World Football Gossip Roundup: Hazard, Van Persie, Kagawa, Dalglish, Chivu

Some rumors drag on and on and on.

And then there's the Eden Hazard situation. And the Robin van Persie situation.

And, to a slightly lesser extent, the Shinji Kagawa situation.

You've read all about these guys for months, and you probably know their daily itineraries better than they do.

Today on the B/R World Football Gossip Roundup, we have the very latest news on each saga.

Oh, and there's plenty going on around the world, too. Ready? Let's get right to it.

Hazard to Manchester? But Which Side?

At this advanced stage, one almost gets the impression that Eden Hazard enjoys all the attention.

The other day, Lille's 21-year-old Belgian midfielder dropped a coy hint about wearing blue next season.

And now, he's giving us the ol' nudge-nudge, wink-wink again. This time he says he'll be playing in Manchester next season.

He didn't, however, say which team he'll be playing for.

Enough.

We get it, Eden. You're cheeky. Yes, we're all really impressed.

Please just sign on the dotted line. Anywhere.

RvP Latest

In other slow-burning transfer "news," Manchester City are reportedly "closing on" a £25 million deal for Arsenal's Dutch forward Robin van Persie.

From the Daily Mirror:

"

City are leading a three-way battle for van Persie with Manchester United and Juventus but it is believed the newly-crowned Premier League champions are in pole position.

Big-spending City are prepared to more than TREBLE his wages to £250,000-a-week to snap up another Arsenal player after already signing Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure.

Wenger has already insisted he will not sell van Persie to City for any price but Arsenal will not be able to match the contract on offer and then must decide whether to hold him to his contract or sell and cut their losses.

"

Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Van Persie will hold contract talks with Arsenal this week.

You decide what to believe.

Kagawa Latest

Japanese international midfielder Shinji Kagawa reportedly turned down a new contract from Borussia Dortmund and is set to leave the German champions this summer.

From ESPN Soccernet:

"

Kagawa, 23, still has a year left to run on his current deal with Dortmund, but he is a player in demand—having been heavily linked with Manchester United—and the Bundesliga champions are unlikely to want to run the risk of losing him on a free transfer next year.

"I had a meeting with his agent yesterday morning and Shinji Kagawa has informed us that he will definitely not be extending his contract,'' Dortmund director of sport Michael Zorc told Bild.

"

Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp is reportedly resigned to losing Kagawa, saying the Bundesliga "means nothing" in Japan.

Van Bommel Cries, and Rejoins PSV

Dutch defensive midfielder Mark van Bommel has rejoined PSV Eindhoven seven years after leaving the club for Barcelona.

The transfer was free from AC Milan, and Van Bommel, 35, has signed a one-year contract.

Earlier this week, Van Bommel announced his departure from AC Milan. While making the announcement, the renowned hardman couldn't hold back tears (video at left).

Dalglish Out? Martinez In?

According to the Daily Mirror, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has flown to Boston, where he'll hold talks with the club's owners at Fenway Sports Group.

Liverpool capped a disappointing season over the weekend with another loss and an eighth-place league finish. Now Dalglish could be out—and Wigan's Roberto Martinez could be in.

"

[A]fter reports of his bosses showing interest in Wigan’s Roberto Martinez, Dalglish is determined to put an end to the uncertainty caused by Liverpool’s miserable league campaign.

Owners John W Henry and Tom Werner have yet to say publicly that Dalglish will be in charge next season as they conduct their review.

"

Martinez, it seems, is also wanted by Aston Villa.

Villa fired Alex McLeish on Monday.

Inter Grab-Bag

Plenty of news surrounding Inter Milan today.

First, Romanian international defender Cristian Chivu (pictured) will reportedly decide his future this week. Chivu's contract runs out this summer, and the 31-year-old has offers from both Inter and abroad, according to his agent.

Next, Inter are reportedly set to make a €9 million offer for Toulouse left-back Franck Tabanou. Tabanou, 23, represented France at the U-20 and U-21 levels.

Finally, Inter are reportedly the favorites to sign 19-year-old Brazilian midfielder Lucas Moura from Sao Paulo. Chelsea and Liverpool had also shown interest.

Brazilian Transfer Window

The transfer window has changed in Brazil.

International players can now be signed in June instead of August.

From Goal.com:

"

Foreign-based players can now be registered from June 20, with the window closing on July 20. The move will allow clubs to make more extensive use of their purchases in the Brasileirao national championship, which kicks off on the weekend of May 19.

Rio de Janeiro giants Botafogo and Flamengo have already been linked with a pair of high-profile transfers. Fla are reportedly negotiating a move with Libertad for their star, Paraguay international midfielder Victor Caceres, while their city rivals have declared their intention to sign Clarence Seedorf.

"

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