Chelsea In Shock Striker Swap Deal Involving Argentina Hotshot

Chelsea is preparing a shock bid for Napoli strike sensation Ezequiel Lavezzi, with Salomon Kalou being offered as part of the deal.

The news is surprising considering Andre Villas-Boas has a host of forward options with Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka now joined by Romelu Lukaku, and with Daniel Sturridge having impressed on loan at Bolton last term and for his own club in pre-season.

But the Portuguese tactician is growing increasingly anxious with his current crop of strikers. Torres continues to misfire, with just one league goal and one pre-season goal to his credit since his £50m arrival in January. While it seems the years have caught up with ageing strikers Anelka and Drogba, but both remain important influences off the field.

Villas-Boas is not totally convinced by Kalou and is willing to offload the Ivorian to land Argentine forward Lavezzi, a player that the former Porto boss has admired for quite some time. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has previously stated that it will cost at least a £27million bid to land the 26-year-old South American. But Chelsea will tempt the San Paolo-based club by offering £17m as well as the £10 million rated Kalou.

The Ivorian's availability comes as a surprise and he started Sunday's draw at Stoke City. But age is on the side of Sturridge, who is serving a three-match suspension but is expected to play a significant role this term.

Liverpool Closing In On £15m Argentine International Signing

Footybunker.com have been led to believe that Liverpool are closing in on Ligue 1 striker and Argentine international Lisandro Lopez with the possibility of the forward joining by the end of next weekend.

The 28 year old forward currently plays for Lyon and knocked in an incredible 32 league goals in 60 appearances since joining the French side in 2009.

The former Porto player, should he join Liverpool, will be swapping the chance to play in the Champions League by trying to help the Anfield side into the top four of the Premiership, although at the time of writing Lyon have not yet qualified for the group stages.

Liverpool have been coy regarding their transfer dealings but still look to be seeking a central defender plus another striker to provide back up for Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

Lisandro Lopez could cost the Liverpool side anything from £15m which for a player who could still have another four years of goal scoring service may seem to be good business at this time.

Atletico Madrid Agree £14.9m Transfer Fee For Pablo Osvaldo

Atletico Madrid has reached an agreement with Espanyol over the transfer of Pablo Osvaldo as the Catalans have accepted a £14.9million (€17m) offer for the striker, Spanish newspaper Marca reports.

The 2010 Europa League winners have been in the market for a new attacker since the departure of Sergio Aguero to Manchester City earlier this summer and have reportedly been tracking the 25-year-old for a number of weeks.

The former Italy Under-21 international is also understood to have caught the attention of clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Roma with his superb performances in 2010-11, but he has apparently made the decision to stay in Spain rather than leave La Liga.

Atletico have yet to agree personal terms with Osvaldo, but the Vicente Calderon side don't envisage any problems in the negotiations with the player.

Neither of the two clubs has confirmed any agreement yet, but an official statement is expected to be released in the coming hours.

Roma Agree £8.7m Deal For Simon Kjaer

Roma and Wolfsburg have struck a €10 million (£8.7m) agreement for the transfer of Simon Kjaer, according to a report in Italy.

Sky Sport Italia claims Kjaer will be offered a €1.5m (£1.3m) per annum contract with the Italians looking to sign him up to a four-year deal.

The Denmark international is seen to be a replacement for Philippe Mexes who joined AC Milan in June.

Roma director of sport Walter Sabatini has made no secret of his admiration for the former Palermo man who he worked with in Sicily.

Kjaer joined the German side last year for a reported €12m (£10.4m), but his maiden season was not ideal as the team narrowly escaped relegation.

His current deal with the Bundesliga outfit expires in 2014.

Fiorentina To Offer €9m & Felipe For Bologna's Gaston Ramirez

Bologna midfielder Gaston Ramirez's transfer to Fiorentina may be nearing a conclusion.

The 20-year-old Uruguayan spent last season at Bologna, scoring four goals in 25 appearances and is considered a bright talent.

According to SkySport24, the Tuscan club is ready to offer defender Felipe and €9 million to Bologna to acquire the player.

Brazilian defender Felipe has had a disappointing spell with Sinisa Mihajlovic's side, playing just five times in half a season before being loaned to Cesena this past January. The club is widely considered to have little issue with sending him away despite having just signed the player last summer.

Fiorentina ended last campaign in ninth position and are looking to improve and secure a berth in Europe at the end of this term, beginning on August 28th against local rivals Siena.

Fulham In £15m Double Swoop For Tottenham Duo

Fulham could be set for a double raid on Tottenham for David Bentley and Peter Crouch.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has deemed Crouch and Bentley surplus to requirements and he will now listen to offers for the pair in an effort to free up space for new signings.

Martin Jol is keen to bolster his attacking options by adding Crouch to his ranks, while he sees Bentley as the right man to provide the ammunition from wide areas.

The 26-year-old winger has struggled for form since joining Spurs from Blackburn in 2008 for £15 million and spent the second half of last season on loan at Birmingham City.

Fulham have held a long-term interest in Bentley and new Cottagers boss Martin Jol is ready to pursue a move for the talented wide-man, who is now valued at around £6m by the White Hart Lane club.

Fulham drew a blank on the opening day of the season in a goalless draw against Aston Villa, highlighting their need for more quality up front.

Fulham have promptly entered the race to sign Crouch, with Stoke, Newcastle and Sunderland all credited with an interest.

Jol wants as striker to rotate with Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora and is willing to pay £9 million to land the former Liverpool and Portsmouth.

Atletico Madrid Ready To Move For Porto's Ruben Micael

Atletico Madrid is looking to snap up Porto midfielder Ruben Micael as they use agent Jorge Mendes' influence to strengthen their squad.

Record reports Micael, 24, could be the next arrival at the Vicente Calderon as Atletico are also closing on a deal for Radamel Falcao, who, like Micael, is managed by Mendes.

The Portuguese midfielder is reportedly looking to leave the Europa League champions after being told he may not find regular action next season following the arrival of Steven Defour from Standard Liege.

Mendes is currently in Madrid as he tries to conclude business for Falcao, and it is said he will use this opportunity to get the ball rolling for Micael.

Meanwhile, A Bola claims the Spanish side are set to move for Sporting Braga's Pizzi as well.

The 21-year-old attacker is another one of Mendes' clients. He has been picked for his side's Europa League clash against Swiss team Young Boys on Thursday, but looks close to moving to La Liga on a five-year deal.

Pizzi did not train with the squad on Wednesday morning and when asked to comment on the news, Marco Carvalho, the club's director of communications, declined to comment.

Celtic Consider Surprise Transfer Raid On Manchester United

Celtic are considering a move for Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, with the Polish stopper now third choice at Old Trafford.

The Scottish Herald claim Kuszczak is amongst a number of options to guard the Celtic goal, and could get the chance to resurrect his career.

Kuszczak has not been able to push for the number one jersey during his time at the club, from fighting with Ben Foster to take the place of Edwin van der Sar to his current battle with Anders Lindegaard to knock young Spaniard David de Gea out the team.

Celtic though, has had more recent success with a Poland international goalkeeper, with Artur Boruc proving a great hit for the Glasgow team.

Should Kuszczak sign though, he would not be guaranteed first team football at Celtic Park either.

Neil Lennon has re-signed Fraser Forster on loan from Newcastle United - but will he sign Kuszczak as well?

Leverkusen Signs Colombia U20 Star

Bayer Leverkusen says it has signed Colombia Under-20 midfielder Michael Ortega on a one-year loan.

The 20-year-old Ortega was released by Atlas Guadalajara in Mexico. Contractual details were not disclosed.

Bayer managing director Wolfgang Holzhaeuser said Ortega was a "sensation" at the Under-20 World Cup.

He added: "He is a big talent and has a great future."

Wolfsburg Sign Hitzlsperger

Bundesliga side Wolfsburg has confirmed they have signed midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger on a three-year deal.

The experienced 29-year-old was a free agent after he was relegated from the Premier League with West Ham last season.

Aston Villa had reportedly been keen to re-sign the Germany international after he spent four years at Villa Park earlier in his career.

A proposed move to Wolves broke down earlier this summer and Hitzlsperger had reportedly been training with Tottenham in a bid to maintain his fitness.

Hitzlsperger earned the nickname the "Der Hammer" for his ferocious left foot shot that became a prominent feature of his game.

"Thomas is a player who will help us with his professional approach and his international experience," Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath told a press conference.

"I am pleased that he is now with us, because he is a player who can lead the team."

Hitzlsperger made his name at Villa before a successful spell at Stuttgart and less auspicious one at Lazio.

He said: "I am overjoyed that the transfer has gone through. This is the beginning of a great partnership. The club has big ambitions and a coach who epitomises this.

"I am looking forward to being part of the team, already know some of the players who I have played with at club or international level.

"I am highly motivated and very very happy to take up the challenge."

Arsenal To Beat Liverpool To Shock Swoop Of Real Madrid Ace

Liverpool will not follow up on the £22m bid they reportedly made for Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain - meaning that Arsenal are free to reinforce their front line.

The Metro claims that reports in the Spanish press claim Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho instructed his board to reject the offer, and Arsene Wenger is believed to be monitoring the situation carefully.

At Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Karim Benzema has usurped Higuain as the first choice centre forward in the Real Madrid front line - and an impressively industrious performance from the Frenchman backed Mourinho's decision.

With Man City striker Emmanuel Adebayor still a possible loan option for Real Madrid, and was called upon often last season in the UEFA Champions League and La Liga ahead of Higuain - who of course was coming back from a serious injury.

However, Higuain realizes that he is not first choice at Real Madrid - only coming on after 81 minutes in the Supercopa, the first El Clasico of the season - and that could push any deal in Arsenal's favour.

The number 9 shirt at Arsenal remains vacant, after all.

Chelsea To Make Surprise £12m Bid For Liverpool Star

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is lining up a bid for Raul Meireles as an alternative to Tottenham's Luka Modric.

The Stamford Bridge club is considering making a third offer for the Croatian playmaker, after bids of £22 million and £27 million were turned down earlier in the summer.

Villas-Boas, who knows Meireles from his time at Porto, has not ruled out bringing both players to Chelsea as he regards the Portuguese international as a perfect foil for Modric's creativity.

Liverpool are rumoured to be interested in a deal of around £12 million to help offset their summer spending spree under their new ownership.

Kenny Dalglish has spent much of the summer strengthening his midfield by bringing in Sunderland's Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam from Blackpool and Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing.

Competition at the club is fierce and both Meireles and Dirk Kuyt, mainstays last season, were relegated to the bench for Liverpool's opening game against Sunderland.

After initially struggling to get to grips with the Premier League, Meireles had a great end to the season under Dalglish and was voted the PFA Fans Player of the Year at the end of the season.

Chelsea is also reportedly considering adding Yossi Benayoun or Didier Drogba to the Modric deal in a bid to persuade Daniel Levy and Harry Redknapp to part with their influential playmaker.

Schweinsteiger In Milan Link

Milan is again being associated with a summer move for Bayern Munich ace Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The Rossoneri are expected to sign a midfielder before the window closes and the 26-year-old could be their Mr X mystery signing.

According to reports, the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza outfit is ready to offer €25m for the German international.

“Milan are a great club,” the player is quoted as saying. “Never say never, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Milan’s other midfield options are believed to be Fiorentina’s Riccardo Montolivo and Alberto Aquilani of Liverpool.

Forlan Reveals Inter Offer

Uruguay forward Diego Forlan has admitted it is his 'dream' to play in Milan despite reported interest from Turkish sides.

The Atletico Madrid hot-shot has revealed he has received an offer from Italian giants Inter Milan, with their striker Samuel Eto'o expected to join Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.

Forlan has also been linked with a move to Turkey but, speaking from his holidays in Miami, he has denied any offers from Turkish sides.

"Yes, it's true I've received an offer from Inter. It's my dream to play in Milan," said the 32-year-old, according to Italian media picking up an interview Forlan gave to a Turkish newspaper.

"In Turkey my name is very hot. Even so, I haven't had any contact with either Galatasaray, Besiktas or Fenerbahce.

"Not even an offer, but I don't deny Galatasaray are a great side.

"Turkey is a beautiful country and it would be great to continue my career there."

As well as Forlan, Manchester City's Carlos Tevez has been linked with Inter as a possible replacement for Eto'o.

Blues Near Belgian Midfielder Deal

Chelsea's blossoming relationship with Belgian outfit Racing Genk is seemingly set to pay further dividends as young midfielder Kevin De Bruyne closes in on a move to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have already tied up the signature of De Bruyne's former team-mate Thibaut Courtois, with the young goalkeeper since farmed out to Ateltico Madrid on loan.

And it would now appear that De Bruyne could follow his international colleague in completing a move to Chelsea, with the 20-year-old confirming negotiations are nearing completion.

"My manager went to Chelsea on Wednesday and discussions have been good," the Belgian told Extra Time. "The opportunity is there.

"Maybe by the end of the month a deal can be sorted out, because that would be a good thing for all three parties."

De Bryune also explained how the proposed deal would work out, with Genk able to retain his services for a season as part of the agreement with Chelsea.

He added: "The first year, I would continue playing at Genk and the second year we would have to take a decision - it would depend on my performance."

Should he complete a move to Chelsea, De Bruyne would become the third young Belgian to sign for the west London club this summer, following Courtois and Romelu Lukaku.

It was confirmed last week that a fee for the latter, regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in Europe, had been agreed with Anderlecht, and the 18-year-old has since revealed he will be officially unveiled later this week.

"Please note that no official presentation and no press conference will take place in Chelsea this week," a statement on the striker's official website read.

"More news will be given on the site in the coming days."

Inter Tracking Javier Mascherano

Inter is being linked with a move for Barcelona's Javier Mascherano following the arrival of Cesc Fabregas at Camp Nou on Monday.

The Italian club is currently working on selling Samuel Eto'o to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in a deal that could net them £35 million.

Rai Sport reports that some of the cash from the sale could be spent on a new midfielder, although Inter will likely sign a striker to replace Eto'o first.

However, Mascherano, 27, could be forced out of Camp Nou if he is not guaranteed regular action by coach Pep Guardiola after Fabregas joined the European champions.

The former Liverpool man moved to Spain last summer, but he only made 18 starts in La Liga last season.

Last year Inter were close to signing Mascherano after Marco Branca held talks with the player and Liverpool, but he preferred to join Barcelona instead.

Inter coach Gian Piero Gasperini would welcome the addition of Mascherano as he continues to explore new tactics in midfield.

Dortmund Keeping Tabs On Pierre-Michel Lasogga

Borussia Dortmund is closely monitoring the development of Hertha Berlin striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga, according to Westdeutschen Allgemeinen Zeitung.

The Bundesliga champions are looking to add some more firepower to their squad and head coach Jurgen Klopp reportedly sees the 19-year-old Lasogga as a useful addition to his front-line.

Nevertheless, Dortmund faces an uphill task to lure Lasogga away from his current club. The Germany Under-21 international signed a new contract with Hertha until the summer of 2015 in May and won't be available on the cheap.

Lasogga joined Hertha from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2010 and has since developed into a key player at last year's 2. Bundesliga champions.

The striker featured for the full 90 minutes in his side's 1-0 loss against Nurnberg on matchday one, but was benched for last weekend's 2-2 draw against Hamburg.

PSV Wrap Up Derijck Swoop

PSV Eindhoven has completed the signing of centre-back Timothy Derijck from ADO Den Haag, the Eredivisie giants have confirmed.

The Belgian defender has put pen to paper on a four-year contract at the Philips Stadion, with the deal thought to be worth €750,000.

PSV were in the market for a new central defender after seeing Francisco Rodriguez leave for Stuttgart earlier this summer and have found his replacement in 24-year-old Derijck.

"PSV are, for me, a real step forward," Derijck told PSV's official website.

"I'm very excited to come to a club like PSV; it is a big club and I didn't need to think twice about joining.

"Just about every game is a must-win match for PSV as they are title contenders.

"I will fight for a first-team place at PSV, but the coach has revealed that no one is a guaranteed starter."

PSV technical manager Marcel Brands added: "Timothy Derijck is only 24 years old, yet he's an experienced player. He has skills and is full of potential."

Derijck, a youth product at Belgian club Anderlecht, joined ADO from Feyenoord in 2009 after failing to break into the first team at De Kuip.

He could make his league debut against his former club at the Kyocera Stadion this weekend.

QPR Make Degen Enquiry

Skysports.com understands Queens Park Rangers have made an enquiry regarding Liverpool outcast Philipp Degen.

The Switzerland international appears to be surplus to requirements at Anfield after struggling to make an impression during his time at Liverpool.

He was beset by injury troubles in his first season at the club after arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2008 and spent last season back on loan in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart.

With Reds boss Kenny Dalglish having the likes of Glen Johnson, Martin Kelly and youngster John Flanagan to choose from at right-back, Degen could be on the move before the transfer window closes.

Premier League new boys QPR remain in the market for new signings as manager Neil Warnock tries to build a squad capable of surviving in the top flight.

Warnock started the new campaign with Kieron Dyer at right-back, but the former England international lasted just a few minutes of Saturday's 4-0 defeat by Bolton Wanderers before being stretchered off.

Bradley Orr replaced Dyer at Loftus Road, while Warnock also currently has issues at left-back after Clint Hill was sent off late on in the defeat by Bolton.

Degen has made a total of 13 appearances during his Liverpool career and his last outing for the Reds was in the Europa League against Atletico Madrid in April 2010.

Eboue Finalizes Gala Move

Emmanuel Eboue has joined Turkish side Galatasaray after six years at Arsenal.

The Ivory Coast international flew out to Istanbul on Monday to finalize his move to the club just as the Galatasaray chief executive was reportedly jetting over to London.

Eboue, who joined Arsenal from Beveren in 2005, is the second Arsenal departure this week following Cesc Fabregas' switch to Barcelona.

The 28-year-old made 132 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, in a variety of positions and became known as a 'utility man' in the latter days of his Arsenal career.

"Arsenal have agreed terms with Turkish side Galatasaray for the transfer of Emmanuel Eboue," a statement on the club's website read.

"Everyone at Arsenal thanks Manu for his contribution towards the club and wishes him the best of luck for the future."

His departure will open up a spot in Arsene Wenger's squad for another 'jack of all trades' player.