EPL News July 7th

[dmmd98]

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing to make a £20m raid for Real Madrid’s Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar. Full story: The Sun

I’m conflicted regarding any stories of Real Madrid players going to Manchester United. One part of me thinks talent is talent so if a player can improve your club and the right is price, pay it. The other me thinks in terms of perception. Real Madrid is signing Manchester United’s best player and United in turn are signing players from the Madrid discount bin.

Inter Milan target Ricardo Carvalho is ready to leave Chelsea this summer but will only consider a move to another top European club.
“I would like to open a new page in my career,” he said. Corriere dello Sport

Realize I’m biased because I’m Portuguese but if Chelsea can’t assure Carvalho of a starting place and the player wants to go, Chelsea should make it happen. It’s the least they could do considering his years of good service to a club. A new coach wants his own players to fit into his own system and it’s doubtful the Mourinho era Carvalho is a perfect fit for Chelsea going forward. Why would a new coach want a player who simply doesn’t fit disrupting the team? It doesn’t makes sense. What makes sense is to sell him to a team outside of England.

Meanwhile, Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has launched an ambitious bid to sign one of Real Madrid’s other Dutch strikers, 33-year-old Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Sun

It did make me laugh when Allardyce rejected the idea of signing Michael Owen last week because he can’t play 30 games then goes after van Nistelrooy who missed most of last season through injures.

Real Madrid have made a cut-price £5m offer for Liverpool’s Spanish full-back Alvaro Arbeloa. (Daily Mirror)

And the Spanish side are believed to want any move for Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso sorted out in the next fortnight. (Press Association)

Rafa is not going to roll over to Real Madrid. What Rafa also knows is that in order to buy it’s becoming clear he’ll have to sell. Could see him playing Alonso to Real Madrid and Javier Mascherano to Barcelona against each other since it makes sense to sell one of the two.

Liverpool are close to signing 16-year-old Esbjerg midfielder Nikolaj Kohlert on a three-year deal. (Daily Telegraph)

Don’t think 80000 are going to come out to see his presentation.

Chelsea will make one last attempt to sign Bayern Munich’s French midfielder Franck Ribery. (Daily Star)

And Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will consider making a bid for Real Madrid’s Dutch forward Wesley Sneijder if he misses out on Ribery. Daily Telegraph

It was only three years ago where everyone felt Chelsea could buy any player they wanted. This doesn’t seem the case anymore. Between fighting tooth and nail with Bayern Munich over Ribery or signing a very talented player in Sneijder who can be had Chelsea should look to the Dutch midfielder and hope his injures are behind him.

Manchester City will turn their attention to Everton defender Joleon Lescott after losing out in their bid to sign Chelsea captain John Terry. The Eastlands club had made an initial offer of £15m but will now up that. (Daily Mirror)

Going in the other direction could be City’s Brazilian striker Jo, with Everton boss David Moyes ready to take him to Goodison Park on a season-long loan deal. Times

A loan deal seems to be close with Jo arriving at Everton training camp in Scotland. Mentioned it before and will do so again that it makes sense for both teams to do a deal regarding Jo and Lescott. On Everton’s side it’s much easier and less expensive to sign a top flight defender than it is a forward of Jo’s age and potential. Manchester City are too forward heavy, they need to balance out the side.

Aston Villa and Sunderland lead the race for Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch. However, Pompey are unlikely to recoup the £12m they spent on the 28-year-old. Various

Don’t see why Portsmouth would sell Crouch for less nor could I see the player publicly admitting his dislike at Portsmouth. The team may be a mess but he’ll play week in and week out in a bid to impress leading into the World Cup.

However, Bordeaux have refused to sell Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh to Sunderland because the French club’s president Jean-Louis Triaud does not think the Black Cats are “a big English club”. The Sun

Enjoy that transfer budget Steve Bruce. Know that teams in Portugal are the same way with regards to their top players. They realize the peaking order so if a club like Manchester United or Chelsea come calling they won’t stand in the players way. Any other club better be prepared to over pay. Newcastle’s 12 million for Hugo Viana comes to mind.

Aston Villa are also preparing a bid for Sporting Lisbon’s 23-year-old midfielder Miguel Veloso after Bolton had an £8m bid turned down. (Daily Mirror)

Case in point.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill is also ready to swoop for Fulham defender Brede Hangeland, 28, for £9m. Various

Plenty of clubs will now take a look at Hangeland over the news he rejected a new contact from Fulham this week.

Swedish striker Marcus Berg is a target for Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham. The 25-year-old’s club FC Gronigen value him at £5m. (Daily Telegraph)

Find it shocking the 5 million fee is back to being quoted. It may be 5 million up front but the total transfer fee on any Berg sale will end up in the 8-12 million range.

[rjordan1979]

If I were Chelsea, I'd take Sneijder over Ribery in a heartbeat. No questions asked.