Chelsea Still Want Slovakian International?

*

Chelsea are still keen on Slovakian International Marek Hamsik at Serie A side Napoli, despite the midfielder reportedly signing a new deal at the Stadio San Paolo, which will tie him to the Azzurri until 2013.

The Blues along with a host of top European clubs are said to be in the hunt for Hamsik, with Chelsea also linked to the midfielder’s team mate Argentine striker Ezequiel Lavezzi. Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is reportedly keen to bring Hamsik to the Premier League when the transfer window reopens next month, according to The news of the World.



However, Chelsea will have to wait until the end of the season before any move can be made to bring 21-year-old Hamsik to Stamford Bridge, with Napoli unlikely to part with one of their biggest stars halfway through the season and with the Slovakian’s agent Juray Venglos also insisting that Hamsik will remain in Italy until the end of the season.

“He will remain in Naples until at least the end of this season, the team are doing great things and he is happy to stay there,” Agi/Italpress quoted Venglos as saying.

Hamsik joined the Partenopei from Italian rivals Brescia in 2007 and has scored 16 goals in 52 appearances for the Azzurri since his arrival in Naples, with the Slovakian an integral part of the Napoli side that finished 8th in the Scudetto last season. Hamsik made his international debut in 2007 and already has 5 goals in 18 caps for his country.

Hammers Boss Eyes Pazzini Reunion?

*

West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola is to step up his efforts to bring former Italian Under-21 International Giampaolo Pazzini to the Premier League from Serie A side Fiorentina, according to the Daily Express.

Former Chelsea player Zola knows all about 24-year-old Pazzini, having coached the Viola striker, while being part of the Azzurrini coaching staff before taking charge at Upton Park in September.

Fiorentina have always maintained that Pazzini will not be leaving the Stadio Artemio Franchi, despite the striker losing his place in the Gigliati first team to Alberto Gilardino, who joined Fiorentina from Serie A rivals AC Milan in May.

Pazzini is valued at around £7million by Fiorentina and has scored 24 goals in 96 appearances for the Viola, but has been reduced to playing nothing more than a bit-part for the Italian side under coach Cesare Prandelli this season. With, the former Atalanta striker understood to be keen on a reunion with Zola in the Premier League.

However, it has been widely reported that Zola has to sell players before new faces can arrive at the Premiership club after the collapse of Icelandic bank Landsbanski, which the Hammers chairman was a major shareholder in. With reports suggesting that Zola is ready to offload players surplus to requirements at the East London club in order to raise the necessary £7million to lure Pazzini away from Fiorentina.

Arsenal, Chelsea & Liverpool Warned Off Inter Prodigy

*

Premier League clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have been warned off Italian Under-21 International Striker Mario Balotelli, with Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti insisting that the youngster will not be leaving the San Siro when the transfer window reopens in January.

18-year-old Balotelli, who was born to a Ghanaian family before being put up for adoption, passed up the opportunity to play for Ghana in the summer after receiving a call-up to the national squad.



The Nerazzurri striker is highly thought of in Italy, and was made an Italian citizen on his 18th birthday in August, with Pierluigi Casiraghi the Italy under-21 coach already handing Balotelli 4 caps, which has seen the Inter Milan starlet score three times.

Balotelli is valued at £19million by Inter and is understood to currently earn £1.1million-a-year at Jose Mourinho’s side, with it also believed that Balotelli is eager to remain at the Italian Champions.

However, Moratti has stated that Balotelli will not be sold, despite not being a regular starter under Jose Mourinho, with reports in Italy suggesting that the young striker could be sent out on loan next month to gain valuable first team experience.

“Someone will certainly depart,” he is quoted as saying in Tuttosport on Thursday.

“but I can assure you that Balotelli will not move.”

Agent: Arsenal Face Competition For Fiorentina's Felipe

*

Premier League club Arsenal are set to face competition for the signature of Felipe Melo at Serie A side Fiorentina from another big unnamed European club, according to Felipe’s agent Jose Rodrigo Bastos.

Last week Viola chief Pantaleo Corvino revealed that Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is keen on the Brazilian wing-back, with a move for the former Gremio player being mooted when the transfer window opens in January to bring the versatile player to the Emirates Stadium.

25-year-old Felipe has only been at the Stadio Artemio Franchi since joining from La Liga side Almeria in the summer, but has attracted interest from the Premiership club with his performances in both Italy and the Champions League this season.

However, now Bastos has claimed that the Premiership club have a rival for the signature of Felipe, but did not disclose the name of the interested club, with Bastos also claiming that Fiorentina will have difficulty holding on to Felipe, despite the Brazilian being under contract at the Italian side until 2013.

Bastos said: “Felipe is one of the great names of European football. Fiorentina have already taken measures to upgrade the player's contract, which was scheduled for the third year.

“Apart from Arsenal, another power of European football has shown interest in Felipe and I believe that, if he continues to play at these big levels, Fiorentina will have difficulty in retaining him.”

Newcastle Boss Kinnear Slams "Disrespectful" Trapattoni

Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear has claimed that Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has been “disrespectful” to the Magpies after recommending goalkeeper Shay Given to clubs in his homeland of Italy.

Trapattoni revealed earlier this week that he had told two or three Serie A sides that Given would be a good proposition for Italian football and that they could do a lot worse than try to tempt the Irish shot stopper away from St James’ Park.

This has not gone down well with Kinnear, who has already warned off Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp from Given recently. With Kinnear claiming that Given, who has been at the Premier League club since 1997 is happy at the Toon and would be the last player he would want to lose.

Kinnear told The Independent: "It is disrespectful to the club. Shay has got two-and-a-half years left here, a long contract and he is very happy here.

“He is a big voice in the dressing room and a top-class goalkeeper. He's the last person we'd want to lose.

“What was my reaction? Something like he is a very good judge of a goalkeeper. Maybe he was trying to get on Shay Given's good side.”

Arsenal To Make January Swoop For Aquilani? - Chelsea, Man City & Juventus Also Linked

• 
  

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been given encouragement in his quest to sign Alberto Aquilani from Serie A team AS Roma after reports in Italy have claimed that the Italian side maybe forced to sell the midfielder in January due to mounting debts at the Stadio Olimpico.

Wenger has been tracking Aquilani for over a year and is understood to want the Italian to replace Mathieu Flamini, who left the Emirates Stadium for AC Milan in the summer. The Giallorossi had previously claimed that Aquilini would not be leaving Roma, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Serie A giants Juventus also linked with the Italian International.

24-year-old Aquilani has yet to sign a new deal with Roma, although his current contract does not end until 2010, with the Gunners reportedly ready to take advantage of the financial problems at Roma and make an offer for the midfielder in January.

Aquilani is a boyhood Roma fan and turned down the chance to join Chelsea when he was just 16, making his debut for the Roma first-team in 2003 and helping them achieve second place in Serie A last year, but now looks set for a move away from La Magica in January, with Arsenal in the Premier League the likely destination.

Everton To Make £6million January Move For The 'New Alessandro Nesta'?

• 
  

Premier League club Everton are reportedly lining up a £6million bid for Napoli defender Fabiano Santacroce when the transfer window reopens in January, according to The News of the World.

Toffees boss David Moyes struggled to attract players to Goodison Park during the summer and has made no secret of the fact that he will need to strengthen the squad at the Merseyside club in January, with 22-year-old Santacroce top of his list to shore up a defence that has conceded 19 goals in 11 games so far in the Premiership this season.

Central-defender Santacroce only arrived at Napoli in January after impressing at rival Italian club Breschia in the previous two seasons, with the young defender’s performances for the Azzurri this year earning Santacroce a recent call up to Marcello Lippi’s Italian squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Montenegro.

However, it remains to be seen if a reported £6million offer from Everton in January will be enough to persuade Napoli let the defender dubbed the ‘New Alessandro Nesta’ leave the Stadio San Paolo, with coach Edoardo Reja reluctant to let Santacroce leave a side that is amongst the early pacesetters in Serie A.