Summer Transfer Rumours

[muckypups]

I wasn't going to open this thread until we hit the business end of the transfer season.. but there are just too many rumours to ignore..

Kieran Richardson's blip will disappear off Lord Ferg's radar when he hotfoots it to Everton in the summer.

To the surprise of exactly three people, Carlos Tevez will leave West Ham for Milan or Liverpool.

Jason Roberts - Jason Roberts!?!?! - is Sevilla's transfer target of choice.

STRIKER TRANSFERS -

AC Milan - A. Shevchenko (£25m)

- Klaas J. Huntelaar (£12m)

Chelsea - Adriano (£20m)

Arsenal - Nicolas Anelka (£8m)

or - David Trezeguet (£8.5m)

or - Carlos Tevez (£10m)

or - Michael Owen (£9m)

Internazionale - Luca Toni (£14m)

Manchester United - Fernando Torres (£21m)

Liverpool - Dimi Berbatov (£10m + Peter Crouch)

(thus the reason for the signing of Voronin)

Lyon - D. Cisse (£8m)

AS. Roma - Antonio Cassano (loan)

Juventus - Roy Makaay (£5m)

Tottenham - D. Bent (£9m)

Newcastle - Dean Aston (£7m)

- Kevin Davis (£4m)

- Brian McBride (£2.5m)

Blackburn Rovers - Craig Bellamy (£5m)

Everton - David Nugent (£6m)

Bolton - Darius Vassell (£3m)

- Collins John (£3.5m)

Birmingham - Robbie Earnshaw (£4.5m)

Celtic - Jason Roberts (£3m)

European Transfer Rumours Signings

Bayern Munich: H. Altintop, Schlaudraff, Sosa, Van der Vaart, Huntelaar

AC Milan: Saviola, Cassano, Elano, Lucio, Amelia

Juventus: Quagliarella, Baptista, Makelele, Barzagli

Barcelona: Palacio, Ribery, Jansen

Real Madrid: D. Milito, Robben, Diego, G. Milito

Valencia: Alexis, Sneijder, Boruc

Liverpool: Richards, Wright-Phillips, Defoe, Voronin

Man United: Hargreaves, Nani, Torres

Chelsea: Alex, Sidwell, Quaresma, Tevez

Thierry Henry will be signing for Barca this summer, Joey Barton will sign for Everton for roughly 5.5 mil, Roy Maakay will sign for Celtic in a 3-year-deal and Sunderland are currently chasing Celtic's Evander Sno and have reportedly bid £1.2 mil.

Spurs plan a £7m raid for Reading and England B left back Nicky Shorey.

Shorey who only recently signed a new deal at Reading signed for Reading from Leyton Orient for 25k under Alan Pardew back in the old 2nd division.

Not sure what TP will think about that last one...

[muckypups]

Wonder what this guy's been on..

Mourinho is going to leave Chelsea. Abravomich doesn't want any trouble next season. He will bring in Guus Hiddink.

There will be a mass leaving Chelsea:

Lampard (Barcelona) 8mil

Bridge (Newcastle) 8mil

Sinclair (Liverpool) 6mil

j. Cole (Liverpool) 16mil

Makelele (Madrid) 5mil

In will be coming:

Quaresma (Porto) 14mil

Andrade (deportivo) 11mil

Alves (Sevilla) 17mil

Team: Cech/ Alves/ terry/ Carvalho/ cole/ Quaresma/ Ballack/ essien/ Robben/ Drogba/ Shevchenko

Cudicini/ Andrade/ Mikel/ SWP/ Kalou

Shock I know, but this Chelsea team has a lot more balance to it

[ThaiPauly]

Shorey for Spurs?

Would not surprise me.

We are resigned to losng Steve Sidwell, thats a given.

Obviosly as we have had such a brilliant season our players ar bound to become targets for he bigger clubs, an i will not blame anyone for taking the opportunity to move on to bigger things.

Shorey and Sidwell have performed magnificently for us over the last 4-5 years,,,they have done heir job at the Mad Stad and I wish them all the best for their futures.

At least we have the money to replace them...the problem is hat they ar both such integral parts of our team. Wigan lost Chimboda to Spurs and they have obviusly not found a good enough replacement.

For Reading I predict a harder season next year whoever we bring in if we loose such players of quality

But thats Life !!

[muckypups]

Agreed TP But I must say I think Reading have been the team of the season.. and still the possibility of Europe too. It seems certain that Sidwell and Shorey will move on, that's the nature of the game these days, but allowing for the windfall from the new TV deal, and Coppell staying, I think you'll continue to do well..

[Jockstar]

Samuel Eto for Man U?(thats what i heard)

[muckypups]

But they want 30 million quid.. I'd prefer Berbatov, (Premiership proven etc..) that said, I think Spurs would be nuts to sell him..

[TheAceFace]

Some good rumours there!

Doubt very much Berbatov will move to Anfield.....got a funny feeling they may (somehow) temp David Villa there, which would be nice. That young Brazilian also looks a good signing. Wish list: Villa, Alves and Robben.

Man UTD, Hargreaves, Defoe or Eto, Bale............... Joey Barton????

Chelsea.....Not Arsed

Arsenal: Think Henry will leave if they fail to sign Ribery or some hi-profile players. Wenger may also be off.

Will be interesting to see who Sunderland can attract now they are in the prem.

It sure is a good time for transfer muppets.

[John_Rambo]

I've stopped listening to the media specualation over the summer. 99% rumour to sell papers and justify journo's jobs, you can never believe anything until it's signed and sealed.

Having said that, Tevez looks like he would be a great capture for Liverpool and would surely fit Benitez's team ethic. A livewire who will work his nads off to succeed and, crucially, has that touch of flair in the final third that Liverpool haven't had for years. Hope that one happens.

Of the others, Barca will have to accept letting Eto'o go cheaper than thirty million unless a bidding war ensues, which is probably why rumours have been circulating linking him with wanting a move to all four of the top four clubs over the last six months. He's dead set on leaving, he fancies the premiership, and they can't keep him.

Villa have apparently had an 8 million pound approach for Craig Bellamy refused a few weeks ago, although that may be more down to Liverpool's need for him to play in the Champions League undistracted. If they secure their top targets, i wouldn't be surprised to see that move rekindled.

Utd to capture Hargreaves for sure, Bale seems to be a name that is continuously linked with them which suggests there is something there, although why they would need a new left back i don't know, unless Ferguson plans to offload Heinze this summer while he can still get something for him. There is no doubting that a new striker is also at the top of Ferguson's list, but would appear to depend on money available/asking price.

[ThaiPauly]

The Sidwell story seems to be right...he is having a medical at Chelsea.

[muckypups]

MICAH RICHARDS is a wanted man, with all the Big Four Premiership clubs poised to make a move.

The England starlet is happy for now to stay at Manchester City — but that could change if under-fire boss Stuart Pearce leaves.

Richards, 18, said: "Obviously I'd like to play Champions League football, but time is on my side.

"I have three years left on my contract and I feel a commitment to the manager and fans.

"I like working for Stuart Pearce. He gave me my chance. I can learn a lot from him.

"I am ambitious and I'm flattered to be linked with the big clubs, but I got into the England squad playing for City, so there's no reason why I need to move at the moment."

With Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all eyeing him up, Richards will be spoiled for choice when the time does come for him to leave.

And he revealed: "Arsenal are my team and it would be a dream move. I grew up supporting the Gunners."

Aston Villa are set to move for Manchester City defender Sylvain Distin. (Daily Star)

Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy has issued a come-and-get-me plea to Chelsea. (The Sun)

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell is set to sign for Chelsea on Monday after completing a medical. (The Sun)

And the Royals have joined Leicester in the chase for Birmingham's Julian Gray. (The Sun)

[muckypups]

Here we go.. From The Mail:

Juve test Spurs' resolve with £25m Berbatov bid

The chase for Dimitar Berbatov has become Europe-wide, casting doubts on the 26-year-old Tottenham striker’s assertion that he is staying at White Hart Lane.

A bid of £25 million, understood to be from Juventus, has set the mark which the rest will have to match or beat to tempt Spurs into a quick profit on the player they bought from Bayer Leverkusen for £10.9m last summer.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are in the frame but don’t rule out Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson, with midfielder Owen Hargreaves sealed if not quite signed, wants a world-class striker next.

He will test Spurs’ resolve to keep Berbatov and hasn’t given up on Barca’s Samuel Eto’o either.

[muckypups]

The BBC's Sunday round-up:

Frank Lampard is a £15m target for Barcelona, the Catalonian club having lined the midfielder up as the perfect person to give their team more bite. (Sunday Mirror)

Sam Allardyce will sign a £13m deal to manage Newcastle and then, with the ink still drying, make a £5m bid for Manchester City bad boy Joey Barton. (The People)

Although Big Sam might be able to save some money, with Barton's value plummeting to £3m. (Sunday Mirror)

Allardyce will also look to spend Freddie Shepherd's hard-earned cash on Freddie Ljungberg, although he'll face competition from Portsmouth. (Sunday Mirror)

Jermaine Jenas will head back up north in a £10m move to Everton. James Beattie could go the other way in part exchange. (The People)

Leeds striker David Healy will escape League One football by teaming up with his former international manager Lawrie Sanchez at Craven Cottage. (News of the World)

Although he could go to Middlesbrough. (The People)

And Preston forward David Nugent is also keen on a move to the Premiership to safeguard his spot in the England squad. (The Observer)

But one player going nowhere is Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov, chairman Daniel Levy reiterating that he doesn't run a selling club. (The Observer)

Micah Richards is 'happyish' at Manchester City, although he admits that he would like to play in the Champions League and would view a switch to Arsenal as a 'dream move'. (News of the World)

Carlos Tevez is wanted by most of Europe, with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan among the suitors. (Various)

Michael Owen could move to Manchester United for £11m, just two years and 12 starts since joining Newcastle for £16m. (Sunday Express)

[mrbojangles]

I'd prefer Berbatov, (Premiership proven etc..) that said, I think Spurs would be nuts to sell him..

He has proved to be a top buy for Spurs. But how much would Utd have to fork out? Can't be far off £20m

[muckypups]

Minimum I guess Mr B.. He'll not be short of suitors now and that will keep the price bubbling, although I feel for the Spurs faithful, the club took a chance and he's proven himself perhaps beyond all expectation. However, I imagine the kind of obscene cash the "big" clubs can throw around will be hard for Tottenham to refuse.. (That said I wouldn't mind Aaron Lennon at OT as well.. )

[chonabot]

(That said I wouldn't mind Aaron Lennon at OT as well.. )

Isn't it funny how you can go off some people ?

[muckypups]

The old "don't ask don't get" trick Chon...

[Sunderland]

The Sunderland list of silly rumours so far includes ...

Neil Lennon (Celtic) .. . too old!

David Nugent (Preston) ... over-rated

Artur Boruc (Celtic) ... too difficult to spell

Thomas Gravesen (Celtic) ... too much hair!

Diego Forlan (Villareal) ... too much of a Diego!

Michael Stewart (Hibernian) ... too average

Joey Barton (Man City) = Basil Fawlty ... ting tong, nuts, crackers ...

Nicky Butt (Newcastle) ... a Magpie reject and not good enough IMHO

Sean Davis (Portsmouth) ... ok for fighting relegation ... is that what Keane wants?

Andy Cole (Portsmouth) ... scraping the barrel IMHO

Ruud Knol (Vitesse Arnhem) ... a good name for all your 'Scrabble' fans

Theo Janssen (Vitesse Arnhem) ... what's this? Buy one, get one free??

Robbie Fowler (Liverpool) ... classy on his day, but I don't think so ...

Julio Arca (Middlesbrough) ... seems like only yesterday when he was with us ... surely not

Paul McShane (WBA) ... quite possibly the only Keane signing on this list

Over the summer you can expect to see absolutely anyone who has ever been on the books of Manchester United or Celtic; anyone who comes from Trinidad & Tobago or knows Dwight Yorks; anyone who has an Irish passport, an Irish grandmother or enjoys drinking Guinness ... or the entire Vitesse Arnhem team linked with Sunderland.

Personally I'm hoping we 'sign' a bunch of Argentinians and Brazilians in March or April 2008, but get to play them from August 2007.

Dreaming ....................

[muckypups]

Great post Sunderland..thanks..

Latest..(honest)

You might have heard this one before: Steve Sidwell's off to Chelsea, and may even arrive at Stamford Bridge in time to see Arjen Robben tumble and roll out the door and all the way to Bayern Munich, the club who, fittingly, are known in Germany as FC Hollywood.

Robben will be one of many recruits at Bayern, who are so stung at missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time in 178 years that they've vowed to sign almost an entire new team. Fiorentina front man Luca Toni and Werder Bremen's Miroslav Klose are also in their sights, and they're even pondering re-signing Zé Roberto, currently going down a storm at Santos. Ajax striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar is also being chased by the German also-rans, but word is his most likely destination is Manchester United. Or Juventus. For some reason, none of those clubs are interested in Marlon Harewood, who, as soon as he's finished celebrating West Ham's Premiership survival, will be sold to ... relegated Watford.

Mark Viduka's wobbling up and down metaphorical European catwalks in the hope of catching the eye of someone who isn't Middlesbrough. Newcastle just about fit that bill.

Elsewhere in the north-east, Roy Keane is glaring in the general direction of The Hawthorns as he prepares to make West Brom an offer they can't refuse for flame-haired defender Paul McShane. Keane may also be one of the hundreds of managers drooling over Marseille wonder-winger Franck Ribéry, who's set to reject everyone except AC Milan.

Bundesliga bottlers Schalke 04 want Jérôme Rothen from PSG. And Deportivo la Coruna are also planning some summer shopping in Paris - and for some unfathomable reason have Colombian centre-back and incorrigible shirt-puller Mario Yepes on their list.

[muckypups]

Some of Thursdays rumours from the BBC..:

Manchester United and Newcastle want to lure striker Mark Viduka from Middlesbrough on a free transfer. (The Sun)

Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton is hoping a move abroad to either Roma, Atletico Madrid, Hamburg or Bayern Munich will give him the chance of salvaging his career. (The Sun)

Andriy Shevchenko could be shipped off to Villarreal to fund a move for David Villa from Valencia, who want Diego Forlan before agreeing to any move. (The Daily Star)

Southampton's play-off defeat to Derby means Gareth Bale will leave the club this summer with Manchester United and Tottenham leading the chase. (The Daily Star)

Derby's sought-after midfielder Giles Barnes insists he will stay at the club next season even if they are not promoted to the Premiership. (Various)

Charlton want Colchester striker Chris Iwulemo to shoot them straight back into the top-flight. (The Daily Star)

El-Hadji Diouf is set to follow in the footsteps of ex-boss Sam Allardyce and leave Bolton. (The Daily Star)

Freddie Ljungberg has been told he can leave Arsenal, who could let up to 11 players go. (The Daily Mail)

Blackburn are ready to make a bid for Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy to bring him back to Ewood Park. (The Daily Mirror)

Bolton are racing against Allardyce to sign Swiss midfielder Gelson Fernandes. (The Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough winger Nathan Porritt - dubbed the next Ryan Giggs - is being coveted by Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool. (The Times)

[muckypups]

From The Independent:

Who's going where in a £400m summer of transfer madness?

The Premiership's bumper television deal and the influx of billionaire owners point to a record-smashing £400m spending spree this summer.

The top-flight clubs spent almost £300m in the corresponding window a year ago, led by Chelsea, who splashed out £63m on players including Andrei Shevchenko and John Obi Mikel - not to mention wages for players such as Michael Ballack, who arrived under the Bosman ruling. But with a majority of clubs seeking that most valuable of assets - a proven striker, and one of genuine world-class in the case of the "big four" - an unprecedented whirl of transfer activity lies ahead.

Some of the world's best forwards have been linked with moves to England, from Samuel Eto'o and Javier Saviola of Barcelona to Valencia's David Villa, Atletico Madrid's Fernando Torres, Fiorentina's Luca Toni, Werder Bremen's Miroslav Klose, Ajax's Klass Jan Huntelaar and Heerenveen's Brazilian goal machine, Afonso Alves, who looks almost certain to win the Golden Boot for being the top scorer in Europe's top divisions.

Alves, 26, scored five hat-tricks and 34 goals in 31 league matches in the Netherlands' top division this season. With a price tag of £8m-£10m he could be a wild-card bargain capture for up to a dozen Premiership sides.

The fate of a handful of a top-class strikers already in England will be intriguing, with Carlos Tevez, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen, Benni McCarthy and perhaps even Andrei Shevchenko or Didier Drogba up for grabs.

Ironically, given that Roman Abramovich's money has fuelled three inflationary summers of Premiership spending since he bought Chelsea in 2003, Chelsea may not be the top spenders.

If Jose Mourinho stays at Stamford Bridge, insiders suggest he will have to economise. Steve Sidwell will probably arrive on a Bosman from Reading. The Brazilian defender, Alex, already effectively a Chelsea player, could arrive from PSV Eindhoven, and Mourinho is also interested in Deportivo La Coruña's centre-half, Jorge Andrade, who would be available for about £2m.

Blackburn's McCarthy is also on Mourinho's radar, and it has been suggested that should Shevchenko depart, Chelsea could pursue Villa. But if Mourinho goes - and the pooch-lover's fate will become clearer next week - all bets are off. Abramovich would hire a top-rank European coach, and back him heavily in the market.

Budgets elsewhere will be at record levels, in part because of the new £2.7bn three-year television deal, and in part because the "big four" will face competition from six or more clubs hoping to catch them. Manchester United have between £25m and £50m to spend. Owen Hargreaves should arrive from Bayern Munich for £18m and possibly Southampton's Gareth Bale too - also of interest to Tottenham - for up to £10m.

Huntelaar, 23, is coveted by many and would cost around £18m, while Sir Alex Ferguson has also been linked with Mark Viduka. Eto'o would be a dream signing, but expensive at Barça's £40m-plus valuation. Ferguson would jump at the chance to sign Berbatov, although sources say the Bulgarian has privately pledged to stay at Tottenham for at least one more season. It would take a humdinger of an offer to tempt Spurs to let him go.

Arsenal will find money for Arsène Wenger, maybe £20m, although the Frenchman has said his buying will be limited to "maybe one or two maximum and then only super, super class". If it is two, Marseilles' Franck Ribéry and Ajax's Ryan Babel fit the bill, but that would still leave many Arsenal fans calling for a clinical finisher. The ongoing clear-out may yet free up funds for a bid for Villa, Torres, or, less likely, Eto'o.

Liverpool's Rafa Benitez, will have substantial funds and has already been busy, signing three players. He is arguably in a better position than most to play the trump card of the summer and land a striker to stun the opposition and truly take Liverpool to a title-challenging level.

Tevez to Anfield? It seems more far-fetched with every passing day that the player's ultimate owner, Kia Joorabchian, is privately suggesting a price tag of £40m, but Benitez already has Tevez's friend - and fellow Joorabchain player - Javier Mascherano on board. And Benitez's South American contingent is also growing. Two of his done deals for the summer are Lucas Leiva, a Brazil Under-20 midfielder who cost up to £7m from Gremio and Sebastian Leto, a 20-year-old Argentine winger, signed from Club Atletico Lanus for £1.8m. The third confirmed deal is for the Ukraine striker, Andrei Voronin, on a Bosman from Bayer Leverkusen.

If Benitez does not land Tevez - or Villa, Torres or Eto'o, all targets if willing and available - then Darren Bent could become a more realistic capture from Charlton. Tottenham also want him, and a price of £15m is being mooted.

Behind the "big four", an unlikely sextet of Manchester City, West Ham, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Newcastle and Tottenham could also spend huge sums. If Thaksin Shinawatra buys City, a budget of £50m will be available to the new manager. Joey Barton will leave - to Everton or Newcastle, perhaps, if not abroad - and strikers will be a priority. Depending on the new manager, the whole gamut could enter the reckoning, from Saviola (available on a Bosman, but reportedly on his way to Real Madrid), Toni (said to be eyeing a move to Bayern Munich), Alves, or Klose, 28, who has a year left on his contract and could tempt a variety of Premiership sides at around £10m.

West Ham's situation will become clearer when the interminable row about Tevez is concluded, but Alan Curbishley could have as much as £40m to spend for a top-flight campaign. Newcastle's Scott Parker is one target, Bent another.

Randy Lerner has promised substantial funds for Martin O'Neill. Craig Bellamy will leave Liverpool, and Aston Villa are the favourites to sign him, with Blackburn also interested. Charlton's Luke Young looks another possible Villa capture, but West Bromwich Albion's Jason Koumas and Curtis Davies are less likely if the Baggies win the play-offs.

David Nugent will definitely leave Preston, probably for Everton, but Villa are another option for the England forward. Sheffield Wednesday's Phil Jagielka will escape Championship football by departing, possibly to the Midlands. O'Neill's tendency towards the familiar could take him to Scotland for a goalkeeper, with Celtic's Artur Boruc and Heart of Midlothian's Craig Gordon, both custodians who will move south at some point.

Sunderland under Roy Keane will be one of the most gripping stories of next season. Their chairman, Niall Quinn, will make £35m available. Nugent and Barton are possibilities, as are Keane's former team-mates Thomas Gravesen and Boruc (from Celtic), Wes Brown, Nicky Butt and Diego Forlan (from his Old Trafford days) and Ireland's Damien Duff.

As Sam Allardyce restructures at Newcastle, Viduka is a target, as is El-Hadji Diouf and fellow Bolton players Kevin Nolan and Tal Ben Haim.

With even the Premiership's lesser lights having up to £10m to spend, a merry-go-round is guaranteed, although Wigan and Bolton - under rookie, low-profile managers - and Fulham, where Lawrie Sanchez will work on a shoestring, will struggle for big names and probably survival.

Striking it rich: Three forwards who will be attracting attention in the coming weeks

Samuel Eto'o, Barcelona - £40 million?

A dream, but expensive, buy for Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal

Carlos Tevez, West Ham United - £25 million?

With substantial transfer funds and the South American contingent growing, a move to Anfield might not be as far-fetched as it sounds

David Nugent, Preston North End - £10 million?

Definitely leaving for pastures new in the Premiership, probably at Everton, but Aston Villa are another option

[muckypups]

Ferguson could be thwarted as Bale leans to Spurs

Tottenham seem to have gained the upper hand in their battle with Manchester United to sign the Wales defender Gareth Bale, with the 17-year-old left-back understood to be leaning towards a move to White Hart Lane.

Southampton accepted a bid from Tottenham during the January transfer window but the teenager, mindful that United were also interested and keen to finish the season on the south coast, opted to stay at St Mary's. With the Saints failing to win promotion, however, his departure is now regarded as inevitable. His future is expected to be discussed at St Mary's next week, with north London emerging as the most likely destination.

Spurs are keen to add a left-sided player to their squad and it is believed that Bale has been made aware of the financial package on offer. He was shown around White Hart Lane in January and, although United's interest has flattered the teenager, the opportunity to play regularly may be a decisive factor in his decision.

And...:

Arsenal's captain, Thierry Henry, was reported last night to have told team-mates that he plans to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer, though his manager, Arsène Wenger, insisted a week ago that the striker would not be sold. Barcelona are keen to buy Henry, having been turned down by him a year ago, and their president, Joan Laporta, has privately expressed confidence in achieving that.

Bolton have signed the Slovakia Under-21 international Zoltan Harsanyi. The 19-year-old is Sammy Lee's first signing since becoming manager and has agreed a three-year deal after impressing on loan.

Claus Jensen has left Fulham, criticising the manager Lawrie Sanchez's tactics. "The long-ball game has been pretty much what we've been doing and that isn't my kind of football," he said.

The Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez has hinted that he may be leaving Liverpool. "I have a three-year contract but you never know," he said. "I would like to stay next season and beyond but it has not been the best year for me."

[muckypups]

From The Times, Saturday:

Summer Sales

BOLTON Wanderers manager Sammy Lee wants to make Fulham midfielder Michael Brown his first major signing of the summer. Brown, who will start the new season suspended following a three-match ban, is keen to leave Craven Cottage and would relish a return to the north west. Lee has been given funds to spend and is willing to meet Fulham's valuation of £3 million.

Liverpool want to raid Blackburn Rovers for new striking sensation Matt Derbyshire. Derbyshire has impressed in his first full Premiership season and Rafa Benitez is keen to take him to Anfield. Blackburn, however, look set to resist a £4m bid from the Merseyside club.

Thierry Henry could be poised to finally leave Arsenal and join Barcelona in a £30m deal. The French forward has become disillusioned at the Emirates Stadium following the departure of vice-chairman David Dein and has failed to secure the assurances he craves about the club's ambitions for next season.

The Spanish giants have been chasing Henry for five seasons and are willing to match Arsenal's valuation of the former Juventus player in what would be the biggest transfer of the close season.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is willing to offer Titus Bramble a Premiership lifeline. The defender has been released from Newcastle United following the arrival of Sam Allardyce as manager, but Redknapp is keen to add him to his squad and could need him as a possible replacement for Sol Campbell, who looks set to travel in the opposite direction.

Redknapp is also putting together an ambitious bid to lure Jermain Defoe to Fratton Park. The Tottenham Hotspur forward has struggled to hold down a regular starting place in Martin Jol's side and the Dutch manager is also keen to sign Darren Bent from Charlton if the asking price remains realistic.

Jol, meanwhile, is ready to challenge Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for the signature of Southampton left back Gareth Bale.

Bale's departure from the south coast club is regarded as inevitable following their failure to win promotion this season and while Bale is keen to go to Old Trafford, he has not dismissed a potential switch to White Hart Lane. Bale is valued at £6m.

Craig Bellamy is being touted as Carlos Tevez's replacement at West Ham United. Tevez is expected to leave Upton Park this summer, with a host of European clubs jostling for his siagnature. Alan Curbishley has now made unsettled Liverpool forward Bellamy his main target. Bellamy would cost the Hammers around £8m, with Curbishley willing to offer him a deal worth £60,000-a-week.

Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele is poised to leave Stamford Bridge and join Spanish club Villarreal, while West Ham forward Bobby Zamora is wanted by Atletico Madrid.

[muckypups]

Quick round-up of Sunday's news from the BBC:

Manchester United are trailing Heerenveen's Brazilian striker Alfonso Alves who has scored 34 goals in 31 games this season. (Sunday Mirror)

Chelsea have targeted Everton defender Joleon Lescott but will have to find £10m to get their man. (The People)

Milan are planning a £28m swoop for Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. (News of the World)

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez wants to splash £20m on striker Carlos Tevez. (Sunday Express)

Spurs are preparing a bid for Manchester United striker Louis Saha. (The People)

Martin Jol hopes to bring in Morten Gamst Pedersen, Leighton Baines, Darren Bent and Nigel Reo-Coker as he tries to get Spurs into next season's top four. (Sunday Mirror)

And that means Jermain Defoe, Mido and Hossam Ghaly will be shipped out of White Hart Lane. (Sunday Mirror)

Roy Keane wants to make Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen his first signing after leading Sunderland back to the Premiership. (Daily Star Sunday)

Birmingham boss Steve Bruce will snap up another of Arsenal's young stars when he moves for centre back Johan Djourou. Bruce has already signed Sebastian Larsson and Fabrice Muamba from Arsenal. (Sunday Mirror)

Alan Curbishley will axe 12 of his West Ham squad in a £40m summer shake-up. Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood and Bobby Zamora will lead the exodus. (Various)

Charlton will win the race to sign Crewe striker Luke Varney and that will signal the exit of England star Darren Bent. (The People)

Djibril Cisse has told Liverpool to slash their transfer demands so he can finally leave the club. (Sunday Mirror)

[muckypups]

Spurs tie up £10m deal for Bale

Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of the Wales international left-back Gareth Bale from Southampton for an initial £5m, with further payments potentially taking Spurs' outlay to £10m.

The 17-year-old had also been courted by Manchester United, with Ryan Giggs leading their attempts to coax him to Old Trafford, but Bale favoured the offer of regular first-team football.

"I really want to play in the Premiership," he said. "That's very important to me and this is a fantastic opportunity. I've thought long and hard about it and feel the time is right to move on. I could have gone in January but I wanted to try and help Saints win promotion. I felt I owed them that."

Other news..:

A question-mark hangs over Nigel Reo-Coker's West Ham future after an expected announcement failed to materialise yesterday. The midfielder was understood to be close to agreeing a new contract but it has not been finalised. Yossi Benayoun has agreed a new five-year deal to keep him at Upton Park until 2012.

Portsmouth's signing of Hermann Hreidarsson yesterday from Charlton means they are now unlikely to pursue their interest in Titus Bramble. Hreidarsson exercised a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave on a free transfer if Charlton were relegated and he has agreed a two-year deal with Pompey.

The Premier League will resist any attempt by Fulham to formally join Sheffield United in the arbitration process over the Tevez and Mascherano affair. A panel has been set up to investigate the league's decision to allow Carlos Tevez to continue playing for West Ham United this season. Fulham had written to the league to say they were minded to become an additional party to the arbitration.

Leicester City have appointed Martin Allen as their manager. He had been given permission by his former employers, MK Dons, to talk with City and he signed a three-year deal, beating Neil Warnock, Paul Ince and the caretaker Nigel Worthington to the post.

Charlton are now unlikely to pursue their interest in Titus Bramble.

Very wise in my opinion..he was overpriced on a free transfer..

[muckypups]

Surely the loyal City fans don't deserve this..!:

"No, I'm interested to have a good football team next season. There are other teams" - Sven Goran-Eriksson when asked whether he would consider taking the Manchester City job on Tuesday.

"City is a big, big club with unbelievable support. It would be an honour for me to be manager, like it would be for all other managers" - Sven Goran-Eriksson when asked whether he would consider taking the Manchester City job today.

Eriksson 'keen' to succeed Pearce at City

Sven-Goran Eriksson, the former England head coach, has alerted the prospective new owners of Manchester City by admitting that he would be "interested" in ending his year-long exile from the game by succeeding Stuart Pearce as manager at Eastlands.

Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, is expected to complete a takeover of the club next week following lengthy discussions with the club's majority shareholders, John Wardle and David Makin.

Former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri, currently in charge of Italian club Parma, is understood to have been offered the manager's position at City by Shinawatra. Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier re-emerged as a possible candidate when he left Lyon yesterday, but Ranieri is still favourite to land the City job.

However, Eriksson has now made a late entry into the running for the position by admitting that the prospect of managing the club is an appealing one.

Eriksson said: "City is a big, big club with unbelievable support. It would be an honour for me to be manager, like it would be for all other managers.

"Every time I visited the club as England coach I was struck by the passion of the fans and was made to feel welcome and at home by nice people.

"They have a beautiful stadium and the possibility of a new owner, and of course I would talk to them if they indicate they are interested in me becoming coach. City is an established Premiership club with great potential and I know they have ambitions to be challenging higher up the table."

Eriksson, who has been absent from management since resigning his post as England coach following last summer's World Cup, had been strongly linked with a return to football with Marseille at the turn of the year. He appeared to distance himself from speculation suggesting that he would consider the City job during an interview on the BBC's Inside Sport this week. However, Eriksson has now insisted that his quotes were misinterpreted.

He said: "I was asked if I'd had talks with City and I said 'no', but a break in the programme and a different question made it appear I had said something different."

Chelsea have confirmed that Jose Mourinho will travel to Ghana next week for a charity project with the club, strengthening the view he will remain at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho's commitment to work in Africa has been seen as an indicator that he will be in place as manager next season, particularly as there has been a recent trend of managerial movement straight after the completion of the season.

The Portuguese has a contract until 2010 and wants to stay at Stamford Bridge, with chief executive Peter Kenyon stating earlier in the season that the 'Special One' would not be sacked this summer despite reports of a tense relationship with owner Roman Abramovich.

Mourinho will be joined on the African trip by Ghana international Michael Essien.

[susquosh]

Just looking at Saturdays gossip column on the BBC.Isthe item at the bottom concerning Watfords change of shirt sponser for real?

[muckypups]

From The Times:

Summer sales

The big moves in the transfer window as they happen

NOT content with spending £40million since seeing his side lose to Chelsea in the FA Cup final, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is set to step up his summer spending spree by moving for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the Ajax forward.

After sealing deals to bring Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves to Old Trafford, along with Sporting Lisbon winger Nani and Porto's Brazilian midfielder Anderson Luis De Abreu Oliveira, Ferguson has turned his attentions to strengthening his attack.

He has identified Huntelaar, who has scored 60 goals in 74 appearances for Ajax, as a key signing and plans to start talks with the player, who has replaced former United favourite Ruud van Nistelrooy in the Holland team.

West Ham United appear to be close to clinching the £7million signing of Scott Parker, the Newcastle and England midfielder, after fighting off late interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

Scott Duxbury, West Ham chief executive, was involved in late-night talks with Parker's representatives on Wednesday after Tottenham had declared their interest in the Newcastle United captain. The player is now set to meet West Ham officials after the clubs agreed a fee.

Celtic have signed Chris Killen, the former Hibernian forward, from under the noses of Cardiff. Gordon Strachan's side have picked up the New Zealand international, who scored 15 goals last season for the Edinburgh club, on a Bosman transfer.

Killen was poised to sign for Cardiff in January and the Welsh club revived their interest last week after he rejected the offer of a new contract at Hibernian.

Tottenham and Chelsea face competition from Liverpool in the race to sign Valencia's David Silva. The 21-year-old winger has a £40million buy-out clause in his contract but it is thought he could be prised away for about £12m.

Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager, has bought another young prospect in teenager Alexander Kacaniklic.

The Swedish midfielder, who played for Helsingborgs last season, first impressed during a 12-day trial at Anfield in February before shining again in April, and has signed a three-year contract. He joins Hungarian teenagers Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon at Anfield, who agreed to move to the club earlier this week.

Chris Hutchings, the Wigan Athletic manager, is close to making Mario Melchiot, the former Chelsea and Birmingham defender, his first signing. Nathan Ellington, the West Bromwich Albion forward, is hoping Wigan will revive their interest in him this summer.

Igor Tudor, the Croatia international defender, has emerged as a target for Bolton Wanderers. Tudor is out of contract at Juventus this summer and is looking to secure a move to the Premiership, with Middlesbrough also monitoring his situation.

Dundee United have signed Lukasz Zaluska, the Polish goalkeeper. Zaluska, who spent last season at Korona Kielce, has signed a two-year deal after impressing during a trial at Tannadice.

Coventry City have confirmed they are in talks to sign Robbie Simpson, who scored 16 goals for Cambridge United last season.

[Sunderland]

What the papers say (16th August 2007) ...

Skunks boss Sam Allardyce has accepted a £6m offer for Kieron Dyer from West Ham - Mail

Nolberto Solano may leave Sid James' Park to join Portsmouth - Sun

West Ham have had no response from one-time shopping target Eidur Gudjohnsen, after Barcelona snapped off his hands to accept the Hammers' generous £7m offer - Independent

Chelsea will not up their bid of £17m for Daniella Alves. Sevilla are still holding out for £125m - Times

Real Madrid have frozen ice-pop talks with Chelsea over Arjen Batman'n'Robben, after the blues refused to back down from their £27m asking price - Times

West Brom have slapped a £10m price tag on defender Curtis Davies, who has attracted the interest of Spurs and their players' wives - Sun

Blackburn want Morten Gamst Pedersen to sign a new contract, after the player attracted interest from Arsenal housewives - Sun

Juan Sebastian Veron is set join former Manchester United team-mate David Beckham in his new TV series, after DC United put in an offer for the Argentinian midfielder - Mail

Southampton have agreed the £1.2m signing of defender Wayne "Dont Call Me Rooney" Thomas from former English champions Burnley - Star

Liverpool have kidnapped 17-year-old keeper Peter Gulacsi from MTK Budapest on a year-long loan, say Hungarian reports - Independent

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will get lots of money from Cardiff after his proposed move to Leicester collapsed - Sun

Leeds will sell Eddie Lewis and Jonathan Douglas to pay for the players' lunch tomorrow - Star