EPL Transfer News: Latest English Premier League News, Rumours & Chatter

Here's the latest English Premier League news, rumours and chatter:

What's the latest twist in the Gareth Bale saga?

Is Willian a smart signing for Chelsea?

Which two players are Tottenham Hotspur looking at to replace Bale?

Who has José Mourinho blamed for Wayne Rooney's unhappiness?

Which French club is vying with Arsenal for Yohan Cabaye's signature?

Tottenham Hotspur Targeting Erik Lamela and Hulk

UPDATE: August 30, 2013

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a £25.8 million deal for Roma's Erik Lamela as reported by The Guardian. 

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Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to spend a combined £56 million on Erik Lamela and Hulk, according to Mike Walters at Mirror Football. 

Is Daniel Levy the chairman of Chelsea? No—therefore, rule out the Hulk rumour. 

Unlike Roman Abramovich and his army of yes-men, Levy's transfer market proficiency is up there with Porto, Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk. 

£30 million for a one-dimensional, ineffective, overrated and overpaid 27-year-old Hulk isn't a Levy-esque deal. 

To quote Michael Cox at ESPN FC on Hulk's awful FIFA Confederations Cup campaign: 

Hulk to Spurs? Wrong London club. Try Chelsea. 

The £26 million deal for Lamela makes perfect sense with him being one of the best 21 year olds in European football. 

He has upside and resale value, serving as a long-term prospect. 

Last season, he scored and created a combined 20 league goals, equal with AC Milan star Stephan El Shaarawy.

Christian Eriksen Set to Sign with Tottenham Hotspur

Ajax manager Frank De Boer confirms Christian Eriksen will be moving to Tottenham Hotspur, as reported by Gerrit van Leeuwen at Sky Sports.

"His departure will be an enormous loss," De Boer told De Telegraaf via Sky Sports. "Chris was very important for us."

Eriksen, a 21-year-old Danish international, has been one of the standout Eredivisie players in recent memory. 

In a 3-3 draw against Heerenveen, he played as a deep-lying forward behind Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, creating two goals and scoring once. 

Eriksen is a further sign of Spurs intending to make the step up into Europe's elite.

Willian: £30 Million Down the Drain

UPDATE: August 28, 2013

Chelsea have announced the signing of Willian, via the club's official website:

"

The 25-year-old Brazilian was today (Wednesday) granted a work permit and has signed a five-year contract, having moved to England from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. He will wear the number 22 shirt.

On completing his move, Willian said: "I'm very happy to be here, it's been a dream of mine to come and play here. Chelsea are one of the best clubs in the world, and now I'm going to play for one of the best managers in the world, so I'm very happy and looking forward to it."

"

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Chelsea have confirmed an agreement with Anzhi Makhachkala for Willian subject to a work permit, via the Blues' official website. 

David Ornstein at BBC Sport speculates the transfer fee is around £30 million. 

Willian, welcome to the bench.

Please call up your former Anzhi teammate Yuri Zhirkov, an illustrious Chelsea benchwarming alumni, for ways to pass time sitting on the pine. 

There's only one minute positive from Chelsea's perspective, Willian spurning Spurs. 

Aside from spending approximately £30 million to spite Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, Willian will be the midfield version of Winston Bogarde. 

Gareth Bale: The Most Financially Irresponsible Deal Ever

UPDATE: August 28, 2013

According to Sky Sports, Gareth Bale has no intentions of returning to Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham manager André Villas-Boas isn't sure if Bale will train with the first-team.

"Will he be in tomorrow? I don't know," Villas-Boas said, via Simon Rice at The Independent. "He has a good relationship with everybody and he has saluted the players the other day, myself included."

Villas-Boas confirmed Spurs would reinforce in a post-Bale era: "In the next couple of days we will have further news and I think we will see further additions at Tottenham."

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Tottenham Hotspur's Gareth Bale will move to Real Madrid in a world-record £86 million (€100 million) deal, according to Jason Burt at The Telegraph, which is the same conclusion reached by Sid Lowe at The Guardian.  

I know, right—everyone will pace abuse Real on FIFA 14. 

Kidding aside, Real president Florentino Pérez can't justify Gareth Bale being worth more than Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Ronaldo scored 55, 60 and 53 goals in his last three seasons for Real whilst Bale has never reached 30 goals in a season.

The Bale transfer soap opera will end in a Greek tragedy for Pérez, who's making this absurd deal in a Spanish economic climate with a bleak future like Greece. 

The twist is Spurs considering other offers for Gareth Bale, as reported by Dan Roan of BBC Sport.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy won't sell his most prized asset to a Premier League club, so it has to be either Monaco or Paris Saint-Germain. 

Wayne Rooney Saga: José Mourinho Being José Mourinho

UPDATE: August 28, 2013

A report by Jamie Jackson at The Guardian claims Wayne Rooney won't hand in a transfer request to force a move to Chelsea. 

This all but ends José Mourinho's desires to bring Rooney to Stamford Bridge forcing the Special One to look for alternatives. 

Why does he need a striker? Give Romelu Lukaku a chance. 

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Chelsea manager José Mourinho is up to his old mind games as he accuses Manchester United manager David Moyes of being the reason why Wayne Rooney wanting to leave. 

"We are not going for Van Persie," Mourinho said, via Jacob Steinberg at The Guardian. "We are trying to get a player [Rooney] that a manager told 'You will be a second option' for him."

Don't get sucked into Mourinho's Machiavellian-laced remarks because Rooney wanted to leave pre-Moyes having fallen out with Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I don't think Wayne was keen to play, simply because he has asked for a transfer," Ferguson said, via BBC Sport. "He wasn't happy about being taken off a few times this season but a Wayne Rooney in top form wouldn't be taken off."

Yohan Cabaye: Au Revoir Newcastle United

According to Phil Forster at Sky Tyne and Wear, Newcastle United midfielder Yohan Cabaye has not formally gone on strike but prefers a move away from the Toon. 

Jamie Sanderson at the Metro claims Paris Saint-Germain will submit a £17 million bid for Cabaye, one which trumps Arsenal's £10 million bid. 

During PSG's 2-1 win over Nantes, Laurent Blanc started a midfield triumvirate of Javier Pastore, Thiago Motta and Blaise Matuidi. 

Marco Verratti and Adrien Rabiot are two world-class talents warming the benches, so there's simply no need for PSG to buy Cabaye. 

+allanjiang

 Statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, FourFourTwo Stats Zone, Squawka.com and Transfermarkt.co.uk.