Fansided

Transfer gossip – United Swoop for Benteke

United target Benteke

According to a number of courses, including the Daily Mirror, Manchester United have targeted Christian Benteke as a replacement for the outgoing Robin Van Persie. Louis van Gaal has reshaped his squad with the arrivals of Matteo Darmian, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin, but he also wants a forward following the sale of Robin van Persie to Fenerbache.

Liverpool, though unwilling to meet the £32.5million buyout clause in Benteke’s contract, remain favourites to sign the 24-year-old, who has made clear his determination to leave Villa Park this summer. United have not made any firm contact with Villa over Benteke but he is a player they are considering ahead of the new season.

Boss Tim Sherwood, however, is confident Benteke will play a ‘huge part’ for his Aston Villa side next season, despite the links with United and Liverpool. Sherwood has put together a list of possible Benteke replacements in any case, adding: ‘You need a plan just in case that bid does come in but £32.5m is nothing if you lose your Premier League status for next season.’

More from Premier League

Meanwhile Guardian Football report that Louis van Gaal still hopes Ángel Di María may stay at Manchester United, though the manager has no wish to keep any unhappy player so will allow the forward to be sold to Paris Saint-Germain should the deal suit.

If Di María remains unmoved in his desire to depart he could be used as part of any deal for Cavani, the 28-year-old Uruguayan who has often been asked to play out of position at PSG by Laurent Blanc to accommodate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

‘McCarthy will not be sold to Man City’
Manchester City are considering McCarthy, 24, as a potential midfield option after missing out on Aston Villa’s Fabian Delph, report the Express. But Martinez, who also managed McCarthy at Wigan, said: “There are two reasons why James McCarthy is not for sale.

“The first is that Everton are a club that has balanced its books, it is not a club that needs to sell anybody.

“The second is that James McCarthy has been a strong performer for me for a number of seasons. I know exactly how he performs, he is a central part of my plans so the answer would be no.”

Watford set to sign £3.5m Holland winger

Guardian Football report that Watford are set to continue their squad strengthening for their return to the Premier League with the purchase of the Holland winger Steven Berghuis from AZ Alkmaar.The 23-year-old, who has graduated through junior levels into the senior Holland set-up and had been heavily linked with PSV Eindhoven, can play on either flank or as a No10, and scored 11 times for AZ last season.

Berghuis had trials with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur as a youngster before making his breakthrough at FC Twente, though he has thrived most consistently at Alkmaar. He is likely to cost around £3.5m and will join Etienne Capoue – a club record signing at around £5.7m – Giedrius Arlauskis, Sebastian Prödl, José Holebas, Valon Behrami, Matej Vydra and Allan Nyom as new arrivals at Vicarage Road.

Nyom, a Cameroon international right-back, signed a four-year deal at the club on Tuesday having joined from Udinese and will now link up with Quique Flores’s squad on their pre-season training camp in Germany.

Claudio Ranieri could make former West Ham striker Carlton Cole first signing

Claudio Ranieri could make Carlton Cole his first signing.

Leicester boss Ranieri is weighing up a move for free agent Cole as he knows him from his time in charge at Chelsea.

Ranieri gave Cole his debut as a teenager in 2002 and described him as the best young player he had ever worked with at the time.

Ex-Blues boss Ranieri is looking to strengthen his strike force after becoming Leicester boss this week. He has always kept a good relationship with Cole after once labelling him “Tyson” for his size and strength.

Home/Premier League