Transfer Rumors (21 June 09): Chelsea in hunt for Liverpool’s Alonso, Manchester United to replace Tevez with Benzema, Hull bid for Owen, and more

In case you may have missed anything over the weekend, we’ve got a nice fresh batch of transfer news and rumors to deliver bright and early this morning.

In the not-so-breaking news category, Manchester United aren’t going to be signing Carlos Tevez permanently, but he may well have already agreed a move to a new destination not far from his old home. However, Manchester United could already be planning for their Tevez-less future, and it might not be long before their replacement is on his way to Old Trafford.

Who else is in the news this morning? Check out the roundup to find out, and make sure to check out the latest updates to the summer transfer lists.

England

United To Bid For Benzema

Manchester United could make a £30m bid for Lyon star Karim Benzema sometime this week. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Lyon have been shrewd negotiators with some of their top stars in the past, but it seems like they’re prepared to sell him if the right offer comes in, which shouldn’t be an issue for United.

City To Sign Tevez?

After Manchester United confirmed that they won’t be signing Carlos Tevez permanently, it appears that the Argentine striker could be set to join Manchester City in the next couple of days in a deal that may have already been agreed two weeks ago. (The Mirror)

Analysis: With Roque Santa Cruz also set to sign for City, City’s depth up front will be much improved next season, but someone’s going to have to be stuck with a less expanded role. Craig Bellamy? Robinho? You can imagine someone’s going to wind up unhappy soon enough, but having depth up front is a must when you have aspirations of any kind, so it’s a risk City obviously deem worth taking.

Chelsea Join Race For Alonso

Chelsea could be set to rival Real Madrid’s interest in Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Alonso hasn’t exactly confirmed one way or another that what he wants to do, but even if Rafa Benitez did consider selling him, it certainly wouldn’t be to one of Liverpool’s title rivals.

Aston Villa Chase Jurado And Wheater

Aston Villa could be set to make a £7m move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Jurado. (Tribal Football)

Villa could also soon make a bid for Middlesbrough defender David Wheater. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Jurado hasn’t made a big impression for either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, but a big season on loan at Mallorca last season showed that the 22-year-old has a lot of potential. It certainly wouldn’t hurt Villa to add more creative options, and it also wouldn’t hurt if they could bolster their defense with Wheater. He has stated that he would like to stay at Boro, but the move to Villa and a chance to play in Europe could be pretty tempting.

Hull To Move For Owen?

Hull could be set to make an intriguing offer to Michael Owen. The offer would include a base salary of £40k per week, with Owen being paid £20k for every game he plays, and £10k for every goal he scores. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: It certainly doesn’t hurt to try if you’re Hull, but I think Everton are the team to beat. If/when Everton do land him, the deal might be something similar to the above, considering that they aren’t going to break the bank with salaries either. If he stays fit and scores goals (and we know that’s a big, big if), then it’s more money that has to be paid out, but the benefits would be well worth it.

Sunderland To Move For Campbell?

Sunderland could try to make a late move to snatch Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell from Hull’s clutches. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Sunderland would likely offer Campbell more money than Hull would, but the familiarity of Hull could still win out.

Blackburn Offer Rothen

Blackburn have offered former PSG midfielder Jerome Rothen a three-year deal. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Another low-risk signing for Sam Allardyce. The sale of Santa Cruz will give him some money to spend, but it doesn’t hurt to add experience and quality depth for cheap.

Spain

Barca To Include Hleb In Young Bid

Barcelona could try to sweeten a move for Aston Villa star Ashley Young by including Alexander Hleb in their bid for the England winger. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Tempting offer, since Hleb is someone that Villa have been linked with. However, they have enough money to buy Hleb without having to sell another one of their best players to do so.

Italy

Lazio Move For Malaga Winger

Lazio are set to complete a £750k move for Malaga winger Eliseu Pereira. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Pereira had a terrific campaign in La Liga last season, and he also just recently earn his first cap for Portugal, so the potential is certainly there for Lazio to get back their investment times quite a lot.

France

Lyon Bid For Hoarau

Lyon have made a £8.4m bid for Paris Saint-Germain striker Gillaume Hoarau, who could be set to replace Karim Benzema if he does indeed move to Manchester United. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: PSG might not be too keen on selling to one of their rivals, but Hoarau could certainly be tempted by the opportunity, not only because his chances of winning trophies might be a little better at Lyon than at PSG, but because a move to Lyon could be a stepping stone for a move to one of Europe’s elites, as has been the case for many others at Lyon in years past.

Lens To Land Gelson?

Newly-promoted Ligue 1 side Lens are closing in on a £2.5m deal for Manchester City midfielder Gelson Fernandes. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Gelson’s future at Manchester City looked pretty bleak, so this is the right move for him, especially with Switzerland in a good position to make next year’s World Cup. One of the several languages he’s fluent in is French, so settling in won’t pose a problem.

Argentina

River Plate In Talks For Saviola

River Plate are in talks with the representatives of Real Madrid striker Javier Saviola over a return to his former club. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Saviola has recently been linked with Liverpool, and he may feel that he can still do the business for one of Europe’s top clubs. But a move back to River wouldn’t be a bad one, because he could have a big hand in leading them back to the kind of success that the club had during the time he was there.

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