Transfer News & Rumours: Milan welcome Essien

• Jan 24 --Milan have confirmed on their official website that Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is flying in tonight. “Just turned 31 and with a CV including domestic and Champions League wins as well as victory with the Ghana national side. Michael Essien in expected in the city this evening,” read a statement.It’s reported Essien will sign a contract until June 2015 that will halve the current wages he receives at Stamford Bridge.Chelsea have agreed to release the player early from his contract, so Milan won’t pay any transfer fee.
  
• Jan 24 -- Michael Essien is close to finalising a move to AC Milan despite a late enquiry from West Ham. The Ghana international is keen on a move abroad and his agents held lengthy talks with the Serie A club on Thursday as they look to agree terms. The 31-year-old was also considered by West Ham as they continue to weigh up midfield options. (DailyMail)
  
  
• Sulley Muntari committed himself to the AC Milan cause, dampening City’s chances of completing a deal for the midfielder. It was always a long shot, but Steve Bruce has been monitoring the player’s situation at the San Siro and it looked at one stage as though a deal could be on the cards as Muntari has become frustrated with the Italian giants.(ClubCall)
  
  
• Sunderland are looking at bringing Fulham midfielder Derek Boateng to the Stadium of Light. Gus Poyet is said to want the player on a loan deal as he tries to strengthen his squad in readiness for the fight against relegation. Boateng has been unable to command a first team place at Craven Cottage this season and it is believed that the club would be willing to let the player go out on a loan move to resurrect his career. The reports have come from France but before Poyet can sign the 30 year old, he must fight off opposition from French side Evian and Championship club Watford, both of whom are interested in the Ghana international.
  
  
• French Ligue 1 side Evian TG are close to signing Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng on loan from Fulham. The Savoy Crosses are ready to give the 30-year-old more game time. Evian are in search of holding midfielder after selling Mohammed Rabiu to Russian side FC Kuban. (L'Equipe)
  
  
• David Addy linked with Freiburg in the Bundesliga, Stoke and Sunderland in the Premier League
  
  
• Former Hearts of Oak midfielder Abdul Bashiru has joined compatriot and leading scorer of the Egyptian Premier League John Antwi at Ismaily club for a short observation.
  
  
• Jan 22 --AC Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari is being lined up with a Premier League return with Hull. Tigers boss Steve Bruce wants to strengthen City’s midfield and he is targeting a £3.9m swoop for the man who helped Portsmouth win the FA Cup in 2008. ( Daily Star.)
  
• Jan 18 --Turkish champions Galatasaray are the latest club to have expressed an interest in signing experienced Chelsea holding midfielder Michael Essien on loan in the January transfer window. (Daily Mirror)
  
• Jan 16 -- Michael Essien is a January loan target for Galatasary and AC Milan. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho may block any move, as the Blues could potentially face them both in the Champions League's knockout rounds. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho may block any move, as the Blues could potentially face them both in the Champions League's knockout rounds. (Mirror.co.uk)



• Jan 16 --Reports, in the morning press, infer that Rafa Benitez, over at Napoli, enquired about the possibility of taking Michael Essien.
  Fabian Piveteau (Essien's Agent): "The player will leave Chelsea and I have had a lot of contact from different clubs, but Milan is not among them, or at least I did not have direct contact with the Rossoneri. I will have important talks this week, then I will fly to London to assess the club and the player with the best solution."(vitalfootball)
• Jan 14 -- Liverpool have stepped up their chase to sign coveted defensive midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu from Udinese. Reports in Italy this week suggest Brendan Rodgers is considering a bid for the 23 year-old, who has already won 41 caps for Ghana. Badu welcomed the speculation by admitting he would like to join the Reds. "I have not heard anything from my agent - at the moment it is all speculation."(Sky Italia)
• According to a couple of (spurious) reports in the French press, Emmanuel Frimpong is being touted as a possible January loan signing for French side Saint Etienne.
  
• Asamoah Gyan has been linked with a loan move to Stoke City . Gyan is reportedly on £150,000 a week at United Arab Emirates side Al Ain but apparently wants a few months in the Premier League to prepare himself for a World Cup campaign with Ghana.
• AC Milan are ready to take Michael Essien on-loan from Chelsea. The impending return of Nemanja Matic to Chelsea from Benfica could see Essien leave Stamford Bridge on loan. Clarence Seedorf, the Rossoneri’s new Coach is understood to be keen on a short term deal for the midfielder. (Daily Mail)
• Watford are hoping to agree a deal with Fulham to sign Ghana ace Derek Boateng. The Hornets have made an approach for the 30-year-old midfielder, who has seen his chances limited since moving to Craven Cottage in the summer. A number of teams from around the continent have expressed an interest but Watford are hopeful Boateng will elect to stay in England, albeit in the Championship.(skysports.com}
  
• Nii Nortey Ashong, who is owned byFiorentina and currently plays for Spezia, could be heading to Palermo this winter. Palermo are seriously monitoring his situation at Spezia and are bent on signing him with more game time as bait. (Goal Ghana)
• Al Ain are ready to sign Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, if Asamoah Gyan joins West Ham on loan. (The Sun)
• Jan 10 -- Jose Mourinho says Chelsea have not received any approaches for Michael Essien about possible loan moves. There has been speculation about the midfielder linked with AC Milan. “There’s nothing on the table – zero bids,” said the Blues boss
  
• Elche forward Richmond Boakye-Yiadom was watched by Arsenal during his weekend game.
• Jan 10 -- Michael Essien is set to be offered a route out of Stamford Bridge with AC Milan interested in loaning the Ghanaian international. ('La Gazzetta dello Sport' )
• Jan 9 -- Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson has completed his move to Turkish second tier side Balikesirspor after an initial setback in the deal (GHANAsoccernet.com)
• Jan 9 --Eskisehirspor defender Jerry Akaminko is attracting Premier League interest. AS Monaco have moved to open talks with Eskisehirspor about a fee for Akaminko this week. This could kick Chelsea and Liverpool into action, with both English giants credited with interest in the defender. Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe are also keen( tribalfootball.com)
  
• Udinese is tracking right-back Daniel Opare . The 23 year-old has a history with Real Madrid's youth. Udinese would be thinking of him in the future. As if to say that the player is being monitored for a possible purchase summer. French side Lens and Olympiakos Piraeus of Greece are also tracking the defender (udineseblog.it)
• Jan 8 -- Greek top-flight side Platanias is targeting the possible signing of former Ghana captain John Mensah (Footy-ghana.com)
• Jan 7-- Black Stars right back Samuel Inkoom has joined struggling Greek Premiership side Platanias FC on a six-month loan deal. (footy-Ghana.com)
• Jordan Ayew has completed his loan move from Marseille to Sochaux. (Les Lionceaux)
  
• Serie A side Genoa could soon be testing Udinese’s resolve in keeping Black Stars midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang Badu after having their query rebuffed during summer 2013. (FootyGhana)
• Malaga have approached Manchester City for the services of Ghanaian teenage striker Godsway Donyoh. (Goal Ghana)
• Jan 5-- Anthony Annan could be joining Turkish giants Besiktas or Fenerbahce this month. (GHANASoccernet.com)
  
• Jan 3-- Turkish division 2 side, Balikesirspor, claims to have signed goalkeeper Richard Kingson for 2.5 years.
• Unattached striker Dominic Adiyiah is on the verge of signing for Bulgarian giants Levski Sofia. The 24-year-old has been looking for a club, since terminating his contract with Ukrainian Premier League side Arsenal Kyiv two months ago.(GHANAsoccernet)
• French giants Olympique Marseille and Lille are plotting a swoop for Ghanaian defender Daniel Opare from Standard Liege. Marseille failed to sign Opare as a youth before he moved to Los Blancos but with six months left on his contract, a move to the French top flight looks possible.(Goal Ghana)
• Jean-Raymond Legrand, the President of Ligue 1 strugglers Valenciennes, has confirmed that the club have agreed to sign Ghanaian attacker Majeed Waris on loan until the end of the season from Russian outfit Spartak Moscow. ( RMC Sport)
• Jan 2 --Dutch side AZ Alkmaar have been locked in negotiations with Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow to sign Ghana international Abdul Majeed Waris (GHANAsoccernet).
• Liverpool have been handed a huge boost regarding the £7m transfer of Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyemeng-Badu as Udinese want to fully own Chilean midfielder Charles Aranguiz. Udinese will sign ahead with the option to fully own Chilean midfielder Charles Aranguiz. (Italian press)
• Roberto Martínez will challenge Liverpool for the £7m signing of Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu. (Forza Italia)
• Jan 1 -- Ex-Ghana captain Stephen Appiah is rumoured to be close to signing for Congolese giants TP Mazembe. The 33-year-old announced last month he would be signing for a club in the New Year as he makes a return to competitive football. (GHANAsoccernet)
• Midfielder Anthony Annan will be available on a free transfer when his contract with German Bundesliga side Schalke 04 runs out this summer. Annan joined Die Konigsblauen for €2m from Norwegian side Rosenborg in January 2011 but never had the opportunities to make an impact.
• Olympique Marseille forward Jordan Ayew is set to complete a January move to Sochaux (L’Equipe).
• Mohammed Abu is still waiting to find out where he will play in 2014 as no club has officially made a bid for him, according to reports. Manchester City who own the 22-year-old have ruled out a chance of him playing at the club and have told him to find a new club. (Akyereko Frimpong Manson)
• Ex-Accra Hearts of Oak midfielder Theophilus Owutey Apoh has sealed a 30-month deal beginning January 2014 with Cairo-based Egyptian Premier League side El-Entag El-Harby (footy-Ghana).
  
• Manager Jose Mourinho has told Michael Essien that his door is open if he want to leave Chelsea. Essien's future at Chelsea was thrown into doubt when his agent suggested that he could leave the London club due to a lack of playing time. Mourinho, stressed he wanted to keep the player, but admitted that he could not offer the play guaranteed first-team football.
  "I offer nobody - not Michael, not nobody (guaranteed playing time)," the Portuguese said.
  "I understand that players think about national team, the World Cup and playing regularly, but my players have to think of the team before the players. Michael knows that perfectly."
  

December

• Marseille striker Jordan Ayew wants move to West Brom in order to secure his place in Ghana World Cup squad. (All Africa)
  
• Galatasaray are interested in a $7.5 million January deal for Eskisehirspor defender Jerry Akaminko. Monaco has also been linked with the 25-year-old, but the French club denied any contact.(milliyet.com.tr)
  
• Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton are set to scrap it out to land Udinese midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (talksport.com)
  
• English clubs Sunderland and Stoke City are preparing bids for Ghana defender David Addy (GHANAsoccernet.com).
  
• Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin is considering making a bid for Stromsgodset and Ghana goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey.(Footy-ghana.com)
  
• French giants AS Monaco have tabled a lucrative €9 million bid to sign Ghana defender Jerry Akaminko from Turkish side Eskisehirspor (GHANAsoccernet.com)
  
• Olympiakos are one of a number of clubs considering a move for Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien.
  
• Udinese ace Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu could be high on Liverpool's January hit list. The Metro are reporting that the defensive midfielder has emerged as a viable option after being personally recommended to Rodgers by his European scouts. The 23-year-old would apparently welcome a move to the Premier League and is available for around £7million.
  
• Michael Essien's agent has said his client will not return to France and is more likely to join a club playing in the Champions League this January.
  
• Turkish side Besiktas are looking at the possibilities of signing Michael Essien next month. Head coach Slaven Bilic is said to be monitoring his situation with reports rife that he is yet to leave during the winter transfer window.
  
• Asamoah Gyan has suggested he wants to stay at Al Ain after the striker was the subject of an approach from West Ham United.
  
• Hull are interested in a £3.5million January deal for Marseille striker Jordan Ayew. The 22-year-old has scored just twice in 19 games for he French club, but Tigers boss Steve Bruce wants to sign the Ghanaian when the transfer window opens. Stoke and Everton have also been linked with Ayew, although the duo favour a loan deal for the frontman.
  
• Former Ghana youth international Saddick Adams has switched clubs again and signed for Saudi Arabian top-flight side Al Nahdha. Adams moves from Omani side Dhofar, a club he joined three months ago after terminating his contract with Albanian side FK Kukesi.
  
• Lorient have expressed interest in signing teenager Bismark Adjei Boateng on a season-long loan come January. The French Ligue 1 side has already commenced talks with Manchester City to ship in the midfielder and are eager to complete the deal. (Espoirs du football)
  
• English Championship side Ipswich Town are looking into the possibility of signing Arsenal’s midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong on loan
  
• Liberty Professionals have reached an agreement with Czech side Slavia Prague over the transfer of talented midfielder Joseph Mensah (MTNFootball).