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Monday Kickoff: Lamela close to Spurs move; Monterrey sack Vucetich; and more

ErikLamelaASRoma1 (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

After missing out on signing Brazilian midfielder Willian, Tottenham accelerated talks over the weekend with AS Roma, and are hoping to sign forward Erik Lamela by the end of Monday.

The Argentine starlet is expected to cost Tottenham in the region of £30 million ($46.7 million), as they continue to improve and bolster their squad ahead of the impending departure of Gareth Bale. The 21-year-old Lamela moved to Italy in 2011 for around $20 million.

Reports in England say that Lamela’s agent is currently in London finalizing the player’s contract, with Lamela due to arrive in the capital city later on Monday. The Argentine made the bench for Roma’s 2-0 Serie A opening victory over Livorno, though he didn’t play.

Last season, Lamela had a breakout season at Roma, scoring 15 times in 33 Serie A matches. Lamela has made three appearances for his native Argentina in friendlies, though he’s been on the bench for two World Cup qualifiers, without making an appearance.

Here are some more stories to get your Monday kicked off:

MONTERREY SACK VETERAN HEAD COACH VUCETICH

Not even head coach Victor Manuel Vucetich could survive Monterrey’s 3-1 defeat to Club Leon on Saturday.

Monterrey’s top brass announced on Sunday night that the veteran Vucetich had been sacked, ending a four year run with the club. The club said that the sacking was due to poor form at the start of the season, with Rayados earning just six points in their first seven matches.

During his time in the northern Mexico city, Vucetich lead Rayados to three straight CONCACAF Champions League titles, and two Apertura Liga MX championships, in 2009 and 2010. In the past two half-seasons, Monterrey have been knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual champions, Club Tijuana and America.

CHELSEA COMPLETE WILLIAN DEAL SUBJECT TO WORK PERMIT

Following an 11th-hour bid, Chelsea have declared their pursuit of Willian successful, subject to the receipt of a UK work permit.

With Willian having completed a medical with Tottenham and being just moments away from signing for the north London club, the Brazilian midfielder’s head was turned by Chelsea, after their transfer fee to Anzhi Makhachkala was accepted and they were able to offer personal terms to the 25-year-old.

Chelsea saw first-hand last year the skills and talent of Willian, playing his former club Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League group stage, and seeing him score twice in a 3-2 win for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

QUICK KICKS

Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago has undergone successful surgery on torn ligaments in his right ankle, but is set to miss the next seven weeks of action. (REPORT)

Just three weeks into the Bundesliga season, VfB Stuttgart have sacked manager Bruno Labbadia. The club have lost all three matches. (REPORT)

AC Milan are considered to be serious contenders to sign former Paris Saint-Germain captain Mamadou Sakho. (REPORT)

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is interested in taking Chelsea forward Victor Moses on a season-long loan. (REPORT)

Tottenham have agreed a deal for Romanian international Vlad Chiriches, with his club Steaua Bucharest saying it’s the richest transfer deal in the team’s history. (REPORT)

Boiko Borisov, a former Prime Minister of Bulgaria, is now the nation’s oldest ever professional soccer player at the age of 54. (REPORT)

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What do you think of these reports? Do you believe Lamela can make the transition to the Premier League? Do you agree with the Vucetich sacking? Do you see Willian receiving a work permit?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

    • I would argue Spurs are trying to get their business done before they sell Bale. They know Bale is leaving and they therefore have the funds to spend. But had they sold Bale first everyone would charge a lot more.

      Reply
    • They will certainly have a completely different lineup than they had last year. They could have as many as 5 or 6 new starters.

      Reply
    • After all is said and done, their net spend won’t exactly seem like a splurge.

      Buys like Chiriches are smart. Under the radar, but classy ball playing center back. He’s got great skill – even scored a nice bike last year.

      Reply
      • Net spend is clearly not a real good indicator of what they have done this summer when they are selling Bale for 93 mil pounds. On paper their squad is strong but I think it’ll take them some time to come together, they havent looked good thus far

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