Football transfer news

The English giants are ready for a summer of spending at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Fergusen, the manager is set on rebuilding the team as their most celebrated veterans , Edwin Van Der Sar , and Paul Scholes have retired this summer. In addition Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand also need suitable replacement and their age seems to be catching up with them slowly. The most expected transfer targets are:

1. Luka Modric (Tottenham Horspur) : Following the massacre of the midfield at the hands of  the Catalans in the Champions league final at Wembley Stadium, Sir Alex is keen on adding more creativity to the midfield. Luka Modric seems to be the best option as the spurs midfielder is in excellent form and is already familiar with the English style of game. The croation midfielder is also interested in a possible transfer as he recently said “When you experience playing in the Champions League, you want to keep playing in this tournament”. The transfer is supposed to be around 30m or more as Spurs are reluctant to sell their top star playmaker.

2. Ashley Young (Aston Villa) : The young englishman recently made mockery of Capello’s decision to not include him in the starting 11 by scoring in the few minutes that he was substituted into the game, and was in excellent form throughout. He has had a spectacular season at Villa Park and his team seems resigned to the fact that they cannot keep him for another season. The Red devils’ manager has set sights on the young flyer and is keen to add him to the squad and to add a little bit more speed to the aging midfield. Transfer amount is expected to be around 15m. Manchester united are ready to fight off Liverpool who also seems to be interested in Young.

3. David De Gea (Atletico Madrid) : The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper has long been linked with a transfer to Old Trafford since January. Seeing that the Dutch Goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar is out of the game having retired this summer, the Scot is out shopping for a Goalkeeper too. De Gea is topping his list as the young goalkeeper is an excellent talent to have. He will suit perfectly Sir Alex’s plans as the youngster is just 20 year old and already of top drawer. He sure seems interested as he said a move to Old Trafford would be too seducing to refuse.

4. Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan) : Even though he signed a new deal with Inter Milan recently, the Dutch playmaker would be unable to refuse a move to Old Trafford if an offer was made. The Scot has long had his sights on Sneijder as he led Inter Milan to a treble the season before last. He has had a bad season with Inter Milan as they lost their Serie A title as well as the Champions league title to FC Barcelona as well. The hefty asking price for the midfielder will be the only put off factor for Sir Alex as he looks to add this brilliant and creative playmaker in the Red Devil squad.

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Edin Dzeko has officially joined Manchester City after signing a four-and-a-half year deal from Wolfsburg.

The widely sought after 24-year-old striker, is likely to make his home debut against Wolves next Saturday after making the €32.5 (£27) million switch from the Bundesliga.

“It has been a long time that I have been linked with the club going back to last summer but Wolfsburg did not want to sell me until today,” he said on Friday to the official Manchester City website.

“There was too much speculation in the papers but my head is always clear. It is important that is the case because if you think too much about what might be it is a distraction and it can affect your game. I was always attracted most to joining City.

“They have been playing well this season. I have watched them a lot on television. Now the speculation is over and I just want to do my best.”

The Bosnian born striker had been linked with a move to Juventus, but revealed that he only had eyes for a move to Eastlands.

“Everybody speaks about City having lots of money but it is not about that,” he said. “It is about ambition and I have spoken to coach Mancini and he told me ‘this is the best club for you’,” he explained in his excellent English.

“City are playing for first place in the Premier League and that is what I want. I am excited to play alongside players such as Tevez and Toure who I have only seen on the television and to be in the same team as players I have played against such as Boateng and Kompany.

“They will help me achieve my goal to be better in the future. I want to show the fans why the club paid the money for me. Everyone expects goals and I want to score them but most of all I want to contribute to a successful team.

“I don’t want to talk about my skill – that is for other people to judge. However, I know my quality and when I am fit I am not afraid of a challenge.

“I don’t know a lot about Manchester because I have only been once but I am looking forward to seeing the city and meeting the fans and getting to know everyone at the club.”

Dzeko made an immediate impact for Wolfsburg after moving there in the summer of 2007, scoring five goals in 11 games, helping the club to fifth place aswell securing a Europa League spot for his side.

He became Wolfsburg’s highest scorer in history 66 games in 111 games, and netting 84 times in all competitions.

New team-mate Jerome Boateng was extremely happy upon finding out the news.

“Dzeko has everything,” he said. “He can shoot right left and can head the ball too. He is a very strong striker. He is a quality player. Against Hamburg he always played well and seemed to score, it was always a big challenge.

“He can hold the ball well and he knows how to move with his body. He has a good eye for the goal.”

City, who currently lie second in the Premier League table have now bought nine players under Mancini, and the most recent will be seen as a statement of intent to go on and win the title. (goal)

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has revealed that he wouldn’t splash unnecessary cash when the January transfer window opens next month but will search the market for a “special” player.

Redknapp told Sky Sports News: ”We’ve got so many players here it would be hard fitting anybody in. We’re not too desperate for anything. We’re more than strong everywhere so unless it’s someone who’s a bit special I don’t think we’ll be doing too much.

”If someone’s there that we feel can make the difference – it might just be a character or leader or somebody who can give you something at the club. If that type of person’s available then we’d be interested, but at the moment we’re not closing in on anything.”

Redknapp, though, expects Newcastle United striker Andrew Carroll to remain at St. James’ Park and explained, ”He’s got fantastic potential. He’s a top player, no doubt – he’s a real handful and he’s taken the Premier League by storm the first half of the season.

”If he was available I think there’d be plenty of people want him because he’s an old-fashioned centre-forward, but I see [Newcastle manager] Alan Pardew wants to keep him and I don’t blame him so I don’t see him moving.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has rubbished talk of Luka Modric making a move to Chelsea.

Zdravko Mamic, the vice-president of the Croatian midfielder’s former club, Dinamo Zagreb, had previously been quoted as saying that Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti had made Modric his top transfer target.

But the White Hart Lane gaffer insisted otherwise, as he told reporters: “He [Modric] wasn’t going nowhere.

“He is just such a fantastic player, if we start selling Luka Modric we may as well all go home.

“He’s different class and he’s not going nowhere, not a chance, not a chance.

“He [Ancelotti] might have his eye on him but he isn’t going to get him that’s for sure.”

Redknapp also confirmed that striker Robbie Keane can leave the club, with the forward having been linked with moves to Birmingham City, West Ham United and Aston Villa.

“Robbie would like to move and he wants to play,” said the former Portsmouth boss. “He is a boy who has played all his career. He is not used to not playing.

“He is still a top player and would grace most clubs. It’s just that he has been unfortunate with Rafa [van der Vaart] coming in and I’ve been playing one up with him. I have Defoe, Crouch, Pavlyuchenko and Robbie so it’s been difficult getting him in the team. I haven’t heard anything about any offers for him though.”

The Spurs boss also ruled out the possibility of making a move for Blackburn Rovers defencer Chris Samba, who recently came out speaking of a desire to leave the club in protest of Sam Allardyce’s sacking.

“He [Samba] is a good player who has done a great job,” Redknapp said. “He has been a fantastic signing for Blackburn from Germany. But I am okay; I am strong at centre half. So he is not a player I would be looking to do anything with.”

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Landon Donovan faced a difficult dilemma as December progressed and the start of the European transfer window beckoned on January 1.

The U.S. international found himself in a situation similar to the circumstances he confronted last December. Once again, Donovan weighed two apparently viable options: bombarding forward in his playing career by spending a second consecutive winter on loan with Everton or recharging his batteries before preparing for the 2011 MLS campaign with Los Angeles.

Both offers enticed him in different ways, but only one of them truly suited his present requirements.

Everton desperately needs Donovan – or someone of his caliber – to bolster David Moyes’ threadbare squad before the talismanic Tim Cahill scampers off to Qatar for the Asian Cup in January. Donovan’s first spell on Merseyside earlier this year proved a hit for both player and club, and a second stint certainly appealed to his desire to mix it up at the top level. Other parties – Fulham, most notably – expressed interest, but Donovan’s affection for Everton made it a one-club race to carry him off the beach and shunt him straight into the Premier League with little rest.

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It’s now official, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is at AC Milan, while Javier Mascherano at Barcelona.

Ibrahimovic will spend a year on loan, with the chance for ACM to buy him for only 24m. He will earn €8m/season.

Mascherano is payed €22m, with €3m of Javier who payed also Liverpool just to let him go.

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Javier is one step to became new Barcelonista. FC Barcelona have found an agreement with Liverpool FC, which has been confirmed on official website.

Javier Mascherano decided to go to Barca, besides Inter’s interest, where the coach is Rafa Benitez. Kuyt will also stay at Liverpool, so Inter won’t get any of Liverpool’s players.

It is expected that Javier will undergo medical exams on monday and put pen on the paper.

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