Football Corner

Cesc Fabregas has today stated that he will stay at Arsenal despite interest from Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan. (Daily Express)


The Spanish international recently was voted the Premier League's young player of the year for the 07/08 season and rumoured had it that he may leave the Emirates at the end of the season.

Fabregas has always stated his desire to stay with the Gunners and these comments today can only be good news for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal.

Cesc is a terrific talent and their is no doubt that in years to come he will be winning many more awards in the Premier League.

Stoke City are supposedly targeting Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi according to reports in a number of papers today.

The Nigerian born striker is currently on loan with the promotion hopefuls and it is thought that should they make it into the Premier League they will make the deal permanent with their big cash injection.

It is expected that the former England Under 21 striker will cost Stoke up to £4.5 million, but personally I don't rate him too highly as a Premier League striker.

Tottenham are planning a move for Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o once the summer transfer window opens but current striker Dimitar Berbatov may be heading the other way. (Various)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos recently said he was interested in Eto'o saying that Eto'o is the kind of player that Spurs are looking for to improve the team.

Eto'o is currently valued at around the £35 million mark but today there has been talk that there may be some sort of swap deal worked out between the two clubs. Barca are believed to be interested in Berbatov who has been at Spurs for two seasons now.

I personally think Ramos is being a bit ambitious with his transfer targets. Why would a player like Eto'o want to leave Barca and join Spurs. He is a terrific striker who scores bag fulls of goals but unfortunately I don't think he will be coming to England.

Manchester United have tonight progressed to the Champions League final beating Barcelona 1-0 on the night and aggregate.

Paul Scholes scored a screamer from all of 30-yards in the first-half to send United to the final next month were they will meet either Chelsea or Liverpool.

Barca were probably the better side on the night but it was United who took their chances and progressed to the final.

A terrific night for all United fans. I personally think that they will go on from this now and win the double. They went into the game with a few iffy results but they prevailed on the night. All English final, can't wait!

Jose Mourinho has today been linked with the Manchester City job after is what revealed that Sven Goran Eriksson would be sacked at the end of the season.

The former Chelsea manager has been without a job since leaving the Blues back in September and he is reportedly keen to get back into the game as soon as possible.

He is currently trading at 8/1 with some bookmakers. There is no doubt City owner Thaksin Shinawatra would have the money to lure Mourinho to the City of Manchester stadium but wheter or not the Portuguese manager would want to go is another question.

As a City fan myself, I would be surprised to see Mourinho come to Eastlands but stranger things have happened. There is no doubt he is a terrific manager and he would be able to attract many top players to the club.

Manchester United lead Barcelona 1-0 going into the break after a nervy first-half by the English side.

Paul Scholes has given United a 1-0 aggregate lead but it has been far from comfortable for the home side.

Barca have had the majority of possession yet United lead thanks to a 30-yard screamer from Scholes.

Full match report at the end of the game.

Manchester United and Liverpool are set to do battle for Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz come the opening of the summer transfer window. (various)

The former Bayern Munich man has been an instant success in the Premier League since signing for Rovers last summer for a fee in the region of £3-4 million.

Santa Cruz, 26, has scored just under 20 goals for Rovers this season and has caught the attention of both Rafa Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson. It is believed both will make bids in the region of £12 million.

I feel Santa Cruz has the capability to play for either of the sides in question. Santa Cruz has played European football for Bayern, which is a bonus and he also has a terrific international record for Paraguay, scoring just under 20 goals in 57 appearances.

Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan is set for a huge summer spending spree with players like Dean Ashton, Leighton Baines and Carlos Cuellar all linked with a move to St James' Park. (Various)

The Magpies have made a huge improvement on the field in recent weeks, banishing any thoughts of relegation in the mean time. They currently ly in 12th place in the Premier League and now thoughts have turned to summer spending.

Keegan has today been linked with moves for West Ham's Dean Ashton, Everton's Leighton Baines and Rangers' Carlos Cuellar. Ashton, 24, is said to be unhappy at Upton Park and speculation is mounting that he will be on his way in the summer.

Meanwhile, Baines has struggled to nail down a first team place at Everton since joining them from Wigan last summer. He has only made a handful of appearances and many people feel he could be sent packing in the summer.

Rangers defender Carlos Cuellar has been in sensational form this season. He narrowly missed out on SPL player of the year last week behind Celtic's Aidan McGeady. Personally I feel all would be decent signings for Newcastle, however I do think they need to be buying better quality if they are to challenge for a UEFA Cup place next season.

Tottenham are to replace Dimitar Berbatov with £20 million Valencia striker David Villa. (Daily Mail)

Spurs manager Juande Ramos hinted at Berbatov exiting the club at the end of the season. The former Bayern Leverkusen striker has become a Spurs legend in his short time at the club scoring bag fulls of goals.

Valencia striker David Villa is seen by many as a terrific replacement for the possible out-going Berbatov. Many people have speculated in recent weeks and months that Villa will leave the La Liga outfit due to the poor form of the side this season.

I personally think it would be an amazing signing for Spurs if they got Villa. He is a terrific player that in my book is as good as Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and at £20 million would be a bargain. I am sure not many Spurs fans want to see Berbatov leave but if it meant them getting Villa I think they would be pretty happy.

Liverpool could be set to capture Brazilian winger Amantino Mancini for just £4 million as the player looks to buy out his last year of his contract. (Daily Mirror)

Mancini has been with the Serie A giants for over five years now but talk in recent months has been that he wants to leave the club at the end of the season. Roma are very keen to hold onto the 27-year old.

Mancini has 12 caps for Brazil and can play in a variety of positions (right-back,attacking mid and winger). Rafa Benitez is said to be very keen on bringing him to Anfield and £4 million in my view would be a steal.

Liverpool striker Peter Crouch's future at the club looks increasingly doubtful as we edge closer to the transfer window with report after report linking the 6' 7" striker with moves to Pompey, Man City and Newcastle.

I'm not sure how other Liverpool fans but I for one really want to see Crouch stay and get more time with the first team. By this stage he must have one of the best goal per minute ratios in the Premier League and certainly at the moment he is the second best striker at the club.

Ok, ok I know it doesn't fit in with our new formation, having two strikers, which is working out really well, but the big man is getting less than five minutes in most games, when he has clearly proved himself. I have a bad feeling about selling Crouchy and I think that if we do, it may come back to haunt us.

Tottenham are targeting Uraguayan striker Bruno Fornaroli according to reports in the Daily Mail today. However, stories in The Sun say that promotion hopefuls West Brom are chasing the Londoners exciting young winger Adel Taarabt.

The 20 year old who is currently playing for Nacional Montevido, has bagged 5 goals in fourteen appearances for the South American side and shock reports today are linking the striker with a £4 million move to White Hart Lane.

Meanwhile, Adel Taarabt has been rumoured with a move away from the club and possibly heading in the direction of The Hawthorns. West Brom are looking likely to get promoted this season and the French 18 year old, would be likely to get much more first team football with The Baggies.

Chelsea are looking to offload £13.5 million flop Florent Malouda to accomadate the arrival of Bayern Munich midfielder Frank Ribery. (The People)

Malouda has failed to show any kind of form this season at Stamford Bridge and many people have speculated in recent weeks that he would be sent packing in the summer.

It is now thought that Chelsea may offer £9 million plus Malouda in order to land Bayern midfielder Ribery. The French international is widely regarded as one of Europes best midfielders and Chelsea are among a whole host of clubs interested in him.

I personally would love to see Ribery in the Premier League. He is a smashing player that can pick a pass from anywhere on the field and in my view would be a million times better than Malouda (well, that's not that hard!).

Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard has today confirmed he doesn't expect attacking midfielder Ronaldinho to be at the club next season.

The Brazilian international is adored by the Catalonia faithful and it will come much to the anger of the Barca fans to hear that Ronaldinho will not be at the Camp Nou next season.

AC Milan have been heavily linked with the 28-year old who has been at barca for over four years now since leaving PSG back in 2003. When asked whether Ronaldinho would leave in the summer, Rijkaard replied: "You would have to think so."

It will be sad to see Ronaldinho leave Barca because it seemed as though he was made for them. For whatever reason it hasn't worked out this season and maybe it's best the two parties part company and move their separate ways.

Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney are likely to line out for Man United tomorrow in the side's Champions League second leg tie against Barcelona.

The pair sat out training today after picking up injuries during United's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at the weekend.

Vidic got a kick in the face from Didier Drogba during the game on Saturday whilst Rooney picked up a hip injury before scoring the only United goal in the game.

"We will give them every chance," said Ferguson. "Nemanja didn't train yesterday and he didn't train today. Neither did Wayne train so it is a difficult one. "We think both could make it but I can't be dead certain about that."

I feel it's key Vidic and Rooney play for United tomorrow because both are such vital parts of the team. Ferdinand isn't the same player without Vidic at the back and United simply aren't the same without the presence of Rooney.

Tottenham are today the latest club to be linked with a possible take-over from foreign investors.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy recently said he would sell the club but only at the right price. Maple Leaf Sports president Richard Peddie is the man linked with making a £250 million offer for the North London club.

Peddie has today denied the rumours that he will be making a bid for the club in the summer despite apparently been seen talking with Spurs representatives over the weekend. "That is absolute fiction - absolute fiction," Peddie told the National Post newspaper in Canada.

"I attended a game at White Hart Lane. I took the train, went to a game, watched Tottenham tie and had lunch there. That was the full extent." I personally think Spurs will be taken over in the summer although I'm not sure it will be Mr.Peddie or not.

Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan has set his sights on Manchester City defender Richard Dunne. (The Sun)

The Man City captain has been a long-term target of Keegan's who is keen to add to his defensive options come the opening of the summer transfer window.

The pair worked together at Man City when Keegan was manager their four years ago and it is rumoured today that Keegan will offer Man City as much as £8 million for the Republic of Ireland defender.

I am a Man City fan myself and I would be devastated to see Dunne leave. He is a terrific player and it doesn't surprise me to see a side like Newcastle interested. The 28-year old has been with the Blues for over 7 years now since leaving Everton back in 2000.

What looked like a very promising season for Manchester City has inevitability fizzled out to nothing and it now looks as though Sven Goran Eriksson could lose his job because of it.

I am a Man City fan myself, just like my brother, and like any other City fans we were both very optimistic about our European challenge this season after a terrific start to the campaign. That optimism faded soon after Christmas when we lost our superb home record and began to slide.

We now find ourselves in 9th, with no hope of Europe (well we may get fair play) and a summer that will prove to be frustrating in the transfer market due to the lack of European football.

Eriksson promised so much at the start of the season, and I know I may sound a bit harsh here but I personally think he should go. He is too negative a manager for my liking. I understand him playing 4-5-1 away from home every second week but when we then play at the City of Manchester we play the exact same defensive formation.

Arsenal are set to be without midfielder Matthieu Flamini next season with the player set to sign a deal at AC Milan and they face a fight to hold onto Alexander Hleb who is wanted by Barcelona. (Daily Mirror)

Flamini's Arsenal future has been in doubt for some time but it now appears as though he may of made up his mind and decided to join the Serie A giants. Meanwhile, Alexander Hleb may also be leaving the Gunners after another trophiless season at the club.

Hleb, 26, has been with the Gunners for just under three years now and has impressed during his time with the North London club. La Liga giants Barcelona are said to be keen to bring the Belarus international to the Camp Nou come the summer transfer window.

I personally think Hleb will stay for another season, however I feel Flamini may well move on. Both are excellent players and I'm sure Gunners fans will be hoping to keep both of them but they may have to get rid of players before they can bring more in.

Arsenal are the latest club to join the race to sign Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry after Chelsea and Liverpool previously expressed an interest. (The People)

The Villa captain is widely regarded as one of the Premier League's top midfielders and it comes as no surprise to me to see all three sides interested in him.

Barry, 27, has eighteen caps for England failing to score once in the process. He has been at Villa for over a dozen years now and many people predict this will be his last season with the Midlands club.

Obviously Villa fans will be hoping Barry stays at Villa Park but I definitely think he will leave the club in the summer. He is a terrific player that I feel is very capable of playing in the Champions League.

Portsmouth are closing in on the £7 million capture of Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. (Sunday Express)

The England international has failed to nail down a first team place at Anfield in recent months and he has been linked with several moves away from the club.

Crouch, 26, has always stated his desire to stay and fight for a place in Benitez' first team but unfortunately for Crouch that has never happened. He has been with the Reds for just under two seasons.

I personally think Crouch should move on from Liverpool and start playing regular football somewhere else. I feel Pompey would be a terrific club for the player because he would be working under a terrific manager in Harry Redknapp.

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos is to make an £8 million bid for West Ham keeper Robert Green come the start of the summer transfer window. (News of the World)

Green has been linked with several moves to White Hart Lane in recent months as speculation grows that Ramos is in the market for a new keeper to replace Paul Robinson.

Green, 28, has one cap for England and is widely regarded as one of England's best keepers and many people have called for Fabio Capello to give him another cap.

Green has been with the Hammers for just under two seasons now and he has been a huge hit at Upton Park. I feel he would be a terrific acquisition for Ramos and Spurs because he is a terrific shot stopper and £8 million isn't a lot for a player of his quality.

Everton striker Andy Johnson is attracting the attentions of West Ham, Man City and Newcastle United. (News of the World)

The former Crystal Palace striker has struggled to find any kind of form this season and the talk in recent weeks is that he will leave Goodison in the summer for around the £7 million mark.

Johnson, 27, has eight England caps to his name and has been with the Toffees for just under two years now scoring over two dozen goals in the process.

I personally think Johnson will leave Everton in the summer and I feel he may opt for a move to West Ham. He was terrific last season and I feel if he can rekindle anything like that form he will be a big hit for Alan Curbishley's men.

It was an extraordinary day in the Premier League as Chelsea joined Man United on 81 points whilst Fulham remained in touching distance of 17th place with a remarkable win away against Man City.

The early kick-off saw Chelsea run our 2-1 winners in a fiercly contested match against the current league leaders Man United. Michael Ballack scored twice for the Londoners whilst Wayne Rooney brought the sides level for all of 20 minutes.

All in all it was a terrific result for Chelsea and obviously one they really needed. The penalty incident which led to Chelsea's winner was questionable however I feel the linesman probably got it right.

Elsewhere, Fulham kept their hopes of Premier League survival with a 90th minute winner from Diomansy Kamara. The Cottagers went 2-0 down away against Man City but faught to win all three points.

The goals for City were scored by Steven Ireland and Benjani. Fulham's other goals were scored by Danny Murphy and Kamara with a second. A brilliant result for Roy Hodgson's men and this may just spur them on to stay in the top flight, with Pompey and Birmingham to come in the final two games.

Elsewhere it finished : Sunderland 3-2 Middlesbrough, Tottenham 1-1 Bolton, West Ham 2-2 Newcastle, Wigan 0-0 Reading and Birmingham 2-2 Liverpool.

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has today said he is resigned to losing striker Dimitar Berbatov in the summer to either Real Madrid or Barcelona. (Daily Mail)

The Bulgarian international has been linked with an exit from White Hart Lane for months now with clubs like Man United and AC Milan also said to be interested.

Berbatov, 29, has become a Spurs legend in his short time with the club, helping them to win their first trophy in nine years. He has scored over 40 times for the North London club in just under 100 appearances.

It would be a real shame to see Berbatov leave the Premier League because he has been superb the past few years. It is thought he may leave for as little as £20 million, however I feel he is worth a bit more than that.

Arsene Wenger is today refusing to rule out a move for Barcelona striker Thierry Henry. (Various)

The former Arsenal captain has had an indifferent start to his Barca career and there has been a lot of talk that he will return to the Premier League after only one season in La Liga.

Gunners rivals Manchester United have also been linked with the French international in recent weeks but it is thought Henry would prefer a move back to the Emirates.

I personally would love to see Henry back in the Premier League. He is now 30-years old and I feel this would be one of his last opportunities to come back to England and I think he may just jump at the chance to return.

Manchester United will face strong competition in the summer from Barcelona for Bayern Munich full-back Phillip Lahm. (Daily Mail)

The German international is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in Europe and he has caught the attentions of several major European sides including United and Barca.

The 24-year old really came to the for in the World Cup in 2006 when playing a starring role for Germany as they made it to the semi-final stage. He has been at Bayern for over a half dozen years and is said to be considering moving on in the summer.

I personally would love to see Lahm move to the Premier League but I do feel Barca may be able to edge United in the race for the £15 million rated star. Lahm is a terrific player who can play left or right back and would fit right into either side in question.

Spurs are targeting four big name players this Summer in the shape of Samuel Eto'o, Luka Modric, Aiden McGeady and Carlos Kameni according to reports in the Daily Mirror today.

Modric has been linked with a whole host of clubs including; Barca, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle but various sources suggest Spurs as being favourites to snatch up the Croatian superstar.

Samuel Eto'o has had an injury plighted last year or so and has somewhat struggled to get a decent run of games in the Barca side. The Londoners are thought to be interested though, in bringing the Cameroon international to White Hart Lane this Summer.

Aiden McGeady picked up Scottish Player of the Year and Young Scottish player of the year last week for his stunning performances for Celtic this season. The £12 million rated winger is thought to be another player on Juande Ramos' shopping list.

Spurs have been linked with just about anyone who can catch a ball after Paul Robinson's nightmare start to the season and the man looking most likely to take the England internationals place is Espanyol's Carlos Kameni valued at £5 million.

The papers have come out today with eight supposed Summer transfer targets for Liverpool including; Antonio Valencia, Gareth Barry, Philipp Degen, Fernando Amorebieta, Albert Riera, Maxi Rodriguez, Dean Chamberlain and Medy Elito.

Gareth Barry has been heavily linked with Liverpool and Chelsea over the last few weeks and personally I think he would be a great signing for the Reds, but an estimated price tag of £12 million may be a bit too costly.

Borussia Dortmund's Phillip Degen has supposedly already verbally agreed to join the Merseyside club. Degen is a right back and has 26 caps for Switzerland.Those of you who watch the Premier League should be quite familiar with Antonio Valenica who's currently playing with Wigan.

It is Rafa Benitez so it wouldn't be right if there were no La Liga players linked with Liverpool, Fernando Amorebieta and Albert Riera were strongly linked with Rafa's side during the Summer last year and reports suggest the duo could complete their move to England this time around.

As for Maxi Rodriguez, he is a greatly talented midfielder who captains Atletico Madrid. He is likely to come at quite a higher price than those named above.

One player who will definitely be making his way to Anfield is 16 year old shot stopper Dean Chamberlain who the reds signed earlier this week.

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry has been linked with a move to Newcastle, however the French man has told BBC Sport that the only way he would come back to England is with a move to Arsenal.

The 30 year old only made his move to Barca from the Gunners last year after an eight year spell with the Londoners. However now it seems as though a move back to Arsene Wenger's side is not off the cards.

His goal scoring form has not been quite as prolific as during his time at Arsenal but he is having a decent season for the Spanish giants. It is thought that they will have to pay up to £15 million for Henry but personally I think that they will get him for a good bit cheaper than that.

Jose Mourinho is to bring Chelsea duo Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba to Inter Milan if he is indeed appointed the new Inter manager come the end of the season. (Various)

The former Chelsea manager had a very good relationship with several of the Chelsea players including Lampard and Drogba and is said to be keen to bring them to wherever he ends up next.

It is thought that Mourinho will have to bid as much as £35 million on the pair in order to bring them to the San Siro. Lampard, 29, has been at Stamford Bridge for over seven years now but the talk in recent months is that he will leave come the end of the season.

Meanwhile Drogba, 30, has been with the Blues for just under four years now and has since become a firm fan favourite at the Bridge. I personally can't see both of them leaving in the summer but I do fancy one of them to go.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is considering taking legal action against Neil Warnock after the Crystal Palace manager accused the Spaniard of having no integrity.

Warnock indicated that Rafa was handed a yearly present from Harrods and Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed because of his team selections. The ex Valencia coach sent out near second string teams against the Cottagers the last two seasons. Last year, the Cottagers beat Liverpool to stay up at the Blades' expense.

The former Sheffield United manager has been known for his rants both pitchside and in the press and finally it looks now as though someone might stand up to him because personally I'm sick and tired of it.

Manchestr United are preparing a £25 million bid for Sevilla right-back Dani Alves. (News of the World)

The Brazilian international has been linked with numerous amounts of moves to the Premier League in recent months and years. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to bring Alves to Old Trafford to fill in for the ageing Gary Neville.

Alves, 24, has been at Sevilla for over six years now and he is widely regarded as one of the La Liga's best defender's. He is a very attack minded defender and I, as well as many other people, feel he would be a terrific acquisition for any Premier League side.

Alves has over a dozen caps for Brazil and had made just under 200 appearances for Sevilla. He has won the UEFA Cup twice at Sevilla but many experts feel that this will be his final season at the Spanish giants.

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos is to step up his interest in Sevilla winger Diego Capel after it was rumoured that Real Madrid are now interested in the player. (Daily Mirror)

Capel has long been linked with a move to the Premier League with Spurs' North London rivals Arsenal also said to be monitoring the situation.

Capel, 20, has been with Sevilla his whole career and has this season, especially impressed. I have seen him on a few occasions now and I feel he definitely has what it takes to be an instant hit in the Premier League.

The Spanish under-21 international is a terrific left-sided midfielder and is currently valued at around the £10 million mark. Ramos is keen to add to his squad in the summer after his side poor showing in the Premier League this season.

Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry has today been linked with a move to fellow Premier League side Liverpool. (Daily Mirror)

The England international has long been linked with an exit from Villa Park in recent months following his break through into the England first team.

Chelsea are also said to be monitoring Barry's current situation at Villa Park although it is thought that Barry would prefer a move North.

Barry, 27, has supposedly said that he wants to play at the highest level and wants to experience European football on a regular basis. He has been with Villa for his whole career and I am sure no Villa fan wants to see him leave.

I personally think Barry is very capable of playing in European competitions and I do feel Liverpool may be the club he ends up with. He is a terrific passer of the ball and reads the game very well and I think £10 million would be a fair price for the player.

Manchester United today escaped with a 1-1 draw away at Ewood Park with Carlos Tevez grabbing a late equaliser for the league leaders. Sir Alex Ferguson's men didn't look at the races for much of the first-half and were punished when Rovers striker Roque Santa-Cruz finished neatly from inside the United penalty area.

United pressed for virtually the rest of the match but were denied on numerous occasions by Brad Friedel in the Blackburn goal. They made the breakthrough though with five minutes remaining when Carlos Tevez headed home from a Cristiano Ronaldo corner.

This last gasp equaliser all but ensures that United will go on and retain the Premier League crown. They can now afford to lose away to Chelsea next weekend although I'm sure that Ferguson won't letting his players go out with the wrong attitude.

It has to be said that United have been by far the most consistent team this season. Arsenal started very brightly and looked good up until they drew away to Birmingham in February. Chelsea have done well without ever really excelling under Avram Grant but it has been United that have done well from start to finish.

Chelsea are set for a massive summer shake-up with manager Avram Grant set to receive a whopping £100 million cash injection. (Daily Mirror)

The likes of Kaka, Lionel Messi and Frank Ribery have all be linked with the Premier League giants in today's Mirror. The trio are among the world's top attacking midfielders and are likely to cost the Londoners at least £100 million.

It is also thought that Chelsea will have to offload some of their current squad members with Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Andriy Shevchenko all likely to depart.

Manager Avram Grant is under great pressure at the moment and many people have speculated in recent weeks and days about his future at the club. However with today's news that he is set to receive a massive transfer budget it looks as though Abramovich feels Grant deserves to lead Chelsea into the 2008/2009 season.

Valencia striker David Villa is supposedly set to turn down moves to Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs this Summer so that he can link up with Arsenal, according to reports in The Sun today.

The Valenica number 7 has a superb record in La Liga, managing 51 goals in 95 appearances for the Spanish outfit. He has been linked with all of the top four teams and Spurs in the past year or so and it is thought that he will make a move to the Premier League sooner rather than later in his career.

It is likely that he will cost any of his admirers up to £30 million, an offer which Valencia should find to tempting to turn down. At the moment, it looks like Arsenal are favorites to sign the 26 year old but don't rule the others out just yet.

The Liverpool madness continues with manager Rafa Benitez set for talks with club officials about the current goings on.

It has been an eventful year, to say the least, under American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and it is becoming more and more embarrassing for Liverpool Football Club by the day.

After Tom Hicks call for Rick Parry to step down as chief executive last week, Reds boss Rafa Benitez has now asked for talks with the owners and chief executive about what the hell is going on at the club.

The off the field incidents clearly haven't affected the players with Liverpool strolling to another comfortable home victory over Blackburn yesterday and with the club in a very healthy position in Europe.

To be perfectly honest, I haven't got a clue why the hell this is all going on at Liverpool and I would really appreciate it if somebody would please explain to me but it seems like to me that every Liverpool fan I know wants the two Yanks gone.

Newcastle United striker Michael Owen is set to be offered a new deal at St James' Park after an impressive last half dozen games or so. turnaround

The England international joined Newcastle back in 2005 from La Liga giants Real Madrid and has thus far struggle to regain the kind of form he had be shown earlier in his career whilst at Liverpool for several reasons, including injury.

Owen, 28, came to St James' for a fee of around £16 million and it has to be said that as of now he hasn't been worth every penny but he is starting to show some of his old form under Magpies boss Kevin Keegan.

Newcastle chairman, Chris Mort said : "I think all the players are enjoying playing under Kevin, you can see that in the way they play and I would imagine Michael's in that camp as well, he seems to be enjoying his game.

"He's got his contract this year and next year but it obviously makes sense to sit down with Michael and secure him for the long-term if we can.

"The first things we do is, again not talking about any players in particular, sit down with the manager and decide what the manager wants to do because he is the one who has to make the end decision on these things but I know that Kevin is very fond of Michael so I would hope we can sit down and do something."

What a difference a month makes at Newcastle. At the beginning of March many people were questioning wheter or not Keegan should of come back, and people were even starting to wonder if Newcastle would even stay up.

They now ly just outside the top-half with Keegan saying that they can easily make up the gap on West Ham who currently ly in 10th in the Premier League. I am sure now with the right investment in the team next season and with players like Owen signing new contracts at the club Newcastle could easily challenge for UEFA next season.

Newcastle United are showing a keen interest in Real Madrid defender Christoph Metzelder. (Daily Star)

The German international has only made 11 appearances so far for the La Liga giants since his move from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund last summer.

The 27-year old spent over seven years in Dortmund before his move to Madrid, but it appears as though it hasn't worked out in the Spanish capital and now Kevin Keegan is looking to bring him to St James' Park.

It is thought Keegan will bid as much as £10 million for the 6 foot 4 inch defender. Metzelder is terrific in the air and in my view is just what Newcastle need, a quality centre-back.

Thierry Henry is supposedly a target of several Premier League clubs this Summer according to reports in the Daily Star yesterday.

The Frenchman who is set to turn 31 this August seems to have lost a little bit of that spark which saw him score over 170 goals for Arsenal, but a move back to the Premier League may revitalise the number 14's "Va Va Voom".

It's not like he has lost it completely, he is still scoring goals but I think that he is just better in a team where he is the best player. At Barca it looks like he feel the need to prove his ability to his team mates when his records and previous performances just speak for themselves.

Dimitar Berbatov has today admitted he would jump at the chance to join Serie A giants AC Milan if they were to make a bid for him. (The Times)

The Bulgarian international has been linked with several moves away from White Hart Lane in recent months with clubs like Man United and Man City said to be interested in him.

The 27-year old has been at Spurs since leaving Bayern Leverkusen back in 2006. He has made over 70 appearances for the London club scoring an impressive 30 goals in that time.

It would be a real shame to see Berbatov leave the Premier League because he is an amazing talent. He has undoubtedly been one of the league's best strikers in the last two years or so and I am sure no Spurs fans want to see him leave.

Liverpool have tonight progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League after a terrific 5-3 aggregate victory over Premier League rivals Arsenal.

The visitors took the lead just ten minutes into the game when Abou Diaby's powerful left-footed drive flow in Jose Pepe Reina's near post.

The hosts levelled up the tie when Sami Hyypia's splendid header whistled into Manuel Almunia's goal to send the Anfield crowd into raptures.

The game looked to be heading for yet another 1-1 draw( following the two sides previous results in recent meetings) but Liverpool took the lead when the man of the moment Fernando Torres riffled a outstanding right-footed shot into Almunia's top right corner.

But Arsenal looked to of stole it when Emmanuel Adebayor finished after a splendid run by Theo Walcott but Liverpool captain swung the tie back in Liverpool's favour when Steven Gerrard fired a penalty into past Almunia.

Ryan Babel finished the night off in style when he slotted the ball into the back of Arsenal's net to send the Liverpool faithful home happy. Obviously a terrific night for Liverpool but it was a tremendous night for football in general tonight.

It is hard to take for Arsenal and that in my view was their last chance of taking any silverware from this season, but hey, there's always next season! Elsewhere Chelsea beat Fenerbahce at Stamford Bridge to set up yet another semi-final tie between Liverpool and Chelsea.

Porto defender Jose Bosingwa is attracting the interests of several Premier League clubs including Liverpool, Aston Villa and Man United (Daily Mirror).

The Portuguese international has been with porto for over five years now and has impressed greatly during his time at the Portuguese giants.

It is taught either of the three clubs in question will have to bid at least £8 million for the 25-year old.

Bosingwa has 6 caps for Portugal and widely regarded as one of Europe's best right-back's. I have seen and heard some terrific things about the player and I certainly would love to see him in the Premier League.

Liverpool are taught to be leading the race with Reds boss Rafa Benitez keen to bolster his defensive options in the summer.

Manchester United have today been given a huge injury boost with the news that stand-in captain Rio Ferdinand could take part in tomorrow night's Champions League game against Roma.

The England international limped off just past the hour mark in United's 2-2 draw away to Middlesbrough at the weekend, with fears that he had broken a metatarsal.

Those fears were quashed yesterday when United confirmed that the 29-year old had not broken a metatarsal.

It looked as though Alex Ferguson would be going into the game with Roma on Wednesday without his two star centre defenders in Nemanja Vidic and Ferdinand, but it now appears as though he will have Ferdinand at his disposal which is obviously great news for United fans.

"I am hoping Rio will play," said Ferguson. "His scan was clear, that was the important thing. Therefore we are hoping we can get him fit to face Roma. "We will report at 1100 on Wednesday, so he will have to do something at that time."

Blackburn Rovers and England star David Bentley has today admitted that he loves doing D.I.Y around his house (Daily Mail).

Bentley admitted that "I've been taking up tiles and knocking down walls, mending the potholes on my drive. I've got a strict DIY 24-hour ban before a match because it tires you out."

Well I suppose it's good to see a Premier League footballer doing something useful with all of his spare time!

There have been several reports today claiming that Barcelona attacking midfielder Ronaldinho could be on his way to Manchester, and not the Manchester club you might think.

Apparently, Ronaldinho's agent (and brother) Roberto De Assis held talks with Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra on Saturday with a view to a possible move for the former World Player of the Year.

Ronaldinho's form of late for Barca has dipped somewhat and he is currently out injured for the rest of the season. He was said to be close to joining City's rivals Man United back in 2005 before he joined Barcelona for a fee of around £21 million.

"It was the first time I had heard such a thing, so I really hope it is true," said City boss Sven Goran Eriksson."We would be able to find a place in our team for him, I can guarantee that.

"I will phone the owners. It was a surprise but if they want to package Ronaldinho for me I would accept him and be very happy."

I personally would be very surprised to see Ronaldinho join City. As a City fan myself I have to say I would be over the moon if we were to secure the 28-year old's signature but quite frankly I can't see it happening.

According to reports in the News of the World, Liverpool are targeting Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon and Schalke 04 right back Rafinha.

Rafinha has supposedly been a long term target of Chelsea's and at the age of 22 he has gotten his first cap for the Brazil team. Despite his contract not running out until 2011 at Schalke, the 5' 8" defender has admitted that if Liverpool made an offer, he "would be inclined to accept".

The Reds are also reportedly chasing Spurs winger and smallest player in the Premier League, Aaron Lennon. The pair of players are likely to come to a combined total of somewhere near £17 million for Liverpool, should these rumours materialise.

Tottenham are reportedly interested in signing Newcastle midfielder Charles N'Zogbia according to reports in the News of the World yesterday.

The French U 21 international has been one of very few positives for the Toon Army this season and has looked especially promising in more recent games.

The left midfielder come defender is likely to cost Juande Ramos' side about £6 million. The same paper has also suggested that with their income from the sale of N'Zogbia, Newcastle may move for England winger Aaron Lennon, who is also being tracked by Liverpool.

Real Sociedad's Mikel Alonso could be set to make a move permanently to English football according to reports in the Daily Star this week.Brother of Liverpool star Xabi, Alonso won't be making quite as glamorous a move, as Hull city are looking to snatch up the youngster for an expected fee of £600k.

Newcastle have supposedly sparked an interest in Sporting Lisbon pair Miguel Veloso and Rui Patricio according to reports in the Daily Mail today.

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan was reportedly attending the Sporting's game in mid week at Ibrox to watch the Portuguese duo, and with Veloso playing as a defensive midfielder and Patricio in goal it is likely that they impressed the Toon boss with their clean sheet.

Keegan may have to splash out as much as £12 million for Veloso, however the likes of Milan, Arsenal and Man United could also be possible destinations for the Sporting number 24.

Both Manchester United and Tottenham have today been hit by the news that they will be without key centre defenders Nemanja Vidic (2-3 weeks) and Ledley King (rest of season) through injury.

Vidic injured himself during United's superb 2-0 away victory in Rome on Tuesday. He appeared to fall awkwardly on his left knee mid-way through the first-half of United's game against the Serie A side.

Meanwhile King has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a persistent knee injury. He has been told he must give the knee rest and therefore he will take no further part in Spurs' season.

Obviously big blows for both clubs considering the calibre of player that have been ruled out. Both King and Vidic are vital parts of both teams and I am sure, in United's case, they will be desperate to have Vidic back as soon as possible.

During tonight's Champions League tie between Arsenal and Liverpool, Arsene Wenger felt Dutch referee, Peter Vink, should of awarded a penalty against Dirk Kuyt after he appeared to of pulled Alexander Hleb down in the box.

It has now emerged that the Referee was actually born just five miles from fellow countryman Dirk Kuyt, the player who brought down Hleb. Coincidence or what??

Chelsea are lining up a £6 million summer bid for Boca Juniors striker Rodrigo Palacio according to today's Daily Mirror.

Palacio is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in Argentina and he has a terrific goals per game ratio (nearly a goal every other game).

The 26-year old has been at Boca for over three years now and has earned six caps for the Argentine national side. Avram Grant is believed to be a keen admirer of the player and is willing to pay the rumoured £6 million.

I have heard many good things about Rodrigo over the past 12 months or so. Although I haven't seen him play live I have seen a few videos of him and he certainly looks a terrific goalscorer and lets hope he can do the same at Chelsea if he does join the Blues.

Liverpool go into next Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second-leg with Arsenal as favourites after a 1-1 draw at the Emirates tonight.

It was a cagey start to the match with Arsenal probably edging it. The Gunners broke the deadlock mid-way through the first-half when Emmanuel Adebayor headed home to bring the Emirates crowd to it's feet.

Liverpool fought back strongly and equalised soon after when Steve Gerrard played a dangerous ball across the box to see the ball go flying into the net from the outstretched foot of Dirk Kuyt.

The second-half saw Arsenal press and they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty mid-way through the second-half when Alexander Hleb appeared to be tugged down by Dirk Kuyt in the Liverpool box.

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas was denied a goal soon after by one of his own players. Niklas Bendtner getting in the way of a goal bound shot by the Spaniard. I personally felt Arsenal deserved the victory and I can see them paying for all the missed opportunities when they go to Anfield next week.

Elsewhere Chelsea slipped up away from home at the hands of Fenerbahce. Chelsea took the lead after just 15 minutes when Florent Malouda's shot was deflected in by Deivid. Former Sheffield United man Colin Kazim Richards scored the equaliser for the home team with a superb left-footed volley.

Deived went from zero to hero near the end when he drilled home a beautiful right-footed shot from all of 25-yards. Poor result for Chelsea, although I can see them overcoming the Turkish side in the second-leg at Stamford Bridge.

Real Madrid manager Bernd Schuster has today claimed that Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo will at one stage be a Real Madrid player.

Ronaldo has long been linked with a move to the La Liga giants although he insists he is very happy in Manchester.

The 23-year old is undoubtedly the best player in the world at the moment after what can only be described as a magical last 12 months with the Reds.

Schuster also admitted today that Ronaldo has overtaken Kaka as the best player in the world but he doesn't believe Ronaldo will join Real in the near future.

"The best thing in this sort of situation is to be realistic," Schuster told AS. "Cristiano Ronaldo right now is a 10 out of 10, the best in the world, but I don't see Manchester United as being in the business of selling.

"In the short term I can not see it being feasible, but I say that, in a couple of years, I think he may wear the white shirt at the Bernabeu.

"He is the star at Old Trafford and, until he wins a Champions League and some more Premier League titles, they are not going to allow him to escape.

"For me, Cristiano Ronaldo has already overtaken Kaka after the Brazilian's slump in Milan this season. "Some day, he will be with us."

Schuster's comments would worry me if I were a United fan myself. It would be a real shame to see Ronaldo leave the Premier League after only a few years here. He has developed into an exceptional talent during his time at the Reds and I am sure he will have many more great seasons at United.

Chelsea and Tottenham are both monitoring the situation of Ajax striker Klaas Jan-Huntelaar according to today's Daily Telegraph.

The player has been quoted as saying he will leave the Dutch giants at the end of the season with several top European clubs also keeping tabs on the situation.

Huntelaar, 24, has been at Ajax for just under three years now and has scored over 70 goals for the club. He also eleven caps for Holland, scoring four times in the process.

I would really love to see Huntelaar move to the Premier League. He is a terrific striker that has scored bags of goals wherever he has been. He is currently valued at around the £18 million mark and I feel that could turn out to be money well spent.

Tonight sees the first leg of Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final tie where they meet Premier League counterparts Liverpool at the Emirates.

Both sides go into the game after good wins at the weekend with Liverpool seeing off rivals Everton and the Gunners battling back to beat Bolton.

Arsenal and Liverpool both failed to win any of the domestic cups in England and this is both sides last chance of winning anything this season.

This is the first of three times that the sides will meet over the next week or so and I have to say I can't wait. Arsenal will go into the first leg as favourites but certainly don't rule out Liverpool with their terrific Champions League record.

This match also sees the clash of two of the Premier League's top scoring strikers in Emmanuel Adebayor and Fernando Torres. Adebayor has only one Champions League goal to his name, coming in the last round against Milan. Meanwhile Torres has four in this season Champions League.

Both Wenger and Benitez have years of experience in this competition, however Benitez is the only one out of the two to win the competition back in 2005. Wenger guided Arsenal to the final in 2006 where they were beaten by Barcelona.

Prediction: I personally feel Arsenal will edge out Liverpool tonight. I do however feel that over the two legs Liverpool will progress and go onto reach the final where they will be beaten by Manchester United.

David Bentley has this week failed to rule out a possible move away from Blackburn this summer and this looks to of caught the attentions of both Rafa Benitez and Kevin Keegan.

Bentley is widely regarded as the player to fill David Beckham's role on the right hand side of midfield for England. He has been by far Rovers' player of the season and currently valued around the £12 million mark.

The former Arsenal youth player joined Rovers over two and a half seasons ago from the London club and has impressed immensely since then. Newcastle were linked with a possible January move for Bentley but for whatever reason nothing ever materialised.

It is now taught that after Bentley's recent comments, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez will also be looking to acquire the 23-year old's services. I personally feel Bentley will opt for Liverpool ahead of Newcastle, simply because they are a better club.

Manchester United eased past AS Roma tonight in Rome with a 2-0 victory in their Champions League quarter-final.

Many people taught it would be tough for United to come away with the win tonight but in truth it was relatively easy for the men from Manchester.

Cristiano Ronaldo put United in the lead five minutes before the break after some terrific play from Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes. That was the Portuguese winger's 36th goal for the Reds this season.

United doubled their lead soon after the hour mark when Wayne Rooney capitalised on some poor defending from the Rome defence. Obviously a terrific result for Sir Alex Ferguson's men which sees them all but through to the semi's.

One slight worry for Man United was the fact that centre-back Nemanja Vidic was stretchered off mid-way through the first-half with what looked like a knee injury. United will obviously be hoping he can recover as soon as possible so he can linked back up with Rio Ferdinand at the hart of the United defence.

Elsewhere it finished 1-0 to Barcelona against Schalke 04. The only goal of the game coming from Barca youngster Bojan after Thierry Henry had a shot parried by Manuel Neuer in the Schalke goal.

Many people have labelled the Mersyside Derby between Everton and Liverpool, the friendly derby but after this week's encounter between the two sides it would appear that title can no longer be used.

There have been allegations of spitting, punching and verbal abuse in the aftermath of Sunday's game in which Liverpool won 1-0. Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez claimed that the Everton fans subjected Steve Gerrard to a torrent of abuse as he went to take a corner.

Everton defender Phill Neville appeared to be spat at and punched at whilst trying to take a throw during the second-half. A spokesman for Merseyside Police said: "Police will be speaking to the clubs involved today."

Liverpool and Everton matches are always hotly contested with tackles flying in from everywhere and there is usually a lot of friendly banter between both sets of supporters. It now appears as though both clubs could be in a lot of trouble with the police.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has today denied reports that Mathieu Flamini has agreed a deal to sign for Serie A giants Juventus.

It comes after reports in Italy claimed that the French midfielder had agreed a deal in principle to sign for the Turin based club but Wenger has moved quickly to deny the rumours.

When asked about the situation Wenger remarked : "No. Juventus called me and told that they weren't interested in Mathieu."

Flamini has been one of the Gunners top performers this year, keeping Gilberto Silva out of the side in the process. Although he has not agreed a deal with Arsenal yet, Wenger is confident that he can tie the 24-year old down to a long-term deal at the Emirates within the next few weeks.