ARSENE WENGER is ready to hijack Liverpools move for
£12million Seville star Daniel Alves. The Arsenal boss has targeted
the Brazilian wing-back as one of two big-money signings this
summer. And Spanish sources claim Alves, 23, would prefer London to
Liverpool. Anfield chief Rafa Benitez has had Alves at the top of
his wanted list for more than a year.
Benitez was scared off by Sevilles £12m asking price last summer
but is now confident of prising him away from the La Liga title
chasers. New American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks promised
the Spaniard a £40m summer transfer budget. But Alves is far from
certain to agree to a Liverpool switch and his preference for a
move to the capital could also alert Chelsea, who are after a
top-class right-back.
Alves plays as a wing-back for Seville but he could also play as an
orthodox right-back or right-sided midfielder, two positions where
Wenger is looking to recruit. He expects to bring in just two
high-profile recruits to boost his squad this summer and is ready
to tempt Seville with a bid for Alves.
As Wenger drew up plans to enlarge his squad with more big names,
he admitted he would welcome Arsenal fielding a reserve side in the
Football League. Emerging young talents such as Nicklas Bendtner,
Alex Song, Fabrice Muamba and Matthew Connolly have been loaned out
to other clubs to help them get regular first-team action.
