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HLEB IN DARK OVER INTER MOVE

Alexander Hleb's agent believes the Barcelona midfielder would welcome a move to Inter Milan but insists he has not been informed of any possible deal.

Barca have agreed a fee with Inter of 45million euros plus Samuel Eto'o for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a deal which will also see Hleb join the Serie A side on loan.

However, the Belarus international's agent insists they have not been approached by either club.

"Hleb will leave with the team on the flight to London where Barcelona will play a friendly," Maurizio Guadino told Calciomercato.it.

"No-one has talked to us yet about Inter, the two clubs are in talks and so at the moment Ale is thinking about working hard for Barca."

Hleb only moved to the Nou Camp last summer in a 17million transfer from Arsenal but has struggled to adapt.

The 28-year-old insisted just a few days ago he would remain with the treble winners following advice from team-mate Thierry Henry, who suffered a similarly difficult first season at Barca.

But Guadino believes he would jump at the chance to move to the San Siro.

"It's obvious that he's not happy," he added. "Last year he hoped to play with more consistency, but they won everything there was to win.

"He was injured at the start of the season and that certainly penalised him.

"I don't like speaking about possibilities, but Inter would be a good destination for him, there's no doubt.

"It's a great club who would allow him to still win plenty.

"It's always an honour to be linked to teams of this calibre but I repeat that for the moment no-one has spoken with us.

"If and when the two clubs inform us of something, we will evaluate the situation."
 

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AGENT: INTER NEAR ETO'O SWOOP

Samuel Eto'o's agent has revealed that negotiations are progressing well over a possible move to Inter Milan.

The Serie A champions are keen to land the Barcelona striker as part of a swap deal that that would see Zlatan Ibrahimovic head to the Nou Camp in exchange.

Eto'o's representative Josep Maria Mesalles has met with Inter officials to discuss personal terms and is hopeful that a transfer can be finalised.

More talks will be needed but Mesalles believes there could be developments in the near future.

"The discussions are going well but now we're trying to iron out the little details," Mesalles told reporters.

"There will be no more meetings today (Tuesday), I'm going back to Spain but maybe I'll come back again tomorrow (Wednesday)."
 

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PREM CLUBS MOVE FOR NEGREDO - AGENT

Alvaro Negredo's agent claims Premier League clubs have tabled bids for the Real Madrid striker.

Negredo is believed to be available for transfer this summer despite Real only recently exercising their option to buy the 23-year-old back from Almeria.

Spurs are being linked with a £17million move for the striker nicknamed 'The Wild Animal', although Liverpool have also been credited with an interest.

Negredo's agent, Alejandro Camara, claims Premier League clubs have moved for the striker, but that no deal has been concluded with the Santiago Bernabeu outfit.

While Negredo is being tipped to move to England's top flight, Camara is not ruling out his client staying in La Liga.

"We have had several offers from the Premier League, but no deal has been finalised and we are still studying which is the best option for the player," said Camano in the Daily Mirror.

"But also there are clubs in Spain who are interested."
 

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GUDJOHNSEN HINTS AT RETURN TO ENGLAND

Eidur Gudjohnsen could be set for a return to the Premier League after admitting he has no idea if he will start the season as a Barcelona player.

The striker has recently been the subject of speculation linking him with a return to England, where he spent eight years with Chelsea and Bolton.

Gudjohnsen has had a mixed spell since signing for the Spanish and European champions three years ago.

He has won winners medals in La Liga, the Champions League and the Spanish Cup since arriving at the Nou Camp but has struggled to maintain a regular place in the first XI.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola is thought to be keen to offload the 30-year-old before his contract expires next summer and Gudjohnsen admits he is unsure where his future lies.

"I can't confirm whether I'm staying or leaving. I think it's a matter of time and only time will tell what will happen. My future is a little bit uncertain," Gudjohnsen said.

"For the moment I'm a Barcelona player but we all know in football that everything can change very quickly.

"I'm only thinking about getting myself fit for the new season, whether that be with Barcelona or another club. We will see.

"I look back at my time (in England) with great memories. It was a wonderful time but whether I will return to England is not so sure. I think we can only see what the future holds."

Gudjohnsen will have the perfect chance to catch the eye of any would-be suitors this weekend when he plays in the Wembley Cup.

The competition begins on Friday with the European champions taking on Tottenham before their clash with Egyptian side Al Ahly on Sunday.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola, who played with Gudjohnsen at Chelsea, would like to sign the forward, while Aston Villa and Sunderland are also thought to be interested.

Gudjohnsen insists, though, he will not be rushed into making a decision to leave, but denied that he would not be interested in moving back to Britain because of the increase in income tax he would have to pay.

"Whether I move depends on a lot of things, but my decision will be only sporting, nothing else," he added.

"I'm not at a stage where I've spoken to any other club. Maybe in the future I will be able to comment."

Chelsea captain John Terry has been the subject of two bids from big-spending Manchester City, but Gudjohnsen believes his former team-mate is committed to staying at Stamford Bridge.

"From my time at Chelsea, I see it as a very difficult situation for him to leave," Gudjohnsen said.

"You never know what will happen in football, but I can't see it happening. I think every time JT has put on a Chelsea shirt he has given his all and more and that's all you can ask for."
 

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MASCH WANTS TO QUIT REDS - AGENT

Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano is keen to secure a move to Spain as he has grown "tired of life in England", according to his agent.

The Argentina international is a reported target of Real Madrid and Barcelona, but the enforcer remains part of Reds manager Rafa Benitez's plans.

However, Mascherano's representative, Walter Tamer, has claimed the 25-year-old has grown unsettled in the Premier League and is eager to move abroad.

Tamer is quoted by Infobae.com as saying: "Barcelona is the easiest deal to set up as Javier wants to go to Spain. He is tired of life in England.

"His wife has not been given a permanent visa. She has to go through an odyssey each time she wants to go.

"Liverpool refuse to sell, this can be overcome with an extraordinary offer."
 

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MILAN'S FABIANO DEAL 'DEAD'

Luis Fabiano's agent does not expect the forward to join AC Milan from Sevilla.

The Rossoneri have been heavily linked with a move for the Brazilian this summer but the two clubs have not been able to agree on a fee.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani stated earlier this week that he would only pursue his interest in the 28-year-old if Sevilla lowered their asking price.

However, Fabiano's representative Jose Fuentes does not believe that is likely to happen and claims negotiations have come to an end.

"In football you can never say never but I've not heard from Milan in a week," Fuentes told Sky Italia.

"Everyone knows that for this deal to go through there needs to be a higher offer than the 14million euros proposed by Milan. For me the deal is dead."

Galliani, meanwhile, has dismissed reports suggesting that Milan are interested in swapping striker Marco Borriello for David Trezeguet at Juventus.

Milan are determined to bring in a new forward but Galliani maintains that Borriello will not be going anywhere.

"Marco Borriello is not on the market and therefore he will never be used in any negotiations," he told the club's official website.

"Milan is confirming that he is definitely not for sale."
 

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CARRA KEEN FOR ALONSO SAGA TO END

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is hoping for a swift resolution to the Xabi Alonso transfer saga, but is keen for the midfielder remain at the club.

Alonso's future on Merseyside has been the subject of intense speculation with Real Madrid reportedly interested in a £30million deal, while the Spaniard has also been linked with Chelsea and Manchester City among others.

Boss Rafael Benitez has so far sidestepped the issue during Liverpool's two-match tour of Asia, only going so far as to confirm the 27-year-old will remain a Red until after the game against a Singapore XI on July 26.

However, Carragher believes a decision on Alonso's future needs to be made sooner rather than later with the new Premier League season less than a month away.

"The feeling within the squad, he is a top player and you do not want to lose your top players and hopefully it can be sorted out as quickly as possible," he said.

"If the club thinks it is in the best interests of the club sometimes you have to do what is in the best interests of the club.

"But that's a personal matter for the manager and the club. We all go through these situations - well hopefully not me - and as I said, I just hope it gets sorted out sooner rather than later."

Alonso did not feature in Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Thailand in a pre-season friendly in Bangkok due to a slight ankle injury.

However fellow midfielder Javier Mascherano, another whose Liverpool future has been cast into doubt, did play although the Argentinian elected not to speak to the media following the game.

Ryan Babel, who has been tipped by Benitez to play a significant role this season, opened the scoring for the visitors with six minutes gone at the Rajamangala Stadium and spurned two further chances to add to his tally before Sutee Sumsomkit levelled in impressive fashion midway through the second period to leave the Reds still searching for their first pre-season victory.

There was a further setback when Martin Skrtel limped off 10 minutes after coming on at half-time and while Benitez said it was too early to tell how long the defender could be ruled out for, it was nevertheless an unwanted blow.

"I'm really disappointed because Martin has had a problem with his hamstring and a little bit with the ligaments in his knee, so we have to wait," he said.

Carragher echoed his manager's disappointment over his centre-back partner's exit.

"That's part and parcel of football. It's disappointing but hopefully he will be ready for the start of the season because he's a top player," he said.

Despite being held by Peter Reid's team and seeing his charges spurn a number of chances, Benitez was nevertheless pleased with Liverpool's performance.

"We had some chances, we were playing against a team that was well organised, and they play quick," the Spaniard said.

"So you come to a new continent and conditions are different, always more difficult, but I was pleased with the performance of some players.

"We knew that physically they are strong, they are quick, and then the pace of the other team is important. So we had to have some really good movement and I was really pleased with them."

Benitez, though, was reluctant to talk up his side's Premier League title chances this term following last season's impressive campaign.

"We have to keep working and try to be contenders," he added.

"I don't think that we need to put any pressure on anyone. So we just keep improving and then we can stay there."
 

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CARRA KEEN FOR ALONSO SAGA TO END

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is hoping for a swift resolution to the Xabi Alonso transfer saga, but is keen for the midfielder remain at the club.

Alonso's future on Merseyside has been the subject of intense speculation with Real Madrid reportedly interested in a £30million deal, while the Spaniard has also been linked with Chelsea and Manchester City among others.

Boss Rafael Benitez has so far sidestepped the issue during Liverpool's two-match tour of Asia, only going so far as to confirm the 27-year-old will remain a Red until after the game against a Singapore XI on July 26.

However, Carragher believes a decision on Alonso's future needs to be made sooner rather than later with the new Premier League season less than a month away.

"The feeling within the squad, he is a top player and you do not want to lose your top players and hopefully it can be sorted out as quickly as possible," he said.

"If the club thinks it is in the best interests of the club sometimes you have to do what is in the best interests of the club.

"But that's a personal matter for the manager and the club. We all go through these situations - well hopefully not me - and as I said, I just hope it gets sorted out sooner rather than later."

Alonso did not feature in Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Thailand in a pre-season friendly in Bangkok due to a slight ankle injury.

However fellow midfielder Javier Mascherano, another whose Liverpool future has been cast into doubt, did play although the Argentinian elected not to speak to the media following the game.

Ryan Babel, who has been tipped by Benitez to play a significant role this season, opened the scoring for the visitors with six minutes gone at the Rajamangala Stadium and spurned two further chances to add to his tally before Sutee Sumsomkit levelled in impressive fashion midway through the second period to leave the Reds still searching for their first pre-season victory.

There was a further setback when Martin Skrtel limped off 10 minutes after coming on at half-time and while Benitez said it was too early to tell how long the defender could be ruled out for, it was nevertheless an unwanted blow.

"I'm really disappointed because Martin has had a problem with his hamstring and a little bit with the ligaments in his knee, so we have to wait," he said.

Carragher echoed his manager's disappointment over his centre-back partner's exit.

"That's part and parcel of football. It's disappointing but hopefully he will be ready for the start of the season because he's a top player," he said.

Despite being held by Peter Reid's team and seeing his charges spurn a number of chances, Benitez was nevertheless pleased with Liverpool's performance.

"We had some chances, we were playing against a team that was well organised, and they play quick," the Spaniard said.

"So you come to a new continent and conditions are different, always more difficult, but I was pleased with the performance of some players.

"We knew that physically they are strong, they are quick, and then the pace of the other team is important. So we had to have some really good movement and I was really pleased with them."

Benitez, though, was reluctant to talk up his side's Premier League title chances this term following last season's impressive campaign.

"We have to keep working and try to be contenders," he added.

"I don't think that we need to put any pressure on anyone. So we just keep improving and then we can stay there."
 

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JUVE CLOSE IN ON CACERES

Barcelona defender Martin Caceres has reached an agreement with Juventus regarding a move to Stadio Olimpico, according to the player's agent.

The former Villarreal ace only moved to Camp Nou in 2008, but he found first-team opportunities hard to come by as Barca won an unprecedented Treble last season.

Caceres' representative, Daniel Fonseca, now claims that Juventus want to bring the 22-year-old Uruguay international to Italy and that an arrangement is in place.

"Martin has reached a transfer agreement with Juventus," Fonseca told Radio Carve.

"There are still a few details to be resolved. But the agreement between the team and the player exists.

"For Barcelona, the difficulties are that they paid nearly €10million (£8.6m) and don't want to let Martin go on a loan. Therefore, everything seems to have been arranged."

Juventus, though, admit that they need to raise funds in order to complete any deal and midfielder Christian Poulsen could be sold in order to finance a move.

The Dane appears surplus to requirements and has been linked with Fulham, with Juventus president Giovanni Coboli Gigli acknowledging the 29-year-old may leave.

"It (a Caceres bid) is more than just rumours but it is also linked to Poulsen and the fact that we have to bring money in," said Coboli Gigli.
 

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SPURS CONFIRM HUNTELAAR INTEREST

Tottenham have confirmed their interest in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar after Stuttgart ended their interest in the striker.

The Dutch star is surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, despite only joining the Spanish giants in January this year.

Spurs had looked as if they had missed out, as Stuttgart agreed a deal with Real Madrid worth around £15million - but now Huntelaar is heading back to Spain after talks with the Bundesliga side broke down.

That is now sure to signal a move from Spurs, after their boss Harry Redknapp confirmed that the 25-year-old was his top striking target.

"The lad is a very good goalscorer and I'm still interested in him," said Redknapp.

"I know of Stuttgart's involvement but I'm hoping we will still be able to do something.

"There's a lot of talk about who I may or may not be after but Huntelaar is the one I like."

Stuttgart said theycalled off their bid to sign Huntelaar after refusing to wait for him to resolve a contract dispute with Real.

Stuttgart sport manager Horst Heldt said in a statement on the club's official website, www.vfb.de: "We wanted to acquire Klaas Jan Huntelaar because his playing style fits very well with our team. But we are not about to keep ourselves hanging on and waiting."

The statement also revealed the club decided to pull out when an agreed-upon deadline came and went without a final answer as the player could not agree a package with Madrid for his contract to be terminated.
 

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SEVILLA SWOOP FOR SANCHEZ

Sevilla have made their second signing of the summer after agreeing a deal for highly-rated Espanyol defender Sergio Sanchez.

The 23-year-old, who can play at either right-back or centre-back, has committed himself to Sevilla for the next four years and follows in the footsteps of midfielder Didier Zokora, who joined the club from Tottenham earlier this month.

Sanchez said of his switch to Sevilla: "I'm very happy because Sevilla is the team where I wanted to be, for the fans, for the team, for the city, everything...for me it's a pleasure to be at Sevilla.

He added on SFC Radio: "The chance to play in the Champions League with Sevilla is a real prize. The squad did very well last season and were rewarded with third place. I've come here with lots of hope and motivation and I'm ready to help the club achieve the aims they have set. This team aspires to win everything."

Sanchez came up through the youth ranks at Espanyol before making his first-team debut in the 2004/05 season.

The Spain Under-21 international then spent two years playing on loan at Real Madrid Castilla and Racing Santander before returning to Espanyol 12 months ago, playing 33 games for the Barcelona-based side last season.
 

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CARRAGHER HOPEFUL OF ALONSO STAY

Jamie Carragher wants Liverpool to keep Xabi Alonso this summer but will back the club if they decide to sell the midfielder to Real Madrid.

Real are reportedly preparing a £30million deal to land Alonso, with Chelsea and Manchester City also linked with the Spaniard, but Carragher is hoping he stays at Anfield.

However, he believes a decision on Alonso's future needs to be made sooner rather than later with the new Premier League season less than a month away.

"The feeling within the squad, he is a top player and you do not want to lose your top players and hopefully it can be sorted out as quickly as possible," he said.

"If the club thinks it is in the best interests of the club sometimes you have to do what is in the best interests of the club.

"But that's a personal matter for the manager and the club. We all go through these situations - well hopefully not me - and as I said, I just hope it gets sorted out sooner rather than later."

Meanwhile Carragher called for Premier League clubs to give British managers more chances after Liverpool were held by Peter Reid's Thailand side on Wednesday.

Reid signed a four-year contract to take charge of Thailand towards the end of last year, almost four years since his last job in charge of Coventry.

Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Thailand in a pre-season friendly at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Wednesday night and Carragher feels the 53-year-old's pedigree should have seen him offered a top position in England rather than having to search further afield.

"I think it is sad, not just Peter Reid but a lot of English managers find it hard to get a job in the Premier League," he said.

"You look at his record with Manchester City and Sunderland and that he has to come out here to get a managing job is very strange.

"Not just his qualities as a manager but his qualities as a man, his character, they're the type of things that would definitely enhance the Premiership.

"As I said, I think his record in Premier League football is outstanding and I do think it's quite strange that he's had to come out here to get a job."

Having taken a sixth-minute lead through Ryan Babel, Liverpool were pegged back by the hosts thanks to Sutee Sumsomkit's impressive finish after 71 minutes, leaving the Reds still searching for their first pre-season victory.

Rafael Benitez warned before the game that his side would be fully extended by the Thais and Carragher felt the encounter was a good test for the Merseyside club.

"They worked very hard. Peter's teams are always difficult to beat and they proved that again," he added.

"We are obviously disappointed we could not have held on and won because we have not won up until now.

"It was a decent game and they were right up for it, there was a good crowd. But as I said, it was pre-season and hopefully we can get better each game."
 

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RAFA - NO DEAL DONE FOR ALONSO

Rafa Benitez has moved to play down talk of Xabi Alonso leaving Liverpool.

The Spanish midfielder did not play in the 1-1 friendly draw with Thailand on Wednesday, and was quoted as saying he could offer no 'guarantees' about his future.

Real Madrid are still keen to sign Alonso, and reports in the Spanish on Thursday claimed a deal was all but done.

However, Liverpool have denied this, and Benitez said after the squad arrived in Singapore on Thursday: "Alonso is here and he will enjoy the weather and the fans and the journalists.

"He is ready and can play."

A Liverpool spokesman backed up his manager, saying: "Xabi is with us in Singapore, and will train with the rest of the squad. He was injured ahead of the Thailand game, people can say what they like about that.

"And there has been no deal agreed with anyone for his transfer to anyone."

Benitez went on to dismiss speculation that Javier Mascherano also wants out of Anfield.

His agent, Walter Tamer, was quoted on Wednesday as saying the Argentine midfielder was tired of life in England, and favoured a move to Barcelona.

However, Benitez said: "In the press these days there are too many websites, too many newspapers, radio, television. You have to have stories every day so sometimes you repeat something from 15 days ago.

"It's much the same situation, he knows our ideas. He's been working very hard and he's a very important player for us."
 

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REAL STILL IN HUNT FOR REDS DUO

Real Madrid's sporting director Miguel Pardeza has confirmed the club are still hoping to land both Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa from Liverpool.

Alonso has confirmed that his future at Anfield is far from certain, amid reports he has his heart set on a move to the Spanish capital.

Real have already spent huge amounts of money during the current transfer window splashing out world record transfer fees, firstly on Kaka and then on Cristiano Ronaldo.

But new coach Manuel Pellegrini has long wanted to improve his midfield and Alonso was the man pinpointed early on by Florentino Perez's new regime as the ideal signing.

Reports now claim that the two clubs are closing on agreeing a deal with Real ready to pay €35million (£30million).

On Wednesday, Real completed a deal to bring back Esteban Granero from Getafe, but Pardeza was quick to point out that they he was in no way an alternative to Alonso.

"We do not see him as an alternative to Xabi Alonso as he has other characteristics," declared Pardeza in Publico.

"The problem with Alonso is there are no alternatives, with the way football is evolving, the creative central midfielder is becoming fewer and fewer.

"Alonso is not a fad, there are just not may alternatives - not in the Americas or in Europe are their players who can perform his task."

Pardeza admits talks with Liverpool have not been easy.

He added: "They stalled, from day one - the demands of Liverpool were beyond what Madrid was willing to pay and that is very difficult to understand.

"That is not the way to get things done, but I have not given up hope we can solve this."

Pardeza admits that then ongoing situation at Anfield regarding Javier Mascherano, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona, does complicate Alonso's desire to leave.

"As I said I do not believe this [Alonso] will be an easy situation to solve, and I don't for one minute think that Mascherano will be easier to move than Alonso," he added.

He also confirmed that Alonso's team-mate Arbeloa was still in their sights.

"On Arbeloa, that is an option which - for the time being - has come to nothing," he said

"Liverpool do not really have the desire to let him go, even though he has just a year left on his contract.

"But there is a month to go in the market and anything can change, and I would not deny that we would very much like to have Arbeloa."

Pardeza did rubbish claims that Rafa Benitez was deliberately stalling when it came to negotiations with Real.

"I do not see that at all, at least with me and Jorge [Valdano, Real director general] he is open and discusses things, I don't see that as a problem at all," he concluded.

Pardeza also confirmed that Real had made no move for Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas.

"It's an option that we have not covered," he said of the Spanish international.
 

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MILAN'S HOPES FADE ON FABIANO DEAL

AC Milan coach Leonardo has revealed the Rossoneri are close to giving up on signing Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano.

The Rossoneri have long been linked with the Brazil forward and have reportedly had a 14million euro bid turned down by Sevilla.

The Primera Division side are said to be holding out for an offer close to Luis Fabiano's 26 million euro release clause, a figure Milan are not prepared to pay.

"The moment has come to decided yes or no," Leonardo told Sky Italia. "And we are very close to no.

"We started with the idea to bring in a heavyweight forward such as (Edin) Dzeko or a real winger and at the moment the only who one can play on the wing is Ronaldinho.

"It's true that we haven't been reinforced, but I honestly believe that this squad can have a good season."
 

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VILLARREAL JOIN RACE FOR NILMAR

Brazil international Nilmar could be on his way to Spain after Villarreal joined the race for his services.

German champions Wolfsburg appeared to be favourites to land the striker, and had made an approach to Internacional regarding a possible deal.

However, that offer has been snubbed by the South American side, opening the door to other suitors.

Seville, Atletico Madrid and Chelsea are all reported to be interested, but it is Villarreal who are believed to have matched Internacional's valuation.

A €15million (£13m) bid is said to have been accepted, with the player now set to talk terms with the Primera Liga giants.

A five-year deal is being prepared, with Nilmar admitting he is open to the possibility of securing a move to Spain.

"For me that would be an opportunity for me to further my career at a top level," he said.

"I have always wanted to play in the Spanish top flight."
 

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BARCA AGREE KEIRRISON DEAL

Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign Brazilian striker Keirrison from Palmeiras, the European champions have announced.

Barca will pay Palmeiras an initial 14million euros for the 20-year-old, with the possibility of an additional two million euros depending on first-team appearances.

Keirrison, who is due to arrive in Barcelona from Brazil later on Thursday, is set to undergo his medical with the treble winners on Friday before putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.
 

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VALDANO RULES OUT MORE SIGNINGS

Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano has ruled out making any more major signings until the Spanish giants can offload some of their existing players.

Madrid have splashed out almost £200million already this summer on bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol, while Alvaro Negredo and Ezequiel Garay have also been added to the squad.

A deal for Getafe midfielder Esteban Granero to return to the Bernabeu also appears to be close, but that could well be the final addition until Madrid, who have been chasing Liverpool duo Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, manage to trim their squad down.

Players such as Javier Saviola, Javi Garcia, Fabio Cannavaro and Jordi Codina have already moved on, but Madrid will be keen to cash in on a number of other first-teamers in order to recoup some of their money and free up some squad space.

"The transfer door will remain closed until some players have left, other than for exceptional cases such as that of Granero," said Valdano, who admits it has not been easy to offload players.

"There are days when you take a step forward and others a step back. We are continually working on player exits. It's a difficult market but until the last moment we will continue working hard on finding a possible exit for the players that are not in the coach's plans."

One Madrid player whose future has been in the news of late is Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar.

Huntelaar, who only moved to Spain at the start of the year, had looked set to join German side Stuttgart after missing Madrid's pre-season trip to Ireland to try to sort out his future, but that move has now fallen through.

A number of other clubs have been linked to the former Ajax player, but Valdano insists there is nothing concrete on the table for Huntelaar at this time.

"There is no firm offer. We had a great opportunity, but the player decided to let it pass. There is a long way to go until the end of August and we hope to find another European club that is interested.

"He (Huntelaar) will occupy a secondary role in the squad because he has not had the same preparation as his team-mates and he already knows what the club's intentions are."
 

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ETO'O ON BRINK OF INTER MOVE

Samuel Eto'o is set to put pen to paper on a five-year deal with Inter Milan after agreeing terms with the Serie A champions on Thursday afternoon.

Inter have been in negotiations with Eto'o and his agent for the past few days after Barcelona had an offer of 45 million euros plus the Cameroon striker for Zlatan Ibrahimovic accepted. Alexander Hleb will also join Inter on loan.

And, after Thursday's meeting with the Serie A champions, Josep Maria Mesalles revealed his client will finalise his move to the San Siro shortly.

"There's complete agreement with Inter," he told Radio Radio. "The negotiations are complete but it's not possible to say that the footballer now belongs to Inter because his release from Barcelona has not been resolved yet.

"But that won't be a problem.

"The deal is for five years, the player is happy."

Eto'o has spent his entire professional career in Spanish football since joining Real Madrid in 1997.

The 28-year-old has had a successful five seasons at Barca but the cracks started to appear last summer when he was transfer-listed by new coach Pep Guardiola.

The Barca boss made it clear his feelings were still the same despite Eto'o lashing in 30 goals in 36 Primera Division games as the Catalan giants stormed to the treble.

And Mesalles is confident Eto'o will continue firing in the goals in Italy.

"Eto'o has been an important player in Spanish football," he added. "A player who wants to remain at big clubs.

"Did Guardiola undervalue the Cameroon striker? It's true that with the change of coach at Barcelona it was difficult for the player to do well.

"The player then showed a good performance.

"The contract will be for five years, the player wants to do well at Milan at Inter showed a lot of interest for Eto'o. The player is happy.

"I don't think Serie A is very different from La Liga.

"Eto'o has shown since the first moment of his debut in Spain that he can do well. There won't be any problems in Italy either.

"Maybe there will be a few days or months of adapting, also to life in Milan, but everything will change at the first game."

The agreement will probably give the green light for Ibrahimovic's move in the opposite direction although his agent insisted earlier that the Sweden striker will not finalise his move to the Nou Camp on Thursday.

And Mesalles claims that even if Ibrahimovic remains at Inter it will have no impact on Eto'o.

"The performance of one is different to that of the other," he said. "They are important players, each has to give his most for his club.

"Samuel is Samuel, he had a brilliant performance both in the league and the Champions League and now he wants to do well at Inter.

"His deal was completely independent to that of Ibrahimovic."
 

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HENRY - CESC 'VITAL' FOR GUNNERS

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry insists it is "vital" Arsenal retain the services of Cesc Fabregas.

In virtually every transfer window the Catalan giants are linked with the Spain international, who has flourished at the Emirates.

The Gunners' stance remains unmoved - they insist the 22-year-old, who is on a long-term contract, is going nowhere.

Ex-Arsenal favourite Henry believes it is vital his former club retain Fabregas' services and that he does not join him at the Nou Camp.

"It is vital Arsenal keep Cesc. Vital," said Henry.

"He is the Arsenal captain and he is young and I'm sure he wants to give something back to the club. Knowing him, he will.

"But it is vital they keep Cesc."

Henry remains a fan of the Gunners following his eight-year stint there prior to heading to Barca.

Arsenal have now gone five years without a major trophy and Henry hopes they still have enough quality to succeed this season despite Samir Nasri's injury and Emmanuel Adebayor's exit.

"When I talk about Arsenal, my heart will always rule my head," he continued.

"It is not easy to lose Adebayor and what happened to Nasri was not what Arsene [Wenger] would have been hoping for.

"But I hope they can win the league and win everything they can, that's always my feeling about my old club.

"What I know about Arsenal from my time there was not about finishing in the top four - it was about winning the league.

"That's how I saw it when I was there and I still see it like that, they are a big club. Arsene has proved so many times he can win things without spending a lot of money and hopefully they can do it again.

"The only thing that matters to me is not who is in the top four, it's who is going to be top and I know that's how Arsene sees it too."
 
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