Football transfer news

Olympique de Marseille are willing to sell Loic Remy this winter if their valuation of the striker is met, sporting director Jose Anigo has revealed.

The France international has long been linked with a move away, with England purported to be his likeliest destination as Newcastle are believed to be the frontrunners for the attacker’s signature.

And the man in charge of the Ligue 1 side’s player recruitment has admitted that Remy could leave Stade Velodrome in January if the price is right.

“Some English clubs are in the process of thinking [about transfer targets] and they are not knocking on our doors yet,” the 51-year-old told L’Equipe.

“The only window we could open this winter is for Loic Remy. If a big club come [in for him] and are interested then we will see. Apart from Remy, nobody else will leave.”

Remy, 26, joined Marseille in the summer of 2010 for a fee reported to be in the region of €15 million and has since scored 42 goals in 110 appearances for the outfit.

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Frank Lampard has rejected an offer from Everton as the Premier League elite circle ahead of his summer exit from Chelsea, Goal.comhas learned.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham are among the clubs who have asked to be kept informed of the 34-year-old’s situation.

But the firmest interest in England has come from Everton, who are believed to have offered Lampard a three-year contract that was subsequently turned down.

The midfielder will leave Chelsea at the end of the season after being told he will not get a new contract from the European champions.

Goal.com understands that Lampard would prefer a move to the MLS in the United States rather than join another English club, with LA Galaxy his most likely destination.

There has also been strong interest in the England international from clubs in Serie A but the Chelsea stalwart has reservations about moving to Italy.

Lampard will be one of the most sought-after free agents in the world this summer, when his 12-year association with Chelsea will come to an end.

He was told by the west London club at a meeting last week that he will not be offered an extension to his current £150,000-a-week deal, even on reduced terms.

This has prompted a stampede of interest in the player, who demonstrated his value once again by scoring his 10th goal of the season for club and country on Saturday in Chelsea’s 5-1 FA Cup win at Southampton.

Lampard’s colleague John Terry broke ranks on Friday to question Chelsea’s stance on the failure to award the long-serving midfielder a new contract.

Terry posted a photograph of himself and Lampard on his Instagram account holding the FA Cup, accompanied by the comment: “Devastated is an understatement. We should retire the No8 in honour of Lamps.”

Terry also posted a series of hashtags, which included “hero”, “legend” and “goalmachine”.

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Australian A-League side Perth Glory are in talks with Stoke City striker Michael Owen over a potential move.

The 33-year-old signed for Tony Pulis’ side on a free transfer in the summer but has yet to make a Premier League start this season.

A hamstring injury has hampered the number of opportunities Owen has had to break into Stoke’s side, but the striker is now considering a move to the A-League.

“Michael Owen’s agent has enquired about Michael playing in the A-League,” a Perth Glory spokesman told the West Australian.

“Perth Glory are interested but are yet to find out Michael’s terms and conditions. Until these are known, Perth Glory will not enter any further negotiations.”

Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer has failed to reinforce Jupp Heynckes’ position as coach beyond the end of the current campaign, which could open up the door for Pep Guardiola to take up the reins of the club in the summer.

Die Roten top the Bundesliga table and have qualified for the next phase of the Champions League, but Sammer’s hesitance to commit to Heynckes will ignite speculation of an impending exit.

“The time windows are discussed,” the 45-year-old told Bild when asked of the coach’s future. “Before March, there is nothing to say on this subject [regarding Guardiola].

“Heynckes has communicated his pride into this team, and is a fantastic coach. We just have to think of remaining humble to the end of the season in order to secure one or two more titles.

“For now, I would ask for more restraint from experts in the outside world, who should not discuss issues based on speculation.”

Guardiola currently remains on a personal sabbatical from the game, after resigning from his post at Barcelona at the end of last term.

Lyon coach Remi Garde is determined to keep hold of hot prospect Clement Grenier during the January transfer window, and insisted the 21-year-old has never been for sale.

The Stade Gerland outfit carried out major modifications to the squad after a underwhelming 2011-12 season which saw the club finish fourth, but Garde maintains Grenier’s status within the side was never in question.

“Grenier is a player for the future of this club,” revealed the 46-year-old to L’Equipe. “I was adamant in my decision not to allow him to depart for Nice last summer.

“I think he showed in the matches before his injury that I was not wrong. We are now trying to work out a suitable contractual extension that would satisfy all parties.”

Les Gones now sit joint-top of Ligue 1 alongside Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, and Garde has declared the club will continue strengthening their ranks during the weeks ahead.

He added: “The market is very quiet today, but anything and all can happen before it closes. For that reason, we will keep an eye open till January 31.

“There is no question of selling any players, as all within this team represent their personal value within my plans.”