Liverpool and Manchester United will face a fight with Galatasaray for the signing of Porto striker Jackson Martinez. The forward is now regarded as one of the world's best strikers, alongside Atletico Madrid's Falcao and Edinson Cavani of Napoli. And that has sparked the interest of free-spending Galatasaray, who have recently added superstars Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder to their squad.
Real Madrid are back in the Champions League semi-finals after beating Galatasaray 5-3 on aggregate despite a 3-2 defeat in Istanbul.
Already three goals up from the first leg at the Bernabeu, the tie was seemingly over when Cristiano Ronaldo scored after just eight minutes.
But an Emmanuel Eboue thunderbolt after 57 minutes brought Gala back level on the night, before Wesley Sneijder put the home side ahead after 70 minutes.
Ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League clash against Real Madrid, Galatasaray's Wesley Sneijder (try saying that with your mouth full!) has spoken up about his time at the Spanish side. More interestingly, the Dutch midfielder has lavished praise on Mourinho's personal impact on his life, a similar effect described by players such as Balotelli and Ibrahimovic (and probably less so, from Ozil!
(Viewing note: the most appropriate soundtrack for this clip is "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin.)
A day after Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim watched his side's Champions League quarterfinal opponent, Real Madrid, beat Mallorca 5-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu, Jose Mourinho made a scouting trip to Turkey of his own.
Jefferson Farfan of Schalke 04 (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
On Tuesday, Champions League action resumesas Turkish giants Galatasaray travel to Veltins-Arena to take on a resurgent FC Schalke 04. The Germans tallied a crucial away goal in the first-leg and will look to build off their success, hoping that new signings Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder produce a few memorable moments.
Galatasaray 1-1 Schalke 04 Game in 10 Tweets is a post from: Just Football
Schalke 04 kept up their unbeaten record against Turkish opposition in European competition by earning a well-deserved 1-1 draw against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League in Istanbul.
Jermaine Jones of FC Schalke 04-Photo by Dimitri Messinis/EuroFootball/Getty Images
Turkish side Galatasaray are set to host German outfit Schalke 04 in the first leg of their Champions League tie on Wednesday in Instanbul.
Schalke, in the midst of a very poor run of form, winning only once in their last 11 Bundesliga matches, will be led by new manager Jens Keller for the first time in their Champions League campaign.
Jefferson Farfan of Schalke 04-Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Galatasaray welcome group B winners Schalke in the Champions League round of 16 tie. The Turkish side will be looking to gain an advantage for the return trip to Germany where Schalke have proved to be formidable opposition of late.
Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast-Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images/Getty Images
Galatasaray made a massive splash with their signing of Wesley Sneijder earlier in the month. However, in many ways they have truly cemented themselves as a massive contender in the UEFA Champions League with the signing of former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba on an 18-month loan deal from Shanghai Shenua according to ESPN.
Why Galatasaray is the right move for Drogba - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
Turkish club Galatasaray have reached a deal to sign Didier Drogba following his short stint with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.
The striker who is currently serving duty for his national team at the African Cup of Nations has agreed to an 18-month deal, as confirmed by the club on its website.
Drogba to choose Galatasary over Chelsea for Champions League football - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
Galatasaray are looking to sign Didier Drogba in the January transfer window and have started negotiations with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua to buy the striker.
Wesley Sneijder wades through his welcoming crowd at Galatasaray (Image via AFP)
Galatasaray have finally completed the transfer of Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan, after having an offer for the midfielder accepted almost two weeks ago.
A statement on the club's website reads:
"The transfer of Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan has been agreed.
Things aren't going so hot for Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid this season, but that doesn't mean his genius isn't still in high demand. In the last few days, Mourinho's influence has been reportedly felt in several places that are not Madrid. Here's a roundup.
Report: Roman Abramovich has been using Mourinho as an "unofficial consultant" via text messages and phone calls to pave the way for a return to Chelsea.
Kaka of Real Madrid-Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
Milan and Kaká set to embrace each other again.
The Brazilian international Kaká is ready to join AC Milan for the second time, after his first and successful spell from 2003 to 2009. Discussions are still open andKaká could be prepared to take a pay cut in order to come back to his former team.
Despite doing naff all for Inter in the last several months, Wesley Sneijder got The Fifth Beatle treatment upon his arrival in Istanbul. It all seems to be going according to plan until Wesley decides to pop out the sunroof for a quick hello, at which point everything goes bananas and I think it turns into a zombie flick.
It would appear that Wesley Sneijder has finally left Inter Milan and gone and signed on the dotted line with Galatasaray, with hundreds of fans swarming at the airport to welcome the Dutch midfielder in traditional Turkish fashion (remember the crazy fanfare when Kenny Miller/Darius Vassell rolled into town?
A quick glimpse of Galatasaray SK reveals a few things. First, Galatasaray currently sit atop the Turkish Super League, three points ahead of rivals Beşiktaş JK, after already having won last year's title. Secondly, they are into the last 16 of the Champions League and face a compelling tie with Schalke 04.
Inter Milan star Wesley Sneijder has said he will not be pressured into making a decision over his future.
Sneijder is expected to leave Inter during the winter transfer window, after being embroiled in a contract dispute with a Italian side since September.
Galatasaray have had a bid accepted for Sneijder (rumored to be €7.
Philippe Coutinho, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder at Liverpool, is certainly a man to watch. With bucket-loads of potential and talent, he has already played for European giants Inter Milan and now finds himself playing for Liverpool. He has impressed greatly at Anfield and looks like he will emulate the likes of Netherlands playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who is a former team-mate of Coutinho and currently plays at Galatasaray.
Liverpool have lost out to Turkish team Galatasary for the signature of Dutch Master Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan in a reported £6.5 million deal.
A statement on the club's website read: ''The transfer of Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan has been agreed. ''The conditions of the deal will be made public and the player will sign the contract after health checks.
Wesley Sneijder is holding out for his dream move to Liverpool. And the Reds are ready to sell Sebastian Coates to help fund their pursuit of the Dutch master. Newcastle want Uruguay centre-back Coates, 22, a £7million signing from Nacional 18 months ago. He is a Toon target as skipper Fabricio Coloccini is pushing for a move back to Argentina before this month's transfer window closes.
Steven Gerrard believes that Liverpool can compete with any team in the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers but feels that they need to acquire two or three new signings in order to help them find consistency. Daniel Sturridge, a £12 million January addition from Chelsea, was among the goals in Saturday's 5-0 drubbing of Norwich City and the Reds captain is hoping for more such purchases, with Goal.
Wesley Sneijder's chances of joining Liverpool in January rest upon whether he will take 100k a week pay cut. The Dutchman has fallen out of favour with Inter Milan after not being able to agree a new deal and Liverpool are interested in signing him. Sneijder is current netting £6 million a year after tax which is way over the Reds' budget.
Liverpool fans were given an unlikely insight into their prospects for the rest of the January transfer window when owner John W. Henry appeared to declare he was out of clash on Twitter. Henry's account responded to a tweet asking him to bring Wesley Sneijder to Anfield with a simple: "im broke." The Reds owner [.
Luis Suarez of Liverpool-Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
This is not a question that is easily answered. But, it is one that I, along with probably every other Liverpool fan, have been asking for weeks now.
Although the midfield has had issues all season, the 2-1 loss at Old Trafford this past weekend displayed these issues on the big stage for all the world to see.
Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder (Getty Images)
Rumors have surfaced in the last few days regardingInter Milan outcastWesley Sneijder being linked with a potential move to English Premier League giants Liverpool.
The Mirror, The Independent and The Sports Review all have claimed that Liverpool have made a late entrance into the sweepstakes for the Dutch midfielder who helped lead Inter to an Italian and European treble in 2009-10, winning the Serie A, CoppaItalia and UEFA Champions League.
L'estartit Another prime time showdown against one of the top youth academies in world football.
The Netherlands have produced countless world class players with Ajax being the conveyer belt. Johan Cruyff, Edwin van der Sar, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Marco Van Basten, Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, and Nigel de Jong to name a few.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid (Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho has a knack of fielding solid Champions League sides, and this years Real Madrid side are no different. As Mourinho's men came into the first leg of their quarterfinal clash against the Turkish club, the Spanish side handled matters fairly calmly at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening.
The long drawn out transfer of Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder is nearly finished, as Turkish club Galatasaray announced on their club website last night that Sneijder and the club had agreed upon personal terms.
The transfer, for a reported £8 million, will become official upon completion of a medical today in Istanbul.
Fredy Guarin of FC Internazionale Milano-Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images
In the past three seasons, Inter Milan have been one of Europe's busiest clubs during transfer windows. Whether it has been buying or selling players, we always hear the name of Inter bandied about in rumors and dealings.
Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray has reportedly captured their second massive signing of the January transfer window, signing former Chelsea star Didier Drogba from China's Shanghai Shenhua.
The 18-month deal for Drogba comes a week after Galatasaray finalized a transfer for Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder.
Lisandro Lopez of Olympique Lyon-Photo via: blogs.bettor.com
Juventus eyes move for Argentinian striker
After managing only one point in their last two league matches, and with fixtures soon to come in both the Coppa Italia and Champions League, Juventus will want improve their front-line as much as possible in the remaining weeks of the transfer window.
In a highly-anticipated matchup, Spain travel to Paris, France to take on Frank Ribery and Les Blues, in a match that will likely determine the winner of Group I, forcing the loser to have to qualify for the World Cup finals via the playoffs round.
England visit Montenegro, needing a win to take control of Group H.
