Marseille forward Loic Remy is a man in demand

Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester City all trail the France international, while Southampton launch €6 million bid for Barcelona defender.

Barcelona defender Andreu Fontas. Lluis Gene / AFP
Powered by automated translation

Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Newcastle United are considering bids for Loic Remy, the versatile France international.

Marseille are prepared to sell Remy, who can play at centre forward or on the right side of a three-man attack, for £15 million (Dh87m). The 25 year old scored 20 times for Marseille last season and has also found the net regularly for his national side.

Tottenham regard Remy as an economical alternative to signing both a striker and a winger due to his ability to play both positions.

For City, the player represents an second option should they fail to complete the transfer of the England Under 21 international Scott Sinclair from Swansea City. Outside the Premier League, there is interest in Remy from the Italian champions Juventus, who have been frustrated in attempts to recruit a striker this summer.

Manchester United, meanwhile, have blocked a move from Tottenham to sign their Brazil midfielder Anderson.

Andre Villas-Boas, who is seeking an alternative to his preferred target Joao Moutinho, inquired about the availability of the 24 year old whose progress at Old Trafford has been hindered by injury. Sir Alex Ferguson does not want to sell.

Elsewhere, Southampton are attempting to conclude a deal for the young Barcelona central defender Andreu Fontas. The promoted Premier League club are understood to have offered a deal worth €6m (Dh27.6m) for the Spain Under 21 international.

Fontas, 22, has been a fringe member of Barcelona's senior squad. He made six Primera Liga appearances in the 2010/11 season then missed the majority of their last campaign recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgery. A converted holding midfielder, Fontas is the type of technically able central defender in demand with English clubs.

Aiming not simply to survive in the Premier League but to compete in the top half of the table, Southampton have been ambitious in their attempts to reinforce. Their leading target has been the highly regarded Uruguay winger Gaston Ramirez, for whom Bologna want €15m.

Follow us