The agent of Serbia star Milos Krasic has insisted his clients reported move to Juventus is still on the cards, despite the Old Lady not meeting his current club's valuation.
CSKA Moscow chiefs are seeking more than what the Serie A side are offering and his representative, Dejan Joksimovic, admitted there is still some way to go before a deal is concluded.
Speaking to reporters, he said:"Juventus are offering 15million euros for Krasic, but the Russian club will not let him leave for such a figure.
"There is also contact with Manchester City, Inter and Fenerbahce. The English club could make an offer worth euros 18million, but we are still waiting to see whether CSKA receive such an offer.
"As it stands, the best offer that has been submitted is from the Turkish side, but Milos has no intention whatsoever to go from Russia to Turkey.
"He wants to go to Juve, but wait and see what Manchester City do.
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"I think that my client will ultimately leave CSKA and I am 90 per cent sure of it."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp has admitted Jonathan Woodgate is in danger of missing out on his final squad eligible to compete in the new Premier League season.
Each club must submit a final 25-man squad list on August 31 and only those players listed can compete in league games until the winter transfer window opens on January 1.
Woodgate has been sidelined since last November with a long-running groin problem which required surgery.
It is the latest in a long line of injury lay-offs for the 30-year-old former Leeds United, Newcastle and Real Madrid defender and Redknapp is currently concerned about his ability to fully recover.
"Woody's nowhere near at the moment. Nowhere near," Redknapp told the Daily Star.
"It must be really hard for him. He's nowhere near kicking a ball.
"He's been out for a year, been in America and Australia, but he's still nowhere near.
"I just couldn't put him in my 25. It's impossible at the moment.
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"If he doesn't start playing before the start of the season he's got no chance. You can't have somebody in who's never going to play.
"To have any chance, he's got to be back playing, otherwise you couldn't possibly have him in the 25. Not at the moment, and he's a long way off now."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Javier Mascherano wants to leave Liverpool. He has decided he no longer wants to be at the club, and the disappointing aspect of today’s game is that there is very little Liverpool can do about it. Player power is still as strong now as it ever was, and loyalty to a club is becoming a far rarer thing. Loyalty still exists: Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, John Terry and Jamie Carragher are the most high-profile examples of one-club players, and perhaps Gerrard is the best example as he has had the greatest opportunities to leave. Over the last decade certain clubs have believed they might be able to prize the Liverpool captain away, and he has resisted any temptation. I’d be surprised if Manchester United have ever received an offer for Giggs in his time at the club, given the affiliation he has with the club and manager and vice versa. These player have however, spent the vast majority of their careers enjoying their time at their clubs. When a player is unhappy, they can play prisoner, and find the quickest escape route.
Managers do not want to keep players who aren’t happy at their club. If a player publicly states that they want to leave, and there are other teams interested, then the deal is effectively done. Previously, when a player signed a contract, that was the end of the matter. Contracts now can count for very little in terms of commitment to a club; they are now more a case of dictating how much a club will receive in a transfer fee.
When Robbie Savage decided that he no longer wanted to play for Birmingham City, he made sure a move away was the end result. What had been a healthy relationship between player, manager and fans was destroyed in the sequence of events that led to his departure. He was three months into a four year deal at Birmingham, but eventually, it counted for nothing.
Despite being adored by his fans at Manchester United, and depended upon by his manager, Cristiano Ronaldo decided that he would much rather play for Real Madrid. It took him a year to get his move, and by the time the deal was done, most Utd fans were glad to see the back of him – no fan wants a player who doesn’t care for their club, regardless of how good they are.
Both Joleon Lescott and Gareth Barry engineered moves away from their clubs to join Manchester City. The latter had to make do with another season at the club that had nurtured his career since he was a boy, after missing out on a move to Liverpool the previous summer, and to be fair he played well, but he was not the same player in the eyes of the Villa fans, and a move away remained on the player’s mind. That last season at Villa had barely finished before he was having a medical at Eastlands. Lescott simply stuck his heels in the ground and maintained his desire. Everton got a hefty sum of money for him, but the season had already begun by the time he left and David Moyes would have much preferred a player he rated highly to money that he couldn’t spend.
Mascherano will get his move. He has served Liverpool well in the time that he has spent there, but then shouldn’t all players serve their club well – isn’t that a basic demand of all contracted players to their clubs? It will be interesting to see what happens to Cesc Fabregas because it would appear that he has a real affection for both Arsenal and Barcelona, and that he is genuinely torn between the two. It would be difficult to accuse Fabregas of being disloyal, but if he reiterates that he wants to leave, how long can Arsenal try to keep him. As with Javier Mascherano, if he wants to leave, the cold reality is, that he will.
With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery
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One name that has persisted in the transfer gossip columns and sports pages is that of French striker Loic Remy. The 23-year old Nice forward has reportedly been a target of West Ham, Stoke, Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham and Arsenal. Many more clubs across Europe have sent scouts to watch the forward who earned his second international cap last week. But is this player and his busy agent worth all the fuss and conjecture? Would Remy be able to live up to his ever burgeoning profile?
Goal-scorers have long been the hardest and most expensive position for clubs to fill. This partly explains why large sums are often charged for forwards who already have proven Premier League experience. Remy lacks that experience having spent his entire career in France but his attributes suggest he could adapt seamlessly to life in England’s top division. The forward who has been compared to Thierry Henry, started his senior career at Olympique Lyonnais. The youngster struggled to establish himself in their first team and was loaned to fellow Ligue 1 club Lens, where he found the net on four occasions. Such was the promise and potential of the 6ft striker, Nice decided to break their transfer record to sign Remy for 8 million euros in 2008. During his first season there he scored 6 goals in 6 games early on, then endured a relatively quiet period before hitting a purple patch later in the campaign. Remy scored 14 league goals last season in a faltering Nice team which finished 15th in Ligue 1.
Attuned to clinical finishing and playing in a variety of attacking positions his suitors patently believe he can take a step up to the PL. Remy appears to be a thoroughbred, possessing physical strength, skills, speed and scoring ability. He has been deployed as a lone striker but French football journalist, Tom Williams has inferred that he could struggle in this role against PL defences. “At Nice, he played from the right and he’s played from the left for the under-21s.” Williams additionally notes that Remy has used his pace to devastating effect when Nice adopt a counter-attacking style. PL scouts have sent glowing reports back to their respective clubs on the Frenchman who is technically proficient and a clean striker of the ball.
The wave of interest in his possible capture is due to this ability to perform in a range of forward positions, whether out wide or from deep. Put rather crudely strikers can be often be divided into two distinct camps. There are old-fashioned British style centre-forwards who rely on their physical presence and sense of timing and those who use their skill, wily movement and speed to unsettle defences. Remy’s potential to transcend this binary distinction explains his appeal to a diverse range of clubs.
This assortment of skills shows why clubs from Stoke to Arsenal have expressed an interest in Remy. He seemed destined for West Ham last month but the two clubs disagreed on the initial fee payment. Remy visited the Britannia stadium recently but stated that White Hart Lane would be his preferred destination. “A move to Spurs would be interesting,” he told L’Equipe. “Stoke is not a move I want. Nice is in real need of money and it should be adaptable with the price to help sell me.”
Remy’s club may not be as malleable as he wishes given their reluctance to lose the player for less that £13 million. Barring the exploits of Manchester City, the transfer window has been exceptionally peaceful to the extent that Stoke’s £8 million signing of Kenwyne Jones had the capacity to shock. Yet for a fee not on the scale of a Mario Balotelli or David Silva many PL clubs could score an early victory over their competitors by swooping for the talented Remy.
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It is nigh on impossible to remember a transfer deadline day which did not feature a veritable flurry of activity. Sky Sports News advertises their programming for this day way in advance, safe in the knowledge that there will be last minute drama. Cue television crews and reporters camped outside training grounds hoping to talk with a manager, player or owner. Fans text and email these reporters to say that their friend has just seen Marcus Bent alight a taxi near Molineaux or that Eidur Gudjohnson has been spotted at motorway service station. This year’s final day of the window may have been missing the dramatic events of previous years but still featured Ryan Babel lost over London in a helicopter and Tottenham’s deadline pushing capture of Rafael van der Vaart. But is the inevitable scramble to do business at the final hour to the detriment of sensible transfer activity?
Two of the more memorable deadline day transfers in recent years have been Robinho’s switch from Real Madrid to Manchester City and the unexpected arrival of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez at Upton Park in 2006. Manchester City fans would surely concede that Robinho’s expensive transfer was erroneous. The transfer had more to do with the newly wealthy club flexing their financial muscles. The Sky Blues were also after Dimitar Berbatov but signed the unsettled, troubled Brazilian who coincidentally departed for AC Milan on Tuesday. Despite the transfer of the two Argentines eventually costing nearly as much as Robinho’s British transfer record fee, Hammers fans believe it was well worth it.
Conducting business on deadline day invariably smacks of frenetic panic buying but the reality is a more mixed picture. The appearance of a late frenzy is tempered by the views of Ian Holloway who was said to be exasperated and frustrated for long parts of the summer when recruiting players. Moves for players do not come much later than Tottenham’s successful acquisition of van der Vaart. Two hours before the close of the window they place an £8 million bid for the Dutch ace. “The fee has come crashing down because the deadline is so close,” said Harry Redknapp. This is open to debate according to Real Madrid but seems excellent business for Spurs. He is an experienced midfield playmaker who passes well, strikes the ball excellently and is dangerous from set plays.
Reluctant to lose their star striker Asamoah Gyan, Sunderland were forced to pay in excess of £13 million to Rennes. After selling Kenwyne Jones and Frazier Campbell’s unfortunate injury the Black Cats felt they had to break their transfer record to sign the Black Star’s forward who was widely valued at £7 million earlier in the summer. Gyan, however, is strong, quick, has an eye for goal and is an extremely hard worker. West Ham have had a busy summer but had failed once again to find a suitable right-back. Running out of options the east London side moved for Lars Jacobson on Tuesday. The Dane featured at the World Cup but fell behind Michel Salgado and Pascal Chimbonda in the pecking order at Ewood Park.
Following a busy day in the Potteries Stoke City will be pleased with their late transfer dealings. Tony Pulis had been seeking to recruit players capable of offering a new dimension to the team, building on their top flight progression. Both Gudjohnson and Jermaine Pennant were brought to the Britannia on loan. Birmingham City were also industrious and astute to bring in Alexander Hleb, Martin Jiranek and Jean Beausejour.
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By waiting to the final day of the window some clubs argue they can force down the price of players while others desperate to buy will pay exorbitant fees to reluctant sellers. Moreover Roberto Martinez has blamed the window for unsettling his players during the early stages of the new season. Given the option most clubs would wish to conclude their business sooner but this often requires plenty of money. Manchester City could avoid last minute signings by having clear targets and deep pockets. For the rest of us it is probably wise to try enjoying the drama and hope a faulty fax machine can be blamed if your club submit their paperwork late.
Manchester United’s veteran manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed in August that he believed a fully fit Everton squad had an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League this season.
Despite the pre-season optimism, three defeats out of six, to Blackburn, Aston Villa and Newcastle, have left Everton winless and propping up the bottom of the Barclays Premier League. To make matters worse, The Toffees were also embarrassingly knocked out of the Carling Cup by Brentford at Griffin Park last week, currently the bottom side in League One.
David Moyes and his men were booed off the pitch following their last home game at Goodison Park, a 1-0 defeat to newly promoted Newcastle. That shambolic display was symptomatic of the club’s inconsistency so far this season. It seemed Everton had turned a corner following their dramatic injury-time comeback against Manchester United in early September. However it soon proved to be another false dawn following two draws and a defeat since that epic two-minute double salvo from Mikel Artea and Tim Cahill. It remains the worst start to a season for the Blues in 16 years and Moyes admits he is worried by the current state of affairs.
Moyes said: “We started the season with the belief, coming off two defeats in 24 last year, that we would start the season well. It didn’t happen and that affects your confidence.
“It’s disappointing because I didn’t expect this. We expected to start better after the good run we had last year.
“We want to do better and nobody cares more than the players, I can see that by their attitude and the way they are training.”
Everton’s players showed some of that training ground commitment and desire down beside the River Thames last Saturday as they battled their way to a spirited 0-0 draw against Fulham. The Blues didn’t look like a side bottom of the table as they played with confidence and adventure. You could even argue they were unlucky not to grab all three points against their unbeaten South West London opponents.
Everton finished eighth last season despite a catalogue of injuries to key first-team players, which included defensive rock Phil Jagielka and playmaker Arteta missing a large chunk of the season. The injury curse has continued into this season with defender Jack Rodwell and striking duo Louis Saha and Victor Anichebe suffering long-term injuries inside the opening weeks of the new campaign.
The fixture list does not get any easier for The Toffees over the next few weeks, starting with an away trip to Birmingham on Saturday. Alex McLeish’s side are unbeaten at St Andrew’s in over a year and will not provide the best recovery tonic for a side struggling with form. This is followed by a Merseyside Derby against rivals Liverpool and a trip to Tottenham the week after.
Despite the club’s current position and difficult upcoming fixtures, Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright still believes the club can make it into Europe. He said:
“I can only say as a fellow fan I don’t believe we will be down there for much longer.
“The name of the game isn’t to get out of relegation trouble, believe me, but to get up towards the European places and I know that’s what everyone, especially the manager, is aiming for.”
Everton have too good a squad, as well as one of the best managers in the league in Moyes, to remain in the bottom three for much longer. Despite a woeful start, Everton showed enough grit and fight in their last game to get out of their current predicament and still fulfil that early season promise.
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Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric has admitted to being below-par during the opening weeks of the season.
The Croatia international has scored one goal in six appearances this season but is unhappy with his form in Spurs' first ever campaign in the Champions League.
"For me, I'm a little out of rhythm," he told the club's official website.
"I've had a couple of injuries this season and I'm not yet back into my rhythm but in a couple of games I'll settle down and play better.
"I just need to be fitter. It's been hard for me because I've had a couple of injures but in a couple of matches I'll be back into full shape."
Meanwhile, Modric has welcomed the arrival of Rafael van der Vaart at White Hart Lane.
The Netherlands international has taken the plaudits after bagging four goals in his six appearances since joining from Real Madrid in August.
"Rafa is an exceptional player and he's showed that since he came to the club," continued Modric.
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"He's a great signing. He's played at great clubs, Ajax, Hamburg, Real Madrid and I think he can give more quality to the team."
"It's not hard to play well with that kind of player and I'm happy he's here with us."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Internazionale's Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder has ended speculation about his future by putting pen to paper on a contract extension to keep him at the San Siro until the summer of 2015.
The 26-year-old enjoyed an astonishing first season with the Nerazzurri, helping Inter to a treble of Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia success, before playing a major role in the Netherlands' progress to the World Cup final.
However, the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea have been linked with moves to try and prise Sneijder away from Milan, which have now seemingly been dashed.
Inter president Massimo Moratti told the club's official website:"The fans will be happy above all else because we have reached an agreement with Wesley Sneijder for a contract extension until 2015.
"Sneijder became a key player for Inter last season and will be this year and for many years to come.
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"The negotiations started despite the fact he had a long time to go on his old deal, but with mutual satisfaction they were completed this morning."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The Football Association have decided to take no action against Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone for his stamp on Johan Elmander during the 4-2 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.
The 23-year-old England international could have been facing a three-match ban if found guilty of violent conduct, but the FA have ruled out further action after match referee Chris Foy confirmed that he saw the incident as it happened.
An FA spokesman commented: "We can confirm there will be no action taken against Tom Huddlestone."
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had earlier stated that he felt Huddlestone was not the sort of player to stamp on another deliberately.
He told the Daily Mirror:"I'm going to say something that you probably don't even believe – I never even saw it and I still haven't seen it.
"I know there are a few managers that say they didn't see what happened and I'm not becoming one of them, but I never saw what happened.
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"But Tom's tame. He's a good footballer, isn't he? He's not aggressive.
"I spoke to their players afterwards and they said they felt it was an accident."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Over the last couple of weeks the title race has opened up significantly. A few weeks ago it seemed Chelsea would retain the Premier League without getting out of second gear. However, it has all changed and after the weekends results, do Manchester United have the spark to go on and win the Premier League this season. The answer is yes. The return of Wayne Rooney.
The return of Wayne Rooney could not come at a more poignant time in the season. Chelsea are in shocking form and Arsenal don’t look like they can defend well enough to sustain a true challenge. Manchester United are level on points with Chelsea and have remained undefeated. The return of Wayne Rooney will inspire United to jump out of second gear and take advantage of the mistakes Chelsea and Arsenal are making.
If Wayne Rooney can return to his best form then Manchester United look a great bet for the Premier League title. Without playing well this season, they have managed to remain undefeated and they have a determination about them. Their comeback against Aston Villa was sensational, although the defending before hand was terrible. They have shown real character this season and the return of Wayne Rooney will lift the club. The worry was that by the time Wayne Rooney returned, Manchester United could have been out of the race altogether. However, they are not. They are well and truly in the hunt for the title.
What Wayne Rooney will now give Manchester United is a presence upfront. Over the past few weeks, teams have been able to come onto Manchester United with relative ease. Dimitar Berbatov does not offer the same pace and energy upfront as Rooney and teams have exploited this. Much like Jermain Defoe’s return against Arsenal. He scares defenders, so much that they start to play within themselves, and mistakes occur. Rooney is exactly the same. With all the skill the England man has, it is his energy and work rate that is so impressive. Manchester United have missed this, and his return will give them a real presence, as well as a goal threat again.
Along with the returning Wayne Rooney, it has been reported that Antonio Valencia could return as easily as February. Again this will give Old Trafford an enormous lift going into the business end of the season. Wayne Rooney scored so many goals last season because of the service of Valencia. Manchester United have returning players – something that has to spark them into life. Manchester United can only get better this season, a reality that has to worry the Premier League.
Manchester United are getting better this season, where Arsenal and Chelsea are falling into a bad slump. If we accept that Manchester United have had their early slump in form – Arsenal and Chelsea fans must be worried. The worry – United didn’t loose in this period. They may have thrown winning positions away but importantly have remained undefeated. There is a steel at Manchester United that the other two do not seem to have at the moment. Both Arsenal and Chelsea look vulnerable, whilst Manchester United have one of the world best returning. Sir Alex Ferguson must be delighted the position United are in, going into Christmas.
Without a doubt the retuning Wayne Rooney will boost Manchester United. Of course, we are assuming that Wayne Rooney will return to the form of last season. There is nothing to say he wont, and that has to work in Manchester United’s advantage. Wayne Rooney has dealt with his personal problems and his contract saga this season and is now the time he rediscovers his form on the pitch. If he does and Arsenal and Chelsea continue to stumble, Manchester United could easily pull away in the race for the Premier League.
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