Brazilian fullback Rafinha is once again being linked with a possible transfer to Premier League side Liverpool.

He has long been linked with a move to the Merseyside giants with Reds boss Rafa Benitez a confirmed admirer of the Schalke right back.

With Alvaro Arbeloa being linked with a move back to Spain following a mystery £6 million bid, money could well be available for the purchase of Rafinha.

The Brazilian is also in dispute with his club at the moment over the Olympics, and his future at the Bundesliga club is far for certain.

He was called up by coach Carlos Dunga for the summer’s Olympic tournament, but was told by Schalke he couldn’t go.  However, Rafinha has gone against the club’s wishes and travelled regardless.

Any parting of the ways at the Veltins Arena will surely awake the interest of Liverpool amongst others.

Ref From Mathew Burt - goal.com

Sporting Lisbon have confirmed that they have turned down an offer from Everton for Joao Moutinho.

The Tofffees have been tracking the midfielder for much of the summer and had hoped to secure him for a fee of £11.8million.

Moutinho revealed after Sporting’s friendly victory over Blackburn on Saturday night that he was keen to leave the Portuguese club.

He also stated that he was hopeful a deal could be reached between Sporting and Everton.

However, Sporting have now issued a strongly-worded statement saying they have rejected a bid from the Premier League outfit.

“Last Saturday the Fifa agent Pini Zahavi, with a letter of representation issued by Everton FC, visited the headquarters of the society and transmitted that the English club offered €15million (£11.8 million) for the acquisition of the sporting rights of the player Joao Moutinho, with the figure eventually adding an amount not yet determined if Everton FC qualify for the Champions League,” read the statement.

“The proposal was rejected outright and it was told to Mr Pini Zahavi, who acted in the dual capacity as representative of the player and Everton FC, it was not the intention of Sporting SAD to transfer the player.”

The statement also confirmed that Moutinho would only be allowed to leave for a figure of €25m (£19.7m).

Sporting added that they were not happy with Moutinho’s declaration that ‘personal reasons’ were behind his desire to move on.

Ref From skysports.com

Amidst claims of alleged boardroom unrest between Kevin Keegan and club owner Mike Ashley, reports are surfacing that the Tyneside club are ready to splash the cash on another of their major transfer targets…

The Sunday Sun is reporting that Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan has targeted Julio Baptista as the ideal man to partner Danny Guthrie in the centre of midfield come the new season. It is being said that Baptista, who has been linked to the Magpies before, is also keen on a move to England - providing that the terms are attractive, and that a deal can be agreed with his club Real Madrid.

Madrid are thought to want something in excess of £12m (€15m) for the Brazilian hitman, whose nickname is “The Beast”.  Baptista had spent a season on loan at Arsenal, and had performed reasonably well. In that regard, although he may not be considered as a “proven” premiership player, he does seem like a good prospect nonetheless.

However, the merengues’ steep asking price may prove to be a hurdle to any deal going through as news from St. James’ Park indicates that manager Keegan may not bid any amount over £7m (€8.8m) The club is also said to be in talks with Liverpool for Argentine left-back Emilio Insua, and are also reportedly prepared to move for Deportivo La Coruna defender Fabricio Coloccini with a £6 bid. The club is also keen to wrap up a deal for French centre-back Sebastien Bassong who has impressed on trial since arriving from Metz last week.

These reports are somewhat substantiated by Keegan’s recent comments that the club will be signing 2-3 players as early as the next two weeks, and may act as a peace offering to the club’s extensive fan base who have grown impatient at the club’s lack of transfer activity.

Ref From Mehzeb Chowdhury - goal.com