Agencies/Rome
Juventus striker Fernando Llorente is set to return to Spain as part of a deal that will also see teammate Mauricio Isla sign for La Liga side Sevilla, reports said yesterday.
Juventus signed Llorente on a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao two years ago but the towering striker is now surplus to requirements in Turin and Juve are expected to cash in. Gazzetta dello Sport’s website said the Italian champions will recoup 7m euros ($10m) plus performance-related bonuses for the 30-year-old Spaniard, who will sign a permanent deal with Sevilla.
Chilean international midfielder Isla, who last season went on loan to Queens Park Rangers, is reported to be part of the deal. Juventus have seen key changes among personnel in the wake of losing the Champions League final to Barcelona last May. Striker Carlos Tevez (Boca Juniors) and midfielders Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich), Andrea Pirlo (New York City FC) and Simone Pepe (Chievo) were among the several players who left the club.
But Juventus have filled the gaps, and arguably have an excess of strikers with Mario Mandzukic (Atletico Madrid) and Paulo Dybala (Palermo) joining this summer. Juve already have Spanish international striker Alvaro Morata on their books as well as French youngster Kingsley Coman.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri welcomed a total of seven new faces in the close season, including Germany international midfielder Sami Khedira (Real Madrid) and Brazilian defender Alex Sandro (FC Porto). On Tuesday, unwanted Chelsea forward Juan Cuadrado arrived on a one-season loan deal.
Madrid sell Illaramendi back to Sociedad
Real Madrid have sold midfielder Asier Illaramendi back to Real Sociedad, both clubs said yesterday. Madrid have agreed to accept 17 million euros (19.6 million dollars), which is exactly half of what they paid Sociedad for the defensive midfielder two years ago.
Illaramendi, 25, was rarely a starter for Real in his two years at the Bernabeu. He has signed a six-year contract with Sociedad, the club where he started his career. According to media reports, Real are poised to loan unwanted left-back Fabio Coentrao out to Monaco and are also trying to find a club who will take midfielder Lucas Silva on loan.
Leverkusen’s Son set for Tottenham medical
Bayer Leverkusen’s South Korean
midfielder Son Heung-Min is on the verge of joining Tottenham, German media reported yesterday.
The 23-year-old, under contract with Leverkusen until 2018, is due in London to take a medical ahead of a deal worth an estimated 30 million euros ($34 million, (£22 million), German dailies Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger and Sport Bild reported. Contacted by German news agency SID, a subsidiary of AFP, Leverkusen refused to comment on the news which broke hours before their Champions League play-off second leg against Lazio. The transfer window closes on Monday in Germany and 24 hours later in England.
Son arrived at Leverkusen in the summer of 2013 in a club record 10 million euros move from Bundesliga rivals Hamburg. A versatile attacker, Son figured for South Korea at last year’s World Cup in Brazil. In all he has 44 caps to his name, with 11 goals. Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino has already signed Cameroon striker Clinton N’Jie from Lyon this close season, with the north London club’s main target West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino.
West Brom reject Spurs SECOND bid for striker Berahino
West Bromwich Albion have rejected a second bid from Tottenham Hotspur, reportedly in the region of 22 million pounds ($18.8 million), for unsettled English striker Saido Berahino, according to a statement on the club website.
West Brom said on Tuesday that they had rejected a written transfer request from the 22-year-old, who manager Tony Pulis dropped for the 3-2 home defeat against Chelsea on Sunday, saying he was not in the right frame of mind to play.
Berahino was also left out of Pulis’ squad for Tuesday’s League Cup win over Port Vale. Tottenham’s pursuit of the striker, who is contracted to West Brom until the summer of 2017 and scored 20 goals in all competitions last season, has led Pulis to criticise the transfer window being left open after the start of the season.
Mauricio Isla (top).
