Blind will be a success at Man United, believes Dutch expert

Daley Blind has all the talents to be a huge success at Manchester United, Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan has told talkSPORT.

The Ajax man looks set to join the Red Devils within the next 48 hours, after the club confirmed that they have had a bid – thought to be in the region of £14m – accepted by the Eredivisie champions.

However, despite enjoying a hugely impressive World Cup with the Netherlands, there remain questions over whether Blind will adapt to the Premier League, but Van der Kraan has dismissed such suggestions, telling the Weekend Sports Breakfast that the 24-year-old will prove the doubters wrong.

“He comes in with league titles and trophies under his arm and has been crowned footballer of the year in the Netherlands," he said. "If he follows in the footsteps of his dad [former Ajax defender] Danny, then he will be a success at United.

“He’s an absolute first class player. He played every single position apart from goalkeeper for Ajax and the good thing about young players coming from there is that they have a good education, are very skilful and I think this is why Louis van Gaal has gone for this particular player.”

Transfer rumours and paper review – Saturday, August 30

Here's the top transfer-related stories in Saturday's newspapers...

Chelsea have opened talks with QPR forward Loic Remy, 27, after striker Fernando Torres, 30, joined AC Milan. (Daily Telegraph)

Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley, 25, is weighing up a £7m move to Aston Villa following talks with former Old Trafford captain Roy Keane, who is now assistant manager at Villa Park. (Daily Mirror)

New Crystal Palace boss Neil Warnock is set to return to former club QPR and bid £2.5m for defender Armand Traore, 24. (The Sun)

Arsenal have been given a boost in their pursuit of winger Alessio Cerci, 27, after Torino's president Urbano Cairo revealed the forward would be sold for the right price. (Daily Star)

Manchester United want to sign defender Timothy Fosu Mensah, 16, from Ajax. (Daily Express)

Defender Marcos Rojo's move to Manchester United is under threat due to work permit and third party issues concerning the 24-year-old. (The Sun)

Leicester are ready to complete an £8m deal for Ipswich striker David McGoldrick, 26, after having already had a £6.5m offer rejected. (The Sun)

Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk has told Celtic he wants to leave the Scottish champions. (Daily Express)

Agger leaves Liverpool for Brondby

Daniel Agger has left Liverpool to rejoin Brondby, the Premier League club have announced.

The Danish defender, who joined the Reds back in 2006, returns to his hometown side in a deal worth a reported £3million.

Agger made more than 200 appearances for the Anfield side over nine seasons but found himself out of the first-team under Brendan Rodgers.

And as he returns to Denmark with Brondby, who finished fourth in the Superliga last season, the centre back thanked Liverpool fans for their incredible support.

"Liverpool have been such a big part of my life and my family's lives for so long, that leaving is extremely difficult," Agger told Liverpoolfc.com.

"The opportunity arose for me to return home to Brondby and at this stage of my career it felt like the right decision for me.

"I wouldn't leave here to go anywhere else and that has been proven by my actions in recent seasons - I have turned down many offers to move to other Premier League and European clubs.

"I would like to thank the Liverpool supporters for the incredible backing they have given me in my time here and the warmth and generosity of spirit displayed to my family.

"This has been our home and somewhere we have been very happy and settled. However, more recently I have started to feel the effects of playing regularly in a league that is as physically demanding as the Premier League is, and I would not want to stay if I did not think that I was able to meet that challenge week in, week out.

"The club itself is very special and I shall remain a supporter for the rest of my life. I regard every game I played at Anfield as a privilege."

'Time for Arsenal to bite the bullet and sign this world class striker' - Young Guns blog

It's becoming more common, but it's still quite rare for genuine top quality players to be available - and when they are, you have to move quickly.

Arsenal have been great at that recently, snapping up Mesut Ozil and then Alexis Sanchez for big money in successive summers, and we've been presented with another opportunity this week to sign another world class game changer.

Radamel Falcao has been told he can leave Monaco on loan, and with Real Madrid cooling their interest, Arsenal are clear to grab him.

But for some mad reason, Arsene Wenger is not keen on bringing in the Colombian. It's bonkers.

Falcao will be expensive, of course. His wages are about £8.5million a season and Monaco want a £11.5million loan fee on top of that. It's a total package of £20million to have him for just one season. But it's worth it.

He's a lethal striker with genuine superstar quality. He's a game changer, a big match performer and a total handful for any defender.

With Olivier Giroud out until the New Year, a quality striker is absolutely needed - and there are not many better than Falcao.

Wenger needs to bite the bullet, be brave, be bold and bring Falcao in. It could just be the best decision he's ever made.

Exclusive - Warnock confirms Crystal Palace close to deal for Man United's Zaha

Neil Warnock is ‘optimistic’ Wilfried Zaha will complete a move back to Crystal Palace today.

The 65-year-old was appointed Tony Pulis' successor at Selhurst Park on Wednesday and he has wasted no time in trying to lure Zaha back to the club.

The 21-year-old winger left Palace for Manchester United in a £15million deal in 2013 but has struggled to make any impact at Old Trafford and is now set to rejoin the Eagles on loan.

Asked if Zaha is his main target, Warnock told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: "Yes. I did speak to him last night.

"I had half hour last night telling him why I want him to come back and I'm optimistic we are going to do it today."

Zaha has made just a handful of appearances for United since his switch to Old Trafford and there have been persisent questions marks over his attitude.

But Warnock insists he is simply in need of backing, and he is confident the youngster can reignite his career at Selhurst Park.

"When you get the chance, you can't turn down Manchester United but there are so many big players there and sometimes you get a bit lost," said the Yorkshireman.

"He is still developing, Wilfired, and he has got so much talent. When you are a wide player, or a forward, you need to feel loved.

“I've heard it said about his attitude, but I've always thought his attitude has been spot on, so I'm looking forward to working with him."

Di Maria is 'one of best signings' Man United could make, insists Old Trafford hero

Federico Macheda insists Angel di Maria is "one of the best signings" Manchester United could make.

The Argentine winger is on the verge of completing a British record move from Real Madrid, and Macheda believes his arrival will give everyone a boost.

Macheda, now at Cardiff City, said: “I think he's one of the best signings they could make. At Man United a player like Di Maria will lift the players and the club as well. If they can get him it will be great for the club.

"He has played already for a big club in Real Madrid so he will be fine with the pressure on him.”

Reports: Eto’o close to agreeing Everton move

Veteran striker Samuel Eto’o is set to join Everton on a free transfer, according to reports.

The 33-year-old is a free agent following his release from Chelsea at the end of last season and was strongly linked with a move to Merseyside rivals Liverpool this summer, as well as fellow Premier League sides West Ham and Sunderland.

It was thought Eto’o was close to signing for the Reds, though they instead opted to sign £16million striker Mario Balotelli from AC Milan.

Upon his release from Stamford Bridge, the Cameroon international insisted he wanted to continue playing in the Champions League, with Serie A runners-up Roma one of a host of other European sides linked with a swoop.

But it now seems Everton, who can offer the striker Europa League football this season, are leading the race to agree terms with the former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan ace, whose career club tally exceeds well over 300 goals.

The Blues held detailed negotiations with the forward last week but after those initial discussions the chances of a move to Merseyside appeared to cool.

However, talks have re-started over a potential two-year deal as manager Roberto Martinez searches for an understudy to record signing Romelu Lukaku, with current back-up forward Arouna Kone still to return from a knee injury sustained in October.

Eto’o represents a wise buy for the Toffees boss, with the Spaniard surely hoping the experienced striker will have a positive impact on Lukaku’s progression following the Belgian's £28m permanent switch to Goodison Park.

Transfer rumours and paper review – Tuesday, August 26

Here's the top transfer-related stories in Tuesday's newspapers...

Angel di Maria flew into England last night to complete his record £60m move to Manchester United. The Argentina midfielder will undergo a medical today and the deal should be confirmed in the next 24 hours. (Various)

Louis van Gaal wants to follow up the signing of Di Maria by signing Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal in £34m deal. (Daily Telegraph)

And United could be prepared to use Javier Hernandez as part of their deal for Vidal. (Daily Express)

Manchester United are also lining up an £18million swoop for Ajax star Daley Blind. (The Sun)

Arsenal could turn to Danny Welbeck or Loic Remy as fears grow that striker Olivier Giroud has broken his ankle. (The Sun)

Arsenal and Manchester United have received a huge boost in their pursuit of Roma defender Mehdi Benatia after the Italian club scrapped a proposed meeting with potential suitors Bayern Munich. (Daily Star)

Arsenal have been handed another major transfer boost after Sporting Lisbon agreed to lower their demands for defensive midfielder William Carvalho. (Daily Express)

Everton are closing in on a deal to sign Samuel Eto’o as Roberto Martínez seeks to add experience and quality to his attack to relieve some of the pressure on Romelu Lukaku. (The Times)

AC Milan are continuing talks with Chelsea over a potential deal for Fernando Torres. Milan want to take the former Atletico Madrid forward on loan but the player's camp are awaiting proposals for a permanent transfer. (Daily Mail)

Southampton are lining up a raid for Feyenoord's Holland midfielder Jordy Clasie. (The Sun)

Tottenham are willing to meet the release clause of Sevilla captain Federico Fazio, according to the La Liga club's sporting director Monchi. (London Evening Standard)

West Ham have made enquiries about Bayer Leverkusen defender Philipp Wollscheid. The 25-year-old centre-back has spent the last two years at Leverkusen, and played 24 times last season for the German side, who finished fourth in the Bundesliga. (Daily Mail)

West Ham are ready to sell Carlton Cole to Bournemouth for £1million – but the striker is reluctant to move to the Championship. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland are closing in on a deal to bring Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates to the Stadium of Light on a season-long loan. (Daily Star)

Leicester midfielder Andy King is being eyed by Sunderland, QPR and West Brom. (The Sun)

Blackburn striker Jordan Rhodes is poised to ask for a transfer to help push through a £12million move to Hull City. (Daily Mirror)

Balotelli is back! Liverpool complete £16m signing of striker from AC Milan

Liverpool have completed the signing of striker Mario Balotelli from AC Milan.

The Italy international moves to the Merseyside club for an undisclosed fee and has signed a 'long-term' contract with the side.

It will be Balotelli's second spell in the Premier League, the 24-year-old having spent three years at Manchester City before being sold to Milan in 2013.

His City career was littered with controversy, with numerous unsavoury incidents on and off the pitch overshadowing occasional flashes of brilliance.

He had similar behaviour-related problems at Inter Milan prior to joining City, and was described as 'unmanageable' by Jose Mourinho, his former manager at the San Siro.

Brendan Rodgers was warned against signing the player by a host of former Liverpool stars, including Gary McAllister and Steve Nicol, after it emerged that the Reds had made a move.

But that has not stopped Rodgers from pushing through the deal, with AC Milan understood to have received a fee of £16million from the Reds.

And the Reds boss believes the club have secured one of the bargain deals of the summer.

"This transfer represents outstanding value for the club and I think we have done a really smart piece of business here," the Northern Irishman told the club's official website.

"There is no doubting Mario's ability; he is a world-class talent and someone who, for such a young age, has vast experience of playing at the very highest level.

"He has scored goals in the Premier League, in Italy, in the Champions League and for his country at international level.

"I believe we have the infrastructure, culture and environment to get the best out of him and help him achieve his true potential. We are a strong group here, committed to hard work and he will benefit from being around it.

"I am looking forward to working with him and helping him learn more, improve and progress as a player. I'm sure the supporters will make him feel very welcome."

Balotelli also said he is excited to be back in England following his short return to Italy.

The striker added: "I'm very happy. We've been talking about coming here and now I'm happy to be here.

"Liverpool are one of the best teams here in England and the football is very good here.

"It's a great team with young players, and that's why I came here."

Balotelli's arrival ends Liverpool's extensive search for a replacement for Luis Suarez following the Uruguayan's £75million for Barcelona.

He has not been signed in time to play in Monday night's Premier League clash with his former club City, but is expected to be at the Etihad Stadium to watch his new teammates in action.

Tottenham star exits on loan

Swansea City have completed a season-long loan move for Tottenham’s Tom Carroll.

The talented 22-year-old midfielder has been on the fringes at Spurs for the last two seasons and spent time on loan with Derby County before helping Queen Park Ranger earn promotion to the Premier League last year.

And now Mauricio Pochettino has decided to allow the playmaker to move to the Jacks to gain valuable top-flight experience.

Swansea manager Garry Monk, who is currently without Leon Britton and Jay Fulton through injury, will be able to call on Carroll in Saturday’s match with Burnley at the Liberty Stadium.