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Transfer Ticker: Dos Santos on verge of move, Ibisevic heads to Stuttgart & more

DosSantos (Getty Images)

Giovani Dos Santos is no stranger to moving during the winter transfer window, but instead of what has happened in past years, he is on the verge of leaving club purgatory for good.

Forever glued to the bench at Tottenham, the 22-year-old Mexican star is on the verge of a full transfer to Spanish club Villarreal, according to reports from Europe.

It would mark the second straight year that Dos Santos has secured a move to Spain during the winter transfer window, going on loan to Racing Santander last year. The previous two years he had been loaned to Galatasaray and Ipswich Town.

With no real place in Harry Redknapp's lineup, Dos Santos has struggled for playing time with Spurs. He scored against Cheltenham Town when given a rare start in the FA Cup on Jan. 7, and he also tallied a goal in the Europa League earlier this season, but he hasn't figured into Redknapp's long-term plans for some time and is nearing a chance at a new start.

As the last week of the winter transfer window winds down, here are more items from around Europe:

IBISEVIC SWAPS GERMAN CLUBS

Bosnian and former St. Louis University striker Vedad Ibisevic is on the move in Germany, leaving TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for VfB Stuttgart.

Ibisevic signed a new deal with Stuttgart that will keep him there through 2016. He had a year-and-a-half left on his Hoffenheim deal before the transfer, which according to reports was agreed to for a fee of â‚¬5 million.

The 27-year-old forward had five goals for Hoffenheim this season, and he joins a Stuttgart team that trails his former side by one point in the table but is in horrid form at the moment. The club is 1-5-2 in its last eight league games and sits in 10th place in the Bundesliga.

PSG SHOOTS DOWN KAKA TALKS

Paris-St. Germain has been linked to just about every major name on the market during the transfer season, but one player who the club says will not be coming to Paris is former World Player of the Year Kaka.

Currently out of favor at Real Madrid, the Brazilian playmaker would benefit from a place that could use him, but PSG shot down any and all links to the player. Kaka was a teammate of PSG sporting director Leonardo when the two were at AC Milan, but even so, Leonardo told French media that the club is not interested in adding him, even with current playmaker Javier Pastore picking up an injury that is expected to sideline him for the next few weeks.

VAGNER LOVE BOLTS CSKA FOR FLAMENGO

One of Brazil's more productive forwards is returning home, as Vagner Love is leaving CSKA Moscow to go to Flamengo after the clubs reached a deal for a permanent transfer.

In seven years with CSKA, Vagner Love scored 117 goals and helped the club to two domestic championships. He had been loaned out to Brazilian clubs in 2009 and 2010, going to Palmeiras and Flamengo before returning to Russia for the last year.

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Think Villarreal is a good fit for Dos Santos? What do you think a full-fitness Dos Santos means for the USMNT? What do you make of Ibisevic's move? Think PSG will wind up with a single big-name player before the close of the transfer window?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Name of their game. Develop young players and sell them. They also used to have carlos eduardo, luis gustavo, and demba ba to name a few. Their team from a couple years ago was nasty.

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  2. Why is Hoffenheim getting rid of their better players?

    First Obasi and now Ibsevic.

    They did buy a 18-year-old youngster with attacking power, but not sure on his play.

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  3. I loathe to admit this, but I love watching GDS play. There are plenty of better attackers but he has the ability to electrify a game, like a special few. I lean a little closer whenever he touches the ball. That said, I respectfully wish him the least of success internationally.

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  4. I always enjoyed Vanger Love. One of those players you wondered how they’d fare in one of the more predominant european leagues… or hell even MLS.

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  5. Please, don’t hate on Gio for making one of the 10 best goals in 2011! Our US Men National Team will get better as long as we are nurturing our youth system!!

    We might get to be greater than Mexico in soccer but not any time soon!!!

    Oh, and yes, it did hurt the goal he made but “take off the shirt” appreciate soccer as the sport that it is, it was perfect skill at it’s best!!

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  6. I know Ibisevic is more a central striker but hopefully this means Joe Gyau will get some 1st team minutes soon out on the wing. Hoffenheim will need to replace the offense Ibisevic generated

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  7. Rossi is still there right.. watching those two link up for a goal is just about the last thing any US fan could see. thank God Jozy is out of there…

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  8. defiantly cool hair, kindof the George Clinton of pro soccer.. but ya he was loaned back to Brazil multiple times between spells with CSKA.

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  9. Would any Brazilian player prefer Moscow over Rio if the money was equivalent? He did make it 7 years in Russia with lots of success. Full credit to him and his cool hair.

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  10. As a US Nats fan, I’m not excited to see an in-form GSD (even though he’s still killed us being out of form lol).

    That being said, for him this has to be done – this has to be one of the worse transfer moves for a CONCACAF player in awhile.

    I can see why he left Barca, that was necessary – but he was never a EPL player – I understand the money is better, but there would have been plenty of Spanish clubs who would want to sign Barca’s sloppy seconds. This is better for his career – he’s spent WAY too much time wasting away at Spurs.

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  11. Darn. As a US Nats fan the most I could have hoped for was one of Mexico’s brightest young talents to languish on the bench for a while longer. That goal from the Gold Cup still hurts.

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