LAST NIGHT, IT emerged that Newcastle United were making a cheeky approach to bring Andy Carroll back Tyneside in a loan deal.
And while the Reds have rejected such an offer, they could be persuaded to offload a player they paid €44m for 18months ago on a permanent basis for the right price – around €20m.
Brendan Rodgers has already brought in Italian striker Fabio Borini from Roma and the arrival of Fulham’s American attacker Clint Dempsey looks increasingly likely.
According to a number of reports this morning, a winger is next on the shopping list and Rodgers fancies Theo Walcott.
The question is, would Arsene Wenger be willing to sell the England international to a team who finished below them in the Premier League last season? And, if so, could the player himself be persuaded to make the move? Probably not, but stranger things have happened and he does only have a year left on his current contract.
Going?
Manchester City are undoubtedly the heavyweights of English football when it comes to wealth these days but they won’t need to flex much financial muscle to bring in relatively unheard of French teenager M’Baye Niang.
The 17-year-old, who spent some time with Arsenal last week, is an U21 international who made 30 appearances for Caen last season and Roberto Mancini is keen to capture his signature for a fee in the region of €7.5m.
Current city players Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko have been again link with moves away from Eastlands in recent days but Mancini has insisted that both will remain at the club.
Going??
Aston Villa yesterday held discussions with Dutch defender Ron Vlaar after being granted permission by Feyenoord and the 27-year-old is expected to link up with former team-mate Karim El Ahmadi, who recently joined Villa.
The centre-half featured in Holland’s disastrous Euro 2012 campaign and has a buyout clause, which is believed to be €10m.
Newly-relegated Blacburn Rovers have already snapped up one Irish front man in the shape of Leon Best and may be adding another to their ranks in the near future.
Simon Cox was well down the pecking order at West Brom last season and would be willing to drop a division in search of regular first team football. Rovers have expressed an interest and lead the likes of Middlesbrough and Derby County.
Gone!
US international Michael Bradley, a player Aston Villa decided not to hold on to after a loan spell in 2011, has made the switch to Roma from Chievo. The midfielder, who scored this belter against Scotland in May, moves to the Gillorossi for just under €4m and met his new team-mates yesterday.
Credit: Romanisti Indonesia
