Chelsea to spend £70m on Gerrard and Aguero

Chelsea are said to be close to sealing the deal to bring Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero to Stamford Bridge for a British record fee of £40m. The Mail reports that the Blues have been finalising the contract with the Argentine striker’s agents and "are determined to make Aguero their big January signing before they learn whether the transfer ban imposed by Fifa over the Gael Kakuta affair is to be upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport".
 
Chelsea stand accused of inducing the Lens youngster Kakuta  to break his contract with the French club and if the ban is upheld they'll be stopped from making any signings during the next two transfer windows.

Aguero, 21, who is engaged to Maradona’s daughter, scored twice for Atletico when they beat Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti sees him as the ideal back-up for Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

"Personal terms on a four-and-a-half-year contract are all but agreed," says the Mail, "and the only major stumbling block which remains is Atletico’s desire to receive a fee which would make the loss of their most popular player more palatable to their fans."

Chelsea are busy elsewhere, if the Mirror is to be believed, with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard on their shopping list. The Reds’ Captain Fantastic signed a new four-year deal in the summer but that was before Liverpool’s season disintegrated. Now the Mirror reports that Ancelotti "has told pals the Blues will table a £30million bid for the England midfielder at the end of the season and test Liverpool’s resolve to hang on to their captain".
 
Manchester United are reportedly still keen to sign Brazilian star Douglas Costa after the 19-year-old left-winger’s price was slashed from £20m to £10m. The Reds were said to have pursued the teenager – who starred for his country in the recent Under-20 World Cup - without success in the summer but now the Mirror says Costa’s club, Gremio, "are reported to be in financial difficulties and have let it be known that they would be willing to accept just half of the original demand".

Rafa Benitez certainly has faith the Kop - he apparently wants them to embrace a striker whose previous clubs are Manchester United and Everton.

The Star reports that the Liverpool boss is keen on signing Louis Saha to play alongside Fernando Torres in the January transfer window.

Benitez has come to the conclusion that Torres needs an attacking partner and has set his sights on Saha, whose contract expires at the end of the season. That means he can talk to other clubs in the new year, and Liverpool would pay up to £7m for the player. Everton boss David Moyes is not keen to sell the striker who has scored 12 goals so far this season.

Roberto Martinez admits that he faces a struggle to hold on to Honduran defender Maynor Figueroa after his wonder-strike at the weekend.

He is being linked with a £6m move away from the club. And Martinez admitted: "He'll probably go next summer... but I am certainly not looking to lose anyone in January."

However, fellow-defender Paul Scharner could be on his way out of Wigan in the new year. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is said to be lining up a £3m bid for the Austrian during the January transfer window.

If he does sell Scharner, Martinez may well spend the £3m on Colombian striker and namesake Jackson Martinez, who currently plays for Independiente Medellin.

 
Meanwhile Blackburn winger Morten Gamst Pedersen says he intends to remain loyal to the Ewood Park club despite interest from Scottish giants Celtic. The 28-year-old Norwegian is out of contract at the end of the season and says the possibility of playing in Europe [with Celtic] is enticing. "They are a big club in Europe. They play regularly in Europe and that is a bonus for all players," said Pedersen. "I have never played in the Champions League and that is a dream for me, of course. At the same time, I will honour my contract with Blackburn." ·