Villa Line Up Young Spaniard?

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Eugenio Botas, who is the agent of left-back Roberto Canella at Portuguese side Sporting Gijon has revealed that Premier League club Aston Villa have shown an interest in the young Spaniard.

20-year-old Canella has been at Gijon since 1999, with the young defender coming through the youth ranks at the Rojiblancos to make his senior debut at El Molinon in 2006.

Canella is valued at £11million by the Portuguese side, with it understood that the Villans are prepared to offer £10million to bring the youngster to the Premiership. However, Botas has claimed that Villa boss Martin O’Neill will have to meet the full valuation before any decision can be taken on the defender joining the Midlands club.

“If Aston Villa put all the money on the table, all the parts will have to make a decision,” Botas told Setanta Sports.



Canella has welcomed the interest from Villa, but has insisted that any transfer talk is something to be discussed between his agent and his club.

“I had no idea of this news, that’s the first time I hear about it. I’m happy at Sporting, focused on fighting to stay up, so that kind of stuff must be discussed by my agent and by Sporting,” he said.

“For sure it’s always a pleasure when such a club as Aston Villa, with the history they have, are interested in you, and it means that both the team and myself are doing things the right way.

“I’m proud but focused on Sporting.”

Sevilla To Reject £25million Man City Offer For Fabiano

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Manchester City have been told by La Liga side Sevilla that striker Luis Fabiano will not be allowed to leave the Rojiblancos in January, with the Premier League club reportedly planning a £25million swoop for the Brazilian International next month, when the transfer window reopens.

City, who are expected to be one of the major players in the transfer market in January after the takeover by the wealthy ADUG in the summer have made an approach for 28-year-old Fabiano, according to his agent Jose Fuentes.

Fuentes was quoted saying in the Daily Star recently, “Manchester City have asked about Fabiano but that is not unique because they are just one of many.

“The final decision lays with Seville and I still have to speak to the club's directors.”

However, Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido has ruled out the possibility of Fabiano leaving the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan for the Eastlands Stadium in January. With del Nido insisting that while the Sevillistas are still involved in all the major competitions it woild damage the team if Fabiano was to leave for the Premiership.

“We have already discarded this opportunity because we feel that it will damage the team,” del Nido is quoted as saying in the Daily Star.

“We are involved in a lot of competitions and at the moment we do not want to lose such an important player. We are not interested in the money. I will not change my mind.”

Fabiano arrived at Sevilla from Porto in 2005 and has scored 64 goals in 131 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish side, with the striker also finding the net 14 times in 23 caps for Brazil.

City Lose Petrov For Four Months After Surgery

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Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has been rocked by the news that Bulgarian International Martin Petrov could be on the sidelines at the Eastlands Stadium for up to four months after undergoing knee surgery.

29-year-old Petrov has been missing for the Blues since damaging his meniscus in October on International duty with Bulgaria and had been undergoing strengthening work at the Manchester club in the hope of avoiding going under the surgeons knife.

However, City have confirmed that the former Atletico Madrid player has had to have surgery and could be out until March.

A club statement read: “Martin Petrov has had surgery on his left knee and will be out for the next three to four months, it has been confirmed.

“Martin is recovering well but it looks as though he will now be out of the reckoning for the next three to four months.”

Petrov has been a huge hit at City since his transfer from the Rojiblancos in 2007, with boss Hughes sure to rue not having the Bulgarian available, having won only one of six Premier League matches since the midfielder’s injury.