Category: Transfer news

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has dampened expectations on the club pulling off any more major signings in the January transfer window, insisting that Daniel Sturridge was their main target.

Goal.com exclusively revealed that the club are investigating the possibility of bringing Inter playmaker Wesley Sneijder to Anfield and are attempting to put together a financial package to sign the 28-year-old.
However, Rodgers says that he is not confident at this stage of the club pulling off the deal, telling reporters: “I can’t see it happening.

“You could probably rattle off about 20 names and the answer would be the same. The club have been linked with a whole host of players but I couldn’t see that happening.

“We’ll see what happens over the next few weeks. Daniel was our main priority and we’ll have to see what else is available.

“There’s no doubt we need to support the group. We had 20 players training this morning, of which some of those are our younger players, so we know we need to reinforce and top up the group. That’s something we’ll look to do.

“If we can do it, then great and if not, then we’ll wait until the summer.”

Stuttgart are in “advanced talks” to sign Manchester United striker Federico Macheda, according to the player’s agent.

Serie A and La Liga sides are also said to be interested in the Italian, whose contract expries in June 2014, but the German club are in pole position to sign the 21-year-old.

“We are at an advanced point with Stuttgart,” Giovanni Bia told TMW. “Negotiations are going well.

“He is a player who is liked by a lot of clubs. Two Spanish ones, for example, are looking to intervene.

“There are Italian sides too, from Siena to Bologna and others, but I think that Sir Alex Ferguson wants to send him to a foreign side outside of the peninsula.

“He’ll join a club on loan with the option to be signed outright as his contract expires in June 2014.”

Macheda joined United in 2008 and played a memorable role in their 2008-09 Premier League title-winning season, scoring an injury time winner against Aston Villa, and has gone on subsequent loan spells to Sampdoria and QPR.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew says that his club made QPR’s new signing Loic Remy a “fantastic offer” but refused to pay “silly money” for the forward.

The striker looked set to join the Magpies after a deal had been agreed with Marseille but, according to Pardew, the Frenchman never arrived, choosing instead to move to Loftus Road.

“It was a little strange,” Pardew told the Evening Chronicle on Thursday. “We made a fantastic offer and it was accepted, then he didn’t arrive.

“The club is on a solid financial footing but we won’t pay silly money. We made a fantastic Premier League offer. The player made a decision and stood by it.”

The Tyneside club were hoping to add Remy to their squad in place of Demba Ba, who agreed a move to Chelsea at the start of January, with Pardew acknowledging the need to consider their targets carefully before buying.

“We need a replacement for Demba Ba,” he continued. “It is important that we don’t make a knee-jerk reaction.

“We need to be strong for the second half of the season. We need one or two players to strengthen our position.”

Pardew also faces a crisis surrounding the future of club captain Fabricio Coloccini, who is being touted with a move back to Argentina and former club San Lorenzo, though his old side are struggling to find the cash to buy him outright.

“We are going to sit down next week and come to a conclusion,” the Magpies boss stated.

“He’s done particularly well for us. There’s obviously a problem there but sometimes the best way of dealing with it is to be on the pitch.”

Celtic have confirmed the signing of Australian midfielder Tomas Rogic from Central Coast Mariners on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

The 20-year-old has been on trial with the club on their recent trip to Spain and will join the Scottish champions subject to a work permit application.

A host of Premier League clubs, including QPR and Reading, were also said to be keen on the player but the Hoops have snapped up the player with four international caps to his name.

“We are delighted to announce the signing of Australian Tom Rogic on a four-and-a-half year deal, subject to a work permit,” Celtic said in a statement.

“The club can confirm an application will be made to the appropriate authorities in the next couple of days.”

Rogic has made 24 appearances for A-League side Mariners, scoring five goals.