Latest Transfer Update at 24-06-11

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Latest Transfer Update at 24-06-11

Fabregas - reported bid from Barcelona.
ARSENAL REJECT FABREGAS BID - REPORT

Arsenal have reportedly rejected a £27million bid from Barcelona for Cesc Fabregas.
The Catalans have chased the Arsenal captain for the past few summers, and it is widely expected that they will finally get their man this year.
However, they are unwilling to meet Arsenal's asking price for the midfielder, and several papers claim that they have started the bidding at £27million, well below the believed asking price.
The Daily Mail reports: 'Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis flatly turned down the opening offer - made by Barca vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu during his visit to London last week - and will try to hold out for a fee of £50m.'
Barca offered around £35million last summer, but president Sandro Rossell has stated that they will not repeat that offer.
"He (Cesc) is doing everything he can to come (here)," the Barca president told Catalan station TV3 on Monday night.
"Guardiola knows the values of players and Cesc's is less than 40million (euros). Barcelona will offer less and if they (Arsenal) don't accept, then he won't come. Pep knows the club is not well-off in terms of money."
The club have stated that their entire summer transfer budget is around 45million Euros, plus any revenue from the sales of players. They are also in the bidding for Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez, although they are yet to agree a fee for the Chilean, and Manchester City are waiting in the wings.

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Varane - an 'obvious target' says Zidane.
ZIDANE: VARANE WILL SHINE AT MADRID

Zinedine Zidane has backed Raphael Varane to be a success at Real Madrid.
Defender Varane is expected to complete a move from Lens to the Bernabeu early next week with Zidane, who is an advisor to Madrid president Florentino Perez, instrumental in luring his countryman to Spain.
And the former Juventus and Madrid midfielder is confident the 18-year-old will blossom under Jose Mourinho after comparing him to former France centre-half, and current Les Bleus boss, Laurent Blanc.
Zidane said: "He is a very promising player and was an obvious target for a club such as Real Madrid seeking talent.
"He is a player I like very much and in many ways resembles Laurent Blanc. I haven't seen many players like that.
"Varane has a great future. The fact many top clubs wanted him is an indication he has talent.
"I am also happy because he is French. I know people in France would have liked him to stay here but I am just doing my job."
Varane made 23 appearances for Lens last season but could not prevent them from suffering relegation to Ligue 2.

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Pastore - a wanted man.
ZAMPARINI PUTS HIGH PRICE ON PASTORE

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini believes Javier Pastore will play abroad next season if the Argentina star leaves his club this summer.
The highly-rated playmaker is a target of top European clubs, with Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona reportedly all in the race to acquire the 21-year-old.
"Pastore is worth more than (Udinese winger Alexis) Sanchez," Zamparini told Corriere dello Sport. "He will one day win the Golden Ball award.
"I have not received any offers for Pastore but there have been approaches from foreign clubs, a few concrete, that are growing strong.
"But I reiterate that the player is worth 50million euros and that price could be higher depending on the offers as well as how the battles between the teams that are interested in the player unfold.
"I don't think Italian teams will make it. For 38million euros, Javier will not move. We are ready to extend his contract for a further two years and he would be happy."
Pastore joined Palermo in 2009 from Huracan for 19million euros and was the team's leading scorer in Serie A last season with 11 goals.
He is under contract with Palermo until June 2015.

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Carson - set for Bursaspor.
CARSON SET FOR TURKEY LURK-EY

West Brom keeper Scott Carson was on Friday edging closer to a move to Turkey.
Press Association Sport understands discussions between the Baggies and Bursaspor are ongoing and could be concluded within the next 24 hours.
The 25-year-old England international made 32 appearances for the club last season as promoted West Brom only just missed out on a top-10 Barclays Premier League finish.
However, with manager Roy Hodgson reportedly running the rule over a series of goalkeeping targets, it appears his time at The Hawthorns could be drawing to a close.

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Forster - subject of Celtic interest.
CELTIC TO MAKE NEW FORSTER BID

Neil Lennon is expected to make a new offer for Newcastle goalkeeper Fraser Forster before Celtic head off on their pre-season tour of Australia.
Forster spent last season on loan at Parkhead, making 36 SPL appearances and collecting a Scottish Cup winners' medal.
Celtic are keen to sign Forster on a permanent basis and have already had a £1.5m bid rejected by the Tyneside club.
According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, who took over at St James Park in December, wants to take a look at Forster during training before deciding whether to sell the 23-year-old to Celtic.
The paper also reported that Lennon had not given up hope of capturing Forster, with the Hopps' boss saying: "We had a bid for Fraser and it was rejected by Newcastle. We intend to go back on that later."

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Bruce - planning several moves.
BRUCE LOOKS FOR LOAN STARS

Steve Bruce has promised his summer transfer blitz will not prevent the club's youngsters from getting their chance.
Bruce has already landed Bosman free signings Keiren Westwood and Sebastian Larsson, who will formally complete moves to the Stadium of Light on July 1, while a deal has been agreed for South Korea international striker Ji Dong-won.
But the Black Cats are planning to make several more - and in some cases, higher profile - signings before the new Barclays Premier League season as they await answers from Manchester United trio Darron Gibson, Wes Brown and John O'Shea and continue to pursue their interests in the likes of Connor Wickham, Craig Gardner and Charles N'Zogbia.
Bruce's recruitment drive could yet extend to double figures as he attempts to replace big-money departures Darren Bent and Jordan Henderson, as well as strengthen the squad which finished in 10th place at the end of the last injury-hit campaign.
However, the manager insists the club's home-grown talent will still be given the opportunity to force their way into the long-term picture, just as Henderson and Jack Colback have done in recent seasons.
Bruce told the Sunderland Echo: "I have got a few young lads bubbling underneath who have impressed me and who have got a chance.
"A lot of them can expect to be going out on loan next season because I haven't wavered from that view - that you send your young lads out on loan and see how they stand up to it.
"It didn't do Jordan or Jack any harm, and it's another part of young players' education in the modern game.
"Then, when they come back from their loans, you hope that they have come on another step.
"I hope that will prove to be the case with the current crop of lads, because I think there are some exciting young players and we acknowledged that by regularly including a few in our first-team squad towards the end of the [last] season.
"I don't think anyone doubts we have now got a busy summer ahead of us in the transfer market, but it won' be at the expense of players coming through.
"If the young lads prove they are good enough, they will get their chance - just like Jordan and Jack did."
Injuries to senior players last season meant young players such as Ryan Noble, Jordan Cook, Craig Lynch, Billy Knott and Louis Laing were given a taste of first-team involvement.

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Meireles - linked with Juve switch.
MELO MIFFED AT MEIRELES REPORTS

Midfielder Felipe Melo is unhappy at reports that Juventus have offered him as part of a bid to sign Liverpool's Raul Meireles.
The Anfield club have already landed Jordan Henderson this summer and are expected to complete a deal for Blackpool captain Charlie Adam.
Less than a year after his £10million arrival from Porto, Meireles could consequently be sacrificed in order to make room in Kenny Dalglish's squad.
Liverpool are said to have told Juventus that they can have the Portugal playmaker for £13m, and the Italian club are understood to be prepared to offer Melo and cash.
The defensively-minded Brazilian has been linked with Arsenal in the past, but he is disappointed at suggestions he could be a makeweight in any Meireles move.
"Let us say that Juve are not respecting me, or at least that's the impression I get," he is quoted as saying in the Daily Mirror.
"I'm not just anyone. I'm not a bargaining chip to be used."

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Barton - linked with Arsenal switch.
NO BIDS FOR MAGPIES TRIO

Newcastle have not received any bids for big-name players Joey Barton, Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez amid mounting speculation over their futures.
Barton's contractual situation, as well as reported interest from the continent in Argentinian duo Coloccini and Gutierrez, has sparked a whirlwind of rumours on Tyneside.
With Spanish full-back Jose Enrique seemingly destined for the St James' Park exit and Kevin Nolan already gone, there are fears among fans that the nucleus of the side which fought its way back into the Barclays Premier League and retained its status with relative comfort could be broken up this summer.
However, Press Association Sport understands that there are currently no bids on the table and therefore no decisions to be made in the short term.
Barton, Coloccini and Gutierrez, like Enrique and Nolan, were handed their current deals during an era when spending at St James' was far freer, and the regime of owner Mike Ashley has this summer demonstrated its refusal to enter into long-term agreements with older players or meet what they believe are excessive wage demands.
Enrique's departure has appeared inevitable for some time as he stalls on a new contract offer with a year of his current deal remaining, although if the 25-year-old did go, the Magpies could expect to make a handsome profit on a player they signed for £6.3million from Villarreal during the summer of 2007.
Barton, 28, who arrived on Tyneside two months earlier in a £5.8million switch from Manchester City, also has 12 months remaining, but has repeatedly spoken of his intention to stay at Newcastle, adding the caveat that the offer of Champions League football could change his mind.
Arsenal have been reported to be among his suitors, but even if a potential purchaser could persuade him to leave, they would have to come up with an offer of in excess of £4million.
Coloccini, a £10.3million signing from Deportivo la Coruna, and Gutierrez, the subject of a lengthy legal wrangle following his supposedly free transfer from Real Mallorca, have been two of the Magpies' more eye-catching performers and have established themselves as crowd favourites.
But Ashley's determination to reduce the wage bill further - it was slashed by more than £30million a year from around £75million in the immediate aftermath of relegation - could yet have implications for the better-paid members of Alan Pardew's squad.
Pardew has already recruited Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Sylvain Marveaux this summer and is actively engaged in pursuing a series of remaining targets.
However, sources on Tyneside have dismissed claims that he is chasing AIK Solna pair Teteh and Mohamed Bangura or Celtic midfielder Scott Brown.
Meanwhile, defender Ben Tozer has joined League Two Northampton on a two-year deal, while winger Wayne Routledge is expected to return for pre-season training after a proposed move to promoted QPR fell through.

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Jones - agreed one-year deal with the Posh.
PAUL JONES SET FOR PETERBOROUGH

Free agent keeper to sign one-year Peterborough contract
Skysports.com understands Paul Jones will complete his permanent move to Peterborough after agreeing a one-year deal.
The 24-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at London Road from Exeter and he clearly impressed the club's hierarchy.
Jones featured in all three of the club's League One play-off matches, including their 3-0 Old Trafford success over Huddersfield Town.
Chairman Darragh MacAnthony revealed earlier this month the club had offered the keeper a contract, a deal he has now accepted.
The free agent will put pen-to-paper on a one-year deal with Peterborough on Friday morning before joining their pre-season training.

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Ganso - eyeing AC Milan move.
GANSO TARGETS MILAN MOVE

Brazilian attacking midfielder Ganso has revealed his desire to play for AC Milan next season.
The Santos star is a target of top European clubs, including the Rossoneri, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
The 21-year-old is valued at more than £20million by Santos and is likely to move to Europe in the winter transfer window.
In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Ganso said: "My dream is to beat (Lionel) Messi's Barcelona in the FIFA Club World Cup (in December) and then join AC Milan in January."
Earlier this week, Ganso scored in Santos' 2-1 win over Penarol to win the Copa Libertadores.