Hamburg SV boss Martin Jol is keen to sign Didier Zokora for a second time, according to the latest reports out of Germany.

The ex Spurs manager is not exactly light in the pocket anymore after they grudgingly sold Dutch ace Rafael van der Vaart to Real Madrid and it being claimed that he now has his heart set on reuniting with Zokora.

The all-action midfielder joined the north London club in 2006 after impressing Jol – then at Spurs – with his displays for Saint-Etienne and the Ivory Coast, but the sense so far is that the 27-year-old is not as highly regarded by new boss Juande Ramos.

Added to this the now intense competition for midfield places at White Hart Lane, which has even prompted Ramos to use Zokora in defense during a recent friendly with Borussia Dortmund.

With Luka Modric, Jermaine Jenas, Giovani dos Santos, David Bentley, Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale all contenders for a midfield spot, something has to give, and if Jol is ready to cough up £8million this could very well be Zokora.

Ref From Derek Wanner, Goal.com

The longest running transfer saga of the summer may be nearing an end with the News of the World reporting that Real Madrid are preparing to offer Manchester United £60 million for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The proposed transfer of the Portuguese winger has filled the newspapers for the majority of the summer. Whilst Real have long been admirers of Manchester United’s number 7, the club have so far insisted that their player is not for sale.

Ronaldo himself has remained ambiguous on the situation although the latest speculation has suggested that the player will shortly inform the club he wants to leave for Madrid.

However, according to the News of the World, Real’s coach Bernd Schuster has now admitted that Madrid are still hoping to sign Ronaldo. He said: “The club are working hard to get a solution. We knew it was going to be very complicated.”

The paper reports that Madrid will offer United £60 million for the winger, despite the club having previously declared that their player is not for sale.

Despite this, and possibly encouraged by the positive noises coming from the player himself, Real are evidently hoping they can force a deal through though, despite United not wanting to sell. As Schuster himself acknowledged: “It’s not going to be easy for Ronaldo to come to Madrid but we will have to see.”

The news is likely to frustrate United manager Alex Ferguson who has spent the summer insisting Ronaldo will be a United player next season.

Yet it appears that Real Madrid are determined to get their man, a fact Schuster found hard to deny. He confirmed: “Do I still want to sign Ronaldo? What a question. Of course I do. If you ask any coach that question then every single one of them would want Ronaldo. He is a great player. One of the best.”

The news comes despite Madrid reportedly being on the verge of signing Hamburg’s Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart. The Dutchman has largely been viewed as a replacement for Ronaldo, but it is entirely possible Madrid may end up with both players.

As for Ronaldo, he has been enjoying an extended holiday following his exploits at Euro 2008 and a subsequent surgery to correct an ankle injury. However, he is due to return to Manchester United this week where his future may finally be resolved.

Ref From Gill Clark - goal.com

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes appears determined to sign former striker Roque Santa Cruz according to a report in the News of the World.

Hughes signed the Paraguayan international from Bayern Munich last season in a deal that was widely considered to be the coup of the season after the striker hit 19 goals in his first season in the Premier League.

The striker’s excellent form has led to speculation that a host of top clubs are now interested in signing the striker, including champions Manchester United.

Whilst a number of Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for Santa Cruz, the News of the World claims that Mark Hughes is desperate to sign the man he originally brought to the Premier League.

The paper claims that Manchester City will offer Blackburn a massive £12 million for the striker although it also suggests that Rovers will accept nothing less than £15 million for Santa Cruz.

After missing out on Ronaldinho, City may well have the funds to spend big on a striker. They have already signed Jo from CSKA Moscow, who has become the club’s record signing and have plenty of other options in attack with Bojinov, Benjani and Vassell all at the club.

As for Santa Cruz, he picked up an injury yesterday in the club’s pre-season match against Championship side Wolves. Despite scoring in Blackburn’s 4-2 defeat, he was taken off although the injury isn’t thought to be serious and he should be fit for the start of the season.

Ref From Gill Clark - goal.com