HERE ARE THE good, the bad, and the unlikely football moves being talked about today…
Burnley are closing in on Norwich and Ireland player Robbie Brady, who is valued at around (£13 million) €15 million.
Leicester’s out-of-favour striker Leonardo Ulloa is being targeted by Sunderland, with David Moyes’ side preparing an £11m (€13m) bid.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis has ruled out a move for Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline. Ivanovic has been widely linked with Russian side Zenit but reports over the weekend suggested Pulis was eager to hijack that switch and take the Serbia captain to The Hawthorns.
Crystal Palace have confirmed the signing of defender Patrick van Aanholt from Sunderland. The Dutch left-back has agreed a four-and-a-half year deal with Palace, having signed for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £12m (€14m).
Sam Allardyce’s side are also rumoured to be arranging a swap deal that would see Andros Townsend going back to Newcastle in exchange for 22-year-old DR Congo defender Chancel Mbemba.
Arsene Wenger believes Karim Benzema has been linked with Arsenal “because he’s French” and insists his side do not need another striker. Reports have suggested the forward has been offered to the Gunners and Premier League rivals Chelsea by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who is said to have grown frustrated with the 29-year-old’s performances this season. Arsenal have been put forward as potential suitors for Benzema on a number of occasions, but while Wenger says the latest rumours come as little surprise, he does not believe his forward line needs reinforcing.
Liverpool are unlikely to make any signings before the January window closes, despite Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes being a rumoured target.
Southampton are close to signing Napoli striker Manolo Gabbiadini for £17m (€20m) in a deal that could reduce Ireland star Shane Long’s first-team opportunities, while the Saints also want Spartak Moscow’s German defender Serdar Tasci on loan.
Retro Deal of the Day: Mark Hughes to Chelsea
Mark Hughes had already established himself as a British footballing legend by the time he moved to Chelsea, having picked up numerous honours in two spells at Man United in between brief, ill-fated stints at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
By then a veteran, Hughes would prove to be a relative success in three years with the Stamford Bridge outfit, scoring 25 goals in 95 appearances, helping them win the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup in the process.
He later had short spells at Southampton, Everton and Blackburn, winning the 2002 League Cup with the latter, before retiring from playing at the age of 38.
Since then, Hughes has managed the Welsh national team along with a number of English clubs, and he is currently the boss at Stoke.
Additional reporting by Goal
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