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Lazy Sunday Transfer Talk: Manchester United Target Torres, Manchester City Get Tevez but not Eto’o, Mascherano to leave Liverpool for Barcelona and Ribery and Benzema to sign for Madrid next summer

Let’s have a look at what’s happening in the transfer rumours today.

The story that immediately got my attention was the one linking Manchester United with an audacious bid for Liverpool’s Spanish striker Fernando Torres. The Sunday Express claim that Fergie will use most of the 80 million Pounds they made from the Ronaldo sale to bring Torres to old Trafford.

The story has no real substance though, there’s not even a sign of the usual “source close to the club revealed this” nonsense that the papers usually use when making up stories. This is clearly a bullshit story because there is no way in hell Liverpool would sell any of their best players to their arch rivals (and vice versa – remember Heinze?). Hell they wouldn’t even sell Djimi Traore to the Red Devils. Got to love lazy journos…

Speaking of the Red Devils, they have apparently been told that highly rated French striker Karim Benzema would not be for sale. The £35m-rated Benzema has been one of Ferguson’s targets for a couple of season’s now but according to The Mirror, Lyon won’t be selling their start striker after the club failed to win the League 1 title for the first time in seven years. “Our idea is to keep Karim for another season,” said Bernard Lacombe, Lyon’s transfer’s adviser.

Carlos Tevez will follow Ronaldo out of old Trafford after the Argentine striker reportedly agreed terms with Manchester City. The Mirror reports that Tevez is close to signing a whopping £140,000-a-week deal with Mark Hughes’ Manchester City as soon as his loan deal with United expires at the end of June. Looks like United will be without two of their best attacker’s next season.

One player who was not quite so keen on joining the Billionaires at the City of Manchester Stadium is Barcelona’s hitman Samuel Eto’o. The Cameroonian striker reportedly turned down a £160,000 offer from City, in favour of playing Champions League football, leaving Chelsea, Liverpool and Inter Milan to fight it out for his services according to The People.

In other stories, Real Madrid are set to add French winger Franck Ribery to their growing list of Galacticos (stars) after reportedly promising Ribery that they will sign him next season (with Benzema reportedly also promised a similar deal). A similar promise was made to Ronaldo so it should not be taken lightly. News of The World reports that Real can’t afford to break the £50m barrier again this pre-season after the £80m deal for Cristiano Ronaldo, but they have made assurances to Frenchman that if he hangs on he will be their big signing next summer.

Real are also reportedly still interested in adding Inter Milan’s Swedsh striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to their list of stars at the Bernabeu but according to The Times the Madrid giants have been shocked by Inter’s price tag rumoured to be in the region of £80m. This was enough to end Barca’s interest in the striker but Perez usually gets what he wants and is reportedly tabling a player plus cash bid for Zlatan, with Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain moving to Inter.

Liverpool may be in danger on losing out on their Argentine defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano after the player threatened to leave the Merseyside giants. The News of the World reports “exclusively” that Mascherano is considering ditching Liverpool for Spanish Champions Barcelona due to the fact that his pregnant wife has failed to settle in England. She returned to South America with the couple’s daughter Lola before the end of last season and it is believed that she would be more comfortable in the Spanish capital. I find this quite laughable to be honest but there are rumours that Barca are preparing a £30million bid for the tough tackling Argentine captain.

Finally, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly lining up a bid for Bayern Munich’s Italian striker Luca Toni while Manchester United are looking at bringing Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes to Old Trafford as a long term replacement for the ageing Edwin Van Der Sar.

Silly season indeed…

Topics: Football Transfers