Bebe blunder! Manchester United could have had £7.4m signing for £125k


Manchester United could have signed Portuguese striker Bebe for as little as £125,000 last January, it was claimed last night.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson shocked the football world three weeks ago by sanctioning a £7.4million deal for a 20-year-old he had never even seen play on TV.

Bebe has not played competitive football at a level higher than the Portuguese third
division and Sportsmail can now reveal that his former club Estrela da Amadora touted him around Europe for just 150,000 euros as they desperately sought cash to
stave off a winding-up order.

Former Estrela coach Jorge Paxaio told Sportsmail last night: ‘Last season we had
no money at all. We were trying to transfer Bebe to other clubs. We had to raise money
desperately. We told everyone in England and in Europe: “For 150,000 Euros you can
have him”. We couldn’t get anybody interested. Nobody trusted him. None of the clubs were interested because he had never played at a high level.

‘I was surprised with the sudden way it happened with United. I was hoping he would move to a bigger club in Portugal or to a medium-sized club in Europe. I didn’t expect Manchester United.’

Bebe grew up and lived in a homeless shelter outside Lisbon until he tore up his contract with Estrela and moved to Portuguese Premier League club Guimaraes on a free transfer in the summer.

Last season he earned £12,000 a year at Estrela, the same amount he now earns at United in a week.

Last night, Bebe’s former agent Goncalo Reis said: ‘Bebe would have been very cheap during last season and then we tore up the contract because he wasn’t being paid by Estrela and so then he was free.

‘A scout from United could have contacted me or the club last season. There was no secret. But I understand that the United scout just saw certain games in Portugal and only realised Bebe was a great player when he saw some pre-season games involving Guimaraes.

‘If they had looked wider they would have seen him earlier and paid very little. But everyone was the same.’

Bebe is back in Portugal this week after being selected for the Under 21 squad for the first time. He could face England tomorrow night.

Coach Paxaio added: ‘Having said this, Manchester United have signed an extraordinary player.’


Daily Mail

Ibra completes Milan medical

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has completed his medical to seal his loan move to AC Milan from Barcelona.


The 28-year-old, who watched Sunday's 4-0 win over Lecce in Milan's Serie A opener, left their training ground after the tests to join the Sweden squad for their upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers.

His move, which Milan hope will catapult them back above his former club and perennial champions Inter Milan, is initially a season-loan with the Rossoneri then paying 24 million euros to secure his services permanently.

Milan said in a second statement that on Monday alone 1,137 fans bought Serie A season tickets out of a total of 21,945 sold so far in the two-month sale period.

Ibrahimovic's arrival back in Italy after just a season at Barca has left Milan striker Marco Borriello considering his future given his first-team place is likely to go to the Swede.

Media reports have said Juventus are trying to loan Borriello before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

"We are talking, soon we'll know more," Borriello told www.gazzetta.it.

Milan, who also boast Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato in their attacking trident, have also been linked in the media with a late swoop for Manchester City's Robinho while the Rossoneri have said Klaas-Jan Huntelaar could leave, possibly to Schalke.
Reuters

Javier Mascherano set for Barcelona switch as Liverpool agree fee for rebel midfielder

Javier Mascherano is set for a move to Barcelona after Liverpool confirmed terms for the transfer of the Argentina captain had been agreed.

Earlier this week Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson insisted Mascherano would see out the remaining two years of his Anfield contract if the club's valuation of the player was not met.

But the 26-year-old, who was also linked with a move to join former Reds boss Rafael Benitez at Inter Milan, now appears close to a switch to the Nou Camp.

A statement on Liverpool's website read: 'Liverpool Football Club have agreed terms for the transfer of Javier Mascherano to FC Barcelona.

'The Spanish club have now been given permission to speak to the Argentina midfielder.'
Mascherano, who is under contract at Anfield until 2012, had made it clear to Liverpool that he wanted a move overseas in order to be reunited with his family, with his wife refusing to move to England, and now his wish appears close.

The midfielder was again left out of the squad for last night's 2-1 Europa League play-off win at Trabzonspor in Turkey after a bid of £16million from Barcelona was rejected.

Ahead of the match at Trabzonspor, Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson said it was still a possibility Mascherano would play for the Reds in Sunday's Barclays Premier League fixture with West Brom.

However, it now appears the Primera Division champions have stumped up the required sum to prise Mascherano away from Liverpool and to the Nou Camp, where the Argentinian would be united with international team-mate Lionel Messi.

Barcelona confirmed a four-year deal for Mascherano was close and is set to be completed this weekend.

A statement on the Barcelona website, www.fcbarcelona.cat, read: 'FC Barcelona and Liverpool FC have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Javier Mascherano to the club for the next four seasons.

'"The deal was closed after intensive efforts made by the club in the final hours and through the player himself in the negotiations.

'Barcelona will report the details of the operation once the player passes the medical and the transfer is concluded. It is hoped Javier Mascherano will arrive in Barcelona this weekend.'

From: dailymail

Van der Vaart interested in Old Trafford transfer

Van der Vaart, who represented Netherlands at the World Cup finals, could be surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu as Real have signed Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria and Sergio Canales to play in advanced midfield roles this summer.

While the former Ajax and Hamburg star recently said he does not want to leave the club, the prospect of a move to Old Trafford has forced him to reconsider his position.

"I could never play for another club in Spain and the truth is that if you are leaving Real Madrid, there is only one club you can join that is not a step down - and that's Manchester United," Van der Vaart told the Daily Express.

"They are a huge club and if the reported interest they have in me turns out to be true, then I would really have to sit down and listen.

"If Manchester United could offer me first-team football with the situation as it is at Madrid, it would be very hard to turn down. Alex Ferguson is a great coach and I would never think about joining a team where I didn't believe I could win things, so all of a sudden that limits your choices.

"At Manchester United you know success is likely and that's a big factor for me at this stage of my career. "If [Real boss] Jose Mourinho makes it clear I won't play much, I see my future in English football."

From: ESPN

Santos to sign Possebon

United midfielder Rodrigo Possebon is set to join Brazilian club Santos.

The deal is still in progress and is expected to be completed on Friday 20 August, but the two-times FIFA Club World Cup winners are keen to herald Possebon's imminent arrival.

A story on the Santos website on Thursday night (UK time) spoke of a four-year deal and the player, born in Brazil but an Italy U20 international, is quoted as saying: "It is a unique opportunity and I will work hard to give my best here. I hope to play a lot of football."

Possebon, now 21, joined United in January 2008 from Brazilian side Internacional and made his first-team debut as a substitute on the opening day of the 2008/09 season.

Since then, however, he has managed just eight first-team appearances, although he's often impressed for the Reserves. He spent the first half of last season on loan at Sporting Braga in Portugal before returning to Old Trafford in January 2010.

From: manutd.com