Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Sunderland are all the talk of the papers today.
Bringing you the latest news, gossip and rumour from the last 24 hours.
Manchester City defender Kolo Toure is in talks with Bursaspor, the Turkish club revealed last night. Allowing the defender to leave would surely lead to City entering the transfer market for a central defender, with Micah Richards and Stefan Savic the only cover in the centre, with Richards preferred at right-back. 31-year-old Toure started just eight Premier League games last season, appearing as a sub on six occasions, and is unlikely to be a regular starter this year. He needs to play regularly, and a move is expected to materialise this summer, the question now is whether Bursaspor’s public pursuit of Toure will flush out any other suitors.
Porto midfielder Joao Moutinho is one of Europe’s most wanted men after his Euro 2012 performances, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both strongly linked. Porto manager Vitor Pereira declared yesterday that the club are only likely to sell if his £31.5 million release clause is met. Would United or Spurs sanction such a bid? It would be a real commitment from either of them to do so, but questions remain on the part of both clubs as to their owners resolve to part with such a huge sum of money on a single player. There is no disputing that 25-year-old Moutinho is top quality though, so it could turn out to be a worthwhile investment.
Wilfried Bony is a target for Chelsea and Newcastle according to the Metro. Who is he? He plays for Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem who hails from the Ivory Coast. He is a striker and is age 23. He has been compared to Didier Drogba, and had a trial at Liverpool as a youngster. He signed for the club for £4 million 18 months ago after his performances with Czech side Sparta Prague caught the eye, and he has scored 20 goals in 36 matches since signing. Vitesse have said they will not do business below £10 million, a price they hope will deter the interested clubs.
Sunderland fanzine the Roker Report is reporting that Martin O’Neill could be interested in Irish winger Aiden McGeady. The player is currently at Russian side Spartak Moscow and is said to be keen on a move to the Premier League. Sunderland are one of several sides keen to sign Junior Hoilett, but the Canadian free agent is expected to join a side who can offer European football, and so former Celtic wide man McGeady is said to be being lined up as an alternative.
The Express is reporting that Tottenham‘s search for strikers has led them to Atletico Madrid frontman and former Spain under-21 striker, Adrian. The 24-year-old struck 14 goals for his club last season, earning a call-up to Spain’s senior side, and has also been linked with Arsenal. The Express claim that Spurs have lodged a £14 million bid, which sounds more than fair to us, and even offered to triple his wages. It could be a shrewd addition for the club, especially the with Adebayor deal expected to be confirmed soon, as wages and bonuses aside, the pair could add up to no more than £20 million in transfer fees.
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