Juventus want Fabregas, Arsenal linked to Balotelli

The latest chapter in the Cesc Fabregas saga could be about to begin as another suitor comes knocking on his door. After all the rumours about a move to Barclona and the come hither glances cast his way by Real Madrid, it seems that the Arsenal skipper is now on the radar of the Old Lady of Turin, Juventus.

The Italian club have not had their most successful season ever and are keen to bolster their midfield for next season and, according to the Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, that means a bid for Fabregas. The club spent heavily last summer to bring Brazilian Diego to the club, but he has failed to live up to expectations and the Arsenal man would be a direct replacement.

But having pledged his future to Arsenal yet again, Fabregas is unlikely to choose to up sticks for Italy. Indeed the traffic could be going in the other direction if other reports in the Italian press are to be believed.

They suggest that Mario Balotelli's fractious relationship with Jose Mourinho has finally broken down after the striker was left out of the squad to face Chelsea in the Champions League, and that the striker will leave Italy in the summer. Arsenal are among the clubs tipped to sign him, and were linked to the player during the January transfer window.

They could face competition from a host of other Premier League clubs including the usual suspects of Liverpool, Chelsea and most likely Manchester City, whose manager Roberto Mancini has already expressed an interest in the teenage hitman.

Manchester City might have to think again about bringing Argentine frontman Gonzalo Higuain to Eastlands. According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid are desperate to keep the striker at the  Bernebeu for the rest of his career, particularly as he's one of the few Galacticos to live up to his reputation in what has turned out to be another disappointing season for the Spanish giants.

Higuain banged in a hat-trick at the weekend in the 4-1 victory over Real Valladolid, taking his tally to 21 goals in 27 games for the season. Not bad, though not in Wayne Rooney's league. Nonetheless Real – who as The First Post reported yesterday are said to be obsessed with the idea of pairing Rooney with Higuain – want the 22-year-old Argentine to stay in Madrid. Speaking to Spanish paper AS, the club's sporting director Jorge Valdano appeared to apologise to Higuain in the wake of recent rumours suggesting his teammates didn't appreciate his selfish attitude on the pitch.

"He is a player of great class and we did him an injustice recently," said Valdano. "He was accused of selfish and unfair things for a striker with such a hunger for goals.  You cannot condemn a player with a perfect record for three years."

Valdano went on to admit that Manchester City have been sniffing around Higuain with a view to snapping him up in the summer, with some reports suggesting that City boss Roberto Mancini has told the club's owner Sheikh Mansour that no price is too high when it comes to Higuain. 

The striker was also linked to Arsenal earlier in the year. He was named as a possible makeweight in a deal for Cesc Fabregas. The Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is obviously a fan and if a bidding war begins he may also be tempted to put an offer on the table.

But Valdano remains cautiously optimistic that the Argentine ace will be a Real player next season. "We are talking with him about an extension and there is much scope," he said. "He is a player of great interest not only to Madrid and we would like to not only renew his contract, but for him to finish his career in Madrid."

Another South American who  might soon be on the move is Brazilian midfielder Sandro. According to the Daily Mail, Spurs hope to seal the deal this week that will see the 21-year-old join the London club on a £6.5m move from Internacional. It was back in September last year that Spurs were first linked with Sandro, only for the speculation to gather pace in January's transfer window before dying a death. Now, however, agreement appears to have been reached with Sandro taking English lessons and apparently already able to say "Excuse me, which way to the Emirates Stadium?"

Internacional president Vittorio Piffero is quoted in the Mail as saying: "'The deal is agreed and we will sign this week. I don't expect that to change because the agreement has been made between all parties." Sandro is expected to arrive at White Hart Lane after the World Cup, a tournament in which he expected to play a part having made his debut for Brazil last September.

Another man who should feature in the impending World Cup is French winger Franck Ribery. But which club he will be playing for next season remains shrouded in doubt. Currently with Bayern Munich, the 26-year-old has been the centre of much fevered speculation with recent reports linking him to Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Champions  League losers Real Madrid. Now, according to a report in the Guardian, Ribery has "rebuffed" Bayern's first offer of an improved contract to the existing one that expires in 2011

The paper adds that Ribery seems intent on waiting to see how Bayern fare in the Champions League before making a decision on his future. The German club qualified for the last eight last week but aren't expected to progress beyond the quarter-finals. "I spoke with him on Saturday and he said that he would prefer to concentrate on the sporting aspects at the moment," said Bayern director of sport, Christian Nerlinger. "I have complete understanding for that and we can even wait until the end of the season before talking."

And Bayern's honorary president, Franz Beckenbauer, hinted that the club was prepared to break the bank to hold on to their mercurial French playmaker. "We need players like Robben and Ribery," said  Beckenbauer. "We should definitely lean a long way out of the window to keep hold of him." ·