Liverpool reignite £19m Bony chase and close in on Moreno
Swansea may be prepared to sell Ivorian striker because transfer rumours have 'unsettled' the player
Liverpool lost 3-1 to arch rivals Manchester United in Monday night's showdown in Miami, but could theyconsole themselves with the capture of Wilfried Bony from Swansea? The Welsh club have insisted for much of the summer that the striker is not for sale, but according to the Daily Mirror they are now "ready to ditch" Bony's £19m release clause because he is "unsettled" at the Liberty Stadium.
Liverpool are known to have expressed an interest in the 25-year-old – who scored 25 goals last season for Swansea – but Tottenham and Arsenal have also been mentioned in dispatches as potential suitors. But whoever comes calling, the Mirror says Swansea are determined to make a tidy profit on Bony having paid £12m to Vitesse Arnhem for the Ivorian last summer.
Meanwhile Caughtoffside reports that Liverpool are still "closing on a deal" for Spanish left-back Alberto Moreno. And if the £16m transfer, which has dragged on for weeks, does ever take place it will mean that the Reds' have invested more than £100m in players this summer – a club record.
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Taking Spanish rag Estadio Deportivo as its source, Caughtoffside claims that Moreno will officially be a Red before the end of this week after Sevilla agreed to sell the 22-year-old Spanish international. As for the fee, it's believed that Liverpool will part with around £16m for the young defender who'll be vying with compatriot Jose Enrique for a place in the Anfield starting line-up this season.
One player he won't be vying with is Daniel Agger, who could be on course for a shock move to Arsenal, according to the Daily Star, which claims Arsene Wenger has designs on the wantaway defender.
The Danish defender has an uncertain future at Anfield after the arrival of Dejan Lovren from Southampton, and has made it clear he does not want to sit on the bench all season. He was being tipped for a return to Brondby, the club where he made his name, but they could now face competition from Arsenal.
Back to Spain and Sky Sports say Spurs and Villarreal are getting down to discussions over £17m-rated defender Mateo Musacchio. The 23-year-old impressed in La Liga last season and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino reckons the Argentine international (capped twice by his country) can do a job at the Lane this season. With Jan Vertonghen likely to leave Tottenham this month Pochettino has identified the versatile Musacchio as the man to beef up the Lilywhites' back four.
And Sky Sports have obviously got their ear to the ground right now because they also report that West Brom have knocked back another offer from Burnley for defender Craig Dawson. It's the third time this summer that Burnley, back in the Premier League for the first time in four years, have made an offer for the former England Under-21 international but the Baggies are in belligerent mood when it comes to the centre-back. Sky Sports say Burnley's third offer was "just over £2m" but it will take a lot more for West Brom to weaken.
Finally, The Guardian is one of several papers to report that Jack Rodwell is on the brink of joining Sunderland. The 23-year-old midfielder was at the Black Cats' training ground on Monday night for a medical and once that is out of the way it's believed Sunderland will give Manchester City "a fee in excess of £10m". The Guardian says the transfer will be a "coup" for Sunderland boss Gus Poyet because a number of Premier League clubs have been chasing the young playmaker. Rodwell, an England international, moved to City from Everton in 2012 in a £12m deal, but failed to nail down a place in the Etihad's starting line-up.
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