Last minute offers & deals as the Football "Winter Transfer Market" window closes at midnight. One of those "last minute" attempts comes from English Premier League Club EVERTON which has made an offer to SEVILLA FC for Spanish International forward ALVERO NEGREDO. Negredo is a key piece in the Sevilla line-up & is a regular starter. Tonight Sevilla FC faces Atletico de Madrid in the 1º leg of the Spanish Cup semi-finals & his presence will be vital. This makes it difficult for Sevilla to consider seriously selling Negredo right now.
The Spanish player last sounded for Totenham Hotspurs but that attempt failed. Now Everton look to Negredo to fill their forward line needs as their first options haven't eventuated.It's all rush at Everton as the Club attempts to convince Sevilla FC with 10M€ for a player that the Spanish Club has valued at 15M€, the 5M€ difference does puts cold water over the Everton intentions.
If the deal was to eventuate - unlikely, but I have seen bigger & stranger things in Football - the replacement for Negredo could be RAUL RUSESCU, Rumanian International from STEAUA BUCAREST.
Its not over until the fat lady ( or Winter Transfer Market ) sings.
This is interesting. Turkish Club FENERBAHCE has announced via its web that they
have come to an agreement with Turk EMRE to sign before the end of the "Winter
Transfer Market". However, there is no agreement with ATLETICO DE MADRID the Spanish
Football Club that Emre belongs. In fact , both Atletico & Fenerbahce are still
negotiating.
There's more juicy bits. The Turkish Clubs claims that the player will come over
free of transfer fee, something Atletico de Madrid denies & is baffled. I believe a middle
ground will be found in this important matter.
Emre has not been a regular player with Atletico & this may be the reason that the
player has thought about returning home to finish off his last years of top level Football.
As an Atletico follower, the player will be missed. His little participation has been
very good showing his class & his behaviour as a Football professional has been exemplary,
or at least what I have observed.
Stay tuned as this operation still needs an Atletico de Madrid signature.
YOANN GOURCUFF was once hailed as the "New Zidane". As with many young talents the tag is a heavy burden & has hampered their projection instead of making things easy. The 26 year old midfielder player of LYON arrived at his current Club with big expectations which have not been fulfilled.
Spanish Football Club ATLETICO DE MADRID are looking for a missing piece in the midfield to give the team an extra lift. Since the departure of Brazilian Diego, Atletico has been lacking the "special creative midfielder" that can give the team more ideas & feed with opportunities the forward Falcao.
Atletico de Madrid has seen in Gourcuff the possibility to add some artistry & has solicited French Club Lyon for the free loan of the player with an end of year buy option. However Lyon prefers to loan out the player for 3M€ & thus are the negotiations at this moment between Clubs.
A change of airs may be good for Gourcuff & get him away from the local pressures of fulfilling the expectations of other people. The player is "relatively" unknown in Spain & Atletico could be a platform to regain some lost magic.
Stay tuned.
ATLETICO DE MADRID are active in the "Winter Transfer Market" with the signing of 24 year old left back EMILIANO INSUA from SPORTING LISBOA. The player comes to reinforce the position that Brazilian International Felipe Luis occupies.
The Argentine is expected to arrive at Madrid for the obligatory medical exam before signing. The player has an agreement with Atletico until 2016.
Welcome to Spanish Football!
The hand injury to REAL MADRID Spanish International Goalkeeper IKER CASILLAS comes at the worst moment for the player & Club as it faces the complicated Champions League & Spanish Cup phases. The worst news however is that the hand fracture could leave out Casillas for up to three months.
Real Madrid has acted rapidly to fill the gap & has signed SEVILLA FC Goalkeeper DIEGO LOPEZ for 3,5M€. The goalkeeper is a Spanish International & was a key element during the glory years of Villareal before going over to Sevilla FC.
Diego Lopez returns home in a way as he began his Football career as a youngster in the Real Madrid junior levels. This may have been a factor in the signing decision, apart from the fact that Lopez is a very experienced & quality player that can help Real Madrid face the difficult rest of the season with more confidence.
PARIS ST GERMAIN Uruguayan defender DIEGO LUGANO has arrived at Spanish Football Club MALAGA FC on loan in the "Winter Market". The loan is only until the end of this season & he can play Champions League with Malaga.
The defender arrives to beef up the Malaga defence along with Demichelis & Welington, field areas that Coach Pellegrini considers needs a boost. The newly arrived player passed the obligatory medical exams before incorporating himself to his new team.
It seems that the FERNANDO LLORENTE saga has come to an end. According to Italian media JUVENTUS Director General Guiseppe Moratta has said that the Spanish International & current ATHLETIC CLUB BILBAO forward will be their player as off the 1st of July 2013. The Italian Club has planned to make it all official tomorrow according to "La Gazzetta dello Sport"
The deal is a four year contract with a 4,5M€ / year salary plus incentives. Juventus is willing to go even further & it has been written that Juventus is willing to pay At. Bilbao 3 - 4 M€ to allow the player to leave now. The Italian Club has no reason to pay At. Bilbao at all as the player is a free agent & comes free of transfer fee at the end of the season, but this gesture maybe diplomatic & an effort to incorporate a top rate player for the upcoming European competition phases.
Either way, the suffering that Llorente has been submitted to at Bilbao is coming to an end & his next destination seems Turin.
The below image could be a reality. That is, see REAL MADRID Brazilian midfielder KAKA dress the "Rossoneri" of AC MILAN. According to Italian Sports daily "La Gazzetta dello Sport" that player will be loaned out for the next two & half seasons. The only obstacle is an agreement concerning the players 9-10M€ salary per season.
Milan asks Kaka to make an effort in lowering his salary to 4,5M€ while the other extreme is that of a 7,5M€ figure. Real Madrid & AC Milan are said to be in accord & that Kaka now must make the effort which will likely fall halfway between the cited economic figures.
AC Milan top Directive Adriano Galliani travels to Madrid this Tuesday to attempt to shut the deal. Everything indicates, barring strange events, that a deal will be forged out & Kaka will return to the Club that gave him the Golden Ball back in 2007.
Stay tuned!
Latest news: seems to be a hitch with tax laws that complicates the possible loan. The player has agreed to lower his salary from 10M€ to 6M€ but ...
AC MILAN Top Directive Galliani did give much away when asked if REAL MADRID Brazilian player KAKA was on the Clubs "Winter Market" agenda. "Nearly impossible to sign" said the Milan chief. But what about a loan?
AC Milan TV channel then came out & confirmed that the Italian Club was in negotiations with player & Real Madrid to study a "Winter market" loan.
The Brazilian took the Clubs rest day to fly off to Milan & dine with country-mate & AC Milan player Robinho. This ignited the speculation which lead to the commented events.
Kaka has only played 12 games this season & is 30 years of age. His salary at Real Madrid is a whopping 9 M€ which stops Milan thinking about a full transfer. However a loan may be feasible if Milan "helps" Real Madrid with the salary. The earnings from this operation would help Real Madrid offer Cristiano Ronaldo a new & bettered contract. Kaka could be the key.
Stay tuned.
According to Spanish radio, Madrid Club RAYO VALLECANO has agreed the incorporation of GABRIEL MACHADO. The 23 year Brazilian forward has been active in European Football since the age of 17 which makes him a relative "veteran". The players will come over from Rumanian Club STEAUA OF BUCHAREST.
Machado has only played 4 games with his Club & comes free of transfer fee. Not a C.V. to be lighting up fireworks but with the financial crisis hitting most Football Clubs the option is attractive for a small budget Club.
Lets wish the boy luck. His already had experience in Switzerland & French Football before landing in Rumania.
English Premier League Club CHELSEA FC has been "fishing" in Spanish Football the past months & even more so now with Spanish Manager Benitez who knows well the Spanish market. Today there is another story which puts another LIGA player in the Chelsea orbit. IAGO ASPAS the 25 year old striker of CELTA DE VIGO who is currently knocking on the door of the Spanish National Team. The forward is the main goal scorer of Celta, is starring this season in the First Division & has only a 10M€ contract release clause.
In fact, Chelsea is not the only English Club interested as SWANSEA asked Celta about the players situation weeks back.
Celta has let known to Aspas to think about staying this season because a departure in this "Winter Market" could worsen the precarious situation the Club faces at bottom part of the ladder where they are battling to avoid the relegation zone. What will be the decision Aspas ?
Stay tuned for developments.
They say life is a circle. Who would have thought that current English Club BOLTON player PETROV would return to Spanish Football after his time at Atletico de Madrid years back.
Petrov landed in the city of Barcelona today to finish of the paperwork to play at RCD ESPANYOL. He has permission from Bolton & the deal is until the end of this season & if Espanyol stays in the First Division, continue another year. This is the last "hurray" for the player as he has 33 years & entering the twilight of his career.
Sticking with RCD Espanyol , they are in talks with Italian Club Parma about the loan of Colombian player & forward PABON.
The Barcelona Club are having a nightmare season & are currently 18th on the Spanish League classification ladder , in the danger-relegation area, & are attempting to turn things around for the back-end of the season.
SEVILLA FC & Spanish Football International ALVARO NEGREDO was rumoured last week to be close to English Premier League Club CHELSEA FC .That operation did not eventuate with Chelsea preferring to sign forward Demba Ba from Newscastle.
Now another English Football Club TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS is said to be negotiating with Sevilla for Negredo. English newspaper "Daily Mail" interpreted that the visit of Sevilla FC President Del Nido to London is evidence. The Spanish Football Club denies it but locally it is know that Tottenham will be without their forward Emmanuel Adebayor who will be with Togo in the African Cup. Negredo is seen as the perfect substitute. The transfer figure is been rumoured to be around 18M€.
Stay tuned!
News last week was that Sevillla FC forward Alvaro Negredo was close to getting transferred to CHELSEA FC, something that finally did not occur. Today there is more interesting news concerning the mentioned English Premier League Club & another Spanish International player. According to Spanish Sports daily "AS", Chelsea under Spanish Manager Rafael Benitez is thinking about REAL BETIS midfielder BEÑAT as the substitute for Frank Lampard.
Apparently Chelsea has already made a move with a 10M€ offer, but this figure is considered way below the transfer price of 20M€ plus that Betis considers to be more in line with the market. There maybe more competition for the player as Atletico de Madrid has sounded as a possible Club looking to gain the services of the Basque player as well. The Spanish International has exploded onto the Football scene with his Club & the Spanish National Football Team.
Stay tuned!
From Italy the news is that Italian Club JUVENTUS is back in full force to attempt to secure the services of ATHLETIC CLUB BILBAO & Spanish International forward FERNANDO LLORENTE.
The player is currently a "free agent" & will leave Bilbao at the end of the season free of transfer fee. The Italians believe that offering now 4M€ will convince Bilbao to think that better something now than nothing later. The figure of 4M€ is way below the true market value of the player which is in fact around the 20 - 25M€.
Bilbao may feel "offended" & decide not to sell. But the situation is totally their own fault as Basque Club did not sell earlier when offered around 20M€. Juventus will make a last attempt for Llorente this season & if this fails will go after Didier Drogba.
Stay tuned!
If the news is correct, there is no doubt that Coach Michael Laudrup of English Premier League SWANSEA is maximizing his Spanish Football experience & knowledge. His team already has four Spaniards including goal scorer Michu, & now it seems he wishes to incorporate another.
Swansea has set its eyes on REAL BETIS player JOSE ALBERTO CAÑAS. The player ends his contract at the end of the season, & Betis may wish to get some money back by selling him this week during the "Winter Market" window this month.
A very good player that is a positive addition for any Club & with characteristics that will adapt quickly to English Football, something that Coach Laudrup seems already "in the know".
Negotiations are advancing rapidly & should end in good port. Stay tuned!
ADRIAN LOPEZ, forward of Spanish Football Club ATLETICO DE MADRID, is not having a great personal season. But don´t be fooled, the player has enormous talent & was on the verge on being part of the Historical Spanish National Team that won last years Euro 2012 competition. In fact, he was also European Champion for the U/21 team ( 2011) & was the competitions top goal scorer ( Golden Boot ) with 5 goals.
This season the player is not finding the regular playing time needed to keep up momentum as his team-mate Diego Costa is currently at a higher level in form & in goals. English Premier League Club ARSENAL can see beyond current events & knows perfectly well that Adrian can potentially strengthen their squad.
According to online Football sources Arsenal has made a 12.3M€ offer to Atletico de Madrid for the now in operation transfer window opportunity : "Winter Market". Arsenal Coach Wenger believes Adrian is a great compliment upfront along with Spanish International Carzola & Spaniard Arteta.
My personal opinion is that Atletico also sees the great potential in Adrian & may also believe that he is worth much more than the current offer.
Stay tuned!
This announcement has caught me off guard. Spanish Football Club SEVILLA FC has come to an agreement to sign in the "Winter Market" 22 year old attacking Bosnian midfielder STEVANOVIC from Serbian Club VOJVODINA.
It is expected that the player will arrive in Spain tomorrow to pass the obligatory medical exam. Although I must confess that this player is new to me, Sevilla FC under Football Director Monchi have an incredible knack at signing cheap unknown players which later explode to be sold to other Clubs for three time more their initial worth.
The month of January is habitually bargain basement sale time with most retail outlets around the country. Most stores need to get rid of their stock to renew with other products. In Football something similar occurs, all player who hasn't renewed their current contract by the 1st of January 2013 becomes a "free-agent" to decide their own future. That is, the player can negotiate with which ever Club he desires without the OK from his current Club , plus without a transfer fee.
Spanish Football has a long list of Football players in this situation, a "juicy list" that has European Clubs about to pounce on, with ATHLETIC CLUB BILBAO & Spanish International forward FERNANDO LLORENTE being the "crown jewel".
Check this impressive list of players free as of the 1st of Janaury 2013:
Athletic Club Bilbao
Fernando Llorente, Amorebieta & Castillo
Atlético
Tiago
Barcelona
Muniesa & Abidal
Betis
Adrián, Cañas, Mario, Casto, Fabricio, Nelson, Sergio & Pozuelo
Celta
Roberto Lago, Natxo Insa & Bermejo
Deportivo
Lux, Aranzubía, Seoane, Zé Castro, Riki, Marchena, Saúl, Jesús Vázquez & Bodipo
Espanyol
Galán, Verdú, Baena, Cristian Álvarez & Rui Fonte
Getafe
Rafa, Mané y Codina
Granada
Roberto, Íñigo López, Moisés Hurtado & Lucena.
Málaga
Iturra
Mallorca
Aouate, Nunes & Martí
Osasuna
Masoud, Annunziata, Rubén, Puñal, Nino, Annán & Llorente
Levante
David Navarro, Dudka, El Zhar, Juanlu, Juanfran, Lell, Munúa, Óscar Serrano, Pedro Ríos & Ballesteros (need to play one more match to renew automatically )
Rayo Vallecano
Cobeño, Dani, Labaka, Casado, Javi Fuego, Trashorras, Chori Domínguez, Delibasic & Piti
Real Madrid
Carvalho
Real Sociedad
Ninguno
Sevilla
Palop
Valencia
Váldez
Valladolid
Jaime, Baraja, Dani Hernández, Omar Ramos, Peña & Álvaro Rubio
Zaragoza
Doblas, Lanzaro, Sapunaru, Movilla, Vílchez & Aranda
Bargain basement sale time folks.
This rumour has been sounding the past two days. Wanted to wait to make sure that the "whistle" was more than just a sound, & apparently it is now much talked about & indeed very possible. According to Spanish media CHELSEA FC under new Spanish Coach Rafael Benitez is preparing a 18M€ transfer offer for SEVILLA FC & Spanish International forward ALVARO NEGERDO.
The first option, David Villa is not going to happen as FC Barcelona wishes to keep the forward in case of injury to other players this season. With Chelsea FC transferring Sturridge to Liverpool FC, the Club needs another forward to accompany Fernando Torres upfront.
Sevilla FC has a financial issue on hand & values Negredo around 20M€, figures being handled that will help ease economic pressures. Negotiations between both Clubs are in process.
Stay tuned!
