The Malta Independent 31 July 2026, Friday
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Transfer news: Man Utd close to Alcantara

Malta Independent Thursday, 20 June 2013, 08:58 Last update: about 13 years ago

Manchester United have emerged as favourites to sign Barcelona’s Spanish wonderkid Thiago Alcantara, The Sun reported.

New Red Devils boss David Moyes has been a long-term admirer of the midfielder, 22, yet knew he was out of reach of former club Everton.

But the Premier League champions have also tracked Thiago for the past three years.

And they could now prove an irresistible draw for a player who has been frustrated by a lack of first-team action at Barca.

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Barcelona have targeted Juan Mata for a shock summer swoop because they believe he has fallen out with Jose Mourinho, The Mirror reports

Mourinho insisted last week he has not spoken to Mata, or any of the Chelsea players on Confederations Cup duty in Brazil, since being reappointed.

But rumours that the Special One is not convinced by the Stamford Bridge club's Player of the Season have grown in recent weeks.

And the Nou Camp side have now sent out feelers in the direction of the former Valencia man Mata, ahead of a likely £30million bid.

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Edison Cavani is set to snub Manchester City to join Real Madrid, the Daily Star reports.

The Blues hope to lure Cavani to the Etihad in a blockbusting £55m deal.

New boss Manuel Pellegrini wants the Napoli striker (left) to spearhead his side’s assault on the Premier League and Champions League next season.

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Liverpool's extensive summer recruitment programme is increasingly likely to include a cut-price transfer for Porto's Ghanaian international Christian Atsu after a significant breakthrough in negotiations, The Guardian reports.

The two clubs are in advanced talks and Liverpool are moving in on a deal that would see the 21-year-old winger sign for as little as £3m, on the basis that his contract expires next summer and he has already made it clear that he will not be signing another one.

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Liverpool expect to have wrapped up a deal within 48 hours to sign the 20-year-old Spanish winger Luis Alberto from Seville for around £6m, The Independent reports.

The La Liga side's sporting director, Ramon Verdejo, said that an initial Liverpool offer was "very good" but not substantial enough, though manager Brendan Rodgers is confident that a deal will be done and that the player will be in Britain by the end of the week.

Alberto, an attacking midfielder who can also operate as a withdrawn centre-forward, was loaned to Barcelona's B side for a year last August but has become available after the Catalans decided not to take up the option of a permanent deal.

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Everton are in talks with La Liga side Granada over a move for left back Guilherme Siqueira, the Daily Mail reports.

Discussions are still at an early stage, but Sportsmail understands Roberto Martinez is considering the 27-year-old as a possible replacement for Leighton Baines in the event that a transfer to a top-four club materialises this summer.

Siqueira has impressed immensely in three seasons at Granada after joining from Serie A side Udinese on loan in 2010.

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