Transfer stories are a dime a dozen. Very few have genuine substance so they should always be taken with a huge amount of cynicism. Yet they cannot be completely ignored in case there’s the slightest grain of truth in them. Some media outlets are obviously more reliable than others so Truly Reds is prepared to report the gossip and give a rating of 1 to 5 as to how believable it’s likely be. A rating of 1 can almost certainly be dismissed out of hand while a 5 may give the story some creedance. Have a look at what’s being reported but be warned – only believe what you want.
Manchester United and Liverpool are locked in a battle for Belgian midfielder Steven Defour saysTalksport.uk. The 23 year old has been on United’s radar for some time and manager Sir Alex Ferguson even sent him a get well letter when Defour broke his foot in 2009. But now United’s rivals Liverpool are also keen on the Standard Liege midfielder, who made his international debut for Belgium in 2006 as a teenager. According to reports in Belgium, as a result of the interest from United and Liverpool, Liege have decided to cash in on Defour this summer. And it has even been reported that they are currently considering £9million bids from both Premier League clubs – Rated 3
Diego Forlan is being linked with a shock return to Manchester United after allegedly falling out with Atletico Madrid manager Quique Sanchez Flores according to the US Bleacher Report. “The 31 year old Uruguayan striker has been tipped for a move to the Premier League for some time but until now it’s seemed unlikely he’d want to leave Spain. Madrid are said to be looking for around £9 million for his services with United likely to be joined by Tottenham and a handful of other top clubs fighting for his signature. Forlan had a frustrating spell at Old Trafford first time around, scoring just 10 times in 60 appearances” It’s almost impossible to see this happening – Rated 1
Sportsvibe.co.uk believes that “Sir Alex Ferguson is looking at brining former Chelsea star Arjen Robben to Old Trafford as a replacement to Ryan Giggs. Robben enjoyed a successful spell in England with Chelsea winning two Premier League titles, two League Cup medals and an FA Cup during the three years he spent at the West London club. Ferguson is an admirer of the Dutch international and sees Robben as a perfect replacement for the aging Giggs. Robben’s current club Bayern Munich are currently fourth in the German Bundesliga, one point off the Champions League places” Not impossible but can only be – Rated 2
Chilean youth international Angelo Henriquez has confirmed Manchester United’s interest in him says Sky Sports. “The 17 year-old Universidad de Chile striker has twice spent time in England training with United. The Red Devils now have an agreement in place with Universidad that sees them having first option on him up to 2014. Talking to Radio Cooperativa in his homeland he said “I am still a player of Universidad. United have told me that they would take me when I am older and have more experience. It would be a dream come true to move there but I have to keep working hard” Sky has proven to be fairly reliable in the past so this story can be – Rated 4
Manchester United are still in the chase for 20 year old Douglas Costa from Shaktar Donetsk. The exciting midfielder jumped into the public’s attention this year after playing a key role in Shakhtar’s run to the Champions League Quarter Finals and as a result, Costa could be the latest Brazilian addition to the United midfield.
The youngster would follow in the footsteps of Anderson, Fabio Da Silva and Rafael Da Silva in joining the Old Trafford ranks and could be a very underrated signing. Rated – 3
de Gea update – Manchester United target David de Gea has been told to pledge his future to Atletico Madrid or be sold in the summer. United are thought to be close to agreeing a deal for de Gea as a replacement for Edwin Van Der Sar who is set to retire at the end of the season. But Atletico are still hopeful of holding on to the 20 year old this summer despite the interest from the Premier League leaders.
Now Atletico Madrid’s CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has revealed that the club could be forced to offer De Gea an ulitmatum at the end of the season. My own humble opinion? We can do better – Rated 3
