The Athletic Bilbao frontman Fernando Llorente has emerged as Arsenal's chief target to replace Robin van Persie if it turns out that Robin van Persie needs replacing which he may or may not do.
The 6ft 5in 27-year-old slammed in 28 goals last season and has a £28m escape clause built into his contract, which is quite a lot really, considering. Also under consideration for the potentially vacant role leading Arsenal's attack are Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetic and Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski. Not under consideration is Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner. Sorry Nicklas.
Then there's Paulo Henrique Ganso, the 22-year-old Santosmidfielder who Gunners scouts have labelled the new Andrey Arshavin, though they presumably hope that he turns out to be better than the old one (who may end up joining Al-Sadd this summer, we're now told). A £15m bid is in the offing for the Olympics-bound starlet.
Llorente is unlikely to be the only Spanish recruit to the Premier League this summer, what with West Ham, Blackburn and QPR scrapping over £2m Getafe right-back Miguel Torres. "English football is a paradise for any player," trilled the 26-year-old. "I believe my sporting future will be there."
He should have a word with Luka Modric, who appears to believe that Spanish football is a paradise for any player and that his sporting future will be there. They can't both be right. The nimble-toed Croat may never have a chance to find out, what with Real Madrid playing hardball over his transfer fee. Their president, Florentino Pérez, has insisted they will not meet Tottenham's £35m valuation: "The limit for the Modric deal is €35m," he blasted. "We will not pay any more than that for him."
In further bad news for Spurs, Emmanuel Adebayor is stalling over his much-trumpeted move from Manchester City because he's done some sums and he doesn't like the results one bit. Not one bit. The clubs have already agreed a £6m deal, but the player needs to be convinced that leaving a club where he is paid £175,000 a week to join one where he will be paid barely £5.5m a year would be worth his while. Spurs are also after the Lyon and France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, though the French club want £4m more than the £12m they're offering.
Back to City, where Roberto Mancini is even now rummaging in his pockets looking for spare change to help his club trump rival bids from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal for 13-year-old prodigy Foday Nabay. Looks like he found quite a bit of loose change in there, as the Mail report the offer will "eclipse anything of its kind in British football history" and "blow United's offer out of the water". Specifics not supplied.
QPR will sign Junior Hoilett from Blackburn on Friday – with Jamie Mackie possibly going the other way – and will then set out to land the Vitesse Arnhem left-back Alexander Buttner – also a target for Fulham. Southampton were also keen, but even though they have gone rather cold on the idea all of a sudden those scouting trips to Holland weren't all wasted – they're going to sign PSV Eindhoven's 24-year-old strikerJeremain Lens instead. Talking of Dutch people, Twente's Douglas – a defender who's actually Brazilian, but will qualify for a Dutch passport next month, conveniently – is a target for West Ham and Fulham.
Swansea are mulling over a move for Bolton's Mark Davies as a replacement for potentially Liverpool-bound Joe Allen. Spartak Moscow may resurrect their failed January swoop for Everton's Johnny Heitinga, and with Joseph Yobo close to a £2.5m Fenerbahce switch there may suddenly be enough money in the Goodison Park safe for Steven Pienaar to be re-signed (though that may leave them a bit short on defenders). Talking of defenders, Wigan want Blackpool's Rocky Baptiste.
Finally some cricket news, and Katy Perry performed a concert in India to open the new IPL season in April, during which she invited Australia's Doug Bollinger on stage and engaged in such a provocative pose that she is now being investigated by public prosecutors in Madras for the crime of lewdness. True story. Which is almost certainly more than can be said for most of the other ones you've just read, sadly.
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| Fernando llorente athletic bilbao |
The 6ft 5in 27-year-old slammed in 28 goals last season and has a £28m escape clause built into his contract, which is quite a lot really, considering. Also under consideration for the potentially vacant role leading Arsenal's attack are Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetic and Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski. Not under consideration is Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner. Sorry Nicklas.
Then there's Paulo Henrique Ganso, the 22-year-old Santosmidfielder who Gunners scouts have labelled the new Andrey Arshavin, though they presumably hope that he turns out to be better than the old one (who may end up joining Al-Sadd this summer, we're now told). A £15m bid is in the offing for the Olympics-bound starlet.
Llorente is unlikely to be the only Spanish recruit to the Premier League this summer, what with West Ham, Blackburn and QPR scrapping over £2m Getafe right-back Miguel Torres. "English football is a paradise for any player," trilled the 26-year-old. "I believe my sporting future will be there."
He should have a word with Luka Modric, who appears to believe that Spanish football is a paradise for any player and that his sporting future will be there. They can't both be right. The nimble-toed Croat may never have a chance to find out, what with Real Madrid playing hardball over his transfer fee. Their president, Florentino Pérez, has insisted they will not meet Tottenham's £35m valuation: "The limit for the Modric deal is €35m," he blasted. "We will not pay any more than that for him."
In further bad news for Spurs, Emmanuel Adebayor is stalling over his much-trumpeted move from Manchester City because he's done some sums and he doesn't like the results one bit. Not one bit. The clubs have already agreed a £6m deal, but the player needs to be convinced that leaving a club where he is paid £175,000 a week to join one where he will be paid barely £5.5m a year would be worth his while. Spurs are also after the Lyon and France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, though the French club want £4m more than the £12m they're offering.
Back to City, where Roberto Mancini is even now rummaging in his pockets looking for spare change to help his club trump rival bids from Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal for 13-year-old prodigy Foday Nabay. Looks like he found quite a bit of loose change in there, as the Mail report the offer will "eclipse anything of its kind in British football history" and "blow United's offer out of the water". Specifics not supplied.
QPR will sign Junior Hoilett from Blackburn on Friday – with Jamie Mackie possibly going the other way – and will then set out to land the Vitesse Arnhem left-back Alexander Buttner – also a target for Fulham. Southampton were also keen, but even though they have gone rather cold on the idea all of a sudden those scouting trips to Holland weren't all wasted – they're going to sign PSV Eindhoven's 24-year-old strikerJeremain Lens instead. Talking of Dutch people, Twente's Douglas – a defender who's actually Brazilian, but will qualify for a Dutch passport next month, conveniently – is a target for West Ham and Fulham.
Swansea are mulling over a move for Bolton's Mark Davies as a replacement for potentially Liverpool-bound Joe Allen. Spartak Moscow may resurrect their failed January swoop for Everton's Johnny Heitinga, and with Joseph Yobo close to a £2.5m Fenerbahce switch there may suddenly be enough money in the Goodison Park safe for Steven Pienaar to be re-signed (though that may leave them a bit short on defenders). Talking of defenders, Wigan want Blackpool's Rocky Baptiste.
Finally some cricket news, and Katy Perry performed a concert in India to open the new IPL season in April, during which she invited Australia's Doug Bollinger on stage and engaged in such a provocative pose that she is now being investigated by public prosecutors in Madras for the crime of lewdness. True story. Which is almost certainly more than can be said for most of the other ones you've just read, sadly.
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