Julio Baptista's agent is to have talks with Tottenham later this week about a possible move back to the Premier League. 

Brazil midfielder Baptista spent the 2006-07 campaign on loan at Arsenal and could be heading back to north London after two seasons with Roma.

'The Beast' has also aroused interest from Greece and Turkey but Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is said to be particularly keen and is prepared to offer £7.5million. 

Reports in Italy claim that Roma official Frank Trimboli and Baptista's agent would have talks in London on Thursday. 

Trimboli was key in negotiating John Arne Riise's move from Liverpool to Roma and Alberto Aquilani's transfer in the opposite direction last summer. 

Baptista's agent Juan Figer said:'Julio wants a team who will let him play more. He is now at the World Cup and when that it is over we will decide his future. 

'He has a contract with Roma but everything is possible. He had a good first season but this year he has played less - although being at the World Cup at the moment with Brazil puts him in the shop window.'

Laurent Koscielny did not train with his Lorient side this morning as the 24-year-old’s move to Arsenal becomes ever-closer.

Earlier today Les Merlus’ official website reported that Koscielny was discussing the ‘terms of his departure’ with nothing to be ‘finalised’ until Thursday.

French daily Le Telegramme also say that Lorient are close to signing a straight replacement for Koscielny in highly-rated Ligue 2 defender Bruno Ecuele-Manga.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted his interest in Koscielny earlier this month as he aims to firm up a defensive unit that looks set to be broken up over the summer.

32-year-old William Gallas is set to leave the Emirates on a Bosman to join Juventus, while Mikael Silvestre is likely to be released. Veteran defender Sol Campbell, who returned to the club in January and only narrowly missed out on a sensational England call up, has yet to decide between a one-year-deal at Arsenal, or a two-year-deal at Celtic.

The lates speculationover Cesc Fabregas is that Arsene Wenger wishes to sell him, but he is waiting for the best possible deal.

It was learned earlier that the Arsenal captain Fabregas thinks of joining Barcelona, but Arsenal has rejected the initial €35 million bid.

However, Wenger has insisted that 23-year-old Fabregas has a contract with Arsenal until 2015.

On the other hand the Mundo Deportivo, Spanish daily, publishes a news that Arsene Wenger seems not so flexible. Before the world cup Wenger had given words to Fabregas that he would let him join Barca, but now he simply waits for the best possible deal.

Sandro Rosell will take over as the new president of Barcelona next week. The Spanish daily predicts that then the transfer of Fabregas will be in progress with a possible fee that is agreed around €45 million mark.

"Канониры" завершили сделку по переходу Лорана Косьелни в стан лондонского клуба.

Как известно, "Арсенал" сделал множество предложений по защитнику, но только сейчас "Лорьян" дал право на переговоры с самим игроком. Данная сделка, по некоторым сообщениям, будет официально подтверждена 1 июля, сумма трансфера составила около 12 миллионов евро.

Добавим что, французский клуб уже подтвердил, что Косьелни не будет вызван на предсезонные сборы, которые для них начнутся уже на этой неделе.

В начале июня Арсен Венгер уже подтвердил свой интерес к 24-летнему игроку, который укрепит линию обороны "Арсенала" после вероятного ухода Вильяма Галласа, Микаэля Сильвестра и Сола Кэмпбелла.