Chelsea close in on Nemanja Matic; Postiga set for Sevilla move

Chelsea close in on Nemanja Matic

Portuguese newspaper A Bola is reporting that Chelsea are on the verge of completing a deal for Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic.

The Blues have quickly lived to regret selling the midfielder to Benfica, and it appears new boss Jose Mourinho has convinced owner Roman Abramovich to splash the cash on the Serbian.

According to A Bola, the two clubs are in advanced talks at the moment and it is believed they will find an agreement in the coming days.

Matic has recently signed a new contract at Estadio da Luz, with his release clause now standing at €50 million, and it is believed Benfica would not sell their prized asset for less than €40 million.

The 24-year-old has developed into one of Europe’s best holding midfielders since joining Eagles from Chelsea two years ago, making no less than 46 competitive appearances for the club this term.

He was one of club’s star performers this season and it looks as he has done enough to return to the biggest stage.

Postiga set for Sevilla move

Real Zaragoza striker Helder Postiga is set to join Sevilla in the summer transfer window, AS has revealed.

The Portuguese forward has one year left on his deal at La Romareda, but he is looking to leave los Manos after the club suffered relegation to Segunda.

Spanish daily AS has learned that the player has agreed a three-year deal with Sevilla, as los Rojiblancos see him as a decent replacement for outgoing striker Alvaro Negredo.

All that’s left is for the two clubs to agree on a transfer fee, but with Sevilla offering €4m and Zaragoza holding out for €6m, it is believed an agreement will be reached soon.

The 30-year-old has been the only bright spot in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Zaragoza, scoring 14 goals in 37 La Liga appearances.

Postiga has also nailed down a regular starting berth in the national team, and has managed 5 goals in 7 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Aimar hints at River Plate return

Argentine midfielder Pablo Aimar has admitted that he has been in contact with his former club River Plate.

The 33-year-old is looking for a new challenge after his contract with Benfica came to an end, and he is widely tipped to return to where it all started for him.

Aimar has now moved to confirm contacts with River Plate, adding fuel to speculations linking him with a switch to Monumental.

“I called Emiliano Diaz (River Plate assistant coach). I like Passarella’s concepts,” Aimar said in a program on Radio FM Cordoba.

“And Ramon (Emiliano Diaz) played with Saviola and with me.”

While River Plate are hoping to win the race for the player’s signature, the veteran midfielder also has offers from Belgrano, Estudiantes and clubs from Brazil and Malaysia.

Pablo Aimar began his professional career at River Plate and went on to score 22 goals in 82 league matches before joining Valencia.

For more news about football transfers and rumours, visit our Transfer News section. To view all football transfers for 2013/14 season, visit our Soccer Transfers section.