domingo, 27 de enero de 2013

Third time lucky as Liverpool close on Coutinho - ESPN (blog)

Liverpool have edged a step closer to signing Inter Milan midfielder Philippe Coutinho, fending off a rival bid from Southampton. The Brazilian could arrive at Anfield on Monday, after the club agreed a fee with Inter for the player. Could the Reds' January signings guarantee them a place in Europe next year?

- ESPN FC Transfer Centre
- All the DONE DEALS

23.59 GMT Another day of the transfer window has come to a close. Keep an eye on Sunday's paper round-up, coming up soon.

23.14 GMT Another French speaker and another link to Newcastle, as Bastia chairman Pierre-Marie Geronimi says the club have rejected an offer from for Florian Thauvin, who is also reportedly a target for Arsenal.

22.51 GMT The Mail says Tottenham winger David Bentley could return to former club Blackburn or move to Reading after ending his loan spell with Russian club FC Rostov.

22.20 GMT Newcastle United are chasing the £12 million signing of Vitesse Arnhem forward Wilfried Bony according to the Telegraph. We'll give you one guess which language he speaks? Yup, he's an Ivory Coast international and is well and truly Francophone.

21.53 GMT: Leeds United have rejected a bid from a foreign club for leading scorer Luciano Becchio and have denied that there has been interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray. So that dream Sneijder-Becchio combo may have to wait for another day.

21.16 GMT: A big story for you now... if you support Bolton. Reports in Scotland suggest the Trotters have had a bid accepted for Hamilton Academicals defender Gary Fraser.

20.49 GMT: Juventus director general Giuseppe Marotta confirms the club's signing of Nicolas Anelka on a loan deal until the end of the season. Poor Nicklas Bendtner. FULL STORY HERE

20.27 GMT: Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray says he would be interested in Kieron Dyer, a free agent since leaving QPR. "I've watched some footage of him playing against Gareth Bale for QPR and he did well," Mowbray said. "He's scored in the FA Cup against West Brom and he's been available, fit and playing. I'll have to see if something can be done and we might be close to that. If Kieron plays football for us and helps win football matches then I think he would be an asset."

20.10 GMT: Nicolas Anelka's proposed move to Juventus has edged closer. He told reporters in Italy: "I am delighted to have arrived at Juve." The deal is expected to be a six-month loan deal.

20.04 GMT: Bolton boss Dougie Freedman has rejected an offer from Fiorentina for Marcos Alonso. He said: "We feel we have done a lot for Marcos and we value him a lot more than Fiorentina have offered," he said. "As we speak right now, we have rejected that and we move on."

19.30 GMT: Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini has written an open letter to San Lorenzo thanking them for their attempt to sign him.

18.30 GMT: Tottenham are now the favourites to sign Gary Hooper from Celtic, according to talkSPORT, they have stolen a march on Premier League rivals Norwich for the striker's signature.

18.00 GMT: BREAKING: Liverpool have agreed a fee with Inter Milan for Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, it is now official.

The Merseyside club are thought to be prepared to pay £8.5 million for the 20-year-old, who was also reported to have attracted interest from Southampton.

Manager Brendan Rodgers had said on Friday he was still looking to add to his squad with one or two new players before Thursday's transfer deadline.

17.45 GMT: Quotes from Inter Milan boss Andrea Stramaccioni: "I met President Massimo Moratti yesterday and we have the same objectives. The target is to improve the squad. I don't need players coming in to make up the numbers.

"If someone arrives, he has to be of a superior level. At the same time, any painful sales are linked to bringing in important players who will improve Inter. That is how the President and I see it.

"Coutinho and Ricky Alvarez? I dubbed them painful losses because these are players who started the project with us and that is also true of Wesley Sneijder. It is always painful to lose players I work with. I could let go of a player as long as another will arrive who can help the squad. Paulinho? I won't comment on names until the window closes."

17.20 GMT: Sam Byram has signed a new contract that will keep him at Leeds United until 2016. A statement read: "The contract is a reward for his contribution in the first team this season."

16.54 GMT: Saint Etienne have released a statement confirming they've rejected Newcastle's bid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

16.30 GMT: According to reports in Italy, Sunderland have seen a €5 million bid for Lazio's Mauro Zarate rejected. The former Birmingham and Inter Milan striker has fallen out of favour at Lazio, and recently spurned the opportunity to join Dynamo Kiev with several interested parties still keen to talk to the Argentine.

strong>16.25 GMT: BBC's Ben Smith has tweeted: "Coutinho expected on Merseyside early next week. Liverpool still need to apply for a work permit for the 20-year-old."

16.05 GMT: West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie has been tweeting some interesting things. Here's a quick round-up:

"I can understand the reaction of a few Albion fans on my desire to leave the club. Real reason? Because they once doubted my commitment. Want to know why I wanted to quit top-flight football last summer earlier than I wished to? They know at the club.

"Albion fans are not the only reason, but they made it easier for me to decide to stay and try my best to forget about the disappointment. I succeeded in doing that. But it's not getting better. Before bigger disappointment comes one day, it's better to leave on a good note now.

"I am crazy haha. My advisor is saying 'don't tweet,' as it weakens our position. But it doesn't weaken anything! When I want to do something, I do it."

15.50 GMT: Swansea have been rebuffed in an enquiry for Manchester United target Kurt Zouma say the Daily Mail.

15.20 GMT: L'Equipe are reporting that Schalke have completed the signing of Lyon winger Michel Bastos for a fee of €7 million. Still waiting for official statements.

15.00 GMT: Inter Milan have accepted Liverpool's €13 million offer for Philippe Coutinho, according to Sky Italia.

14.38 GMT: Guillem Balague on Twitter: "Wigan is not one of the PL teams interested in [Luciano] Becchio."

14.18 GMT: The Mirror report that West Ham are close to agreeing a £2.5 million fee with Turkish club Kasimpasa for Carlton Cole.

13.47 GMT: AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri: "The management's intention is to improve the current squad. Pazzini has scored 10 goals this season after a difficult start where he hadn't trained during the summer. I'm satisfied with him."

13.24 GMT: Middlesbrough are reportedly keen on taking on free agent Kieron Dyer at the Riverside, that's what the Daily Mail report.

12.55 GMT: Nicolas Anelka will reportedly undergo a medical with Juventus on Monday, as he transfers from Shanghai Shenhua, read the full story here.

12.20 GMT: Interesting tweet from @Barcastuff: "Michu (Swansea): "Ready to join Madrid or Barcelona? I don't know, it would be hard with so many star players, but why not..." They quote the story from Spanish newspaper Marca.

11.49 GMT: Real Madrid have of course solved their goalkeeper problem, by resigning their former 'keeper Diego Lopez from Sevilla. The 31-year-old came through the ranks at Madrid, and now returns until the end of the 2016-17 season. However the new update is that this move leaves substitute goalkeeper Adan's future in doubt, as competition for number one spot will heat up when club captain Iker Casillas returns from injury. Numerous club's across Europe are apparently keen on the 25-year-old.

11.28 GMT: Alan Pardew has admitted he thought he'd lost his captain Fabricio Coloccini, reports The Chronicle.

Pardew is quoted as saying: "His reaction on the training ground has been brilliant, almost like he's accepted it himself. Perhaps he was questioning himself but maybe now he's answered it. Colo's now installed back after the question marks over him staying, and that's as big as the Mapou signing."

11.05 GMT: Tancredi Palmeri on Twitter: "A Premier League club has contacted Lazio for Mauro Zarate."

10.36 GMT: If you've not had enough Chelsea updates in the last 20 minutes, here's Rafa Benitez asking Roman Abramovich to sign some players.

10.28 GMT: Chelsea want to sign Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fernandinho, according to the Daily Star, but the Brazilian is unlikely to move on until the summer.

10.16 GMT: Corinthians have insisted there has been no contact from Inter Milan or Chelsea for Paulinho. Director of football Roberto de Andrade told reporters: "At the moment, Inter have not made contact with us. I can assure you we have not received any offers from Italy, nor from Chelsea, for our player." It is widely reported that Inter want the midfielder, who has a €20 million buyout clause, as a replacement for Phillippe Coutinho, who is interesting Liverpool and Southampton.

10.00 GMT: More AC Milan news. The club's vice-president, Adriano Galliani, says potential deals for Real Madrid's Kaka and Shanghai Shenhua's Didier Drogba are dead. "There is no chance of getting Kaka now," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We are no longer working on it. The same goes for Drogba. For now, we are staying as we are."

09.43 GMT: Mino Raiola, Mario Balotelli's agent, is in Milan, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Raiola has repeatedly insisted the Manchester City striker will be joining AC Milan as no Italian club can afford his fee or his wages. Roberto Mancini also says the Italian will not be returning to his homeland. But the speculation seems to be tellingly persistent.

09.25 GMT: An update on the Peter Odemwingie situation. West Brom rejected his transfer request, after QPR saw a bid turned down, so the forward has released a (long) statement.

Here's some of it: "I'm deeply hurt and in some ways offended by the lack of reciprocal common respect from the management of West Bromwich Albion ... At this stage of my career, this opportunity may not come around again. A new challenge, a new opportunity, and a chance to play under the stewardship of one of the most respected managers in the game (Harry Redknapp) ... I hope the management of West Bromwich Albion will accept my transfer request in the manner that I have requested it."

09.11 GMT: The Daily Telegraph reports that Wilfried Zaha's move to Manchester United will lead to Sir Alex Ferguson selling off Nani.

07:45 GMT: Aston Villa have begun initial talks to extend the contract of striker Andreas Weimann, the Press Association reports. Despite Weimann having 18 months remaining on his contract at Villa park, the club is hoping to secure a long term deal this month.

07:26 GMT: Lyon midfielder Michel Bastos has agreed personal terms with Schalke, although there is another unnamed club in the hunt for him. "Michel has agreed with Schalke, but we have agreed a deal with another club which has not been mentioned in the press," Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas told BeIN Sport. "He will probably leave in any case. We did not want to take chances."

06:14 GMT: Barcelona youngster Isaac Cuenca will not be leaving in the January window according to sources. "The rumours about Cuenca joining Zaragoza on loan are not true," @barcastuff tweeted. "In principle he stays at Barcelona until end of season, then [there is an] evaluation." Chelsea and Arsenal were also interested in the 21-year-old.

04:40 GMT: The Mirror reports that Stoke City are chasing Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson for a loan deal until the end of the season. The Potters join West Ham, Wigan and Fulham in targeting the right-back.

02:33 GMT: Goal.com claims Juventus has agreed a deal to sign Shanghai Shenhua striker Nicolas Anelka for the rest of the season. A backwards step for Juve?

01:00 GMT: Here's a wrap of what is making headlines in papers across Europe.

Liverpool were rejected twice and faced a fierce cash-wielding competitor in Southampton, but it seems the Reds have finally sealed a deal for Inter Milan midfielder Philipe Coutinho. Widespread reports throughout Italy suggest Inter have accepted a £13 million bid as the Anfield club attempted to thwart the Saints' impressive offer for the Brazilian. It is believed Inter had also taken Southampton's offer, which comfortably covered Coutinho's release clause, but the 20-year-old was unwilling to move to St Mary's. Instead, it is suggested the youngster could move to Anfield as soon as Monday. But the Italian reports are conflicted with those in the British media, with the Guardian claiming Liverpool haven't increased their £8m bid which was denied on Wednesday. Inter could still accept this bid, though, as it increases the upfront payment to the Serie A club rather than the incentivised-based deal that was first offered.

An unhappy Mario Balotelli has been ordered to quit his whingeing and focus on working his way back into Manchester City's first-team after boss Roberto Mancini revealed the striker would not be moving from the Etihad this season. After much speculation of a move back to Italy, Mancini has revealed Balotelli will at least see the season out with City and should get his head back in the game. "Mario stays here...Mario should work well and try to get his place in the team because at the moment he doesn't play - for many reasons," Mancini said, according to the Sun.

Arsene Wenger is about to be labelled either a tactical transfer genius or a tremendous flop , depending on how Arsenal's activity over the next week pans out. With limited time remaining in the transfer window, Wenger still has his sights set on securing West Ham midfielder Mohamed Diame and even Barcelona striker David Villa, the Mirror says. Although Barca insist Villa will not be leaving the Camp Nou this month, Wenger is confident of doing some business before Thursday night. Smart business or too little, too late?

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