Football Corner

Liverpool are keen to offload midfielder Jermaine Pennant before the transfer window closes tomorrow night. The former England under-21 international has been linked with a possible £4 million move to Premier League new boys Stoke City in recent days. (News of the World)

The former Arsenal youngster has found it hard to nail down a first team place at Anfield in ever since signing for the club back in 2006. Stoke boss Tony Pulis is trying to rush through a deal now to sign the 25-year old but wheter or not he makes the deadline is going to be tight.

I think this would be a good deal all round. Good for Pennant because he will be guaranteed first team football every week. Good for Stoke because they will have a decent winger on their hands and finally, it will be good for Liverpool because they will get one of their many midfielders off their books and gain £4 million.

Jimmy Bullard has tonight been included in the England team to face Croatia and Andorra. The Fulham midfielder has received his first call-up to the national team after impressing Fabio Capello over the past few months.

Bullard, 29, returned from a serious knee injury at the back end of last season and made an immediate impact, scoring in his comeback game. I am personally delighted to see Bullard named in Capello's squad and I feel this is a great testament to the legend that is Jimmy Bullard.

Newcastle United are on the brink of capturing their third South American of the summer with Uruguay international Ignacio Gonzalez en route to Tyneside from Valencia. (setanta)

The midfielder has only just agreed to join the Che from Uruguayan club Danubio but will immediately be loaned to The Magpies for the coming season to join Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez in Kevin Keegan’s squad. The 26-year-old, who passed a medical with Valencia on Friday, is already on the move as coach Unai Emery has a number of alternative options at his disposal. Valencia vice-president Fernando Gomez has confirmed that the deal is close to being agreed with the Premier League club.

“We have many players who can play in midfield and this is an excellent solution for both sides,” said Gomez. “We expect the formalities to be completed on Monday morning.” Gonzalez spent a spell on loan with Monaco last season, making five appearances and scoring one goal in Ligue 1. His arrival in Newcastle is likely to be delayed as he will play for his country in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers on September 6 and 10.

This looks like a decent acquisition on loan. The Newcastle midfield is badly lacking some creativity and this may be just the spark in the middle that they need.

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will undergo a scan to determine the severity of a hamstring problem, but Reds manager Rafa Benitez has hinted that the injury will only be a short-term one.(Setanta)

The Spain international lasted only 27 minutes of Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday as he was substituted for David Ngog after chasing a pass from Javier Mascherano. The sight of last season’s top scorer limping off the Villa Park pitch was a deeply unwelcome one for Benitez who has also seen captain Steven Gerrard sidelined due to a minor operation.

Liverpool are now anxiously awaiting the results of a scan on Monday but Torres appears almost certain to miss Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Armenia.

"We don't know how long Torres will be out for yet," Benitez told the club’s official website. "We'll have to wait for the results of the scan on Monday. "It could be he is out for seven to ten days, but until he has the scan we won't know."

This could turn out to be a major problem for Liverpool. With Stephen Gerrard also out injured, I'm sure Liverpool fans will praying that the Spanish striker picked up isn't to serious. With important league and Champions league fixtures coming up they really need him fit.

Pablo Zableta admitted it was a dream come true to sign for Manchester City .The Argentina defender completed his £6.5million switch from Espanyol today.(the sun)

And Zabaleta, 23, said: "I am very happy to come here and play in the Premier League. "Playing in England has been a lifelong dream which has finally come true by moving to City. "I'd met Mark Hughes previously and was really impressed with him but having talked to him about Manchester City I had to come here and be part of his plans. "I'm very confident of helping the first team to achieve their goals for the season and after walking around the stadium I can't wait to play in front of the City fans there. It is very impressive."

Hughes was delighted to bring the star to Eastlands. He said: "We feel the addition of Pablo is another great signing for Manchester City. "He's young and a winner, with an Olympic gold medal to prove that, but more so he will provide us with great balance in the side. "I'm very happy to bring him here and hopefully we can get a good result at Sunderland to round off what has been a very satisfactory week indeed for us."

Somehow I doubt Zabeleta has ever even heard of Man city. I think a player of his calibere would have to be out of their mind to join Man city in their current state.

Tottenham are preparing a £12 million bid for Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra. The former Arsenal ace could be set to exit Fratton Park after Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp was told he needs to sell to lessen the club's financial problems. (The People)

Diarra, 23, has been one of Pompey's top performers in recent months and inspired the club to their first major trophy in 90 years, when they won the FA Cup last season. Spurs boss Juande Ramos is keen to add to his midfield options before the transfer window closes on Monday night and Diarra is high on his list.

Diarra has 14 caps for the France national team and It would be a real shame to see Diarra leave Portsmouth, so soon after joining them. Since his move to Fratton Park in January from Arsenal he has become a firm fan favourite and I am sure every Pompey fan will be devastated if he does join Tottenham.

Spurs want to sign him, but do you? If so, he only costs £4 million in this seasons "You the Manager" and at that price he must be a bargain. Sign-up now (below) to receive two teams for the price of one and be in with a chance to win the September prize of £10,000.

Manchetser City midfielder Michael Johnson is set to sign a new contract at Eastlands after a summer filled with speculation over his future. Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton were all keen to lure him away from the City of Manchester stadium but in the end he has chosen to stay with Mark Hughes' men.

The England under-21 international is set to sign a new £50,000 a week deal at the club at which he has progressed through the ranks. He has become an integral part of the Man City first team and I am sure this news will come as a huge relief to Mark Hughes who was extremely keen to hold onto the 20-year old.

As a City fan myself, I have to say I am thrilled with this news. Johnson has been superb the past 18 months and I feel it is crucial that we hold onto our best players. I think this is the right decision by Johnson because if he had of joined, let's say Arsenal, he would not of been guaranteed a first team place every week.

Could this be the perfect time to sign the highly rated youngster for your team. Then sign-up for the Daily Mirror's, "You the Manager" (below) and buy Johnson for just £3.5 million. Join now and enter your team to challenge for the September monthly prize of £10,000. When you sign up you receive two teams for the price of one.

Manchester United and Tottenham are set for another battle over a striker. This time it is about Newcastle striker Michael Owen who has today been linked with an possible exit from St James' Park and both Sir Alex Ferguson and Juande Ramos are keen to offer him that exit route. (Sunday Mirror)

The England international is apparently about to reject a new contract offer from Newcastle of £120,000 a week in favour of a move to Old Trafford or White Hart Lane. With Spurs and United both in the market for a new front man, it makes sense that Michael Owen's name is mentioned.

This possible transfer all depends on one man. Dimitar Berbatov. If Berbatov joins United, I feel Owen will sign for Spurs, but if Berbatov stays at Spurs then I could see Owen making the move south to Manchester. Will either of these players make it into your team? Sign Owen for just £6.5 million and Berbatov for £7.5 million below.

With the transfer deadline nearing a close, make sure you stay tuned to Football Corner for all the latest gossip and deals to go through.

After yesterday's success with my Premier League Bet of the Day, I am hoping I will follow it up with another cracking bet today. The bet I have chosen today comes from the Aston Villa V Liverpool match which sees Gareth Barry face the side he was oh so close to joining.

With that in mind, I have gone for Barry to score at any time in the match at a very generous 13/2 @ Paddy Power. Be sure to watch Barry bang in a goal for Martin O'Neill's men at 4.00 on Sky Sports 1 today.

According to a recent poll run on Football Corner, we asked you wheter or not you think Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov will join Manchester United. With only two days to go before the transfer deadline, you the readers, feel Berbatov will indeed join United.

Here are the results of the poll:

Yes (Berbatov will join United) 55% (157 votes)
No (Berbatov will not join United) 45% (125 votes)

I would like to thank everyone who voted and I would urge everyone to stay tuned to Football Corner over the coming days where we will have in-depth coverage of the latest deals and rumours in the world of football.

Celtic are preparing a move for Tottenham midfielder Kevin Prince-Boateng. The former Hertha Berlin midfielder has struggled since moving to White Hart Lane two years ago and it is understood that Juande Ramos is keen to offload him before the window closes on Monday.

The 21-year old has only made 13 league appearances since joining Spurs and he is also keen to exit the club as soon as possible. Celtic boss Gordon Strachan is hoping to sign the German under-21 international on a one year loan deal with a view to a permanent deal.

I would be extremely surprised to still see Boateng at Tottenham on Tuesday morning. I feel Ramos will ask for the move to be permanent straight away in order to get some money in to fund moves for other targets. On a funnier note, Boateng has 13 tattoos.

Arsenal cruised past Newcastle United at the Emirates today with Robin Van Persie bagging two of the goals. The Gunners came into the game on the back of a defeat to Fulham last weekend and it was clear from the off they were keen to make-up for last weekend.

Arsene Wenger's men could have had a penalty as early as the two minute mark when Fabrico Collocini brought down Van Persie in the box only for Rob Styles to wave to appeals away. Arsenal were awarded a penalty eighteen minutes in when Charles N'Zogbia deliberatly handled the ball, with Van Persie stepping up to slot the ball to the left of Shay Given.

Arsenal continued to impress and they bagged there second just before the break when, once again Van Persie firing home after a neat bit of play from Emmanuel Eboue. That goal put the game beyond Newcastle and Kevin Keegan's men never really threatened, if fact it was Arsenal who continued to impress.

Denilson netted the Gunners third fifteen minutes into the second-half, getting on the end of some terrific play between Samir Nasri and Emmanuel Adebayor. Newcastle' Joey Barton came on for the first time this season for the last few minutes and was not surprisingly booed every time he touched the ball.

Elsewhere it finished : Bolton 0-0 West Brom, Everton 0-3 Portsmouth, Hull City 0-5 Wigan, Middlesbrough 2-1 Stoke City, West Ham 4-1 Blackburn.

Maybe it's time to sign Robin Van Persie for your team. Sign the Dutch striker for just £6.5 million in the Daily Mirror's, "You the Manager" (below) and receive two teams for the price of one.

Alex Ferguson has saved Manchester United nearly £7million in wages by letting Louis Saha leave for NOTHING. Saha, 30, will sign a two-year deal with Everton if he passes his Goodison Park medical today. Despite shelling out £12.8m for Saha in January 2004, United have ripped up the final two years of the French striker’s £65,000-a-week contract after a host of injury problems.

But Everton boss David Moyes insists the former Fulham hitman can prove a hit if he ends his injury nightmare. Moyes said: “Louis is a good centre-forward who has a bit of everything. “He can run, head the ball and score goals and he has not cost us any money. “There will be some money after he’s played some games, but there is no initial outlay and he has to play before we pay.”

Saha started just 52 Premier League games at Old Trafford but still netted 28 top-flight goals. Moyes added: “If I can get Louis out there 20 times a season, that would give us a chance of winning 20 games.”

I think Man United did the right thing letting Saha go. They lost more money then they gained for the player. Its unfortunate that he was so injury prone but who knows a fresh start at Everton may be just what he needs.

Johnathon Woodgate has accused Dimitar Berbatov of betraying his team-mates. The Spurs striker is desperate to join Manchester United. And last night both clubs were inching closer to a £28million deal. (the sun)

But Spurs centre-back Woodgate rapped: “What he’s done doesn’t give out a great message to the supporters, if I’m honest. "The boys are working twice as hard for each other. If it was me, I would do it differently. “I would work hard for the club up until I actually left. I’d still be playing until I was leaving. "Even if I didn’t want to be somewhere I would still give 100 per cent because that’s the way I was brought up.”

The transfer looked deadlocked over the last few weeks, with United refusing to budge from their £25m offer and Tottenham refusing to accept anything below £30m. There were even reports from Germany yesterday that Bayern Munich were ready to exploit the stalemate with a late offer.

Tensions between the two clubs erupted when United boss Alex Ferguson gloated that Berbatov was on his way. That sparked Tottenham to make an official complaint to the Premier League. But United chief executive David Gill has spoken to Spurs officials over the last 48 hours in Monaco and a compromise seems to be on the horizon. The £28m deal being thrashed out looks likely to rise to £30m depending on how successful the Bulgarian is at Old Trafford.

I totally agree with Woodgate. I think Berbatov has betrayed his team-mates, the fans and most importantly the club that put him in the position he is in today. I think he has to go for the sake of both parties.

Roman Pavlyuchenko was granted his work permit yesterday after Spurs agreed a £12million fee with Spartak Moscow. The transfer looks set to go through if he passes a medical in London today.

Im fairly sure nobody cares about this pointless tournament, but just in case you do here is the third round draw. My tie of the round would be holders Tottenham away to Newcastle United. Somehow I don't see Spurs retaining the Carling cup.

THIRD ROUND DRAW

Arsenal v Sheffield United

Brighton or Manchester City v Derby

Burnley v Fulham

Portsmouth v Chelsea

Blackburn v Everton

Rotherham v Southampton

Swansea v Cardiff

Ipswich v Wigan

Stoke v Reading

Leeds v Hartlepool

Watford v West Ham

Manchester United v Middlesbrough

Liverpool v Crewe

Aston Villa v QPR

Sunderland v Northampton

Newcastle v Tottenham

(Ties to be played on the week commencing September 22.)

Hull City have today made a £7 million bid for Manchester United striker Frazier Campbell. The England under-21 international spent much of last season on loan at the KC Stadium but now City boss Phill Brown is eager to sign Campbell on a permanent deal.

The 20-year old started United's first game of the new season at home to Newcastle, stuggling to make a huge impact. It is understood that United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will only let Campbell go if he finds a replacement for him before the close of the window on Monday.

With Saha already out the door at Old Trafford, I feel this deal will only go through if Dimitar Berbatov arrives at the club. If United were to let Campbell go they would only be left with Rooney and Tevez as their two recognised strikers.

I personally think Campbell and indeed Hull will benefit from this move. Campbell would be guaranteed first team football every week and Hull will have a top young striker to help keep them in the Premier League. One word of caution though, I think £7 million is a massive price to be paying for someone who hasn't got much Premier League experience.

This week's Premier League Bet of the Day is a bit different. Instead of just picking a first goalscorer or a correct score, I have decided to go for the game with the most goals in it (3 o'clock kick-off's).

I feel today's game at the KC Stadium has to potential to be a six-goal thriller so that is why I have gone for the Hull V Wigan match @ 7/2 @ Paddy Power. That's got to be worth a few quid. Be sure to stay tuned tomorrow's Bet of the Day.

This transfer saga has been rumbling on ever since the end of the European Championships in July. Tottenham's lengthy pursuit of Zenit St Petersburg striker Andrei Arshavin is now officially off after the Zenit boss Dick Advocaat admitted Spurs were £6 million short with their bid.

The Russian international claimed last week that he had agreed terms with Spurs and now it was just a case between the two clubs to agree a fee for his services. The 27-year old was valued at £22 million by the Russian giants but Spurs boss Juande Ramos was only willing to spend £16 million.

Advocaat was quoted as saying "Tottenham offered £16m and that's not enough, so that's the end of it.""They (Tottenham) had several weeks of time to buy him and they did not offer £22m like everybody has been writing, but just £16m,". "I think that Arshavin costs more than £16m."

This is obviously bad news for Spurs fans and even Premier League fans because I feel Arshavin would of been a tremendous addition to both. His skill on the ball is second to none and the way in which he runs at defences is top class. Maybe Spurs will now have to go out and sign an Ashton or a Huntelaar.

Paul Scholes tonight attempted the "Hand of God" and succeed in getting sent off. The former England international had already been booked at the time when he hand balled the ball into the Zenit St Petersburg net.

Manchester United were trailing at the time when Scholes attempted, what Diego Maradona did against England all them years ago, The Hand of God. It was simply stupid. The referee had a clear view of the incident and rightly gave Scholes his marching orders with his second yellow card.

Paul Scholes will now miss United's first Champions League group game against Villarreal next month. It was a good finished by the Ginger Magician but unfortunately he was sent off. Anyway, will you trust Paul Scholes to star in your fantasy football team. Sign Scholes for just £4.5 million in the Daily Mirror's "You the Manager" below.

Alex Ferguson has slammed Tottenham for dragging their heels over the sale of Dimitar Berbatov and admits: I’ve no idea if he will sign. Manchester United boss Ferguson has made three bids in a year for Berbatov, the last £25million, but Spurs are holding out for £30m.

A furious Ferguson told the sun: “I’m less optimistic today. I’ve no idea what is going on. "It is hard to communicate with some people in this life. We just have to get on with it.”

Spurs will be more likely to do business now having signed Roman Pavlyuchenko for £12m from Spartak Moscow. But the Londoners are determined to play hardball and have reported United to the Premier League for what they claim to be tapping up. Berba, 27, has handed in a transfer request. And last night White Hart Lane legend David Ginola insisted the striker should be allowed to leave.

The Frenchman said: “The problem for Berbatov is that he is playing for Spurs and they are not fighting for the title. They are not fighting for any place in the Champions League. “He is a young player who has propositions from big clubs and he wants to play at the top. “Players have more freedom nowadays. There is no point asking a player to play for you if he is not happy.”

I think Ferguson has every right to be angry with Tottenham for dragging this Transfer out. It is clear that Berbatovr does not wish to play for the club anymore, he has already signed a Man United shirt! I think Tottenham just need to let him go.

Phil Scolari is still waiting for the call to tell him Robinho is on his way to Chelsea.Blues chief executive Peter Kenyon is confident the Brazilian ace will move to Stamford Bridge from Real Madrid before the transfer window closes.But Madrid are keen to keep hold of their man and Scolari admits he is powerless to do anything about it.(the sun)

Big Phil said: "I don't know about Robinho because it is not my job to enter into talks about players."I said something to Peter a month ago and they tried to bring Robinho here but my job is on the pitch."If they can bring him here it will be down to board meetings and I have to think about Tottenham on Sunday, not about whether players have come or have not come."I don't know anything because I have not spoken to Peter for the last two days."

Scolari has only signed Deco since succeeding Avram Grant but the Blues boss has always had his sights set on Robinho.He added: "Robinho is a very good player and it is not only me that wants him, all the coaches in the world do too."But at the moment what is happening on the pitch is the only important thing for me."For my players to play well against Tottenham is what matters."

Another very boring transfer saga that seems to have dragged on and on. I think it is inevitable Robinho will sign for Chelsea in a matter of days.

Manchester United have today been rocked by the news that midfielder Owen Hargreaves has aggravated a previous knee injury. The England international hasn't appeared this season for the Premier League Champions due to the injury and it would appear now he is set for a lengthier spell on the sidelines.

Hargreaves, 27, was due to play 45 minutes in tonight's European Super Cup against Zenit St Petersburg in Monaco. The former Bayern Munich midfielder joined United last summer for a fee believed to be £18 million and has since then won the Premier League and Champions League.

It is really disappointing to see Hargreaves pick up yet another injury. I personally feel he has been a tremendous signing by Sir Alex Ferguson and I am sure all United fans will be devastated to see him injured again. This also rules him out of England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Tottenham are eyeing up a possible £15 million move for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso. The Portuguese international has been linked with a move to the Premier League all summer, with Arsenal and Manchester United also believed to be interested. (The Guardian)

Veloso, 22, has been in the Sporting first team for the past two years after progressing through the club's highly aclaimed youth system, the same youth academy which Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo progressed from.

Veloso has seven caps for portugal and is widely regarded as one of Europe's most promising midfield players. Spurs boss Juande Ramos is keen to add one ore two more faces to his Spurs squad before the close of the transfer window on Monday and Veloso is understood to be one of his top targets.

I personally feel Veloso would be an incredible signing for Spurs. I have always thought Spurs lacked a quality holding midfield player, Zokora has done ok there, but the signing of Veloso would sure up the Spurs midfield. I think £15 million represents good value for money considering how much potential the player has.

Tottenham are on the verge of completing a £12 million deal to sign Spartak Moscow striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. The Russian ace impressed during his country's run the the semi-finals of this summer's European Championships leading Juande Ramos to splash the cash on the 25-year old.

Pavlyuchenko flew into London this morning after receiving his visa to travel to the country, where he should tie up the loose ends of his deal to join the Premier League side. It had been speculated that his Russian team-mate Andrei Arshavin would join him at White Hart Lane but that deal appears dead in the water now.

I feel Pavlyuchenko will prove to be a tremendous signing for the North London club. With Dimitar Berbatov likely to join Manchester United, I think it was vital for Juande Ramos to have another striker lined up and I personally feel Pavlyuchenko will become a Spurs fan favourite within weeks.

Manchester United's chances of signing Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov today look greater than ever after the Premier League Champions got rid of Louis Saha to Everton. The French international has struggled during his five year spell at Old Trafford and he is now on the verge of signing for Everton.

This would seem to open the door wide open for Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov who has been linked with United all summer. Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday admitted he is in the dark over a possible deal for the Bulgarian but now that he has got rid of one his strikers, it leads many people to believe Berbatov is close to completing a £25 million deal to join the Reds.

I would be extremely surprised not to see Berbatov sign for United before Sunday and I would be even more surprised to see Ferguson not go out and buy a new striker at all. United now only have two main strikers at the club in Rooney and Tevez and I am sure United fans will be praying another one comes in the door before the close of the window.

Arsenal are closing on the signing of Feyenood midfielder Jonathan de Guzman after weeks of speculation about the player's future. The Dutch international has also been linked with a move to fellow Premier League side Everton in recent weeks but it would appear now Arsene Wenger has the upper hand over David Moyes.

de Guzman, 20, recently represented Holland in the Beijing Olympics and has admitted he would be interested in a move to the Emirates. "My dream clubs are Arsenal and Barcelona. If clubs of that stature are interested in you then you cannot say no," De Guzman told The Sun. "I'm certainly open to interest from Arsenal and from what I hear Feyenoord are happy to hear from them as well."

I have seen and heard great things about de Guzman and it comes as no surprise to me to see Arsene Wenger ready to splash £12 million on such a young player. de Guzman has made over 80 appearances for Feyenood during his three years at the club, scoring over a dozen goals in the process.

Liverpool are preparing a £10 million bid for Newcastle United midfielder James Milner. It was confirmed yesterday that the England under-21 international has handed in a transfer request at St James' Park after spending three years at the club. (Guardian)

Reds boss Rafa Benitez has been linked with Milner all summer as he looks to sign a new left-sided midfielder. The club has also been linked with Espanyol midfielder Albert Riera and Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing in recent weeks. Aston Villa are also said to be interested in signing Milner, but Liverpool look to have the upper hand.

Milner, 21, is believed to be very interested in a move to Anfield, however Liverpool must cough up Kevin Keegan's asking price of £10 million, a price which so far hasn't been met. I personally think Milner would be a decent signing for Liverpool, definetly better than Albert Riera.

Will Milner be in your team? Join the Daily Mirror's, "You the Manager" (below) and sign the highly rated youngster for just £4.5 million, now that's a bargain! And join the game quick to recieve two teams for the price of one!

Group A

Chelsea

Roma

Bordeaux

CFR Cluj

Group B

Inter Milan

Werder Bremen

Panathanikos

Anorthorsis

Group C

Barcelona

Sporting Lisbon

Basel

Shakhtar Donetsk

Group D

Liverpool

PSV Eindhoven

Marseille

Atletico Madrid

Group E

Manchester United

Villarreal

Celtic

Aalborg

Group F

Lyon

Bayern Munich

Steaua Bucharest

Fiorentina

Group G

Arsenal

Porto

Fenerbahce

Dynamo Kiev

Group H

Real Madrid

Juventus

Zenit St Petersburg

BATE Borisov

Tottenham are to re-ignite their interest in Manchester City defender Vedran Corluka. The Croatian international had been linked with a move to the North London side for quite a while until Corluka played in Manchester City's 1-0 defeat to FC Midtjylland, which saw the player become ineligible for a possible UEFA Cup campaign with Spurs. (The Times)

But now, Juande Ramos is keen to tie up a £8 million deal for the 22-year old who impressed during his first season in the Premier League. Mark Hughes has already signed two defenders in Vincent Kompany and Tal Ben Haim, which has fuelled even more speculation that Corluka could be on his way to White Hart Lane.

As a City fan myself, I would be devastated to see Corluka leave. He is a big part of the way City work and I feel if we were to let him go we would struggle to find a better right-back. With the transfer deadline drawing ever nearer this deal will need to happen soon, so be sure to stay tuned to Football Corner for all the latest.

Will Corluka make it into your team? Join the Daily Mirror's, "You the Manager" (below) and sign the Croatian for just £4 million, that's got to be a bargain!

Helsingborgs striker Henrik Larsson could be set for a return to the Premier League after it was revealed three unnamed sides have made an approach for the Swedish international. The former Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United man is said to be considering his options at the present moment but it is widely believed he is keen on a return to England.

The 36-year old returned to his native Helsingborgs two years ago after spending two seasons at Barcelona, winning the Champions League in the process. His contract is set to expire at the end of November, which has led to intense speculation of a possible return to the Premier League.

During his spell at United back in 2007, Larsson showed the kind of form which saw him become a legend at Celtic Park. I personally would love to see Larsson back in England. He is a terrific charecter on and off the field and I feel he would be a great asset to several Premier League sides.

AC Milan star Kaka has responded to claims this morning that Chelsea are lining up a record bid for him by pledging his future to the Italian giants. has responded to claims this morning that Chelsea are lining up a record bid for him by pledging his future to the Italian giants.(the mirror)

Reports have suggested that Chelsea negotiated an option to buy him as part of the deal which saw Andriy Shevchenko return to the San Siro earlier this week.However, the Brazilian insists that he is focused solely on winning silverware with Milan, who are targeting a league and UEFA Cup double this season."Me going to Chelsea? I'm staying as a Rossoneri player," Kaka told Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport."I should help Milan to win the trophies we're up for this season. The club have made some great signings and Sheva will fit in without any problems.

"I can't say [if I've been included in the Shevchenko deal], because if someone has promised me to [Chelsea owner Roman] Abramovich, it wasn't me.“I've always said I'm happy at Milan and as long as my aims remain the same as Milan's I'll stay here. Until now it's always been that way."My goal is to win, Milan's is too. As long as we are like that, I'll remain at Milan."

I never really thought Kaka would move to Chelsea this season and this report confirms that. He seems to be happy and settled at Milan, however I wouldn't rule out a move to Chelsea at some stage.

Chelsea expect to unveil Robinho by Friday.The Real Madrid ace is set for a £28.4million move to Stamford Bridge after weeks of negotiations.And chief executive Peter Kenyon has revealed that the Brazilian should wrap up his switch in the next 48 hours.(the sun)

He said: "We're ever confident that it will be done. We hope that he'll join us at Chelsea.“Phil Scolari identified two targets when we appointed him as manager. One was Deco and the other was Robinho."Everyone has seen the impact that Deco has had on the Premier League.“I think the squad is capable of competing without Robinho but with him will give us an added dimension.”

I really hope this is true. It would be a great addition not just to Chelsea but to the Premier league. If Robinho joins Chelsea, they will have the best squad of players the premier league has ever seen, but the big question is can Scolari make them the best team?

Liverpool and Arsenal have today missed out on Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry after the player's agent admitted he will not be leaving the club this summer. The England international has been linked with a £18 million move to both Anfield and the Emirates but Villa boss Martin O'Neill would appear to have held onto his man.

Barry, 27, admitted at the start of the summer that given the opportunity, he would love to join Liverpool, comments which led to his demotion from the Villa first team. He has since been reinstated to the Villa full team and has appeared in his sides two Premier League fixtures to date.

In a statement released to Sky Sports News, Barry's agent Alex Black said: "After much speculation I can confirm that Gareth Barry will not leave Aston Villa before the transfer window closes. Gareth made the decision to stay two weeks ago and informed Aston Villa of his intentions."

"During this time discussions have taken place to decide the best way forward for all parties. Any talks regarding potential new contracts at Aston Villa will not take place until the end of the season. Gareth wants to concentrate on playing on the best of his ability for Aston Villa, and we hope this draws a line under the matter."

Real Madrid, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have today all missed out on Valencia striker David Villa after he signed a new deal at the club. The Spanish international has been linked with a move to the Premier League all summer after his magnificent displays at the European Championships.

Real Madrid were believed to be very keen on signing Villa as a possible replacement to the Chelsea bound Robinho but their hopes of signing him now appear dead. The 26-year old was originally told he could leave the Mestalla this summer due to the club's current financial situation but for whatever reason nothing ever materialised.

Valencia President Vicente Soriano told the club's official website: "The best striker in Europe is staying at Valencia. "We announce that David Villa and Valencia will remain together for many years to come." "It is a very happy day for me. In the last month and a half lots of things have happened around me that I have not experienced before," said Villa.

I am kind of happy to see Villa stay loyal to Valencia although I would of loved to see him come to England. He is a magnificent goalscorer who I am sure will do the business once again for the La Liga giants this season.

Manchester United midfielder Anderson has been the centre of attention at the club's Carrington training ground due to his hair-cut. The Brazilian international was unable to find a braider during his time in Beijing at the Olympics, thus leaving his hair looking like it is.

His United team-mates have apparently been giving the 20-year old dog's abuse in recent days. Anderson joined United last season and has seen his career light-up with a Champions League and a Premier League to his name. I don't know why the United players are only giving Anderson abuse now, he has had a dodgy barnet ever since he arrived at the club.

The United players don't think much of his hair-cut, but does he have enough quality to make it into your team? Join the Daily Mirror's "You the Manager" (through the link below) and sign the highly rated Brazilian for just £4 million.

Newcastle United midfielder James Milner has this afternoon handed in a transfer request at the club after reported interest from Aston Villa. The former Leeds United star is said to be keen on a move to Villa Park after spending a season on loan at the club two years ago.

Milner, 22, was also linked with Liverpool earlier this summer but it would appear now that Martin O'Neill is in pole position to sign the England under-21 international. It was rumoured in today's papersy that a possible £9 million deal could be complete as early as the end of the week and that would appear even likelier now.

I am personally not surprised by Milner handing in a transfer request. I think a move to Villa is highly likely now and I feel Villa fans will be more than happy to see Milner returning to the club. £9 million would be a fair price for such a talented young winger and I think this will see Kevin Keegan going out looking for a new winger to bring to St James' Park.

Liverpool are closing in on Espanyol midfielder Albert Riera after the La Liga outfit dropper their asking price. The Spanish international has been linked with a move to Anfield all summer after Rafa Benitez made his interest in the player public in June. (The Times)

The former Manchester City man has also been linked with Liverpool's arch rivals Everton this summer but for whatever reason, David Moyes hasn't made his interest known. It is now understood that the 26-year old could complete a £8 million move to Merseyside by the end of the week as Benitez looks to strengthen his midfield options.

I personally feel Benitez would be wasting his time trying to sign Riera. At Man City he was decent at best and I am sure many Liverpool fans will agree with me that they should switch their attentions to the likes of Valencia's David Silva or even Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing.

Manchester City are trying to land Brazilian World Cup-winner Ronaldo.City executive chairman Garry Cook revealed last week he was looking to sign a superstar.And contact has been made with the former Barcelona and Real Madrid hitman, who is now a free agent after being released by AC Milan in the summer.

Ronaldo, 31, is recovering from a severed knee tendon which he suffered last February.He is expected to be out until November and City are trying to find out the extent of the problem before making their next move.They also insist the player loses his excess weight and gets fit before any deal is done.

It would still be an incredible move by a club who have spent £70million in the last year.That includes a club-record £19m on Brazilian teenager Jo.City failed in a bid this summer to land Ronaldinho, who preferred a move to AC Milan.Now they have turned to his team-mate from the same 2002 World Cup-winning team. Ronaldo’s wages would be structured on a pay-per-play basis.

City boss Mark Hughes has been kept fully informed of the movements for Ronaldo.And Sparky has been assured he would have the final say.Hughes knew before he took the job that City wanted a famous name to boost the commercial side.Cook said: “We told Mark not to come if he thought we didn’t need a superstar.“Mark’s comment was: ‘We should all challenge ourselves. We should all challenge ourselves to do things differently as that’s what makes a difference.’“He wants to challenge himself to manage the best in the world.“He is a big character and is very good at taking young talent and bringing them on. He has never managed the big star.”City would be able to sign Ronaldo after the transfer deadline as he is a free agent.

I don't think Ronaldo is the type of player City should be looking for. I am sure Ronaldo will demand ridiculous wages. Ronaldo was a great player and an excellent goalscorer in his day but unfortunately I think that day has came and gone.

Roman Pavlyuchenko has claimed that he is set to complete a move to Tottenham Hotspur.The 26-year-old Russia international striker has been linked with a move to Spurs all summer.Now it appears that the North London outfit have sealed a deal with his club Spartak Moscow.

Speaking to Uefa's Russian website, Pavlyuchenko confirmed he had not travelled with the rest of the Spartak squad for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kiev as he was finalising the details of his move to Spurs."I am back in Moscow and I will not play in Kiev, and I can confirm I am going to Tottenham," he told uefa.ru."Everything happened very fast and I haven't had time to say 'goodbye' to my Spartak team-mates but I hope I will be able to do that then they get back from Kiev."I am waiting for a Visa and as soon as it is granted, I am ready to go to England and sign."

Pavlyuchenko revealed he was yet to discuss the move with Spurs boss Juande Ramos."Juande Ramos, I have not yet met, it seems like he will call me - but I know for sure he is very interested in my services," he continued.Pavlyuchenko also played down any worries there were about him not speaking English."I will work with a teacher, but also my wife knows the language a little," he added.

I feel Pavlyuchenko could turn out to be a very good signing for Spurs, he is strong, quick and tall. He proved in Euro 2008 that he can scores goals and that may be the missing link in the Tottenham team, someone who can score goals.

Zenit St Petersburg are to offer striker Andrei Arshavin to Premier League giants Chelsea after a move to Tottenham collapsed last week. The Russian international has been linked with a move to Spurs all summer after his magnificent displays for his country in the European Championships in June. (Daily Express)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos is still believed to be keen to sign the 27-year old but Zenit are still demanding too much for the player. Now the Russian side are prepared to sell Arshavin to Luis Phillipe Scolari's Chelsea after they completed the signing of Danny Miguel from Dinamo Moscow earlier this week.

I am of the opinion that Arshavin will eventually end up at White Hart Lane. I have no doubt that after Spurs end up selling Berbatov to United they will be forced to go out and buy a quality new frontman and I believe Arshavin definetly fits the bill. I can personally see Zenit letting him go for around the £20 million mark in the end.

Liverpool are to offload midfielder Jermaine Pennant for as much as £6 million. The former Arsenal youth player has struggled to nail down a first team place at Anfield since his arrival at the club two years ago from Birmingham. (The Guardian)

Pennant, 25, has been linked with a move to Paul Ince's Blackburn aswell as Tony Pulis' Stoke City but as yet nothing has been agreed. It is understood now that Rafa Benitez is keen to cash in on the former England under-21 international to fund moves for other players.

It would not surprise me one bit to see Pennant leave the Reds before the end of the month. I never thought he was Liverpool material and it was a big shock to me to see Benitez spend £8 million on Pennant. All in all, Pennant made 52 appearances at the club scoring three times in the process.

Steven Gerrard has to be a bargain at just £8 million. Yes, the England international costs just £8 million in the Daily Mirror's "You the Manager" and I know one things for certain, he is definetly in my team, but will he be in yours?

Gerrard has had a good start to the campaign, getting on the score sheet against Middlesbrough a the weekend and so far he has 10 points. After only two games gone in the league, there is still plenty of time to join "You the Manager" and with magnificent monthly prizes it is still a terrific time to enter.

Also, there is a special offer at the moment, enter two teams for the price of one. I would definetly have Gerrard in both teams. Enter your team know through the link below and see if you can beat my team, by entering the Football Corner Premier League. The password is footballcorner.

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is ready to make a £7 million move for Colombian striker Radamel Falcao.Spurs sent spies to watch the 22-year-old South American star score for his Argentinian club River Plate at the weekend and a fee has been discussed during the visit.

Falcao, nicknamed El Tigre, could be the ideal replacement for Robbie Keane and Ramos is poised to pounce - whether Andrei Arshavin's move goes through or not before the deadline.The fiery striker is a handful on the park but also a devout Christian away from the game. He is a charismatic player and could fill Keane's boots as a lively and skillful attacker.

I wouldn't be surprised if Falco did end up at Spurs. After losing Robbie Keane and inevitabley Dimitar Berbatov, Tottenham desperately need a new striker before the window closes at the end of the month.

Everton are closing in on £12 million Liverpool target Albert Riera. The Espanyol midfielder has been linked with a move to Liverpool all summer long after Rafa Benitez admitted his interest in the Spanish international, but not David Moyes is in the market for Riera. (Guardian)

The 26-year old has already tasted life in the Premier League with Manchester City a few years back, where he spent an unsuccessful year long loan at Eastlands. Liverpool were told by Espanyol they would have to up their bid for Riera to £19 million, a price which saw Benitez cool his interest in the player.

It is understood now that the La Liga club are willing to listen to offers for the player and Everton are now preparing a £12 million bid for the former Bordeaux man. I personally feel Riera would be a total waste of money. He was extremly average at City and I think Everton would be better off going for someone like Joao Moutinho.

Arsenal defender Phillippe Senderos is close to joining AC Milan after it was reported he is undergoing a medical in Milan today. The Swiss international has struggled to nail down a first team place at the Emirates over the past 12 months with William Gallas and Kolo Toure forming a solid partnership in the centre of the Gunners defence.

The 23-year old was also linked with a move to Newcastle earlier this summer but for whatever reason nothing every materialised. It is rumoured that Senderos could complete a a one-year loan deal to the Serie A giants and a move could be complete as early as tonight. Senderos has made 31 appearances for the Swiss national team, scoring 3 times in the process.

I am pretty surprised to see AC move for a player like Senderos. I personally feel Senderos is an no better than an average defender and I it doesn't surprise me one bit to see Arsene Wenger letting go of the former Servette man. It is thought that the deal could become permanent at the end of the season.

Tottenham are keeping tabs on Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar as a possible replacement to Manchester United bound Dimitar Berbatov. The Dutch international said last year he would not be at Ajax come the start of the 08/09 season but so far nothing has materialised in terms of an exit from the Amsterdam Arena. (Guardian)

The 25-year old has been linked with a whole host of clubs in recent months including Man United, Arsenal, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid to name a few. It is understood Ajax will only listen to offers of £18 million and above and Juande Ramos is prepared to meet that asking price accoring to the Guardian.

I personally think if Spurs were to sign Huntelaar and Arshavin from Zenit they would be sorted. Huntelaar would be a tremendous signing and at £18 million would be good value for money. In 80 league games for Ajax, Huntelaar has scored 72 goals in the process, which in my eyes in very impressive and if he can produce anything like that kind of form at White Hart Lane it would be terrific.

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has urged fellow countryman Xabi Alonso to join him at the Emirates. The Liverpool midfielder has been linked with a £16 million move to the Gunners in recent weeks after it became clear that Rafa Benitez may have to sell the Spaniard to sign Gareth Barry.

"Xabi is my friend of course, but apart from that he is a great player," Fabregas said in The People. "He has won the Champions League and won a European Championship - and he is only 26." Arsene Wenger is believed to be keen to bring in another midfielder after selling Alexander Hleb earlier this summer.

I personally feel Alonso would be a magnificent signing for Arsenal. I think he could form a superb partnership with Fabregas in the heart of the Gunners midfield and at £16 million would prove to be good value for money.

Tottenham's move for Andrei Arshavin and Manchester United's move for Dimitar Berbatov look to be taking shape tonight after it was confirmed that Zenit St Petersburg have signed Danny Miguel for £24 million from Dinamo Moscow.

Zenit's Arshavin has been linked with a £20 million move to White Hart Lane all summer long after his terrific displays for the Russian national team the the European Championships. Juande Ramos is keen to add to his striking options after losing Robbie Keane to Liverpool last month.

So if Spurs are to finally sign Arshavin that will inevitably see Dimitar Berbatov complete a £25 million move to Manchester United. The Bulgarian international is almost certain to leave the club this summer after being left out of the Spurs side which lost to Sunderland yesterday.

I am really happy these deals look to be finally going through. It has annoyed me, and I am sure it has annoyed you as well, the amount of speculation about the pair this summer. I think Spurs signing Arshavin could prove to be one of the signings of the season and I am sure he will become a Spurs fan favourite within weeks.

Liverpool are ready to make a £14 million bid for Middlesbrough midfielder Stewart Downing. The England international has been linked with a whole host of exits from the Riverside over the past 12 months or so with Tottenham also said to be interested. (News of the World)

The 24-year old could finally solve Rafa Benitez' left-sided problems, which have existed for some time now. Downing is one of Boro's most influential players and there is no doubt Gareth Southgate will be doing everything he can to keep him at the club.

I believe Downing would be a superb signing for Liverpool. He has been by far Boro's best player for the past two years or so and I think in a better side he will prove to be a huge hit. I know several Liverpool fans and I get the feeling they wouldn't like Downing arriving at Anfield but I feel given the time he will be a huge asset for the club.

Newcastle United are preparing a £12 million bid for Chelsea midfielder Florent Malouda. The French international has struggled at Stamford Bridge ever since his £15 million move from Lyon last summer. (Mail on Sunday)

The 28-year old arrived at the Blues as one of the most highly rated wingers in Europe but unfortunately for him and the club, it hasn't really worked out. Kevin Keegan is ready to make Chelsea a teasing offer which Luis Fillipe Scolari may well be tempted to accept.

I'm not really sure Malouda is the right man for Newcastle. At Lyon I felt he was a quality player who would make a great signing for anyone in the Premier League but I have since found that he is simply an average player who is worth nowhere near the £15 million Chelsea paid for him or indeed the £12 million Newcastle may pay.

BLACKBURN have tied down striker Roque Santa Cruz to a new contract.The Paraguayan was wanted by ex-Rovers boss Mark Hughes at Manchester City.But the ex-Bayern Munich ace has committed his future to the Ewood Park club by signing a four-year deal.It is a huge boost for Rovers boss Paul Ince, who has already lost England star David Bentley to Tottenham this summer.City had looked to be in pole position to sign Santa Cruz when they tabled a £12million bid last week.But Blackburn insisted their top scorer was not for sale and rejected the offer, even though it was three times the amount they paid for him just 12 months ago.

Rovers had gambled on Santa Cruz when they paid less than £4m for him despite a series of serious knee injuries.But the move paid off as he played 36 of 38 Premier League games last season and scored 19 goals.

This is really excellent news for Blackburn Rovers fans, Santa Cruz is an invaluable player to Blackburn and will be vital if they are to improve on last years finish.

Andriy Shevchenko will finally end his Chelsea nightmare by returning to AC Milan.The Ukrainian striker thought his move back to Italy had fallen through during the week when the two clubs failed to agree a fee.But a breakthrough has been reached and the Blues will offload the player they paid £30million for two years ago subject to a medical.Shevchenko, 31, said: “For me it’s like winning the Champions League.“There were complications but now everything is resolved I’m really happy.”Details of the transfer have not yet been revealed but the switch could pave the way for Chelsea to step up their bid for Real Madrid hitman Robinho.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said: “Andriy has returned home and I am happy about it. I am a Milan fan and I am very happy.“I’ve spoken to Andriy 48 times in the past three hours - the terms of the agreement are very private.“Between today and tomorrow Andriy will be at Milan and he will start again his life as a Milan player.“Andriy made a mistake in leaving and I believe that in the past two years he has realised that this is his home.“Now he has made his financial sacrifices but at this point the only thing that matters is that he returns to us.”

You can read what Cathal had to say on the move HERE

Tottenham's move for Manchester City defender Vedran Corluka could be back on after City agreed a fee for Hamburg defender Vincent Kompany. The Croatian international has been linked with a move to White Hart Lane for weeks now, however as yet nothing has been agreed. (Daily Mail)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos is keen to add to his defence before the close of the transfer window and Vedran Corluka is said to be his number one target. The player is also said to be open to a move to North London according to his agent.

As a City fan myself, I hope Corluka stays, however I am of the opinion that an unhappy player should be allowed leave a club. He had a terrific first season at the City of Manchester and it would be a real shame to see him leave so early. I feel Spurs would be a great deal if they signed the player for the rumoured £8 million.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to challenge Rafa Benitez for the Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry. The England international has been linked with a move to Liverpool all-summer long but now Wenger admits he is interested in Barry. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill insists that if anyone wants to buy Barry, they will have to cough up the £18 million price-tag. That has knocked back Liverpool's efforts to sign the 27-year old, due to the owners stance on the matter, however Wenger has admitted he wants to bolster his midfield options before the close of the transfer window.

I believe Barry is just what the Gunners need. After losing Akexander Hleb and Matthieu Flamini, Wenger is desperate to replace the pair and I feel bringing in Barry would be a quality signing, even if he will cost the club £18 million. I wonder if Benitez will re-ignite his interest now.

Tottenham are set to miss out on West Ham United defender Anton Ferdinand, with Sunderland nearing a deal for the former England under-21 international. The player has been linked with a whole host of moves over the past week or so, but it is now understood that he could complete a move to the Stadium of Light by this evening. (The Sun)

The 23-year old has struggled for form at Upton Park over the past 18 months or so largely due to injuries. Ferdinand has spent his whole career at the Hammers, making a total of 161 appearances for the club. Sunderland manager Roy Keane will have to cough up at least £8 million, which Hammers boss Alan Curbishley is demanding.

I'm not really sure what to make of this move. Ferdinand, on his day, is one of the best defenders in the country but unfortunately for West Ham fans, he hasn't had many of those days. I think a fresh start for Ferdinand could do him the world of good and help him restart his push for a place in the England senior squad.

Celtic face competition from two other clubs if they are to sign Shaun Maloney, according to the player’s agent.And agent John Halliwell warned Gordon Strachan that he has to make an official offer soon if he wants to get things moving before the September 1 deadline.(The Daily record)

“Aston Villa haven’t accepted a bid from anyone so unless that happens I will do nothing,” Halliwell told The Daily Record.“If that happens then the final piece of the jigsaw is for me and the player to discuss a move to that club.“I have been contacted by people on behalf of clubs but I have told them if they are interested they have to agree a fee with Villa.“Three clubs have asked if he is available because they want to talk to him but they have to come to an agreement with Martin O’Neill first.”

Personally I feel Maloney made a huge mistake in leaving Celtic. He was getting first-team football and scoring regularly, something which hasn't happened at Villa. A move back to Glasgow may be just what the young striker needs.

Fulham striker David Healy is set for a medical at Sunderland, Roy Hodgson has revealed.The Northern Ireland striker had been linked with a move to Sunderland as Roy Keane looks to bolster his attacking options.And, with the player failing to make his mark at Fulham, Hodgson has allowed the player to travel to the Stadium of Light.

He said: "If David has been spotted at Sunderland he didn't wear that disguise I told him to!"It's no secret that Sunderland admire David and have talked about a transfer. He's up there for a medical today."We'll see what happens now, but it's certainly a possibility the transfer could go through."

This looks like another quality signing for Sunderland if David Healy does in fact move to them. I would be shocked if Sunderland were dragged into a relegation battle this year, I can see them finishing a comfortable 10th. You heard it here first!

Manchester City have agreed to buy Belgium star Vincent Kompany from Hamburg.The German club, managed by ex-Tottenham boss Martin Jol, claim a fee has been agreed for the defender.Kompany, 22, has played 23 times for his country and is highly-rated in Germany.He would become City's third signing of the summer after striker Jo and centre-back Tal Ben Haim.Hamburg’s director of football Dietmar Beiersdorfer said: “We wish Vincent all the best for his future.”

I think this would be an excellent signing and I feel it could turn out to be the buy of the season. Maybe Arsenal should have gone for him instead of Silvestere...

Soccer ace Steve Gerrard is so obsessed with cleanliness he won't even walk barefoot on a beach, claims wife Alex Curran.Recalling their first wedding anniversary getaway to Miami in June, Alex, 25, said: "We didn't leave the pool on holiday because Steven doesn't like to get his feet dirty in the sand. The pool is cleaner."And if he reads a newspaper, he has to wash his hands straight away.

Liverpool and England midfielder Gerrard, 28, is not the only footie star with a strange hang up.David Beckham suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a condition that drives sufferers to carry out bizarre rituals.Becks, 30, admits his compulsive habits include checking how many cans of cola he has in his fridge, counting clothes and placing magazines in symmetrical patterns.

You learn something new everyday!

Mikael Silvestre has joined Arsenal in a two-year deal as was reported this morning on football corner.And the versatile Manchester United defender, 31, claimed he is relishing his fresh start.Silvestre said: “I’ve spent a large part of my career at United, the last nine years, and I’ll remember that time fondly but feel I’m ready for a new challenge."Arsenal is known for playing technical and skilful football, and has a young but experienced squad.I’m really excited about this next stage of my career, hopefully playing my part in helping the Club to new successes.”

Gunners' boss Arsene Wenger said: “We have a strong squad but a young squad."Mikael’s versatility, experience and calibre will provide extra depth to reinforce our challenge for honours this season."His defensive adaptability will serve us well and it’s a big plus that Mikael has top level experience and a great understanding of football in the Premier League.”United gave Silvestre a free transfer in the summer after he joined them for £4million from Inter.

This could very well turn out to come back and haunt Manchester United. If Silvestre can fit into the Arsenal back four who knows he may be the player who steadys Arsenal's rocky defense. I think if Arsenal did improve their defense they would be a major threat to Uniteds crown

When Chelsea announced the £30 million signing of Andriy Shevchenko two years ago, many people felt he could take the league by storm. He had a sterling reputation as one of the greatest striker's in Europe, if not the world.

Since his move from his beloved AC Milan, Shevchenko has only pulled on the blue of Chelsea, 75 times, most of those appearances coming as a substitute. In total he scored 22 goals, which doesn't sound that bad, 13 of which came in cup competitions against lower league opposition.

The 31-year old Ukrainian is now on the brink of rejoining AC, after a summer of speculation about his future. "Shevchenko in the Rossoneri shirt? There really isn't much more to be done," Ramaccioni told Radio Goal. "We are close to the end of the deal and I hope that these little things that have to be fulfilled are done as soon as possible.

A well at least he had a go in the greatest league in the world. It would of been a shame to have never seen the great Sheva grace the Premier League and although it didn't work out the way he didn't, or even we didn't, want it to it was an experience, a poor one at that.

Tottenham are today preparing for life without Dimitar Berbatov after the striker admitted he is desperate for a move to Manchester United. The Bulgarian international has been linked with a move to Old Trafford all summer long and it now appears as though things are beginning to take shape for his £25 million transfer.

Spurs boss Juande Ramos has apparently got three strikers in mind to replace Berbatov. Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan, Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz and finally Spartak Moscow's Roman Pavlyuchenko are all on the radar of the former Sevilla manager.

Andrei Arshavin has been another name mentioned but the North London club have told Zenit St Petrsburg, they are not interested in the 27-year old at their asking price of £24 million. And this was the response of the Russian cub on their website "Zenit consider the question of the transfer of the player to Tottenham closed."

Out of the three names mentioned I could see Forlan heading for White Hart Lane. He had a torrid spell at Man United a few years but has since gone on to be a huge success in La Liga. I feel under the guidance of Juande Ramos he could be a real hit at the club and the rumoured £8 million wouldn't be too much for a striker like Forlan.

Everton have seen off Newcastle in the battle to bag Juventus midfielder Tiago. The Toffees agreed to pay Juve £250,000 to take the 27-year-old on loan for a season — and could sign him permanently for £8m next summer.

They will pick up his £50,000-a-week wages in full but boss David Moyes still has to convince the ex-Chelsea man to become his first summer signing.Portugal star Tiago is worried about returning to England after being branded a flop during his spell at Stamford Bridge.

Like Wayne Bridge after Cole and Sean-Wright-Phillips after Kalou, Tiago didn't get enough games after Essien's big money arrival. Moyes knows how to help ailing midfielders recapture their form and confidence and usually delivers on one surprise loan signing a year.

I feel this could be an excellent move for Everton and the player, although I wouldn't be surprised if i saw free agent Stephen Appiah, joing up with the toffes to.

Djibril Cisse is set to spend the season on loan with Sunderland after the Black Cats agreed an "agreement in principle" with Marseille over the transfer of the striker.Cisse has been expected to head for England this season, with Manchester City among the clubs he was linked with, particularly as his wife still lives in the north west.And today Marseille president Pape Diouf revealed the former Liverpool striker is on his way to the Black Cats.

He told Marseille's website: "An agreement in principle has been reached between OM and Sunderland for the loan of Djibril Cisse to the English club until the end of the season."Some details still need to be sorted out ahead of the confirmation of the loan."Diouf said the original plan had been for Cisse to stay with the French club, but after starting the season on the substitute's bench Sunday's match against Auxerre, when he played only the last 10 minutes, was the final straw.

This could turn out to be a very interesting move by Sunderland. A striker like Cisse would add great pace to their attack and that may just be what they need. He also has great experience at club and international level.

Fernando Torres showed just why he is one of Europe's top strikers at the moment, with a superb performance against Sunderland on Saturday. He scored once and earned the man of the match award which saw the former Atletico Madrid man take 8 points in the first weekend of the Daily Mirror's "You the Manager".

I had him in my team, but did you? The Spaniard costs just £8 million and in my view that is a bargain. Only one week gone in the game, there is plenty of time to catch up with the rest and if you sign-up now, you get 2 teams for the price of 1. I know what I would be doing, putting Torres in both teams.

If you are joining the game, please feel free to join (through the link at the top) the Football Corner Premier League. The password for the league is footballcorner and who knows, you could actually beat my team!

Arsenal are today poised to sign Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre after the player turned down a move to Manchester City. The United veteran is more than likely to leave the club before the transfer window shuts after admitting he is frustarted with the lack of first team football.

The former French international has spent nine years at United making just over 250 appearances in the process. Sunderland are also believed to be keen on the 31-year old but it is now understood that the player himself would prefer to link up with fellow countryman Arsene Wenger at the Emirates.

It is believed that Arsenal will have to cough up only £750,000 in order to sign Silvestre and I personally feel that is a bargain. Unfortunately, Silvestre has been plagued with injuries during his time at Old Trafford which has obviously restricted his playing time but I feel if he gets himself match fit, he will be a brilliant buy for anyone.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has today admitted he is shocked by Great Britain's gold rush at the Olympic Games. "I didn't know the English were good at swimming," claimed the Frenchman. "I have been in this country for 12 years and I haven't seen a swimming pool." (The Times)

Absolutely hilarious video. It is an extract from the Guardian's 'football weekly' podcast.

Security around football star Thierry Henry's mansion has been beefed up amid renewed fears his three-year-old daughter may be the target of kidnappers.(the mirror)Police are hunting two men seen acting suspiciously outside the former Arsenal striker's North London home on Friday.The men are suspected of staking out the £6million property in Hampstead, where Henry's estranged wife Claire Merry, 27, lives with daughter Tea.When confronted by the family's security team, the two men fled in a red BMW.

The security firm alerted police. The incident on Friday afternoon comes a year after Special Branch warned Henry, 31, that Eastern European mobsters were planning to snatch Tea and demand a huge ransom.Henry earns £130,000 a week at Barcelona and has an estimated £25million fortune.Friends are convinced the stress of the original kidnap threat put extra pressure on the couple's four-year marriage. They are currently embroiled in a £10million divorce battle.

Disappointing and shocking story,hopefully it turns out to be false. Thierry Henry has not be the same player he was since leaving Aresnal last season and reports keep linking him with a move back to England, with stories like this coming out I feel we could see him returning to the premiership in the near future.

Roy Keane is planning a £15million triple swoop for Anton Ferdinand, Benni McCarthy and Michael Ball.(The sun)Sunderland manager Keano is waiting to hear if West Ham defender Ferdinand fancies a move to Wearside after Hammers boss Alan Curbishley accepted an £8m bid.Former England Under-21 star Ferdinand, 23, is considering his options and will give Sunderland an answer within the next 48 hours. But Keane is hopeful of landing his man.And the Black Cats chief is also working hard to bring in Blackburn ace McCarthy.

Keane will offer £6m for the South African striker, 30, after having an initial £5m bid rejected on Friday.He has spoken to both players, while also asking about Manchester City’s £1m-rated Ball, 29 and Manchester United left-back Mikael Silvestre, 31.If Keane manages to seal the treble swoop it will take his spending since landing promotion two seasons ago to a whopping £70MILLION.But skipper Dean Whitehead, 26, could be heading out of the Stadium of Light with Fulham, Middlesbrough and Stoke all interested in the midfielder.

In other news, football chiefs have confirmed the transfer window will be extended 24 hours until midnight on September 1.

I'm not sure of this story and I'll believe it when I see them in a Sunderland shirt. Think they would be great signings,a real sign of ambition. I know Anton isn't rated by a lot of people but neither was\is Rio and he is one of the best centre backs in the world. Either way it looking good for Sunderland despite what some people make on. I think Ferdinand has great potential for the future but right now the best two centre backs at west ham are Davenport and Upson, so a moe to Sunderland may be just what he needs to kick start his career.

After watching the Olympic semi-final between Argentine and Brazil, I couldn't help but notice how poor Ronaldinho played. He was, without doubt the worst player on the pitch, and in my opinion should of been taken off at half-time.

He was simply on the pitch by reputation alone. About an hour into the game, Brazil took of Rafael Sobis and brought on Alexander Pato. Now it was clear for all to see that Sobis was contributing far more than the once Player of the Year Ronaldinho, yet Sobis was the player to exit.

Then ten minutes later, the influential Diego was substituted, rather than the stocking that is Ronaldinho, for Manchester City striker Jo.

After a poor 18 months at Barcelona last season, Ronaldinho left for a new challenge with Serie A giants AC Milan. He opted for AC ahead of a move to the Premier League with Manchester City and I can only say I am delighted he picked Milan.

His first three years at the Camp Nou he was unbelievable but since then he looks like an average Sunday League player. He looks out of shape and out of place in the Brazil national team and I feel it is about time Dunga grew a pair and dropped fallen star.

It is clear to me that Ronaldinho may be following the same path of former Brazil legend Ronaldo.

Liverpool are to re-ignite their interest in Espnayol midfielder Albert Riera. The Spanish international has been linked with a move to Anfield all summer up until Espanyol increased their asking price back in July.

Liverpool were prepared to spend as much as £13 million on the former Manchester City man, but Espanyol were holding out for nearer the £19 million mark. Riera, 26, himself is interested in a move back to the Premier League and Rafa Benitez is very keen to sign the Spaniard to answer his left-sided midfield problem.

Personally, I think Liverpool would be crazy to go back in the market for Riera. At Man City, he was decent at best and I feel at £19 million Liverpool would be wasting their money. A move for Riera would almost certainly rule out a Liverpool move for Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry, whom they have pursued all summer.

Tottenham have today made initial enquiries about West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand. The England under-21 defender has been linked with a whole host of exits from Upton Park this summer, with Sunderland also said to be interested. (Daily Mirror)

It is thought that Ferdinand, 23, would prefer to stay in the capital and Spurs boss Juande Ramos is ready to make a £8 million bid for the player. The younger brother of Rio, Anton has struggled to find his best form at the Hammers in the past 18 months and is now ready to leave the club he joined as a teenager.

I don't really think Ferdinand is worth £8 million. He is a good player on his day but unfortunately for West Ham fans and indeed himself, he rarely produces his best form on the big stage. I personally believe Anton is worth more like £6 million and I feel Spurs would not be getting value for money at the price West Ham are asking for.

Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre is on the brink of a £750,000 move to Sunderland. The French defender has struggled for a first team place at Old Trafford in recent months due to the terrific form of fellow countryman Patrice Evra.

The 31-year old has spent over nine years at the club, making 250 appearances in the process. He announced his international retirement back in 2007 after earning 40 caps in his career. It would appear no that Sunderland boss Roy Keane has seen off interest from Celtic and Manchester City for Silvestre signature.

I personally think Silvestre could prove to be a decent signing for the Black Cats. He has bags of exprience in the Premier League and could prove to be a bargain at £750,000. I feel it is best for Silvestre to get on with playing first team football every week because there is no point just sitting on the bench every week, or in Silvestre's case, not even on the bench.

John Terry has been confirmed as Fabio Capello's permanent England captain.The Chelsea ace, 27, will lead the Three Lions against the Czech Republic tomorrow night at Wembley and in the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign.

He fought off competition for the role from Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard.Terry said: "It means the world to me."To retain the armband back is a huge achievement and I'm very proud."I was a little bit of a shock because Rio has been awesome for Man Utd."To get it again and lead the team into the World Cup qualifiers is a big incentive for me and I can't wait."

England boss Capello had trialled Terry, Ferdinand, Gerrard and David Beckham in his first four matches in charge.The Italian said: "It wasn't easy for me to choose Terry as captain."But he has a big personality and that is very important for the team."Capello also confirmed Ferdinand, 29, will be his vice-captain.

I feel this is a fantastic decision Fabio Capello. John Terry is the best captain possible for England because you know John will give everything for his country. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is a true leader. Great choice!

Micheal Owen was last night offered £21million to stay at Newcastle.(The Sun) Owner Mike Ashley has handed the England striker the biggest deal in Toon history — a three-year contract worth a whopping £140,000 a week.It would make Owen not only one of the Premier League’s highest-paid stars but also one the world’s richest.

The ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid ace, 28, whose current £100,000-a-week deal expires in the summer, could leave on a free unless Newcastle tie him down now.A Toon insider said: “It’s the best contract the club has ever offered and shows the owner is prepared to spend big when it comes to keeping the best players.“It’s also a massive vote of confidence in Kevin Keegan, who has always wanted Owen to stay.”The offer comes after Newcastle battled to a gutsy 1-1 draw against Manchester Untied at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Ashley is also set to offer James Milner a new deal — after rejecting Aston Villa’s latest bid of £8m.

I think it is vital Newcastle hold on to Owen as he could be a vital player for them this season. I would love to see Owen to return to full fitness and show us the player he once was.

He can't give them total football but he can give Holland and FC Twente a totally ridiculous accent...

Liverpool defender Steve Finnan has today admitted he doesn't know if he has a future at the club. The Republic of Ireland international has fallen out of favour at Anfield following the arrival of Alvaro Arbeloa last season.

The 32-year old joined the Reds five years ago from fellow Premier League side Fulham, when Gerard Houiller was at the helm. Finnan said "I haven't played, but I will just wait and see and when the transfer window closes, we will know then,"

"I will wait and see if I can get into the team; if not, then obviously I want to play, so we will just have to take it from there."Finnan also revealed he has spoken to Benitez about his situation, but was not elaborating. "We have spoken about it, but at this time, I don't think I will say too much more," he concluded.I

I can see Finnan leaving the Reds for someone like Stoke or Hull before the window closes. He is a decent player, but not Liverpool standard in my opinion and I feel it would be best for him and indeed Liverpool if he left now.

Thomas Gravesen has today left Scottish champions Celtic after a two year spell at the club. The Danish midfielder had fallen out of favour with Hoops boss Gordan Strachan and in turn struggled for a place in the first team.

The former Real Madrid midfielder spent much of last season on loan with Everton, the club he made over 150 appearances for. It is not yet known where the 32-year old will decide to go next but he has left Celtic with his best wishes.

"Celtic, Thomas Gravesen and Thomas's representatives have agreed that he will part company with the club," a statement read on Celtic's website. "Thomas wishes Celtic every success and, likewise, the club wishes Thomas all the very best for the future."

This news comes as no surprise to me and indeed I am sure every Celtic fan was waiting for this day. I feel this can only be good for Celtic because they now have one of their top earners off the wage bill and who knows this could lead Strachan into going out and buying a new midfielder.

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has committed his future to the club today by signing a new long-term deal at the club. Adebayor has been strongly linked with a move away from the Emirates all summer after is his agent claimed interest from AC Milan and Barcelona.

The Togo international has been one of the club's star players over the past 18 months or so. Following the departure of Thierry Henry last summer, the 24-year old has really filled the void of the former Gunners captain.

A statement on Arsenal's website said: "We can confirm Emmanuel has signed a new long-term contract with the club." The player himself remarked "I have three years left on my contract and I'm putting two or three years more, so I'm very happy being part of this family."

I think this is fantastic news for the Gunners as they begin their challenge for the Premier League title. Even though interest had cooled from interested parties in recent weeks, there was still a small doubt in many Arsenal fans mind's and I feel this will do wonders for the whole club.

Robbie Fowler will complete his return to the premiership by signing a short-term contract with Blackburn Rovers.The ex-England striker, 33, has been training with Rovers since his old Liverpool team-mate Paul Ince took charge.And he has done enough to win an initial six-month deal, based largely on appearances, with the promise of a longer stay if he does well.

Ince has plenty of striking options and is likely to use Fowler mainly from the bench with seven subs now allowed in the top flight.But the Guv’nor is convinced his old pal — who has not played a competitive game in 10 months — has not lost his goal knack.

Ince said: “We are close to doing something with Robbie. He’s been different class in training in the last few days.“Robbie is a Premier League goalscorer and he always will be, but the only issue is getting his sharpness back.”

I think signing Robbie Fowler on any sort of deal is a ludacris decision by Paul Ince. Don't get me wrong Fowler was a great player in his day but I think that day is long gone now.

According to todays sundaymirror Dimitar Berbatov's move to Manchester United will go through this week.

A compromise deal between United and Tottenham has been struck.
It came after the Premier League admitted that they had temporarily suspended reviewing the evidence Spurs had submitted to them after the North London club claimed Berbatov had been illegally tapped up by United.

The Premier League was due to look at the evidence last Wednesday, but asked Tottenham to review their documentation and then re-submit it.
United have privately insisted that any deal was subject to the charges being dropped by Tottenham in the same way they facilitated a similar request from Liverpool to ensure Robbie Keane's transfer went through.
United in turn are prepared to up their original £20million offer by a further £5m and include various incentives that will take the ensure deal met Spurs' valuation of £30m.

Personally I find this transfer saga is now very boring. I think it is inevitable that Berbatov will leave it is just a matter of how much and when, this was shown when Ramos left the striker out of the staring line up on saturday. As for the tapping up allegations I wouldn't be surprised if they were indeed true but it happens all the time so I dont see how it can be prevented.

Tottenham have tonight ended their interest in Zenit St Petersburg striker Andrei Arshavin after months of speculation about a £20 million for the Russian. Arshavin has become one of the hottest properties in Europe after his sensational performances for Russia in the European Championships two months ago.

His preferred destination was at first Barcelona but after a while he started to warm to the idea of playing in the Premier League, thus sparking interest from Spurs. Juande Ramos was said to be keen to bring Arshavin to White Hart Lane to replace Robbie Keane who left for Liverpool two weeks ago.

After holding out for £24 million, Zenit were understood to have lowered their asking price for the 27-year old, but Ramos is now looking for new acquisitions. It was thought that Spurs would only have to spend £20 million, but Ramos is having none of it and has apparently switched his attentions to Newcastle striker Michael Owen.

Well the first weekend of the Premier League has come and gone. Plenty of goals and plenty of superb performances but what I want to know is, who do you think was the stand out performer of the week?

Obviously the likes of Gabby Agbonlahor, for his sensational seven minute hat-trick, should feature. Or even Newcastle keeper Shay Given, for his superb display in nets for Kevin Keegan's men. But who do you think? Leave your comments below.

Chelsea are set to lodge a £23 million pound bid to sign Robhinio and the Brazilian has told Madrid 'I must go'.
The Brazilian superstar is even ready to strike in a bid to engineer a move to Stamford Bridge.

According todays SunSport, the striker has told Real supremo Ramon Calderon he wants to join the Blues.
And if he does not get his way, he will refuse to play in Real’s game with Valencia this weekend

His agent Wagner Ribeiro met Madrid officials yesterday. But Calderon rejected the 24-year-old’s plea, telling him he was a major part of their plans and that Chelsea must pay £30m if they want him.

Blues will only go up to £25m and hope to force through the move by early next week.
The Londoners are ready to pay Robinho £5.4m a year on a five-year deal.

Newcastle United are ready to try their luck in bringing Real Madrid striker Javier Saviola to St James' Park. The former Barcelona star has fallen out of favour at the Bernabeu and is keen to leave the club this summer, with Kevin Keegan ready to give him that opportunity. (News of the World)

The Argentine international only joined the Spanish giants last year, after spending a year at arch rivals Barcelona. The 26-year old is way down the pecking order at the club with Raul, Robinho, Van Nistelrooy and Higuian all ahead of him in the striking department.

I would personally love to see Saviola come to the Premier League. He is a quality striker who has scored goals wherever he has been and I feel would be a quality addition to the Newcastle ranks. I do however think he will opt to stay in Spain if indeed an offer does come in from another La Liga side.

Tottenham are preparing a move for Newcastle United striker Michael Owen as a replacement to the Manchester United bound Dimitar Berbatov. The former Liverpool star has had a torrid time with injury since arriving at St James' Park almost three years ago. (Sunday Express)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos has already lost Robbie Keane to Liverpool last month and is almost certain to see Berbatov leave White Hart Lane in the next few days. He has lined up Magpies striker Michael Owen as a possible replacement and the former Real Madrid front man may be interested in a fresh start away from Newcastle.

I personally feel Owen will be very interested in a move to the North London club. His time at Newcastle has simply been rotten, what with injury and indeed poor form so a clean slate at Spurs may appeal to him. I think Kevin Keegan will do everything he can to hold onto the 28-year old but in the end he will accept a bid of about £12 million for the England international.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni has named a 22 man squad for the August 20 senior international friendly against Norway in Oslo.

The squad includes six players who were not involved in the May internationals against Serbia and Colombia.

Among this group is Liverpool defender Steve Finnan who has responded positively to Trapattoni's request to reverse his decision to retire from international football.

"I am happy that Steve Finnan has agreed to return to international football. He is an experienced player and he still has a lot to give to the team," said Trapattoni who added that Andy O'Brien has indicated he will not be going back on his retirement decision.

Peter Crouch has been axed from the England squad for the friendly game against Czech Republic on Wednesday. The Portsmouth striker was an almost certainty to take the injured Dean Ashton's place in the 23-man squad, however Fabio Capello has decided to call up Emile Heskey instead.

Paul Robinson has surprisingly been included in the squad whilst Ashley Young also misses out. I am personally quite shocked to not see Crouch's name in the squad, however there is still time for him to put his name in the reckoning for when it really matters against Andorra next month.

Here is the squad in full:

Goalkeepers:

David James (Portsmouth), Paul Robinson (Blackburn), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders:

Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), John Terry (Chelsea), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham), Matthew Upson (West Ham)

Midfielders:

Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), David Bentley (Tottenham),

Strikers:

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Emile Heskey (Wigan)

Rafa Benitez has tonight confirmed he will not be leaving Liverpool after their was intense speculation that the Spaniard was on his way out of Anfield. The Liverpool boss has had several public rows with the American owners and it was rumoured he may decide to quit, but that is not the case.

Benitez said: "I don't read headlines on the day of the game, but my commitment is 100 per cent - with the fans, with the players and with the club in general. I say 100 times my family is happy here - we want to win trophies at this club because it is a massive club.

It's all well and good Benitez saying he is not leaving the club, but I feel he may well be sacked if he doesn't deliver in the league this season. The American owners aren't slow to look for new managers, sure they approached Jurgen Klinsman mid-way through last season behind Benitez' back and I am sure they won't hesitate to give Benitez his marching orders.

I personally think the owners are getting too involved in Benitez' transfer dealings. Ok, I understand it's their money and they have a right to have a say on where it is going but telling Rafa he can't buy Gareth Barry because they already have Alonso is ridiculous.

Liverpool take the three points and will be rightfully delighted with that, but the worry will be that it took a moment of individual brilliance to break the deadlock after they struggled to break Sunderland down.

What a strike from it was though from Torres. Alonso played an excellent ball through to the striker, who steadied himself in space and buried it in from 20 yards out. Gordon was well positioned but still found himself beaten at the near post.

Liverpool will be delighted to take full points from this game and in truth they probably deserverd but it was a less then convincing performance from Benitez's side.

Everton and Blackburn played out a very entertaining game which Blackburn ran out 3-2 winners thanks to a last minute goal from Andre Ooijer. David Dunn gave Blackburn the lead in the 21st minute but just on the stroke of half-time a Mikel Arteta free kick ensured the sides went in level at the break. A headed goal in the 65th minute thanks to Ayegbeni Yakubu gave Everton the lead. But two minutes later Blackburn were level. A Goal by Roque Santa Cruz, right-footed from right side of six-yard box .But of course there was one last twist in this terrific game and up stepped Andre Ooijer with aright-footed low drive from left side of six-yard box. An excellent game in which either team deserved to win.

Meanwhile at the Riverside Middelsborough beat Tottenham 2-1 thanks to goal from Wheater and Mido. A surprising victory as many tipped Spurs to be the team who may brek the 'big four'. Tottenham did pull one back as Huth headed the ball into his own net from Bentley's cross in the 90th minute. But Spurs didn't even have time to even get close to an equaliser and Boro ran out deserved 2-1 winners.

Bolton and West Ham got their Premier League campaigns off to flyers with victories over Stoke City and Wigan respectively. Meanwhile, Premier League new boys Hull City came from behind to beat Fulham at the KC Stadium.

Bolton ran out 3-1 winners against Tony Pulis' Stoke City at the Reebok Stadium. Gretar Steinsson put the Wanderers in the lead just after the half hour mark with a his cross looped over Stoke keeper Thomas Sorenson.

Kevin Davies and new signings Johan Elmander rapped up the three points for the home side before the break with a header each. Ricardo Fuller grabbed a late consolation for the visitors.

West Ham's Dean Ashton was the star of the show at Upton Park today, with the England manager Fabio Cappelo watching in the stands. The England striker bagged two goals for himself early in the first-half before Amir Zaki pulled a goal back for the visitors just after the break. Alan Curbishley's men held on to win 2-1.

Meanwhile, Hull City produced a magnificent display which saw them come from behind to beat Roy Hodgson's Fulham 2-1. The visitors got off the a magnificent start when Seol Ki-Hyeon headed home Jimmy Bullard's cross. Former Man City midfielder Giovanni brought the home side back into it with a peach of a finish mid-way through the first-half.

But is was substitute Caleb Folan who was the hero, calmly finishing after being played in by Craig Fagan. Great start to the Premier League, with plenty of goals around. Terrific performance from Gary Megson's Bolton, but Phil Brown's Hull showed a lot of guts coming from behind against Fulham.

Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro has returned to Germany to join Werder Bremen on a year's loan. The 29-year-old Peruvian moved to Stamford Bridge from Bayern Munich only last summer on a free but he failed to make an impact.

Pizarro was a complete flop in his first season at Chelsea but maybe just maybe, this move could kick start his career again. Well its better then Hull anyway...

Arsenal got their Premier League campaign off to a good start, beating one of the league newcomers, West Brom 1-0 at the Emirates this lunch-time. It was one of the Gunners summer signings who earned Arsene Wenger's men all three points.

Yes, £12 million midfielder Samir Nasri put his side 1-0 up early on with a neat finish from all of six yards. With the first goal coming so early, many people might of thought that Arsenal were going to run away with this, far from it.

Tony Mowbray's side put up a superb fight against the might of Arsenal and were in truth unlucky not to get more from the game, although I am sure the Baggies fans weren't expecting too much from today's outing.

Before the season started, I personally thought West Brom would stay up and judging on today's performance I am pretty certain they will. Their performances at the Hawtorns this season will be crucial in their bid for survival, starting with next week's game against Everton.

Arsenal have today made the first steps to sign Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso. The Spanish international has been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield in recent weeks after falling down the pecking order at the club.

Arsene Wenger is keen to bring the former Real Sociedad midfielder to the Emirates as a possible replacement to Matthieu Flamini who has yet to be fully replaced. The Gunners have also been linked with Gareth Barry but Wenger would prefer to bring Alonso to the club rather than the Aston Villa captain.

Alonso, 26, moving to the Arsenal would be very intreaging. I personally feel Alonso is a quality player and he wasn't given enough first team football last season, so I think he could prove to be an excellent signing for the Gunners if he does indeed join them.

After reading Guillem Balague's article about Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez being on the verge of quitting, I must admit, it doesn't surprise me. Benitez has been linked with an exit from Anfield before, when the American owners approached Jurgen Klinsman about taking over the hot seat at the club.

Benitez has had several fallen outs with the owners, due to their reluctance to cough up the cash for new signings, most notably Gareth Barry. The owners have stated that Benitez doesn't need to sign the Aston Villa captain because he already has Xabi Alonso, a statement which has caused much rumblings of another falling out between manager and owners.

Benitez apparently said the only reason he decided to stay is his respect for the fans and the people he works with on a daily basis. I am sure if Liverpool don't get off to a good start Benitez will be kicked out of the club by the owners but would Liverpool fans be happy about that.

I'm not sure. I mean he has brought the club to two Champions League finals, winning one. But he has never really challenged for the league and I personally feel with the money he has got from the owners he should of done better last season. Ok their was a lot of new signings and they need time to gel, but he spent over £5o million and was still nowhere near Man United.

Anyway, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Benitez not at Anfield by Christmas, one way or another. Either he gets the boot or he decides he had enough of the owners and decides to leave with his head held high.

Dimitar Berbatov is putting the finishing touches to his £28 million move to Manchester United. The Bulgarian international is having a medical in Manchester after weeks of speculation over his future.

The former Bayner Leverkusen man has been Sir Alex Ferguson's number one target for some time now after the United boss confirmed he was in the market for a new striker. Berbatov, 27, had also been linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona, but in the end it looks like United have prevailed.

I personally think Berbatov will be a quality signing for United although I don't know who United will start once he signs. He is a proven goalscorer at every level and I am sure United fans will be chuffed to see him arrive at Old Trafford, although I think he is worth a little less than the £28 million United have paid.

Tottenham's move for Russian striker Andrei Arshavin could be completed as early as tonight after Zenit St Petersburg lowered their asking price. Spurs boss Juande Ramos has been after Arshavin ever since his superb displays for Russia in the European Championships last June. (Setanta)

It was understood that Spurs were only willing to cough up £16 million for the 27-year old, however Zenit were demanding at least £20 million. It now looks as though the two sides have come to an agreement and the player could finalise a move as early as this evening.

Arshavin has spent his whole career at Zenit, helping the side win a UEFA Cup last season. He has scored 47 goals in 217 games for the Russian giants and has 37 caps for Russia. Arshavin had stated his desire to join La Liga side Barcelona but they were not prepared to meet Zenit's asking price.

The signing of Arshavin would simply be superb for Spurs. After seeing Robbie Keane leave the club two weeks ago and now possibly Dimitar Berbatov leaving in the very near future, it was important Spurs got a good replacement in and I feel Arshavin certainly fits the bill.

Newcastle United have signed Argentina defender Fabricio Coloccini from Deportivo La Coruna for an undisclosed fee. The Argentine international has signed a five-year contract at St James' Park as manager Kevin Keegan continues to strengthen his defence.

Keegan has been expected to capture the 26-year-old, who played every minute for Depor in La Liga in 2007/08, for a number of weeks and has now finally got his man. The Magpies have already signed defender Sebastien Bassong and Coloccini becomes the latest arrival as Keegan attempts to bolster a backline which leaked 65 Premier League goals last season.

Coloccini began his career at Boca Juniors in 1998 before moving to AC Milan the following season. However, he made just one appearance for the Serie A outfit and spent the rest of his five years with the Italians on loan at San Lorenzo, Alaves, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal before moving to Depor in 2004.

He also featured heavily in the 2006 World Cup and was part of the Argentina side that was defeated 3-2 by England in a friendly in November 2005. I feel this is an excellent signing by Keegan. Coloccini will add a bit of assurance and experience to a very shaky Newcastle defense. He has played in world cups, champions leagues and very important games for both club and country.

Will the Argentine make it into your team? Then join the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) Fabricio for just £3.5 million.

Chelsea are ready to raid Manchester City with an £8million move for teenage striker Daniel Sturridge - and make him the new Didier Drogba. Roman Abramovich's club have the cash to snatch the 18-year old prospect who has been on their wish list for a couple of seasons, and rumour has it a three-man delegation representing Chelsea watched him playing last night.

The Stamford Bridge outfit know City have to wheel and deal to bring in new players for Mark Hughes and this could be the perfect time to try and snatch Sturridge. Birmingham-born Sturridge isn't 19 until next month but is already shaping up as a star of the future. He's overcome injuries to get into Hughes' first-team plans and has impressed for both England's Under-17 and Under-19 sides in recent times.

Chelsea do not have any strong young strikers coming through their ranks and would love to groom Sturridge to lead their attack in the future - with similarities to Drogba's strength and power striking. And although City will demand serious money for their latest star youngster it could still represent value for Chelsea, one of the few clubs who can afford to invest big cash on future talent.

Blues talent-spotter Frank Arnesen has been after Sturridge since he took the job and the Londoners almost got him to quit City before he'd signed a pro contract. I think Sturridge is obviously a very talented young player, but at the moment thats all he is. To pay £8 million pounds for a player to sit in your reserves is ridiculous, but then again it is Chelsea! I also think City could find a huge offer too good to refuse, especially with owner Thaksin Shinawatra's assets currently frozen in Thailand.

As well all know, the Premier League begins on Saturday, with Arsenal and West Brom getting us under way. Here I have complied my list of predictions for the forthcoming season along with odds from Sky Bet.

Premier League Outright Betting:

1. Chelsea - 7/4.
2. Man United - 11/8.
3. Tottenham - 50/1.
4. Liverpool - 13/2.
5. Arsenal - 6/1.
6. Aston Villa - 150/1.
7. Everton - 200/1.
8. Portsmouth - 400/1.
9. Man City - 150/1.
10. Newcastle - 400/1.
11. West Ham - 1000/1.
12. Middlesbrough - 1500/1.
13. Sunderland - 2000/1.
14. Blackburn - 1000/1.
15. Fulham - 2500/1.
16. Wigan - 2500/1.
17. West Brom - 5000/1.
18. Bolton - 3000/1.
19. Hull City - 7500/1.
20. Stoke City - 7500/1.

Here's an early season bet to blow you away-Manchester United to be top of the Premier League by the end of September.
Alex Ferguson’s champs don’t typically get off to a flyer, but double figures for the title favourites is a huge risk by bookies SunBET.

Granted United have some tricky away trips to Portsmouth, Liverpool and Chelsea – and will miss the slavery service of the injured Cristiano Ronaldo and a few other sicknote stars.
But only FIFTH FAVOURITES at 12/1 behind Arsenal (9/4), Chelsea (5/2), Liverpool (3/1), and even Spurs (10/1)?

And who knows at that price Sir Alex might even have a flutter!

But if you really can’t stick forking out on Manchester United, then why not the improving Villa, with Martin O’Neill’s excellent summer signings, at 25/1 or Pompey to carry on from last season’s Cup success at an even bigger 50s.

The transfers of Gareth Barry to Liverpool and Vedran Corluka to Tottenham both look dead in the water tonight, as both players have started their sides UEFA Cup matches. That means that both players would be cup-tied if they were to move, which makes both deals highly unlikely now.

Barry has started (and indeed has scored) for Aston Villa in their UEFA Cup qualifying tie against FH Hafnarfjordur. Barry has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool over the past few weeks and months, with an £18 million deal being touted.

Meanwhile, Corluka has started Manchester City's tie against FC Midtylland. It had been widely speculated that Corluka would complete an £8 million move to the North London side by the end of the week, but it looks as though now Juande Ramos will miss out on the Croatian.

Will Corluka or Barry make it into your starting eleven? Then sign-up for the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign Corluka for £4 million and Barry for £6 million.

I have had many conversations with friends in recent days about who has been the best summer signing by a Premier League team. The obvious ones are Robbie Keane to Liverpool, David Bentley to Tottenham, but what we want to know is, who do you think is has been the summers best signing?



Take into account, was the player value for money, will he improve the side he has moved to and most importantly did the side really need the player? Leave your comments and enjoy a good argument!

Blackburn Rovers have turned down a bid from Manchester City for striker Roque Santa Cruz and have blasted their rivals for their persistence in chasing the Paraguayan international.

Santa Cruz has been linked with a number of clubs this summer - including City's neighbours Manchester United. A statement on Rovers' website read: 'A bid came in last night and it was immediately rejected.

Various Manchester City officials have been advised on a number of occasions that the player would not be for sale. 'We are very disappointed, therefore, that they have continued their interest.'

News of a bid from City would seem to fly in the face of recent speculation about a cash crisis at Eastlands following club owner Thaksin Shinawatra's attempt to gain political asylum in England. City are believed to have tabled a bid worth £12m for the striker's services.

With Manchester City's current situation it would be madness to move for Santa Cruz to move to them. At £12 million, a player like Santa Cruz is a real bargain buy and I feel he is capable of succeeding at a big club

I would expect Santa Cruz to demand a move in the next day or two. Surely anyone with any ambition would rather move to a bigger club than stay at a club that may well be looking at a relegation battle this season. I'd genuinely love to see Blackburn do well this year but with Paul Ince at the helm I think Blackburn fans could be in for a very long season.

Will Santa Cruz make it into your team? Then join the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top). At £6 million he is surely a massive bargain.

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has today been linked with a £15 million move to Italian giants AC Milan. The Spanish international has been linked with a move away from Anfield all summer after it was claimed Benitez had to offload Alonso to fund a move for Gareth Barry.

Alonso was close to joining Juventus earlier in the summer but Liverpool asked for too much, with Juve only prepared to pay £12 million. Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti is keen to add to his midfield options after signing Arsenal midfielder Matthieu Flamini in June.

If a deal is done which sees Alonso leave the Merseyside club, that will inevitably lead to Benitez spending the cash on Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry. The England international has been linked with a move to the club all summer, but as yet nothing has happened.

I firmly believe Liverpool are better off holding onto Alonso and not buying Barry. Alonso has been, and still is a great asset to the club and I feel Benitez hasn't used the 25-year old to his advantage because he is a super player on his day and every Reds fan knows that.

Will Alonso or Barry make it into your team? Join the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign the pair for just £6 million each!

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has reiterated his desire to hold onto striker Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian international has been heavily linked with a £30 million move to Premier League champions Manchester United all summer but as yet nothing has been agreed.

Having lost Robbie Keane last month, Ramos is keen to hang onto the former Bayern Leverkusen star. "He is our player. He is at our club. He is a fantastic player so it would be great for him to stay," said Ramos. "He is an absolute pro. He has been working independently from anything outside of football. "Any speculation has been handled by his agent and he has been getting on with training professionally.

Sir Alex Ferguson said last week that he wants to bring in a new frontman before the start of the new season on Saturday, with Berbatov said to be his number one target. My personally opinion is that Spurs are already resigned to losing the 27-year old. When United show an interest in a player they rarely miss out on thier man and I feel Berbatov will be at Old Trafford by the start of next week.

Will you pick Berbatov to star in your team? Then join the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign the Bulgarian for £7.5 million.

Aston Villa are preparing a £9 million bid for Newcastle United winger James Milner. The former Leeds man has been targeted by Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez all summer but it now looks as though Martin O'Neill is to chance his luck by making a bid for the England under-21 international.

Milner, 22, had a brief spell at Villa Park two seasons ago and was close to a £4 million permanent move then, but for whatever reasons nothing materialised. Newcastle are looking to bring in new players, not lose them but it is widely thought that they must sell before they can think of buying so Kevin Keegan may have to let go of Milner.

I would be very surprised if Villa were the only team to make a bid for James. He is a terrific winger who I feel would be a great acquisition for several sides in the Premier League but not Liverpool. I feel the appeal of European football could force Milner to leave Newcastle and join Villa.

Is Milner good enough for your team? Join the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign the highly rated youngster for just £4.5 million. What a bargain!

Tottenham are to step up their efforts for Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute as the club prepares itself for the departure of Dimitar Berbatov. The former Spurs fan favourite has been linked with a return to White Hart Lane on numerous occasions after Juande Ramos arrived in North London.

Kanoute, 30, has had three very successful years at Sevilla, winning two UEFA Cups in the process. He has scored an impressive 70 goals in just under 140 games at the Spanish giants. The Mali international is thought to be interested in a return to Spurs and Ramos is keen to bring him back at all costs.

Kanoute moving back to Spurs would certainly help to ease pain of Berbatov departing. There is no doubt Spurs need to bring in one or two strikers after Robbie Keane departed for Liverpool last month so Kanoute and maybe, Arshavin to arrive in the next few weeks, that would be good.

After arranging a press conference for 5 pm today, many people had hoped that Chelsea were to announce a new signing, like Robinho and Kaka. Chelsea claimed their was a major announcement, a press conference not to be missed but in truth it was just another contract signed by a overpaid Premier League star.



Frank Lampard signed a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge, which should see the former West Ham star remain at the club for the remainder of his playing days. He had been linked with a summer move to Inter Milan, but Chelsea persistence to hold onto the England international eventually proved decisive.

I personally don't believe a player signing a new deal at a club is a major announcement. It happens every day. Lampard is, in my opinion well overpaid and at 30 is coming to end of his best years in his career. I think Chelsea should of cashed in on Lampard while they could. I know they don't really need the money with Mr Abramovich at the helm but still they have an abundance of midfielders who I personally are as good as, if not, better than Lampard.

Deco, Ballack and Essien are all quality midfield players who are more than capable of filling Lampard's position. Lampard is reportedly on £150,000 which is incredible. If you think about it, that's a lot of money. Anyway, in conclusion, I got my hopes about the Chelsea press conference only to be incredibly disappointed.

Is Lampard good enough to make it into your team? Join the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign the England midfielder for £8 million. So that's about a year's pay for Lamps.

Newcastle United are planning a move for former Chelsea midfielder Tiago. The Juventus midfielder is likely to leave the Serie A giants this summer after falling out of favour with manager Claudio Ranieiri.

The Portguese international is nearing a one-year loan deal to St James' Park with a view to a £8 permanent move after that. The 27-year old spent just a season at Chelsea under manager Jose Mourinho and won a Premier League title during his time at Stamford Bridge.

I personally believe Tiago is a very good player who would benefit Kevin Keegan's side immensely. Tottenham were apparently interested in signing the former Lyon man last January but for whatever reason he didn't move to White Hart Lane, but I am full sure he will prove to be a good signing for the Magpies.

Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea are to miss out on Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o after the Spanish giants confirmed he is staying at the club. The Cameroon international had been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League after Barca boss Pep Guardiola told Eto'o he was surplus to requirements at the club.

Eto'o is valued at the £30 million and it was thought that a move to England was likely but Barca said on their official website: "Josep Guardiola has explained in the press conference for the game against Wisla Krakow that Samuel Eto'o will continue one more season as an azulgrana (Barca player). "The azulgrana coach has announced that it is a decision taken, 'by the desire of the player and by myself.'"

I personally would of loved to see a top player like Eto'o playing in the Premier League this season. He is a superb striker that any manager would love to have in their squad and I feel he would of been a terrific asset to any side in question. Ah well, maybe he'll come next year.

Manchester United have today made an unsuccessful move for Liverpool target David Silva. The Valencia striker has been linked with several moves to the Premier League after some superb displays for a victorious Spanish side in the European Championships.

Silva, 22, has been a long-term target of Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez but with Sir Alex Ferguson's problems in the striking department it comes as no surprise to see him move for the Spaniard. Silva is more than likely to leave the Mestalla this summer after the club revealed they are in financial difficulties.

Silva's agent Julio Llorente said: "United made an offer for David Silva, but this has been turned down by Valencia." I feel Silva would be a magnificent signing for United. It is likely that United will have to bid at least £20 million to force Valencia to sell and I think that is a fair price for a promising young player like Silva.

Tottenham have today sold defender Younes Kaboul which would appear to pave the way for Manchester City full-back Vedran Corluka to join the club. It had become pretty clear that Kaboul would indeed leave White Hart Lane this summer after Juande Ramos admitted he was not part of his plans.

The French defender signed a four-year deal this morning at Fratton Park after rejecting a move to both Sunderland and Aston Villa two weeks ago. Now that Spurs have sold Kaboul, City defender Corluka could make his way to North London.

The Croatian international has been linked with a move to Spurs for the past week or so, with reports claiming that he has already passed a medical and signed personal terms at the club.

However, last night City stated that the player would be remaining at Eastlands, which was met with anger from Corluka's agent who said, "Corluka is unhappy at the club and wants to leave City". All a bit confusing if you ask me, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Corluka pulling on a white jersey next season.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton have today all been alerted by the news that Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson has rejected a new contract at Eastlands. The England under-21 international has been heavily linked with a move away from the City of Manchester stadium all summer.

It now appears as though he could be on his way out sooner rather than later after he rejected a new five-year deal at the club. Johnson, 20, has become an integral part of the Man City first team after progressing through the club's highly regarded youth academy 18 months ago.

It is understood that talks are still ongoing between Michael and the club but there is no doubt Benitez, Wenger, Ramos and Moyes will all be licking their lips at the prospect of bringing the central midfield player to their club. It is likely that whoever does want to buy him will have to pay at least £10 million.

Will Johnson make it into your team? Well sign up for the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign the much sought after midfielder for just £3.5 million.

After yet another emphatic pre season victory, Tottenham look in fine form for a terrific Premier League season. People are asking the question can Juande Ramos' side break into the top four and my answer to that is... easily.

5-0 today against Italian giants Roma, with new signing David Bentley grabbing two goals. Now I understand Roma are a little bit behind in their pre-season training but Spurs today looked awesome.

Paddy Power offer 66/1 for Spurs to win the league and although that may sound a very tall order, I personally feel a fiver each/way on them might not be a bad bet. Ramos is a terrific manager and if they get off to a fast start, who knows where they'll finish.

After reading EPL Talk's article on why Sky Sports News sucks, I must say I agree with most points made. But I thought to myself, are there any reasons Sky Sports News is great and I could only think of one.



That is, Georgie Thompson. Everyday, at 3pm I make sure I watch the show to see lovely Georgie read the latest sports news and then I usually just turn off.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is to be given the £18 million he wants to sign Valencia winger David Silva. The Spaniard has been linked with a move to Anfield for weeks now after his terrific displays in the European Championships for Spain, which saw them lift the trophy.

The 22-year old winger is more than likely to leave the Mestalla this summer after Valencia admitted they would have to sell in order to balance their books. Benitez has supposedly had more arguments with the American owners this week, due to his determination to sign Gareth Barry.

The owners make the point that they have Xabi Alonso and then therefore don't need another central midfield player in Gareth Barry, which I would tend to agree with. Meanwhile, if Liverpool were to indeed sign Silva, I feel it would severally boost their title ambitions due to the players skill and pace.

Tottenham are closing on the signing of Manchester City defender Vedran Corluka. The Croatian international only joined the Blues last season but has impressed Spurs boss Juande Ramos during his first season in the Premier League.

City signed the 22-year old for £7 million last summer but are set to receive at least £8 million if he does move to White Hart Lane. City boss Mark Hughes confirmed yesterday that Spurs were interested in the defender but as yet nothing has been finalised. Corluka was left out of City's 1-0 victory over AC Milan yesterday, fuelling intense rumours that he was in London having a medical.

I personally feel Corluka is a quality player defender and will be a superb signing for Spurs. However I do think he isn't the smartest in the defending sense. He is a very attack minded right-back who is prone to being caught out of position but he I think he will be a great replacement for Pascal Chimbonda at White Hart Lane.

Is Corluka good enough for your team? Join the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign the Croatian star for just £4 million. Quality buy!

Manchester United are ready to give up on trying to sign Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov and instead try and sign Barcelona ace Thierry Henry. The former Gunners frontman has been linked with a move back to the Premier League all summer after an average start to his career in La Liga.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been priced out of a move for Berbatov after Spurs demanded £30 million for the Bulgarian. He has now turned his attentions to Henry, who was quoted as saying last year that he would never join another Premier League club, unless Arsenal came in for him.

I personally would be surprised to see the Frenchman arrive at Old Trafford this summer, although stanger things have happened. Ferguson has admitted he wants to sign a new striker before the big kick-off next week and Henry has been mentioned along with Benzema, Huntelaar and David Villa.

Arsenal are preparing an £8 million bid for Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson after is was reported that the England under-21 international has rejected a new deal Eastlands. Johnson has progressed through the ranks at the City of Manchester stadium and has proved to be a superb asset for City.

It now appears as though Mark Hughes could be losing one of his prized assets in Johnson due to interest from Arsenal. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is ready to make an £8 million for the 20-year, a bid which City may be forced to accept due to Johnson's determination to leave the club.

As a City fan myself I am obviously hoping we keep hold of Michael. He is a terrific prospect for the future and I personally feel he will become an England regular within the next 18 months. I think Johnson would be better off staying at City for at least another season and then maybe think about moving to the Emirates.

Is Johnson good enough for your team? Well sign up for the Daily Mirror's, You the Manager (through the link at the top) and sign the highly rated young midfielder for just £3.5 million. What a bargain!

According to a recent poll run on Football Corner, the three newly promoted Premier League sides will be heading straight back down. Yes after two weeks of voting Stoke City, Hull City and West Brom topped the poll, which asked you the reader, who will be relegated.

Here are the results:

Stoke City - 328 votes (81%)
Hull City - 314 votes (77%)
West Brom - 157 votes (38%)
Bolton - 128 votes (31%)
Wigan - 85 votes (21%)
Fulham - 75 votes (18%)
Sunderland - 39 votes (9%)
Other - 38 votes (8%)

Total Votes : 403

Thanks for voting!

Tottenham are closing on the signing Real Zaragoza keeper Cesar Sanchez. The 36-year old veteran is likely to complete a move to White Hart Lane early next week, where he is to provide cover for Spurs first choice keeper Heurelho Gomes.

The former Spain international has been linked with a move to the Premier League side for a while now as Juande Ramos continues to add to his squad. Sanchez has been at Le Romareda for three years now after spending five years at Real Madrid.

After the departure of Radek Cerny and Paul Robinson earlier this summer, it comes as no surprise to me to see Sanchez heading for North London. I only really expect to see Sanchez playing for Spurs in cup games unless Gomes picks up an injury. Sanchez will provide excellent cover and will be a good addition to the Spurs squad.

Tottenham are planning a move for Former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan. The Atletico Madrid frontman has impressed since leaving the Premier League giants back in 2004 at both Atletico and Villarreal. (Daily Mirror)

The Uruguayan international has been linked with a return to the Premier League last season, with former United legend Roy Keane supposedly keen on bringing him to Sunderland. The 29-year old is said to be open to a move back to England and Juande Ramos is ready to offer him the chance at White Hart Lane.

Spurs have been linked with several names this summer, mainly in the striking the department as they look to replace Robbie Keane. Forlan would likely cost Spurs at least £7 million and I feel if Ramos could get the best out of the player he could turn out to be a bargain at that price.