May 31, 2008

It seems that Arsenal’s Belarus international Hleb is very keen to leave the club that made him the star that he’s today and today’s speculation about a possible swap deal could well be just what Arsene Wenger’s side need!

Defensive midfielder Yaya Toure may be about to join Arsenal as part of the deal that takes £19m rated Alexander Hleb to Barcelona. (Daily Star)

A lot of conflicting reports have come out of the Hleb camp suggesting that talk of a move away from the Emirates has been generated by the midfielder’s agent looking to pave the way for an improved contract. In separate interviews the 27 year old has claimed he loves the club and wouldn’t dream of moving, however other reports suggest that talks with Wenger about an improved deal failed, who know’s what to believe! However if this swap deal holds any water (and it could do given Arsene’s interest in Yaya, which has dated back for some teim) then maybe this deal would be the ideal for the Gunners anyway. Arguably Aliaksandr went off the boil massive time as the season came to a climax and maybe filling Flamini’s boots would be a more important part of Arsenal’s squad alteration plans. Would Arsenal fans rather Yaya or Hleb? Does this swap deal sound like good sense?

May 31, 2008

Liverpool and Netherlands winger Ryan Babel will miss Euro 2008 after he tore ankle ligaments in training on Saturday, the BBC reports.

The 21-year-old Liverpool star is highly regarded in Holland and was widely anticipateed to feature in Marco van Basten’s team during the tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

There’s no word how serious the injury is but Reds fans will hope Babel rapidly recovers after impressing during his first season at Anfield.

After initially struggling, the latter part of the season saw Babel firmly established as a regular in the first team. He went on to score ten goals in all competitions for the club.

The Netherlands are in Group C along with France, Italy and Romania for Euro 2008, which starts on June 7 .

May 31, 2008

This latest striker linked with a move to the Emirates may not be as massive a name as David Villa, Klaas jan Huntelaar or Karim Benzema, but since when did Arsene Wenger opt for the easy signing when he can mould a player into a star himself!

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is after £14m rated Mallorca forward Dani Guiza.Other clubs besides Arsenal to show interest are his former club FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and AS Roma. (Daily Telegraph)

Dani Guiza is a hot property right now, the 27 year old has done the rounds in Spain but this past season, back at his former club Real Mallorca, he has been on fire. He finished top scorer in La Liga with an amazing 27 goals (no penalties) which is of course all the more impressive as he did so for a club who finished in seventh place. Do Arsenal fans think that Arsenal need more firepower, especially as it appears Adebayor is going nowhere? If the Gunners supporters want strikers, which marksman seems the ideal fit for the Emirates outfit?

May 31, 2008

Kevin Keegan has apparently decided he wants to freshen things up at St James’ Park this summer so a few of his squad are being made available to interested parties, and the latest player set to be culled by King Kev could well be what Rafa Benitez is looking for!

Newcastle United are to make midfielder James Milner available for about £5m. Liverpool, Aston Villa and Everton are among several clubs after the winger. (The Guardian)

It does seem like James Milner has been around forever, but he’s still only 22 but already has 200+ top level games under his belt. It’s odd that Newcastle would deem the former Leeds man surplus to requirements as he really is a good player who for some reason fails to get the plaudits i think he deserves. Still without a full cap (which is amazing given he has 30+ U21 appearances and the likes of Wes Brown have more than a dozen full international appearances). If he’s really being allowed to leave the Geordies for such a small price, i imagine Rafa, and others, would jump at the chance to sign a player with such a lot of potential and a good grounding of experience. Do Liverpool fans think that at £5m this is a bargain not to be missed? Or are there massiveger fish to fry?

May 31, 2008

…According to The Guardian - a pretty reliable source - who themselves quote Marca - a truly grubby source - and their interview with Cristiano Ronaldo’s goddad, Fernao Sousa, who basically says that his godson should - and will - move to Real Madrid.

Sousa said:

“I believe that he has decided he’s going to Real Madrid but he’s not going to say so until after the European Championship.”

“Madrid is my team, the ideal team in the world, and I’d like him to go there, I love Madrid and I would go and live with him.”

As sources go, Marca is very ropey, and Ronaldo’s goddad has a barely concealed love for Real Madrid - but stranger things would have happened than Ronaldo making his way to the Bernebeu.