Champions League Play-offs: Fiorentina and Sporting set for a decider
August 25, 2009
Arsenal, Lyon and Stuttgart may already have one foot in the lucrative group phase of the Champions League with Atletico Madrid, who hold a useful 3-2 lead over Panathinaikos, but Fiorentina and Sporting Lisbon, level at 2-2 from the first leg in Portugal, have everything to play when they meet for the 2nd leg of the play-offs on Wednesday.
Both sides , who last won a European competition back in the early 1960s, are set for a decider when they meet in Florence.
Fourth in last season’s Italian championship, Fiorentina has struggled to keep pace with the traditional Serie A title contenders such as Juventus, Inter and AC Milan and last won the title in 1969. It was runner up in the old European Cup in 1957 and its only European triumph was in the 1961 Cup Winners Cup.
Sporting Club is an 18-time winner of the Portuguese league but its only European success was the 1964 Cup Winners Cup. Now these two underachievers have a chance to make a mark in European football’s most prestigious club competition but only one can get there.
The playoff losers have the consolation of dropping into the next round of the Europa League, while the winners will be in Thursday’s draw for the group phase in Monte Carlo.
Among those already there are the likes of defending champion Barcelona, big-spending Real Madrid, powerhouse English teams, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, Italy’s Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan and Bayern Munich of Germany, all of them among the favorites to win the coveted title.
Getting to the group phase, however, guarantees at least six matches with the ticket sales and TV revenue that comes with them, and with the tantalizing possibility of reaching the knockout phase and dreams of a place in the May 22 final in Madrid.
After beating Celtic 2-0 in Glasgow, Arsenal will be confident of reaching the group phase for the 12th time in a row.
Manager Arsene Wenger is already certain he won’t have team captain Cesc Fabregas for the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday because of a hamstring injury he picked up in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Portsmouth.
Celtic’s 5-2 victory over St. Johnstone on Saturday lifted the team to the top of the Scottish Premier League standings and midfielder Shaun Maloney is confident the team can overcome the home leg deficit in the same way it knocked out Dynamo Moscow in the previous round.
“If we can nick the first goal as we did in Moscow, that would give us a chance to get the tie back, and start to put Arsenal under a bit of pressure,” Maloney said. “We know we need a great result.
“We’ve not given up the tie yet. We’ve not settled for playing in the Europa League, we cannot do that. “We know how difficult it is going to be to be able to go through and that the odds are massively against us, but we have to believe that we can win at the Emirates.”
Lyon goes to Anderlecht on Tuesday with a 5-1 advantage from the home leg but left behind striker Sidney Govou, midfielder Ederson and right-back Cleber Anderson who are injured. Rightback Francois Clerc is back while striker Lisandro Lopez, who was rested during Saturday’s 3-0 win at Auxerre, is expected to play in Brussels.
Atletico Madrid has home advantage and a narrow lead over Panathinaikos in a meeting of two clubs who have never won the competition but were runners up in the early 1970s.
Holding a 3-0 lead over Ventspils from the away leg in Latvia, FC Zurich looks like making it to the group phase for the first time, even though it reached the semifinal of the old European Cup in 1964 and ‘77.
Likewise Maccabi Haifa holds a 2-1 advantage over Salzburg and has home advantage when they meet again on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Stuttgart is at home to Romania’s Politehnica Timisoara and is already 2-0 ahead and Greek champion Olympiakos is 2-0 up on Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova and just needs to avoid losing by more than 1-0 at home.
Apoel Nicosia bids to overcome a 1-0 deficit at home to FC Copenhagen.
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
14/08/09: Transfer Rumors
August 14, 2009
‘Aston Villa target Wesley Sneijder says he does not want to leave Real Madrid and wants to stay at the Bernabeu and fight for his place.’ – Independent
‘Diomansy Kamara insists he will remain with Fulham despite being linked with a move to French champions Bordeaux.’ – Press Association
‘Everton have bid £8m for Newcastle central defender Steven Taylor in a move which could pave the way for Joleon Lescott to leave Goodison Park for Manchester City.’ – The Daily Star
‘Franck Ribery is believed to be keen to leave Bayern Munich which could encourage Chelsea and Manchester United to increase their efforts to sign the French winger.’ – Times
‘Aston Villa have moved to bolster their defence by putting in a £5m bid for Manchester City centre-back Richard Dunne.’ – Daily Express
‘Damien Duff could be another player to leave Newcastle as Wolves and Fulham battle it out for the left-sided midfielder.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Manchester United scouts were casting their eye over Argentine striker Sergio Aguero in his country’s 3-2 win over Russia on Wednesday.’ – The Sun
‘FC Barcelona have stepped up their mission for strengthening its defense with Emannuel Eboué of Arsenal and Gregory Grygera of Juventus being seen as potential signings’ – Secondo Sport
‘Galatasaray coach Frank Rijkaard has made Real Madrid’s Guti as one of his priorities with the midfielder declaring that he would prefer to stay with the los Merengues until the end of his contract in June 2011.’ – El Mundo
‘David Beckham has said that he is confident of a future return to Milan, after spending six months on loan last season from the Los Angeles Galaxy.’ – Gazzetta dello Sport
‘Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has told chairman John Williams to provide the funds to sign former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Sunderland are planning a triple swoop for Pompey keeper David James and defender Sylvain Distin as well as Lucas Neill, who is out of contract at West Ham.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Bolton boss Gary Megson says the club took out an £8m escape clause in the contract of Gary Cahill when the defender recently signed a new contract.’ – Daily Mail
‘Middlesbrough striker Tuncay Sanli is set to join Fenerbahce on loan.’ – Daily Mirror
‘But Wolves and Everton are interested in the Turkey striker as well and could get him for about £6m.’ – Independent
‘Free agent Mark Viduka, who last played for Newcastle United, could make a Premier League comeback with Fulham.’ – Sky Sports
‘Daniel Moreira has agreed a two-year contract with Boulogne if he get’s released by Rennes.’ – L’Equipe
‘Saint-Etienne have agreed with Besiktas for the transfer of it’s Brazilian striker Bobo.’ – L’Equipe
‘PSG’s Jérôme Rothen has agreed with Blackburn for a three-year contract.’ – Le Parisien
‘Felipe Mattioni of Gremio could join Catalona giants FC Barcelona for a fee around € 3m.’ – RAC 1
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
12/09/09: Transfer Rumors
August 12, 2009
‘With Zenit and Blackburn also pursuing Real’s Alvaro Negredo, the player could figure up with Hull City with the players agent Alejandro Camano, confirming that the club has been in touch for signing the striker.’ – Hull Daily Mail
‘Reports in Spain suggest Hull City have completed the signing of Algerian forward Kamel Ghilas from Celta Vigo.’ – skysports.com
‘AC Milan want Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham to return to the San Siro in January for a second loan spell, which would keep alive the England player’s World Cup hopes.
‘ – Daily Mirror
‘Lyon’s Fabio Grosso could soon play Zenit Saint Petersburg with the Russian club, under Roberto Mancini’s charge, have enquired about the player’s availability.’ – Le Parisien
‘Manchester City are intent on continuing their pursuit of Joleon Lescott with a £22m bid for the Everton defender despite the insistence of Toffees boss David Moyes that the 26-year-old is not for sale.’ – The Times
‘Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has failed in his bid to make Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi his first big-name signing at Stamford Bridge.’ – The Sun
‘But Ancelotti could make a surprise £17m move for Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini.’ – Daily Express
‘Bayern Munich have stepped up their pursuit of Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa and urged the Blues to keep their word over allowing him to join them for about £15m.’ – Daily Mail
‘Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko will see out the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge after rejecting a move to former club Dynamo Kiev.’ – Daily Star
‘Inter have now increased their pursuit of Real’s Wesley Sneijder with the Italian club seemed to have offered to take loan against €7m with an option of a €12m deal buy out.’ – Gazzetta dello Sport
‘Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill has been challenged by Blackburn to treble his bid for Rovers defender Stephen Warnock to £12m or forget the deal.’ – Daily Mirror
‘O’Neill is also keen to bring Tottenham midfielders David Bentley and Jermaine Jenas to Villa Park.’ – The Guardian
‘Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp could be forced back into the transfer market after learning that centre-back Jonathan Woodgate faces at least two months on the sidelines following surgery on a groin problem.’ – Daily Mirror
‘And Redknapp is set to up his offer for Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko from £12m to £15.5m, although the French club want £25m.’ – The Sun
‘Wolves are set to sign Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne, who had a loan spell at Molineux last season, on a season-long loan deal.’ – Daily Mirror
‘West Ham hope to sign Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni and Barcelona front man Eidur Gudjohnsen by the end of the transfer window, initially on a loan basis.’ – The Guardian
‘The Hammers are interested in Napoli defender Leandro Rinaudo, with boss Gianfranco Zola keen to bring the 6ft 4in centre-back in on loan if he loses Matthew Upson or James Collins.’
- Daily Mail
‘Defender Lucas Neill could be set for a return to Upton Park after the former West Ham skipper revealed he is considering a contract offer from Zola.’ – The Sun
‘Derby manager Nigel Clough is ready to sign experienced goalkeeper Jimmy Walker on a free transfer from West Ham.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has gone back to his former club Wigan with a £10m offer for midfielder Lee Cattermole.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Blackburn are giving a trial to former Real Madrid right-back Michel Salgado.’ – The Sun
‘Rovers are leading a three-club chase with Wigan and Birmingham for Rennes winger Olivier Thomert.’ – The Sun
‘Junichi Inamoto will remain in Rennes this season.’ – L’Equipe
‘Arsenal are on the trail of 6ft 4in Borussia Dortmund centre-back Neven Subotic, with chief executive Ivan Gazidis ready to make a £12m offer for the 20-year-old Serb who is also attracting interest from Everton.’ – Daily Mail
‘Fulham are adamant that defender Brede Hangeland will not leave unless Arsenal shatter the club’s £12m transfer record, which was paid by Manchester United for Louis Saha.’ – The Guardian
‘Roma are trying to secure the services of Chievo Verona’s goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.’ – Corriere dello Sport
‘The Cottagers are eyeing a £4m move for Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker.’ – Daily Star
‘Manchester City winger Martin Petrov would not be surprised if he was sold by the club this summer, with Tottenham keen on the Bulgaria international.’ – The Sun
‘Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul is being monitored by a host of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Portsmouth, Wigan, Hull and Sunderland.’ – Independent
‘Former Liverpool, Chelsea and Middlesbrough midfielder Boudewijn Zenden claims he is in talks with Hull, Blackburn and Portsmouth over a return to the Premier League.’ – Independent
‘Turkish club Besiktas are poised to land Reading midfielder Jem Karacan in a £1m deal.’ – Daily Mirror
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
11/08/09: Transfer Rumors
August 11, 2009
‘Portsmouth are interested in signing Lyon’s Ghanaian central defender John Mensah on a loan deal.’ – L’Equipe
‘Midfielder Patrick Vieira will stay at Inter Milan rather than take up the chance of a return to England with either Tottenham or Arsenal.’ – Sky Sports
‘Notts County say there is no truth to reports linking out-of-contract defender Sol Campbell to Meadow Lane.’ – Nottingham Evening Post
‘Aston Villa deny manager Martin O’Neill is interested in signing forward Tuncay from Middlesbrough.’ – Birmingham Post
‘Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will fly to Germany to try and tie up a £40m move for Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery.’ – The Sun
‘Barcelona have warned their fans that they will not spend over the odds to bring Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas back to the Nou Camp.’ – The Sun
‘Manchester City continue to force their way through for the signing of English international Joleon Patrick Lescott as the Everton refuse to sell him.’ – L’Equipe
‘Or Joleon Lescott is finally bound for Manchester City after the Eastlands club made a final offer of £20m to Everton for the defender’s services.’ – Daily Mail
‘West Ham’s £15m-rated Matthew Upson has given Manchester City further hope in their hunt for a central defender by rejecting contract extension talks at Upton Park.’ – The Telegraph
‘But City manager Mark Hughes may prefer to turn his attentions to securing an Eastlands return for Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin.’ – The Independent
‘Everton are lining up a £14m bid for Paris St Germain midfielder Stephane Sessegnon.’ – The Sun
‘Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has told Arsenal they will have to stump up £15m if they are to take centre-back Brede Hangeland across London.’ – Daily Mail
‘Everton are still hopeful of landing Arsenal’s Switzerland international defender Philippe Senderos.’ – The Independent
‘Aston Villa are preparing a raid on Championship outfit Middlesbrough with defender Robert Huth and Turkey international striker Tuncay in their sights.’ – The Guardian
‘Defender David Wheater could also be leaving the Riverside for Villa Park if boss Martin O’Neill decides to pursue his interest in the England Under-21 international.’ – Daily Star
‘Hull are closing in on the signature of Reading’s Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt.’ – Various
‘The Tigers are also poised to offer free agent Henri Camara a contract after the striker’s departure from Wigan.’ – The Times
‘Fulham have agreed a £2.5m deal for striker Kalu Uche from Spanish side Almeria.’ – The Times
‘Hull are also in the market for former Liverpool midfielder Boudewijn Zenden.’ – The Sun
‘Birmingham manager Alex McLeish wants to sign Rangers defender Gregory Vignal who he managed during his time at Ibrox.’ – The Sun
‘Wolves are considering a bid for former Marseille midfielder Modeste M’Bami.’ – Daily Mail
‘Midfielder Radoslav Kovac is close to signing a permanent deal to join West Ham from Spartak Moscow after a successful loan spell last season.’ – Various
‘Defender Sol Campbell, whose contract with Portsmouth ran out earlier this summer, is considering an offer to join Notts County.’ – Daily Express
‘Arsenal are to step up their interest in Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul after the Dutchman’s impressive opening-day performance against West Brom.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Blackburn are poised to pounce for out-of-contract defender Michel Salgado after the Spanish international departed Real Madrid.’ – Daily Mirror
‘West Brom have signed free agent Jerome Thomas after the midfielder’s deal at Portsmouth expired.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is also close to landing Nantes midfielder Aurelien Capoue on a season-long loan.’ – Daily Star
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
07/08/09: Transfer Rumors
August 7, 2009
‘Paris St Germain winger Jerome Rothen, 31, is expected to arrive in Blackburn to discuss a move with Rovers manager Sam Allardyce.’ – Football365
‘Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc has accused Arsenal of not being serious in their attempts to sign striker Marouane Chamakh. The Gunners have reportedly bid £6m for the 25-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the season, but the French club want about £10m.’ – Metro
‘Nancy midfielder Benjamin Gavanon is a potential transfer target for Ligue 1 outfit Monaco.’ – L’Est Républicain
‘Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has admitted that he is interested in signing Lyon defender John Mensah as he looks to bolster his defence. “I was interested in Mensah when I was at Birmingham, but he went for a lot of money – £9m,” said Bruce. “We’ll see on him. Yes, there’s an interest.”‘ – The Shields Gazette
‘Bruce has also said Sunderland have ended their interest in Chamakh.’ – The Shields Gazette
‘Mathieu Valbuena, who is under contract with Marseille until 2012, is now attracted by Atletico Madrid, who was already in train to write a contract proposal.
‘Atletico Madrid rejected an offer from city rivals Real Madrid for striker Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan earlier this summer. Real bid about £31m for the 30-year-old Uruguay international before signing Karim Benzema from Lyon.’ – AFP
‘Iberian club Malaga are interested in a loan deal for PSG’s Serbian forward Kezman Mateja, who is not looking forward for a move:’ – L’Equipe
‘Birmingham’s hopes of signing Arsenal left-back Armand Traore on loan for the start of the season appear to have been dashed by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger who will not make a decision until the end of the transfer window.’ – Teletext
‘Tottenham are looking to hijack West Ham’s bid to sign Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has targeted the 32-year-old after missing out on Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who has joined AC Milan from Real Madrid, while West Ham are unlikely to be able to meet Toni’s £90,000-a-week wage demands.’ – Clubcall
‘Chelsea have turned down an £18m bid from Real Madrid for Brazilian defender Alex.’ – The Times
‘Manchester United are still monitoring Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Valencia’s David Silva, despite insisting that their summer spending is over.’ – The Times
‘Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva has said he may leave the club and return to his homeland if he does not get more first-team action next season.’ – The Sun
‘Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted he is interested in signing Fulham defender Brede Hangeland but said the club are yet to make an offer for the 28-year-old Norwegian.’ – The Independent
‘Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill has expressed an interest in bringing Real Madrid’s 25-year-old Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder to Villa Park.’ – The Guardian
‘Manchester City will make one final offer for Everton defender Joleon Lescott, believed to be about £22m.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Wigan have agreed a £3.5m deal for highly-rated Rayo Vallecano midfielder Mohamed Diame and his team-mate, defender Antonio Amaya.’ – Daily Mail
‘The move for Diame could signal the end of Lee Cattermole’s Wigan career, he is a target for Sunderland, Liverpool, Spurs and Everton.’ – Daily Mail
‘Portsmouth have made a £2m bid for Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Nuno Assis and the 31-year-old said he is keen on a move to Fratton Park if “the money and sport aspects can be united”.’ – The Sun
‘Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate admits that he is “amazed” that Tuncay is still with the club but expects the 27-year-old to leave by September.’ – Daily Star
‘Wigan striker Olivier Kapo, 28, is a target for French club Nice.’ – The Sun
‘West Brom are keen on 25-year-old St Mirren midfielder Billy Mehmet.’ – Daily Star
‘Celtic are lining up a move for Indian international striker Sunil Chhetri, who signed for Dempo Sports Club in May but is available for £1m.’ – Daily Express
‘Portsmouth are poised to make a move for Celtic left-back Lee Naylor.’ – The Sun
‘Falkirk could hand a contract to former Brann Bergen striker Robbie Winters a contract after the veteran striker impressed as a trialist with Livingston.’ – The Sun
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
05/08/09: Transfer Rumors
August 5, 2009
‘Real Madrid say they have wrapped up their summer spending spree with the transfer of Xabi Alonso from Liverpool, ruling out a move for Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery or Valencia forward David Villa.’ – Associated Press
‘Hull City will try and tempt Cardiff City with a £3.5m offer for striker Ross McCormack.’ – Wales Online
‘Bayern Munich have dismissed speculation that striker Luca Toni is to join West Ham on loan.’ – The Sun
‘Bolton manager Gary Megson says he is prepared to listen to offers for defender Danny Shittu.’ – Bolton Evening News
‘Liverpool are expected to use some of the £30m they gained from the sale of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid to make an £18m offer for Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani.’ – The Independent
‘Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour is also linked with a move to Anfield and his agent Paul Stefani says he would not turn down a move to Liverpool.’ – The Independent
‘Italian side AC Milan are preparing a £31m bid for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.’ – The Sun
‘Darren Bent’s transfer to Sunderland has still not been completed, despite the Tottenham striker passing a medical on Monday.’ – Daily Star
‘Sunderland, meanwhile, are set to sign Lyon defender John Mensah on a season-long loan deal.’ – The Sun
‘The Black Cats are also keeping tabs on Tottenham centre-back Michael Dawson.’ – The Sun
‘Diego Forlan’s contract negotiations for an extension till 2013 with Atletico Madrid seemed to have stalled, due to complications.’ – Marca
‘Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has failed with a £5.5m bid for Sevilla centre-back Federico Fazio.’ – The Sun
‘Wenger says he will wait to sign Bordeaux’s Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer next season, rather than improve his £6m offer for the striker this summer.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Tottenham hope to sign Blackburn defender Christopher Samba for £10m to help ease their defensive crisis.’ – The Sun
‘Toulouse Chairman Olivier Sadran has rejected a €14m for midfielder Moussa Sissoko from Tottenham. Toulouse want €30m for the 20-year-old France International.’ – Le Parisien
‘Manchester United will use their friendly with Valencia to run the rule over midfielder David Silva and forward David Villa.’ – Daily Star
‘Stoke City want to take injury-prone Everton striker James Vaughan on loan.’ – Daily Mail
‘Marseille have approached Chelsea for a possible transfer of Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro’ – La Provence
‘Hull are set to sign Villarreal striker Jozy Altidore and have agreed a £3m deal for Stoke midfielder Seyi Olofinjana.’ – Daily Mail
‘Burnley are in talks with Independiente winger Fernando Guerrero.’ – Daily Mail
‘Frédéric Biancalani, who is now a free agent after his contract with Nancy espired, is a potential transfer target for Metz and Strasbourg.’ – L’Equipe
‘South African midfielder Kagiso Dikgacoi claims he has secured a move to Fulham from Golden Arrows after impressing on trial at Craven Cottage.’ – The Independent
‘Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies has told Hamilton Accies they must make a substantial offer for midfielder Craig Bryson.’ – Various
‘Hamilton have been busy making offers for Killie’s Bryson, Motherwell’s Jamie Murphy and Inverness midfielder Dougie Imrie – all of which have been rejected.’ – Scottish Daily Express
‘Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee is ready to sell one of his top players to raise cash to bolster his squad.’ – Various
And In The End, Barcelona’s latest summer recruit, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said that Real Madrid will be under immense pressure to win titles.
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
04/08/09: Transfer Rumors
August 4, 2009
‘Barcelona have offered €22m for the Shakhtar Donetsk defender Dmytro Chygrynskyi. Donetsk, who had slapped a €30m tag, have already used the player in this year’s Champions League, making him ineligible for the Catalonia side’s team sheet, if the deal goes through.’ – Sport
‘Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he will not improve his original offer of £6m for Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh.’ – L’Equipe
‘Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has confirmed that he will be staying in France despite interest from several Premier League clubs.’ – L’Equipe
‘AS Monaco midfielder Diego Perez will not be leaving the club for Livorno after negotiations between the the two clubs have broken down’ – L’Equipe
‘While, French striker David Trezeguet is staying at Juventus after deciding that a prospective move to Serie A rivals AC Milan would be tantamount to a “betrayal” of the Turin club.’ – Gazzetta dello Sport
‘And the Lombardy based club Milan are hoping to sign AS Roma’sBrazilian international Julio Baptista in the event of failure of negotiations with FC Sevilla for Luis Fabiano.’ – Corriere dello Sport
‘Real Madrid player Michel Salgado has terminated his contract with the Spanish giants, after Alvaro Arbeloa’s arrival from Liverpool FC’ – Marca
‘Another player who could be packing his bags is, Rafael van der Vaart who arrived from Hamburg last year. And the player has admitted that he is no longer in Manuel Pellegrini’s team plans.’ – De Telegraaf
‘Mathieu Valbuena could leave for Bundesliga’s Hertha Berlin, as number of clubs pursue the Marseille playmaker’ – L’Equipe
‘Defender Joleon Lescott will write to Everton chairman Bill Kenwright and ask to join big-spending Manchester City.’ (Daily Mirror)
‘However, Lescott has been told that despite his desire to leave Goodison Park he will not be allowed to move to Eastlands.’ – Daily Star
‘Manchester City will call a halt to their pursuit of Lescott if they cannot get him to Eastlands by the end of the week.’ – The Sun
‘With Xabi Alonso’s departure to Real Madrid imminent, Liverpool will replace the midfielder with Roma’s Alberto Aquilani.’ – Daily Mirror
‘The Reds have agreed a deal in principle with Roma and will splash out £20m on the Italian 25-year-old.’ – The Sun
‘But the Alonso transfer deal is in a make or break situation, as the deal enters the final stages of negotiations’ – Marca
‘Arsenal are on the verge of signing Chelsea’s Ivory Coast forward Salomon Kalou for £8m.’ – The Sun
‘Chelsea have moved closer to the £8m signing of AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who could arrive in time for Sunday’s Community Shield clash with Manchester United.’ – Daily Mirror
‘The Blues, meanwhile, have dismissed speculation linking midfielder Joe Cole with a move to London rivals Tottenham.’ – The Independent
‘Having completed a medical on Monday, Tottenham striker Darren Bent is expected to finally seal his £12m transfer to Sunderland on Tuesday.’ – Daily Express
‘Bent’s departure will pave the way for Spurs to step up their pursuit of Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.’ – Daily Express
‘Everton are preparing a £12m bid for Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour.’ – Daily Mirror
‘However, Defour is also on Liverpool’s wish list as they look to bolster their midfield options.’ – Daily Mail
‘West Ham are confident they can persuade right-back Lucas Neill to remain at the club.’ – The Independent
‘Bolton are looking to sign Valencia midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo on a free transfer.’ – The Sun
‘Hull will turn their attentions to Tottenham full-back Pascal Chimbonda, if their bid for Newcastle defender Habib Beye fails.’ – The Sun
‘Newcastle defender Sebastien Bassong is ready to hand in a transfer request in order to get a move to Tottenham or Manchester City.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Hull will battle it out with Fulham for Villarreal striker Jozy Altidore.’ – Daily Star
‘Nottingham Forest have launched a £2m bid for Bolton defender Danny Shittu.’ – Daily Star
‘Striker Amr Zaki could join Portsmouth on a season-long loan from Egyptian side El Zamalek.’ – The Independent
‘Hamilton Accies are close to deals for Leicester midfielder James Wesolowski and Spanish defender Luis Rubiales.’ – Various
‘Frozen-out Rangers forward Alan Gow is a target for Plymouth.’ – Daily Star
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
03/08/09: Transfer Rumors
August 3, 2009
‘Liverpool have signed Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani for € 18m.’ – Marca
‘The Reds, meanwhile, are refusing to budge on their £30m valuation of midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is wanted by Real Madrid.’ – Daily Star
‘Liverpool have made a last-ditch attempt to keep Alonso, with Reds manager Rafael Benitez insisting he wants the Spaniard to stay at the club.’ – Daily Mirror
‘While, Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has urged for his future to be sorted out one way or the other as the long-running transfer saga continues to drag on.’ – AS
‘And it looks like Alonso is destined to leave after Liverpool’s managing director Christian Purslow met his Real Madrid counterpart Jose Angel Sanchez in Barcelona to complete negotiations.’ – The Telegraph
‘Elsewhere, Liverpool have been warned by Valencia that their star forward David Villa is “priceless” and will not be joining the Premier League club.’ – The Sun
‘Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is keen on a move back to Hamburg after being told he has no future at the Bernabeu.’ – Bild
‘Striker Marouane Chamakh has lashed out at Bordeaux for standing in the way of a “dream” move to Arsenal.’ – L’Equipe
‘Manchester United have handed a trial to Swedish 15-year-old star Linus Sjoberg who is currently on the books of Vasteras.’ – Sky Sports
‘Chelsea will go on a £100m spending spree this week, bidding to sign AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero.’ – Daily Mail
‘Or else Chelsea will be priced out of the market and miss out on the signing of Ribery as well as Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.’ – The Telegraph
‘Manchester City are expected to make an improved £20m offer for Everton defender Joleon Lescott.’ – Daily Star
‘Or Manchester City are set to withdraw their interest in Lescott and will instead pursue Chelsea centre-back Alex.’- The Times
‘Everton have been offered Toulouse right back Albin Ebondo after missing out on the signing of Kyle Naughton, who has joined Tottenham from Sheffield United.’ – The Times
‘Tottenham will offer £10m to Chelsea for midfielder Joe Cole.’ – Daily Mirror
‘But Tottenham look like they will be beaten to the signature of Newcastle United defender Sebastien Bassong by big-spending Manchester City.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Spurs striker Darren Bent is expected to complete a £12m move to Sunderland on Monday.’ – The Sun
‘Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is hopeful of beating Tottenham to the £750,000 signing of former Gunners midfielder Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan.’ – Daily Express
‘But Arsenal have had their £5m bid for Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh dismissed as “ridiculous” by club president Jean-Louis Triaud.’ – Daily Mirror
‘The Gunners are expected to sell defender Philippe Senderos, who spent last season on loan at AC Milan, to Everton for £6m.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Tottenham are interested in Toulouse’s £12m-rated midfielder Moussa Sissoko.’ – The Times
‘Spurs are also keeping tabs on Brazilian midfielder Sandro, who plays for Internacional.’ – The Times
‘Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is hopeful of signing Manchester City striker Benjani and Hajduk Split forward Nikola Kalinic for a combined £11m.’ – The Sun
‘Birmingham are set to secure the loan signing of Arsenal defender Armand Traore.’ – The Independent
‘The Blues have also been linked with Sporting Gijon midfielder Michel and Aston Villa’s Craig Gardner.’ – The Independent
‘Hull City are not prepared to meet Newcastle United’s valuation of £4m for defender Habib Beye.’ – The Times
‘But Aston Villa are also keen on Beye and could launch a bid for the 31-year-old Senegal player.’ – The Sun
‘Villa will have to battle it out with Inter Milan for Real Madrid’s € 19m-rated midfielder Wesley Sneijder.’ – Marca
‘And it seems that Inter Milan have beaten Villa in the race to sign Sneijder, after Real Madrid and the Nerazzuri reached an agreement for the Dutchman’s transfer.’ – La Gazzetta dello Sport
‘Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill is also monitoring Portsmouth defensive duo Sylvain Distin and Sol Campbell.’ – The Independent
‘Hull have made a £3m bid for Stoke midfielder Seyi Olofinjana.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Portsmouth and England keeper David James has pledged his future to the south-coast club, despite interest from Tottenham.’ – The Sun
‘Leeds have slapped a £8m price tag on star midfielder Fabian Delph, who is wanted by Manchester City and Everton.’ – The Sun
‘Fulham are watching Kalmar FF midfielder Rasmus Elm and are preparing a £2.5m bid.’ – The Times
‘But Everton are also keen on the Swedish international midfielder and may outbid Fulham with £3m.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Fulham have inquired about Sampdoria midfielder Daniele Dessena.’ – The Sun
‘Newcastle midfielder Geremi is keen on move to Turkish side Besiktas.’ – Daily Mail
‘Lyon defender John Mensah has been offered to Sunderland and Portsmouth.’ – The Times
‘Wolves are preparing a bid for towering Rapid Vienna striker Stefan Maierholer.’ – Daily Mail
‘In search of an attacking player, AC Milan could sign AS Roma’s Brazilian international Julio Baptista, if a deal for Sevilla’s Luis Fabiano falls through. Roma are in dire need of cash and could let the player to move to Lombardy.’ – Corriere dello Sport
‘Former Toulouse player Achille Emana will not be staying at relegated Segunda division side Real Betis and could move to Valencia CF € 4m, with midfielder Jordi Alba moving in the opposite direction.’ – Marca
‘Valenciennes striker Johan Audel is now a potential transfer target for Monaco.’ – Le Parisien
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
31/07/09: Transfer Rumors
July 31, 2009
‘Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger looks set to step up his interest in Bordeaux’s £12m-rated Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh.’ – L’Equipe
‘Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is holding out for £30m following Xabi Alonso’s transfer request, with Real Madrid having already offered £24m.’ – The Guardian
‘Liverpool have been offered Negredo, Rafael Van der Vaart or Klas Jan Huntelaar as a part of the Xabi Alonso transfer deal by Real Madrid.’ – AS
‘England midfielder David Beckham insists he is happy at the Los Angeles Galaxy in America despite last week’s ugly confrontation with spectators during his first home game for the club after returning from a five-month loan spell in Italy with AC Milan.’ – Sky Sports
‘Manchester United will launch a £35m bid for Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery in two weeks.’ – The Sun
‘Mark Hughes is set to offer £22m for Joleon Lescott, with Everton so far unwilling to release their defender to Manchester City.’ – Daily Express
‘Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is targeting Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi, with the Italian star valued at around £30m.’ – The Independent
‘It looks like a busy time for the Gunners with St Etienne’s defensive midfielder Blaise Matuidi being lined up for a move, while midfield legend Patrick Vieira is set to return and be his mentor.’ – Daily Mail
‘Ghanaian midfielder Derek Boateng will leave Cologne for the Spanish club Getafe’ – Official site (1. FC Köln)
‘Liverpool are keen on signing Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani.’ – The Independent
‘Portsmouth are close to signing Australian striker Mark Viduka on a one-year deal after they failed to get Croatia’s Nikola Kalinic.’ – Daily Mail
‘West Brom have offered £1.5m for Real Betis winger David Odonkor.’ – The Sun
‘Nicolas Dieuze will sign a two year contract with Le Havre from Grenoble’ – Official site (Le Havre)
‘Uruguayan striker Ernesto Javier Chevantón is “waiting for something new” regarding a possible departure from Spanish Club Sevilla FC’ – Marca
‘Malaga have signed Albert Luque and Edinho.’ – Official site (Malaga)
‘Hull City manager Phil Brown has confirmed the club’s interest in Newcastle’s Senegalese defender Habib Beye.’ – Sky Sports
‘Former Swiss international defender Stephan Keller has committed to a season with Sydney FC, after the 30-year-old became a free agent on leaving Dutch club De Graafschap last summer’ – L’Equipe
‘Frédéric Piquionne could soon join the Premier League and Portsmouth, Lyon and Pompey currently negotiating a loan deal with an option to purchase the forward.’ – L’Equipe
Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
30/07/09: Transfer Rumors
July 30, 2009
‘Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says he is still interested in signing Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but any move for the Dutch international will depend on Darren bent leaving White Hart Lane.’ – Press Association
‘Bayern Munich rejected Real Madrid’s offer of 80m euros (about £68m) for French winger Franck Ribery.’ – L’Equipe
‘Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has moved a step closer to joining Real Madrid after he handed in a written transfer request.’ – Liverpool Echo
‘Bolton manager Gary Megson has ruled out making a new bid for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso, who the club tried to sign in January.’ – The Bolton News
‘Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants Patrick Vieira to return to the Gunners – four years after the 33-year-old Inter Milan midfielder left for Juventus. And Wenger is willing to match Tottenham’s offer, which is believed to be a one-year deal with big bonuses.’ – Various
‘Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is keen to add more English players to his squad and is preparing a £12m bid for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole and will offer Hull £5.5m for defender Michael Turner.’ – Daily Mail
‘However, any deal for Cattermole and Turner is dependent on the sale of Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid but the clubs are close to a £30m deal for the 27-year-old.’ – Daily Mail
‘Liverpool have given Real 48 hours to complete Alonso’s signing with the Spanish giants set to make an improved bid of between £28m and £30m.’ – The Times
‘However, Real Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze is closer to sign for Olympique de Marseille.’ – L’Equipe
‘Aston Villa are monitoring forward Robbie Keane’s situation at Tottenham after the arrival of fellow striker Peter Crouch.’ – Daily Mail
‘West Ham and England defender Matthew Upson is also a target for Villa and they are poised to make a £12m bid for the 28-year-old.’ – Daily Mirror
‘ But West Ham United’s coach Gianfranco Zola is committed to attracting Inter Milan’s Mario Balotelli.’ – L’Equipe
‘Villa manager Martin O’Neill wants to pair Upson with Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin and is ready to offer £4.5m for the 30-year-old.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Tottenham striker Darren Bent is attracting interest from Aston Villa, but Sunderland remain favourites to sign the 25-year-old for about £15m.’ – The Independent
‘Brazilian Elano has committed to four years with Galatasaray, after a fee of around £ 8m was agreed by the Turkish club and Manchester City.’ – mufc.co.uk
‘Inter Milan could revive their interest in Chelsea midfielder Deco, with Barcelona winger Alexander Hleb – who was due to arrive at the San Siro on loan – set to sign for his former club Stuttgart.’ – Daily Mail
‘Middlesbrough defender Robert Huth could be set for a return to the Premier League with Fulham prepared to pay £2m for the 24-year-old.’ – Daily Mirror
‘While, Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed Stuttgart ’s interest for his Turkish international striker, Tuncay.’ – Evening Gazette
‘Newcastle have accepted a £9m bid from Wolfsburg for 24-year-old striker Obafemi Martins.’ – The Times
‘Everton are interested in signing 18-year-old Stockport defender Josh Thompson.’ – The Sun
‘Portsmouth had hoped to sign Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic but the 21-year-old’s club Hadjuk Split are not happy with the £5.5m fee being spread over three years.’ – Various
‘Celtic are interested in signing Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon for £2m.’ – Daily Mirror
‘Dimitro Chygrynskiy played 45 minutes on Wednesday night in the Champions League with Donetsk which could likely affect of a possible transfer to Catalonia based Barcelona’ – Various
‘Alexandr Hleb, who refused to be included in the exchange deal for Ibrahimovic – Eto’o deal, will return to his former club VfB Stuttgart in a loan deal.’ – fcbarcelona.com.
The defensive midfielder from Stoke City, Seyi Olofinjana, will sign a three year deal with Monaco after passing medical tests’ – L’Equipe
‘Boca Juniors defender Facundo Roncaglia will spend the next season on loan to RCD Espanyol in Barcelona, with a possible buy out option’ – Marca
By: Abhimanyu Rajput
Related posts
Calendar
Related Sites
- AFP
- e-soccertips
- Free Themes All - Blogger, Wordpress, Joomla themes
- Soccer Results
- soccerway
- WAGS
- WAGS Blog
Categories
- 1 League
- A PFG
- A-League
- African
- Argentina
- Belgium
- Brasil
- Bundesliga
- CAF Champions League
- Club Friendlies
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup
- Cup
- English Championship
- English Premier League
- Eredivisie
- European Championships
- FA Cup
- FIFA
- Franch
- Germany
- Italy
- Japan
- Jupiler League
- LA Liga
- LigaBwin
- Ligue 1
- MLS
- netherlands
- Olympics
- Olympics Women
- Photo
- portugal
- premier league
- Primera Division
- Rusia Premier League
- scotland
- Scottish Premier League
- Serie A
- Super Copa
- Super League
- Sweden
- Turkcell Süper Lig
- UEFA Champions League
- UEFA Cup
- Umaglesi Liga
- Uncategorized
- United States
- Video
- Vietnam
- Wag Watch
- WAGS
- WC Qualifying Asia
- WC Qualifying Concacaf
- WC Qualifying Europe
- WC Qualifying South-Africa
- WC Qualifying South-America
- World Cup
