Premier League Transfer News: Touré, Vidal To Manchester United? Arsenal, Liverpool Battle For Rémy?

The world of Premier League transfer rumors is a fast moving one. As soon as one item of speculation is coughed up, it is splattered around outlets around the globe, with truths and half-truths often lost in between. Often a transfer rumor is debunked before it even sprouts legs and gets the chance to take hold.

As was the case with reports on Friday that Yaya Touré, a key piece of the Manchester City side which won the Premier League title last season, was the target for their bitter local rivals Manchester United. Touré has been one of the featured players in this summer’s transfer frenzy ever since his agent claimed the Ivory Coast midfielder had felt slighted by his club not adequately recognizing his birthday. Touré soon took to social media and appeared to back up his representative’s suggestion in what was widely seen as a ploy to either engineer a move elsewhere or increase his already hefty wage packet of over £200,000 a week. But the 31-year-old has now, it seems, had a change of heart.

“There has been a lot of speculation but they’ve always been good with me and good with my family,” Touré said of Manchester City to Sky Sports News. “I want to say that I will always honor my contract and stay as long as possible and don’t think about all the speculation saying that I’m leaving.

“Everything is fine now. There was a lot of speculation about people sending me away and people were sending me everywhere.”

So it is good news for Manchester City, while their neighbors will be looking elsewhere to try and enhance their midfield. After a spectacular fall from grace last season, the man who led the Netherlands to third place at this summer’s World Cup, Louis van Gaal, has taken charge at Manchester United and is looking to build a squad to make them champions once again.

Midfield has long been an area of weakness and it appears that Van Gaal is keen to address the problem by signing Juventus’ Arturo Vidal. The Chilean midfielder has helped the Italian giants to three straight Serie A titles to establish a reputation as the best all-round midfielder on the planet. He will certainly not come cheap, and, despite a surprise change in manager, Juventus claim he is not for sale at all. For his part, Vidal remains tightlipped about talk of interest from both Manchester United and fellow global behemoths Real Madrid.

“It’s hard to talk about another team when you’re already at a huge club, he told Chilean publication La Cuarta. “I’ve won three titles and I will have respect for my teammates. “I’ve heard of interest from Real, from United, but that’s for someone else to be concerned about.”

Meanwhile, two of the Premier League’s big clubs look set to go head-to-head for France international forward Loic Rémy. The 27-year-old scored 14 Premier League goals on loan at Newcastle United from Queens Park Rangers last season and is available for a reasonably priced £8 million. Having been seen in the stands watching an Arsenal match at the end of last season, Arsene Wenger’s side would appear to be favorites to secure his signature.

What does appear clear is that he will be moving somewhere before the transfer window shuts at the end of August.

“I think he really wants to play Champions League football next year somewhere,” QPR manager Harry Redknapp told British radio station Talksport.

“We gave him time off after the World Cup but I think he’s really looking to move. I would be surprised if he was at QPR at the start of the year. If he goes to the right team, he’s capable of scoring 15 to 20 Premier League goals next season.”