Van Gaal eyes shock Ramos swoop
Something is rotten in the Community of Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti was jettisoned just one season after winning La Decima at Real, and Los Blancos now appear to be paying the penalty for a perceived lack of support in their Galacticos.
AS reports that Real talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is “[annoyed] at the ongoing treatment of two of his closer friends at the club: Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos,” and is currently “agitated” at the Bernabeu.
The 30-year-old netted a personal record of 61 goals last season but was overshadowed by Barcelona’s Treble-winning side — a bitter blow to the Portugal captain’s pride, and one that may test his patience having won just one La Liga title in his six seasons at Madrid.
With the forward reportedly unhappy at the uncertainty surrounding Sergio Ramos‘ future, it is no surprise to see AS also stating that the 29-year-old defender wants to leave Real this summer.
The Spain international is said to be perturbed after Real were slow to act over Barcelona presidential candidate Jordi Majo’s claims that Ramos was offered to him as a campaign sweetener, as well as the club letting his contract run down to within two years of expiry.
The Guardian reports that Manchester United will exploit Ramos’ desire to leave by demanding the defender as part of any deal that sees David De Gea leave Old Trafford this summer, with the paper saying representatives from Real sent to sign De Gea were met with a counter-bid: “You want De Gea, we want Ramos.”
ESPN FC’s Rob Train argues that Real would regret losing Ramos over a wage dispute, and although the centre-back’s official buyout clause stands at an eye-watering €180 million (£128m), the Mail reports that Real will instead ask United for around €65 million (£46m) instead.
The Sun reports that the Red Devils want Ramos included in any new offer for De Gea, while the Independent suggests that Real would want a cash-plus-De Gea deal for Ramos — although all outlets agree that United could easily match the defender’s demands of a €10-million-a-year (£7.1m) salary, which equates to a cool £140,000 a week.
United strike duo to depart?
Although much of today’s Transfer Talk drama concerns Manchester United’s defence, there’s plenty of gossip further up the field.
Yet another United player may be departing Old Trafford for Madrid, but AS reports that this deal concerns Real’s bitter rivals Atletico. The Spanish paper suggests that Diego Simeone is interested in bringing Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to Spain given the impending departure of Mario Mandzukic to Juventus.
Despite having yet to sign a recognised centre-forward, Louis van Gaal may let another slip away in the surly shape of Robin van Persie. The Netherlands international was tipped to shine for his former Oranje coach, but injuries and a lack of form have seen him linked with a move abroad.
The Mirror reports that Fenerbahce have emerged as front-runners for the 31-year-old’s signature given that his wage demands have effectively ruled Galatasaray, Roma and Lazio out of the race.
Liverpool look to La Liga
Brendan Rodgers has signed four players from English clubs to bolster his Liverpool squad — James Milner, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez and Adam Bogdan — and now appears to be shifting his attention looking Spain to complete the job.
Marca reports that Liverpool are “pushing hard” for Asier Illarramendi having seen an initial bid rejected, with the Anfield club handing Real Madrid an improved offer of around €22 million (£15m) for the 25-year-old midfielder. The decision appears to be up to Real coach Rafa Benitez, and Transfer Talk isn’t betting against the former Kop favourite doing his old club a solid.
Meanwhile, Rodgers’ pursuit of Sevilla forward Carlos Bacca has hit a snag with the Liga club’s legendary sporting director Monchi stating:“If someone wants Bacca, they have to pay his clause. He’s told us that it’s his desire to stay with the club and I don’t see any other possibility.”
The Colombian’s clause stands at around £21.5 million — a sizeable fee for the 28-year-old despite his impressive goal tally last season.
And what of Raheem Sterling? There could be news soon with the Mail reporting that the forward flew back from his summer holidays on a private jet. That’s either a sign that talks with Manchester City are advancing, or he simply didn’t want to run the risk of sitting next to a Liverpool fan all the way back from Ibiza.
Cech nears Arsenal move
While former Arsenal defender Lauren effectively welcomed Petr Cech to the Gunners on Saturday, Sky Sports reports that a move is “close” and that “only a fee needs to be agreed with Chelsea” for the goalkeeper.
That agreement could be some way off with Arsene Wenger often bidding low on prospective targets, while Chelsea have been incredibly savvy in negotiating high fees for players in recent seasons.
Sky suggests that Chelsea’s request for a homegrown player as part of the deal is “no longer being considered,” with the transfer purely down to cold, hard cash.
But given the Gunners’ embarrassment of attacking riches, The Sun reports that Benfica will finally attempt to prise Costa Rica international Joel Campbell away from North London this summer. That could pave the way for Jackson Martinez to join from Porto, with reports in Italy suggesting that AC Milan are no longer interested in the forward after his come-and-get-me plea to Wenger.
One player the Gunners are definitely missing out on is Geoffrey Kondogbia, with the former Monaco midfielder joining Inter — a real coup for the Nerazzurri.
Southampton thinking big next term
It seems that Southampton haven’t been put off signing Toby Alderweireld despite their initial agreement with Atletico Madrid going up in smoke. The Saints missed out on a cut-price £5.7 million option after Atleti realised they could hawk the defender to the highest bidder, but the south coast club may well stump up the cash.
The Mirror reports that Ronald Koeman is willing to smash the club’s transfer record and spend £18 million on the Belgian defender to fend off interest from Tottenham — a real statement of intent from the Saints after a superb 2014-15 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Express reports that Koeman is also aiming to steal a march on Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Liverpool by landing QPR striker Charlie Austin in a £10 million deal.
Although Newcastle and West Ham are also interested in Austin — with the Mirror reporting that the Crystal Palace board will block Alan Pardew’s attempts to sign him for £15 million — the chance to play regular football at an ambitious club in the south of England to realise his international ambitions could well swing any potential decision in Southampton’s favour.
Tap-ins
– Roberto Soldado has struggled to find anything close to the form he showed at Valencia during his two seasons at White Hart Lane, and Tottenham are ready to take a £15 million hit on the Spanish striker.
The Mirror reports that Spurs will let Soldado go for around £11 million this summer, although Galatasaray are ready to test Daniel Levy’s patience by submitting a £9 million offer. The promise of Champions League football could be an intriguing one for the forward, who surely needs a fresh start.
– The Sun also reports that West Ham have joined Chelsea in the race for Mousa Dembele, while the same paper suggests that Mauricio Pochettino is intent on keeping Kyle Walker despite the signing of Burnley right-back Kieran Trippier.
– The Mirror reports that the Hammers may have better luck with an “audacious” loan move for Inter Milan’s Zdravko Kuzmanovic, with the 27-year-old thought to be available as the Nerazzurri plan a summer rebuild.
– Swansea are intent on building a side to really challenge next season, and the Express reports that Garry Monk is planning a raid on Celtic for the £8 million-rated Virgil van Dijk.
– Watford are busy bolstering their squad for the task of staying in the top flight next term, with the Mirror reporting that the Hornets have launched a club-record £7 million bid for Genoa winger Diego Perotti. The catch? The 26-year-old wants to join Valencia instead.
– J-League club FC Tokyo are sounding out the likes of Tommy Oar, Marc Janko and Nathan Burns as replacements for Mainz-bound forward Yoshinori Muto, according to SBS.
source:espn.co.uk
STUDIO 3 NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA 