Schalke confirm interest in Holtby; Werder eyeing Juventus starlets

Schalke confirm interest in Holtby

Schalke chief Horst Heldt has moved to confirm club’s interest in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lewis Holtby.

The talented footballer hinted few days ago that a return to Gelsenkirchen was a realistic possibility, with the German club now admitting their interest.

Schalke general manager has confessed that Lewis Holtby is one of the players they are currently looking at.

“We are considering it – and other options,” Heldt was quoted as saying in German daily newspaper Bild.

However, it looks as though the Miners are pondering a loan deal until the end of the season as they are determined not to go over the budget.

“We will not break our financial framework,” Heldt added.

Lewis Holtby, 23, only joined Spurs a year ago, but has since started mere 10 Premier League fixtures for the White Hart Lane outfit.

Schalke trail fourth-placed Borussia Dortmund by four points, with the Miners priced at 7/4 for a top 4 finish.

Werder eyeing Juventus starlets

Werder Bremen are pondering summer move on Juventus youngsters Domenico Berardi and Luca Marrone, according to Bild.

The Bundesliga side are on the verge of establishing a cooperation with the Italian giants, with club officials Thomas Eichin and Klaus Filbry having recently held talks with Bianconeri transfer guru Giuseppe Marotta.

And Bild has now suggested that Werder are hoping to sign Domenico Berardi and Luca Marrone on a season-long loan in the summer.

Both players are co-owned between Juventus and Sassuolo, and are regarded as some of Italy’s hottest prospects.

And while Marrone has managed 3 assists in 10 Serie A starts this term, Domenico Berardi has been one of the stand out performers, having bagged 11 goals in 15 league outings.

Even so, the two players would struggle for playing time if they were to return to Turin, which is why a season-long loan at Werder could be beneficial for all the parties concerned.

Marseille keen on Sporting duo

Portuguese daily newspaper O Jogo has learned that Marseille are keeping close tabs on Sporting Lisbon defenders Jefferson Nascimento and Ivan Piris.

The French side watched the two players in action in weekend’s clash between Arouca and Sporting, as they are pondering a summer bid for their services.

With both Rod Fanni and Jeremy Morel being linked with a move away from the club, OM are determined to sign defensive reinforcements ahead of the 2013/2014 season.

And they seem to have set their sights on the two players currently plying their trade at Estadio Jose Alvalade.

The 25-year-old Jefferson has shown a lot of promise since joining the club from Estoril in the summer, and he is also followed by Fiorentina.

Meanwhile, Ivan Piris joined the Lions following a loan spell at AS Roma, but he has made just 4 league appearances this season.

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