Transfer Talk

[ONO]

He's at Villa Park.

The car was mobbed by hundreds of supporters clapping and cheering. Unique moment.

[TAFKA Castroneves]

Yay! Go MON! Villa for Europe!

[TheArsenal]

Portsmouth are closing in on a deal with England defender Sol Campbell.

Campbell underwent a medical at Fratton Park on Monday prior to signing what BBC Sport understands is a one-year contract with a further year's option.

The 31-year-old was released by Arsenal following his desire to seek a new challenge after five years at the club.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp is looking to partner Campbell with either Manchester City's Sylvain Distin or Blackburn's Ryan Nelsen.

Redknapp is keen on Distin, who is in the last year of his contract at Manchester City and would cost around £4m.

Pompey have also tendered a bid for New Zealand international Nelsen, although it has been rebuffed by Blackburn boss Mark Hughes.

With no transfer fee involved for the England defender, Portsmouth will be easier able to meet Campbell's salary, believed to be in the region of £60,000 a week.

Campbell follows loan signing Glen Johnson from Chelsea as the second big summer signing for Redknapp who had been struggling to put new owner Sasha Gaydamak's wallet to work. Redknapp is keen to make Campbell and Distin, who is in the last year of his contract at Manchester City, his new defensive pairing.

The Pompey boss has also made an approach to Manchester City for England keeper David James.

Campbell announced at the end of last season that he was leaving the Gunners to seek "a new challenge" after five years with the London club.

He made 197 appearances for the Gunners and won five major trophies after joining the club from arch rivals Tottenham in 2001.

But Redknapp may be forced to renew his search for a striker with news that Lomano LuaLua could be out for up to a month with an ankle injury.

The 25-year-old injured his ankle in a pre-season friendly at Oxford and although Pompey are awaiting to discover the full extent, the swelling on his ankle was cause for concern.

Redknapp is left with just Svetoslav Todorov and £4.1m record signing Benjani Mwaruwari as his senior striking options.

The Pompey boss has made little progress in his bids for Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe and Fenebache's former Arsenal forward Nicolas Anelka.

[fineintent]

Haha, how the mighty have fallen.

[TMM]

Figured I'd post some transfer news here.

Ibrahimovic quits Juve for Inter

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has joined Inter Milan from Juventus in a £16.7m deal.

The Swedish international striker, 24, follows Patrick Vieira in moving from Turin to Milan after Juve's relegation as part of the match-fixing scandal.

Bosnian-born Ibrahimovic, who scored 23 goals in 70 games for Juve, has signed a four-year deal at the San Siro.

New Juventus coach Didier Deschamps had said no more players would leave after Vieira, but he has made a £5.9m profit on Ibrahimovic, who signed in 2004.

The Swede is the second striker to secure a move to Inter this week following the two-year loan of Hernan Crespo from Chelsea.

And he is the sixth big-name player to leave Juve, the disgraced former champions having already sold Fabio Cannavaro, Emerson, Gianluca Zambrotta, Lilian Thuram and Vieira this summer.

Italian World Cup winners Gianluigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, Alessandro Del Piero and Cristiano Zanetti are still on Juve's books, as are Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet.

It'll be interesting to see how well Inter do now. What's annoying is now they've just signed Crespo and Ibrahimovic, Obafemi Martins wants out and apparently Adriano is going as well. Crespo will be great for Inter again, but I dunno about Ibrahimovic. It's all well and good being able to do kick-ups with a chewing gum, but I'm still undecided about him as a goalscorer.

It'll be sad to see Martins leave, but Adriano I don't care about. Apparently Man Utd want him.

Keeper James wants Man City exit

England international goalkeeper David James wants to leave Manchester City.

James, understudy to Paul Robinson at the summer's World Cup, has been linked with a move to Portsmouth.

The 36-year-old's fiancee lives in the south of England and he has told City of his desire to quit the club he joined in a £2m deal in January 2004.

Pompey have yet to meet City's valuation for a player who has 34 caps and has previously played for Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham.

James is about to enter the final year of his contract and it is believed City are unwilling to match the three-year deal Portsmouth are willing to hand him.

"David has expressed a wish to leave," confirmed City manager Stuart Pearce.

"It all depends on whether Portsmouth reach our valuation but in some ways I have to be prepared for the fact he will leave.

"I spoke with him when we were away in China. It is not an issue about Manchester City, there are other reasons why he wants to be in the south."

Pearce added finding a replacement would become a priority ahead of the new season with Nicky Weaver, Kasper Schmeichal and Joe Hart, a £600,000 summer signing from Shrewsbury, as present back-up to James.

The club have been heavily linked with Rennes' Swedish keeper Andreas Isaksson and Liverpool's Jerzy Dudek could be an option.

As much as people put James down, he's still a very good goalkeeper. Although at 36, what's the point in Portsmouth wanting him? They have Dean Kiely who is a damn good goalkeeper anyway, and surely with the money Gaydamak has pumped into the club they can get a younger 'keeper like, for example, the afore-mentioned Andreas Isaksson who is a very good goalkeeper.

Trabelsi set to sign for Man City

Hatem Trabelsi is on the verge of completing a move to Manchester City.

The right-back, 29, who played for Tunisia at the World Cup, will move in a free deal as his contract with Dutch club Ajax has come to an end.

He has been a long-time target of Arsenal and has also been linked with Liverpool and West Ham this summer.

City boss Stuart Pearce said on Thursday: "He has a couple of medical tests still remaining but we should have permanent news on him later on."

Trabelsi retired from international football after winning the last of his 59 caps at the World Cup - the third in his career.

He also helped Tunisia win the African Cup of Nations in 2004.

Monaco and Paris St Germain also tracked Trabelsi this summer after he had made it patently clear last season that he would let his contract run out.

"I have been at Ajax for five years," he said in December.

"There are more opportunities in England and I think it's time for me to meet my destiny."

Trabelsi will be a good signing for Man City. He's a strong solid player, and they'll need all the help they can get if/when both Distin and James go.

[alldaws1]

Loving Inter's new signings, with Juventus out of the picture and Milan's deducted points, we should be able to make a serious threat to the title this year. I wouldn't like to see Adriano go but it's inevitable I think with Crespo and Ibrahimovic coming in. Martins has to stay, though, I love that speedy little bugger ¬_¬

[TMM]

Loving Inter's new signings, with Juventus out of the picture and Milan's deducted points, we should be able to make a serious threat to the title this year. I wouldn't like to see Adriano go but it's inevitable I think with Crespo and Ibrahimovic coming in. Martins has to stay, though, I love that speedy little bugger ¬_¬

Yay! A fellow Inter follower/fan/dude!

Adriano was a big lumbering lumox in the World Cup, so whether he goes or not is, I don't really care in the end. But I really don't want Martins to go. Well, unless he goes to Arsenal, then I'd be happy.

[alldaws1]

At least we agree on one team

[Summers]

Robert Green to West Ham, in a deal that COULD rise to 2mil.

What a bloody swoop.

[fineintent]

I don't rate Green at all, the fact that he's young and English seems to cover how shit he is in some people's eyes.

[Summers]

For two million, Green's a very solid signing, IMO.

[Guest Chasing Ringy]

Green did a solid job at Norwich while having a bunch of drunks stand in front of him. Should be interesting to see what he does now that he's got actual defenders helping him.

[public enemy]

Wasen't Green supposed to be having a medical at Charlton? I didn't even know West Ham were even interested, but yeah I'm with Summers, for less than £2Million you can't really complain.

[TAFKA Castroneves]

Carson has gone to Charlton on loan - breaking Sky Sports News.

West Ham got an absolute swoop there, I remember Green's game against Man Utd for Norwich where he single handidly kept them in the game.

[fineintent]

I remember a match against Blackburn where he did the opposite. Francis and Ashton were class though.

[public enemy]

Carson has gone to Charlton on loan - breaking Sky Sports News.

[Guest Chasing Ringy]

Yaya Toure has gone to Monaco, which is weird. You would have thought Man Utd or Arsenal would have snapped him, especially given his under 5 million price tag and potential.

[alldaws1]

More transfer news.

Sweden international goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson seals his £2m move to Manchester City.

Portsmouth are set to complete the signing of Nigeria striker Kanu, reports BBC Radio Solent.

Arsenal winger Jose Antonio Reyes believes he is closing in on his "dream" move to Real Madrid.

Isaksson should be a good replacement for David James. Kanu might help a bit at Portsmouth, but meh. And I hope Reyes stays at Arsenal, I like Real Madrid ¬_¬

Edited August 15, 2006 by alldawson

[Guest Chasing Ringy]

Reyes could be good in Spain though. La Liga's defenders tend to not be the greatest in the world and he could run around them. That and diving isn't frowned upon

[The LBTN Express]

Anyone see the news in The Sun this morning?

Apparently Inter have asked for £10 million for Obafemi Martins but Newcastle want the price to be lowered because they're looking into the fact that he may not be 21 and that he could actually be 27 because it's said he played with Celestine Babayaro in the junior team for Nigeria or something.