Cesc deal ‘agreed’, Moyes wants £30m for Lescott

Arsenal have hit back furiously at reports in the Spanish media yesterday that a deal to allow Cesc Fabregas to return to Barcelona has already been struck between the two clubs, the Daily Mirror reveals. As previously reported here, Fabregas has become a pawn in the increasingly bitter battle between Joan Laporta and Sandro Rosell as to who will take over the Camp Nou presidency next summer, with Rosell alleged to have already sealed an agreement to bring the Arsenal captain back to the club where he began his career. Now Spanish papers are saying that a £30m transfer for the 22-year-old midfielder already exists, despite Fabregas being only halfway through a seven-year contract at the Emirates...

David Moyes has bowed to the inevitable and accepted that Joleon Lescott is going to be leaving Goodison Park fairly shortly for Manchester City, but the Everton manager is going to squeeze every penny possible out of the Eastlands club, demanding £30m for the England defender, the Daily Mail claims. Moyes, who branded City as "disgusting" for their pursuit of the 27-year-old, has dropped Lescott for tonight's Europa League tie against Czech side Sigma Olomouc, ostensibly for his bad attitude but also to ensure that the centre back isn't injured ahead of a big-money move...

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has found some emergency defensive cover following the injury at the weekend to Martin Skrtel, lining up AEK Athens' giant centre back Sotirios Kyrgiakos for a £1.5m transfer, according to the Times. The 30-year-old forced his club's hand on the deal, writing on his website that: "This is the biggest challenge of my career. I have accepted Liverpool's proposal" after AEK had tried to stall the Anfield club. Kyrgiakos will have a medical before the weekend and could be drafted straight into the team...

Fresh from signing Damien Duff from Newcastle, Fulham gaffer Roy Hodgson confirmed that the club also looks to be on track in its bid to bring the West Brom captain Jonathan Greening in to Craven Cottage, Sky Sports reports. The west Londoners have had three bids for the former Manchester United midfielder rejected, but Hodgson is confident that the fourth bid, believed to be of £4m, should prise the 30-year-old away from the Baggies. "Negotiations are ongoing and have been for a long time. I've been led to believe we're getting closer to a conclusion," said Hodgson. "Jonathan is keen to come and he'd be a great addition to our squad in the same way Damien (Duff) is"...

Any chance that Chelsea may have had of signing Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid, reports the Daily Mail, now appears to be gone after the Spanish club fielded the 21-year-old midfielder in their Champions League play-off with Panathinaikos. The Argentinean, who had been valued at up to £50m by Atletico, asked to be omitted from the game so that his transfer options remained open but was selected and scored the opener in the 3-2 win. Aguero is now cup-tied for the rest of the season, thus knocking millions off his potential value this season... ·