Cavani not United bound

ESPN-Edinson Cavani will not be moving to Manchester United this summer, according to the player's Italian representative.

Despite a recent contract extension tying him to Napoli for another five years, Cavani is still one of Europe's most sought-after strikers, causing Aurelio De Laurentiis, his club president, to claim the Uruguayan was worth "over €100 million".
And though that may have been a ploy aimed at the likes of Manchester United, Claudio Anelucci believes there is no threat of his client joining the Premier League champions: "This is the time of year when it is normal to hear talk of transfers to big clubs for astronomical fees," he told Radio Sportiva.
"The majority of the time there is nothing to them, as is the case with regards to a possible move to Manchester United for Edinson."
 

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Kagawa cools United link

ESPN-Shinji Kagawa has stressed his commitment to Borussia Dortmund, cooling rumours of a move to Manchester United.

Kagawa, 22, has been linked with a transfer to the Red Devils following some fine performances for his Bundesliga club.
The Japan international joined Dortmund from Cerezo Osaka last year and he scored eight goals in 17 league matches during his debut campaign.
"I can only say that in Dortmund I have found a wonderful place to play football and I just feel comfortable here," Kawaga told German daily the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung.
"I must, for my part, first of all work on getting back into the Dortmund team, I have no time to waste on other things."
Kagawa did admit that he could in the future be persuaded to join a side boasting the lure of Champions League football.
"If you look at the Champions League football on television, you see some really great clubs," he said. "It gives you a lot to think about and a lot of possibilities open up."

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United target opts for Real Madrid

EUROSPORT-Highly-rated Lens defender Raphael Varane, reportedly a Manchester United target, is set to join Real Madrid, the club's president has confirmed.

Gervais Martel of Lens, who were relegated from Ligue 1 this season, revealed the deal had been agreed for the 18-year-old at a meeting with his team's supporters.
Martel told the supporters that the club's survival in the top flight would have made no difference to whether Varane remained with Lens.
He did not confirm the transfer fee, though United had been linked with a £10m move for him earlier in the transfer window.
"Even if Lens had stayed in Ligue 1," Martel explained, "Raphael Varane would have left because he is a phenomenon!
"He is going to play for Real Madrid under the leadership of Jose Mourinho who he has already met, just as he has Zinedine Zidane (advisor to the Real president).
"Raphael is an exceptional boy. I am proud that he is going to don the Real colours!
"He has been pursued by Real for the past two months, he was welcomed by Real and he visited their facilities. He told me: 'I cannot turn down such an opportunity!'."
"Letting him leave is not about the money," Martel added.
"I must allow him to pursue his career. He is going to a club which has huge sporting ambitions. I am certain he will earn his place there."

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Young targets 20th title for United

EUROSPORT-New Manchester United signing Ashley Young is already targeting the club's 20th league title after agreeing a five-year deal at Old Trafford.

The England international, 26 next month, passed a medical in Manchester and the formalities of the transfer, reported to be worth anything between £16 million and £20 million, from Aston Villa were completed within 24 hours.
He becomes United's second signing of the summer, following Blackburn's England Under-21 international Phil Jones after he was signed for £16.5 million almost a fortnight ago.
"The opportunity to come and play for one of the biggest clubs in the world is one I couldn't turn down," Young told MUTV.
"It's a chance to hopefully become part of the history by helping to win the 20th title.
"It's a prospect I always looked at from being a child - to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
"I've got that opportunity now so I've just got to take it with two hands."
 

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Kagawa in Dortmund talks

ESPN-Reported Manchester United target Shinji Kagawa has opened talks over a new deal with Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund.

United have sent scouts to watch Kagawa on a number of occasions but the Japan international, who joined Dortmund from J-League side Cerezo Osaka last summer and is contracted until 2013, is happy to stay in Germany.
"Shinji Kagawa is able to imagine staying on at Borussia Dortmund," the 22-year-old's agent told Bild. "We have even had a first round of talks with Dortmund general manager Michael Zorc with regard to a new contract."
"Shinji is actually contracted to Borussia Dortmund and he likes the club. He is absolutely looking forward to playing in front of the exciting Signal Iduna Park crowd in the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League in the new season."
The attacking midfielder scored eight goals in 17 games last term before a foot injury sustained at the Asian Cup in January saw him sidelined for almost the entire second half of the campaign.

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Young deal close for Manchester United

ESPN-Aston Villa's Ashley Young is on the verge of completing a move to Manchester United after undergoing a medical at the club's training complex in Carrington.

The England winger, who has already agreed personal terms with the Premier League champions, travelled north to have his medical examination on Wednesday and is expected to sign for £15 million.
The 25-year-old is believed to have turned down a new contract at Villa Park in favour of a move to Old Trafford and, should the deal be completed, Young will become United's second summer signing following the arrival of defender Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers in a £16.5 million move.
Sir Alex Ferguson's spending spree is gathering pace, with David de Gea set to join from Atletico Madrid upon returning from the Under-21 European Championships - where he is on duty with Spain.
 

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Premier League - United waiting on Varane bid

EUROSPORT-Manchester United are set to discover if their pursuit of Lens defender Raphael Varane has been successful.

United have been tracking the 18-year-old centre-back for several months, and are having a bid of around £9 million considered by the French side, who were relegated from Ligue 1 last season.
However, the situation has been complicated by a approaches from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, and Varane is now weighing up the offers.
"Given the clubs involved, it would be very hard to stop him [from moving," Lens president Gervais Martel told La Voix du Nord.
"I hope this will be finalised in the next 48 hours - I have just spent four hours on the phone, and there are many things to settle."

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Ozil to reject United again

EUROSPORT-Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil is set to snub any potential bid from Manchester United.

The Germany international had been linked with a possible move to Old Trafford following a predicted influx of new players at the Bernabeu, despite having rejected an offer from the Red Devils last summer.
Reports in the Spanish media claimed that United had approached his agent Reza Fazeli to see whether a deal might be possible this summer.
But the player told Spanish newspaper Marca that he is not moving from Madrid, while Fazeli added that he is "very happy" with the Spanish club.

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Man. United agree to sign teenager Jones from Blackburn

EUROSPORT-Manchester United have agreed to sign teenage defender Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers on a five-year deal, the Premier League champions said on Monday.

The 19-year-old centre back is on duty with England at the European under-21 championship. The club did not give details of a transfer fee but local media have reported it could be around 17 million pounds ($27.71 million).
"The player passed a medical in Manchester last week and has agreed a five-year contract. The deal will be completed once the player returns from international duty," United said in a news release.
 

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United back in race for Sanchez

ESPN-After all the speculation on Tuesday suggested Manchester City had moved into pole position to sign highly-rated Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez, reports on Wednesday say Manchester United chief executive David Gill held talks with the Serie A club.

According to the Sun, Gill flew out to meet with Udinese owner Gino Pozzo in Barcelona, where he lives, in a bid to thrash out a deal for a player who is also being tracked by Barcelona and Inter Milan.
There are conflicting reports around how much it will cost to secure the services of the Chile international, with a figure between £35 million and £44 million in the press. Man City are thought to be prepared to pay no more than £27 million, which may mean Udinese have to reach a compromise with one of the player's suitors.
If United do make a serious move for Sanchez it could suggest that their interest in Aston Villa's Ashley Young has cooled as a summer of transfer tug of war continues in the Premier League. And Sanchez's arrival would also place question marks over the future of Nani, who could be sold to help finance the Red Devils' summer spending.
After Pozzo stated on Tuesday that City were favourites, due to the spending power of clubs in the Premier League, the 22-year-old's agent, Fernando Felicevich, said: "An agreement with City? Sanchez's future is still very much wide open.
"We are working on it and, after meetings with City, we have other new appointments."

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Besiktas land Bebe for season

ESPN-Manchester United forward Bebe has joined Turkish side Besiktas on a season-long loan, the Premier League champions have confirmed.

Bebe joined United in a shock £7.4 million deal from Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes last summer and has struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford.
He made just seven first-team appearances last season, although the Portugal Under-21 international did manage to score in the Carling Cup and against Besiktas' Turkish rivals Bursaspor in the Champions League.
Bebe never played a game for Vitoria and was available for £125,000 from his old club Estrela da Amadora just months before he joined United and Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he had only seen the player on video.
The forward, who scored six goals in 13 appearances for United's reserves, will continue his development at Besiktas, who finished fifth in the Turkish Super Lig last term, during the 2011-12 season.
Turkish news agency Dogan Haber Ajansi (DHA) reported last week that the loan deal would be with a view to a £2 million permanent switch, which would represent a £5.4 million loss for United.

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De Gea to decide future on June 30

ESPN-Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea will make a decision about his future at the end of June, the highly-rated youngster said on Saturday.

De Gea has been closely linked with a move to Manchester United in recent months, while Atletico are keen to tie the 20-year-old down to a new contract, with his current one running until 2013.
However, De Gea insists he is putting any thoughts about where he might be playing next term aside until after the season, with his current aim being to help Atletico get into the Europa League.
When asked about the speculation regarding his future and what his decision would be if a club paid the €25 million buy-out clause in his contract, De Gea told Marca: "I've not thought about this at all. I have a contract here and I will decide my future on June 30.''
He added: "I'm calm. So many things have been said about me that now I could be at any team. I don't think that talking so much is good for anyone, I could be at any team but I'm at Atletico Madrid.''
Asked how many years he might still be with the Rojiblancos, De Gea said: "If God wants I will continue many years at Atletico. I'm calm, enjoying myself here and with the objective of getting the team into Europe. I'm not thinking about anything else. Atletico offered me a renewal, but until June 30 I will do a lot of thinking. Then I will talk about my future.''
De Gea, who insists he is comfortable at Atletico and that money is not always the most important thing, was also asked if he sees himself playing in the Premier League with team-mate Sergio Aguero, who has long been linked with a move to England.
De Gea said: "No. I see myself playing with Kun ... but at Atletico. Now we can only think about the two games we have left to get into Europe.''
Atletico are currently seventh in the Primera Division standings, level on 52 points with sixth-placed Sevilla and three clear of Espanyol in eighth.

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Simpson's ready to give Reds helping hand

EUROSPORT-Newcastle full-back Danny Simpson is determined to give Manchester United a helping hand if they need it in their bid to seal a 19th Barclays Premier League title this weekend.

Simpson and his team-mates head for Chelsea on Sunday hoping to preserve their unbeaten record against the Blues this season.
United need only a point to seal the title at Blackburn the previous day but, if they slip up, old boy Simpson will be out to do them a favour.
The Salford-born 24-year-old told the Journal: "I want Manchester United to win the league.
"I want to beat Chelsea and everybody at the club wants to beat Chelsea. But on Sunday it will mean a little bit more [if United lose at Blackburn] because of the lads I know at Manchester United if we can get something there.
"We know it could be a massive game and, if it is, I will probably get a phone call from Sir Alex. One or two players might give me a text as well."

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No Neuer United move

ESPN-Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insists Schalke's valuation and not reported interest from Manchester United is the main hurdle to signing Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Bayern are leading the chase for the goalkeeper, who has already announced that he will not be extending his contract beyond 2012, but their valuation is reportedly to be as much as £6 million less than Schalke's
Neuer won praise from United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for his display in Schalke's Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat last week and, with the Premier League side on the lookout for a replacement for Edwin van der Sar for next season, has been linked with a move Old Trafford. But Rummenigge ruled out that possibility.
"Let's talk about the facts,'' he said to ZDF television. "Fact one is Manuel Neuer will not be staying with Schalke beyond 2012. Fact two is that Manuel Neuer will not be moving abroad."
"We are in talks with Schalke, but I am not as optimistic as certain members of the media,'' Rummenigge then told Sky television. "We don't have any urgency, though. It is only April 30 and the transfer market closes on August 31.
"We will see if we can find a solution. If there is one, then okay, but if not then both clubs will have to live with it.''
And Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick insists he would be more than happy to keep hold of the keeper.
"We will only sell Manuel when our expectations have been fulfilled,'' he told Welt am Sonntag. "Munich have been saying that they will not pay an astronomical fee and that Schalke have got to budge.
"Why should a club budge when they have a player who they want to keep hold of? Personally, I would prefer it if Manuel stayed another season with us.''
 

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Serie A - Manchester duo want Udinese's Sanchez

EUROSPORT-Udinese's Chilean star Alexis Sanchez is reportedly a target for Manchester United and Manchester City.

The Daily Mail reports that the two clubs are in a £55 million summer transfer tussle over Sanchez and Internazionale playmaker Wesley Sneijder.
United have outlined an £18m offer to Udinese for Sanchez, weeks after City underlined their desire to sign the player who was a star at the World Cup.
Sanchez, 22, has scored 12 goals in Serie A so far this season.
Sneijder, 26, had an excellent 2009-10 for Inter and the Netherlands but had a slow first half to this campaign, although found form in the latter stages. He is rated at £35-40m.
 

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Bayer admit United could tempt Adler

ESPN-Bayer Leverkusen still hope to tie goalkeeper Rene Adler down to a new contract, but have accepted that convincing him to stay may be tricky if Manchester United make a bid this summer.

ler, 26, has been at Leverkusen all his career and has established himself as one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Bundesliga over the past few years.

And with United scouring Europe for a replacement for retiring Edwin van der Sar, Adler's name has been among those linked with a move to Old Trafford, with the likes of Manuel Neuer, David De Gea and Maarten Stekelenburg also reportedly on their radar.

United's goalkeeping coach Eric Steele was sent on a scouting mission to Germany last weekend, where he saw Adler keep a clean sheet in Leverkusen's 2-0 victory over Neuer's Schalke.

Leverkusen remain hopeful of retaining Adler's services and discussions about a contract extension are well under way, with general manager Rudi Voller staying calm over speculation linking Adler with a move away from the club.

"It's a usual circumstance in football to have players being watched by other clubs," Voller said. "We have the desire to sign a new deal with Rene Adler, this is a fact."

But Leverkusen executive Wolfgang Holzhauser says he is concerned that negotiations would be difficult should United swoop for the Germany international.

"There have been talks between the club and Rene Adler already, however we are still far off an agreement at this point in time," Holzhauser told Bild.

"If a club the size of Manchester United comes up, I feel signing a new deal with Rene Adler would not become easier."

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Man Utd to sign Belgian teenager Adnan Januzaj

BBC-Manchester United are set to sign Anderlecht's teenage midfielder Adnan Januzaj, according to the Belgian club.
The two clubs have only to agree the terms for the Belgian 16-year-old, with the fee believed to be about £297,000.
Anderlecht wanted to keep the highly-rated attacking midfielder, who is of Albanian descent and joined the club from FC Brussels in 2005.
But they do not plan to stand in the way of him joining the current Premier League leaders.
Fifa rules stipulate that players under the age of 16 cannot move between European clubs.
But having waited until 5 February when Januzaj crossed that threshold, United will be able to pay the Belgian club a minimal fee for him before his price begins to rise.
According to Anderlecht the "deal is done" but the two clubs must arrange the fee which can be paid up front or can be incentive based dependent on appearances.
Manchester United would not comment on the deal when contacted by BBC Sport.
Fifa has recently introduced a Transfer Matching System to improve the transparency of such deals where both clubs involved can register as much information as possible about the transfer.
Any agreement between clubs must also be ratified by a player status sub-committee.
Since January 2010 there have been 1,752 transfer applications entered into the system for minors with 1,123 accepted and 255 rejected. The remainder are in process.
But there is still a lingering concern that bigger European clubs with vast scouting networks are able to offer incentives to youngsters, therefore denying smaller clubs of ample rewards for developing players.
There is also the issue of whether young players make the right choice in going to a bigger club where their chances may be limited.
In 2009, French club Le Havre accused Manchester United of "stealing" French midfielder Paul Pogba.
And in 2007 Lazio were unhappy with the pursuit and signing of Italian striker Federico Macheda, who was 16 at the time.
Barcelona recently described Arsenal's purchase of Jon Toral as "a little immoral". The 16-year-old midfielder moved for a fee of about £296,000.
But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said: "We have done what is legal. Plenty of players leave us under exactly the same rule."

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Lindegaard close to Man Utd switch

ESPN-Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Manchester United expect to sign Danish goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard within "the next two or three weeks''. 
Representatives from Lindegaard's Norwegian club side Aalesund FK were in Manchester last week, speaking optimistically about a deal being done for the 26-year-old, who has four caps for his country.
Former United and Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel claimed Lindegaard is not good enough for the Red Devils, leading to speculation that Ferguson might have cold feet over the deal. However, the United boss insists that is not the case.
Having earmarked Lindegaard as someone who could bolster his goalkeeping ranks given Edwin van der Sar has now passed his 40th birthday and Tomasz Kuszczak's future appears uncertain, Ferguson felt the Aalesund officials had jumped the gun slightly in their assessment of when the contract would be signed.
"It is not completed at the moment but there has not been a hiccup either,'' Ferguson said. "It will probably happen in the next two or three weeks, but the announcement was a bit premature.''

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Lindegaard set to join United

ESPN-Manchester United are expected to complete the signing of Aalesunds goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard in the coming days.
United are believed to have agreed a fee in the region of £3.5 million for Denmark goalkeeper Lindegaard, 26, after he impressed the club's goalkeeping coach, Eric Steele, over the course of several scouting trips.
Aalesunds chairman Bjarne Haagensen confirmed to TV2 that he has travelled to England along with the club's chief executive, Henrik Hoff, this week to hold talks.
"Henrik and I are in place in Manchester," he said. Asked if a deal was close, he replied: "It is. We are in the middle of it. I can't say more right now. We will send a press release."
Lindegaard added on Sporten.dk: "I don't know if I have played my last match for Aalesunds. My plan is to move on now."
The news follows a report in England that claimed United were also close to a £15 million deal for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea.
De Gea, 20, has earned praise for his performance over the last year and it was claimed both he and Lindegaard would sign up to replace Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak.
However, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo insists there have been no talks and they have no intention of selling the player.
"Nobody has spoken with us," he said in AS. "Nor do I have any idea (about this matter). We hope that he will be a Rojiblanco player for a long time."
De Gea is under contract until 2013.

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Big clubs eye Henderson

EUROSPORT-England new boy Jordan Henderson is set to see a fight for his signature between Manchester bosses Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini.
Andy Carroll may be grabbing all the headlines ahead of his England bow against France this evening, but there is another debutant who deserves his fair share of attention.
Sunderland midfielder Henderson will also start at Wembley tonight - and the highly-rated 20-year-old is apparently set to be the subject of a bidding war between the two big Manchester clubs.
Both United and City are tracking the Black Cats playmaker. Ferguson has marked him out as the umpteenth long-term replacement for Paul Scholes, while Mancini wants him to add some much-needed creativity to the centre of his midfield.
Ferguson's advantage in the race is that he is close to Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, his former captain at United, but City can outbid their local rivals with a £10 million fee and £60,000-a-week wage. (Daily Star)
Inevitably, though, Carroll hogs the majority of space on this morning's back pages, all splashed from yesterday's misty training session at the national stadium.
Many focus on how this is the striker's chance to prove his chequered recent past is behind him, with the Daily Telegraph claiming the 21-year-old is already in 'Last Chance Saloon' while The Times reckons 'Carroll faces test of nerve as Capello lays down law on behaviour'.
But The Sun reports that the target man's starting berth has upset his employers, Newcastle, who have sent an e-mail to the FA requesting their star man plays no part in proceedings.
Carroll picked up a groin injury in Saturday's goalless draw with Fulham, and did not train with the rest of the international squad on Monday.
The Magpies were previously involved in a club-versus-country row when Michael Owen was injured during the 2006 World Cup, and the club threatened to sue the FA for compensation. Plenty of people will be hoping he comes through tonight's friendly unscathed. (The Sun)
The Guardian bucks the England trend this morning, homing in instead on the Glazer family paying off Manchester United's £220m hedge fund debt. The paper's Owen Gibson and Daniel Taylor have attempted to crunch the numbers and have come up with the key questions: where did the Glazers find £220m? At what interest did they borrow it? And when does it need to be paid back? Don't expect answers to be forthcoming any time soon. (The Guardian)
Back in the world of transfers, Chelsea's defensive crisis could force them to spend big money on a new defender.
Centre-back Alex has been ruled out until the new year with an ankle injury, whilst club captain John Terry continues to be plagued with a nerve problem in his leg.
To that end, the club is considering shelling out £25m on Benfica defender David Luiz. It's either that or continue to play Paulo Ferreira in the middle, with more hilarious consequences. (Daily Mirror)
Aston Villa fans worried that yesterday's announcement of the signing of Robert Pires indicates a lack of ambition from the club in the transfer market can now rest easy.
Manager Gerard Houllier has dismissed any talk of signing Michael Owen, saying there was "no point", while hinting at taking Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema on loan.
Benzema has started just one match in La Liga for Jose Mourinho's team this season, and is consistently linked with a move to Manchester United - but Houllier is hoping that the same French connection that lured Pires could tempt the forward into a move to Birmingham.
Houllier said: "If Karim wants to come and play at Villa, we will take him tomorrow. We could give him playing time here."
Liverpool's new director of football strategy, Damien Comolli, is set to make his first impact on the transfer market by bringing in Real Sociedad's 19-year-old winger Antoine Griezmann.
The highly-rated left-sided attacker, who has scored three times for Real so far this term, could set the Reds back around £7m. (Daily Mail)
Finally, back at City, Mancini's mission to find a way of offloading unhappy striker Emmanuel Adebayor could see the Togolese move to Juventus on loan in January, with a view to a permanent £12m move in the summer.
That would see City make a £13m loss on the player they signed from Arsenal less than 18 months ago.

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