Baptista Wants Madrid Stay

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The Brazil international has been strongly linked with football away from Santiago Bernabéu, with AS Roma and Newcastle emerging as his most likely destinations.

He has been given few chances to shine with the Merengues since his arrival in 2005 and is on the transfer list of coach Bernd Schuster.

However, the powerful midfielder has now indicated that he wants to stay at the Spanish capital club and claim a more influential role in the squad.

"My plan is to play at Real Madrid more than last season and show my qualities. I will fight and we will see what happens," said Baptista, who scored a goal on Sunday's friendly over LASK Linz.

"It is complicated to show my real level during the season without playing consecutive games, but I have clear goals for this season."

Luís Mira

Malouda Agent Plays Down Exit Talk

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The Giallorossi are getting desperate as the transfer window starts to slip away and are reportedly hell bent on landing either Chelsea winger Florent Malouda or Valencia's David Silva.

The Serie A outfit, though, appear to have been priced out in terms of their Silva swoop and could now hurry through a deal for French international Malouda.

The Blues signed Malouda this time last year from Lyon for €20m, but Roma could pick up the underperforming 28-year-old for as little as €12.
Malouda, capped 41 times at international level, saw his Premiership opportunities limited last term, although he did have a decent Champions League campaign as Avram Grant's men surged to last term's Moscow final.

However, despite being hotly tipped to move on this summer, his agent Pierre Frelot insists that Luiz Felipe Scolari has plans for the attacking midfielder and may not sanction his departure.

Frelot told L'Equipe: “We had a meeting with with [Blues chief executive] Peter Kenyon and Scolari.

“I'd now like to iterate that the latter is counting on Malouda - he's always held him in high regard.

“The first year was interrupted by injury and coaching changes, but Malouda is now keen to prove his talent.”

Liam Black, Goal.com

Baptista Wants Roma - Cicinho

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The Giallorossi are in desperate need of a striker but they have failed to land a decent finisher so far this summer.

Reports in both Italy and Spain have claimed that there are on-going talks for Baptista to join I Lupi and Cicinho has given his own vote of confidence to the move.

“A club like Roma will make a good signing. Julio is great, he might not be what the fans expect but he is strong. I have spoken to him and he is ready to come,” Cicinho told Il Romanista.

“I think Julio would do well here at Roma, whether or not he would play depends on him and the coach.”

The Brazilian is also looking forward to the new campaign and he is hoping to win the Scudetto after coming so close to it last term.

“Everyone has made good buys this term but we are also a strong team. Last year we lost the title over a couple of points and we hope it won’t happen again this time,” concluded the stopper.

Salvatore Landolina

I Expected Mutu To Join Us - Totti

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In an interview, Totti expressed all of his disappointment for the failed deal which should have brought Mutu from Fiorentina to the Giallorossi during this transfer window.

"No, I did not expect it to end this way as it seemed like a sealed deal," admitted the Roma captain to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We had already got used to the idea. Destiny wanted it to end this way, but it was surely not the club's fault.

"Chivu told me that if we signed Mutu we were surely in the front row for the Scudetto."

Now a lot of names are being mentioned in the press, but Totti does not want say who the possible arrivals could be.

"The coach and the club are talking about two players to be purchased, but to avoid problems, I will not mention any names."

Glenn Debattista

I Expected Mutu To Join Us - Totti

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In an interview, Totti expressed all of his disappointment for the failed deal which should have brought Mutu from Fiorentina to the Giallorossi during this transfer window.

"No, I did not expect it to end this way as it seemed like a sealed deal," admitted the Roma captain to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

"We had already got used to the idea. Destiny wanted it to end this way, but it was surely not the club's fault.

"Chivu told me that if we signed Mutu we were surely in the front row for the Scudetto."

Now a lot of names are being mentioned in the press, but Totti does not want say who the possible arrivals could be.

"The coach and the club are talking about two players to be purchased, but to avoid problems, I will not mention any names."

Glenn Debattista

Nenê Seeks His Spurs

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Season 2007/08 may have been blighted with mediocrity for Monaco but it did have its chinks of light. One of these relatively few sparks was provided by flair-packed Brazilian winger Nenê, who only joined on at Monaco deep into August.

Unsurprisingly, the exciting winger has started to be touted as a potential transfer target for light-heavyweight European clubs. Roma have been most closely linked with the 27 year-old to date, although Olympiakos have also been reported to have taken an interest.

Reports from Football365 suggest that Tottenham Hotspur are the latest side to closely follow the player. Clearly, Nenê’s performances in Spain while with Mallorca, Alavés and Celta Vigo have convinced Tottemham boss Juande Ramos, who, of course, has vast experience of the Spanish league, that the Brazilian is worth a closer look.

Monaco’s other main attacking midfielder threat Jérémy Menez has also been linked with a move away from the principality. It is wholly implausible that both of Monaco’s main attacking outlets in midfield will move on. Only if an agreement cannot be reached with Menez’s suitors would Nenê be free move on before the closure of the transfer window.

Robin Bairner

Newcastle Prepare £7m Baptista Bid

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The Sunday Sun is reporting that Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan has targeted Julio Baptista as the ideal man to partner Danny Guthrie in the centre of midfield come the new season. It is being said that Baptista, who has been linked to the Magpies before, is also keen on a move to England - providing that the terms are attractive, and that a deal can be agreed with his club Real Madrid.

Madrid are thought to want something in excess of £12m (€15m) for the Brazilian hitman, whose nickname is "The Beast". Baptista had spent a season on loan at Arsenal, and had performed reasonably well. In that regard, although he may not be considered as a "proven" premiership player, he does seem like a good prospect nonetheless.

However, the merengues' steep asking price may prove to be a hurdle to any deal going through as news from St. James' Park indicates that manager Keegan may not bid any amount over £7m (€8.8m) The club is also said to be in talks with Liverpool for Argentine left-back Emilio Insua, and are also reportedly prepared to move for Deportivo La Coruna defender Fabricio Coloccini with a £6 bid. The club is also keen to wrap up a deal for French centre-back Sebastien Bassong who has impressed on trial since arriving from Metz last week.

These reports are somewhat substantiated by Keegan's recent comments that the club will be signing 2-3 players as early as the next two weeks, and may act as a peace offering to the club's extensive fan base who have grown impatient at the club's lack of transfer activity.

Mehzeb Chowdhury

Spalletti: We Want Silva Or Malouda

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The Giallorossi have had a hugely disappointing transfer campaign thus far, signing no big name players, and they are working feverishly to find a replacement for Amantino Mancini, who recently left the club for rivals Inter.

Roma have been heavily linked with Silva and Malouda over the past week or so, with both players’ futures at their respective clubs in doubt.

Some sections of the Italian press have claimed in recent days that negotiations are ongoing to sign one of these players, and this appears to have been confirmed by Spalletti.

"They're both great players,” said the Roma coach.

“It's clear that we'll have to see in negotiations who will become more accessible."

At present it appears that Malouda is the more likely player to end up in the Eternal City, as Valencia are said to have put a €22m price tag on Silva that Roma probably can’t match.

Silva’s agent Julio Llorente also claimed yesterday that there had been no contact with Roma with regards to his client, but what is for certain is that the Giallorossi desperately need to sign an offensive player this summer.

Alessio Alexis

Vucinic Is In Great Form - Conti

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The Giallorossi played their first match of pre-season against the Romanian giants but were clearly short on match fitness, falling to a 3-1 defeat.

Despite a relatively disappointing display, Bruno Conti was pleased with the 90 minutes work.

"Roma held up well,” the 1982 World Cup hero told Roma Channel.

“We showed a little bit of fatigue but it was still a good performance.”

Moreno, Stancu and Neaga put Steaua 3-0 ahead before Mirko Vucinic grabbed a consolation with an absolutely stunning free kick.

“The goal of Vucinic? He is in great form, and he scored his free kick in exemplary fashion,” explained Conti, before then commenting on club captain Francesco Totti’s recovery from injury.

“Totti? The captain is working on his recovery, he was also working before the game."

Totti snapped his anterior cruciate ligament during a match against Livorno at the end of April, and had to undergo surgery. Er Pupone is being tipped to return in time for Roma’s Italian SuperCup clash with Inter at the end of August.

Alessio Alexis

Roma To Bid €8m For Menez

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The 21-year-old Monaco midfielder is one of the most promising young players in French football, with some pundits comparing his playmaking skills with those of French legend Zinedine Zidane.

Menez has represented France at every age level from Under-15 to Under-21, as well as winning a B team cap, and he is seen as a certainty to make the step up to the full side in the near future.

Roma are well known to be in the market to sign a top quality offensive player, having failed this week to snap up Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu.

According to reports in Italy, Roma have been in contact with Monaco about signing Menez, and are ready to table an €8m bid for the young star.

A host of other Italian clubs, such as Inter, Milan and Lazio, are also said to be interested in Menez, while Monaco are believed to be demanding a transfer fee that is closer to the €15m, thus making it unlikely that Roma will be successful with their initial offer.

Menez first hit the headlines in 2005, when at the age of 17 he became the youngest-ever player to score a hat-trick in the French championship.

Alessio Alexis