"I am close to joining Milan."

Liverpool are close to saying goodbye to their Italian midfield disappointment, Alberto Aquilani. The 27 year-old is looking forward to leaving the club where he has had very little success or joy since signing for a huge fee of £20 million back in 2009.

Aquilani told the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Spport; "I am close to joining Milan." It is a move which would see Liverpool make a loss of £11.3 million, with the Milan side prepared to pay £8.7 million for Aquilani's services.

Having signed Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam this summer, Kenny Dalglish has clearly prepared for a season without the former Roma central midfielder, and with Raul Meireles, Lucas and Steven Gerrard already, it is unlikely Aquilani will see much game time at Liverpool anyway.

In fact, during his season on loan at Juventus last year, he played more game than he has done in two seasons with Liverpool, playing only 28 times and scoring two goals for the Reds. That is due to a mixture of injuries and simply not impressing in the few games he did play for Liverpool.

When he signed for Liverpool in 2009, Rafae Benitez, the then manager said of his player: "He is a good passer, the final ball is good, and he also works. If he can settle down properly in England he can be a very good addition. I think the signing should excite the fans." 

However, he simply was unable to settle in England like Benitez had hoped, and everyone involved will probably be pleased with him moving on, back to his country where he is no doubt more comfortable with his style of play.

Follow Me on Twitter @DBSFootball

Arsenal Prepared to Spend £20m on Diego

A talented Brazilian midfielder, with genuine attacking flair and top class experience who is looking to leave his club, and dreams of playing in the Premier League - it is the perfect situation for a prospective buyer from England. Arsenal have apparently recognised this, according to the German media, and are prepared to spend as much as £20 million for him as Arsene Wenger prepares to let go of both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri for a healthy sum of cash.

Arsenal have been tracking the Wolfsburg midfielder since his days at Werder Bremen - the most successful and fruitful time of the 26 year-old's career, where he played 128 times, scoring an impressive 52 goals. However, his transfer to Italy with Juventus proved unsuccessful, and was sold to the German club Wolfsburg in 2010, only for him to fall out with the coaching staff and has been told to look for a new club. Diego said:

"At this moment I desperately want to play in England. There are talks with several clubs just starting. It is way too early to admit my destination. Anyway, it would be perfect to feature in the Premiership in the future." 

"I will definitely consider all offers in a careful manner. It is my dream to play in the Premiership. I am looking forward to getting a solution."

It is a big indication of his future, but Arsenal will have competition, with both Liverpool and Aston Villa interested in Diego's often controversial services. His talent is large, but he is hindered by his sometimes erratic behaviour off the pitch, for which he has been fined heavily by Wolfsburg recently. When he was informed that he would be starting on the bench in one game, he was so incensed that he left the stadium, leaving Wolfsburg with fewer players on the bench to chose from

Yes, he may be a handful, but according to these reports, Arsenal along with Liverpool and Aston Villa would be willing to take the risk and attempt to manage Diego's temperament in return for a creative spark in the middle of the field.

One source claims Wolfsburg would be asking for as little as £9 million for the Brazilian, while another says that Arsenal would be willing to spend up to £20 million to win over his services from rivals, presumably from the money to come in from the sales of Fabregas and/or Nasri.

In 30 games for Wolfsburg in his latest season, Diego scored six goals and assisted 9, and has a contract with Wolfsburg, signed last season for four years. The Arsenal manager has shown definate interest in Diego in the past - in 2008, when he played for Werer Bremen, the player's agent and father said: "Real, Arsenal and Juve all want my son."

Follow Me on Twitter @DBSFootball

Eden Hazard: I want to Join A Big Club

The 20 year-old Lille midfielder Eden Hazard has hinted at a move to a bigger club this summer by confirming that he wants "to play for a big club" in a "major championship". He has been targeted by clubs from all over Europe, including Inter Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Hazard is a supremely talented player who has been praised by so many who have worked with him, with some even calling him the "new Messi". He has been at Lille for four years, and has played 140 times, scoring 28 and assisting 20 goals.


He has pace, trickery and is a defenders nightmare, who is capable of the spectacular, so it is no wonder the top clubs are watching him. The Belgian said:

“I want to play at a big club. And in Italy we know there are many. I have no preference. A major championship, I feel like it. But for now, I am with Lille."

In December of last year, just before the January transfer market, the player spoke about his future, and all of the speculation surrounding his future:

"If I do leave at the end of the season, I don't want to go somewhere where I will be on the bench."

"I am young, not 20 until next month, and it will be difficult to break through in a team like Real, where (Cristiano) Ronaldo and Kaka are my competitors."

"But there are teams like Arsenal, where youngsters can grow more easily into the first team and make their mark."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hinted heavily in January about a summer move for Hazard, saying:

 "In the offensive department we have many players. At the end of the season we'll have a look at the situation but at the moment it's completely ruled out." 

"We are following him (Hazard). Personally I think he has real talent and the level needed to play at Arsenal."

Follow Me on Twitter @RealDan7 or @DBSFootball

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£1 Billion for Modric

Well it doesn't look like Luka Modric will be packing his bags, moving away from Tottenham and heading up North to Manchester or staying in the area and joining Chelsea. Not unless United or Chelsea, the two clubs linked with the Croatian midfielder are prepared to pay £1 billion for him.

Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager has led this Spurs side to a Champions League quarter final, beating one of the most successful European teams in AC Milan on the way. Luka Modric played a vital part in both helping Tottenham into the top four last season and their brilliant, over achieving success of reaching the latter stages of the prestigious European competition this year. The Tottenham manager emphasised the invaluable qualities that the 25 year-old holds in the side with a rather exaggerated expected transfer fee:

"I wouldn't want to sell him for £100 million, not even for a billion.

"He's the hub of the team."

He made his point. Of course, Redknapp would sell Modric for £1 billion - not that anyone - not even Manchester City would pay that ludicrous amount. But it is a clear statement that Modric is not for sale, and if an offer were to come in, it would have to be quite a substantial amount.

Modric only signed a long term contract at Spurs last year, and the players' representative, Mario Mamic reiterated Redknapps sentiments:

"These are just rumours. Luka has a contract until 2016 and Tottenham have no plans to sell him. He has an excellent relationship with coach [Harry] Redknapp and only signed a contract extension with Spurs last summer."

The rumours that Mamic spoke of refer to apparent interest from several English clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea as well as Italian side Juventus and Inter Milan. Certainly, Modric has his fans; he is a fantastic player and has been described by the former Chelsea assistant Ray Wilkins as one of the best midfielder's in the Premier League. Gerard Houllier, the current Aston Villa manager also heaped praise on Modric:

"Not only is he a very hard worker, he has a good brain and he provided some calmness and composure to the midfield. His passing was neat and his contribution was outstanding. He was not only winning the ball, he was passing well. We thought that he was very influential. He did not just work hard, he made the other people play well around him."

 He may not be worth £100 million or £1 billion, but Luka Modric is certainly a fantastic asset to Tottenham, and understandably has the best teams in the world watching him.

Arsenal Demand £17 million for Arshavin.

Andrei Arshavin could be heading off to Italy, as his agent confirmed that there is a possibility that he could sign for Juventus.

The little Russian has been frustrating the Arsenal fans of late with his questionable on-field decisions, and a few small mistakes that have accumulated into heavy sighs and rolling eyes around the Emirates when the 29 year-old carelessly gives the ball away. It was only mid-2009 that Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp said that Arshavin had  "every chance of becoming a favourite of the London fans".

The former Zenit midfielders agent confirmed that a move could me on the cards,

"There's a possibility of Andrei's move to Juventus. But there are two things that can prevent this deal.

"First, Arsenal can win the Premier League this year. The gold medal of the English league is a dream of any footballer.

"Second is the financial ability of Juve as Arsenal are demanding no less than $26 million [£17 million] to release Arshavin.

"It's difficult for me to comment on certain items because he is a player who still has two-and-half-years on his contract with Arsenal and there are no formal offers.

But before we get carried away with the comments, lets just remember that Arshavin is most probably just in a dip in his form. Every player has them, and when you are low on confidence it takes a little while to get out of them. With the support of his manager, team mates and fans, Arshavin should be fine, after all, he is a quality player with impressive ability that caught Arsene Wenger's eye in the first place. His agent continued,

"In any case I think it's just speculation. Juventus could have taken Arshavin two-and-a-half years ago, but they didn't want to.

"The player is happy in London. There could also be possibilities to move in January but, I repeat, we are talking about a player under contract and for which currently there is nothing concrete."

Watch: Juventus 1 - 1 Manchester City

Redknapp Rules out Benzema Move but Players Must be Sold

A January transfer move for Karim Benzema has been ruled out by Harry Redknapp, while he also said that he will have to sell some of his players in order to purchase any improvements for his squad.

When asked about a possible move for the Frenchman, Redknapp said:

“There’s nothing in that,"

"He’s a good player, I like him, he looks a real talent. But certainly we haven’t made any enquires at all for him. There’s definitely nothing going on there at the moment."

“Before we can bring anyone in, I’ve spoke with the chairman, we need to shift one or two.

"It’s going to be a case of the only way we can do any business would be to let one or two go and whatever we get in we can go and invest.”

He hasn't ruled a move completely; by saying there is "nothing going on there at the moment" he was hinting that a move for him could be a possibility - maybe in the summer. Redknapp knows that Benzema would be cup tied in the Champions League, having played for Real Madrid, and as a competition that Tottenham are aspiring to do well in, they need their big name players. Benzema would be one of them.

If Tottenham were to invest in a new striker in January, they would most probably look closer to home, at a lower Pemier League team. Andy Carroll of Newcastle has been tipped as a possibility.

As for these players that Redknapp will have to let go, and Croatian play maker Niko Kranjcar has been rumoured to want out of White Hart Lane, seeking first team football. Liverpool were rumoured to be interestd for £7 million, while Italians Juventus are also interested.

After guiding his team to an inspired comeback against rivals Arsenal at the week end, Harry Redknapp is leading Tottenham in the right direction. He believes that his team can win the title this year, and the addition of top players that a Champions League team that they now are can attract, Tottenham are looking good for the future.

Lukaku Targeted by Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool

Romelu Lukaku has generated a lot of excitement over his abilities, and at the young age of 17, has already been compared to Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.

He has been linked with major clubs including Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus and Chelsea, and now Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool have been added to the list, but according to some sources, Liverpool are "in the driving seat" to sign the player.

The Belgian striker currently plays at Anderlecht, and finished last season as the Belgian Leagues top scorer - at the age of only 16 years and 10 months. Okay, so the Belgian League isn't quite the English Premier League, and the quality may not be any where near as high, but you must be pretty special to be scoring goals for fun at such a young age against players much older and experienced than you.

Rumours in the summer of 2010 suggested that Tottenham had a £17.5 million bid rejected for Lukaku, while Chelsea's Didier Drogba apparently spoke to the Belgian striker and tried to persuade him to join Chelsea.
Real Madrid admitted their interest as manager Jose Mourinho said:

'It is true we wanted Romelu, but he has a very clever dad. He wants Romelu to stay at Anderlecht for one more year. I wish all dads were like this."

While Cristiano Ronaldo was full of praise for the young man:

“He has to make his own choice but I’m sure that he will have a great career.

“At 17 when he is not playing in a major championship, he has managed to make himself known to many people like me. I think that he’s a really fantastic young player.

“I’m curious to see what he will do in the coming months or at the end of the season. But Lukaku is on track; he must continue to work this way.”

Liverpool and the other English clubs certainly have stiff opposition in the competition for the players signature on a contract from top teams from all over the world, but Chelsea seem the team who Lukaku sounds keen to join. On a school trip to Stamford Bridge, he was photographed in a Chelsea shirt and said whilst there:

"I'm very pleased to be here – unfortunately, I didn't meet Drogba. If ever one day I will cry, it will be when I sign for Chelsea."

This player is a genuine talent. Standing at over 6 foot and 3 inches and weighing in at over 14 stone, Lukaku is immensely strong for his age - out muscling the opposition regularly in tussles,while his aerial ability is described as "awesome". He is quick, clever on the ball, intelligent in positioning and has the finishing of an expert. His abilities are vast, while his age is the opposite.

It seems too good to be true.

Lukaku Targeted by Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool

Romelu Lukaku has generated a lot of excitement over his abilities, and at the young age of 17, has already been compared to Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.

He has been linked with major clubs including Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus and Chelsea, and now Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool have been added to the list, but according to some sources, Liverpool are "in the driving seat" to sign the player.

The Belgian striker currently plays at Anderlecht, and finished last season as the Belgian Leagues top scorer - at the age of only 16 years and 10 months. Okay, so the Belgian League isn't quite the English Premier League, and the quality may not be any where near as high, but you must be pretty special to be scoring goals for fun at such a young age against players much older and experienced than you.

Rumours in the summer of 2010 suggested that Tottenham had a £17.5 million bid rejected for Lukaku, while Chelsea's Didier Drogba apparently spoke to the Belgian striker and tried to persuade him to join Chelsea.
Real Madrid admitted their interest as manager Jose Mourinho said:

'It is true we wanted Romelu, but he has a very clever dad. He wants Romelu to stay at Anderlecht for one more year. I wish all dads were like this."

While Cristiano Ronaldo was full of praise for the young man:

“He has to make his own choice but I’m sure that he will have a great career.

“At 17 when he is not playing in a major championship, he has managed to make himself known to many people like me. I think that he’s a really fantastic young player.

“I’m curious to see what he will do in the coming months or at the end of the season. But Lukaku is on track; he must continue to work this way.”

Liverpool and the other English clubs certainly have stiff opposition in the competition for the players signature on a contract from top teams from all over the world, but Chelsea seem the team who Lukaku sounds keen to join. On a school trip to Stamford Bridge, he was photographed in a Chelsea shirt and said whilst there:

"I'm very pleased to be here – unfortunately, I didn't meet Drogba. If ever one day I will cry, it will be when I sign for Chelsea."

This player is a genuine talent. Standing at over 6 foot and 3 inches and weighing in at over 14 stone, Lukaku is immensely strong for his age - out muscling the opposition regularly in tussles,while his aerial ability is described as "awesome". He is quick, clever on the ball, intelligent in positioning and has the finishing of an expert. His abilities are vast, while his age is the opposite.

It seems too good to be true.

Gaël Clichy Move from Arsenal is a No

Rumours linking the Arsenal left back Gaël Clichy to a move away from the Emirates have been dismissed by the players agent Ivan Le Mee.

Clichy has been subject of apparent interest from both Juventus and Real Madrid - the latter also being reportedly interested in Manchester United left back Patrice Evra.

The agent said of the speculation:

"His relationship with Arsenal and Wenger are great,"

"I don't understand where all these rumours have come from. Also, his contract expires in June 2012 so it wouldn't make sense to force the issue now."

"Gael is doing very well, playing for his national team and in the Premier League he's now a certain starter. There will be time for him to go to Italy."

Clichy is an experienced and often valuable defender in Arsenal's young team. After joining Arsenal in 2003 from Cannes, Clichy has played 168 times and the 25 year old has played 17 times in all competitions this season with one assist. However, speculation is always high when top players are involved, and while Clichy comes under this category at Arsenal, he will be linked to clubs such as Juventus and Real Madrid as he is.

Marek Hamsik Move to Manchester United a "possibility"

Marek Hamsik has drawn attention from clubs around the world, including a few in the Premier League. Manchester United in particular are the club that are reportedly interested as Ferguson is trying to find a replacement for Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs in his aging midfield. The Belgian midfielder Steven Defour has been heavily linked to Manchester United, and seems like an inevitable move in the future, but hints from Hamsik's representatives as well as himself have caused speculation as to where Hamsik will be playing next season.

His agent said:

“I don't like speaking about transfers, but I have heard there are many teams thinking of Hamsik.

“I have not heard from anyone, every step would have to go through Napoli who own the player's rights"

“However, if a club that satisfies the needs of Napoli and Hamsik presents an offer, then there could be a division. It's early to talk, but it is a possibility.”

Hamsik himself praised the English League before a game against Liverpool and said:

"I am pleased people want to see me, I want to perform well on this stage against a team like Liverpool at Anfield. I know the English league is a great league with a wonderful atmosphere and great stadia."

"There are rumours but no-one has contacted me or the club. I am calm and relaxed and just want to play well for Napoli.

While early in November the 23 year old said:

"I have to admit, it would be difficult to say no to Manchester United."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to move for Hamsik until the summer transfer window after claiming his side will be adding no new players to the squad in January. However, with the future of Owen Hargeaves and Michael Carrick in doubt due to persistent injuries and on/off form respectively, Ferguson is likely to be looking for a quality young midfielder in the summer.

When Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are gone, they will leave a gaping hole in the Manchester United team and Ferguson knows that this hole must be filled somehow, with the United fans' preference being good, strong playmakers of Manchester United quality.