Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign Moussa Sissoko and ?tienne Capoue, the combative Toulouse midfield players, after their approach for Sulley Muntari was turned down by Inter Milan.
Harry Redknapp, the Spurs manager, wants a powerful partner for Wilson Palacios in central midfield next season. Sissoko, 19, has earned a reputation as an energetic and powerful tackler. The qualities have earned him a place in the France Under-21 team, for whom he scored in the 2-0 victory against England at the City Ground in April.
Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers watched Sissoko during his spell in the Toulouse academy and Newcastle United and Juventus have previously tried to sign him. He has three years left on his contract and has said that he would prefer to stay in France next season. Capoue is a year older but is also 6ft 1½in and has mainly operated as a defender or holding midfield player. The France Under-21 captain has four years left on his contract.
Redknapp’s move comes after Fabien Piveteau, Muntari’s agent, claimed that the manager failed in an attempt to re-sign the Ghana player he had at Portsmouth. “It is true Tottenham made an offer, but Sulley remains at Inter as they declined it,” Piveteau said. “He is very happy to play and win for Inter, and wants to continue to do so.”
It promises to be a busy summer at White Hart Lane, with Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, expected to hold talks with Real Madrid on Monday about Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ruud van Nistelrooy, their Dutch forwards, who are available for transfer.
Advertisement
Huntelaar left Ajax for £19 million in January, but has been unhappy in Madrid. He would prefer a move to a Champions League club, such as Arsenal or Manchester United, and has four years left on his contract. Real are expected to offer Arjen Robben, the injury-prone winger, to Tottenham, who have been seeking a left-sided player for some time.
Decent bets
Jos? Mourinho is keen to be reunited with Deco at Inter Milan after the Chelsea midfield player confirmed his desire to play for his Portuguese compatriot and former manager. Mourinho, the Inter coach, is poised to make an offer for Deco and Ricardo Carvalho, Chelsea’s Portugal centre back, who has made it known he is open to offers.
Mourinho was in charge of both players at Porto and said: “Deco helped me to become European champion. If it will be possible for Deco to come to Inter and for us to work together again it would be something wonderful for both of us.
“Deco is a great player. His last season at Chelsea might not have been so good but I know about his quality.”
Advertisement
Chelsea’s proposed transfer of Sergio Ag?ero from Atl?tico Madrid has been complicated by another club being ready to pay the striker’s wage demands of £100,000 a week net, but they cannot match the £45 million transfer fee the London club are happy to pay.
Enrique Cerezo, the Atl?tico president, hinted that the 21-year-old was likely to leave. “We will open talks if an interesting offer is made,” Cerezo said.
West Ham United hope to sign Luis Jim?nez, probably on loan, if they beat off competition from Parma and they can obtain a work permit for a forward who has not played the required 75 per cent of matches for Chile in the past two years.
Hull City have made an approach for Marc-Antoine Fortun?, the forward who scored five goals on loan at West Bromwich Albion after he joined in January. The Nancy player has also attracted interest from newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City.
Burnley have offered Graham Alexander, the 37-year-old defender, a new one-year contract. The Scot started all 61 of the club’s league and cup games last season. Barnsley have turned down an offer from Bristol City for Anderson De Silva, the midfield player.
Advertisement
Dead certs
Scott Dann, the defender, has joined Birmingham City for £3.5 million from Coventry City, ahead of Wolverhampton. Dann, an England Under-21 player, made 49 appearances for Coventry after signing from Walsall in January last year.
Long shots
Mamadou Sakho’s agent claims that Arsenal and Bayern Munich are interested in the Paris Saint-Germain defender. Sakho captained the France team to the quarter-finals of the Under-17 World Cup two years ago. “Arsenal are interested, but the club’s offer is too low at the moment,” Tim Hager said.