Spurs Prepare To Make Shock Move For Man United Defender

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is set to step up his pursuit of a new central defender and has pin pointed Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand, according to reports on Caughtoffside.com.

So far this season Ferdinand has made only six appearances for Manchester United with four of those coming in the Premier League.

The 32-year-old, England international has suffered with injuries and has seen Chris Smalling and Phil Jones move ahead of him at Old Trafford and in the England set up.

Over the past couple of weeks Ferdinand has been linked with a move to MLS side Chicago Fire. However it is now believed Tottenham boss Redknapp is keen to link up with Ferdinand after the pair worked together at West Ham.

Spurs are currently on the look out for a top class defender after letting Jonathan Woodgate go on a free to Stoke in the summer and injury concerns over Ledley King, William Gallas and Michael Dawson.

Ferdinand will only have a year remaining on his current deal at Manchester United at the end of the current campaign and Redknapp feels he could get the defender for a cut price deal.

Wenger Identifies Another Spanish Starlet

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is hoping to have unearthed another young superstar in Real Madrid youngster Jose Rodriguez.

According to a report in the Daily Mirror, the Gunners have been keeping a close eye on the progress of the 16-year-old after a tip-off from their Spanish scout Francis Cagigao.

Rodriguez is believed to have caught the eye of the scout after a successful Under-17 World Championship and Arsenal are now believed to be in discussions with Real Madrid.

Arsenal want to offer the midfielder a five year contract and will have to offer Madrid compensation as the Spanish club cannot offer professional terms until a player is 18.

The north London club has often tried to recruit from Spain and have already snapped up Jon Toral and Hector Bellerin from Barcelona over the summer.

Rodriguez is described on Real Madrid's as the following: "Jose has a good physique and is a rather technical central midfielder. He covers a lot of ground thanks to his strength and helps out in attack. He is powerful, resistant, and surprises opponents and makes crucial steals."

Wenger is confident of persuading the youngster to make the move to the Premier League as he often hands opportunities to young players, while it will be difficult for Rodriguez to force his way into the Real Madrid first team.

Ferguson Facing AC Milan Battle For £40m Brazilian Sensation

Manchester United face serious competition in their pursuit of Brazilian wonderkid Paulo Henrique Ganso after it emerged that AC Milan were readying a bid for the midfielder in the January transfer window.

United have reportedly been monitoring the 21-year-old's progress for a couple of seasons and it is thought Sir Alex Ferguson is eager to add him to his budding young squad.

However, Ferguson will have to see off the interest of Milan if he is to take Ganso to Old Trafford.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Serie A giants have made no secret of their interest in the South American starlet and are ready to make an initial offer of £21m in January.

It is also reported that big-spending French club Paris St Germain are considering a bid.

A stumbling block for any interested party would be the player's valuation. Aware of his potential and the interest he is attracting, Ganso has been valued at £40m by club Santos.

Newcastle Interested In Signing FC Twente Forward

Newcastle United have enjoyed an impressive start to the season and it seems boss Alan Pardew is already looking at players to further strengthen his squad with FC Twente striker Luuk de Jong.

The Toon currently sit fourth in the league having not lost a league game and despite the impressive form of Demba Ba, it is believed the club are still looking for a new striker.

Ba and Leon Best have started the season in superb fashion, but after the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool last season many Newcastle fans are still keen to see another forward arrive at St. James Park.

The 21-year-old has scored 21 league goals in just two seasons with Twente and earlier this year earned his first call up to the Holland national team. De Jong made his debut against Austria and then scored his first international goal against Finland in a Euro 2012 qualifying match.

The Sunday Sun suggests that the striker first caught the attention last season and could be the player to finally be the long term replacement for Carroll.

De Jong has started the season in superb fashion scoring seven goals in his first eight games as Twente have moved up to third in the league, level with PSV Eindhoven and four points behind leaders AZ Alkmaar.

Newcastle are currently employing a transfer policy of persuading young European players to come to the club and de Jong certainly fits the bill.

Arsenal & Manchester City Make Enquiries For Napoli Sensation

Arsenal and Manchester City are just two clubs who are being linked with a move for Napoli's highly-rated youngster Lorenzo Insigne after the player's agent revealed there is major interest in his client.

The 20-year-old striker is currently on-loan at Serie B club Pescara where he has started the season well, scoring twice in his first six appearances.

Insigne also made his debut for Italy's Under-21 side earlier this month and grabbed a brace in the 7-2 win over Liechtenstein.

And his agent, Fabio Anderotti, has claimed there is huge interest in his client both from Italy and abroad.

"My phone is boiling, and not just after the game with the Under-21s,"Andreotti told Calcio Mercato.

"There have already been many requests for Insigne, two major Serie A clubs are already interested in him, and have asked for information. Requests also came from Germany and England. It's up to Napoli."

Insigne spent last season on-loan at Serie B side Foggia where he was in prolific form, scoring 19 goals in 34 appearances.

Spurs Lines Up Move For Highly Rated Serbian Goalkeeper

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is lining up a sensational move for Udinese goalkeeper Zalijko Brkic, according to reports in The Metro.

It is believed Redknapp is lining up a move for the Serbian international as a long term replacement for 40-year-old shot stopper Brad Friedel.

Former Tottenham No. 1 Heurelho Gomes looks certain to be heading for the White Hart Lane exit when the Janaury transfer window opens.

Redknapp has been keeping tabs on Brkic who is currently impressing in-between the sticks for Siena, where he is currently on loan from Udinese.

Speaking recently about the speculation linking him with a move to the Premier League side, Brikic said: "I have heard that Tottenham scouts are looking at me. But at the moment I am fully focused on Siena.

"People in the club say that they are satisfied with me and I am very flattered.

"Hard games are ahead, some great challenges in Serie A and I hope to raise the level of my performances even more."

Big Spending Russians Chasing Andrei Arshavin

Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin is the latest player to be linked with a move to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala as the mega-rich club attempt to lure the cream of Europe to Russia.

Anzhi, who have recently made Brazilian superstar Roberto Carlos their caretaker manager, have been tracking Arshavin's situation at Arsenal for some time and are reportedly ready to make a move for the midfielder in January.

The Russia international received plenty of criticism from fans last season and after the arrival of Gervinho has found his place in the first team under threat.

Arshavin arrived from Zenit St Petersburg for £15million in 2009 and despite initially hitting the heights, has struggled to rediscover his best form.

During the summer the attacking midfielder was linked with a host of Russian clubs, but now it is Anzhi who are hoping to convince the 30-year-old to return to his homeland.

According to the latest reports Anzhi representatives have opened talks with Arshavin's agent as they attempt to land the midfielder in the January transfer window.

Arsenal will not want to lose another experienced midfielder after a difficult summer and start to the season, but may struggle to convince Arshavin to remain in north London.

Man United Prepare January Bid For MLS Star Brek Shea

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing young American international Brek Shea after a prolonged period of monitoring the FC Dallas attacker. Sir Alex Ferguson has been scouting the powerfully built forward and the reports filed on the 21 year old have lead to the Old Trafford boss being ready to make an offer for his services.

The MLS season comes to an end in late November and the Premier League champions are eager to then enter into talks with the player and his club over a possible £10m deal to sign the youngster who has had a stand out season this term, notching ten goals and a number of assists for FC Dallas.

Shea is now a regular in Jurgen Klinsmann’s US national team set-up and is thought to be a player with a great deal of potential. It is thought Man United would offer the player back on loan to his MLS side for the opening period of the 2012 season ahead of a formal transfer to Old Trafford.

A number of European sides are said to be interest in Shea with Chelsea and Juventus also tracking the 6ft 3in adaptable attacker who can play either as an orthodox striker or out on the wing.

Ferguson has been linked with a move for Brek Shea in the past but now that he has developed into a more effective player and has a grounding of experience under his belt it appears the Scot is ready to make an offer.

Having brought in exciting young talents from across Europe and beyond, including the likes of Javier Hernandez, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and David de Gea, to play alongside those coming through the academy ranks, most recently Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck, the Man United manager clearly feels that Brek Shea has the ability to make it in the English top tier and is eager to beat off prospective suitors in the chase for the young Texan.

Arsenal Lining Up January Move For Toulouse Star

Arsenal is on the trail of Toulouse defender Aymen Abdennour, with scouts tracking his progress in France.

Abdennour moved to Toulouse from Etoile du Sahel in the summer and has impressed at the Ligue 1 club, with Arsenal keeping tabs on the Tunisian.

Arsene Wenger's spies knew all about the left-back, who can also play in midfield, before his move to France.

Scouts from the club as well as those from Italy and Spain monitored him during a loan spell at Werder Bremen in 2010.

But the Tunisia international, 22, rejected the chance to move to Bremen permanently and instead opted for Toulouse - while Arsenal will continue to watch him ahead of a possible bid in January.

Real Madrid Ready To Beat Man United & Arsenal To Signing Of Gotze

Arsenal and Manchester United target Mario Gotze is now at the top of Real Madrid's January transfer target list.

The 19-year-old midfielder is one of the most sought-after prospects in Europe and is already a mainstay in the German national side.

The Borussia Dortmund teenager has been on the radar of all of Europe's major clubs since he broke into the Bundesliga side's first-team in 2009.

Arsene Wenger was given an opportunity to witness the youngster's talent first hand when Arsenal travelled to Germany for a 1-1 draw in the Champions League in September.

Dortmund has tied the youngster down on a contract until 2014 and will not enter negotiations for less than £20m.

Real could steal a march on their English rivals as they already have Germany stars Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira in the side.

AC Milan are also tracking the attacking midfielder but his agent, Volker Struth, recently said the starlet is unlikely to move before his contract expires.

Liverpool Consider £10m Bid For Holland Starlet

Liverpool's director of football Damien Comolli has reportedly targeted FC Twente striker Luuk de Jong as a future signing after a number of scouting visits to watch him in action.

The 21-year-old Dutch international has been one of Twente's stand-out players and helped the club win the Eredivisie title in his first season.

His performances have been rewarded with a call-up to the national team and, according to caughtoffside.com, have caught the eye of Liverpool.

The Reds have assembled a top-quality strike pairing in Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez but support options are limited. David N'Gog was sold to Boton and Craig Bellamy has been brought in as a short-term replacement.

However, Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is reportedly eager to sign a younger striker who can enjoy a long-term future at the club, which has led Comolli to de Jong.

The Swiss-born forward is valued at around £10m, a price the Anfield club will be able to meet, while it is thought de Jong would jump at the chance to link up with international team-mate Dirk Kuyt.

Man United Keen On Italian International Midfield Maestro

Man United are reportedly tracking Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio with a view to a possible January bid for the versatile Italian international.

Sir Alex Ferguson was strongly linked with moves to bring in further midfield reinforcements over the summer and had reportedly expressed an interest in Luka Modric and Wesley Sneijder and now the Scot has his eyes on an alternative midfield target.

Marchisio has spent his entire career at Juventus having made his way through the club’s youth ranks to become a pivotal player in the club’s midfield and boss Antonio Conte will be loathed to lose the 25 year old box to box performer. The Old Lady of Italian football has suffered a couple of lean years resulting in successive seventh place finishes that have left the club out of Champions League action.

This season however Juventus have sprang out of the traps and lead the table but come January if they have not kept up their good run of form an offer for Marchisio may tempt the midfielder into considering a move to the Premier League champions.

Marchisio may well offer some added steel to Man United’s midfield and the adaptable Italian also has an eye for goal and is a well rounded performer who has been in fine for this term. Currently Ferguson has a number of central midfield options but the likes of Darren Fletcher, Anderson and Michael Carrick do not offer much in the way of a goal threat and can not be considered as defensively minded either.

Ferguson has reportedly sent scouts to monitor Marchisio this season and his displays have impressed greatly and this may well lead to a January bid for the £20m rated midfielder.

Tottenham Prepare Move For Swiss Strike Sensation

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Rednapp is preparing to make a move for Bayer Leverkusen striker Eren Deriyok, according to reports in the The Sun.

During the course of the summer transfer window Tottenham sold forwards Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane and it looks likely that Roman Pavlyuchenko could leave White Hart Lane in January.

It seems as though a number of other clubs are keeping tabs n the 23-year-old Switzerland international with Premier League rivals Newcastle and Udinese also interested.

However it is believed Tottenham are stealing a march on their rivals and Harry Redknapp has sent scouts out to watch Deriyok in action during Leverkusen's 3-1 win over Wolfsburg and he scored a stunning overhead kick.

According to reports in Germany and Deriyok's home nation of Switzerland it is felt Tottenham are ready to make a January offer of £7,5million.

Arsenal To Offer Marouane Chamakh Plus £20m For German Superstarlet

Arsenal is prepared to give Borussia Dortmund Marouane Chamkh plus £20million for midfielder Mario Gotze.

The Gunners had a £30million bid rejected for the 19-year-old on deadline day as the Bundesliga felt there was little time to find a replacement.

The north Londoners will now go back in January with a new offer plus a player who can help fill the void left by the German international’s departure.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has lost patience with Chamakh who has failed to settle at the Emirates since his free move from Bordeaux last year.

The 27-year-old was rumoured to be on his way out of during the last transfer window but Wenger failed to secure a move for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

The Frenchman could make another move for the hit-man in January or make another multi-million offer for his team-mate Gonzalo Higuain.

Either move will depend on the progress the La Liga giants make in their pursuit of Brazilian starlet Neymar.

The 19-year-old is expected to move to the Bernabeu once his club, Santos’ season is completed.

Liverpool To Attempt To Sign Wing Wizard

Liverpool could again try to sign the Real Sociedad starlet Antoine Griezmann after missing out on him last year, because the youngster has revealed he would like to leave the club at the end of the year.

Last year Liverpool were close to signing the 19-year-old French superstar, but Griezmann decided to stay in Spain with Sociedad and signed a contact until 2015.

His latest comments are sure to make Liverpool Director of Football Damien Comolli sit up and take notice, as last year when the Merseyside club were pursuing the youngster he said, “We have identified targets. If there’s a possibility of us getting a world-class player, we will have the backing.”

The fee will not be a problem, but last year they could have had Griezmann for around €8 Million, now because of a buy out clause in his contract they will have to stump up nearer €30 Million.

Barcelona, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid could also be interested in the news today as they have expressed interest in Griezmann in the past.

Arsenal Set To Make £15m Move For Swiss Winger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is preparing to step up his pursuit of a world class midfielder and has set his sights on Basel winger Xherdan Shaqiri, according to reports in The Metro.

The Switzerland international is one of the hottest young prospects in Europe and there are a number of top European teams keeping tabs on him including Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, Italian sides, Juventus and AC Milan.

There is also interest from a number of Premier League sides including, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham.

However it seems as though Arsenal boss Wenger is keen to steal a march on his rivals and it is believed he is sending his head scout to watch the player in action against Wales tonight at the Liberty Stadium.

Shaqiri, 19, was very impressive during the summer’s European Under-21 championships and he has continued his fine form into the new campaign and even scored a hat-trick for the Switzerland senior side against Bulgaria in September.

It is believed Basel will be looking for in the region of around £15million for their prized asset and it could rise depending how many clubs will make offers when the January transfer window opens.

Chelsea On Verge Of Signing 17 Year Old Whiz Kid

Chelsea could be about to sign 17-year-old Chilean defender Igor Lichnovsky from Universidad de Chile according to their South American scout Jorge Alvial.

Lichnovsky has been at Universidad since the tender age of 10, and he has already represented the Chilean Under 17 national side, though he yet break into the first team squad at Universidad.

Alvial has been keeping an eye on the youngster for some time now, admiring his performances at youth level, where he is regarded as one of the best players in his age group.

Alvial spoke to La Tercera, a Chilean website, and said, “Igor is a very good player. I have been following him for some time and he is in the mind for Chelsea.”

Chelsea have already signed one South American youngster this year, Lucas Piazon, but he is unable to join until he is 18, so if any deal for Lichnovsky is to go ahead it would appear as though a similar pre-contract agreement would need to be drawn up.

Liverpool Keen On Dan Thompson

Liverpool are the latest Barclays Premier League club to be linked with a move for non-league striker Dan Thompson.

TalkSPORT reports that the non-league 'prodigy' has emerged on Kenny Dalglish's radar in recent weeks, with the Reds looking to add the player to their impressive youth ranks at Anfield.

Both Stoke City and QPR have taken closer looks at the player, with the Potters originally holding pole position to secure the signature of the 17-year-old.

“Something definitely will happen for him, because there are other clubs still sniffing about," said Hampton & Richmond manager Mark Harper last month.

“If it doesn’t then I have already spoken to his agent and asked if he can come back to us. It seems silly that I’m looking to bring some players in on loan, when there is potentially one of our own players available to help.”

However, a deal was not struck between the two parties, and Liverpool appear set to wade into the race to sign the Blue Square South player.

Dalglish spent big this summer on bringing young British players to the club, with £20 million Jordan Henderson the biggest example on Merseyside, following in the footsteps of £35 million Andy Carroll, who was brought to Liverpool in January.

Thompson, unlike the aforementioned pair, would have to work his way towards the Liverpool first team though time with the youth and reserve teams, but will be joining the likes of England youth internationals Raheem Sterling and Adam Morgan should the Anfield switch happen.

QPR To Launch Bid For Javier Saviola

QPR are set to make a sensational move for Benfica forward Javier Saviola as the Argentinean has fallen down the pecking order at the Portuguese club.

The former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker made the move to Benfica in 2009 after leaving the Bernabeu and was initially considered a first team regular in his first two seasons at the club.

However, the excellent form of Oscar Cardozo and Nolita, who have scored 10 goals in the opening seven games, has meant that Saviola has found himself restricted to starting on the bench.

The 29-year-old has a wealth of experience at some of the biggest clubs around Europe and despite having now retired from international football had scored 11 goals in 40 appearances for Argentina.

According to Talksport, the diminutive striker is considering his options after entering the final year of his contract at the Portuguese side and Premier League side QPR have emerged as a potential destination.

The London club is attracting plenty of attention with River Plate, Sevilla, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid all interested in signing the striker.

QPR manager Neil Warnock is being backed by new owner Tony Fernandes and the club will be hoping to persuade the striker to choose a move to England.

AC Milan Aiming To Beat Arsenal To Signing Of Fiorentina Star

AC Milan are lining up a cut-price January swoop for Riccardo Montolivo, who is understood to be on Arsenal's list of transfer targets.

The 26-year-old Fiorentina star has made no secret of his desire to leave the club having decided against extending his contract which expires next summer.

And now Fiorentina are keen to find a buyer for Montolivo when the transfer window opens to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of the season.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been linked with a move for the creative central midfielder in the past and might have been ready to reignite his interest in January given his side's poor start to the season - and Jack Wilshere's long-term ankle injury.

But now reports in Italy have revealed that Serie A champions Milan are readying a £2.5m January bid for the 26-year-old.

The Rossoneri are languishing 15th in the table with just five points from as many games this season and reckon Montolivo could fill the deep-lying playmaker void left by Andrea Pirlo, who joined Juventus in the summer after 10 years at the San Siro.