REPORTS: VILLARREAL REJECT ROSSI BID

Villarreal have rejected an offer from Manchester City for striker Giuseppe Rossi, according to reports in Spain.

The 22-year-old has a 40million euro release clause in his contract and it is believed that City's bid came well below that valuation.

The Italy international arrived in Spain from City's neighbours Manchester United in the summer of 2007 and it is said that should Villarreal wish to sell the Premier League champions have first option on the player.

The diminutive forward was highly rated at Old Trafford and that has been backed up by some impressive performances for the Spaniards over the past two seasons.

Rossi's agent Federico Pastorello denies that a bid has been lodged by the Eastlands club and indicates that the striker is almost certain to remain at El Madrigal next term.

"Nobody has offered the going price and I am 99 per cent certain the player will be with Villarreal next season," he said.

"Rossi is happy in Villarreal and would only consider leaving for one of Europe's six big clubs."

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/trans...ual_114348.html

Stuart Mathieson

July 09, 2009
KLAAS-Jan Huntelaar could be the crowd pleaser and goalscorer to fill the void left at United by the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping bargain acquisition Michael Owen can supply some of the goals scored by the departing duo.

But ex-Reds Dutch midfielder Arnold Muhren believes his fellow countryman and former Ajax club colleague Huntelaar could provide Fergie with the answer to his attacking conundrum.

Huntelaar has only been at Real Madrid since January when he signed for an initial £17m fee from Ajax but the Bernabeu president Florentino Perez's awesome import of new expensive Galacticos has seen the 25-year-old surplus to requirements.

The Spaniards are said to be ready to sell if a club will offer above the cash they spent in the winter window.

United's 80s stylish midfielder Muhren says Huntelaar would be a snip.

"The way the market has gone this summer then Klaas-Jan would be an absolute bargain at that kind of price," Arnold told M.E.N. Sport. "If United are looking to replace the goals lost through Ronaldo's sale then Huntelaar comes as near as you can get with a guarantee to score them.

"He's a goalscorer. Very, very dangerous in the box. He scored 76 league goals in 92 appearances for Ajax and despite what some people might tell you, that is not easy.

"I believe he can score goals at any level. He has proved he can do it on the international stage with 13 goals in 23 matches for Holland. He has proved he knows where the back of the net is throughout his career. He might need a little time to settle into the Premier League but he would score goals in England."

Smashed

For United it would revive the 'goalden' era between 2001 and 2006 of Ruud van Nistelrooy when he smashed club scoring records.

"Huntelaar is not as fast as van Nistelrooy but he's not slow," said Muhren who coaches in Ajax's youth academy. "You need to play it to Klaas-Jan's feet. He's a target man who will hold the ball up for you and bring the midfielders into play. That's his style. He's also very good in the air.

"He needs wingers feeding him the ball and midfielders playing into him. Like Ruud, if you give him the right service in the box then nine times out of ten he will score. Play to his strengths and create opportunities and Huntelaar will pay you back in goals.

"He would be another good option for United with Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov.

"Owen is fast over the first two or three yards and can win the balls put over the top. Rooney is a great talent and works hard and scores goals. He also has that ability to play wide and come in from that position. I love Berbatov's kind of arrogant style. With Huntelaar added to that department it would be a great mix."

While Huntelaar could virtually be counted on to soften the blow of losing Ronaldo's goal contribution he would also win the hearts of the United fans like Tevez.

"He is a hard worker and a down to earth guy. I know the United support would love him," says Arnold. "He is like Dirk Kuyt at Liverpool. The Anfield fans love him because of his work rate. He never gives up and neither does Huntelaar.

"I really do think it would work for United. I still love the club and want them to be successful and I think with Huntelaar at Old Trafford he'd get the goals to keep United in front."

Sir Alex Ferguson is weighing up a move for Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Manchester United boss Fergie, who yesterday completed the £3.5million signing of Bordeaux winger Gabriel Obertan, has missed out on several of his top targets to replace Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lyon striker Karim Benzema opted to join Real Madrid, while Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery revealed his desire to play in La Liga.

That has left Fergie with limited options in terms of finding a forward to supply the goals without Ronaldo - despite the free signing of former England striker Michael Owen.

Now Inter striker Ibrahimovic, 27, has emerged as a target, with Fergie having had the Sweden international watched on several occasions last season by his European scouts.

Inter would be reluctant to sell £30m rated Ibrahimovic, twice voted Serie A Player of the Year, but sources in Italy suggest they may be persuaded by a sizeable fee.

France Under-21 star Obertan signed a four-year deal as Fergie said: "Gabriel is a player we've tracked for a few years now. We're delighted to get him now as he's an exciting new prospect."

Obertan said: "I'm very happy to join United. This is a big opportunity for me to play at such a great club. I'm very excited to be here."

Adem Ljajic will miss Partizan Belgrade's UEFA Champions League qualifier with Rhyl to rest ahead of the European Under 19 Championship.

The 17-year-old signed for Manchester United last January alongside fellow Partizan team-mate Zoran Tosic but was immediately loaned back to the Serbian club.

The midfielder, who is held in high regard at Old Trafford, will return to the Premier League champions for the start of 2010.

Partizan manager Slavisa Jokanovic has excused the Serbian youngster from travelling to Wales for the first-leg of the second qualifying round of the Champions League tie.

Despite authorising Ljajic to miss the clash, which Partizan are overwhelming favourites for, Jokanovic insists he is not taking the game lightly.

"I approach each game in a serious way," he said. "We have no right to underestimate any club, any country.

"We have all played matches against semi-professional sides and no-one is going to give you anything."

The Under 19 European Championship begin on July 21st and will be staged in the Ukraine.

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he had a feeling Carlos Tevez was going to leave Manchester United as early as January.

The 25-year-old rejected the Premier League champions' offer of a five-year contract last month and looks set to join neighbours Manchester City this week.

The Argentina international scored 34 times in 97 games during his two-year loan spell at Old Trafford but in the end decided his future lay away from the Theatre of Dreams.

Tevez has since admitted that he grew frustrated at playing second fiddle to Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov last term but Ferguson highlights that he offered the forward the chance to stay at the club three times.

"I half expected that a long time back," he said of Tevez's exit.

"Maybe in January because I spoke to him and gave him an offer, I think it was on Inter Milan night and he never came back to me.

"I rang him on holiday, texted him twice and he never got back to me, so he had made his mind up.

"But he was a good player and he did well for us. It was a good arrangement for two years where we could assess the situation and he assessed us and he obviously wanted to go somewhere else and we wish him well."

Good relationship

Ferguson also only had good words to say about Cristiano Ronaldo following his world record £80million move to Real Madrid, with the Scot admitting that the club did well to keep the winger for as long as they did.

"We had a good relationship with the boy," he stated.

"Carlos Queiroz and myself two years ago never thought we were going to keep him for this long and to have him for six years we are very proud of that.

"He has taken on a new challenge and I respect him for that because he was a fantastic player for us. He was a good lad, no problems and we wish him well."