Palace close on Yaya Sanogo; Hector Moreno nears Espanyol exit

Palace close on Yaya Sanogo

Premier League strugglers Crystal Palace hope to secure the loan signing of Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo, L’Equipe can reveal.

The Frenchman was believed to be on the verge of joining Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, but Arsene Wenger pulled the plug on the deal as he wants the forward to remain in England.

And while the Professor moved to suggest that Hull City have expressed their interest, L’Equipe has learned that Crystal Palace have emerged as favourites.

New Eagles boss Alan Pardew has reportedly spoken with Wenger about allowing Sanogo to move to Selhurst Park and it would appear as through an agreement is on the horizon.

The move to Crystal Palace would be beneficial for the 21-year-old, who is yet to open his Premier League account.

Sanogo has featured in 11 Premiership matches since arriving from Auxerre, while he scored his first goal in the 2-0 Champions League triumph over Borussia Dortmund.

Hector Moreno nears Espanyol exit

Mexico international defender Hector Moreno could be leaving Espanyol in the winter transfer window, reports Marca.

The 26-year-old is one of the players los Periquitos aim to sell in order to balance the books and they hoped to get around €10 million for his services last summer.

However, Moreno suffered a broken leg at the 2014 World Cup, which has seen interest from foreign clubs cool off.

The highly rated defender has since returned into action and despite only making three Copa del Rey appearances, his impressive display in the narrow defeat to Valencia is enough to suggest he is back to his best.

This means that clubs from England and Germany are expected to rekindle their interest in the January transfer window, especially as Moreno has a contract until June 2016.

Hector Moreno joined Espanyol from AZ Alkmaar in 2011 and has since made a total of 100 La Liga appearances, scoring 6 goals.

Juve to miss out on Maxi Pereira

Portuguese media outlet A Bola understands that Italian giants Juventus will not be able to secure the signature of Benfica full-back Maxi Pereira.

The Bianconeri are eager to sign the Uruguayan as an alternative to Stephan Lichtsteiner and they hoped to get their target on a cut-price deal given that his contract is due to expire in the summer.

However, the latest reports suggest that Pereira has decided to extend his stay at Estadio da Luz, where he will sign a new deal in the coming weeks.

Even with Benfica crashing out of the Champions League, the Uruguay international appears perfectly happy to stay with the Eagles.

Maxi Pereira has been one of club’s longest serving footballers, having made 195 league appearances since arriving from Defensor Sporting.

Having opened up a six-point lead at the top of the standings, Benfica can be backed at 4/7 to defend the league trophy.

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