TRANSFER ROUNDUP: PL Champions Leicester To Sign Liverpool Forward, Arsenal Monitoring Icardi, And More
Jurgen Klopp Wants Joe Hart At Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp is reportedly interested in bringing England’s #1 Joe Hart at Liverpool, according to France Football.
Manchester City’s new incoming manager Pep Guardiola apparently does not want Joe Hart as his goalkeeper, and will be selling the Englishman as soon as he takes charge at the Etihad. Guardiola is rumoured to be planning a bid for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who only plays the cup games for the Catalan giants. Pep wants to bring in the young German as a long-term replacement for Hart.
And if Joe Hart does get sold, Liverpool are all set to offer him a new home, as manager Jurgen Klopp is keen on signing the 29-year-old. Klopp has been on the lookout for new goalkeeping alternatives for the inconsistent Simon Mignolet for a while, despite the Belgian keeper signing a new long-term contract extension at the start of the season.
Galatasaray Interested In Radamel Falcao
Turkish giants Galatasaray are interested in signing Radamel Falcao, according to Fotomac.
The Colombian striker is currently on loan at Chelsea from French side Monaco. However, his loan spell at the Stamford Bridge has been just as unsuccessful as his spell at Manchester United the previous season, if not worse, and the chances of Chelsea retaining his services are close to non-existent.
But thanks to El Tigre’s sensational past goal-scoring record, the forward still has a list of suitors, with Turkish outfit Galatasaray showing genuine interest in signing the 30-year-old. Falcao’s ‘Super Agent’ Jorge Mendes has reportedly been tasked with finding Falcao a new club, and Galatasaray S.K. has emerged as a possible destination for the striker. But with other clubs like Zenit St Petersburg and River Plate also showing interest in his services, Falcao has a lot of options to consider where he wants to play next.
Manchester United Suffer Major Setback In Their Felipe Anderson Pursuit
Manchester United have suffered a major setback in their chase to sign Felipe Anderson after his agent’s recent comments.
Manchester United have apparently been trying to sign Anderson since last summer, since manager Louis van Gaal is looking to add players full of pace and flair to his side. According to reports, the Red Devils even opened talks regarding a possible deal in March 2016. The English giants were willing to pay up to £39m for the Lazio star’s services.
But now it all appears to be for naught, as the Brazilian looks set to stay at the Stadio Olimpico until 2017 at the least. The winger’s sister and agent Juliana Gomes was quoted as saying: “My brother won’t be leaving Rome during next summer.”
Anderson’s contract with Lazio lasts until 2020, but he has struggled to match his last season’s achievements, having scored just seven goals and assisted four times this season.
Leicester City To Make A Move For Liverpool’s Christian Benteke
Leicester City are reportedly set to make a move for Liverpool striker Christian Benteke, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Benteke arrived at Liverpool last summer, and made a solid start under Brendan Rodgers, scoring four goals in his first eight matches for the Reds. However, the arrival of Jurgen Klopp saw Benteke’s form drop, as he managed to score twice in 15 Premier League matches thereafter. The Belgian has been out of Klopp’s favour, due to him not being the type of forward Klopp usually deploys in his teams, and is very likely to get sold in the summer.
Premier League champions Leicester City, however, are rumoured to be interested in signing Benteke. His time at Liverpool may have been mediocre, but his performances at his former club Aston Villa have convinced manager Claudio Ranieri that he’d be a smart buy for the Foxes. According to Gazzetta dello Sport’s report, the 25-year-old is one of the many big names on Ranieri’s wishlist, as he prepares the English champions for next season’s UEFA Champions League campaign.
Arsenal Monitoring Inter Milan Forward Mauro Icardi
Arsenal are keeping tabs on Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, according to The Mirror.
Arsenal have been lacking a proper strike-force in front of goal, and according to rumours, their current first-choice striker Olivier Giroud is a summer target for German club Wolfsburg as well.
Amid such reports, Arsenal are keeping tabs on Inter’s Mauro Icardi as a potential replacement for Giroud. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger thinks the 23-year-old will be the perfect option to bolster his team’s attack, and with the Argentine forward available for £25m, the Gunners could tempt him to move to the Emirates.
However, with Icardi being targeted by Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United as well, Arsenal are also keeping tabs on Juventus striker Alvaro Morata, in case Icardi chooses to turn down Arsenal for one of their Premier League rivals.
