Official Transfer Thread

[FLiam]

Arsenal believe that they have reached an agreement to sign Julio Baptista for €22 million (about £15 million), but Seville want a replacement for the Brazil forward before the deal is announced. The transfer took a twist yesterday when José Maria del Nido, the unpredictable Seville president, claimed that Tottenham Hotspur had made a counter bid for Baptista.

Seville are hoping to sign Javier Saviola, the Barcelona forward who has attracted interest from Aston Villa.

source: timesonline.co.uk

I am a bit skeptical as to whether or not Tottenham actually have made a bid or not.

He might just be another brilliant player in a long, long, long, long list that "nearly signed". I mean, moving to them would be a step down from Sevilla.

Edited July 18, 2005 by Gooner4Life

[Summers]

Damnit, make Arsenal - tell Sevilla - to leave our Saviola alone.

[TMM]

Damnit, make Arsenal - tell Sevilla - to leave our Saviola alone.

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I want Saviola

I remember him on the old CM games, he was fecking awesome. Barcelona would be silly to sell him I think.

Oh, and if Villa get him on the cheap I'll cry.

[FLiam]

Saviola is very overated in my opinion. He joined Barcelona for something ridiculous, like £25m I think and didn't really live up to the price, so they flogged him to Monaco, where he didn't do that great either.

I also think he would be too lightweight for Premiership football. Plus, he said a while back that he was not too keen on moving to England.

Edited July 18, 2005 by Gooner4Life

[Summers]

We need him. So bad. O'Leary has already been to Spain about it. And Angel and Saviola are old time friends.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Milan, as expected, have completed the signing of Alberto Gilardino from Parma.

The Italian international has finally moved to the Rossoneri after holding lengthy talks with the club on Monday.

Milan have been chasing Gilardino for some time and they made the striker their top summer transfer target.

The 23-year-old has always admitted if he was to leave Parma he would like to join Milan and now he has won his dream move.

Milan put a deadline on the deal to happen on Monday and now a compromise has been reached between all parties.

Gilardino, who has signed a five-year deal, was delighted that his future was finally resolved and he is excited at the prospect of playing for Milan.

"I'm really happy. It has been a really long negotiation and luckily it positively ended," Gilardino told the club's official website.

"Everything of this team fascinates me - the club, the history, the big players who are part of them.

"Why I choose Milan? Because they are the strongest European club and for me, it will fill me with great pride wearing this jersey."

Milan chief officer Adriano Galliani paid tribute to Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi for stumping up the funds to buy Gilardino.

"Also this time we must thank Silvio Berlusconi, he made a really really big financial effort," said Galliani.

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

They have Vieri don't forget, I doubt they'll sign another striker, they'd be wasted.

[Turbo Yannis]

How much did Milan actually pay? I didn't see it in the report.

[FLiam]

I have heard that if Milan got Gilardino, that is going to pave the way for Shevchenko to move to Chelski.

But I doubt it.

[Turbo Yannis]

As cool as that would be, Milan are never going to sell Sheva. They love him and he loves them, so he's there for life, IMO.

[botchedpiledriver]

I reckon Shevchenko would be shit in the Premier League.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Shev would be world class wherever you put him. Sure he might not be the same in England but then again he'd be far from shit. Milan will never sell him anyway, he's way too important to the club and the fans would go mental if he left.

Totally forgot about Vieri too.

[lanky316]

Arsenal believe that they have reached an agreement to sign Julio Baptista for €22 million (about £15 million), but Seville want a replacement for the Brazil forward before the deal is announced. The transfer took a twist yesterday when José Maria del Nido, the unpredictable Seville president, claimed that Tottenham Hotspur had made a counter bid for Baptista.

Seville are hoping to sign Javier Saviola, the Barcelona forward who has attracted interest from Aston Villa.

source: timesonline.co.uk

I am a bit skeptical as to whether or not Tottenham actually have made a bid or not.

He might just be another brilliant player in a long, long, long, long list that "nearly signed". I mean, moving to them would be a step down from Sevilla.

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[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

Affording such an offer isn't enough, you need drawing power and with the current competitors vowing for his signature, you'd have to be hallucinating to believe he'd pick spurs. Thats not just the opinion of me as an Arsenal fan, thats just common sense.

Look at Wigan, they have cash, but they still can't seem to sign bugger all. (Okay their situation is slightly worse, but its the same type of scenario, a player of this calibre isn't looking for cash at this stage in his career, he's looking for an opportunity to show himself on a bigger stage).

[public enemy]

Baptista: I'm staying put

Julio Baptista has insisted that he will not be leaving Sevilla, despite bids from Premiership side Arsenal.

The striker, nicknamed 'The Beast', has always been reticent to complete a big money move, with his Spanish citizenship just 12 months away - and he has told a press conference that he will see out his contract.

"I have never said that I wanted to leave or that I didn't want to stay at Sevilla," said Baptista.

"I have come here to work and to play here a further season. I don't know what is going to happen this year, but I am calm.

"There is interest from several clubs but I am happy here and I have to take that into account.

"In August, I will get my papers in order to get Spanish nationality and I will no longer take up a non-European place, which is very important for me.

"I have already adapted to the Primera Liga and to adapt to another league would be complicated."

Baptista has talked to Arsene Wenger - a move which angered Sevilla - but he confirmed he had passed on the same message to the Arsenal boss.

"It was a fast conversation, in order to get to know each other and that is it," he said.

"But I told him that I had the opportunity to get my passport, which is very important for me.

"I couldn't [have already signed for them] because I would be fined by Fifa.

"The only contract that I have is that with Sevilla."

Baptista also confirmed that he was highly unlikely to sign a new deal with Sevilla, saying: "We've been talking about that possibility for a year and a half but nothing was done.

"I believe it's going to be very complicated to prolong my contract with Sevilla."

[Guest Pirate Chasin' Booty]

I've just read that, alot of people believe it may be a smoke screen though, he's said he wants to go, then he's stated he'll be staying put. If Sevilla were to accept a bid, I couldn't see him turning it down.

We should just offer a good price, then if he's not interested look elsewhere, its wasted too much time already.

[public enemy]

You're right, if Sevilla were to accept a bid there's no doubt in my mind he'd accept a contract from another club.

However, I personally don't think that the player still wants a move to the premiership and that's why the club’s been holding off all offers from Arsenal and Spurs. I think his original plea to the premiership clubs, his 'come and get me' offer, was directed primarily at Chelsea. It seems he's after a big-money move and at the time of his rumoured transfer, he would have been exactly what Chelsea were after in a striker. Now that other English clubs are interested, he doesn't seem too fussed.

I think and I'm sure others would tend to agree that he wants to play for another Spanish club most likely Barcelona. In the interview I posted, he clearly admits his desire to stay in Spain and gain his citizenship. The original price tag and even the re-vamped one for the player seemed to be enough to throw several clubs off the scent. I think Baptista would much prefer to sit-out the remainder of his contract and leave on a free to one of the bigger clubs than to leave now for either of the two premiership clubs chasing his signature. Sevilla would have been foolish to turn down any offer in excess of £15Million given the fact that the player could just as easily walk out for free the following year. Its that which makes me think that either the club believes they can tie him down to a contract extension (the unlikely option) or that the player himself has told the club he will not leave for England and only for Spain.

[lanky316]

Affording such an offer isn't enough, you need drawing power and with the current competitors vowing for his signature, you'd have to be hallucinating to believe he'd pick spurs. Thats not just the opinion of me as an Arsenal fan, thats just common sense.

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[fineintent]

Crouch to make £7m Liverpool move

Southampton striker Peter Crouch will complete a £7m move to Liverpool on Wednesday, subject to a medical.

The Reds have been keen on signing the 24-year-old with Middlesbrough, Charlton and West Ham also reportedly joining the chase for his services.

But Crouch is believed to have favoured a move to Anfield and has got his wish after Liverpool outbid their rivals.

Crouch made his England debut in the 3-2 win over Colombia on 31 May and scored 16 goals for Saints last season.

He was not at training with Saints on Tuesday as a move neared completion and the switch is expected to be rubber stamped on Wednesday barring any problems with the medical.

The move will put the Reds future of striker Milan Baros, 24, in further doubt as he has also been left out of the club's Champions League first roound, second leg qualifier against TNS on Tuesday.

Baros was an unused substitute in the first leg and Benitez has been careful not to cup tie the Czech international and reduce his sell-on value.

Saints boss Harry Redknapp initially insited he wanted to keep Crouch and use him to spearhead the club's promotion assault in the Championship after their top-flight relegation last season.

But Redknapp has become resigned to losing his prize asset with Liverpool refusing to take no for an answer and interest in the player continuing to snowball.

Edited July 19, 2005 by fineintent

[Summers]

Hopefully this means Baros comes to us.