Playing for 90’s transfer gossip column brings you all the latest news and rumours of ins and outs from the Premier League and abroad, including news on the future of Angel Di Maria
PSG Di Maria bid rejected
According to several media outlets, including the Guardian, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are in advanced negotiations for Ángel Di María, with the French club having offered €40m (£28.5m) to buy the 27-year-old.
The fee is less than half the British record £59.7m United paid Real Madrid for Di María 12 months ago. Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, is thought to be resisting PSG’s offer as he seeks a higher price. Although Louis van Gaal had wanted the Argentinian to stay the manager now accepts Di María wishes to leave and so there would be some surprise if he were still at the club when the transfer window closes on 1 September.
Last season he struggled to establish himself in Van Gaal’s side. After he was sent off in United’s 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal on 9 March the manager did not start him again until the final game of the season, at Hull City, more than two months later. Di María’s compatriot Marcos Rojo also failed to arrive in San Jose.
It is unclear whether the defender will be fined; he is believed to have now renewed his passport though he may also have been unable to enter the United States after being arrested last year in his homeland.
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United are understood to be stepping up the attempt to sign the Barcelona forward Pedro, who has a £22m release clause. The 27-year-old is minded to join United and if personal terms can be agreed the Spaniard could become Van Gaal’s sixth close season signing.
Liverpool FC defender Andre Wisdom close to Norwich City loan move
According to the Liverpool Echo Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom is close to agreeing a season-long loan with Premier League new boys Norwich City.
Wisdom is expected to make the temporary switch to the promoted Canaries in the coming days with the Reds having negotiated a loan fee of £1.25million.
The 22-year-old, who penned a new four-year contract at Anfield in May, has seen competition for the right-back berth increased by the summer arrivals of Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez. Wisdom signed for Liverpool as a 14-year-old from Bradford City and was handed his debut by Brendan Rodgers in September 2012, scoring in a 5-3 Europa League win at Young Boys.
He made 19 appearances in his debut campaign but after only three outings at the start of the following season, he was loaned out to Championship side Derby County for the remainder of the campaign. Wisdom spent last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion but struggled for regular first-team action after Tony Pulis took over as manager in January.
Dimitar Berbatov to join Aston Villa
According to the Express Dimitar Berbatov has agreed personal terms with Aston Villa, and is set to join the Birmingham-based club. Villa boss Sherwood is looking to boost his side’s scoring options after struggling for goals last season, and former captain and crowd favourite Petrov, who was forced to retire in 2013 after being diagnosed with leukemia, has recommended his friend and ex-international team-mate.
The 34-year-old, who is Bulgaria’s top scorer with 48 goals, is discussing personal terms with Villa and a source close to the player said: “Stiliyan knows him very well. He knows that Berbatov is still a top-class striker and he believes he can be the right man for Villa.”
Petrov, Bulgaria’s most capped player, and Berbatov, the Balkan country’s most popular export in the last decade, were also team-mates at CSKA Sofia in the late 1990s.
“They need a top striker now because they sold Christian Benteke to Liverpool,” the source added. “You don’t have many strikers with experience in the Premier League available at the moment.
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Spurs to open James McCarthy talks
According to the Daily Mirror Tottenham will open talks with Everton over midfielder James McCarthy this week. The Toffees are facing a second fight to keep one of their top players with Chelsea already determined to land defender John Stones.
Spurs are equally confident of prising McCarthy away despite boss Roberto Martinez’s insistence that he, like Stones, is not leaving. McCarthy is interested in a move to White Hart Lane after growing disillusioned at failed promises to improve his contract.
The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international signed a five-year deal when he moved to Goodison Park from Wigan in 2013. But while other players have had their contracts revised, he has not.