Chelsea to fork out £26.1m for Cuadrado, Arsenal eye £17m Gaya
Gunners interested in defender Jose Luis Gaya but midfielder Koke set to stick with Atletico Madrid
With deadline day just four days away the Premier League big guns continue to jockey for position, but targets appear to be thin on the ground. That, however, has not deterred the rumour mill:
• Arsenal have officially unveiled Gabriel Paulista from Villarreal as their newest defensive signing, but the Gunners have a fight on their hands if they want to land Valencia left-back Jose Luis Gaya. Talksport reports that Real Madrid will offer "stiff competition" for the 19-year-old Spain under-21 international. Arsene Wenger apparently remains unconvinced by either Kieran Gibbs or Nacho Monreal and has identified Gaya as a more reliable defender. Trouble is, says Talksport, Arsenal find the £17m price tag a little steep while Real "are ready and willing to pay". Though Valencia are desperate to hang on to Gaya it's believed that if a club is prepared to meet their valuation then they'll take the cash.
• The Blues are prepared to pay the £26.1m they need to trigger Juan Cuadrado's release clause at Fiorentina reports the Evening Standard. So far Chelsea have refused to offer more than £23m for the star but with the window starting to close, the paper says "Jose Mourinho is determined to get his man and wants the club to meet Fiorentina's demands". Chelsea hope to cover the cost by selling Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah.
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• Chelsea outcast Andre Schurrle has asked the club to lower their asking price for him so he can leave Stamford Bridge before the end of the transfer window, reports the Daily Telegraph. The Blues are prepared to offload Schurrle as they try to bring in Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina. Wolfsburg officials have travelled to London to try and negotiate a deal and Borussia Dortmund are also keen. However, neither is prepared to pay the £25m asking price, prompting Schurrle to ask that it is lowered.
• Arsenal are one of the Premier League big-hitters to miss out on Atletico Madrid star Koke, reports the Daily Star. As well as Arsenal, the Spanish midfielder was being tailed by the two Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea. But according to the Star the 24-year-old playmaker, a product of Atletico's academy, has rubbished suggestions he could ever be tempted to leave the club. "I see life in red and white," declared Koke. "I am happy here, the club is growing and... I don't see the time or the place to leave."
• The Daily Telegraph is one of several papers to report that Paris Saint-Germain "have held talks" with Tottenham concerning a loan deal for Emmanuel Adebayor. It would be a short-term move, until the end of the season, but it would provide PSG with cover for the injury-prone Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Tottenham have in the past shown little interest in farming out Adebayor but the Telegraph says that their position has softened in recent days and "they will now consider a loan deal that covers Adebayor's £100,000-a-week wages". Closer to home, QPR and Stoke City are also said to have made enquiries as to the former Arsenal frontman's availability.
• Spurs, who last night saw off Sheffield United to book their place in the league cup final against Chelsea, and Liverpool have been dealt a blow in the hunt for Jackson Martinez, who is set to reject a move to the Premier League. According to the Daily Express, the Premier League clubs were set to place a formal £27.5m bid for the Porto striker this month, but that was before Martinez's agent - Henrique Pompeo – got involved. Speaking to Italian media outlet AreaNapoli.it, Pompeo said of Portugal's top scorer this season: "His desire is clear: he wants to play in Serie A. He has his heart set on Italy and if he were to leave Porto then Serie A would be his first choice." Pressed on whether Martinez had a club in mind, his agent replied: "He'd be happy at Napoli... but he'd be happy with Roma, Milan or Juventus too. They are all great teams."
• One deal that has been finalised involves the transfer of Callum McManaman from Wigan Athletic to West Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee. In announcing the deal the official Baggies website said that he 23-year-old winger has signed a three-and-a-half year contract, with a 12 month option. "I'm delighted we've got Callum and I believe he will be an exciting addition to our numbers," said manager Tony Pulis.
• West Ham United will today unveil Scottish sensation Stephen Hendrie as their latest signing. The Scotland under-21 international flew to London last night and will be at Upton Park later this morning to sign a pre-contract agreement with the hammers. The Daily Record says that the 20-year old left-back will join West Ham in the summer once his Hamilton Academicals contract has expired.
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