Chelsea set to pick up Oscar

Brazilian international Oscar looks set to become Chelsea’s latest big-money signing, amid reports the European champions have agreed a £25 million (€31.8m) deal in principle for the 20-year-old.

Chelsea have been chasing the Internacional star for several months, while Tottenham also wanted him.

Chelsea were said to have failed in a previous £20m (€25m) bid for Oscar, but are now understood to have succeeded with an improved offer.

Oscar is expected to arrive in the United Kingdom today with the Brazilian Olympic team.

The youngster, capped six times for his country, is regarded as one of the best young talents in Brazil.

Oscar would be Chelsea’s second major signing of the summer, having spent £32m (€40m) to sign Eden Hazard in June.

Earlier Internacional president Giovanni Luigi had conceded he was willing to sell Oscar, but only at the right price.

“I want the transfer of Oscar to be the biggest transfer deal ever in Brazilian football,” Luigi said.

“Last year, however, Tottenham made two offers for Leandro Damiao. We kept him and he was very important.

“Oscar’s situation is similar. If we get offers for Oscar that match our expectations, we’ll negotiate.

“But they have to be of the value that mean significant resources for Internacional. But those values would be the biggest negotiation in Internacional’s history.”

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, meanwhile, was maintaining a watching brief yesterday after his club reignited the debate over Andy Carroll’s future.

The Magpies, undaunted by Liverpool’s swift rejection of their bid to sign the 23-year-old England striker on a season-long loan deal with a view to a permanent move, will maintain their interest in a player who finds himself engulfed in uncertainty as he prepares to return for pre-season training.

Liverpool jetted off on their North American tour yesterday — Carroll is due to join them early next week after an extended holiday — and it is understood they are only prepared to consider a permanent transfer for a man who cost them £35m (€45m) when they managed to prise him away from the Tyneside club in January last year.

However, Newcastle will now sit back and await developments, confident they have lit the blue touch-paper and forced Liverpool to show their hand, poised to move again should they be prepared to do business within the confines of their financial framework.

Elsewhere yesterday goalkeeper Brad Guzan re-signed for Aston Villa after agreeing a new three-year contract.

The 27-year-old had parted company with the club at the end of last season after failing to agree a new deal.

But he will join up with his Villa Park team-mates on their three-match tour of the United States after being named in manager Paul Lambert’s 25-man squad.

Guzan joined Villa from Chivas in 2008 and has been second choice for the majority of his time at Villa Park.

But he impressed while deputising for Shay Given when the Republic of Ireland international was injured last season, and Lambert expects the American to put pressure on Villa’s number one.

“But when you come back at the start of the season nobody knows what’s going to happen and it depends on whoever does well, ” said Lambert.

“The club needs two or three good goalkeepers, so when Shay comes back from the Euros it will be a big bonus and we will see what happens.”

Michael Owen, meanwhile, has revealed he closing in on a deal with a new club.

“Getting closer to finding a new club. Had a good deal of interest but just need to pick right! Can’t wait to get going again,’’ he posted on his Twitter account.

Wigan were also busy yesterday with boss Roberto Martinez making his first signing of the summer with the acquisition of Aberdeen midfielder Fraser Fyvie, 19, for an undisclosed fee.