Football transfer rumours: Barcelona to sign Leicester's Kasper Schmeichel?
LONDON. KAZINFORM Cast your mind back to the 2012-13 season, when La Liga strugglers Granada beat the mighty Real Madrid 1-0. It was a surprising victory, rendered all the more remarkable because the Andalusian side managed to put Real to the sword without registering a single shot on goal. Their winner came courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo own goal, the Portuguese superstar left looking uncharacteristically sheepish after deflecting a corner past his own goalkeeper. The man who took that corner was Manuel Agudo Durán, who goes by the nickname Nolito.
Aged 29, this Spanish left winger was a late bloomer who made a few appearances for Barcelona under Pep Guardiola before joining Benfica and then Granada, before heading for Celta Vigo, where he now plies his trade. The subject of speculation in January linking him with a return to Barcelona, Nolito is now being targeted by West Ham. The Spain international has a release clause in his contract of €15m and is wanted by Slaven Bilic, who could face competition from elsewhere for the services of a player who recently told an interviewer that “the Celta president told me that he wouldn’t sell me and I said to him ‘that’s just fine by me’.”
Nolito was linked with a move to the Premier League last season, but harrumphed at the notion that he would ever play in England, even if it would mean earning far greater wages than he trousers in Spain. And his reason for not wanting to go England? “Because it’s cold, it rains a lot, and the food’s bad,” he said. “Besides, what do I need more money for? All greed does is rip the bag.” Don’t hold your breath, Hammers fans.
Manchester United’s interest in Benfica midfielder Renato Sanches has been well documented round these parts, but they will have to intercept overtures from Manchester City, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain if they are to land their man. Sunday’s Sun reported that José Mourinho is already preparing to take over from Louis van Gaal and has “sanctioned” a £40m bid for the 18-year-old, while the Sunday Times say Pep Guardiola wants him at the Etihad.
Meanwhile in the Mirror, it’s reported that Tottenham Hotspur’s superior fitness is prevailing as they edge ahead of Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton in the race to sign Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette. The Ligue 1 side accepted a £22m bid for the player from Newcastle in January, but he chose not to become part of the Magpies’ French foreign legion. Weekend reports suggest Spurs are now ready to sign him for £23.5m, while French sports daily L’Equipe say Mauricio Pochettino also wants to bring Lyon defender Samuel Umtiti and Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi to White Hart Lane.
Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is rumoured to be the subject of interest from Barcelona, who will need a replacement for Marc-André ter Stegen, who is expected to decamp from Camp Nou. The German goalkeeper is reported to be unhappy with his status as Barça’s go-to goalkeeping guy for Copa del Rey and Champions League matches, while Claudio Bravo stands between the sticks for league excursions. Liverpool are reported to have identified Ter Stegen as their preferred replacement for Simon Mignolet.
Radamel Falcao’s unhappy time at Chelsea will come to an end this summer. The Colombian, who is on loan from Monaco, has made just 14 appearances for Chelsea this season and the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport reports that Serie A side Roma want to bring him to Italy, where he will be given the onerous task of filling Francesco Totti’s very big boots.
And finally, Anthony Martial’s late winner for Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday may have consigned Roberto Martínez to the managerial dustbin of Everton history. The names of Manuel Pellegrini, Ronald Koeman and Ronald de Boer are being bandied about as potential successors to the Spaniard.
Source: The Guardian