It looks like a summer of surprises for Manchester United thus far, doesn’t it? After swooping for Michael Owen and signing a little-known young French winger in Gabriel Obertan, United have pulled another rabbit out of the transfer hat with their latest signing.
They’ve been busy this summer, but not nearly as busy as their city rivals, who appear to be meeting a little frustration with at least one of their current targets.
Not to be forgotten is Chelsea, who may have relinquished their title as the Premier League’s biggest spenders to Manchester City but are being far from quiet this summer.
Keep reading to find out the latest tidbits involving each of the aforementioned clubs and much more of the top transfer news and rumors around the Premier League and Europe, and also make sure to check out the updated summer transfer lists to keep up with all of the latest confirmed moves.
England
Senegalese Surprise For United
Days after Sir Alex Ferguson said that Manchester United’s summer spending was done, United have gone and signed young Senegalese striker Mame Biram Diouf from Norwegian side Molde. The 21-year-old will remain at Molde on loan for the remainder of the season before joining United in January. (The Mirror)
Analysis: Not surprised to see United make another signing, and this may well not even be it for them, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who said ‘who?’ when seeing this tidbit. He’s currently the top scorer in the Norwegian top flight, with a four-goal showing in a league match on Sunday (which you can see here), so he’s got some skills. Fergie’s obviously looking towards the future by signing Obertan and Diouf, but only time will tell whether he’ll work out as well as former Molde star Ole Gunnar Solksjaer did or if he’ll go the way of Manucho (more on that below).
Adebayor Offered To Chelsea?
It appeared that Manchester City were close to wrapping up the signing of Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor, but there looks to be yet another twist in the situation. After reportedly offering Adebayor to Manchester United, Adebayor’s advisers have now allegedly offered the Arsenal striker to Chelsea. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: Well, if he does move to City, methinks his advisers won’t be on the City holiday card mailing list.
Chelsea Close On Matic, Bid For Vucinic?
Chelsea could make a £20m bid for Roma striker Mirko Vucinic, who has also been the subject of interest from Manchester United and Tottenham this summer. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: Vucinic could be pretty receptive to a Chelsea move, but is he worth 20m? Talented striker, but inconsistent all the same. But inconsistencies aside, he is an accomplished striker domestically and in Europe, and with quality, proven striker options getting slimmer (or more expensive) by the day,
Also, Chelsea could be close to securing a deal for Serbian starlet Nemanja Matic. The 20-year-old midfielder is already claiming that he’s inked a contract with Chelsea, and a £5m fee could be settled with Matic’s club MFK Kosice. (The Sun)
Analysis: Matic likely won’t fit into Chelsea’s plans immediately, as strong as they are in midfield, but he’s certainly one to watch for the future. The same thing can be said about Serbia, who are producing a lot of top young talent right now.
Arsenal Step Up Hangeland Pursuit?
Arsenal could make an offer of £10m plus Philippe Senderos for Fulham center back Brede Hangeland. (Daily Star)
Analysis: Considering the source, one might not need to take too much stock into this one. But if such an offer did come about, could it be worth considering?
Fulham Target Montero
Fulham are interested in Seattle Sounders FC striker Fredy Montero. (Daily Star)
Analysis: Montero’s a promising young talent, and he’s showing that with a current streak of five straight games with a goal. If he keeps it up, it won’t be long before he makes the jump to Europe.
Forest Land Gunter
Nottingham Forest have signed Tottenham defender Chris Gunter for £1.75m. (Sky Sports)
Analysis: It was pretty unlikely that Gunter was going to make an impact at Tottenham in the near future under Harry Redknapp, so this is a good move for him.
Spain
Barcelona Close On Ibrahimovic
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that there’s an agreement in principle with Inter Milan which will see Zlatan Ibrahimovic move to Barca and could see Samuel Eto’o and Alexander Hleb move to Inter. (Sky Sports)
Analysis: Seems to be only a matter of time before this one is all wrapped up, and I repeat what I said before – Inter come out better by far in this deal, at least in my book.
Valladolid Sign Manucho
Real Valladolid have landed Manchester United striker Manucho for an undisclosed fee. (Sky Sports)
Analysis: In the end, Manucho joins the list of players who haven’t been able to make a breakthrough at United, but he has a chance to become a first-team regular with Valladolid and play a key role in helping them to a solid finish next season.
Germany
Hamburg Seal Berg Deal
Hamburg SV have signed FC Groningen striker Marcus Berg for an undisclosed fee. (Sky Sports)
Analysis: Hamburg have certainly moved up a couple of notches for me in terms of Bundesliga title contenders, and if they can somehow swing a move to bring Van der Vaart back, I’d have to put them as the third favorite behind Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich.
France
Marseille In For Denis
Marseille could make an €8m move for Napoli striker Germain Denis. (Goal.com)
Analysis: Denis had a nice start to his time at Napoli, but he, and with the signing of Fabio Quagliarella, his opportunities would be even more limited.
Daily Links
Why David Beckham Will Be Good For MLS
Many may think that David Beckham’s MLS move is a resounding failure, but there are reasons why Becks could still have a positive impact for the league.
Why Isn’t Guadeloupe A FIFA Member?
With Guadeloupe in the midst of another fine showing at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, it makes one wonder why they aren’t an official FIFA member.
Looking to find out when the kickoff date for your favorite European domestic league? The Offside has done an excellent job in compiling start dates for many European leagues, both major and otherwise.
Chelsea Scrimmage With Seahawks QB Hasselbeck
In the midst of preparing for their first friendly in the U.S., a few Chelsea stars got some tips in the other football from an NFL star.
Ghost Stories Of European Footballers Episode 2 – Frank Lampard
If you haven’t checked out the first segment featuring Fernando Torres, do so before you check this one out. Just make sure you’re not in a library or in the middle of a class when you watch either.
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