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Posts Tagged ‘transfer window’

• Carlos moving to Anfield after impressing in NextGen series
• Sporting selling youngster to held ease financial issues

Liverpool have agreed a deal with Sporting Lisbon, close to £1m, to sign one of the most talented young players from the academy that has developed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Nani.

João Carlos, 19, is moving to Anfield after coming to the attention of the Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, during a scoring performance in the NextGen series of youth-team matches earlier this season.

The teenager has been talked about in Portugal as being similar to a young Deco but Sporting have financial issues and have decided to accept Liverpool’s offer in keeping with their usual policy of nurturing young players and then selling them for profit.

Carlos has trained with Sporting’s first-team this season, but has not made his senior debut.

LiverpoolSporting LisbonTransfer windowDaniel Taylor
guardian.co.uk

• Reports linked Alan Pardew with cut-price bid for Carroll
• Newcastle sources deny making contact with Liverpool

Newcastle United have dismissed speculation that their former striker Andy Carroll could make a cut-price return to Tyneside.

Reports had linked the club with a £10m deal for the 23-year-old England international, who has disappointed in his first 12 months at Liverpool following his £35m move.

However, sources in the north-east have insisted there has been no contact between the two clubs, despite weeks of speculation. Carroll’s representatives, meanwhile, say they have not been told that Liverpool are looking to sell him, and they themselves are not seeking a move. His agent Mark Curtis told the BBC: “Andy is happy at Liverpool.”

Alan Pardew’s need to add a new striker to his Newcastle squad may depend on the future of the Senegal international Demba Ba, who made a big impact before his departure for the Africa Cup of Nations. Ba has a release-clause in his contract, which has prompted speculation of a January move.

Pardew has renewed his interest in the Paris St Germain forward Mevlut Erding, who was a target throughout last summer. Negotiations for the Turkey international broke down, but Newcastle remain interested.

Pardew is also understood to be keen to secure a central defender, with Steven Taylor’s season-ending Achilles injury further exposing their lack of strength in depth in that department.

Andy CarrollNewcastle UnitedLiverpoolTransfer windowguardian.co.uk

• Keane could make Villa debut against Everton
• Petr Cech commits to Chelsea despite transfer talk

Aston Villa are in talks to sign the LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane on a two-month loan deal, which could be completed in time for their next Premier League game against Everton on 14 January.

The Villa manager Alex McLeish says the club have held productive talks with the Republic of Ireland international over the short-term deal, after which Keane will return to the US for the start of the Major Soccer League season in March.

McLeish said: “We are having a look at it with Robbie and trying to pursue it. That is the latest although nothing is done and dusted yet. If we don’t know by Monday, then it probably will not be done. That’s why I don’t want to say too much in case it doesn’t happen. We are certainly pursuing it and at the moment, both parties are keen. I would say the chances are a bit better than 50-50.”

If the deal is confirmed, Keane could face his Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan, who has returned to Everton for a second loan spell, on his Villa debut.

Keane is currently maintaining his fitness by training with his former club Tottenham, but is keen to retain his sharpness by playing during the MLS break ahead of this summer’s Euro 2012 finals.

McLeish also restated his position that the club’s record signing, striker Darren Bent, is not for sale, amid continuing speculation linking him with Liverpool.

McLeish said: “We’ve not heard a thing from Liverpool. I’m aware of the speculation. But there has been no contact with this club and I think you’ve had three parties telling you that. But, even if there was contact, we would not entertain that [selling Bent].”

The Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech expects to sign a new extended contract despite reports that André Villas-Boas is planning to sell him in favour of the summer signing Thibaut Courtois, who is currently on loan at Atlético Madrid.

“Yes, I think [I will sign a new deal] and we will not have a problem,” Cech told the London Evening Standard. “I have been here for seven years and I have been more or less a regular starter, so I’m more than happy to stay. Chelsea are in the world’s top competition, so I have no reason to leave. I would like to see myself staying here.”

However, Cech also refused to rule out one day plying his trade elsewhere. “It is difficult to leave the best league in the world and if you take a look around, you will not see many teams of Chelsea’s category that would be looking to sign a new goalkeeper,” he said.

“If I would like to try something new, then it would have to be a club of a similar level to Chelsea. You never know, everything happens fast in the football life. You can sign a 10-year contract with a club and then end up leaving after three years. I’m 29 years old and I believe that there is still time for a possible change.”

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