United line up Garay to replace Ferdinand
Manchester United are closing in on Benfica centre-back Ezequiel Garay, according to Spanish daily Marca.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been impressed by the Argentine defender and is now convinced he would be a perfect replacement for Rio Ferdinand, who is widely tipped to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season.
The Red Devils hope to sign the player in the summer transfer window and are prepared to offer around €15 million, but the problem is Benfica are holding out for double the amount.
Nevertheless, Marca believes the two parties will eventually come to an agreement that will see the highly rated defender make a switch to Old Trafford.
Garay, 26, has managed to kick-start his career at Estadio da Luz following a disappointing spell at Real Madrid and established himself as one of the best centre-backs in European football.
The Argentina international has been especially impressive during team’s Champions League campaign, while also earning a regular starting berth in the national team.
With a wealth of experience at the highest level and still at least five or six good years ahead of him, Garay would be a very good investment for the Premier League giants.
Three La Liga stars on Bayern radar
Sport Bild is reporting that new Bayern coach Pep Guardiola has already outlined his targets for the summer transfer window.
The Spaniard will only take over the reigns at Alianz Arena next summer, but he has already started working on ways to reinforce the squad.
Sport Bild has learned that there are currently three talented footballers on Guardiola’s hit-list, and the fact all of them currently ply their trade in Spanish La Liga is hardly surprising.
The first one is Real Sociedad centre-back Inigo Martinez, who has been showing a lot of potential this season and is regarded as one of the most talented defenders in the Spanish top flight.
Another player that is likely to be on Bayern Munich radar is Malaga star Isco, who is heavily tipped to leave La Rosaleda at the end of the season.
Luring the Spain international to Alianz Arena could prove to be a very difficult task, however, since it is believed that Chelsea have already secured a first option on the player.
The third target is Athletic Bilbao starlet Iker Muniain, but while the youngster may be interested in a switch to Germany, the Spanish club may not be willing to do business as they are not happy with how the Bavarians handled the Javi Martinez transfer saga.
Marseille close in on new striker
Eurosport.fr is reporting that Marseille are on the verge of signing CFR Cluj striker Modou Sougou.
The transfer fee involved is around €3 million, with the player set to sign a three-and-a-half-year deal at Stade Velodrome.
Sougou, 28, arrives as a replacement for Loic Remy, who has joined QPR in the January transfer window.
The Senegalese striker joined CFR Cluj from Academica Coimbra in the summer of 2011 and has since scored 11 goals in 44 league matches.
His showings in this year’s Champions League, however, have not gone unnoticed, with 4 goals in 9 matches adding to his reputation.
Meanwhile, La Provence reports that attacking midfielder Morgan Amalfitano is unhappy with his status at the club and is looking to leave.
The 27-year-old has fallen behind Jordan Ayew in the pecking order and is now determined to leave in search of first team football.
For more news about football transfers and rumours, visit our Transfer News section. To view all football transfers for 2012/13 season, visit our Soccer Transfers section.
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