Transfer Rumors (28 August 08): Arsenal after £12m de Guzman, City to get SWP for £8.5m, Newcastle to reluctantly grant Milner £10m Villa move, and more
We’re rapidly moving towards the end of the summer transfer window, and the mad dash to get deals done continues. Still waiting for news on a couple of big names, but there’s plenty to report as is, so let’s get to it, shall we?
The Sun says that Arsenal are interested in Feyenoord midfielder Jonathan de Guzman. The 20-year old Dutch international, who scored nine goals for Feyenoord last season, could cost the Gunners £12m.
Rumor Rating: 4 - The Sun describes him as the Dutch version of Owen Hargreaves. What’s amusing about that is that they’re both actually quite Canadian by birth. One can only imagine how Canada would be faring if those two players were a part of their set-up instead of England and Holland’s.
Manchester City are set to complete an £8.5m deal to bring Shaun Wright-Phillips to the club.
Rumor Rating: 5 - Wright-Phillips has been a little reluctant to leave Chelsea, even though he’s not much more than a part-time starter there. But maybe the 80k a week City are reportedly going to give him might have changed his mind….
Aston Villa should complete a £10m deal for Newcastle’s James Milner, who looks set to leave the club after his request to leave was revealed.
Rumor Rating: 5 - Just when things are looking up for Newcastle, something happens. Sucks to be Kevin Keegan, eh?
Everton are set to sign former Blackburn target Segundo Castillo. The Ecuadorian midfielder went on trial at Blackburn recently, but after being unable to make a deal happen with Rovers, it looks like Castillo is headed to Everton after the Toffees agreed a fee with Red Star Belgrade.
Rumor Rating: 5 - Another goal-scoring midfielder joining the Everton squad. It’s taken a little while, but they’re making some moves at just the right time.
Middlesbrough are reportedly once again interested in Heerenveen’s Michael Bradley, as they’ve abandoned their interest in Reading’s James Harper.
Rumor Rating: 4 - Heerenveen don’t really want to let him go, but if Boro are ready to pay the necessary fee, he can’t pass up the chance to play in the Premier League and join up with a side that has a lot of potential. And yes, I did just say that Boro have potential. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, David Gold.
Sunderland could wrap up a deal for Real Zaragoza midfielder Peter Luccin. The 29-year old French midfielder would definitely lighten the load on Zaragoza’s wage bill as they plan for life in Spain’s second division.
Rumor Rating: 3 - Portsmouth and Middlesbrough have also reportedly been interested in Luccin, but Sunderland have reportedly initiated contact with Zaragoza over a move.
Spain
Real Betis have signed Benfica right back Nelson Marcos for €6m. The 25-year old has risen through the ranks in Portugal, and now he’s bound for a move abroad.
Rumor Rating: 5 - Betis have spent a fair amount this summer, and hopefully it’ll pay off in them staying far away from the relegation zone this term.
The Jeremy Menez to Roma tidbits are getting all the more popular, with the Monaco star reportedly set to complete a move to Rome as soon as today.
Rumor Rating: 5 - Menez could cost somewhere in the region of €15m, but he’s worth every bit of it.
Hamburg SV have agreed a deal with Bayern Munich for promising young defender Marcell Jansen. The 22-year old left back, who has 28 caps for Germany and was a part of their Euro 2008 squad, will reportedly cost HSV €8m.
Rumor Rating: 5 - Jansen’s Euro 2008 experience could’ve been better, but that’s two excellent defensive signings for Hamburg in short order, as they’ve also completed a deal for Brazilian defender Alex Silva.
Tottenham defender Lee Young-Pyo has moved to Borussia Dortmund.
Rumor Rating: 5 - The veteran South Korean left back was a must-sign for Dortmund, due to a knee injury that will keep Dede out until after the turn of the year.
Lyon are set to strike a deal with AC Milan for defender Massimo Oddo. The 32-year old right back went to France on Wednesday for a medical, and is set to sign on the dotted line for the French champions. Well, maybe, if Bayern Munich don’t spoil the move with their late entrance into the mix.
Rumor Rating: 5 - Oddo’s been linked with an exit for a little while, since he wasn’t at his best for AC Milan last term, but he’ll be a welcome addition for Lyon, who lost top right back Francois Clerc on the opening weekend of the season and won’t have him back for several months.
Well, that’s it for another day in transfer news and rumors. I’ll be back to give you all the latest as we move another day closer to the end of the summer transfer window, but until then, chime in with your thoughts on today’s tidbits, chip in with ones you’ve read and heard, and make sure you check out the updated summer transfer lists.
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Arsenal are not seriously interested in de Guzman (if they are, that is depressing). I am not insulting his skill or potential, it is just that Wenger stated he wanted experience…de Guzman is 20. I would love for him to join the team…making our starting midfield ages 21,21,20 and 19 (in case you dont know the names- Fabregas, Nasri, de Guzman, and Walcott respectively).
That is by far the youngest midfield ever to play at a top notch club. But it only fits Arsenals system to have a U-21 starting team.
I still vote Barry or Alonso above de Guzman just because of experience and we know exactly what we are getting. Maybe we should go for de Guzman in January or only if we can get him and Alonso and Barry.
Despite what pretty much every British, so called football-news, site says, Jonathan de Guzman isn’t a rough tackler, who could clean up after Fabregas, he is in fact, an attacking midfielder, capable of playing pretty much every position in midfield, including holding midfielder, but tackling and defending is NOT his speciality, therefore i’m pretty surprised to hear he’s being compared to Hargreaves, not in a million years is De Guzman as rough as him, nor is he as natural at defending. He can put in serious work, but that’s not his best feature. If Wenger would seriously consider buying him, i would hope he does his homework, since, everyone else seems to see him as a defending replacement for Flamini. Big, BIG mistake by especially The Sun, but also every other British news-site.
But i can say that he is one of the biggest Dutch talents around, he’s defenitaly very promising, i’d say he’s not much less then Ibrahim Afellay, or Samir Nasri.
He IS NOT a defending midfielder, Spread the word!!!!!!!!
Arsenal are not going to get Alonso AND Barry when there’s 3 days left in the transfer window and Barry has stated he will not leave Villa until the end of the season. De Guzman is a class act but if he and Nasri do take a little whil to find their form then Arsenal are in deep shit. The way that they are playing they will be lucky to get a UEFA Cup qualification and luckier still to get a champs league one.
Nasri, as i would like to inform you is in the best form at Arsenal…in three games he has two goals and he only played half of the one game he scored in.
They will finish in the top 4. You HAVE to be kidding if you think the likes of Tottenham or Villa are going to beat out Arsenal. Good joke.