Football transfer news

EXCLUSIVE
By Elia Raimondo

Southampton are expected to announce the signing of Cagliari centre-back Davide Astori imminently, Goal.com understands.

The 25-year-old Italian international has agreed personal terms with the south coast club, believed to be in the region of £1.6 million (€2m) per season, and is awaiting the Premier League outfit to reach agreement with their Serie A counterparts before making the move.

The Sardinian club were believed to be holding out for £11.3m (€14m) for Astori, but that figure scared off Serie A clubs and should allow the Saints to reduce the figure to around £6.5m (€8m).

It is expected that Astori will also have a similar clause inserted to his contract as Gaston Ramirez did, allowing the Italian to leave for £6.5m (€8m) if the Premier League strugglers are relegated.

Astori has previously been linked with a move to Juventus in the summer, before former club AC Milan attempted to take him back to the San Siro.

The Bergamo-born defender spent five years in the Rossoneri’s youth academy before spending two seasons on loan at Pizzighettone and Cremonese. He has since made over 100 appearances for Cagliari after joining the Serie A side in 2008 and has represented Italy twice.

Southampton have only kept two clean sheets in the league this season, conceding 38 times in 20 matches, and look set to be without captain Jose Fonte for some time after the Portuguese defender was stretchered off with a knee injury in the 5-1 FA Cup loss to Chelsea on Saturday.

Inter president Massimo Moratti has revealed that the Serie A outfit are looking to sign new players during the transfer window but insisted they will not be splashing the cash on big names.

The Milan outfit have been linked with Atalanta’s Ezequiel Schelotto, Chievo shot-stopper Stefano Sorrentino and Catania’s Francesco Lodi, but the president has stressed that the club does not intend to fork out a huge sum on new signings.

“They are all good players,” he told reporters. “However, now is not the time to spend a lot of money.

“We spoke about yesterday’s loss against Udinese, but also the future. We’ll make adjustments to Inter.

“But before then let us hope that we get back our injured and suspended players.”

The Nerazzurri were on the wrong end of a 3-0 defeat at Udinese on Sunday, and Moratti believes the sending off of Juan Jesus in the second half was a turning point.

He added: “We only did well for a part of the game. Then, there was a horrible transformation.

“Inter have the same amount of points as Claudio Ranieri’s Inter, last season? Yes, but the league position is better as the others are slowing down.”

Andrea Stramaccioni’s men currently sit fifth in Serie A. They will host Pescara on January 12.

Perth Glory have ruled out making a move for Stoke City forward Michael Owen.

The former England international was rumoured to be interested in a switch to the A-League, having struggled to gain a spot in the first team at the Britannia Stadium due to a mixture of fitness trouble and the good form of Tony Pulis’ men.

But, after there were strong links drawn between Glory and Owen, the Perth club have now dismissed a possible move.

“Michael is a player who comes with a high pedigree but it’s not the direction I want to take the club,” Perth coach Ian Ferguson said in a statement.

“I am looking for a younger player and a player who has been playing more regularly.

“I have three or four irons in the fire that I am pursuing, which is good.

“In terms of Michael, there was contact from an agent if we were interested, it was discussed at a good level, but I have made the decision he is the not the player needed at Perth Glory.”

Glory had previously expressed their interest in signing Owen in the January transfer window, though the club have now backtracked on their initial preferences.

The statement comes shortly after Glory made a swoop for former MLS star David Beckham, but their attempts to land the ex-England international are unlikely to come to fruition.

By Greg Stobart

Harry Redknapp is set to offer Everton’s Sylvain Distin a two-year deal in a bid to solve QPR’s defensive crisis.

The French centre-half, 35, has less than six months remaining on his current contract and with the Goodison Park club reluctant to offer him a new deal, Redknapp is ready to pounce for a player he managed during his time at Portsmouth.
Redknapp has also targeted Tottenham’s Michael Dawson, but with the England international now likely to remain at White Hart Lane the QPR manager is prepared to match Distin’s £50,000-a-week salary in an attempt to lure him to Loftus Road.

Everton, meanwhile, will turn their attentions to bringing Joleon Lescott back to Merseyside after a four-year absence.

The former Wolves defender, who left for Etihad Stadium in a controversial £24 million deal back in 2009, has fallen down Roberto Mancini’s pecking order following the summer arrival of Matija Nastasic.

Lescott, who has two years left to run on his £90,000-a-week deal, is unlikely to leave in January, however, with Kolo Toure having departed for the Africa Cup of Nations.

“Joleon Lescott has ruled out the possibility of any loan move during the January transfer window,” read a statement released by the player’s agent on Saturday.

“Despite speculation linking him with several Premier League clubs, Joleon has no desire to leave Manchester City.”

Lescott, who began his career at Wolves, has also emerged as a target for Premier League strugglers Aston Villa.

Lewis Holtby has described his excitment after agreeing to join Tottenham and insisted his decision to leave Schalke was a difficult one.

The 22-year-old is due to join Spurs in July, but could arrive even sooner after managing director Horst Heldt indicated that the Bundesliga club would be prepared to consider selling ahead of his summer switch.

However, Holtby is simply delighted to be moving to the Premier League and says he is looking forward to his time at White Hart Lane.

“I simply had to take the offer from Tottenham,” Holtby told reporters.

“New things don’t scare me, they excite me. In my opinion Tottenham is a big club in Europe.

“Tottenham have belonged to the top five in England since many years and they only missed out on the Champions League because Chelsea won the cup last year.”

Holtby also insisted that he would have been happy to stay at Schalke and hopes that the club’s fans can understand his decision to leave.

“Without Tottenham’s offer I would have signed at Schalke. I can only repeat that Horst Heldt made a very good offer,” he added.

“I believe that I have a good relation to the fans, because I have always been authentic and honest. Now they can decide on their own how to react.”