Man United Target £25m Ajax Starlet

Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly considering a bid for Denmark wonderkid Christian Eriksen as the Old Trafford boss continues his search for a replacement for the retired Paul Scholes, according to caughtoffside.com.

Having brought in the likes of Javier Hernandez, Chris Smalling, David de Gea and Phil Jones over the past 18 months , Ferguson is continuing to target precocious young talent to help build for the Man United future.

The Scot is hoping young signings, alongside those coming through the club's own youth system, can help make up for the loss of experienced players over the past year.

With Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Edwin van der Sar all retiring and the likes of Wes Brown and John O’Shea sold, the Man United boss is plotting moves for high-quality youngsters and is now targeting Ajax playmaker Eriksen.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder is one of the hottest prospects in European football and is already a regular in the Denmark side.

He notched up over 40 appearances last term as helped the Amsterdam club to their first domestic title in 7 years.

The teenager reportedly turned down a move to Man City at the weekend, and host of other top European sides are also tracking the youngster this summer.

Eriksen is expected to stay at Ajax for another season as he looks to enjoy his first Champions League foray, but Ferguson will hope that the allure of a move to Old Trafford will appeal to the former Odense youth team player.

Man United have been strongly linked with interest in Wesley Sneijder, Samir Nasri and Luka Modric but at present deals to bring in any of that trio appear to have hit the buffers and a move Eriksen would have more resonance with the current transfer policy Ferguson is adopting.

Arsenal Prepare £45m Double Swoop To Replace Star Duo

Arsenal will make a £45million double offer for Valencia’s Juan Mata and Lille’s Eden Hazard to replace Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

The Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has admitted defeat in trying to hold onto his current stars and will sell to Barcelona and Manchester City if the price is right.

Both Mata and Hazard have been linked with moves to the Emirates all summer with Wenger personally making enquiries into their availability.

Mata, 23, will replace Fabregas after impressing in La Liga last season and in the U21 European Championship during the summer.

Hazard, 20, is one of the most sought after young talents in Europe after bagging seven and eight assists to help Lille win the Ligue 1 title last year.

Barcelona is set to complete the Fabregas deal for a fee of £30million plus £5million in add-ons.

The amount is less than the £40million Arsenal had been holding out for and suggests Arsenal felt they had no choice but to sell a player who wanted to leave.

Wenger is also prepared to take £22million from City for Nasri, who has refused to sign a new contract and has only one-year remaining on his current deal.

The Arsenal manager had stated he was prepared for him to leave for nothing next summer but pressure from the board and the playmaker’s reluctance to play in pre-season has made Wenger think again.

The Gunners are also in the market for at least one defender with Gary Cahill and Scott Dann top of Wenger’s wanted list.

Interest in Phil Jagielka has cooled after Arsenal baulked at Everton’s £20million asking price for the 28-year-old.

Liverpool Competing With Inter Milan Over Transfer Of Gago

Liverpool are involved in a three-way fight over Real Madrid's Fernando Gago, according to Marca.

The Spanish daily claims that the Premier League club are competing with Inter Milan and Boca Juniors for the signature of the Argentina international. Gago is surplus to requirements at the Santiago Bernabeu with the club boasting a wealth of midfielders such as Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso, and Lassana Diarra - all of whom are direct rivals for a starting spot.

The last season was a torrid one for the 25-year-old with a series of injuries to his knee and abductor muscle forcing him to watch much of the action from the sidelines. However, with the player eager for games, a move to Anfield would appear unlikely given the presence of Lucas Leiva, Charlie Adam, Steven Gerrard, Christian Poulsen and Jordan Henderson.

Boca Juniors are reportedly Gago's preferred destination though the asking price of around £7m might be just out of their grasp.

Hugo Rodallega Tracked By Arsenal

Arsene Wenger is preparing to table a bid for Wigan's Hugo Rodallega as he looks to boost his front line.

The Colombian striker has impressed in the Premier League since joining the Latics in 2009, scoring 22 goals in 81 games for a side struggling in and around the relegation zone.

Wenger is rumoured to be a huge fan of Rodallega and has followed his progress with some interest, the Mirror reports.

If the striker leaves the DW Stadium it is likely that Roberto Martinez will be looking for a ready-made replacement with Premier League experience.

Peter Odemwingie is rumoured to be the Wigan boss' main target and the club have approached West Brom over the striker's availability.

However, Baggies boss Roy Hodgson wants the Nigerian international to play alongside new £6.5 million signing Shane Long, but club chief Jeremy Peace is open to offers as Odemwingie is yet to sign a new deal at the Hawthorns.

The Arsenal board recently confirmed that the Gunners boss will be handed a huge transfer war chest if Cesc Fabregas makes his expected move to Spanish giants Barcelona.

Fabregas' move to the Catalan club could spark a great deal of activity at the Emirates, with Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill, Jaun Mata and Scott Dann all on Arsene Wenger's radar.

Roma Make Move For Pablo Osvaldo

Tottenham and Blackburn target Pablo Osvaldo could be on his way to Serie A side Roma, according to reports in Italy.

Roma have reportedly opened negotiations with Espanyol and an offer of £16million has been made, despite the striker being valued at around £18.5m by his Spanish employers.

Roma boss Luis Enrique, who was a coach at Barcelona before taking over at the Serie A side earlier this summer, would have seen first hand what the Argentina-born Italian is capable of last season when he hit 13 goals in 24 La Liga appearances.

And it is understood that Enrique sees Osvaldo as a suitable strike partner for Bojan Krkic, who he signed from Barcelona in June.

Spurs and Blackburn have both been keeping tabs on the 25-year-old and could be ready to table bids of their own given Roma's renewed interest.

It has also been reported that Atletico Madrid have offered around £14m for Osvaldo, although it is thought to fall way below Espanyol's valuation.

Arsenal To Sign Brazilian Sensation Jadson

It is being reported by L’Equipe that Arsenal are about to sign Shakhtar Donetsk player Jadson as a replacement for the Barcelona bound Cesc Fabregas.

Jadson has a contract with Shakhtar for three more years, but an offer of around €10m should be enough for the Ukrainian side to let him go.

The attacking midfielder started has made over 200 appearances for Shakhtar since joining in January 2005 from Atletico Paranaense and made he made his international debut for Brazil in the match against France earlier this year.

Chelsea Make Surprise Transfer Move For Celtic Striker

Chelsea is close to sealing a deal for young Celtic striker Islam Feruz, according to the Scotsman.

Feruz is just 15 years of age, but Celtic officials cannot match the £2500 per week that Chelsea is reportedly offering.

The Glasgow club is now expected to have to settle for compensation of around £300,000, which is far less than perhaps they would receive should Feruz develop as expected and become a first team player.

Neither Celtic nor Chelsea agreed to comment on the matter - with a Stamford Bridge official stating:

"Until an official press release is made by Chelsea FC, we cannot make any comments regarding signing speculations."

Porto Lead Chase For Spurs And Everton Target

Tottenham and Everton target Eliaquim Mangala is the subject of a bid from Porto.

Both English clubs have been monitoring the Standard Liege defender's progress in the Belgian league but the Portuguese champions are believed to have beaten them to the negotiating table.

Liege is believed to want £6m for the France Under-21 international and Porto have tested their resolve with a bid of £5m according to newspaper A'Bola.

The 20-year-old centre-back's agent Fabrizio Ferrari said: "In the first days of next week the matter will be closed"

Liege's general director Pierre Francois added: "We are now waiting for a response from Porto who is studying the details of the deal."

Sunderland Ready To Pounce For Niko Kranjcar

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has confirmed he wants to sign out-of-favour Tottenham midfielder Niko Kranjcar on loan.

The Croatia international has grown frustrated at White Hart Lane after fallen out of favour with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, making just two Premier League starts last season.

Kranjcar, 26, has already expressed his desire to leave Spurs this summer and Bruce could be set to make the former Portsmouth man his eleventh recruit of the transfer window.

Redknapp will be content to let the winger move to the Stadium of Light, but would prefer any deal to be permanent.

Bruce told the Daily Star: "Bringing someone in on loan remains an option and Kranjcar is a quality player who we are very much aware of."

Bruce has also been linked with out-of-favour Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy this summer, but it remains to be seen whether a move will materialize.

QPR Clinch Perone Deal

QPR have confirmed the signing of Brazilian defender Bruno Perone, subject to international clearance.

The 24-year-old, who can also play in midfield, has signed a one-year deal with the Premier League newcomers.

Sao Paulo-born Perone has been on trial with the west London side for the last month, featuring in several pre-season matches.

QPR boss Neil Warnock told his club's official website: "Bruno has fitted in very well in the time he has been with us.

"He did well during pre-season. He has still got lots to learn but when the time comes I am sure we will be able to put him in the team with confidence.

"One of the things he has got to learn is the language. At the moment Ali Faurlin is helping him out.''

If the international clearance proves no problem, Perone will join fellow newcomers Jay Bothroyd, Kieron Dyer, Danny Gabbidon, DJ Campbell and Brian Murphy at Loftus Road.

La Liga Set For Delayed Start As Spanish Players' Union Calls Strike

La Liga and Segunda División players will go on strike for the first two weekends of the new Spanish season as the players' union steps up pressure on the league for a new deal over conditions.

The AFE president Luis Rubiales told a news conference: "We are unanimous and firm in our decision to call a strike. The league will not start until a new agreement [between the league and the players] has been signed."

At the heart of the dispute is the union's demand for a larger emergency fund to help players not being paid by clubs who are in financial administration.

The La Liga and Segunda División seasons are scheduled to start on the weekend of 20-21 August.

The AFE were supported by more than 100 top-flight footballers in a Madrid hotel where the event was held. The Spain internationals Iker Casillas and Carles Puyol were among the players and there were union representatives from France, Germany and Italy among others to lend their support.

Rubiales said the players had been negotiating with the Spanish football league (LFP) over a series of protective measures for players that are commonplace in other leagues in Europe but which Spanish players do not have.

"It is lamentable. As it stands we are at the bottom of the pile in Europe. We don't want more money, we want the clubs to honour the contracts they sign with their players. We don't want palliative measures. We have put forward proposals which exist in Holland, Germany, France and England which are preventative. In these countries if a club shows it can't pay its players the club doesn't compete.

"We have asked that players who are owed more than three months [wages] can break their contracts. It seemed like we had an agreement but it was left out."

Rubiales said that, despite the lengthy negotiations, the LFP had imposed a new settlement at the beginning of August which the players rejected.

"Enough is enough," he said. "This does not mean we are refusing to negotiate any more. We will do for the good of the players and football in general. But the league will not start until a new collective agreement is signed."