EPL Transfer News: Top 9 Rumours of the Week

Carlos Tévez is finally on his way out of Manchester City, after Roberto Mancini told Sky Sports, “We have an agreement with Corinthians but Carlos [Tevez] now is still a City player”.

Which other English Premier League (EPL) players will be headed to a new league? Do I hear Cesc Fàbregas?

Do you know the EPL club that have their eyes set on injury prone Owen Hargreaves?

How about Wesley Sneijder and Luka Modrić? Where do they rank on this week's top nine EPL transfer rumours?

9. Owen Hargreaves Given an Career Lifeline

According to Stuart James at guardian.co.uk, West Bromwich Albion manager Roy Hodgson is set to meet Owen Hargreaves to establish how interested he is in playing for the Baggies.

Hargreaves endured a character testing time at Manchester United, with injury restricting him to just five games in the past three years, and his contact not being renewed.

Championship club Leicester City are also interested in the services of Hargreaves.

Leicester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson said it was up to Hargreaves to make the decision.

It is highly likely that Hargreaves will be given a pay-as-you-play contract like compatriot Jonathan Woodgate.

8. Mame Biram Diouf Set to Leave Old Trafford Again

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United reserve forward Mame Biram Diouf will be loaned out to Blackpool with the option to sign him at £1.5 million.

Diouf has failed to translate his prolific goal scoring form in the Tippeligaen to the EPL.

Last season he played on loan at Blackburn Rovers, and scored six goals in 29 games.

If he fails to make it at Blackpool, then re-signing with former club Molde, currently managed by former Manchester United player Ole Gunnar Solskjær, will become a viable option.

7. Adel Taarabt Headed to Paris

According to Alan Nixon at Mirror Football, Adel Taarabt will more than likely move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after he was left out of the Queens Park Rangers' (QPR) pre-season tour.

When his career was in the gutters, did PSG come calling? No, it was QPR.

He has shown a lack of class in moving on, presumably for financial reasons, when the club need him in their bid to stay in the EPL.

Surely one more season for QPR wouldn't irreconcilably damage his career?

PSG are financed by the Qatar Investment Authority, estimated to hold $60 billion worth of assets, and have already made a €15 million purchase of Kévin Gameiro.

Kieron Dyer looks to inherit Taarabt's starting position.

6. Peter Crouch Returning to Former Club QPR?

According to the Daily Mail, QPR manager Neil Warnock has his eyes set on tall languid target man Peter Crouch.

Crouch played for QPR during the 2000-2001 season, scoring 12 goals in 47 games.

Earlier this money, Warnock reaveled the limited transfer budget QPR management have given him, and it's unlikely that Tottenham Hotspur will offload Crouch for a bargain to their London neighbours.

Though the imminent transfer of Adel Taarabt to PSG may give Warnock enough money to launch a bid for Crouch. 

5. Juan Manuel Vargas to Aston Villa?

According to La Nazione, Aston Villa are willing to shell out €20 million for Peruvian Juan Manuel Vargas.

Vargas, a standout at unfashionable Catania, earned a move to Fiorentina in 2008.

Since then, Vargas has been a solid footballer for La Viola, and has seen his stocks increase during the Copa América—had a terrific game against Colombia.

Though with Fiorentina set to lose captain Riccardo Montolivo, are they also willing to lose Vargas?

Vargas would be a logical replacement to Stewart Downing, but isn't Charles N'Zogbia the cheaper and better option?

4. Sergio Agüero to Replace Carlos Tévez

According to Eurosport, Manchester City will step up their pursuit of Sergio Agüero following the transfer of Carlos Tévez to Corinthians.

Agüero top scored for Argentina with three goals during their disappointing Copa América.

He has indicated a his preference to move from Atlético Madrid to a club which can win trophies.

Manchester City are a club on the up, have near unlimited financial resources, and have dynastic aspirations—it would wise of Agüero to choose the blue half of Manchester.

3. Wesley Sneijder Transfer Update

One minute Wesley Sneijder is moving to Manchester United, the next, he's staying at Inter Milan.

According to the Herald Sun, Sneijder's glamorous wife Yolanthe Sneijder Cabau, may be the factor in her husband staying in Milan or moving to Manchester.

Problem for her is that Manchester is not London, and she may enjoy the lifestyle in Milan better than Manchester.

The Daily Mail reported outspoken former Manchester United player Roy Keane saying, "There are players going to clubs in London simply because it is London. To me, that is wrong. It is not a football move, it is a lifestyle move and those are the type of people you don't want at your club. To me, that player is weak because his wife runs his life".

2. Luka Modrić Forced to Stay at White Hart Lane

According to The Sun, Luka Modrić has been told to sort out his future in order to limit the distractions to Tottenham Hotspur during their pre-season.

From talking about a transfer, engaging in a war of words with chairman Daniel Levy, to handing in a transfer request—Modrić has exhausted all his options in forcing a move.

His contract ends in 2016, and if he really wanted to move away from White Hart Lane, then why did he sign a contract extension last year?

He is no position to negotiate, and with Levy playing hardball, two scenarios are likely to happen.

1) Modrić is forced to play for Tottenham Hotspur

2) Chelsea are forced to submit an inflated transfer fee

Both scenarios are win-win for Levy.

1. Cesc Fàbregas Transfer Update

According to metro.co.uk, Cesc Fàbregas will become a Barcleona player within the next few weeks.

Problem with this is that the tabloids have been saying this since the transfer window opened.

This has to be the most blatant tapping up of a player in football history, yet what do FIFA do? They twiddle their fingers and sit idly by.

Fàbregas is stuck in an uncomfortable position, as he wants to move to Barcelona yet he's also the captain at Arsenal, a club which turned him into a man after Barcelona let him go.

All he needs to do is hand in a transfer request or go to the media and say I want out, as opposed to letting his Spanish and Barcelona compatriots incessantly talk nonsense about Arsenal and its manager, Arsène Wenger.

If I was Wenger, I'd ask for €30 million plus Thiago Alcântara, but Barcelona intelligently extended the contract of Thiago, so it seems Wenger has missed the boat on this one.

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