer News – Tuesday 15 May 2012

editor — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:26:08 +0000

Demba Ba is set to quit Newcastle United this summer amid rumours that Chelsea are poised to move for the Senegalese striker, who could use the £7 million get-out clause in his three-year contract. (Goal.com)

Jan Vertonghen has been given a VIP tour of admirers Tottenham as Spurs look set to pip Arsenal to the signing of the Belgian defender. (The Sun)

Arsenal are set to offer £130,000 per week and a £5m signing-on fee in a bid to keep Manchester City target Robin van Persie at the club. (Daily Mail)

Liverpool are closing in on a move for Wigan midfielder Mohamed Diame on a free transfer. (Goal.com)

Atletico Madrid have put a £50m price tag on striker Radamel Falcao amid reports Chelsea are willing to offer Fernando Torres and £15m for the Colombian. (Daily Mail)

Queens Park Rangers are set to dump Joey Barton this summer after his inexplicable tantrum at Manchester City on Sunday. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United have expressed an interest in Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski, after talks over a new contract broke down, according to the players agent. (Metro)

West Brom are weighing up whether to step up their bid to sign Ben Foster on a permanent basis. The keeper was due to return to parent club Birmingham City this summer but after the Blues failed to achieve promotion back to the Premier League, they may not be able to afford his wages. (talkSPORT)

Crystal Palace starlet Nathaniel Clyne is attracting interest from a host of Premier League clubs but the defender has his heart set on a summer move to Manchester United. (Goal.com)

Southampton are set to offer Matt Jarvis – relegated with Wolves – a Premier League return. (The Sun)

Tottenham’s hopes of signing Marseilles striker Loic Remy rest on Chelsea losing in the Champions League final on Saturday, which would send Spurs into next season’s competition. (Times)

Latest Transfer News – Monday 14 May 2012

editor — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:44:44 +0000

Liverpool are ready to make an offer for out-of-favour Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov. (Caught Offside)

Manchester United and Newcastle will battle for the signature of Lille right back Mathieu Debuchy. (Metro)

Ramus Elm has warned Liverpool he may not be ready to leave AZ Alkmaar this summer. (Metro)

Spain legend Raul has left German club Schalke, where he became a fans’ favourite with 27 goals in 63 Bundesliga appearances, to sign for Qatari side Al Sadd. (Daily Mirror)

Everton want to sign Olympiakos’s Hungarian goalkeeper Balazs Megyeri to provide competition for Tim Howard at Goodison Park. The 22-year-old, who is entering the last year of his contract, would cost around £800,000. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City are crowned EPL champions

editor — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:40:04 +0000

Sergio Aguero won the Premier League title for Manchester City with a winning strike against 10-man QPR – four minutes into stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium.

City appeared destined to suffer the most remarkable collapse in Premier League history after falling 2-1 behind to Mark Hughes’s team.

But Edin Dzeko’s header from David Silva’s 92nd-minute corner, followed by Aguero’s strike, sealed the title in the most dramatic of circumstances.

And, despite the defeat, QPR avoided relegation due to Bolton’s defeat at Stoke.

Although City still had to take care of business by avoiding a calamitous slip against Hughes’s team, there was a celebratory mood at the Etihad prior to the game.

At times, it appeared as though the supporters felt that the title party would be a formality, but it did not take long for QPR to show that they were determined to make life difficult for City.

Hughes had sent his team out to frustrate the home side and, although Cisse and Bobby Zamora lined up as strikers, they barely came anywhere near the ball as City launched wave after wave of attack at the QPR goal.

Knowing that a point would be enough to keep them up, QPR’s game-plan was risky. A City goal would leave them chasing the game and leave them exposed to a breakaway, but as the home side toiled away, the visitors grew in confidence.

Yaya Toure had gone close on six minutes, with a 20 yard strike which sailed over the crossbar, and the first-half proceeded to follow the same pattern.

Goalkeeper Paddy missed a David Silva cross close to Sergio Aguero, but the Argentine forward as unable to get to the ball quickly enough to put it in.

In response, QPR tested City goalkeeper Joe Hart with a Cisse free-kick on 24 minutes, but the home side continued to pour forward and an opening goal appeared inevitable.

But the unrewarded pressure continued as Silva shot wide from 20 yards before Toure suffered a hamstring injury.

The Ivorian began limping heavily, but before being substituted, he delivered another crucial contribution by teeing up Zabaleta to score the opener.

Toure’s lay-off to the Argentine saw the right-back take a touch before his shot went past the weak palm of Kenny before bouncing into the net.

With QPR hearing of Bolton taking the lead at Stoke, the Londoners were now faced with relegation unless the scoreline changed in their favour.

But with the second-half just two minutes old, a calamitous error by Joleon Lescott gifted QPR an equaliser.

Lescott failed to deal with Shaun Wright-Phillips’s punt forward and his mis-header fell to Cisse, who beat Hart with a right-foot strike from 12 yards.

With United leading at Sunderland, City were now in trouble. They needed another goal.

But the game looked set to change in their favour when Barton was sent off for clashing with Tevez on 56 minutes.

The former City midfielder then made matters worse for himself when he kneed Aguero in the backside, sparking a melee on the pitch between both sets of players.

It was madness, but QPR were now down to ten men and they faced an almighty battle to stay level.

But incredibly, they weathered the storm and scored a second on the breakaway to make it 2-1 when Armand Traore’s cross was headed in by Mackie.

It was a stunning moment, one which sent the Etihad into shock, barring the 3,000 QPR fans who were ecstatic.

They still had 30 minutes to endure, however, against a team that had not lost at home in the league for more than a year.

But the onslaught came, yet as the clock past 90 minutes, City needed to score twice.

Incredibly, they managed it, with Dzeko and Aguero scoring at the death to seal City’s first title since 1968.

Latest Transfer News – Sunday 13 May 2012

editor — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:31:34 +0000

Real Madrid will offer £15m for Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. (The Sun)

Manchester United could offer £10m for Fulham’s Mousa Dembele. (Mail on Sunday)

Spurs will step up their bid for £16m Marseille striker Loic Remy. (The Sun)

Chelsea defender David Luiz wants to move to Barcelona. (Sunday Times)

Manchester City will offer skipper Vincent Kompany a new five-year, £120k-a-weel deal. (The Sun)

Chelsea and Liverpool have been warned off Partizan Belgrade’s 18-year-old attacking midfielder Lazar Markovic. (Metro)

West Ham will move for Blackburn’s Scott Dann if they’re promoted. (Daily Mail)

Rio Ferdinand has been told to take £50K-a-week pay cut if he wants a new Man United contract. (Goal.com)

Reading are hoping to land Blackburn forward Junior Hoilett for £5m. (talkSPORT)

Manchester City, AC Milan and Barcelona are tracking AZ Alkmaar’s 18 year-old star midfielder Adam Maher. (Insidefutbol.com)

Latest Transfer News – Saturday 12 May 2012

editor — Sat, 12 May 2012 19:31:38 +0000

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel will ask to be sold this summer because he wants to play Champions League football. (Goal.com)

Real Madrid want Branislav Ivanovic and are prepared to offer Chelsea £15m for the versatile defender. (Daily Mail)

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is wanted by three German clubs – Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. (Sun)

Everton are leading the chase for Fulham’s goal-scoring midfielder Clint Dempsey, but Arsenal and Liverpool are also interested. (Daily Mail)

West Ham will move for defender Scott Dann, who has been relegated in each of the last two seasons with Birmingham and now Blackburn, if they win the Championship play-off final. (Daily Mail)

QPR have joined the string of clubs tracking teenage Crewe midfielder Nick Powell, who’s also been watched by Manchester United, Everton, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal (Daily Mail)

Reading are close to signing Garath McCleary, the Nottingham Forest winger who scored four goals in one game against Leeds this season, as a free agent. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou admits he doesn’t know where he’ll be playing next season. He’s out of contract in the summer and has been linked with Arsenal and former club Feyenoord. (Sun)

Reports suggest that Gareth Bale has agreed to sign for Barca

editor — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:32:12 +0000

Gareth Bale has agreed to join Barcelona on a five-year deal, according to reports in Spain.

Sports newspaper Marca says the Tottenham flyer will move to Camp Nou for a fee of £32million.

Bale is believed to be open to a move to Spain and has been linked with Barca’s arch-rivals Real Madrid as well as Premier League leaders Manchester City.

But Spurs are keen to keep him – and a report in another Spanish newspaper today claims that they have already told Barcelona he is not for sale at any price.

El Mundo Deportivo said new boss Tito Vilanova wanted Bale to increase his attacking options down the right, but has received no encouragement from White Hart Lane.

And more doubt will be cast on the Marca report as it claims Bale will earn £80,000-a-week with the Catalans – which is £5,000 a week less than his current Spurs contract