Transfers - Gossip Shop: Evra wants Ribery

Eurosport - Tue, 26 May 22:38:00 2009

Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra wants France team-mate Franck Ribery to join the club - if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Bayern Munich - Ribery - 0

Winger Ronaldo has been linked with Real Madrid and Ribery, who has been in excellent form for German runners-up Bayern Munich since he joined two seasons ago, would be Evra's choice to replace the Portuguese.

"Many say Cristiano will leave but only he knows the answer," Evra told The Sun.

"It's clear a guy like Franck would be the ideal solution for United if Cristiano left. Of course I talk to Franck about it: I tell him 'you had better come here'."

Ribery would cost around half the reported £70 million Ronaldo is expected to fetch.

Michael Owen could be set for a move to Aston Villa and defender Curtis Davies is one player who would "love" to see the former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker at the club.

Available for free after his contract expires this summer, Owen is a certainty to leave Newcastle after they were relegated to the Championship.

He would have to take a massive wage cut on his reported £110,000-a-week salary at St James', but Martin O'Neill is a master at restoring confidence, and Villa are playing in Europe, so Owen's interests would surely be better served there than at Celtic.

Gareth Barry could be staying at the club after all, after only Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur emerged as suitors for the England midfielder.

Now rated at £12m as his contract starts to wind down, Barry had been angling for a move to a Champions League side. But Arsenal and Liverpool have cooled their interest after Alex Song emerged as a candidate for the defensive midfielder role at the Emirates, and Reds boss Rafael Benitez insisted on keeping Xabi Alonso.

But neither Spurs nor City qualified for Europe this season and, with Villa in the Europa League, Barry's continental ambitions would be better satisfied in the Midlands.

Sol Campbell could make a shock switch abroad if he does not agree terms on a new Portsmouth deal in the summer.

The 34-year-old former England defender has been linked with a move to Major League Soccer in the USA and Swiss side FC Basel .

Wolves and Birmingham are also reportedly weighing up free-transfer bids for the seasoned centre-half.

Tottenham are in the market for a left winger and could swoop for Manchester City wide-man Martin Petrov.

The Bulgaria international is keen on a new start after his City career was derailed by injury, and with David Bentley surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane a straight swap could be the best solution for everyone.

Jermaine Beckford is set to leave Leeds after being slapped on the transfer list following the club's play-off failure.

The Jamaica striker, who bagged 34 goals this season, is at least a Championship-level striker and Premier League clubs have taken a look at him in the past.

He rejected a new three-year contract so, with only 12 months left on his current deal, is available for around £2m.

The 25-year-old could interest promoted trio Wolves, Birmingham and Burnley, alongside Sunderland, who scouted him last season. Most of the Championship is also reportedly keen.

Michael Turner will snub Liverpool and Manchester City's advances and stay at Hull City after they avoided the drop.

"This club really wants to push on from here and become an established Premier League side and I really want to be part of that," Turner told Sky Sports.

Turner, 25, is rated at £6m.

Reda Maher / Eurosport

Comment 10 - 29 of 69

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  1. david w! you"re "Childish" with­ "Uncivilized" thinking. What wrong with­ players get injured???

    From owenhero89, on Tue 26 May 3:11PM

  2. HotShorty039 you are smoking!

    From callum.bush, on Tue 26 May 3:09PM

  3. The Arsenal dont want him - we've enough injuries­ every week without 'sicknote Owen' adding to­ them!!

    From michelle.lieberman23, on Tue 26 May 3:08PM

  4. in mine opinion, what villa should do is at first keep­ their player, 2nd they need to buy few player.i dont­ see villa chalenging top 4 next season unless one of­ big 4 do a major mistake.(eg. apointment of scolari or­ out of form arsnal this season). so what im trying to­ said is have a bigger squad, try to challange in europe­ more seriously, and then if they can go till last 4,­ myB season after that a lot of player attract to­ villa.and than only try to break to top 4.but honestly­ i dont see it coming in next 4 or 5 year, sorry to­ said. i know MON strategy of focusing in league do not­ work as well as what he want. but at least he give a­ tried. respect to him and im not a villa fan either.

    From zack p, on Tue 26 May 3:04PM

  5. Michael Owen has just announced that he is looking to­ moving to Celtic and is willing to take a 70% wage cut.­ Lets just hope everything goes well and he doesn't­ end up injured, it's a rough league.

    From john, on Tue 26 May 3:00PM

  6. Michael Owen was a world class player and he is only­ 29, although it seems he has been around a while­ longer. I think if Villa were to buy players like MO­ at the top of their form then it would present several­ problems; cost, desire to come to Villa and selection­ versus some of the best emerging talent in the game. ­ MON can be a wizard or a demon with motivation­ (Sorrenson, McCann, Davies and Cahill), but if we can­ get 30% of games with MO on top form and, more­ importantly, teach Agbonlahor about running into the­ box and throwing himself at stuff - then it would be­ very interesting.

    From tuscanvillan, on Tue 26 May 2:55PM

  7. Owens agent must not be sleeping with all the stories­ hes banging out about him joining clubs.
    So far....
    Man­ C­
    Liverpool
    Wolves
    Bham
    Fulham
    Villa
    Pompy
    Bayern
    Everto­ n
    Aresnal
    Whos next??
    Burnley?
    Lets face it agents­ panicing cause no one wants a crippled player for half­ of the season!
    He will be lucky to find someone to take­ him maybe one of the big guns as back up bu thats it!

    From david w, on Tue 26 May 2:49PM

  8. European football is over-rated and is only worthwhile­ to the truly ambitious, Villa don't fit the bill­ I'm afraid! Spurs and City are a step-up from­ Villa, next season will prove that theory right.

    From Stephen, on Tue 26 May 2:48PM

  9. "Evra wants Ribery"! have ye ditched the 90%­ bull of the tabloids and gone down this route instead.­ Well I'm sure Quinn wants Kaka, and Coyle wants­ Torres too. Twats!

    From Bobo S, on Tue 26 May 2:46PM

  10. i dont know what's worse for ya, a happy meal or­ berbatov playing in ur side.

    From a.titterington, on Tue 26 May 2:44PM

  11. HotShorty039

    You need a good hard !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From keith j, on Tue 26 May 2:42PM

  12. man city have apparently got into europe thru the back­ door again....they ve bought 2 weeks timeshare in spain

    From bobby1.penman, on Tue 26 May 2:35PM

  13. if we chuck in a happy meal anybody want lazy ars­ berbatov ?????

    From bobby1.penman, on Tue 26 May 2:34PM

  14. Looks like pongo9waring has learnt a new word. Very­ diatribe.

    From john, on Tue 26 May 2:26PM

  15. "Villa is playing in Europe so Owen's­ interests would surely be better served there than at­ Celtic."

    WTF??? Celtic are playing in the same­ Europe League as Villa you dumb t.wat

    and big up to­ Jermaine Beckford enuh!

    From i am a teacup, on Tue 26 May 2:23PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I discorvered a hot place
    ------Wealth y F inder C o­ M------ where many sexy singles- who like dating and--­ chatting there. I'm an open- minded girl with­ s---exual a--ttraction and big b---oobs. I-- am ­ Waiting 4 u

    From jennetleedff, on Tue 26 May 2:03PM

  17. Martin O'Neill MIGHT sign Owen. I wouldn't be­ surprised. He does like to sign players with a point to­ prove. e.g. Sutton, Alan Thompson for Celtic and­ Collymore for Leicester (didn't work).

    If anyone­ can return Owen to his former glories though, it would­ be Martin O'Neill.

    From Steven Ward, on Tue 26 May 2:02PM

  18. 12
    its just vlla went all out this season then it come­ 2009 an they buckled next season spurs will spend they­ always do an city will spend 100mil no doubt so just­ think u gonna struggle laursen was amazing an it gonna­ be hard to replace especially with arsenal after centre­ backs too i think we will have a big four and a small­ four next season

    From Jimmyrice man u are champs again, on Tue 26 May 1:56PM

  19. ronaldo stayin but sell nani for about 10 an buy ribery­ for 30 an next season we will win it all again

    From Jimmyrice man u are champs again, on Tue 26 May 1:54PM

  20. No.9

    MON won't make the same mistake twice.
    IF AV­ are well placed in the Europa next season he will go­ out to win it.
    Rejuvenated Spurs?
    Getting above Villa­ and Everton?
    Can't see that really.
    Harry Redknap­ is a fine manager....had to be to lift Spurs from where­ they were, but without some big bucks spending....and­ the diatribe merchants tell us they are short for­ cash....personally I don't know.....then I­ don't see them improving.
    Can Villa stay where they­ are or improve?
    Replacing Martin Laursen is MON's­ biggest challenge and he is going to be SO hard to­ replace.
    Maybe in 365 days time you can tell me I was­ wrong?

    From pongo9waring, on Tue 26 May 1:40PM
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