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Arsenal are reportedly readying a bid for Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik as Arsene Wenger looks to find an able replacement for French international Samir Nasri. The Slovakian international has been previously linked with the North London club and now the Gunners boss is ready to make an offer for the 24 year old before the transfer window shuts.

Wenger had been targeting Lille youngster Eden Hazard to fill the spot vacated by Nasri but having snatched South Korean Park Chu-Young from under the Ligue 1 side’s nose it seems hugely unlikely that the French side will be willing to do business with the North London club.

Hamsik has been a huge success in Naples and has become a virtual ever present over the course of his four seasons at the Serie A side and it highly unlikely that boss Walter Mazzarri would consider selling the former Brescia man unless the player himself pushed for an exit.

The Arsenal board appear happy to hand Wenger a sizable transfer budget and will allow him the use of all the money raised from the sales of Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy, which brought in around £60m and the Emirates Stadium side are ready to offer around £25m for the goal scoring attacking midfielder.

After such a poor start to the season Wenger knows that he must improve his squad if he wants to push to end a six year silverware drought and he also knows that this could be a pivotal season individually and failure could bring an end to his 15 year reign at Arsenal.

It may take some persuading to convince Hamsik to move as he appears settled at Napoli, who he helped secure a Champions League spot for the coming season.

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Man United are ready to make a swift bid for Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik if they fail to complete moves to sign either Wesley Sneijder or Samir Nasri from Inter Milan or Arsenal respectively.

Hamsik has long been a target for Sir Alex Ferguson and the Slovakian international has been repeatedly linked with a move away from Napoli this summer and AC Milan have shown a great deal of interest in the 23 year old who has been a huge success in Serie A.

The former Brescia man has progressed year on year during his seven seasons in Italy and is now considered one of the best foreign players on show in the Italian top tier but the talented goal scoring attacking midfielder has stated that if an offer from a ‘big club’ was forthcoming then he, and Napoli, would consider it.

Indeed the Naples side have placed a €40m (£35.1m) valuation on Hamsik and reportedly that is a fee that AC Milan are reticent to fork out but Ferguson may well be ready to pay the price if they fail in their pursuit of the aforementioned targets.

The Old Trafford boss sees the capture of a goal scoring midfield threat as the final piece of his summer signing puzzle and is ideally looking for a player that fulfill the kind of role Paul Scholes filled during his Man United pomp. Ferguson’s current central midfield options offer different attributes but the likes of Michael Carrick, Anderson, and Darren Fletcher are not hugely creative hence the Man United manager’s very public interest in Sneijder and Nasri.

Hamsik has scored 47 goals in four seasons at the Stadio San Paolo and has been an invaluable link between midfield and attack, helping Walter Mazzarri’s side clinch a Champions League spot for the coming season.

Man United have already spent over £50m to bring Phil Jones, David de Gea and Ashley Young from Blackburn Rovers, Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa respectively and Ferguson wishes to make one more ‘marquee’ signing as a further statement of intent to their Premier and Champions League rivals.

Having already sold Wes Brown and John O’Shea to Sunderland there is every chance that further Man United players on the periphery of the first team squad will be sacrificed to make room for additions and to help balance the books.

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Manchester City are to battle Manchester United for the signing of Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri if he does not sign a new contract.

The 23-year-old has only 12 months left on his current deal and negotiations between his representatives and the Gunners’ chief executive have stalled.

The France international is seeking pay parity with captain Cesc Fabregas at £110,000-a-week but has only been offered £90,000.

The situation has alerted all the top European clubs with Inter Milan and Manchester United the previous favourites.

But City are now ready to enter the market for Nasri and will have no problems in meeting his wage demands.

The Blues’ manager Roberto Mancini has been left frustrated in his attempts to sign a playmaker to add more creativity to his squad.

Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez was his number one choice but he seems destined to join Barcelona but Mancini has his eyes on Napoli’s Marek Hamsik.

City’s boss has turned his attention to Nasri because he feels for the same price he would pay for Hamsik he could get the Frenchman who has a proven Premier League pedigree.

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Manchester City will pursue Napoli trio Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi after losing out on Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez.

Sanchez was the subject of a £35million bid from Inter Milan last week and City coach Attilio Lombardo has confirmed the Blues will look elsewhere for future signings.

Manager Roberto Mancini will, instead, turn their attentions to Napoli as they have a host of stars who could move to Eastlands in the near future.

Edinson Cavani, 24, could be a possible replacement for Carlos Tevez who looks likely to leave Eastlands this summer. He will cost around £18.7million.

Mancini could also make a move for his team-mate Ezequiel Lavezzi. The Argentine international can play as striker or a wide man and is available for around £18.6million.

The Eastlands boss is also after more flair and creativity in his midfield and sees AC Milan target Marek Hamsik as the ideal player.

The 23-year-old will cost £24.1million but could form an exciting partnership with David Silva.

Lombardo is adamant the deal for Sanchez is finished – for now – but welcomes any attempts to sign the Napoli trio.

“It’s true we did track Sanchez, but I think this player is more suited to an Italian club right now,” Lombardo told Radio Crc.

“I hope there can be some negotiations between Napoli and Manchester City, especially as I’d see one of their three forwards would really suit City.

“The trio of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi would bring success to any club.

“Napoli have very strong players, but I doubt they’d release Hamsik and Cavani at the same time.

“Manchester City are tracking many players because this club wants to do well, to win and to become the most important side in Europe. Napoli have good players, so that is why we are looking at them.”

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Manchester United are reportedly planning significant bids for Serie A pair Alexis Sanchez and Marek Hamsik as Sir Alex Ferguson looks to freshen up his Old Trafford squad. It is thought that the Scot will make offers for both players in preference to moves for Premier League targets Ashley Young and Jordan Henderson.

Udinese winger Sanchez has been in fine form in Serie A this season and is one of the top assist makers in Italy and has helped form a potent partnership supplying Antonio Di Natale with ammunition that the Italian goal machine has gladly made use of.

The Chilean international appears to have outgrown Udinese and has become a target of a number of Europe’s elite, most prominently Chelsea and Real Madrid. The pint sized 22 year old winger can also play as a second striker and has the pace and trickery as well as the end product that has made the former River Plate one of the hottest prospects in the game.

Marek Hamsik has long been thought of as a player that Ferguson wishes to snap up as a potential long term replacement for Paul Scholes and the Napoli man, like Sanchez, is a much sought after performer but he could be a harder nut to crack than the Udinese man.

If the Naples side manages to secure Champions League football for next term then the Slovakian international would be more compelled to remain at the club he has represented with great effect for four seasons.

Ferguson has been assured that he will receive funds to make additions this summer but may also look to trim some players from his expansive squad. The likes of Owen Hargreaves and Michael Owen are unlikely to be offered new deals and under performers Gabriel Obertan, Bebe and Jonny Evans may be offloaded with youngsters Danny Welbeck, Mame Biram Diouf, Tom Cleverley and Ritchie De Laet also possible exit candidates.

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According to reports emerging from Italy, Chelsea are closing in on the capture of Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik in a deal that said to be in the region of £30m. Carlo Ancelotti is looking to build the makings of a new generation as the backbone of the Stamford Bridge squad begin to reach the end of their careers and with that in mind wants to sign the impressive Slovakian international.

Chelsea have been scouting the former Brescia man for some time and having brought in David Luiz and Fernando Torres in January, Roman Abramovich is ready to flex his financial muscle once again with a big money move for the 23 year old.

With the likes of Didier Drogba, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Nicolas Anelka and Ashley Cole all aged 30+ and a number of other first team regulars similarly getting on in years, the Blues know they have to look to reassemble the squad with long term goals in mind.

Hamsik has become something of a cult hero at Napoli and now in his fourth season at the Naples club he has become a goalscoring midfield provider considered one of the best foreign imports to Serie A in recent years and his consistent displays have helped make the Stadio San Paolo side genuine title contenders some twenty years plus since their last domestic league triumph.

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Roman Abramovich is set to continue his spending spree this summer, with a move for Kaka the most high-profile deal and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba possibly offered to Real Madrid in part-exchange.

Chelsea observers were at the San Siro on Monday night to watch Milan play Napoli and, in particular,the visitors’ Marek Hamsik, the Slovakian playmaker for whom the Italians want €30 million (£25.8m).

Two centre-halves also on the radar are Neven Subotic, the 22-year-old Serbian from Borussia Dortmund, valued at €20m, and Bolton’s Gary Cahill as Chelsea prepare for life without John Terry and Frank Lampard, who is 33this summer.

Chelsea are prepared to pay at least £15m to land the Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell this summer, but do not rule out last-minute bids from Manchester United or Manchester City.

SOURCE: Telegraph

Whilst some may baulk at the plans Chelsea appear to have in place it is worth noting that the West London club has spent the best part of seven plus years with a back bone of players that is now beginning to nearing it’s best before date. John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba have been the mainstay of a side that has also seen the likes of Petr Cech, Ashley Cole and Michael Essien stick around for a significant period of time and perhaps now is the right time for the Blues to reshape.

Such an undertaking was never going to be cheap and having brought in David Luiz and Fernando Torres, seemingly long term replacements for Terry and Drogba, the Premier League champions are making plans to continue the rebuilding process.

Roman Abramovich will be keen to flex his financial muscle having seen Man City buy everything that moves in recent seasons and the players named by this source could all be of use at Stamford Bridge. Gary Cahill may in fact be a more natural replacement for 30 year old Terry and Marek Hamsik is the type of goal scoring midfielder every side would like to get hold of and a player who clearly would be a ready made replacement for 32 year old Lampard.

Jack Rodwell would add something to the midfield to and Kaka would be a great creative force and a player who the Chelsea owner appears to be most interested in, the Brazilian may be nearing 30 but he is still a legend that would go a long way to showing that the club is still able to capture the very best in the game.

In many ways the club is having to make up for an academy system that may have unearthed some gems, like the excellent Josh McEachran but has not produced much else that Ancelotti is willing to use.

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Manchester United and Chelsea’s hopes of signing Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik have been dashed by the Italian club’s chairman.
The Slovakian midfielder has helped the Serie A side to second in the league, with eight goals and placed them in contention for Champions League qualification.
And that success means Aurelio De Laurentiis reportedly refused a £25m Chelsea enquiry for the 23-year-old and will hold out until his £35m valuation is met.

SOURCE: TalkSPORT

So there you have it. All Sir Alex Ferguson has to do in order to land Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik is stump up a cool £35m, which in today’s market is not that bad a valuation. Remember Liverpool paid the same amount for Andy Carroll!

Hamsik is in his fourth season at the Naples club and is something of a cult hero at the Serie A side who are finally challening for the title after a long time in the wilderness. The 23 year old Slovakian is a talented free flowing goal scoring midfielder who is wanted by a number of Europe’s elite. The former Brescia man has scored 42 goals in 145 games for the Azzurri and will be sorely missed if he is sold.

Sir Alex Ferguson is looking for a long term replacement for veteran Paul Scholes and he apparently sees Hamsik as the ideal man to do the job. Manchester United have a wealth of midfield talent but they do lack a player who can score a dozen goals plus coming from the midfield.

The likes of Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Anderson all do sterling work from the centre of the park but do not weigh in with enough in the way of goals and Marek Hamsik is the type of player that Ferguson has been looking for.

An offer of £35m would of course break the club’s record transfer outlay but perhaps that is something Ferguson is willing to do in order to get his man.

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will step up his pursuit of Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik as he looks to sign the Slovakian international this summer. The Scot is looking to freshen things up at Old Trafford and is willing to make a big money offer for the talented 23 year old.

Some Italian sources believe that Ferguson is willing to offer up to £35m for Hamsik who has become a cult hero at the Stadio San Paolo and now into his fourth season at the Naples club the former Brescia man has become a crucial part of the club’s up turn in fortunes.

Hamsik arrived at the club when they were struggling in mid table after securing a meteoric rise back to the Italian top tier after a long period of financial instability threatened to ruin the club. Thanks to the Slovakian’s performances Napoli are currently in second spot in Serie A and a rejuvenated force in Italian football.

The talented playmaker is a wanted man though and even though he is tied to a long term contract a number of sides are looking to snap up Hamsik and the Manchester United boss hopes to bring the goal scoring midfielder to the club to help the Premier League side build for a bright future as a number of the old guard near the end of their glittering careers. Many reports suggest that Ferguson sees the Napoli man as the ideal man to act as a Paul Scholes replacement.

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