Summer transfer thread 2012

[Chazza]

FOOTBALL

Manchester City are close to completing the signing of Fiorentina's Serbia defender Matija Nastasic. The 19-year-old has been a long-time target of manager Roberto Mancini and City are hopeful of putting a deal understood to be worth around £12m in place ahead of Friday's transfer deadline.

[Lee]

Excellent.

Hopefully that really puts the Agger deal to bed now.

[Shaggy]

Never heard of him.

[Chazza]

Some reports saying Savic is going the other way.

[Neil Young]

Never heard of him.

He's a left footed central defender who plays for Liverpool. Even I know that.

[Shaggy]

[Pablo]

Similar to Modric in a way, as his goal and assist rate isn't that impressive either. Not doubting his ability though, he's an excellent player.

Exactly this. Modric hardly scored and hardly assisted, but he's fantastic. Dembele obviously isn't at that level but he's a cracking player.

But Modric is a deep lying playmaker, it's not his role in the team to provide direct assists or score goals.

Dembele (from what I've seen) plays a lot further forward so should be scoring and assisting more no?

I just think he's so graceful and classy on the ball that it makes him look a bit better than he actually is.

[Shaggy]

Modric isn't a deep lying playmaker ....he played that role under Ramos until Redknapp moved him to orthodox CM - the same role Dembele has been converted to.

[Muddled]

But Modric is a deep lying playmaker, it's not his role in the team to provide direct assists or score goals.

Dembele (from what I've seen) plays a lot further forward so should be scoring and assisting more no?

I just think he's so graceful and classy on the ball that it makes him look a bit better than he actually is.

All because of 'Arry.

Dembele is unlucky to have never worked under such an astute manager.

[Shaggy]

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2012/08/29/3338669/tottenham-put-lennon-parker-van-der-vaart-up-for-sale?source=breakingnews

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Aaron Lennon, Scott Parker and Rafael van der Vaart have been put up for sale by Tottenham as Andre Villas-Boas steps up his mass overhaul of the squad, Goal.com can reveal.

The senior trio, who were all key figures in the Spurs team that finished fourth in the Premier League last season under Harry Redknapp, are set to be the latest casualties of the Villas-Boas revolution.

The Portuguese has decided to completely refurbish the team that Redknapp built as he seeks to lower the average age of the squad and introduce greater dynamism in the spine of the team.

Sources have told Goal.com that Van der Vaart, 29, Lennon, 25, and Parker, who turns 32 in October, have all been made aware they will be sold for the right price.

Van der Vaart will be allowed to leave this week if cash-strapped Hamburg, the Dutchman’s former club, can meet Spurs’ £9million valuation before Friday’s deadline.

Spurs will also, more surprisingly, listen to offers for Lennon and Parker. It is understood that Villas-Boas shares Redknapp’s doubts about Lennon’s ability to consistently deliver the goods and does not see a long-term role for Parker in central midfield.

The £5.5m 2011 deadline day buy from West Ham started all four of England’s matches at Euro 2012 but is likely to have slipped down the pecking order when he returns in October after undergoing surgery on his right Achilles.

It is unlikely Lennon or Parker, given his injury, will be sold by Friday night’s deadline but they are set to be off-loaded at the first realistic opportunity, which could even be in January.

The revelation of Villas-Boas’ plans comes after he sanctioned the sales of established duo Michael Dawson and Brad Friedel, while fringe players such as Jermaine Jenas, David Bentley, Heurelho Gomes and Giovanni dos Santos have all been told they are surplus to requirements.

Spurs are looking to re-invest the money from the £33m sale of Luka Modric to Real Madrid to build a squad that can challenge for the top four.

They could complete a deal to sign Fulham midfielder Moussa Dembele on Wednesday after meeting the release clause in the Belgian midfielder’s contract, with the 25-year-old undergoing the first part of a medical on Tuesday night.

Tottenham are also closing in on a £12m deal for Hugo Lloris after Lyon granted permission for the goalkeeper to discuss personal terms with the Londoners.

The club’s £15m move for Shakhtar Donetsk attacker Willian has stalled, however, while CSKA midfielder Alan Dzagoev is considered too expensive.

Villas-Boas remains in the hunt for Joao Moutinho, his countryman who he regards as the ideal replacement for Modric, and still wants a centre-forward after the club failed in their latest £18m pursuit of Leandro Damiao from Internacional.

[spud_gun]

Too much too soon for Spurs?

That's basically the spine of the team going / gone in one summer.

A hell of a lot for a new manager to take on.

[Lee]

Spurs won't have a squad left soon.

I hope they get relegated.

[RichC]

dangerous game Spurs are playing, they've lost an awful lot of players this season already and getting a side to gel takes time.

I hope they continue with the overhaul of the squad

[dom9]

dangerous game Spurs are playing, they've lost an awful lot of players this season already and getting a side to gel takes time.

I hope they continue with the overhaul of the squad

I guess that is what he wanted to do at Chelsea too, but he never actually sold the likes of Lampard, Drogba, Anelka and Terry, preferring instead to sideline them.

I guess, if he has learned a lesson, it's to ship out the old guard before they can fester and poison the squad from within.

Dangerous indeed.

[Gibbo]

I'd take Lennon...