England
Arsenal Wrap Up Squillaci Signing
Arsenal have completed a £5m deal for Sevilla center back Sebastien Squillaci. (The Guardian)
Analysis: Squillaci won’t have any problems settling in with his new team, given the French influence and the presence of his several of his international teammates, and he’ll add a wealth of experience to a side that’s still relatively young overall.
Diarra Offered To Liverpool
Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra has reportedly been offered to Liverpool, according to Sky Sports.
Analysis: Diarra would be a quality addition to Liverpool’s midfield. His knee injury two seasons ago really curtailed what had been an excellent first season-plus for him at Real, but he definitely has what it takes to flourish in the Premier League. And with Roy Hodgson having to look at a long Premier League season and multiple cup competitions, getting the chance to add quality depth in a key area like midfield is one not to be passed on, irrespective of the whole Mascherano mess.
Another Midlands Move For Mancienne
Wolves have snapped up Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne on loan for the third time. The 22-year-old first moved to Wolves on loan during their Championship title campaign in the 2008/09 season, and he returned to Molineux last season, making 22 Premier League starts as Wolves survived the drop. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: Chelsea looked to only be willing to consider a permanent deal for Mancienne, but considering that such a deal wasn’t about to happen and that he wouldn’t see much, if any, time at Chelsea this season, loaning him out to Wolves again is a good idea.
Italy
Inter Table Official Mascherano Bid
The Sun reported early Thursday that Inter Milan had sent an official offer for midfielder Javier Mascherano to Liverpool and that the club was awaiting a response about their offer for the unsettled Argentinian, who’s also wanted by Barcelona.
However, the latest reports say that the offer, which was £6m plus former Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari, was quickly rejected by Liverpool.
Analysis: Well, judging by these comments, the return fax might well consist of nothing more than ‘HA!’ written in large letters. Try again, no?
Milan Line Up Robinho As Ibra Fallback
If AC Milan fail in their bid to land Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, they could turn to Manchester City’s Robinho, Sky Sports says.
Analysis: Milan have their heart set on Ibrahimovic, and it looks like both sides will do their best to make the deal happen, but if it happens that the money issue proves to be too much of a stumbling block, Robinho would be a good – and comparatively much more affordable – backup option.
Spain
Mallorca Sign Cavenaghi
Mallorca have signed Bordeaux striker Fernando Cavenaghi on a season-long loan deal. (Goal.com)
Analysis: After selling Aritz Aduriz, their top scorer for the last two seasons, to Valencia, Mallorca needed to find a new primary goal getter on the cheap, and their loan move for Cavenaghi fits that. Cavenaghi only scored three goals in 14 league starts last season after netting 13 and 15 the previous two seasons, but with a regular place in the starting lineup and the likes of Borja Valero creating plenty of opportunities, he should surpass the double-digit mark again, which could be enough to help Mallorca finish in the European places again.
Germany
Diego Set For Wolfsburg Switch
Former Werder Bremen star Diego is set to return to the Bundesliga after only one season at Juventus, as Steve McClaren and VfL Wolfsburg are set to land the Brazilian playmaker in a €15m deal. (Sky Sports)
Analysis: What’s that they say about there being no place like home? Diego wasn’t exactly a complete flop at Juve, but he’ll find a lot more success upon his return to the Bundesliga. If he finds his old form, this will be one of the best 2010 summer transfers. If McClaren elects to hold on to Zvjezdan Misimovic, he’ll have some selection headaches, but he’ll also have an attack that will be nigh on unstoppable.
France
Bordeaux Land Khalfallah
Bordeaux have moved quickly to find a new playmaker after the departure of Yoann Gourcuff to Lyon, nabbing Valenciennes star Fahid Ben Khalfallah for a fee believed to be between 4m and 5m. Khalfallah signed from Caen last summer and helped lead Valenciennes to a 10th-place finish, scoring seven goals and finishing tied with Marseille’s Lucho Gonzalez as the Ligue 1 assists leader with 12. (Goal.com)
Analysis: Not exactly a flashy signing if Bordeaux supporters were hoping to see the club splash the cash to replace Gourcuff, but he’ll do the business at Bordeaux. Don’t be surprised if he makes another step up soon.
Scotland
Celtic Move For Shechter
According to the Daily Mail, Celtic have made a £2.5m bid for Hapoel Tel Aviv striker Itay Shechter. The 23-year-old scored 31 goals in all competitions last season.
Analysis: After scoring 21 league goals in 83 appearances in three seasons at Maccabi Netanya, Shechter scored 22 in 34 appearances in his debut season for Hapoel, and if he keeps it up, he’s destined for a step up before long. But with Hapoel having made the group stage of the Champions League, he could well prefer to test himself against Europe’s best and wait for other opportunities.
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