Barca offer Rooney £8m a year; Canales chase hots up

If Alex Ferguson has a problem with Real Madrid stealing his best players then he could soon have a similar problem with Barcelona, who are reported to be preparing a move for Wayne Rooney.

The Catalan giants are ready to offer the United striker a deal worth £8m a year according to the Star, and have made him their main transfer target this summer.

Rooney's wage demands have put noses out of joint at Manchester United but the players advisors are not prepared to accept less than £140,000 a week. The 24-year-old striker currently earns £90,000 a week, but that is less than the £110,000 that Rio Ferdinand commands and less than his old sparring partner Cristiano Ronaldo was worth.

But to Barcelona Rooney's demand is small beer. The deal they are looking at would be worth somewhere in the region of £200,000 a week - similar to the amount paid to Lionel Messi - and there are tax breaks in Spain as well.

Rooney's contract negotiations are on hold until after the World Cup, when he will have two years left on his current deal. But given United's debt situation the owners would be reluctant to reject a big offer from Barca.

Also in Spain it is reported by the paper AS that Real Madrid are fighting against four different Premier League clubs for the signature of Racing Santander midfielder Sergio Canales.
 
AS claims Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton have each offered £8.8m for the player, whose contract expires at the end of the current campaign. Arsenal were also reported to be interested in the 18-year-old.

The Mail reports that the Gunners have held talks with Gelo Canales, Sergio's father and agent, over a potential move.

No less a figure than Johann Cryuff is urging Canales to stay at Santander so he can develop as a player. Given Arsenal's record of putting youngsters out on loan a deal with the London club that sees the player stay in Spain for another season could be on the cards.

However, Canales, who is one of the hottest properties in Europe, is said to have a verbal agreement in place to move to Real but no contract has been signed.

It's taken Harry Redknapp a while to get going in the transfer window but the Spurs boss has finally dusted off his cheque book.

The Spurs boss is negotiating a deal to take Ruud van Nistelrooy on a loan deal to White Hart Lane according to the Mail, which reports that 'Appy 'Arry was seen dining with the player's agent Rodger Linse. The deal will not be ready this week but should see the former United striker join Spurs until the end of the season.

However, Redknapp's plans to offload Roman Pavlyuchenko to Zenit St Petersberg on a similar deal have fallen through. Zenit president Alexander Dyukov said: "The directors were considering loaning Roman Pavlyuchenko for six months until the summer, to decide whether to buy him. Unfortunately, this proposal didn't suit Tottenham. We wouldn't like to buy him at this moment."

The real intrigue surrounds Spurs apparent bid for Ben Foster, the Manchester United keeper. It was reported that Spurs had made a £4m offer  for the England international and that it had been turned down, only for Redknapp to deny any such bid.

"I have no idea where this story has come from because we have never made an offer for Ben Foster, let alone had one rejected," he said. Spurs are looking for a reserve keeper after Carlo Cudicini suffered injuries in a motoring accident.

Arsenal's Jack Wilshere will not be farmed out on loan to a foreign club. The 18-year-old has been linked with Steve McClaren's Dutch side FC Twente. But Arsene Wenger said: ""I would prefer him to play in the Premier League. That would be the easiest for me to observe."

Finally the Mail reports that Lille are preparing a £9m bid for Portsmouth's Younes Kaboul, gazumping Manchester City and Sunderland in the process. ·