Transfer Gossip – Clyne Bid Accepted

Playing for 90’s daily transfer gossip column, including news of how Liverpool have agreed a fee with Southampton for Nathaniel Clyne, brought to you by co-editor Kevin Kelly.

Southampton accept bid for Clyne

The Liverpool Echo, among others, this morning reported that Southampton have accepted a £12.5m bid for Nathaniel Clyne from Liverpool. The much-coveted full-back was a target for Manchester United, but it seems as if Liverpool have got their man.

Liverpool’s initial offer of £10 million was rejected last month but they returned with a higher bid and Saints have agreed to do business. Clyne was down to the final year of his existing contract and had made it clear he wouldn’t sign an extension.

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Liverpool have offered Clyne a five-year deal to replace the outgoing Glen Johnson, who’s contract is up after spending six years at the Anfield club, having left Portsmouth to sign for the Reds in 2009 for £18m.

Villa confident of retaining Benteke

Guardian Football report that Aston Villa insist Christian Benteke will not be allowed to leave for anything less than the £32.5m release clause in his contract and are relaxed about holding onto a player who has made it clear he has no intention of signing a new deal and wishes to join a club competing at the top end of the table.

Benteke’s stance, outlined in talks earlier this month, means that Villa run the risk of the striker being disillusioned at Villa Park and having only 12 months left on his contract this time next year if he ends up staying for another season. His value would also depreciate as his deal runs down.

Villa, however, are confident that Tim Sherwood, the manager, can use the prospect of Benteke playing in the European Championship for Belgium next summer as a motivational tool to bring the best out of the 24-year-old at club level, and they also intend to stand firm on an exit clause that it is difficult to see anyone meeting.

Magpies Ponder Keogh Bid

Newcastle United are considering bidding for Derby’s Richard Keogh, report Guardian Football. The central-defender, who is also a target for Sunderland and West Brom, was named in the Championship Team of the Year, and would cost around £4m.

Derby, McClaren’s former club, have made a move to sign the Burnley central defender Jason Shackell and if they were able to get him, they might allow Keogh to leave at the right price. They turned down a bid worth £2.5m for him last summer from Burnley, and he went on to agree a new contract at the club until 2018.

Keogh, who joined Derby from Coventry in 2012, made 45 league appearances for the club last season and has established himself in Martin O’Neill’s Ireland squad.

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Blues Hopeful of imminent Deulofeu announcement

The Liverpool Echo report that Everton are hopeful of announcing the signing of Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona today. The Spaniard has agreed to join Everton on a permanent basis for a fee of £5m, having previously spent the 2013/14 season on loan at Everton.

Deulofeu spent last season on loan at Sevilla, but was limited to just 22 appearances all season in all competitions. A buy-back option is to be included in the contract which will give Barca the chance to take him back to the Nou Camp at the end of the next two seasons, for pre-agreed fees.

After a breakthrough in negotiations last week, Deulofeu travelled to Liverpool complete negotaitions on Monday. Everton are now just waiting for paperwork to be completed at Barcelona before the deal is tied up and they can announce the Spanish under-21 international as their second signing of the summer following the acquisition of Tom Cleverley.