Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton are the talk of the papers today.
All the rumour, gossip, and news you need to know from the last 24 hours
Arsenal are on the verge of signing Frenchman Olivier Giroud from Montpellier, according to a number of reports this morning. Arsene Wenger hopes to tie up the deal this week, and Arsenal are keen to stress that he is support not a replacement for Robin van Persie. In fact the only man he may replace is under-performing Moroccan Marounae Chamakh, who is likely to head the other way as part of the deal, reportedly on loan for a year. Giroud has a £12.8 million release clause in his contract, making the Ligue One winner and international striker a bargain which the club would be foolish to pass on.
Malaga striker Salomon Rondon is now the interest of Chelsea, according to both the Mirror and the Mail. The Venezuelan striker is rated at £20 million, a price tag which has put off both Arsenal and Newcastle. Rondon is young and clearly talented, but his price tag seems over-inflated. Chelsea of course are a club which can afford such fees, and they have been linked with selling Daniel Sturridge so he could be a like for like replacement. Chelsea are also expected to seal the deal for Hulk soon, and there is no reason why they won’t sign both.
From one Salomon to another, with the news that Salomon Kalou is now attracting Liverpool. Trying to keep track of the Kalou transfer rumours is a big job, with Arsenal, Newcastle, Spurs, and Schalke all linked with bringing him on board. The former Chelsea striker is a free agent, and will make a decision shortly on his future. Brendan Rodgers once worked with the Ivorian at Chelsea, and he is hoping the personal connection could be enough to sway Kalou’s decision.
There is also a fresh twist in the Luka Modric transfer saga, with the news French runners-up PSG are to enter the bidding. If Tottenham are forced into a sale, they would be wise to get PSG involved. They will (a) push up the bidding by nature of their rich finances, and (b) surely the option of selling to a team outside of the Premier League is a far more attractive opposition than letting him go to a rival. As yet, Spurs are still to receive an official bid for the Croatian midfielder.
There is worrying news for Everton fans in this morning’s papers, with Marouane Fellaini speaking about his ambition to move on if the opportunity presented itself. Chelsea have been strongly linked with the Belgian, while the Mirror claim Real Madrid are also interested. Everton would expect at least £20 million for the player, but prefer to push it to £25 million if they are forced into a sale. While willing to move, Fellaini did also state that if nothing materialises he is happy at Goodison Park, so it is now up to any suitors to make a bid.
image: © Ben Sutherland
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