MANCHSTER United’s worst fears became reality today as Real Madrid start preparing a £60m bid for Wayne Rooney.
The Spanish giants have made the Old Trafford ace their No.1 summer target.
United plan to open new contract talks with Rooney next month about a possible £170,000-a-week deal.
But Madrid hope to turn Rooney’s head and intend to pursue the England striker in the same way they trailed wing wizard Cristiano Ronaldo last season.
Madrid eventually landed Ronaldo for £80m and United fear they will make an offer for Rooney that they will struggle to turn down. Real president Florentino Perez wants to maintain the second coming of the Galacticos and add Rooney to Ronaldo, Kaka and Xabi Alonso.
A Madrid source revealed this week: “Rooney is the top name on the list for next summer. Madrid will pursue him in the same way they did with David Beckham and Ronaldo. They are always successful and will do what it takes to get Rooney.’’ Read more…
Aston Villa will act quickly to stave off a dramatic loss of form by tabling a bid for West Ham midfielder Scott Parker during the Transfer Window.
Villa have lost their last two matches and fell out of the Champions League race with a dreadful post-Christmas run last season.
However, manager Martin O’Neill is desperate to maintain a push for the top four this time - his side are currently fifth - and reports in The Guardian suggest he will attempt to beat Tottenham and Liverpool to Parker’s signature.
The 29-year-old has been valued at £8m by the hard-up Hammers and his natural holding midfield role is something O’Neill needs.
He has been using attacking midfielder Stilian Petrov more defensively while Nigel Reo-Coker - replaced by Parker at Upton Park two years ago - is struggling to hold a regular place down.
History would suggest ex-Charlton and Chelsea man Parker would favour a London move but he did spend two seasons at Newcastle so is not averse to leaving the capital. Read more…
Losing Franck Ribery would not weaken Bayern Munich, according to former Germany captain Matthias Sammer.
Former Borussia Dortmund coach Sammer claims the Frenchman, who has been hampered by injury this term, should not walk back into the Bayern team when the Bundesliga starts up again next month after the winter break.
The 1996 European Footballer of the Year feels Bayern coach Louis van Gaal has created a side which is strong enough without the winger, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as Spanish giants Real Madrid.
‘Of course the class of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben is undisputed, but to build them into the team is going to be a huge task for Van Gaal,’ Sammer, who led Dortmund to the Bundesliga title in 2002 and is now responsible for youth development with the German Football Association, told Munich’s Tz newspaper.
‘Bayern have found a settled team who can always play their best and they showed that in Turin (against Juventus), without Ribery.’
Reports in Germany today claimed Ribery and Bayern have already agreed terms with Real over a transfer in the summer should the 26-year-old choose not to commit himself to a new contract by the end of the season. Read more…
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has told his Inter Milan rival Jose Mourinho to think again if he wants to return and manage his former club and current Premiership leaders.
Ancelotti, 50, hit out at The Special One, stoking up their February Champions League showdown, after Mourinho returned to England to watch Chelsea beat Fulham.
The Portuguese boss - who was given a seat in Roman Abramovich’s personal box - said he would ‘love to return to the Premiership’ as he missed English football.
But in an interview in today’s Corriere Dello Sport Ancelotti said: ‘He (Mourinho) wants a return to Chelsea? Well he will have to wait because I’m here. He has worked in England and he knows the environment and it is a great environment.
‘Everybody wants to work in the Premiership. A return ? Well I think he will have to wait as for the moment I am the manager of the Blues.’
Before taking the Chelsea job in the summer Ancelotti was at Inter’s cross city rivals AC Milan and the two had numerous clashes on and off the field and have never seen eye to eye. Read more…
Real Madrid want to build their defence around Manchester United rock Nemanja Vidic.
The Spanish giants are ready to test Sir Alex Ferguson’s resolve by trying to lure Vidic to the Bernabeu along with his Serbia team-mate Branislav Ivanovic from Chelsea.
Madrid want to add one more forward to the team in 2010, with Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero topping of a short list of three ahead of Valencia’s David Villa and United’s Wayne Rooney.
But the main emphasis for the next phase of spending will focus on making Madrid’s defence as tight as Barcelona.
Madrid have conceded 13 goals in 15 La Liga games, while Barca have shipped just nine in as many outings.
Vidic is in no hurry to discuss an extension to his contract at Old Trafford, which runs to 2012, and it is suggested that he and his wife Ana are keen on a move to a warmer country.
United will not want to risk losing Vidic for nothing by allowing his £70,000-a-week contract run down, so may have to consider serious offers. Read more…
Manchester City are on the brink of signing Inter Milan defender Ivan Cordoba.
Having fallen out with Inter manager Jose Mourinho, the 33-year-old centre half was offered to a number of clubs but it is believed that the Colombia international favours a move to City.
Sportsmail revealed last week that new City boss Roberto Mancini was keen on bringing Cordoba to Eastlands to shore up his defence.
Cordoba played under Mancini at the San Siro two years ago but has subsequently dropped down the pecking order under Mourinho.
Last week Mancini admitted that he would love to sign Cordoba but seemed to suggest it would be too difficult.
The City boss said: ‘Sadly, I think he is too tied to Inter.’ But it is now apparent that City are at least trying to do a deal as Mancini endeavours to bring in cover for a defence beset by injuries and loss of form. Read more…
Carlo Ancelotti will make a transfer window U-turn by offering a British record £45million for Franck Ribery.
Chelsea boss Ancelotti has told fans he will not be signing anyone and vowed to run naked around the club’s training ground if he was lying.
But the Italian has previous when it comes to misleading statements and People Sport can reveal that Bayern Munich star Ribery is his No.1 target.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich has given Ancelotti the cash and wants him to spend big as the Premier League leaders look to strengthen during the lifting of their transfer ban.
And Ribery is now the first-choice target as Chelsea know he will go elsewhere if they do not land him in the New Year - with the FIFA suspension hanging over their heads and possibly kicking in from next summer.
Bayern also know Chelsea’s cash is bigger than any that their rivals are offering - and that Ribery shows no sign of signing a new contract with them and will go for less if he does not move in January . Read more…
Jose Mourinho snubbed Manchester City’s millions because his dream is to manage Manchester United.
The charismatic former Chelsea boss, now at Inter Milan, rejected discreet overtures from Eastlands some weeks ago. Mourinho says he intends to see out his contract at the San Siro, which ends in 2012, a commitment he repeated in Italy last week.
‘At the moment I am and will be Inter manager until 2012, that’s when I have signed up until and we are convinced we will reach 2012,’ he said in a television interview.
But sources close to the Portuguese have indicated his Inter contract was only part of the reason for cold-shouldering City. They believe Mourinho’s ambition is to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson and that, if he bides his time, the Old Trafford job will become conveniently available. Ferguson who will be 68 on Thursday, is showing no sign that he is ready to quit in the immediate future.
But significantly, the Scot will be invited to make recommendations about his successor and has a lot of admiration for Mourinho, the only other manager to win the Premier League in the last five years. Mourinho, 46, finished top in the first two of his three years in charge at Stamford Bridge. Read more…
World Cup cheat Thierry Henry could be heading back to the Premier League - with big-spending Manchester City.
Spanish media yesterday reported that Barcelona are willing to listen to offers for the 32-year-old in January.
Henry is football’s public enemy number one after his handball disgrace helped France knock the Republic of Ireland out of the World Cup play-off.
City’s keeper Shay Given was part of the Ireland team and yet new Eastlands chief Roberto Mancini apparently wants an experienced forward to spearhead his hopes of reaching the top four.
Former Arsenal captain Henry is under contract at Barca until 2011 but is a target for MLS club New York Red Bulls. Read more…
