Tag Archives: deal

Puyol talks up Cesc deal

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World Cup winner Carles Puyol has become the latest Barcelona star to put pressure on Arsenal to allow Cesc Fabregas to return to the Catalan giants (Barcelona 4/5f  2010/11 La Liga Outright).

Puyol’s fellow Barca and Spain team-mates, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets, have already gone on record over their desire to see 23-year-old don the famous blaugrana shirt – and now Puyol has also come out to lend his support.

Arsenal are understood to have already rejected a bid from Barcelona for their captain who moved to north London as a teenager in 2003, going on to make almost 200 appearances for the Gunners (Arsenal 7/1  2010/11 Premier League Outright).

Arsenal’s fans are hoping Fabregas is still on board to make many more appearances for them, but he won’t be if Puyol and co get their own way.

Speaking to The Sun,  versatile defender Puyol said: “He is having to stay at a club where he no longer wants to be for another year.

“I wonder how intelligent it is keeping a player who doesn’t want to be there.

“After seven years of great service, I thought Arsenal could have granted him his dream move.

“Cesc has given everything to Arsenal to try to win a trophy but they haven’t matched his expectations.

“I won’t say he is in a prison, as we know how privileged we are as football players.

“But after how clear Cesc made it that he wanted to be in Barcelona, I thought they would have granted him that.”

Whether or not Fabregas is still a Gunner by the end of the transfer window remains to be seen.

But if he is, boss Arsene Wenger has told the midfielder he stands a chance of playing his part in taking the Premier League title back to north London for the first time since 2003/04.

The Frenchman told Arsenal’s website: “We know in England that the Premier League is the biggest league in the world and everybody invests a lot of money.

“We invest in our work, in our beliefs, in the quality of our behaviour and I am confident that will pay off.

“We finished third last year and we hope we can improve on that – but the race will be tough.”

The Gunners host the Emirates Cup again this weekend, kicking off against AC Milan on Friday night.

Arsenal (7/4 – 90 Minutes) kick off the season at Liverpool (5/4) on August 15.

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Ferguson happy with Hernandez deal

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Mexico and Manchester United star Javier HernandezManchester United (5/2 to win the Premier League) boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the club did well by signing Mexican striker Javier Hernandez before the World Cup took place this summer.

Hernandez had a good tournament in South Africa as he helped his side reach the second round of the competition. He also scored against both France and Argentina.

The 22-year-old looks like he will make his debut for United when they face the MLS All Stars on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States.

Henandez signed from Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara before the start of the World Cup which has ultimately saved the club millions due to the attacking player’s impressive performances.

United have been the victims of inflated prices of players after they have had successful international tournaments in the past.

When Rio Ferdinand signed for the Old Trafford club from rivals Leeds United, the West Yorkshire club received a far healthier price for the defender after a successful World Cup in 2002.

Ferguson has hailed his scouting staff and Hernandez’s former club after they managed to secure the player’s services before the World Cup.

He said: “I think our scouting people deserve 10 out of 10 for identifying him before the World Cup  and I think if we had been trying to negotiate after the World Cup it would have been very difficult.

“I think a lot of teams would have been after him and it would probably have cost us two or three times more.

“Our relationship we have built with Chivas has been excellent, they really were very accommodating in everything, the amazing thing was that no-one in the club said a word,” he added.

Hernandez joined his new team-mates on Monday ahead of their next pre-season fixture in America and Ferguson wants to get the player sharp ahead of the upcoming campaign, when United will be looking to win back the Premier League title from their rivals Chelsea.

The match against the All Stars will be played in Houston, Texas which has a large Mexican population and the Red Devils (15/2 to win the Champions League) boss wants to excite the crowd by giving the new striker a run out.

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Reds boosted by defender deal

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Manchester United’s hopes of winning the Premier League (5/2 to win title) have been boosted by the news Nemanja Vidic has penned a new deal but Rio Ferdinand could be missing for another six weeks.

Central defence is a key area as Manchester United look to win the title back from Chelsea, but at one stage it looked as though neither of the influential duo would be in the first team for the opening-day clash at home to Newcastle (United 1/5 to win).

Ferdinand will be missing as he battles to recover from the knee injury that he picked up at the World Cup with England but at least Vidic will be on board after penning a new deal.

The Serbian had been strongly linked with a move away from the club with Real Madrid known to be keen but thankfully from a United point of view, Vidic has had a word with the wife and all now appears to be well.

Rumours suggested that Vidic would seek a move as his wife was not settled living in England but they have now been dispelled as the player has penned an extension which means he will be at Old Trafford for the next four years, much to the delight of Sir Alex Ferguson.

“Over the last year or so there has been speculation about Nemanja time and time again, sometimes by the press, sometimes fuelled by other sources,” Fergie revealed.

“But we never had a strong feeling he really wanted to leave. There is always concern if they do well they want better contracts. At the end of the day we have managed to achieve the task of getting him to agree a four-year contract.

“We are delighted, he is fantastic centre-half, a great competitor with a marvellous attitude to winning games. It strengthens our hand.”

With Vidic in place for the long-term barring any injuries, Ferguson is now hoping to get Ferdinand back as soon as possibile but it looks like being another six weeks.

Ferguson does have other options in the form of Jonny Evans, Wes Brown and Chris Smalling and the Reds boss will have to turn to one of those three while Ferdinand battles back.

Fergie has been linked with central defenders all summer but now that Vidic has pledged his future to the club it seems as though that search is on hold even if doubts persist over the fitness of Ferdinand.

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Reds bag Cole deal

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Liverpool are 9/1 to win the Premier League title next season and have boosted their chances of being among the front runners by landing Joe Cole on a four-year deal.

New Reds boss Roy Hodgson has pulled off something of a coup by landing the player as Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and a number of clubs abroad were keen, but the player has opted for Anfield.

Cole has agreed terms and even though the player still has to undergo a medical, which will happen in the next 48 hours, Liverpool do not expect any problems and have announced the deal as done.

The news comes as huge boost to Liverpool, who have had to fend off constant speculation over the future of star players Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres all summer.

The positive Liverpool fans will see this as an indication that both players are staying as Cole would surely want assurances that they would not be sold before he signed, while the more cynical may believe he is a replacement for Gerrard.

Time will tell but Hodgson has made it clear that Gerrard and Torres are not for sale and with Cole on board Liverpool should at least be looking at winning their place back in the top four.

They are 7/4 to do so but with Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham again looking strong, it will be a tall order even with Cole on board.

Premier League champions Chelsea have revealed they were unwilling to match Cole’s demands and were happy to let him go, obviously believing they can cope without him, but Liverpool are willing to match his demands and think he is worth it.

Yossi Benayoun left Anfield to move to Chelsea in a deal worth £6million in the summer so after the Reds landed Cole for free they will feel they got the best part of the deal.

Everything will become a lot clearer next season but for now Liverpool look to have pulled off one of the transfer coups of the summer so far.

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Milito confident of Masch deal

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Diego Milito believes his Argentinian team-mate Javier Mascherano will leave Liverpool (12/1 to win the Premier League) and join him at Inter Milan.

New Inter boss Rafael Benitez wants Mascherano to follow him from Anfield and the midfielder has yet to speak to new Liverpool chief Roy Hodgson about his future, despite the Reds boss’ attempts to contact him.

That has given Inter, who are the evens favourites with totesport to retain their Serie A title, confidence they will secure the Argentina international and Milito, for one, is sure the 26-year-old will eventually make the move to the San Siro.

“We are very excited about Mascherano joining us at Inter,” he said.

“He has made it clear he wants to be here and it’s just down to the relevant people agreeing the deal now.

“In my view we are getting the very best defensive midfield player in the world and Maradona calls him one of the three most important players in the Argentina squad along with Lionel Messi and (Carlos) Tevez. That’s how highly he is regarded.”

Milito added: “I think it’s unrealistic of Liverpool to think they can keep hold of Mascherano when they can’t even offer Champions League football and are not challenging Manchester United and Chelsea for the Premier League title.

“The boss and Mascherano have a good friendship so there were no other clubs on the cards for him after that, including Barcelona. He has wanted to join for a while but when the boss joined Inter I think that sealed the deal.”

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Striker O’Connor in Blues deal

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Manchester City v Birmingham CityGarry O’Connor has signed a new six-month deal with Birmingham City (200/1 to win the Premier League).

The 27-year-old striker missed most of last season with hip problems, undergoing two operations.

Now the former Hibernian and Locomotiv Moscow player has been offered a short term deal and the chance to impress boss Alex McLeish.

Edinburgh- born O’Connor has been hampered by injuries throughout his time at St Andrew’s, having signed in July 2007. He has played 58 times, but 31 of them have been appearances from off the bench.

O’Connor’s best spell was towards the end of his second season at the club when he scored six goals in 11 games to help City clinch promotion back to the Premier League.

Birmingham (5/1 to be relegated) boss McLeish said: “Garry has had a chronic groin and hip injury and it probably goes back to his Hibs days and the days he spent in Russia when he played on a synthetic surface. Having two hip injuries simultaneously wasn’t easy for him.

“If you imagine him fully fit without those problems then that’s what we’ve got to see – what Garry can produce without these hiccups.

“Successful operation and barring major breakdown there’s no reason why he can’t go on to have a successful career.”

Blues’ acting chairman Peter Pannu added: “The club is looking forward to reintegrating him into the squad. We have no doubt he has a bright future with the club and we wish him the best in his fresh endeavours.”

The Scotland international began his career with Hibs, where his performances in 2002 earned him a call-up to the international squad for the first time at the tender age of 18.

McLeish has been associated with the player since the start, giving him his first start at Hibs in April 2001.

But ironically it was once McLeish had departed to Rangers that O’Connor really came into his own, under successive bosses Franck Sauzee, Bobby Williamson and Tony Mowbray.

He linked up with Derek Riordan at Easter Road, and the pair scored 42 goals between them to earn the Edinburgh side a UEFA Cup berth in the 2005-06 season.

O’Connor signed a £16,000-a-week contract with Locomotiv Moscow in March 2006, and was a hit with his new team. He came off the bench to score the winner in Locomotiv?s 2007 Russian Cup final against FC Moscow.
The striker was signed for £2.7 million by Blues in June 2007, having failed to settle in Russia.

He had two years in the international wilderness from 2007, but was recalled for back-to-back games against Macedonia and the Netherlands in September 2009.

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Fabiano eyes United deal

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luis fabianoSevilla’s Brazilian international striker Luis Fabiano has revealed he will not sign for Tottenham as he wants to join a club like Manchester United where he feels he has a chance of winning the Premier League (United 2/1 Outright 2010/11).

The 29-year-old is currently looking to help Brazil clinch the World Cup (10/3 Winner) in South Africa and his two goals against Ivory Coast last Sunday ensured they went into the last-16 as group winners. However, beyond the tournament, Fabiano has stressed that he will not be signing a new contract at Sevilla as he wants to leave the Spanish Primera Liga side to secure a move to a team capable of winning top honours.

Tottenham, United and Italian giants AC Milan are said to be interested in taking Fabiano this summer, despite Sevilla stressing that they want to keep hold of him. And, while the player is looking to persuade his club to let him go, he will not entertain the idea of joining Harry Redknapp’s north Londoners because, “there would be no point me moving to a smaller team”.

Therefore it appears to be a straight choice between the Red Devils and Milan as Fabiano feels both clubs are capable of winning the Champions League next term. However the prospect of linking up with Wayne Rooney in United’s attack could sway him towards joining Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.

He told the Daily Star Sunday: “I think the way Manchester United play football is very attractive, I must be honest and say Premier League football attracts me and also the way Manchester United play football attracts me.

“You think about being Wayne Rooney’s strike partner and that is very attractive for any striker. I think the style of Premier League football suits me and I think I could score goals and be very successful there.

“Their coach is a winner, their players are winners and they are one of the few teams in Europe challenging for the top honours season after season.”

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Modric signs deal to stay at Spurs

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Luka Modric has ended speculation regarding his possible transfer from Tottenham Hotspur, by signing a new six-year contract with the club (Spurs 50/1 to win the 2010-11 Premier League).

Manchester United and Chelsea had been linked with a move for the playmaker, who arrived at White Hart Lane from Dinamo Zagreb in 2008.

Modric was instrumental as Spurs qualified for the Champions League last season and he revealed that he feels that they can continue to progress: “Tottenham Hotspur gave me my chance in the Premier League and I want to go on to achieve great success here with them.

“Yes, there have been enquiries from other big clubs, but I have no interest in going anywhere.

“Last season’s Top 4 finish was an indication of where we are as a club and I feel I can continue to improve and go on to achieve everything I want to at Spurs.”

The news is a major boost for Spurs’ ambitions next season. Modric was only two years into a five-year contract, but his performances ensured that the Croatian international secured a major pay increase (Croatia are 10/11 to win Euro 2012 qualifying Group F).

Earlier this week, the Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp had spoken out about his reluctance to sell Modric: “There’s no chance of it happening at all. Luka’s key to everything that’s happening at this place.

“Everybody knows what I think of him. And if you want to move on to higher levels you don’t start flogging off your best players – to anyone.

“I have an excellent squad and I stress, Luka Modric is going to remain a part of it.”

In his two seasons at Spurs, Modric has made 77 appearances and scored eight goals. He has played mainly on the left side of Redknapp’s midfield, but featured in a more central role during Tottenham’s crucial Premier League run-in as they secured fourth place.

Modric has been described by Redknapp as, “Tottenham’s one world class player.”

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Ribery set for new Bayern deal

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Bayern Munich are set to receive a major boost ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final against Inter Milan (Bayern 23/10, Inter 6/5, draw 9/4 – 90 Minutes) with the news Franck Ribery is to sign a new five-year contract.

The 27-year-old Frenchman’s current deal is due to expire in 12 months and that has resulted in reported interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea. However, with Bayern now proving they are capable of reaching the final of a major tournament under Louis van Gaal this term, it appears that has been sufficient for Ribery to pledge himself to the Bavarian giants until 2015.

Ribery will miss Bayern’s bid to lift the Champions League trophy (7/5 Bayern – Outright Winner) due to suspension, but he was given permission to take a break from training with the France national side ahead of next month’s World Cup (France 16/1 – Outright), and he will fly to Madrid to watch the final.

German newspaper Bild claims that, following talks between his agents Alain Migliaccio and Jean-Pierre Bernes and Bayern bosses in the club’s Madrid hotel on Thursday, Ribery will put pen-to-paper on a new club-record salary on his arrival on Saturday.

If everything goes to plan Sport1 television understands Ribery will make a formal announcement from the balcony of Munich town hall on Sunday when the team parades its German Bundelisga title and possibly the Champions League trophy after a procession from the Allianz Arena.

Meanwhile, former Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who won the tournament with them in 2001, feels the German side will come out on top against Jose Mourinho’s Inter on Saturday, while he feels they ‘will dominate European football in the coming years’.

Comparing his victorious side of nine years ago and Van Gaal’s current crop, 61-year-old Switzerland coach, Hitzfeld, told the Welt newspaper: “We had a great team spirit back then and that is the case today also.

“Nevertheless, the current team has a bit more substance to it and has players like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, who are two extraordinary players, among their ranks.

“They are world-class players who can create a lot of pressure down the wings.

“But also (Mark) van Bommel and (Bastian) Schweinsteiger are world class. For me, there is no better midfield in Europe at present than Bayern’s.”

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Ferguson hails Evans deal

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Jonny EvansJonny Evans has been described as a future leader of Manchester United (United 11/5 Premiership Outright 2010/2011) by boss Sir Alex Ferguson after he signed a new four-year deal at Old Trafford.

The Northern Ireland international defender has figured heavily in the Red Devils’ current campaign due to a myriad of respective injury problems to the first-choice pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

And Ferguson is delighted to tie him down to a long-term contract as he feels Evans will eventually go on to captain the side in the coming seasons.

“Jonny has signed a new deal,” said Ferguson.

“We have been working on it for a few months now and I am happy that he has signed it.”

United still have a chance of winning this season’s Premier League title (7/1 Outright) but they must defeat Stoke City in their final match of the campaign at Old Trafford (United 1/9, Stoke 16/1, draw 7/1 90 Minutes) on Sunday and hope Chelsea slip up at home to Wigan (Chelsea 1/10, Wigan 20/1, draw 7/1 90 Minutes).

Ferguson feels the week that United lost at home to Chelsea in between crashing out of the Champions League on away goals over two legs against Bayern Munich will be the key period of the season that cost United if they fail to retain their league crown this weekend.

“It was a bad week for us and it might have cost us everything,” said Ferguson.

“The biggest disappointment was the European Cup. It is an absolute travesty because we were the better team.”

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