Transfer Rumours and Signings

AngelofFire

Czech Defender Vaclav Drobny completes loan move to villa.

http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Story_Page/0,7760,866810,00.html

beer enigma

midget lord wrote:

is this a good move for Kanu? He will be relied upon for goals, which IMO are not his forté.

Its a strange club for Kanu to choose, although he could 'shine' at that level...ne disrespect to WBA - great to see the Baggies back in top flight. Kanu's main problme seems to have been lack of confidence, maybe brought on by lack of matches...he never struck me as a utility player & perhaps with the regukar playing slot, could just open some eyes this season. I say good luck to Kanuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu & the Baggies !

Drag00n79

L'equipe today say Anelka is wanted by FC Barcelona, Lyon and Monaco, although Barca will try for Eto'o first.

eirebhoy

Finnan has been given permission to talk to Blackburn over a season long loan deal.

Drag00n79

L'equipe site today speculating on Laurent Robert moving to Marseiile. They say Robert's wage demands are the problem. Also say Wiltord is in discussion with Marseille and if it comes off he will only be on half his weekly wage at Arsenal. Also say Mathieu Berson will move to Aston Villa from Nantes. I cant post the URL's to the individual stories as they're using javascript but the main site URL is here:

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/index.html

midget lord

Liverpool are interested in signing unsettled Everton midfielder Thomas Gravesen, according to reports.

Cash-strapped Everton are understood to want £3.5m for the 28-year-old, who has one year left to run on his contract.

From the beeb



Hmm, not exactly what i had in mind and their must be some substance to it if the beeb are running with it. He is a handy enough players but imo he is not a 'liverpool' player.

Drag00n79

AS Saint-Etienne have confirmed the signing of Liverpool’s French starlet Anthony Le Tallec on a one-year loan.

The Rooster

Very disappointing that LeTallec has gone, especially given Smicer's injury TLT would have been bound to feature a lot.

Typical that poor oul RichieP is injured when with Smicer, LeTallec, Diouf and Cheyrou out of the picture he'd have his best chance ever of getting a run.

The Gravesen link is mind boggling. But with this the last year of his contract, I'd imagine a fee would be more likely to be in the region of £2m.

Dont be at yourself

At least Liverpool were adamant that there would be no option to buy Le Tellac at the end of the loan period.

Drag00n79

L'equipe saying Mutu going to Juve on loan for a year.
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/20040805_124311Dev.html

Drag00n79

Mutu's loan move to Juve has collapsed apparently.

Drag00n79

Porto have sacked their coach, Luigi del Neri. Yup, the guy who took over after Mourinho. Full story here
http://football.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,14546,-4395778,00.html

AngelofFire

Berson has signed a 4 year deal with villa.

Villain

Berson better be bloody good after all the chasing we done to get him. Ellis said there are more signings to come before 31st

wynters

Berson is shít-hot from all accounts. Juventus bid £12m for him in the summer of 2002, and Nantes turned it down! We've beaten Espanyol, Galatasaray and Parma for his signature. He was described last season as 'the best central midfielder still playing in France'. When you consider that Chelsea & Liverpool have spent £24m & £14m respectively on Drogba & Cisse - the best strikers in the French league - Berson could prove to be a real bargain at just £1.7m

He's only being kept out of the French National team by Viera, Makelele & Zidane, who aren't exactly the worst are they???

Looking forward to seeing him and Hitz team up together - should be interesting......

Villain

wynters wrote:

Berson is shít-hot from all accounts. Juventus bid £12m for him in the summer of 2002, and Nantes turned it down! We've beaten Espanyol, Galatasaray and Parma for his signature. He was described last season as 'the best central midfielder still playing in France'. When you consider that Chelsea & Liverpool have spent £24m & £14m respectively on Drogba & Cisse - the best strikers in the French league - Berson could prove to be a real bargain at just £1.7m

He's only being kept out of the French National team by Viera, Makelele & Zidane, who aren't exactly the worst are they???

Looking forward to seeing him and Hitz team up together - should be interesting......

Him and Hitz??? surely McCann would be first choice?

cerbeus

Liverpool have been linked with Spanish midfielder Alonso after Rafael Benitez was spotted at Goodison Park for Everton's friendly with Real Sociedad.


Alonso, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, played the first half of Sociedad's friendly against the Blues.


Danny Murphy to Spurs to provides some of the funds?

cruiserweight

Carr to Toon?

Bannor

Michael Owen met with representatives of Real Madrid at the weekend.

Villain

Bannor wrote:

Michael Owen met with representatives of Real Madrid at the weekend.

Being reported today that Barca and Real are in for him.

eirebhoy

From www.ynwa.tv

Michael Owen met officials from Real Madrid over the weekend.

Word has reached us that Michael Owen will NOT play tomorrow night in our Champions League qualifier game against Grazer AK. This would go a long way to confirming that he may well be looking to ply his trade in Spain next season, as appearing on the pitch tomorrow night would cup-tie him for the rest of the season.

Further, we have also been told that Michael and his advisers spent much of this weekend speaking with representatives of Real Madrid and that matters will certainly be concluded this week one way or the other.

What we don't know is if he his leaving Liverpool or not. But for the player to meet officials from another club with only 12 months left on his contract must mean that something is in the pipeline.

Villain

Beattie is being linked with the Villa, oh god I would love if we signed him:

http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Story_Page/0,7760,870826,00.html

cruiserweight

Saints have rejected Villa's bid for Beattie

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/3551382.stm

Drag00n79

Word has reached us that Michael Owen will NOT play tomorrow night in our Champions League qualifier game against Grazer AK. This would go a long way to confirming that he may well be looking to ply his trade in Spain next season, as appearing on the pitch tomorrow night would cup-tie him for the rest of the season.

Must keep an eye on the Real team which plays on Wednesday night in the Champions League vs Wisla Krakow. The same will apply to Eto'o and Morientes.

Bannor

Salif Diao's representatives are finalising a season loan to Portsmouth. Could be announced tomorrow when the Liverpool squad return.

Drag00n79

Anderton has joined Birmingham. One-year-deal.
http://www.skysports.com/skysports/article/0,,7-1147082,00.html

wynters

The Beattie bid is just a PR stunt by Doug Ellis. The clubs AGM is on in the first week of September. Villa Fans Combined - most of whom are now shareholders - have grouped together to pass a vote of no confidence in Ellis.

This always happens...... Even if Southampton accepted the bid, the club would just fail to agree personal terms, just as they did with Paul Robinson last year and a list of other players down the years. Where did this £6 million come from???? A few weeks ago Ellis told O'Leary he had to sell Crouch to finance the loan signing of Vaclav Drobny - FACT. All of a sudden the shareholders rattle a few cages and £6 million quid mysteriously appears from nowhere???.....

Before last seasons AGM Doug announced that there had been £8 million set aside for filling in the corners of the North Stand that would be made available for team strenghtening - 'never happened! Since then we've released 19 players, which has slashed the wage bill by approximately £200,000 a week!! We've got Mellberg, Barry, Angel & Vassell to sign new contracts which increases their amortisation (fixed asset) value on the balance sheet. We got almost £8 million in prize money for our 6th place league finish. We've a new kit sponsorship deal with Hummel, and a shirt sponsorship deal with DWS investments, worth a combined £5million. Villa Park was sold out for the last 7 home games of last season, and will be for the majority of games this year, not to mention Skys TV money??? Where is all this money going????

Doug £llis is a snake. I'd love Beattie to join, but any rumour that gets out just before the clubs AGM is manufactured.

cruiserweight

Murphy to sign for Charlton

Liverpool have also put in an official bid for Xabi Alonso
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/3552128.stm

Villain

wynters wrote:

The Beattie bid is just a PR stunt by Doug Ellis. The clubs AGM is on in the first week of September. Villa Fans Combined - most of whom are now shareholders - have grouped together to pass a vote of no confidence in Ellis.

This always happens...... Even if Southampton accepted the bid, the club would just fail to agree personal terms, just as they did with Paul Robinson last year and a list of other players down the years. Where did this £6 million come from???? A few weeks ago Ellis told O'Leary he had to sell Crouch to finance the loan signing of Vaclav Drobny - FACT. All of a sudden the shareholders rattle a few cages and £6 million quid mysteriously appears from nowhere???.....

Before last seasons AGM Doug announced that there had been £8 million set aside for filling in the corners of the North Stand that would be made available for team strenghtening - 'never happened! Since then we've released 19 players, which has slashed the wage bill by approximately £200,000 a week!! We've got Mellberg, Barry, Angel & Vassell to sign new contracts which increases their amortisation (fixed asset) value on the balance sheet. We got almost £8 million in prize money for our 6th place league finish. We've a new kit sponsorship deal with Hummel, and a shirt sponsorship deal with DWS investments, worth a combined £5million. Villa Park was sold out for the last 7 home games of last season, and will be for the majority of games this year, not to mention Skys TV money??? Where is all this money going????

Doug £llis is a snake. I'd love Beattie to join, but any rumour that gets out just before the clubs AGM is manufactured.

Makes sense, wonder who they will sign now.

ELLIS OUT ELLIS OUT!!!

midget lord

It is rumoured that City are ready to make a big sale. They only have two players imo that could be counted as 'big sales', Sean Wright Phillips and Nic Anelka. WIth spurs having a 5.5m bid turned down for SWP it looks like 7m will prise him away from City.

Villain

SWP heading to the pool me thinks.

midget lord

I hope your right irish1.

Bannor

Don't get your hopes up about SWP - Benitez thinks that £7M is alot of money to spend on a player he hadn't heard of prior to arriving in England. The agent has been told that he'll look at him though.

midget lord

City chief Kevin Keegan says that selling Joey Barton or Shaun Wright-Phillips has never entered his mind.
The City midfielders have been the centre of rumoured moves with Joey Barton linked with a switch to Charlton.

The speculation hit the press a couple of days after Shaun Wright-Phillips was alleged to be the target for Spurs.

The City wideman has also been the subject of a rumoured move to Liverpool despite a City statement at the weekend saying that he was not for sale.

More from mcfc


Hmmm.

Drag00n79

I find l'equipe to be very accurate with their stories. Here's a couple from today:
Zidane to announce international retirement tomorrow (Thursday)
Tottenham to sign Naybet from Depor today. A 2-year-contract for €1m.
Vieira to move to Real but not get the wages of Becks, Zidane or Ronaldo.

p.pete

More Liverpool rumours : Finnan to Spurs

Liverpool are juggling a lot of balls at the moment (metaphoricly) I hope they don't all drop in some awful type of manner...

cruiserweight

Spurs sign Naybet

Hargreaves to move to mystery premiership club next week

wynters

Beattie tops Villa wish list
by Alex Dunn - Last Updated 12 Aug 2004


Villa boss David O'Leary has spoken for the first time of his admiration for Southampton striker James Beattie.

Villa have already had a bid for the England hit-man rejected by The Saints but with an improved offer likely to be lodged, speculation surrounding the player refuses to relent.

Beattie missed training on Thursday morning, reportedly due to an injury, but it appears that O'Leary is intent on landing his top target.

"He's a player I'd love to bring in here," O'Leary told the club's official website. "I'd like to have the player - simple as that.

"They've rejected a bid, but I'd like to have the player.

''I don't control these things, but I think we've made a bid and that will be the end of it. That's the price the chairman has set and that's it. It's not a bluff.''

O'Leary plans to use funds generated by last season's success to prise the prolific 26-year-old away from St Mary's.

Charlton too could yet attempt to resurrect a deal, having themselves tabled a £6 million bid last week but it would appear Villa are currently in the driving seat to land the player.

"There was a bonus of around £7.5 million or maybe even £8 million at the end of the season,'' continued O'Leary.

''We know there's about £6 million left of that and I'm trying to persuade the club to use that to buy the player.''

cruiserweight

Liverpool might be signing two new players very soon, Xabi Alonso(which has been well documented)from Real Sociedad and Luis Garcia from Barca

http://www.itv-football.co.uk/News/story_121822.shtml

GuanYin

There is a rumour going around the Forest camp that Alex Fergeson was in contact with Forest over Andy Reid's ability to play at the top level.

Do Utd need a winger?

Big Ears

syke wrote:

There is a rumour going around the Forest camp that Alex Fergeson was in contact with Forest over Andy Reid's ability to play at the top level.

Do Utd need a winger?

at the moment id prefer Reid to Giggs .

midget lord

Ryan regain giggs

p.pete

Total speculation and no source other than a mate whose an Everton fan who made it up: Rooney to ManU and Scholes to go in the opposite direction before the transfer window closes.

midget lord

Scholes at everton??????

johnor

cant see this happening, reckon fergie could be in for an attacking midfielder, doubt scholes would leave ot having just retired from international footy to prolong his man u career...id imagine fergie might be looking at carrick or dyer? wouldnt say he'd fancy paying up for rooney as desperate as everton are for cash

PHB

rofl thats brilliant.
Its even better than the Van Nist is going to be sold in order to pay for a Rooney bid.

eirebhoy

from skysports.com

Norwich City have agreed a fee with Tottenham for versatile defender Gary Doherty.

The exact sum is undisclosed but Canaries boss Nigel Worthington is hoping to wrap up another experienced arrival at Carrow Road as City look to consolidate their Premiership status this term.

Doherty is in the Republic of Ireland team to face Bulgaria in a friendly on Wednesday night and is also capable of playing as an old-fashioned centre forward.

The former Luton Town man is due to have a medical on Thursday and is likely to put pen-to-paper on a contract in East Anglia in time to make his debut in City's daunting fixture at Old Trafford against Manchester United on Saturday.

Although coming on as a substitute in Spurs' opening day draw with Liverpool, the 24-year-old was unlikely to figure regularly under Jacques Santini this season so the prospect of regular first team football should convince him to agree to the move.

beer enigma

Good move for both parties......not sure - he ain't no Larsson

The Middlesbrough star underwent a medical yesterday and the fine details of his transfer still need some ironing out.

But the 31-year-old, who has slipped down the pecking order at the Riverside Stadium, admitted he was on the verge of penning a contract with the Bank of Scotland Premier League champions.

When asked if he had already signed for the Parkhead club, Juninho said "Not yet, Nearly."

The Brazil international was omitted from the Boro squad for the Barclays Premiership opener against Newcastle on Saturday to underline the fact that manager Steve McClaren had other plans for his campaign this season, which did not include Juninho.

Celtic executive director Peter Lawwell has already announced the board's intention to back manager Martin O'Neill in his move for Juninho but conceded convincing the player to move to the SPL was the major obstacle to the deal.

However, O'Neill did have the lure of a guaranteed Champions League spot up his sleeve to tempt the playmaker north of the border.

Now Juninho is on the verge of making the move from Teesside once an outstanding matter is resolved.

A Celtic spokesman said "He is still in discussions with the club and nothing has been signed yet. We have had very positive talks with the player and he had a medical. Hopefully, we will have some more news within the next 48 hours or so."

Celtic have signed just one new player this summer, with the year-long loan arrival of Henri Camara from Wolves.

Hydromonkey

Bolton have completed the signing of Liverpool striker El-Hadji Diouf on a season-long loan deal, seeing off late interest from Fiorentina.
The Senegal international, 23, was bought for £10m in 2002 but does not fit in to the plans of Rafael Benitez.

Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce said: "He's made for the Premiership. His physical condition is very good even though he hasn't been playing lately.

"His pace is extremely good and he worries defenders."

Diouf, a former African Footballer of the Year, knew he had no future at Liverpool when he was not given a squad number and stayed at home while the Reds went on tour.

The striker, who can also play on the wing, will travel to Bolton's game at Fulham on Saturday but is unlikely to play.

cruiserweight

According to the independent Liverpools move for Luis Garcia might be back on

BARCELONA have reached an agreement over the transfer of midfielder Luis Garcia to Liverpool, as Rafael Benitez continues the flurry of activity at Anfield before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

Reports from Spain claim that the deal has already been agreed, although Barcelona are yet to make an official announcement.

Luis Garcia would be the third Spanish player to join Benitez's side this summer following the transfers of Josemi and Antonio Nunez.

Real Sociedad midfielder Xabi Alonso is also close to sealing a deal with the Merseyside club.

The Liverpool boss off-loaded Senegalese striker El-Hadji Diouf to Bolton yesterday on a season-long loan and faces a month without injured new signing Nunez.

It leaves the former Valencia boss short on numbers with Michael Owen and Danny Murphy already having left the club before the start of the season.

"Perhaps we can find another player, but it depends on our team and whether I think they are good for us," said Benitez.

"The top clubs are always interested in good players. But I don't have any special area in the team that I think needs strengthening."

Djibril Cisse, Milan Baros and Florent Sinama Pongolle are the only remaining strikers competing for a place in the Liverpool starting line-up - but Benitez knowsthe difficulties infinding available attackers.

"Bringing in new strikers is always difficult because they are always expensive. We have three forwards and it will depend on how they do.

"Sometimes you might think you need a new forward and then the ones you have score two or three goals and you think 'I'll wait'," he said.

Owen's move to the Bernabeu brought Nunez to Liverpool but the midfielder was injured in training - just hours after arriving at the club.

After fearing a fracture, a scan yesterday revealed he had sustained medial ligament damage to his left knee.

Liverpool spokesman Ian Cotton said: "We expect the player will be out of action for four weeks."

The 25-year-old will miss the second leg of the Champions League qualifier against Graz AK and could also sit out the first two games of the group stages if they get through.

Spain international Alonso should sign over the weekend. The midfielder played for the last 30 minutes in a 3-2 win over Venezuela on Wednesday night.

Despite injury worries, Benitez agreed to let Diouf sign for Bolton on a season-long deal, subject to a work permit.

The 23-year-old was signed by former Anfield boss Gerard Houllier for £10million but never justified his transfer fee.

The former Lens striker scored just six goals but Bolton boss Sam Allardyce has a reputation for signing unhappy players and bringing the best out of them.