Chelsea swoop for Liverpool target Atsu

Jose Mourinho is set to beat Brendan Rodgers
to the €4 million signing of the 21-year-old
Porto winger but may be prepared to let the
Ghana international leave on loan




Chelsea are set to beat Liverpool to the signature of Porto winger Christian Atsu. Jose Mourinho, who has already stolen Brazil
international playmaker Willian from under the
noses of Tottenham this summer, will now look
to finalise a move for the highly-rated Ghana
international. Liverpool were in pole position to sign the 21-
year-old before displaying a reluctance to meet the
Portuguese club’s €4 million asking price for a
player who has just a year left to run on his
current contract.
Espanyol had also been in the running to sign
Atsu and were willing to match the Portuguese club’s valuation but were unable to better the
contract offers on the table from the Premier
League giants - though they may yet get their
hands on the player on a temporary basis this
season.
Competition for places is intense at Stamford Bridge, particularly in the wide and attacking
midfield positions, even ahead of Atsu’s
imminent arrival.
Already this season the likes of Victor Moses
and Juan Mata, two players who were crucial to
Chelsea’s Europa League success last season, have struggled to force their way into
Mourinho’s plans this term.
Mourinho, whose side have begun the season
by claiming seven points from a possible nine
available and face Bayern Munich in Friday’s
European Super Cup, may well be willing to allow Atsu to leave on loan with Espanyol a
potential destination.

Wenger intent on pursuing Suarez despite Liverpool's stance

Anfield owner John W Henry has insisted the Uruguayan will not be sold this summer, although the Arsenal boss is hopeful a move could still be completed

Arsene Wenger maintains Arsenal will continue their "amicable" pursuit of Luis Suarez despite Liverpool's insistence that the striker will not be sold this summer.

Liverpool owner John W Henry claimed on Thursday that his side would not sanction the Uruguay international's move to the Emirates Stadium, regardless of the bid from the north London club.

Wenger, who said on Wednesday that a move for Suarez is on "standby", has reiterated that the club will be honourable in their bid for the 26-year-old but claims a change of heart from Liverpool could allow the deal to be completed.

"There is nothing to add to what I said already about the transfer of Suarez," Wenger told the club's official website. "If it will be done, it will be done in a respectful and amicable way with Liverpool.

"I didn't read [Liverpool owner John W Henry’s] statements but we'll be faithful to the way we want to behave.

"To make a transfer happen, you need the agreement of three parties - the buyer, the seller and the player.

"We know what we want to do. The player, if I look at the statements [does] as well. Liverpool at the moment do not agree. If they change their minds or not, I don't know. We'll respect that.

"We are looking at possibilities to strengthen our squad. Suarez is one of the targets. If he's not for sale, he's not for sale. We have to accept that.

Luis Suarez to miss Liverpool's Norway trip through injury

Unsettled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez will miss
the club's pre-season trip to Norway with a foot
injury. The Uruguay international, 26, has been the
subject of two bids from Arsenal and may request a transfer to force a move away from Merseyside. Suarez has played in three of the Reds' pre-
season matches - against Melbourne Victory,
Thailand and Olympiakos. Top summer deals so far 1. Edinson Cavani (Napoli to Paris St-Germain) £55m 2. Falcao (Atletico Madrid to Monaco) £50m 3. Neymar (Santos to Barcelona) £48.6m 4. James Rodriguez (Porto to Monaco) £38.5m 5. Fernandinho (Shaktar Donetsk to Man City) £30m Fees according to reports, except Neymar and
Rodriguez Liverpool meet Valerenga on Wednesday in their
penultimate friendly before the start of the
season. Suarez will have a scan on his foot injury in the
next 24 hours, joining Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson
and Martin Skrtel in staying in England to receive
treatment. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted
Arsenal, whose latest offer was a pound more than £40m in an attempt to trigger a release clause in Suarez's contract, remain well short of
the Reds' valuation. "If Arsenal want the player they have to produce
the value for the player," Rodgers said last month. "I don't think it [their latest bid] is anywhere near
the value of what he is worth." Suarez, who joined the club in January 2011 from Ajax for £22.7m and signed a long-term contract extension in August 2012, scored 30 goals in 44 appearances for the Reds last season. He has told Rodgers he wants to leave in order to
play in the Champions League. Liverpool conclude their pre-season preparations
with a friendly against Celtic in Dublin on Saturday
before starting their Premier League campaign a
week later against Stoke City at Anfield.