Football Corner

Liverpool have completed the signing of Birmingham winger Jermaine Pennant for a fee believed to be in the region of £6 million. The 23-year-old has signed a has signed a four year deal with the Merseyside club. Pennant becomes Liverpool boss, Rafa Benitez fifth signing of the summer after the arrival of Craig Bellamy, Gabriel Paletta, Mark Gonzalez and Fabio Aurelio. After completing his move, Pennant spoke of how happy he was that the deal had gone through.

"I'm over the moon," he told his new club's official website. "I've dreamt about this since I was a little boy so to actually be here and to be able to wear a Liverpool shirt and play at Anfield is a dream come true. "My family have always supported Liverpool and I grew up watching videos of them on the television. My grandad and grandma came here in the seventies and I think Liverpool must have caught their eyes. "The love of the club has spread through the family ever since. I actually got my first Liverpool kit when I was about four years of age. John Barnes was my idol when I first started watching Liverpool, but then as I got older I loved Robbie Fowler.

I have to say that I'm not too surprised that Pennant has left Birmingham because of their relagation last season, I believe that Pennant is great value for money and I think that he will become a big hit with the Kop. This will obviously make Pennant's chances of making the England team far greater because he will be playing at a top club with Champions League status.

After his sides demotion from the Seire A, Patrick Vieira looks set to move, but to who? Former Arsenal striker Dennis Bergkamp, who was speaking after his testimonial which Patrick Vieira took part in, has urged current Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger to sign the former Gunners skipper. Bergkamp said : "I think about 56 people said to me today that Patrick should have another year here and I hope he will," Bergkamp said in the Daily Mirror. "Maybe that's not the right thing to say in football, but everyone saw what he did in the World Cup and if he can get to that level with Arsenal, it would be fantastic. "I have a great relationship with Patrick. We had a good connection even after he left the club to join Juventus and I have a lot of respect for him, as I do for Thierry (Henry)."

But Arsenal wouldn't be the only team after the 30 year old Frenchman, Italian side Inter Milan have also expressed an interest in the player with current Inter boss Roberto Mancinni saying that he expects to have Vieira in his side next year. Mancini will bring in the 30-year-old to replace Juan Sebastian Veron and has outlined the role he has lined up for the midfield powerhouse. "It's true that they (Veron and Vieira) are not so similar players, but they are both central midfielders," commented Mancini.

"Should Vieira really arrive, something will change in comparison to last season. "I could say we would be a little less technical and a little more thoughtful. "Anyway, in the middle we could also line up Pizarro as a playmaker, with Vieira and Cambiasso on the wings."

I think that Dennis Bergkamp is right that Arsenal should go after Vieira because he would be cheaper than usual and in my view Arsenal missed him last year. I think that he would favour a move back to Arsenal but I have heard a few rumours linking him with Spanish giants Barcelona but I'm not sure that Barcelona need him at this time.

Chelsea winger Damien Duff looks set for a move to Glenn Roeder's Newcastle after the two clubs agreed a fee. The Republic Of Ireland international has attracted intrest from many clubs in the Premiership most notably Tottenham and Liverpool but it looks as though he is heading north to Newcastle. The fee is believed to be around the £10 million mark for the former Blackburn man.

Duff was one of the first players to join Chelsea after Roman Abramovich moved in and he cost the London club £16 million but has been frustrated at the lack of first team football at Chelsea. He is said to have had a conversation with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and the Portugese manager said that Duff was free to go.

I think that this is a good move for both Newcastle and Duff because Newcastle could really do with a top class left winger and Duff would be getting alot more games at the Magpies. Duff is a very very good player and if he were to have stayed with Chelsea then I feel it would be a waste of great talent.

Everton have taken South African international Delron Buckley on trial. The 28-year-old who joined Borrussia Dortmund last season can play as a winger or as a striker. Tottenham have already showed an interest in the player earlier this year but Everton have decided to take the player on a week long trial. "He is spending the next week at Everton with a view to a deal being done," his business manager Rob Moore told skysports.com. "This is a great opportunity for Delron, he wants a fresh challenge and the English game will suit him. "He likes to play a quick style and that is what The Premiership is all about."

Wigan are closing in on the signing of AZ Alkmaar midfielder Denny Landzaat after the 30-year-old agreed terms with the Premiership side. The Latics had a fee of around £3million accepted last week and are set to complete the signing in the next few days. "Denny's been on holiday in Italy. The deal's agreed and hopefully, he's just coming over to sign it," Jewell told the club's official website. "But you never know with transfers. Until the player signs on the dotted line you can't ever be certain it's going to happen, which is why we normally like to keep negotiations behind closed doors until everything is finalised."


Former Middlesbrough striker Joseph Desire Job is training with Premiership new boys Watford. Job spent all of last season on loan with Asian club Al Ittihad but is available on a free transfer now after he was released by Boro. "Joseph is training with Watford," his agent Barry Silkman told skysports.com. "They are assessing his fitness and having a look at him. "He is looking to stay in England and is keen to secure a deal."

Well, after the verdict of the Italian match-fixing scandal and with all that's going on Man United at the moment there was bound to be alot of transfer gossip. The first bit of gossip is that want away Man United striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy is set to prefer a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid as opposed to German champs Bayern Munich.

Van Nistelrooy's agent Roger Linse has confirmed the 30-year-old favours a move to Madrid above the other interested clubs. "We met with Manchester United to tell them Ruud thought that stage of his career was over," Linse told Marca. "We know that Madrid want him and the player is also keen to play there. "Madrid is a dream for any footballer and also for Ruud."

United appear to be already on the look out for a replacement for Van Nistelrooy after they showed an interest in Atletico Madrid's Spanish international Fernando Torres. The 24 year old, who had a sensational World Cup netting three goals for the Spanish, could be set for a £20 million move to the Premiership side.

Now for just some of the rumours coming out of the Italian league after all that's happened. According to Czech Republic and Juventus star Pavel Nedved agent, the 33 year could be set for a move to Tottenham but they face competition from Monaco and several clubs from Asia. Zdenek Nehoda confirmed Tottenham, along with Monaco and Asia - were already keen. "Pavel has the potential to play in a top European league," Nehoda told CTK. "Monaco, Tottenham and some clubs from United Arab Emirates and Qatar have come up with specific offers."

Liverpool manager Rafeal Benitez is eyeing up a move for Juventus striker David Trezeguet. Benitez has now thrown his hat into the ring and confirmed that Trezeguet was a player he liked. "Trezeguet is a good player, the question is what kind of player do you need. We will look at what happens in Italy and see what we can do," he told The People. "All the Juventus players are good players - Trezeguet, Zambrotta, a lot of them are good players for us and for other clubs in the world. "They will now be a better price than they would have been three months ago."

If you have any rumours please don't be afraid to leave a comment and tell me them!

The four clubs who were involved in the Italian match fixing scandal have all learned their fate today. The verdict was that Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio were all relagated from Seire A to Seire B and all were given point deductions for the start of next season. AC Milan escaped demotion but will also face a hefty points deduction for next season and will also be unable to take part in next seasons Champions League campaign.

Juventus have been stripped of their last two Seire A title wins and been given a massive 30 point deduction for their campaign in Seire B next season, they also were fined £50,000. Juventus are likely to lose the majority of their first players including the likes of World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, Swedish hitman Zlatan Ibrahimovic and many more big named players.

Fiorentina were demoted to Seire B and were given a 12 point deduction for next season but have avoided any major fines. Fiorentina will probably lose the likes of Italian international striker Luca Toni and French goalkeeper Sebastian Frey and a few more first team players. Lazio were deducted 7 points and also demoted to Seire B. They will most definetly lose Massimo Oddo who is attracting alot of intrest from all around Europe.

AC Milan were lucky enough to avoid demotion but were hit with a 12 point deduction for next season and will also be unable to take part in next seasons Champions League. Some players including Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo may leave because of the lack of European football.

All four clubs are expected to appeal against the verdicts, but as things stand Internazionale and Roma would qualify automatically for next term's Champions League.Chievo Verona and Palermo would enter at the preliminary stage, while Livorno, Empoli and Parma would go into the Uefa Cup. There will also be a reprieve for Messina, Lecce and Treviso, who had initially been relegated last season, although there is a new inquiry relating to the former-named club.

This whole scenario could spark the transfer windo into light with a whole lot of activity going on in the next few weeks be sure to keep tuned.

I have today arrived home from Italy and I have to say that I'm sorry that I was unable to post on the World Cup and other transfers. I was delighted with the outcome of the final because of the fact that I was in Italy and the celebrations were great craic. I have to say congragulations to the majority of the viewers for predicting the outcome of the golden boot. Of course you all probably know about the whole match fixing thing going on in Italy at the moment and the verdict is expected at the end of the week so make sure you see the outcome right here and also the transfer window is in full swing so be sure to keep visiting.