West Bromwich Albion
The increasingly tenuous ties between Saido Berahino and West Bromwich Albion grew more strained on Monday night when it was announced the forward had logged a written transfer request that was denied by the club.
Tottenham Hotspur have been pursuing Berahino for several weeks, with multiple bids reportedly rejected as West Brom try to retain the 22-year-old target man who found the net 14 times while appearing in all 38 Premier League matches for the team last season.
Now it appears that such an outcome will be even more difficult to maintain after West Brom issued a statement on Monday night confirming Berahino’s desire to exit.
“West Bromwich Albion have received a written transfer request from Saido Berahino. The request has been rejected and the club’s position remains unchanged from that outlined in the statement from chairman Jeremy Peace of August 18,” it said.
Read more: Greg Lea on Arsenal v Liverpool and Christian Benteke's heartening display
That statement included comments from Peace, who said “we have no interest in selling Saido, which is what I have told Daniel Levy”, Spurs chairman.
“I know we are living in an age where no club can say ‘never’ about the possibility of selling a player. However, the prospect of selling Saido is simply not on our agenda.
“We are going forward with Saido very much in our plans and still striving to add players to improve the balance to of our squad.”
Spurs’ latest bid was said to have been £18 million (Dh104.2m) last week. West Brom manager Tony Pulis left Berahino out of his squad in Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Chelsea at The Hawthorns. Pulis has expressed both frustration and resignation at the Berahino dealings, saying after the defeat “it’s the transfer window that causes the problem”.
“There are still seven days to go. The kid shouldn’t have this problem. Nobody should. The season has started.”
He also has said previously: "I want to keep him and the club want to keep him but it's market forces.
“I’m sure Tottenham wanted to keep Bale and Manchester United wanted to keep Ronaldo so I’m not stupid enough to say ‘I’m not doing this’ or ‘I’m not doing that.’
“Never say never, especially in football. I understand what goes on.”
Arsenal
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has dismissed persistent rumours in the English press linking him with a move to Premier League side Arsenal.
“For all those clowns who want to make believe things at my fans. Here this is my home!” He posted on his official Twitter account on Monday alongside a photo of him in the Madrid dressing room.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has also tried to distance himself from stories speculating that the London club could make a bid for the 27-year-old French international before the transfer window shuts next week.
Read more: The National's Transfer Talk page
Benzema missed Madrid's 0-0 draw in La Liga away to Sporting Gijon on Sunday due to a thigh injury which forced him to miss the majority of Real's pre-season matches.
However, he returned to training on Monday and is expected to be fit to feature when Real Betis visit the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
*Agence France-Presse
Chelsea
Juventus appear to be moving closer to the expected signing of Chelsea's Juan Cuadrado after releasing pictures of the winger being welcomed in Italy.
Juve chief executive Giuseppe Marotta was quoted over the weekend saying the Champions League finalists were hopeful of landing the Colombia international on loan.
The Serie A club have now further declared their interest by releasing a brief video clip of the 27-year-old Colombian apparently being mobbed by fans on arrival at Malpensa Airport in northern Italy.
An accompanying tweet translated as: “Has come! He quickly found an extraordinary welcome ! #WelcomeCuadrado.”
Cuadrado, one of Colombia’s star players at last year’s World Cup, has failed to make an impact at Stamford Bridge since moving from Fiorentina for an initial £23.3m in February.
He signed a four-and-a-half year contract at Chelsea but it seems the club are willing to allow him to play elsewhere.
* Press Association
West Ham United
Saudi Arabia club Al Nassr have announced the signing of West Ham United forward Modibo Maiga – although the London club say nothing has been confirmed.
A tweet from Al Nassr’s official account on Monday said that the 27-year-old Mali international had signed a two-year contract with the Riyadh-based club.
But there has been no notification from West Ham and a spokesman said nothing has been confirmed yet.
The tweet from @AlNassrSaudiFCe read: “#ALNASSR signed a 2 year contract with former @whufc_official’s forward, Modibo Maiga. Congratulations.”
Maiga joined West Ham for £4.7m from Sochaux three years ago but has since had loans at QPR and Metz.
If he leaved, he does so having scored in West Ham’s 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend.
*Press Association
Liverpool
Liverpool misfit Mario Balotelli will return to AC Milan on a season-long loan deal thrashed out by the clubs on Monday, reports in Italy said.
Italy international Balotelli’s career has stalled since he joined the Premier League club following last year’s World Cup and he has not played for Italy since.
But with the European Championships in France next summer, the 25-year-old striker is now set for a dramatic return to the club he left just over a year ago.
A report on Gazzetta dello Sport's website said Balotelli would undergo a medical at Milan's Milanello training ground on Tuesday.
If all goes well, he could be available for Milan’s opening home match of the season, against Empoli.
The report added there was no clause in the deal that would allow Milan to buy Balotelli outright at the end of the season.
The majority of Milan’s fans, meanwhile, appear to be against Balotelli’s return.
In a snap poll on Gazzetta's website last week 74 per cent of readers believed it to be "the wrong move" for the club.
However, club officials, including chief exective Adriano Galliani, have been pushing for the move.
Galliani indicated last week he and club president Silvio Berlusconi were supporting Balotelli’s return to the club.
“Some loved ones leave and then they return: the president and I are both romantic souls,” Galliani told Sky Sport.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, speaking after his side’s 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Monday, said he was unable to confirm the reports.
“I don’t know anything on that,” he told his post-match press conference.
“I’ve just finished the game. My focus has been on preparing the game, so nothing on transfers.”
Balotelli began his professional career under Roberto Mancini at Inter Milan, when current Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was the coach’s assistant, in 2007.
Balotelli spent three troubled years at Manchester City from 2010 to 2013, a period marked by regular off-the-field antics and a poor disciplinary record that saw him fall out with then City manager Mancini.
Balotelli returned to Italy, signing for Inter’s bitter rivals Milan in January 2013, but was sold to Liverpool in 2014.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
