helsea owner Roman Abramovich is set for a battle if he wants Pep
Guardiola to come to Stamford Bridge in the summer: the Sunday Mirror
and The Sun report that former Barcelona boss Guardiola has his heart
set on becoming Alex Ferguson’s replacement at Manchester United.
The
papers claim that the Spaniard “has reservations about the way
Abramovich runs Chelsea” – as indeed would any sane manager – and that
he is to speak to Ferguson to see what his retirement plans are before
making any decision.
The Sun claims that Fergie and Pep “are
close friends and have met privately in New York”, with a source “close”
to the Champions League-winning Barca boss saying, “the whole history
of Manchester United, his relationship with Sir Alex and the way the
club is run appeals to Pep.”
The source – who also appears to
have blabbed to the Mail on Sunday – added that Guardiola would even be
happy to take another year out of the game if it meant landing his first
choice job at Old Trafford.
“I’d be astonished if he went to
Chelsea. He really wants to wait for the United job even if it means
extending his time out of the game,” the source added.
Luis
Suarez has been without doubt the best striker in the Premier League so
far this season, becoming a one-man goal machine who has single-handedly
kept Liverpool going – but he could leave the club at the end of the
season, according to the Sunday Mirror.
The paper reports that
the Reds striker has a £40 million buy-out clause in his contract, not
exactly a far-fetched amount for a 25-year-old at the peak of his
powers, and Chelsea and Manchester City are both reportedly interested
in making a move.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is far more
interested in buying than selling, however, and The Sun on Sunday
reports that he is ready to make an £8m January move for Borussia
Dortmund’s winger Kevin Grosskreutz.
Harry Redknapp is ready to
make his first signing as QPR manager – and it could hardly be a bigger
name that he has his sights on: David Beckham could be on his way to the
London club, according to the Sunday papers.
The Sunday Mirror
claims that Beckham is determined to sign the 37-year-old midfielder,
whose contract with LA Galaxy will expire after the MLS Cup final on
Sunday night.
The Sun on Sunday runs a piece that could
potentially back up the story: Victoria Beckham has been seen house
hunting in London, with the paper running paparazzi pics of her looking
at a series of stunning £9m mansions in leafy suburbs such as Richmond,
in the south west of the capital.
The Sun’s mole insists that
David Beckham won’t sign for a Premier League side, however, while the
Mirror admits that Redknapp has his work cut out if he is to land the
player, saying that the 65-year-old, “will need all his powers of
persuasion to convince Beckham to snub lucrative offers from Paris
Saint-Germain, Qatar, Brazil, China and Russia to join the QPR
relegation battle.”
QPR chief Tony Fernandes is said to be right
behind the bid, however, and with no transfer fee to pay Beckham could
be offered astronomical wages to make the move.
The Daily Star Sunday lists several other QPR targets, with Scott Parker and Peter Crouch the names at the top of the list.
Crystal
Palace and England winger Wilfried Zaha will not make a £20 million
move to Manchester Untied despite the money apparently being on the
table,with Eagles boss Ian Holloway saying it would be “false economy”
to cash in on the star rather than use him to boost Palace’s promotion
drive (Daily Mirror). The South London club are currently second in the
Championship and dreaming of a first season in the top flight for nearly
a decade.
Leighton Baines could well be on his way to Old
Trafford in two months’ time, though: the Sunday Express reports that
Alex Ferguson is confident of signing the Everton full-back for £8m in
the transfer window.
The Mail on Sunday claims that Arsene Wenger
is to make a shock £10m bid for Liverpool’s Stewart Downing in January,
with Wenger believing he can “rescue his career” after a torrid time at
Anfield. What can you say to that, other than that he seems a perfect,
almost like-for-like replacement for Andrei Arshavin: hugely talented,
massively inconsistent, utterly frustrating.
Speaking of
like-for-like replacements, Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has said
that he wants to join Arsenal now that his international team-mate Robin
van Persie has left the Emirates. The Sunday Mirror reports that the
Bundseliga’s top striker wants a £6m January move from Schalke, and now
that Van Persie – whom he apparently loathes – is not at the North
London club, it is a perfect fit for him.
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