Fulham eyeing Espanyol’s Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, Derby County denies interest in Manchester United striker Michael Owen
Mark Hughes eyes Pablo Daniel Osvaldo
Fulham’s manager, Mark Hughes, revealed that he has been on the look-out for a possible summer signing when he went to watch Espanyol take on Athletic Bilbao in the La Liga.
The English Premier League side is reportedly interested in signing Espanyol’s striker, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, who happened to score in the weekend’s clash.
The 25-year-old forward is worth an estimated £12 million, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Everton interested in signing him.
The Fulham boss confirmed he had been to Spain to look for possible signings as the end of the season approached but did not confirm anything. However, he did mention that while making any buys, he would have to keep the club’s budget in mind.
While talking with reporters, Hughes said, “We're looking at what's available. We're looking at a view to next year and if we can add quality to the quality we already have then we'll try to do that. But it is price-sensitive, I would suggest, and sometimes
you can want to bring a good player in but financially you haven't got the means to do that”.
Despite various injuries to key players throughout the season, Hughes has managed to keep Fulham in the top half of the English Premier League table. The London side is currently at ninth position with 45 points.
The former Manchester City manager is determined to make sensible signings in the upcoming summer transfer window to avoid this season’s disappointment.
The former Italy under-21 international, Osvaldo, has the pace and skill required in English football and would make a good addition to any side.
He first joined Espanyol on a loan deal from Bologna in 2010, but soon he signed a long term deal with the Spanish outfit. The Italian Argentine forward is contracted to Espanyol for the next five years, having signed with them for a fee of €5 million.
Nigel Clough does not want silly Michael Owen
Derby County’s manager, Nigel Clough, has denied reports linking his side to making a move for Manchester United’s striker, Michael Owen.
Clough said the rumors about the England international were silly and that he had no plans to bring the 31-year-old to the Championship side.
Cloug said, “Silly 'names' are going to be bandied around but we have identified our targets. We can expect this type of thing over the coming weeks but some of the rumours are going to be more ridiculous than others and certainly the Michael Owen rumour
fits into that category”.
It was reported that Derby County was willing to pay an estimated £1.5million for the former Liverpool star but Clough rubbished such talk. However, he did confirm that he was on the look-out for new signings to bring to Pride Park in the summer transfer
window.