United close in on Benzema
Sir Alex Ferguson took another step towards the £30m capture of
striker Karim Benzema yesterday. But Manchester United could yet
face fierce competition from bitter transfer market rivals Real
Madrid. Fallen French champions Lyon opened the door to the sale of
prize asset Benzema by making a £15m move for Porto striker
Lisandro Lopez. It is a clear indication that Lyon president
Jean-Michel Aulas is preparing to cash in on his 21-year-old star.
Lyon were knocked back in a bid for Paris Saint-Germain’s Guillaume
Hoarau. But their rapid response was a move for Portugal ace Lopez.
That is good news for United boss Ferguson, who is aware Benzema is
in no hurry to leave Lyon until after the World Cup next summer.
The Old Trafford chief’s main problem could be big-spending Spanish
giants Real, who have taken £80m Cristiano Ronaldo from United and
also want Wigan winger Antonio Valencia. Real are now likely to
target Benzema, leaving United to hope that the Galactico policy at
the Bernabeu will persuade the young Frenchman his prospects will
be better at Old Trafford.
Bill Thornton, Daily Star
The Daily Mirror says Sir Alex Ferguson will quickly slap in a
£40million bid for Spain’s David Villa, after Barcelona opened the
bidding for the Valencia star. However, the article does include
Villa’s assertion that: “Next season I will play in Spain because
it is the league that is best for me.” The same paper speculates
that Nani could be used as a makeweight in a deal for Wigan’s
Antonio Valencia.
The transfer tittle-tattle keeps coming. United will have to
fork out £25million – without an initial three-week trial – for
Gremio starlet Douglas Costa, according to The Daily Mail.
Tomasz Kuszczak may be following Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos
Tevez out of Old Trafford, with The Sun tipping Zenit St Petersburg
to make a £2million move for the Polish goalkeeper.