Author: David McGeady

The 32-year-old former Argentina international has been pinpointed following Vincent Kompany’s groin injury, while the Manchester City coach also hopes Gareth Barry will stay

Manuel Pellegrini says he expects “progress” to be made over the transfer of Martin Demichelis from Atletico Madrid.

Goal revealed on Tuesday that the Premier League runners-up had agreed a deal in principle for the transfer of the centre-back worth up to €4.7 million.

Pellegrini is in the market for a centre-back after seeing his captain Vincent Kompany injure his groin against Newcastle United and has pinpointed Demichelis.

“I expect progress,” Pellegrini told reporters. “I hope that we can get one more defender for the team.

“Maybe he’s the name we want. We will see what will happen with him.”

Pellegrini also insisted Gareth Barry remains part of his plans, despite rumours of a move to Everton for the midfielder.

The 59-year-old wants the England man to stay and fight for his place at the Etihad Stadium, and hopes he will provide competition to the likes of Yaya Toure and Fernandinho, despite failing to feature so far this season.

He explained: “All the players have a future here. At the moment we have all of the squad fit.

“We have 23 players it’s impossible for all of them to be playing.

“Gareth Barry is an important player but we also have Toure, Fernandinho, [Jack] Rodwell and Javi Garcia, so we have four players in that position.”

The Japan international is not looking to leave Old Trafford but is concerned by his lack of playing time, while Gareth Barry could earn €1.8 million if he leaves Manchester City

KAGAWA SEEKS TALKS WITH MOYES OVER UNITED FUTURE

Shinji Kagawa will seek urgent talks over his Manchester United future with David Moyes, The Sweeper has learned.

The Japan international is determined to stay and fight for his future at Old Trafford but is concerned about the lack of playing time he has been afforded by his new manager.

Kagawa, a €20 million signing from Borussia Dortmund last summer, struggled with injury last season but an upturn in form towards the end of the campaign prompted a belief he would feature more prominently under Moyes.

However, the 24-year-old’s first team involvement so far this season has been restricted to a seven-minute cameo as a substitute against Wigan in the Community Shield earlier this month.

Eyebrows were further raised when, with 12 minutes left of Monday’s stalemate against Chelsea, Moyes opted to bring on veteran Ryan Giggs and leave Kagawa on the bench.

That move prompted fans of Kagawa’s former club, who he helped inspire to the Bundesliga title in his final season in Germany, to launch a #freeShinji campaign on Twitter.

Moyes, however, has no intention of dispensing with Kagawa’s services and has adopted a ‘handle with care’ approach following the player’s involvement the Confederations Cup which cut short his pre-season programme.  

Despite fears over Wayne Rooney’s fitness ahead of Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool at Anfield, however, Kagawa is again expected to start on the bench.

– Paul Clennam

BARRY TO BAG SEVEN-FIGURE CITY PAY-OFF

Gareth Barry will pick up a stunning €1.8 million pay-off if he leaves Manchester City before Monday’s transfer deadline, The Sweeper can reveal.

The 32-year-old has been informed that he can leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, with less than 12 months remaining on his current contract.

City are looking to recoup €2.4m of the €14m they paid for Barry in 2009, and will only deliver the severance package should he be sold on a permanent deal.

City are willing to contribute up to 40 per cent of that salary with view to a loan deal, with Everton leading the race for the former Aston Villa skipper.

Barry, who hasn’t featured under Manuel Pellegrini this term, earns a bank-busting €140,000-a-week wage with the Premier League runners-up and admitted he was disappointed not to have been a new deal in July.

“I haven’t heard anything about a new deal from the club, so it looks as though my contract will run out next summer and I’ll have to take it from there,” he told the Sunday Mirror.

“I’ve got to admit that, with Yaya Toure, Javi Garcia and now Fernandinho in the squad, it’s going to be tough for anyone to nail down a position in central midfield. I’m a bit disappointed that there’s been no offer, but I haven’t got myself too down about it.”

– Paul Clennam

UNITED CHIEF WOODWARD GIVEN GHOULISH NEW NICKNAME

Manchester United staff have come up with a comic nickname for new assistant vice-chairman Ed Woodward – ‘The Ghost’.

Woodward, who spends half his working week at the club’s Mayfair office in London, has actually been at Old Trafford for a number of years.

But while his predecessor David Gill was a regular visitor to United’s Carrington training headquarters, the man known to be close to the Glazers has barely been seen since taking over the role earlier this summer.

Woodward flew back from the club’s recent tour of Australia to address ‘urgent transfer business’ as United failed to complete moves for Thiago Alcantara and later Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona.

But little has been seen of Woodward ever since and the players have dubbed him ‘Ghost’ – simply because they never see him!

– Paul Clennam

The Real Madrid boss has reassured the duo that they have a future at the Santiago Bernabeu despite the imminent arrival of Gareth Bale, with Pepe also set to stay put

EXCLUSIVE
By Duncan Castles

Real Madrid are to resist Arsenal and Tottenham approaches to sign Angel Di Maria and Fabio Coentrao respectively, following a personal intervention by coach Carlo Ancelotti, Goal understands.

The pair had looked to be heading for the Santiago Bernabeu exit following an unsettled summer at the club, with their sales also providing funds for Real’s imminent capture of Gareth Bale from Tottenham.

Ancelotti, however, has stepped in to convince both that their future is in Madrid, scuppering the two deals.

Unhappy with his status within the Liga club, Coentrao had been touted for an exit from Madrid all summer with Monaco offering a pay rise in French football, and former club Benfica exploring the possibility of a return on loan.

Tottenham came close to landing the 25-year-old, with manager Andre Villas-Boas targeting the Portugal international as left-back in his new-look team – even though the proposed financial terms of the €17 million deal had prompted some consternation within the London club.

However, following talks with the coach in the last 24 hours, Coentrao is now set to extend his stay on an improved contract at a club he joined for €30m two years ago.
 
Also originally recruited from Benfica by Jose Mourinho, Di Maria has been sounded out by Arsenal after Madrid informally placed the Argentina international on the transfer market last month.

Again, Ancelotti intervened to keep the winger at the club, regardless of Bale’s proposed €100 million recruitment, leaving Wenger short of transfer options with the close of the window just over a day away.
 
The Italian coach has also blocked Manchester City’s sustained attempt to recruit Pepe, reassuring the Portugal international of his importance to Madrid’s first team and returning him to it.

An often controversial figure at the Bernabeu, the Brazil-born defender had welcomed the idea of moving to the Premier League having fallen out with Mourinho over team selections and grown tired of public criticism in Madrid – but now looks set to stay at the club, alongside Coentrao and Di Maria.

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The Welshman is poised to complete a record-breaking €100 million move to Real Madrid, but the Gunners man feels Spurs’ summer spending cannot be ignored by their top-four rivals

Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla believes Tottenham are strong enough to qualify for the Champions League despite Gareth Bale’s imminent exit.

The Welshman netted 26 goals last season as Spurs narrowly missed out on a top-four spot on the final day, and now looks set to join La Liga giants Real Madrid in a record-breaking €100 million deal.

Tottenham, though, have anticipated the sale and spent upwards of €106m on seven new faces – including the likes of Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela and Paulinho – and Cazorla expects Bale’s departure to have little effect.

“It is true that Gareth Bale may be departing, but they are still strong, and so we have to match them because it will mean we are fighting for major goals,” Cazorla told the club’s official website.

“Tottenham are always in the running to get into the Champions League, to improve every year, and they have strengthened their squad quite well, bringing in Roberto [Soldado], Paulinho, [Etienne] Capoue, so they are a very strong side.

“Roberto is a very good player, Tottenham have a great signing in him, and he is showing that with goals.”

Bacary Sagna echoed Cazorla’s prediction for Tottenham, highlighting the strength in depth at White Hart Lane, but is confident Arsenal can triumph on Sunday when their rivals come to town.

“Of course [Bale] was really important for their team but they have many other players,” the right-back added.

“Most of them play for their national teams and we know it is not going to be easy but at the same time we believe it is down to us to play our football.

“As I have said before, we can beat anyone. We have very talented players who are young and motivated.

Cazorla scored in the same fixture last season as Arsenal won 5-2 for the second year on the trot, and says the atmosphere at the games was his stand out memory from his debut term.

“The best memory that I have in the Premier League, my best game in the competition, was the derby at home against Tottenham,” he continued.

“It was a very good result for us, I scored a goal and the atmosphere that day was amazing. The return leg was not so good [Arsenal lost 2-1 at White Hart Lane] but overall they are very special games.”

Following the sale of Kevin-Prince Boateng to Schalke the Rossoneri have moved quickly to capture the highly rated Slovenia attacker in a swap deal for the full-back

AC Milan have completed the signing of Valter Birsa from Genoa while Luca Antonini has joined the Rossoblu in a swap deal.

Birsa, 27, is a versatile attacker and joins the club on a three-year deal following the sale of Kevin-Prince Boateng to Schalke.

The Slovenia international has been capped 62 times for his country and spent a season on loan at Torino last year, having failed to establish himself as a regular first team member at Genoa.

Meanwhile, full-back Antonini – who was linked with Paolo Di Canio’s Sunderland – has moved in the opposite direction, also signing a three-year deal.

The 31-year old was loaned out to a series of clubs during his time with the Serie A outfit, including Sampdoria, Modena and Siena.

He became a particular favourite with coach Massimiliano Allegri, who installed him as first choice left-back for the 2010-11 season, where he helped his side to their 18th league title.

In an emotional tweet, he told fans: “After 23 years in Rossonero, today I salute the team I support. The time has come for me to go. Goodbye my Milan, I gave my heart for you. Thank you for everything.”