Football transfer news

Massimo Moratti says Inter will not be making any major purchases in January, as the club’s new vision advocates sound financial management and the development of youth. 

The Nerazzurri have made an inconsistent start to the Serie A season, winning all of their away games but failing to pick up points at home, and unlike in previous years, the supremo will not be sanctioning any significant buys midway through the campaign.

“Inter will continue with the model that is based on sound management and the development of youth,” Moratti told reporters following a meeting with the board.

“There can be slight improvements, but a club has to pay attention to finances and balancing the books for both the Financial Fair Play rules and the sake of responsibility.

“I think we have something important growing in this squad and a youth academy that continues to bring us quality players. It is a policy that contrasts greatly of the Inter in years gone by, when major signings were made frequently.

“Should we all forget the type of investment we once made on Christian Vieri? Absolutely yes. At that time we got it all wrong.”

Moratti then discussed tactics and offered support to coach Andrea Stramaccioni, who switched to a 3-5-2 formation against Chievo on Wednesday with immediate results, as Inter recorded a 2-0 victory.

“The important thing is that there is enthusiasm within the squad. We are only here to support them,” he continued.

“Any combination of players is fine as long as the mechanism works. What’s really important is that [the tactics] work for the team and the coach, as it can give them a sense of certainty during games.

“It’s not that only one tactic exists and the others are failures. It all depends on the players you have at that moment. Right now, it is useful to use a three-man defence.”

The oil-magnate was then asked about Antonio Cassano, who arrived from AC Milan in the summer and got back on the scoring trail against the Flying Donkeys, and he had nothing but praise for the Italy international.

“[Antonio] Cassano is bringing a great deal to the table, not just on the field but also in terms of his relationship with the coach and his team-mates. When I say he is wise now, he is certainly proving me right.”

Inter are due to host Fiorentina in the next match, and while his side have not won at home this season, Moratti is confident his team will put on a good show, though he admitted it will be a tough game.

“In my view, they [Fiorentina] are the best team I’ve seen play so far this season. They put in a great performance against Juventus and it’s going to be very difficult, but we’ll make it hard for them too,” he concluded.

QPR have agreed a settlement fee with Blackburn Rovers worth up to €5 million for summer signing Junior Hoilett.

The two clubs have come to an amicable agreement over a compensation figure for the winger following two months of negotiations, which will avoid the case going to a tribunal.

The west London club will pay Rovers €3.8m rising to €5m for Hoilett, who signed for Mark Hughes’ team in July after his Ewood Park contract expired.

Although the 22-year-old had become a free agent, Uefa rules state that Blackburn are entitled to a training fee because the player is under the age of 24.

Hoilett joined the Blackburn academy as a 13-year-old and went on to make 92 appearances for the first team before he moved to Loftus Road on July 27 after signing a four-year contract.

Blackburn were hopeful that a tribunal would award them a similar fee for Hoilett to the €7.5m paid by Chelsea to Manchester City when they signed Daniel Sturridge in 2009 but a maximum €5m is enough to convince the Championship club to stay out of court.    

Hoilett was one of 11 new players signed by QPR during the summer in what was a radical overhaul of a squad that only avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day of last season.

The Canadian claimed he shunned interest from Liverpool, Newcastle United and Sunderland to join the west Londoners.

Carlo Mazzone believes that former Barcelona trainer Pep Guardiola will be in charge of either AC Milan or Inter in the 2013-14 campaign.

Guardiola is currently enjoying a one-year sabbatical after leaving Barca at the end of last season, and the 41-year-old has been linked with a number of English and Italian clubs in the past few months.

Nevertheless, Mazzone, who was Guardiola’s coach during the his spell at Brescia, has little doubts about where the Spaniard’s future lies and believes he is on his way to Serie A.

“Next year Pep could work in Milan. For Inter or Milan? That I don’t know,” Mazzone told Il Subsidiario.

“Pep called me on the phone and told me he was coming to see me soon. I asked him if his visit would be as a tourist or as a coach of an Italian team and he told me both.”

Mazzone’s comments come hardly a month after former Barcelona attacker Bojan Krkic claimed that Guardiola has set his sights on the AC Milan job.

PSV midfielder Kevin Strootman has put a number of Premier League clubs on red alert after the agent of the in-demand midfielder revealed that he could leave the Eredivisie in January.

Manchester United are one of a clutch of clubs thought to be interested in the Dutchman after Martin Ferguson, scout and brother of Sir Alex, made a trip to Eindhoven to watch the midfielder last season, though no offer was made.

PSV are said to value their player at £20 million (€25m), but Strootman’s agent Chiel Dekker says he is ready to push through a move in the January transfer window.

“Strootman has had a good time in Eindhoven, but he decided that he wants to prove himself in a better league,” Dekker told Dutch reporters.

“If an agreement is able to be reached with a potentially interested club, PSV will allow Kevin to leave in January.”

A bid of £15m (€19m) could be enough to secure a deal according to reports, and could see Sir Alex make a move into the market after only landing attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa in the summer, with Strootman a more defensive-minded player.

Australian side Newcastle Jets have had to place an order for an additional 5,000 Emile Heskey jerseys after they sold out of their first batch following the striker’s move to the New South Wales club.

The former England forward had been without a club after leaving Aston Villa in the summer before choosing to rejuvenate his career down under in a switch that has brought much excitement to Aussie fans.
The 34-year-old’s move comes shortly after Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero signed for rivals Sydney FC. The arrival of these two former internationals looks set to boost the profile of the A-League and Jets boss Gary van Egmond believes that the former Liverpool striker can have a big impact for the club both on and off the field.

The coach told Fox Sports of Heskey: “He ticks all the boxes, in a footballing sense, with his ability and experience … and from a commercial and marketing point of view. He’s going to be a great fit.

“We are obviously all hoping he is going to be ready to go. From my understanding, he’s been training at Wigan and has kept himself in really good nick.

“Everyone’s hopeful it’s all OK and he’s in decent shape but, as I say, we can’t do any more at this stage except wait until we see him in the flesh and then go from there.”

Heskey’s new team-mate, Swiss defender Dominik Ritter, voiced his delight at the big names heading to the A-League and the chance to play alongisde the ex-Three Lions man.

“When I came here, I didn’t know much about Australian football,” Ritter declared. “Then a couple of weeks ago, Del Piero signed [for Sydney] and everyone from Switzerland, my family and friends, all texted me saying how great it was.

“Now Emile Heskey is coming to play with me and my team. It’s very, very exciting.”