Transfer News: £10m West Ham swoop, Chelsea defender blow, £160m Man Utd alternative

NEWS NEWS BLOG SPORT brings you all the latest transfer news in the Premier League.

Hammer time for Balotelli

West Ham are reportedly preparing a £10million offer to bring Mario Balotelli back to the Premier League.

The Hammers are in need of strikers after Andy Carroll joined Manuel Lanzini on the injury list this week.

Nikica Jelavic is expected to be sold to a Chinese club this January, leaving Enner Valencia as Bilic's sole striker heading forward.

But the Brentwood Gazette claim Bilic will soothe his goalscoring woes with a permanent bid for Balotelli, who has made just four appearances at Milan this season.

The Italy international returned to the San Siro on loan from Liverpool at the start of the season and is not thought to be part of manager Jurgen Klopp's plans for next season.

Barcelona want Everton's John Stones

Chelsea's pursuit of John Stones could be scuppered by Barcelona's plans to swoop in for the Everton defender.

Stones, 21, was close to a move to the Blues last summer but Everton refused to sell their man.

Chelsea offered £37m for the England ace before pursuing other targets.

The Premier League champions are expected to go back in for Stones this summer - but Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo claim Barca will hope to get their man first.

It is claimed Barca technical director Robert Fernandez will make Stones his No1 transfer priority of the summer, while he focuses on landing a winger during January.

 

Balotelli (left) could head to West Ham as Barca eye Stones and Man Utd want Slimani (top right)

 

Slimani instead of £160m Muller and Bale

Manchester United are ready to move in on Sporting Lisbon ace Islam Slimani because they cannot sign Thomas Muller and Gareth Bale, claim the Independent.

The Red Devils are thought to be preparing a £12m bid for Slimani.

They reportedly made offers for both Muller (£60m) and Bale (£100m) in the summer but had them respectively rejected by Bayern Munich and Gareth Bale.

 

And it is claimed Slimani is the alternative target to that £160m worth of talent.

Algeria international Slimani already boasts 15 goals for the season.

The 27-year-old is said to have caught the eye of Leicester and West Ham this winter but United remain favourites to secure his signature.