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.
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.
Comment 1 - 9 of 69
MU will never succes to buy ribery
Why would Aston Villa wanna buy Michael Owen? Do they now want to also play in the Coca Cola Championship at the end of next season, cos all Owen will be caring about in the course of the season is his horses and races they're losing and not winning... He's finished!!!
7 u got point but the fact that oneil doesnt try to win europa the fact it now has more games and the main point that it a waste of time means that barry will be better off a rejuivinated spurs or a mega money city, spurs an city could easily leapfrog villa an everton this season, and if get owen on pay as u play u cant lose
ronaldo stayin but sell nani for about 10 an buy ribery for 30 an next season we will win it all again
Some.....if not many.....of you sports journalists really do come up with some trash don't you?
Having declared his desire for Champions League football, WHY ON EARTH would Gareth Barry contemplate Man City or Spurs, where a) no progression from leaving Villa, other than increased wages, and b) next season he wouldn't have ANY European football at all!!
Total diatribe (no doubt some of you journo's may have to look that word up).
Owen to Villa?
MON wants to build his squad with worthwhile and FIT players.
Losing Martin Laursen is a huge blow and there's NO way he will lumber himself with Owen. I'm not deriding his quality, but let's face it, he's a crock and past his best, which is a huge pity as the lad had so much potential he's never truly fulfilled.
Anyway....here's to a summer of daily diatribe in the gossip and rumour world of football.
I would still buy Ribery because scholes and giggs are gettin old and could get a bad injury next season.
owen to villa
ribery to bayern
ribery for ronaldo would be a good effort in trying to fill the void that ronaldo would leave. If it happened (not so sure this year) he may not be as good as cocky @#$%, but he's still better than most
Eh? Celtic will be in Europe too... Probably the Champions League.
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