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 Javier Hernandez.
Hernandez could move to MLS
Reports on NBC Sports have emerged which state that Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez could move to an unknown MLS club worth $10m per-year. Journalist Gibran Araige, that says Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, currently of Premier League side Manchester United, has a contract offer from MLS worth $10 million per season. Araige also reports that Hernandez, who has just one year left on his deal at Man United and looks all but certain to leave the club this summer, has 24 hours to decide whether or not he will accept the offer.
Kaka and Sebastian Giovinco are currently highest the highest-paid players in MLS at $7.1 million per year. As a non-US national team or MLS returning player, Hernandez is not subject to the league’s allocation order, meaning he would be a “discovery” signing while earning a Designated Player contract. Multiple teams — Orlando City SC and Chicago Fire have long been linked to the player — are rumored to be interested in Hernandez, even at that astronomical price, apparently.
It is currently unknown which MLS team holds Hernandez’s discovery rights. It is unlikely that the team holding Hernandez’s discovery rights would not want to acquire him should he agree to come to MLS. The option for two sides to agree a deal to ship out and acquire his rights remains a possibility, as occurred when the Montreal Impact picked up Didier Drogba last week.
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Spurs eye Austin
Tottenham want Charlie Austin to boost their attacking options, report the Daily Mirror. Boss Mauricio Pochettino aims to offload striker Emmanuel Adebayor, to Aston Villa, before making a move for the Queens Park Rangers forward later this month.
The Daily Mirror believe Spurs have already contacted relegated Rangers to register their interest. Premier League rivals such as Newcastle, West Ham and Leicester are also keen on the 26-year-old, but have refused to meet QPR’s £15million price-tag.
White Hart Lane chairman Daniel Levy can afford it, though — and may even throw in a loanee to sweeten the deal. Austin scored 18 Premier League goals in his first Premier League campaign, and earned an England call-up, despite QPR eventually going down. Rangers head coach Chris Ramsey and director of football Les Ferdinand both used to both work at Spurs, which may help negotiations along.
Arsenal need to pay £45 for Benzema
Real Madrid could be persuaded to part company with Karim Benzema, but Arsenal will need to break their transfer record and bid at least £45million for the Frenchman, report the Daily Mail. The Gunners prised Mesut Ozil out of the Bernabeu two years ago for £42.5m but will need to dig even deeper if they are to secure Benzema’s services this summer.
There is still a lot of ground to be covered before the striker can be ushered out of Real Madrid – the way Ozil was in 2013 – but with both Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo becoming strikers that find themselves playing increasing through the middle there is a feeling that Benzema is expendable.
There was a telling moment in Rafa Benitez’ press conference on Tuesday after Real Madrid had beaten Tottenham. ‘Hopefully everyone will continue here and we can win the league,’ said Benitez.
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Fabio Borini set for Fiorentina move
Liverpool are in talks with Italian side Fiorentina over the transfer of striker Fabio Borini, report Talksport. It is thought, should a deal go through, Borini would make a permanent switch to La Viola, who were in England on Wednesday for a friendly against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The 24-year-old former Blues player – holder of one senior Italy cap – has struggled to make much of an impact for Liverpool since joining them in 2012, only managing eight starts and two goals in the Premier League. He spent the 2013-14 season on loan at Sunderland and scored seven top-flight goals for the Wearsiders, as well as netting three times in their run to the Capital One Cup final, but opted not to join them on a permanent deal and instead returned to Liverpool.
Borini made his senior debut with Chelsea in 2009, had a short loan spell at Swansea in 2010-11 and then went on to play for Roma before making his move to Merseyside. Fiorentina finished the 2014-15 season in fourth place in Serie A.