Kagawa to join United, Suarez to stay put

Manchester United have agreed a deal to bring Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund, with the playmaker costing the club up to 17 million pounds ($26 million). All that remains for the deal to be completed is for the 23-year-old to pass a medical and gain a U.K. work permit. The Japanese scored 13 goals last season as Dortmund won the Bundesliga and German Cup double in the 2011-12 season. Meanwhile, new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is adamant that star player Luis Suarez will not be sold this summer, after reports suggested that Juventus were preparing a bid for the Uruguayan forward. Suarez endured a difficult sophomore season with the Reds, with his goal-scoring achievements undermined by a race row with Manchester United’s Patrice Evra. The scandal saw Suarez banned for eight matches in the league, as the striker ended the campaign with an impressive 17 goals to help Liverpool reach the FA Cup final and win the League Cup. Suarez is said to have been unhappy with his treatment by both the press and FA, with a move away from Anfield reported to have been on the cards this summer. Yet Rodgers has refused to countenance any deal, with the Sun quoting a source close to the Uruguayan: “Juventus were about to offer 16 million pounds or try to broker a cash-plus-player deal involving Eljero Elia or Milos Krasic. “Rodgers has spoken with Luis to gain his confidence and explain the new project and his role in the team. Luis is calm about everything.” Swansea City have drawn up a shortlist of candidates they are keen to speak to about replacing Rodgers, with Michael Laudrup and Marcel Desailly the surprise inclusions. Former Milan, Chelsea and France defender Desailly won a host of honors in his playing career, including the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and two Champions League titles. Since ending his playing days in Qatar six years ago, Desailly has focused his efforts on charity and media work while completing his UEFA Pro License at the FA of Wales where he has developed a close attachment to Welsh football. Despite no top level experience as a coach, Desailly’s advocacy of Swansea’s expansive and attacking football has seen him emerge as a serious contender for the vacancy. “There are only a small number of people who would suit our club,” Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins said. Jenkins is said to hope to bring in a manager committed to the exciting and adventurous brand of football Rodgers’s side epitomized last season. “We are spending a few days weighing up our options and we’ll take it from there. Other than having a new manager in place for the start of the season, there’s no timescale,” he said. Former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder Laudrup is said to be in the running, with Jenkins keen to meet with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Gus Poyet. But the Mirror reports that the odds on Desailly being installed at the Liberty Stadium have been slashed, with the World Cup winner now the 4-1 favorite for the position. Anderlecht’s Lucas Biglia is in talks with both Arsenal and Real Madrid regarding a potential 8 million pound move from the Belgian champions, with both Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger keen to snap up the Argentinean. Biglia joined the Belgian side in 2006 from Argentina’s Independiente, but is now eager to make a switch to one of Europe’s major leagues. “Real Madrid and Arsenal have both been in contact and I’ll wait to see what happens,” he told the Daily Mail. “I am still under contract with Anderlecht until 2015, but they know that I plan to leave. If a club offers the right price, Anderlecht will let me go.” Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny says he will attempt to convince long-term Arsenal target Yann M’Vila to join the Gunners, with the two players now away on international duty with France. “I don’t know what plans the club have in terms of signings ... Yann is a player with enormous quality. He is strong on the ball and has great vision – I will try to convince him to come when we are together at the Euros.”from the daily star.