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New Year’s Eve Ticker: Villa EPL rumors looming, Chelsea targeting Ba, and more

 

David Villa has become the popular target of transfer and loan rumors linking him to a switch from Barcelona to the English Premier League.

The World Cup winner has been linked to Chelsea, Manchester City and most recently Liverpool, with the Reds reportedly having a loan bid rejected by Barcelona.

Villa has fallen out of favor with the Spanish League leaders, but Barcelona isn’t looking to let him go cheaply.

Chelsea, Arsenal and even Swansea City have all been mentioned as potential destinations for Villa.

Here are some other stories to get your New Year’s Eve going:

CHELSEA CLOSING IN ON BA

Despite being on the losing side of the 7-3 scoreline at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday night, Newcastle striker Demba Ba has been given the green light to begin negotiating a transfer to Chelsea.

Multiple outlets have reported that the Senegalese native will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of £7 million. On the season Ba has scored 13 goals, just one behind Manchester United’s Robin Van Persie, who sits atop the scoring charts.

The move not only facilitates the exit of Daniel Sturridge to Liverpool, but also adds more pressure on Fernando Torres to produce, or else he will lose his starting role once more.

The transfer has reportedly already hit a snag though, so it remains to be seen of Ba will actually be heading to Stamford Bridge.

TOP EPL SIDES LINE UP FOR ZAHA

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has become the latest target of a looming bidding war between the top teams in the English Premier League, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham all in the running for the 20-year-old midfielder.

Crystal Palace is believed to be seeking a 15-million-pound transfer for Zaha, but the interested clubs appear more likely to bid closer to 10 million pounds.

MATHIEU DEBUCHY SET TO SIGN FOR NEWCASTLE

With Demba Ba likely out the door, Newcastle have reached into the checkbook to sign Mathieu Debuchy from Lille in Ligue 1, at a fee in the region of £5 million. The right back has been a target of the Magpies since his performances at Euro 2012, where he started each of France’s matches. Debuchy currently holds 13 caps for Les Blues.

CITY NOT WILLING TO OFFLOAD IN JANUARY

With the upcoming African Cup of Nations in January and February of 2012, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has stated he has no intention of selling any players in the January transfer window.

Brothers Yaya and Kolo Toure will both be playing for Ivory Coast next month, and with a rash of injuries to other first team players like Jack Rodwell, Mario Balotelli, Aleksandar Kolarov, and Micah Richards, the Citizens can’t afford to lose more depth in their championship battle.

Currently Mancini’s side stand in second place with 42 points, seven points behind first-place Manchester United.

QUICK KICKS

Gareth Bale tells Tottenham he wants to leave the club this upcoming summer, according to Spanish publication Marca. (REPORT)

Southampton are looking to make a huge splash by signing young England international goalkeeper Jack Butland as well as Cagliari captain and Italy defender Davide Astori. (REPORT)

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What do you think of these developments? Think Villa could do well in the EPL? See Demba Ba starting for Chelsea?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Marca is such a caricature of themselves. An unapologetically pro-Real paper say Real target Bale has told his bosses that he will leave?

    That being said, I think any team that winds up with Bale will immediately experience buyer’s remorse. Dude just ain’t that good. Still living off his toasting of Maicon 3 years ago.

    Reply
    • Personally hoping liverpool buys him, loans him back to his club for the remainder of the season. Then uses him either as the third stringer next season or loan him out again. 2 years from now they will need a longterm number 1 and he will be that, hell he maybe ready now.

      I liked all of Southhamptons moves its a shame they may drop, but Im sure Im not the only one who has got an eye on Gaston Ramires who may be available for cut price in the summer since hes not a championship player.

      Reply
    • Up to him if he wants to try Europe, BUT MLS is going to become a legendary league, and folks will look back at records. Wondo is in the record books for San Jose as their top scorer ever and MLS most goals in a season. He has 70 goals, if he keeps going a few more season with decent success he could cement himself in the record books. FOREVER. We look on it without much regard but his children and grandchildren will be living when MLS is huge, and their dad and grandfather will be one of the top scorers in it’s history.

      Reply
      • Eh. Snark aside, he has a good thing going for him. He’s a folk hero on his team, is always challenging for the league championship, and is firmly on Klinsman’s radar. Plus he gets to live in San Jose. I guess he might want to go for one year instead of wonder “what if?” the rest of his life, but he has a good thing going for him.

  2. Just 2 years ago he was arguably one of the top 5 strikers in the world. But ever since his move to Barca, it seems he has regressed. Kinda like no striker is allowed to overshadow Messi. Eto’o, Henry, Ibrahimovic, Villa

    Reply
    • I dont even understand strikers who go to barcelona. Everyone who goes gets shovelled off in a year or so. Even when they raise their own strikers from 8 or 9 they still dont get a shot.

      They want too much for Villa at 31? This is probably his last contract and paying 16 mil for someone you cant resell is stupid.

      Reply
  3. ah the silly season food chain. it seems like most of the top teams need to upgrade their back lines but all the news is about how many millions they will overspend on the in-form striker or winger…

    anyways… I bet Villa would do well in the EPL and Ba at Chelsea sounds like a lock. I just wish the Spanish teams would spend their money on their aging CB’s and FB’s instead of bothering Tottenham and Bale. Good to hear he wants to wait until the summer to play around with them…

    Reply
  4. Probably the only group of supporters more irritating than DC United are Newcastle supporters. Their team has basically won nothing ever in its history and they act like they’re some giant club. Now we see once again that they’re small time.

    Reply
    • slowleftarm,
      are you a bitter Red Bull fan? How can you use the phrase “Their team has basically won nothing ever in its history and they act like they’re some giant club. Now we see once again that they’re small time.” and apply it to DC United?
      D.C. United is the most successful professional soccer organization in the history of the United States. United is four-time MLS Cup Champions (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004) and winners of the 1996 and 2008 U.S. Open Cup, the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the 1998 Interamerican Cup and the 1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007 MLS Supporters Shield.

      Reply
    • Your comment says to me that you think football was invented the day you discovered it and know absolutely nothing about the history of the sport. Newcastle have won four First Division titles, six FA Cups and the forerunner of the UEFA Cup, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, so to say they’ve won nothing in their history shows your ignorance. True, it’s been over four decades since they’ve won a major trophy, but to still have over 50,000 people show up week after week shows that Newcastle are still a big club, no matter what certain tantrum-throwing Scottish managers or glory hunting fans like you think.

      Reply
  5. anyone else think Ba is worth more than 7 million? I know he’s had some injury concerns, but man when I see him play, I’d be willing to pay more than that for him

    Reply

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