Transfer news...

[h=1]We will 'fight' for new boss, says Ashley Cole[/h] Published 14:16 04/07/11 By MirrorFootball

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...las-Boas-says-Ashley-Cole-article756401.html#


Ashley Cole insists there are "no egos" at Chelsea and the senior players will quickly adapt to life under new manager Andre Villas-Boas.
At just 33, the Portuguese coach will be the youngest boss in the Barclays Premier League next season, having been appointed successor to experienced Italian Carlo Ancelotti.
It has been suggested the former Porto manager, who guided the Dragons to domestic and Europa League success last season, will find it difficult to command respect among the older squad members.
However, England defender Cole, 30, feels Villas-Boas - no stranger to many players from his time at Stamford Bridge as a part of Jose Mourinho's backroom staff - will soon settle into his new role.



"Age is just a number, he has experience of being at Porto, a big club," Cole said in an interview with Sky Sports News.
"Hopefully he can bring that glory to Chelsea, but I don't think the age thing is anything to worry about, I don't think the players think about that. He is our manager now and we have to go out and fight for him.
"Whatever manager comes in we respect him, we are not kids, everyone thinks there are egos at Chelsea, but there aren't and we have to make Chelsea the squad of a few years ago and win trophies."
Chelsea players will return to the Cobham training ground for the start of pre-season training this week, with Villas-Boas maintaining there would be no immediate transfers or new arrivals until he had time to fully assess the current group, with a tour to the Far East ahead of the Asia Trophy coming up.
Brazil international Neymar, Anderlecht's 18-year-old Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, Tottenham's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric as well as Porto duo Radamel Falcao and Joao Moutinho are all reported targets.
By the time the new Premier League campaign kicks off at Stoke, there are likely to be a couple of new faces and Cole feels that can only help Chelsea's ambitions on all fronts.
"We just fell short last season, we had a lot of injuries so hopefully if we do bring players in we can strengthen the squad and kick on because we've got so many great players at Chelsea that we should be winning the league two times on the trot, which we didn't," said the England full-back.
"I think all teams would love to see fresh faces, but the age thing, it creeps up on players and as you get older you get knocks more and things like that. But they're very professional players at Chelsea and if we can add to that with maybe some younger players I don't see why we can't improve on last season and win the league, win the Champions League and win the FA Cup because we've got the players to do it.
"A lot of players' dreams are to win the Champions League. I have played in two finals, but of course we want to win - but we want to win any trophy."

[h=1]Striker Carlos Tevez wants to leave Manchester City[/h]
Tevez's two daughters, Katie and Florencia, live in Buenos Aires

Carlos Tevez says he wants to leave Manchester City for family reasons.

The Argentina captain helped City finish third in the Premier League last season and qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

The 27-year-old, who joined City from rivals Manchester United in 2009, said he cannot continue to live in the north west without his two daughters.

"I need to be closer to them and to spend more time with them," Tevez said in a statement.
"Living without my children in Manchester has been incredibly challenging for me. Everything I do, I do for my daughters.
"I need them to be happy because my life is about them now. I need to be in a place where they can adapt.
"I hope that the people understand the difficult circumstances I have been living under the past 12 months, in regards to my family."
[h=2]TEVEZ SAGA TIMELINE[/h] Continue reading the main story

• 12 December 2010 - Tevez says he is going to leave Man City
• 20 December 2010 - Withdraws transfer request and commits future to club
• 16 May 2011 - Says he will only stay at club if solution found to 'family issues'
• 8 June 2011 - Tevez says he will never return to 'small and wet' Manchester
• 4 July - Confirms he is going to leave Manchester City

Tevez, who signed a five-year contract with City following a £25.5m move from Old Trafford, thanked the club's hierarchy for their support and asked for fans to empathise with his personal predicament.
"It is with great regret that I have to inform Manchester City of my wish to leave the club," added Tevez, who is currently on international duty with hosts Argentina in the Copa America.
"I would like to state that I have great respect for the club, its supporters and the owner, Sheik Mansoor, who has been nothing other than respectful to me.
"I hope that most of the City fans will understand that I have given them my all on the pitch and that my dedication to the City cause has been 100% on the pitch.
"I hope I have done my bit to help City continue their progress towards their ambition to be champions of England and to advance in the Champions League.
"I have no doubt that the players and management of City will achieve great success in the future."
[h=2]CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER PHIL McNULTY ON TEVEZ SAGA[/h] http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14024006.stm#skip_feature_02 "When he withdrew his first transfer request he was warned by City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak that they would choose the timing and manner of his departure. And they will not be selling their finest player on the cheap.

"City will instantly shrink the market by demanding around £40m for Tevez and any potential purchasers will also have to cope with a wage packet that is believed to be in excess of £200,000-a-week.

"This reduces his options to an elite group such as Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid and they have yet to show serious interest."


Tevez made an immediate impact at Eastlands, scoring 32 goals in 51 appearances in his first season as City missed out on a place in the Champions League, finishing fifth in the Premier League.

The former Boca Juniors star was given the added responsibility of the captain's armband by City manager Roberto Mancini last season, a moved which proved inspirational as Tevez netted 24 goals in 44 appearances, propelling the club to third in the Premier League as well as securing their place in Europe's top club competition.

Tevez also lifted the FA Cup after a 1-0 victory over Stoke at Wembley in May, City's first trophy in 35 years.

However, his relationship with Mancini had already been fractured when he submitted a transfer request at Eastlands in December last year, which was later withdrawn.

Tevez's estranged partner could not settle in Manchester and returned to Argentina with their two daughters Katie and Florencia, but a move to Spain or Italy could persuade his family to return to Europe.

Italian club Inter Milan told BBC Sport they will not attempt to sign Tevez because of his wage demands.



Tevez vowed never to return to Manchester on an Argentine chat show last month

[h=1]Cesc Fábregas to meet Arsène Wenger as Barcelona transfer nears[/h] • Fábregas expected to confirm his desire to leave Arsenal
• Barcelona hope to have a deal in place by end of the week

• Dominic Fifield and Andy Hunter
• The Guardian, Tuesday 5 July 2011 Article history
  Cesc Fábregas hopes a compromise can be reached between Arsenal and Barcelona over the fee to be paid for his transfer. Photograph: Firdia Lisnawati/AP
  
  Cesc Fábregas will meet Arsène Wenger on Tuesday and confirm his desire to leave Arsenal after almost eight years in north London as he seeks to smooth a transfer back to Barcelona before the weekend.
  The Spain midfielder briefly visited Arsenal's training ground on Monday to undergo routine fitness tests before the start of pre-season training, though the question of his future will only be formally addressed in face-to-face talks with his manager on Tuesday. Fábregas will make his desire to leave clear, with Wenger expected to accept the time has finally come for the 24-year-old to rejoin his boyhood club.
  Negotiations are still far from concluded with Barcelona, despite the European Cup winners having lodged an improved offer worth around £35m for the midfielder last week after seeing an initial bid of £27m rejected earlier in the summer. That bid may yet need to be raised to nearer £40m but there is optimism at the Catalan club and within the Fábregas camp that a compromise can be reached by the end of the week, with the fact that Arsenal are due to travel to Malaysia and China over the weekend serving as a deadline of sorts.
  The Barça president, Sandro Rosell, will return from the Copa América on Tuesday and shares a desire to conclude the deal for a player who left the Catalans' academy for London at the age of 16 and is contracted to Arsenal until 2015. Rosell enjoys a good relationship with the Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, despite the Spanish club's persistent and unwanted pursuit of Fábregas in recent years – Barcelona thought they had secured their man last summer after bidding around £36m only for Wenger to block the deal. The player is confident the transfer will soon be sanctioned.
  Fábregas's agent, Darren Dein, son of the former Arsenal vice-chairman David, will play his part in the talks, having been otherwise engaged on Monday concluding Gaël Clichy's £7m move from the Emirates Stadium to Manchester City. The France defender, the last remaining member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" squad of 2003‑04, has signed a four-year contract at Eastlands, having previously entered the final 12 months of his deal in north London.
  "Gaël has grown and developed so much since joining us in 2003, and has been a crucial part of the team over recent seasons," said Wenger. "He leaves with our respect and best wishes."
  "As a team, you need a big squad to go all the way," said Clichy. "That's why I joined City: because I want to win things. You always progress with competition. It's going to be difficult – a new life, a new club – but I can't wait. Anything is possible with this team. Last year was a big year for them, or for 'us', and I just hope we keep on progressing. It's impossible to say where we could finish."
  City also expect to complete the signing of Partizan Belgrade's Montenegro defender Stefan Savic, a 20-year-old centre-half, for around £6m by the time the squad depart for their own pre-season tour of the United States on Friday.
  Another player expected to leave Arsenal, the Frenchman Samir Nasri, is not due to resume pre-season training at London Colney until Thursday but will meet Wenger then and is expected to confirm his desire to join Manchester United. The 24-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his contract and has rejected a new five-year deal worth £90,000 a week at the Emirates Stadium, leaving Arsenal with a dilemma as to their next move. They had been reluctant to sell a key first-team player to a direct domestic rival – City and Chelsea are also monitoring Nasri's situation – though that stance may now shift.
  
  Nasri cost £15.8m when signed from Marseille in 2008 and has generated tentative interest in Italy from Internazionale and Milan this summer but, while Wenger would be happier selling the playmaker to a foreign club, there is an acceptance that the Londoners could not ignore a substantial bid from a Premier League team. The player is thought to favour a move to Old Trafford, though Arsenal – who are close to signing Gervinho for £11m from Lille – may seek a fee of up to £25m before they are willing to let him leave.
  
  
  

[h=1]Cesc Fábregas to meet Arsène Wenger as Barcelona transfer nears[/h] • Fábregas expected to confirm his desire to leave Arsenal
• Barcelona hope to have a deal in place by end of the week

• Dominic Fifield and Andy Hunter
• The Guardian, Tuesday 5 July 2011 Article history
  Cesc Fábregas hopes a compromise can be reached between Arsenal and Barcelona over the fee to be paid for his transfer. Photograph: Firdia Lisnawati/AP
  
  Cesc Fábregas will meet Arsène Wenger on Tuesday and confirm his desire to leave Arsenal after almost eight years in north London as he seeks to smooth a transfer back to Barcelona before the weekend.
  The Spain midfielder briefly visited Arsenal's training ground on Monday to undergo routine fitness tests before the start of pre-season training, though the question of his future will only be formally addressed in face-to-face talks with his manager on Tuesday. Fábregas will make his desire to leave clear, with Wenger expected to accept the time has finally come for the 24-year-old to rejoin his boyhood club.
  Negotiations are still far from concluded with Barcelona, despite the European Cup winners having lodged an improved offer worth around £35m for the midfielder last week after seeing an initial bid of £27m rejected earlier in the summer. That bid may yet need to be raised to nearer £40m but there is optimism at the Catalan club and within the Fábregas camp that a compromise can be reached by the end of the week, with the fact that Arsenal are due to travel to Malaysia and China over the weekend serving as a deadline of sorts.
  The Barça president, Sandro Rosell, will return from the Copa América on Tuesday and shares a desire to conclude the deal for a player who left the Catalans' academy for London at the age of 16 and is contracted to Arsenal until 2015. Rosell enjoys a good relationship with the Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, despite the Spanish club's persistent and unwanted pursuit of Fábregas in recent years – Barcelona thought they had secured their man last summer after bidding around £36m only for Wenger to block the deal. The player is confident the transfer will soon be sanctioned.
  Fábregas's agent, Darren Dein, son of the former Arsenal vice-chairman David, will play his part in the talks, having been otherwise engaged on Monday concluding Gaël Clichy's £7m move from the Emirates Stadium to Manchester City. The France defender, the last remaining member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" squad of 2003‑04, has signed a four-year contract at Eastlands, having previously entered the final 12 months of his deal in north London.
  "Gaël has grown and developed so much since joining us in 2003, and has been a crucial part of the team over recent seasons," said Wenger. "He leaves with our respect and best wishes."
  "As a team, you need a big squad to go all the way," said Clichy. "That's why I joined City: because I want to win things. You always progress with competition. It's going to be difficult – a new life, a new club – but I can't wait. Anything is possible with this team. Last year was a big year for them, or for 'us', and I just hope we keep on progressing. It's impossible to say where we could finish."
  City also expect to complete the signing of Partizan Belgrade's Montenegro defender Stefan Savic, a 20-year-old centre-half, for around £6m by the time the squad depart for their own pre-season tour of the United States on Friday.
  Another player expected to leave Arsenal, the Frenchman Samir Nasri, is not due to resume pre-season training at London Colney until Thursday but will meet Wenger then and is expected to confirm his desire to join Manchester United. The 24-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his contract and has rejected a new five-year deal worth £90,000 a week at the Emirates Stadium, leaving Arsenal with a dilemma as to their next move. They had been reluctant to sell a key first-team player to a direct domestic rival – City and Chelsea are also monitoring Nasri's situation – though that stance may now shift.
  
  Nasri cost £15.8m when signed from Marseille in 2008 and has generated tentative interest in Italy from Internazionale and Milan this summer but, while Wenger would be happier selling the playmaker to a foreign club, there is an acceptance that the Londoners could not ignore a substantial bid from a Premier League team. The player is thought to favour a move to Old Trafford, though Arsenal – who are close to signing Gervinho for £11m from Lille – may seek a fee of up to £25m before they are willing to let him leave.
  
  
  

[h=1]A bad case of deja vu for Arsenal as the latest round of stars depart[/h] The imminent departures of Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri are an inevitable consequence of Arsenal's refusal to raise wages

• Comments (413)

• • Dominic Fifield
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 4 July 2011 18.25 BST Article history
  Cesc Fábregas expects to be allowed to return to Barcelona this summer after Arsenal refused a bid last year. Photograph: Alejandro Garcia/EPA
  
  Robin van Persie was digesting the imminent prospect of two influential midfielders departing the Emirates Stadium when his thoughts, inevitably, focused in on the crux. "Arsenal have a policy where they will not go over a specific amount of money when agreeing a salary of a player," the Dutchman said. "They won't pay enormous amounts of money. I think they should go to a higher level of salary. If you are 27 or 28 I can understand that you would make the decision to go elsewhere if you can earn three or four times as much. If that sort of money was also paid at Arsenal I'm sure that person would stay."
  That assessment was delivered towards the end of May 2008, with Mathieu Flamini en route to Milan under the Bosman ruling and Alexander Hleb attracting persistent interest from Barcelona. The fear was of an exodus of senior talent, though Arsène Wenger had already earmarked a compatriot by the name of Samir Nasri, capped eight times by France at the time, as an eight-figure signing to buck the trend.
  Fast forward three years and history is repeating itself: now the flight involves Cesc Fábregas to his beloved Barcelona, Gaël Clichy to a money-flushed Manchester City and, most pertinently of all, Nasri to one of a queue of suitors. The Frenchman has been offered £90,000 a week, flush up against the wage ceiling at the Emirates, but will earn more elsewhere: the salary structure remains this club's self-imposed handicap.
  The pragmatist in Wenger will consider the coming weeks just another challenge to be confronted. His players returned fleetingly to London Colney on Monday for medical assessments and tests ahead of the start of pre-season training on Tuesday, but there will be lengthier meetings to come with those seeking a move before his squad depart on what will be, for this club, a ground-breaking commercially driven tour to the far east. Clichy passed a medical at City on Monday and was no longer in Wenger's thinking, but Fábregas will want to know that his return to the Camp Nou is to be realised this time around. The manager will have anticipated, albeit reluctantly, that the Spaniard's time at the club was finally drawing to a close, but Nasri's potential departure is an unpleasant shock.
  Wenger will speak to the 24-year-old wanting to hear confirmation that he is rejecting the five-year deal on offer. Nasri is into the final 12 months of his contract and the club, stung by Flamini's departure to Milan, will not want to lose him for nothing. Yet, as Van Persie stated so honestly three years ago, Arsenal cannot be shocked if a player chooses to be better rewarded financially with a rival.
  Some lessons have not been learned. There is reason to admire Arsenal's desire to keep salaries in check, to pursue the "self-sustaining model" so favoured by their new principal owner, Stan Kroenke, and maintain wages at around 50% of turnover. But, while that almost sets them apart, it also renders them horribly uncompetitive. Back in 2008, Manchester City were not the force they are now. Even Tottenham Hotspur hardly felt like credible regular challengers for the top four. These days, Arsenal are the top flight's fifth-highest payers.
  There are funds there for Wenger to recruit – £30m went unspent last season, and there will be significant money brought in if Fábregas and Nicklas Bendtner are sold – and to pay the fees this club's supporters so crave as a show of ambition. The manager could spend £20m on Juan Mata from Valencia, for instance. But would Arsenal be able to offer wages to match those on offer elsewhere should they be rivalled for a target's services?
  Nasri could earn up to £150,000 a week with either Manchester club or, potentially, at Chelsea. Footballers are not always swayed by the basic finances on offer but it would be naïve to suppose that the little details in cementing such transfers are anything but the considerable sums proposed.
  Furthermore, so committed have Arsenal been to sticking with their wage structure, all thoughts of ripping it up and starting again are surely now unthinkable. Offer Nasri even £120,000 a week to stay and, within minutes, others would be demanding their own pay hikes. Van Persie and Theo Walcott have two years to run on their deals. Jack Wilshere, already a fixture in the England team, is on around £40,000 a week and could argue that, so talismanic would he become to his club side once Fábregas moves on, he deserves considerably more.
  Nasri, of course, has claimed that his motivation remains trophies rather than money. Back in 2008, when Van Persie spoke, Arsenal had endured only three years without silverware. That has since become a six-year drought to fuel the dissatisfaction among the support. Season ticket prices have risen by 6.5% this year, with the club well aware that a coherent challenge is essential to keep the Emirates Stadium full and maintain the vital match-day revenue streams generated by their plush arena. Wenger must still put out a team to compete with United, Chelsea and City at the top, as well as stave off the re-emergence of Spurs and Liverpool at his back. Yet, given the reluctance to abandon the wage structure in place, the players to come in will inevitably have to be similar to those so often favoured by the manager: young and hungry, talented but eager to improve, and not asking for the world.
  The first to arrive, the £11m Ivory Coast forward Gervinho from Lille, falls neatly into that category. Ricardo Alvarez, sought for a similar fee from Vélez Sársfield, may eventually be the one to fill the central creative role vacated by Fábregas and, presumably, about to be passed up by Nasri.
  There is a paradox that Andrey Arshavin, who was expected to leave this summer, could yet find himself feeling pivotal to this team. When one considers that the central defensive options primarily under consideration are understood to be Gary Cahill (who finished 14th with Bolton Wanderers last season), Christopher Samba (15th with Blackburn Rovers) or Everton's veteran Sylvain Distin, and that no replacement left-back may be recruited given Kieran Gibbs's availability and Thomas Vermaelen's ability to fill in wide, then it does not feel as if the management is inclined to shift its outlook just yet.
  Yet these are the players who must maintain Arsenal's presence as contenders. Wenger's philosophy is entrenched and so, potentially, should be an acceptance at the Emirates Stadium that, once a rival comes knocking for one of the club's players, there is no resisting if a decision boils down to basic finances.
  
  The Nasri situation is likely to be revisited in the years to come. Arsenal competed up to a point on the pitch last season. They can compete up to a point in the market, too. Whether that satisfies the masses is very much open to question.
  
  

[h=1]Carlos Tevez submits transfer request to Manchester City[/h] • Carlos Tevez issues statement on intention to leave
• Argentina striker cites desire to be closer to daughters

• Andy Hunter
• guardian.co.uk, Monday 4 July 2011 22.42 BST Article history
  The Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, left, had been confident that Carlos Tevez would stay. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images
  
  Carlos Tevez has tested Manchester City's resolve to keep him at Eastlands for the second time in seven months by announcing he wants to leave the FA Cup holders.
  The Argentina international, whom manager Roberto Mancini only days ago insisted would be staying at City, reopened the long-running saga over his future by informing the chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak that he needs to leave for personal reasons this summer. Tevez had pushed for a move prior to the January transfer window when his advisor, Kia Joorabchian, blamed a breakdown in communications with City's chief executive Garry Cook for his disillusionment. Now the 27-year-old has cited a wish to be closer to his two daughters, Katie and Florencia, who live with their mother and the striker's estranged partner Vanesa in Argentina.
  Despite months of speculation City have yet to receive an offer for their captain, whose weekly wage in excess of £250,000 makes him the highest paid player in the Premier League but puts him out of reach for most suitors, including Internazionale. The City hierarchy told Tevez and Joorabchian in December that he would be allowed to leave the club only on their terms and that position is unchanged, meaning last season's highest goalscorer is adopting a high-risk strategy to find a buyer willing to meet his employer's estimated £40m valuation plus his personal terms.
  In a statement, released while Tevez is playing for Argentina in the Copa América, the former Manchester United player said: "It is with great regret that I have to inform Manchester City of my wish to leave the club. I would like to state that I have great respect for the club, its supporters and the owner, Sheik Mansoor, who has been nothing other than respectful to me.
  "I hope that the people understand the difficult circumstances I have been living under the past 12 months, in regards to my family. Living without my children in Manchester has been incredibly challenging for me. Everything I do, I do for my daughters, Katie and Florencia. I need to be closer to them and to spend more time with them. I need them to be happy because my life is about them now. I need to be in a place where they can adapt.
  "Being captain of Manchester City, qualifying for the Champions League, winning the FA Cup and finishing as top-scorer last season has made me very proud. I hope that most of the City fans will understand that I have given them my all on the pitch and that my dedication to the city cause has been 100 per cent on the pitch. I hope I have done my bit to help City continue their progress towards their ambition to be champions of England and to advance in the Champions League. I have no doubt that the players and management of City will achieve great success in the future."
  
  Speaking at the weekend, and following the collapse of a proposed exchange deal with Internazionale involving Samuel Eto'o, Mancini was confident that Tevez's future remained in Manchester. The City manager said: "Yes, of course Tevez will stay, he is a fantastic player. There was talk of an exchange with Eto'o, but Inter did not want to sell."
  
  
  

[h=2]The latest gossip and tittle-tattle[/h] [h=1]Football transfer rumours: Chelsea to sign Pepe and Scott Dann?[/h] Today's rumours have got their gameface on

• Barney Ronay
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 09.02 BST Article history
  Scott Dann's new defensive partner? Photograph: Manu Fernandez/AP
  
  Today's Sun has an exclusive. TEVEZ: I'VE GOT TO LEAVE. Really. That's the scoop, an 'exclusive' that's right up there with the Mill claiming to have written Yellow Submarine, or invented the internet, or been the first person ever to do the YMCA dance. Real Madrid, Internazionale, Juventus and Chelsea are "on red alert for the £25m hitman," the Sun reports. The only quote from Tevez accompanying the main story is: "Living without my children has been incredibly challenging." The Mill must therefore assume his children live in Madrid, Milan, Turin and west London.
  Also in the Sun, after all that interminable faff Barcelona have finally "baulked" at paying £40m for Cesc Fábregas, like a family who have just spent 45 minutes trying to leave the house, packing the boot with picnic blankets, trying to find their flip-flops, bickering over who lost the sun cream and accusing each other of always - every time - taking absolutely ages before finally getting inside the car and just deciding they can't face it, the kids are crying and it's nearly lunchtime anyway.
  Paul Scholes thinks Samir Nasri should join Manchester United. "Arsenal play the best football to watch at times. But what is the point if you are not winning anything?" he said, going in late and with just a bit of stud showing.
  Kenny Dalglish is in a swoon over Newcastle's José Enrique after failing to sign Gaël Clichy. Enrique will cost £8m. "The Anfield chief is also chasing Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing and Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam," the Sun says. The Mill imagines this pursuit taking place in zany fast-forward to a manically parping soundtrack, Dalglish's plastic overcoat tails flapping as he pursues his giggling quarry in an amusingly zig-zagging pattern around an ornamental garden before pausing briefly to repeatedly slap the top of Jonjo Shelvey's pate.
  Tony Pulis wants to sign Craig Bellamy, though Celtic are also sniffing around. Aston Villa have offered £4m for Shay Given. Villarreal may "end Denilson's misery at Arsenal", meaning they either want to buy him or have him humanely put down. And André Villas-Boas may bid for surprisingly effective Birmingham defender Scott Dann, but only after he has watched videos of 10 Birmingham City matches from last season. Good luck with that, André. Just maybe don't watch it all in one go, take regular breaks and now and then just fast forward to the bits where Nicola Zigic comes on for the last five minutes and everyone goes wild.
  According to the Daily Mail, Roy Hodgson is "a long-term admirer" of Andy Johnson and may finally declare himself in the manner of a courtly, stammering Jane Austen hero by trying to sign him for West Brom. Leicester and QPR are also keen. Midfield fouler Nigel Reo-Coker will not be joining Johnson at the Hawthorns. Bayern Munich have agreed a £1.7m fee for teenage Tranmere sprite Dale Jennings. "Bayern have made us a very good offer for Dale and we don't want to stand in his way of making this incredible move," Tranmere manager Les Parry said, rolling around on top of a mattress covered in high denomination notes and singing along to the "la-la-la-la la-la-laaa-da-da" bit in "Loving You" by Minnie Riperton. West Ham are also interested, but Jennings is leaning towards the brilliantly successful, classily-run Bavarian superpower for some reason or other. Saint-Etienne have "slapped a £13.3m price tag" on midfielder Blaise Matuidi. Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle have all previously expressed an interest.
  
  And finally, in today's Daily Mirror, Chelsea have been "linked" with Real Madrid defender and mid-1980s baggy snow-washed denim suit magnate Pepe. Villas-boas sees the Portuguese centre half as "the first brick in his Stamford Bridge revolution", which makes it sound like he's going to throw him through the window of a parliamentary building or a bourgeoisie coffee house.
  
  
  

[h=1] Afghanistan: Ruthless Taliban thugs execute British soldier [/h] by Martin Fricker, Daily Mirror 5/07/2011
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RUTHLESS Taliban thugs last night claimed they captured and murdered a British soldier during a firefight with allied troops.
Commanders bragged about the cowardly *execution in a chilling statement delivered after the young serviceman's body was found a mile from his base yesterday. It is the first time a British soldier has been kidnapped in the 10 years of operation in Afghanistan.
Spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said: "The soldier was captured yesterday during a firefight. When the fighting got more intense we couldn't keep him so we had to kill him."
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But western military chiefs insisted there had been no fighting in the area where the soldier, from the 4 Scots regiment, went missing and the Taliban are well-known for *exaggerating their battlefield exploits.
And confusion reigned as a senior Afghan general claimed the soldier was kidnapped after going for an early morning swim with two Afghan soldiers when he finished sentry duty.
There were even *allegations the local troops handed him over to a death squad – which British commanders are checking.
An unnamed witness claimed the handover took place under the cover of darkness.
There were fears the Taliban had carried out the snatch after being tipped off that David Cameron was making a secret visit to visit troops in Helmand.
The soldier had been shot in the head after disappearing from *Checkpoint Salaang in Nahr-e Saraj district. Taskforce spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick said: "He had suffered gunshot wounds. His exact cause of death is still to be *established and the *circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death are under investigation.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends." The soldier's next of kin have been informed.
But confusion still last night surrounded the exact circumstances of the kidnap and why the serviceman was outside his safe area.
Afghan army commander General Sayed Malook said he had been spotted heading for Kopak village for a swim with the two Afghans.
He added: "After a while, they noticed the British soldier was missing.
"When our two soldiers came out of the water, they couldn't see him."
British and US forces immediately launched a massive air and land manhunt across the barren area. All other military operations had to be cancelled as *helicopters and other aircraft were diverted to the region.
The rescue bid had a knock-on affect for Mr Cameron. Military chiefs were forced to make last-minute changes to the PM's plans, including cancelling his flight to Lashkar Gah.
As Mr Cameron arrived at the capital Kabul, all of Nato's *available air support were deployed to hunt for the missing soldier, whose body was found at 7pm local time.
But Mr Cameron told officers: "Don't worry about taking me around, throw everything you have got at trying to pick up this young man."
The PM flew to meet UK forces before announcing fresh cuts in their numbers tomorrow. He is expected to tell MPs that the situation is safe enough to pull out hundreds more soldiers next year on top of 450 coming home this summer.
But suggestions the ANA were involved in yesterday's execution will fuel fears over the PM's 2015 deadline for handing them control of the country.

And attacks have been intensifying around Lashkar Gah since the middle of May when insurgents launched multiple assaults on Afghan checkpoints.

But Mr Cameron insisted he will press ahead with his troop cuts.

[h=1]Manchester City tell Carlos Tevez it's £50m or he must stay put[/h] • Club ready to take hard line with unsettled striker
• Real Madrid, Milan and Inter among possible buyers

• Daniel Taylor
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 21.16 BST Article history
  Manchester City are ready to play hard-ball with Carlos Tevez about a possible transfer. Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar
  
  Manchester City are prepared to take a hardline stance with Carlos Tevez and keep him at Eastlands against his will unless they receive a suitable offer, informing the player it will be the club's decision and that they will not allow him to dictate what happens.
  Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, has spoken to Tevez and his influential adviser, Kia Joorabchian, to ascertain why the club's captain feels he has to leave Manchester this summer. Tevez is campaigning for a move to Spain or Italy but Mubarak is not going to allow personal issues to influence his decision, particularly when there is a suspicion behind the scenes at Eastlands about the frequency with which the player's story has changed.
  Tevez had blamed his poor relationship with the club's chief executive, Garry Cook, and the football administrator, Brian Marwood, for submitting a transfer request in December, but his latest statement explained that he wanted to leave England to be closer to his daughters, Florencia and Katie.
  They live in Argentina and Tevez has told the club he has found it impossible to persuade their mother, Vanesa, to return to Manchester since the couple, now reconciled, split up and she moved to Buenos Aires last year.
  City had been anticipating a renewed attempt from the Tevez camp to reignite the possibility of leaving Manchester, but the club are determined not to accede to his wishes unless they receive an offer close to their valuation of £50m. With Tevez earning in the region of £250,000 a week and firmly established as the best-paid player in English football, that means only a small and elite band of clubs could possibly have the money and stature to negotiate a suitable package.
  Barcelona can be discounted due to a lack of interest and, though Juventus have made tentative inquiries, Tevez and Joorabchian appear to be basing their hopes on Internazionale, Milan or Real Madrid.
  City are finding it difficult to see where a deal can materialise and, on that basis, they are still planning for Tevez to be at the club next season. Mubarak put him firmly in his place in December, refusing to countenance the possibility of selling and flying into England from Abu Dhabi to remind the player of his contractual obligations, and the club are willing to assert their authority again, regardless of the impact on his family life.
  Tevez, currently with the Argentina national side in the Copa América, may now have to cling to the hope that a player-plus-cash exchange can be arranged with one of the potential buyers. Inter, for example, have several players, such as Wesley Sneijder, who could be used as bait. However, that would still leave City without their leading scorer and the man who won the Premier League's Golden Boot award last season alongside Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov.
  Roberto Mancini, the City manager, has frequently said that if players are unhappy it would be better for them to be sold, though he has been willing to make an exception in Tevez's case because of the player's value to the team. Tevez has either scored or set up almost half of the team's league goals over the past two seasons and Mancini is still prepared to work with him despite knowing it would be a tumultuous ride and, at times, a huge test to his authority.
  
  Mancini, who took his first pre-season training session on Tuesday, said towards the end of last season that Tevez had implicitly told him he would stay, but that now appears to have been political positioning in a dispute that is causing both parties dismay.
  
  
  

[h=1]Manchester City tell Carlos Tevez it's £50m or he must stay put[/h] • Club ready to take hard line with unsettled striker
• Real Madrid, Milan and Inter among possible buyers

• Daniel Taylor
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 21.16 BST Article history
  Manchester City are ready to play hard-ball with Carlos Tevez about a possible transfer. Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar
  
  Manchester City are prepared to take a hardline stance with Carlos Tevez and keep him at Eastlands against his will unless they receive a suitable offer, informing the player it will be the club's decision and that they will not allow him to dictate what happens.
  Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, has spoken to Tevez and his influential adviser, Kia Joorabchian, to ascertain why the club's captain feels he has to leave Manchester this summer. Tevez is campaigning for a move to Spain or Italy but Mubarak is not going to allow personal issues to influence his decision, particularly when there is a suspicion behind the scenes at Eastlands about the frequency with which the player's story has changed.
  Tevez had blamed his poor relationship with the club's chief executive, Garry Cook, and the football administrator, Brian Marwood, for submitting a transfer request in December, but his latest statement explained that he wanted to leave England to be closer to his daughters, Florencia and Katie.
  They live in Argentina and Tevez has told the club he has found it impossible to persuade their mother, Vanesa, to return to Manchester since the couple, now reconciled, split up and she moved to Buenos Aires last year.
  City had been anticipating a renewed attempt from the Tevez camp to reignite the possibility of leaving Manchester, but the club are determined not to accede to his wishes unless they receive an offer close to their valuation of £50m. With Tevez earning in the region of £250,000 a week and firmly established as the best-paid player in English football, that means only a small and elite band of clubs could possibly have the money and stature to negotiate a suitable package.
  Barcelona can be discounted due to a lack of interest and, though Juventus have made tentative inquiries, Tevez and Joorabchian appear to be basing their hopes on Internazionale, Milan or Real Madrid.
  City are finding it difficult to see where a deal can materialise and, on that basis, they are still planning for Tevez to be at the club next season. Mubarak put him firmly in his place in December, refusing to countenance the possibility of selling and flying into England from Abu Dhabi to remind the player of his contractual obligations, and the club are willing to assert their authority again, regardless of the impact on his family life.
  Tevez, currently with the Argentina national side in the Copa América, may now have to cling to the hope that a player-plus-cash exchange can be arranged with one of the potential buyers. Inter, for example, have several players, such as Wesley Sneijder, who could be used as bait. However, that would still leave City without their leading scorer and the man who won the Premier League's Golden Boot award last season alongside Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov.
  Roberto Mancini, the City manager, has frequently said that if players are unhappy it would be better for them to be sold, though he has been willing to make an exception in Tevez's case because of the player's value to the team. Tevez has either scored or set up almost half of the team's league goals over the past two seasons and Mancini is still prepared to work with him despite knowing it would be a tumultuous ride and, at times, a huge test to his authority.
  
  Mancini, who took his first pre-season training session on Tuesday, said towards the end of last season that Tevez had implicitly told him he would stay, but that now appears to have been political positioning in a dispute that is causing both parties dismay.
  
  
  

[h=1]Cesc Fábregas frustrated as Barcelona and Arsenal haggle over price[/h] • Arsenal holding out for fee of about £40m
• Fábregas having treatment on hamstring strain

• Sid Lowe and Dominic Fifield
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 22.31 BST Article history
  Cesc Fábregas hopes his transfer to Barcelona will go through before Arsenal's pre-season Asian tour. Photograph: Achmad Ibrahim/AP
  
  Cesc Fábregas fears his hopes of finally completing a move back to his boyhood club, Barcelona, could be frustrated beyond the weekend, with Arsenal and the Catalan side still at odds over their valuation of the Spain midfielder and, as yet, unwilling to compromise.
  The 24-year-old reported for training as expected at London Colney on Tuesday, working in the gym with a private fitness coach as he is suffering from a hamstring strain, with his representatives having made it clear to Arsène Wenger that the player wishes to end his eight-year stay in north London to return to Barcelona.
  Arsenal have accepted they are likely to lose their captain in the current transfer window having deflected the Catalans' interest over recent summers. Yet, understandably given the player is under contract at the Emirates Stadium until 2015, the Premier League club have made it clear to the Fábregas camp that he will only be permitted to leave for a fee deemed acceptable. That would amount to around £40m, a figure Real Madrid had previously indicated they might be prepared to offer but at which Barça have balked.
  The European champions have submitted two bids to date this summer, their opening salvo amounting to some £27m with an improved offer that would eventually be worth around £35m made last week, but neither has been considered acceptable by either Wenger or the Arsenal hierarchy. The north London club's instinct is to sell the player to the highest foreign bidders who, at present, would appear to be Real – a club Fábregas has no intention of joining – unless Barça's stance shifts.
  The Catalans' reluctance to up their interest further apparently hinges upon a lingering dissatisfaction with the level of compensation they accrued when the highly rated teenagers Jon Toral and Héctor Bellerín moved to north London ahead of the new season for a combined fee of around £600,000. Barcelona rated the youngsters at nearer 10 times that amount and want that valuation factored into the fee for Fábregas, a compromise Arsenal are reluctant to grant.
  That has left talks stalled and Fábregas effectively in limbo, a familiar impasse, with the player disappointed that the move has not been swiftly resolved. He had hoped a transfer would be settled before he would be required to return for pre-season training, though now the likelihood is that nothing will have been concluded before the club depart for their pre-season tour of Malaysia and China on Sunday.
  Fábregas, whose image has been used in promotional material for that two-match, week-long tour on the club's website, could yet be prevented from making the trip by the hamstring strain that is expected to see him train with his own fitness coach for the remainder of the week. He will hope that there is a breakthrough in the negotiations before the awkward decision over whether he is to travel to the far east or not has to be made.
  
  Arsenal's pursuit of the Vélez Sársfield midfielder Ricardo Alvarez is set to be frustrated, with Internazionale expected to thwart them by signing him. The Italians are believed to have agreed an £11m fee for the player, who is to sign a five-year contract at San Siro.
  
  

[h=1]Cesc Fábregas frustrated as Barcelona and Arsenal haggle over price[/h] • Arsenal holding out for fee of about £40m
• Fábregas having treatment on hamstring strain

• Sid Lowe and Dominic Fifield
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 22.31 BST Article history
  Cesc Fábregas hopes his transfer to Barcelona will go through before Arsenal's pre-season Asian tour. Photograph: Achmad Ibrahim/AP
  
  Cesc Fábregas fears his hopes of finally completing a move back to his boyhood club, Barcelona, could be frustrated beyond the weekend, with Arsenal and the Catalan side still at odds over their valuation of the Spain midfielder and, as yet, unwilling to compromise.
  The 24-year-old reported for training as expected at London Colney on Tuesday, working in the gym with a private fitness coach as he is suffering from a hamstring strain, with his representatives having made it clear to Arsène Wenger that the player wishes to end his eight-year stay in north London to return to Barcelona.
  Arsenal have accepted they are likely to lose their captain in the current transfer window having deflected the Catalans' interest over recent summers. Yet, understandably given the player is under contract at the Emirates Stadium until 2015, the Premier League club have made it clear to the Fábregas camp that he will only be permitted to leave for a fee deemed acceptable. That would amount to around £40m, a figure Real Madrid had previously indicated they might be prepared to offer but at which Barça have balked.
  The European champions have submitted two bids to date this summer, their opening salvo amounting to some £27m with an improved offer that would eventually be worth around £35m made last week, but neither has been considered acceptable by either Wenger or the Arsenal hierarchy. The north London club's instinct is to sell the player to the highest foreign bidders who, at present, would appear to be Real – a club Fábregas has no intention of joining – unless Barça's stance shifts.
  The Catalans' reluctance to up their interest further apparently hinges upon a lingering dissatisfaction with the level of compensation they accrued when the highly rated teenagers Jon Toral and Héctor Bellerín moved to north London ahead of the new season for a combined fee of around £600,000. Barcelona rated the youngsters at nearer 10 times that amount and want that valuation factored into the fee for Fábregas, a compromise Arsenal are reluctant to grant.
  That has left talks stalled and Fábregas effectively in limbo, a familiar impasse, with the player disappointed that the move has not been swiftly resolved. He had hoped a transfer would be settled before he would be required to return for pre-season training, though now the likelihood is that nothing will have been concluded before the club depart for their pre-season tour of Malaysia and China on Sunday.
  Fábregas, whose image has been used in promotional material for that two-match, week-long tour on the club's website, could yet be prevented from making the trip by the hamstring strain that is expected to see him train with his own fitness coach for the remainder of the week. He will hope that there is a breakthrough in the negotiations before the awkward decision over whether he is to travel to the far east or not has to be made.
  
  Arsenal's pursuit of the Vélez Sársfield midfielder Ricardo Alvarez is set to be frustrated, with Internazionale expected to thwart them by signing him. The Italians are believed to have agreed an £11m fee for the player, who is to sign a five-year contract at San Siro.
  
  

[h=1]Aston Villa reject Liverpool's £15m bid for Stewart Downing[/h] • Liverpool eager to add England winger to ranks
• Steven Gerrard to miss Liverpool's pre-season tour

• Andy Hunter
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 22.30 BST Article history
  Stewart Downing is a transfer target for Liverpool after the Anfield club missed out on signing Ashley Young. Photograph: Tom Jenkins
  
  Liverpool have been thwarted in their first official move for Stewart Downing after Aston Villa rejected a £15m bid for the England international.
  The Anfield club made their opening offer for the 26-year-old on Tuesday in an attempt to address a frustrating summer in the transfer market so far but were immediately rebuffed by Villa, who value the winger at closer to £20m but are reluctant to sanction his departure.
  Downing has encouraged Liverpool's interest by announcing he has no intention of extending a Villa contract that has two years remaining. Villa, as Liverpool know following their long and failed pursuit of Gareth Barry, are tough negotiators under the chairman Randy Lerner and after losing Ashley Young to Manchester United it may take a much bigger offer before they countenance Downing's sale.
  Villa received £16m from United for Young, who had 12 months remaining on his contract and whose form was eclipsed last season by Downing, their player of the year. It is therefore no surprise that Liverpool's opening gambit failed, although Fenway Sports Group, the club's owner, is expected to return with an improved offer for a player that the manager, Kenny Dalglish, has made a transfer priority.
  The striker David Ngog, who rejected the makeweight role in Liverpool's acquisition of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland, could be offered to Villa on top of a cash bid.
  Despite signing Henderson prior to the European Under-21s Championship Liverpool have struggled to land several leading targets – including Young, Phil Jones and Connor Wickham – and are yet to agree a price with Blackpool for Charlie Adam. Their difficulties have been compounded by a lack of interest in several high-earning yet unwanted players at Anfield, with Alberto Aquilani, Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Paul Konchesky, Milan Jovanovic, Brad Jones, Philipp Degen, Nabil El Zhar and Emiliano Insúa all still on the club's payroll.
  Jovanovic, at least, appears to be edging towards an Anfield exit one year after he arrived on a free transfer from Standard Liège and proceeded to collect £120,000 a week. The Serbia international made two appearances under Dalglish and FSG is understandably keen to remove him from the wage bill to release funds for other targets. He has been linked with a move to Olympiakos and was quoted in the Greek media as saying: "I got the paper from Liverpool that I am free to search for a new club. Up to now, I still haven't received an official offer from Olympiakos, but I am looking forward to hearing their plans."
  Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, is expected to be fully fit for the start of the new Premier League season on 13 August despite being withdrawn from Liverpool's pre-season tour of the Far East. The Liverpool captain underwent two groin operations in the second half of last term, ending his involvement in March, and remains on a rehabilitation programme.
  It has been decided to avoid interrupting that by withdrawing the 31-year-old from the trip to China, where Liverpool play Guangdong next Wednesday, and Kuala Lumpur, where they face a Malaysia XI on 16 July. The squad will also take part in a training session in Singapore the following day.
  
  Dalglish said: "Steven and the medical team have done fantastically well so far and they are in the final stages of getting him back to full training. I'm sure there will be supporters disappointed that Steven is unable to be with us in Asia but I'm sure the same people will appreciate the importance of Steven giving himself the best possible opportunity of being fit to play against Sunderland on the opening day of the new campaign. Steven continuing his rehabilitation programme at Melwood is in everybody's long term interests."
  
  
  

[h=1]Aston Villa reject Liverpool's £15m bid for Stewart Downing[/h] • Liverpool eager to add England winger to ranks
• Steven Gerrard to miss Liverpool's pre-season tour

• Andy Hunter
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 22.30 BST Article history
  Stewart Downing is a transfer target for Liverpool after the Anfield club missed out on signing Ashley Young. Photograph: Tom Jenkins
  
  Liverpool have been thwarted in their first official move for Stewart Downing after Aston Villa rejected a £15m bid for the England international.
  The Anfield club made their opening offer for the 26-year-old on Tuesday in an attempt to address a frustrating summer in the transfer market so far but were immediately rebuffed by Villa, who value the winger at closer to £20m but are reluctant to sanction his departure.
  Downing has encouraged Liverpool's interest by announcing he has no intention of extending a Villa contract that has two years remaining. Villa, as Liverpool know following their long and failed pursuit of Gareth Barry, are tough negotiators under the chairman Randy Lerner and after losing Ashley Young to Manchester United it may take a much bigger offer before they countenance Downing's sale.
  Villa received £16m from United for Young, who had 12 months remaining on his contract and whose form was eclipsed last season by Downing, their player of the year. It is therefore no surprise that Liverpool's opening gambit failed, although Fenway Sports Group, the club's owner, is expected to return with an improved offer for a player that the manager, Kenny Dalglish, has made a transfer priority.
  The striker David Ngog, who rejected the makeweight role in Liverpool's acquisition of Jordan Henderson from Sunderland, could be offered to Villa on top of a cash bid.
  Despite signing Henderson prior to the European Under-21s Championship Liverpool have struggled to land several leading targets – including Young, Phil Jones and Connor Wickham – and are yet to agree a price with Blackpool for Charlie Adam. Their difficulties have been compounded by a lack of interest in several high-earning yet unwanted players at Anfield, with Alberto Aquilani, Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Paul Konchesky, Milan Jovanovic, Brad Jones, Philipp Degen, Nabil El Zhar and Emiliano Insúa all still on the club's payroll.
  Jovanovic, at least, appears to be edging towards an Anfield exit one year after he arrived on a free transfer from Standard Liège and proceeded to collect £120,000 a week. The Serbia international made two appearances under Dalglish and FSG is understandably keen to remove him from the wage bill to release funds for other targets. He has been linked with a move to Olympiakos and was quoted in the Greek media as saying: "I got the paper from Liverpool that I am free to search for a new club. Up to now, I still haven't received an official offer from Olympiakos, but I am looking forward to hearing their plans."
  Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, is expected to be fully fit for the start of the new Premier League season on 13 August despite being withdrawn from Liverpool's pre-season tour of the Far East. The Liverpool captain underwent two groin operations in the second half of last term, ending his involvement in March, and remains on a rehabilitation programme.
  It has been decided to avoid interrupting that by withdrawing the 31-year-old from the trip to China, where Liverpool play Guangdong next Wednesday, and Kuala Lumpur, where they face a Malaysia XI on 16 July. The squad will also take part in a training session in Singapore the following day.
  
  Dalglish said: "Steven and the medical team have done fantastically well so far and they are in the final stages of getting him back to full training. I'm sure there will be supporters disappointed that Steven is unable to be with us in Asia but I'm sure the same people will appreciate the importance of Steven giving himself the best possible opportunity of being fit to play against Sunderland on the opening day of the new campaign. Steven continuing his rehabilitation programme at Melwood is in everybody's long term interests."
  
  
  

[h=1]André Villas-Boas prepares to bring the Porto touch to Chelsea[/h] • Chelsea manager to introduce players to backroom staff
• 'We think there's something extra we can get out of them'

• Dominic Fifield
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 July 2011 21.01 BST Article history
  'We can find things in players' talent that they thought they didn't have,' says the Chelsea manager, André Villas-Boas. Photograph: Luke Macgregor/Reuters
  
  André Villas-Boas will address his Chelsea first-team squad for the first time on Wednesday and stress a belief that he and his newly assembled backroom staff can draw "something extra" even from experienced players who have enjoyed glittering careers to bolster the club's challenge for silverware next season.
  The players, with the exception of Ramires and David Luiz who are competing with Brazil at the Copa América in Argentina, are due back at Cobham on Wednesday to begin preparations for the new campaign and will be welcomed by their new backroom personnel. Villas-Boas intends to call a team meeting where he will introduce his No2 Roberto Di Matteo, the physical fitness coach, José Mário Rocha, and the opposition scout, Daniel Sousa, all newly arrived or restored to the club, together with Steve Holland, promoted from reserve team coach, and explain to the players what duties each of his technical staff will undertake.
  The 33-year-old's message will echo the philosophy outlined last week when he was formally unveiled as Carlo Ancelotti's successor at Stamford Bridge and this club's seventh manager in eight years. Villas-Boas had stressed the staggering success he achieved with Porto last season – the club won the domestic title, cup and the Europa League – had been born of his staff's ability to "free players' decision-making". "We can find things in players' talent that they thought they didn't have," he said. "We think there's something extra we can get out of them, so that is why we focus on ambition and motivation. That is the philosophy we have from top to bottom in all our departments. It is a question of creating empathy, motivation and raising ambitions in everybody."
  The manager believes he can eke out extra qualities from players who finished trophyless last term by using the same techniques, principles and attention to detail that stood him in such good stead at Porto. The squad will undertake double sessions from Wednesday until their departure for the club's two-week pre-season tour of Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong on 17 July, with the playing staff to be subjected to fitness work this morning before undergoing the standard individual medical, visual and reaction time checks this afternoon as Chelsea gauge their condition.
  The precise make-up of Villas-Boas's staff will become clearer over the course of this week with Michael Emenalo, the Nigerian who had acted as an assistant first-team coach under Ancelotti last season, to be confirmed in an enhanced role akin to that of a sporting director, or director of football, in the next 24 hours. It remains to be seen what his duties will entail with the manager himself intending to play a hands-on role in out-going and in-coming transfers once he has assessed the merits of the players he has inherited from his predecessor over the next 10 days.
  
  While there is interest in adding to the current squad – Tottenham's Luka Modric, the Santos forward Neymar, Romelu Lukaka at Anderlecht and Radamel Falcao at Porto remain high-profile and expensive targets – there is no immediate sense of urgency to conclude deals with Villas-Boas still to judge first-hand the quality of those already at the club. One player who had been mooted as a potential target, the Benfica full-back Fábio Coentrão, is now out of Chelsea's reach after signing a six-year contract at Real Madrid for a fee reported to be around £27m.
  
  
  

[h=1]Wesley Sneijder would be perfect signing, says Manchester United coach[/h] • René Meulensteen urges deal for Holland midfielder
• 'I cannot think of anyone more perfect for us'

• Agencies
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 6 July 2011 11.26 BST Article history
  Wesley Sneijder would be the perfect fit for Manchester United, says United's first-team coach. Photograph: Giampiero Sposito/Reuters
  
  Internazionale's Wesley Sneijder would be the "perfect" signing for Manchester United, according to Sir Alex Ferguson's first-team coach René Meulensteen.
  United, who are still looking to replace Paul Scholes after his retirement, have long been linked with a move for the 27-year-old Holland international, who is rated at £35m.
  Meulensteen told the Dutch magazine Voetbal International: "Wesley Sneijder would fit perfectly here. He is the most ideal player for us that I can think of.
  "I don't say that because he is Dutch. I have been at Manchester United for a while, I know all the ins and outs of the team and I know that he would be a great reinforcement.
  "The new Paul Scholes does not exist, just as there is not a new Roy Keane, but I cannot think of anyone more perfect for us than Sneijder.
  "He is not a runner, but perfectly two-footed. He can run the game and puts the ball wherever he wants. To me, he seems a perfect addition to players like Hernández, Rooney, Park, Young, Valencia, Nani and Giggs. Plus, Wesley has plenty of experience in top football, of course.
  
  "I don't know how his future is at Inter, of course – whether he is allowed to leave and whether we can pay him. But purely on the basis of his ability, I would say 'Get Sneijder'."
  The midfielder is under contract in Italy until June 2015, and has also been linked with Manchester City.
  
  

[h=1]Wesley Sneijder would be perfect signing, says Manchester United coach[/h] • René Meulensteen urges deal for Holland midfielder
• 'I cannot think of anyone more perfect for us'

• Agencies
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 6 July 2011 11.26 BST Article history
  Wesley Sneijder would be the perfect fit for Manchester United, says United's first-team coach. Photograph: Giampiero Sposito/Reuters
  
  Internazionale's Wesley Sneijder would be the "perfect" signing for Manchester United, according to Sir Alex Ferguson's first-team coach René Meulensteen.
  United, who are still looking to replace Paul Scholes after his retirement, have long been linked with a move for the 27-year-old Holland international, who is rated at £35m.
  Meulensteen told the Dutch magazine Voetbal International: "Wesley Sneijder would fit perfectly here. He is the most ideal player for us that I can think of.
  "I don't say that because he is Dutch. I have been at Manchester United for a while, I know all the ins and outs of the team and I know that he would be a great reinforcement.
  "The new Paul Scholes does not exist, just as there is not a new Roy Keane, but I cannot think of anyone more perfect for us than Sneijder.
  "He is not a runner, but perfectly two-footed. He can run the game and puts the ball wherever he wants. To me, he seems a perfect addition to players like Hernández, Rooney, Park, Young, Valencia, Nani and Giggs. Plus, Wesley has plenty of experience in top football, of course.
  
  "I don't know how his future is at Inter, of course – whether he is allowed to leave and whether we can pay him. But purely on the basis of his ability, I would say 'Get Sneijder'."
  The midfielder is under contract in Italy until June 2015, and has also been linked with Manchester City.
  
  

[h=1]Sunderland close to finalising deal for Wes Brown and John O'Shea[/h] • Manchester United defender discussed terms with Sunderland
• O'Shea likely to join his United team-mate

• Louise Taylor
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 6 July 2011 16.09 BST Article history
  Wes Brown is close to finalising his transfer from Manchester United to Sunderland. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
  
  Wes Brown travelled to Sunderland on Wednesday to discuss his mooted move from Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson accepted a £12m joint bid for Brown, John O'Shea and Darron Gibson from Steve Bruce last month and, despite late interest from Stoke City, Sunderland's manager is now close to securing the former two.
  Initially the most reluctant of the trio to move to Sunderland, Brown appears to be on the point of being talked round. Moreover the former England right‑back or centre‑half could soon be joined by his fellow defender O'Shea, whose own move has been delayed by his wife giving birth last weekend.
  
  Talks with Gibson, who also interests Newcastle United, have stalled, however, with the midfielder's personal terms being considered somewhat steep by Sunderland.
  
  Meanwhile Bruce has dispatched Cristian Riveros to Kayserispor of Turkey on a season‑long loan in the wake of the Paraguay midfielder's failure to adapt to English football last season.
  
  

[h=1]Sunderland close to finalising deal for Wes Brown and John O'Shea[/h] • Manchester United defender discussed terms with Sunderland
• O'Shea likely to join his United team-mate

• Louise Taylor
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 6 July 2011 16.09 BST Article history
  Wes Brown is close to finalising his transfer from Manchester United to Sunderland. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
  
  Wes Brown travelled to Sunderland on Wednesday to discuss his mooted move from Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson accepted a £12m joint bid for Brown, John O'Shea and Darron Gibson from Steve Bruce last month and, despite late interest from Stoke City, Sunderland's manager is now close to securing the former two.
  Initially the most reluctant of the trio to move to Sunderland, Brown appears to be on the point of being talked round. Moreover the former England right‑back or centre‑half could soon be joined by his fellow defender O'Shea, whose own move has been delayed by his wife giving birth last weekend.
  
  Talks with Gibson, who also interests Newcastle United, have stalled, however, with the midfielder's personal terms being considered somewhat steep by Sunderland.
  
  Meanwhile Bruce has dispatched Cristian Riveros to Kayserispor of Turkey on a season‑long loan in the wake of the Paraguay midfielder's failure to adapt to English football last season.
  
  

[h=1]Bayern Munich's move for Dale Jennings spreads cheer at Tranmere[/h] The transfer of the 18-year-old from Tranmere to Bayern Munich invites the question, how the hell did that happen?

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Dale Jennings is expected to sign for Bayern Munich in a deal which could earn Tranmere nearly £2m. Photograph: Paul Thomas/Action Images

The transfer will not be the most expensive of the summer, it will have no bearing on the destiny of the Premier League title and it will not insult the intelligence with heartfelt pleas to be closer to home or the kids. But it is still the most intriguing that English football has to offer. Take a bow Dale Jennings, the forward Liverpool rejected at 15 and who, three years and 30 appearances for Tranmere Rovers later, is on the verge of joining the four-time European champions Bayern Munich. Jennings will undergo a medical in Munich on Wednesday and minus any unforeseen hitches, sign for the giants of Germany in a deal worth an initial £600,000 to Tranmere. Once add-ons are included, involving the 18-year-old signing senior professional forms for Bayern and appearing for the first team, the deal could rise to £1.8m.
It is a transfer that reflects the teenager's natural talent, his willingness to listen to Tranmere's youth coaches and his impact upon making the first team last September, one month before signing his first professional contract. It also invites the question, how the hell did that happen?

Bayern have no dedicated scouting network in England. To be more precise, they have no dedicated scout to monitor the Premier League, never mind a teenager in his debut season in League One. Yet they expect to beat the host of Premier League and Championship clubs who parked their scouts at Prenton Park last season to the signature of a player named League One's Apprentice of the Year. The reason could lie with the former Bayern Munich, Newcastle and Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann.
Hamann stepped out of retirement to make 13 appearances for MK Dons last season. His final start for the club, and in English football, came in a 4-2 defeat at Tranmere in October when Jennings scored twice in a display that encouraged seasoned Rovers' observers to draw comparisons with their last great discovery, Steve Coppell.
Around the same time Bayern's general manager Christian Nerlinger, a close friend of Hamann, began visiting Merseyside on a fruitless mission to persuade Leighton Baines to leave Everton for the Bundesliga. During one trip Hamann told Nerlinger of the principal reason for his ordeal at Tranmere – the veteran was substituted at half-time – and German interest in Jennings was under way.
Bayern were almost beaten to the quick, skilful forward in January when a Premier League club, believed to be West Ham United, tried and failed with a straight £600,000 bid. Bayern's original offer to hand Jennings a trial in Bavaria at the end of last season was also rejected by Tranmere, who are £6m in debt but under no pressure to offer favours. A deal was finally agreed between the clubs on Monday.
Les Parry, the Tranmere manager, said: "I don't want to overstate it but this is one of the biggest transfers in a long, long time. I know money-wise there have been bigger ones but you'd really have to rack your brain to think of an 18-year-old player from England who has been taken to one of the European giants like this. It is a massive, massive move for Dale, for Tranmere Rovers and for English football if it does go through.
"I know it's money for the club but I don't want to be seen to be making him do something he doesn't want to do. He said he'd love to go and it is a massive club. He's a quiet lad and doesn't speak much, so the German is not going to be a problem. He can mutter in German as well as he can mutter in English."
Nerlinger has stated Jennings will initially join Bayern's second team, who were relegated to the fourth tier of German football last season and are investing in an immediate return to the more competitive 3rd Liga. It is a remarkable journey regardless, with the Tranmere player struggling to recapture his early season form once he recovered from a groin injury, necessitating a six-week lay-off, in March and ending the campaign with six goals.
After a difficult time while at Liverpool Jennings prospered in Tranmere's youth academy, which provides a contrast in resources and the number of players it can afford to place on the production line. "Dale deserves credit for turning his career around," says Shaun Garnett, the former Tranmere defender and now the club's head of youth and centre of excellence. "He has dealt with rejection, broke into the Tranmere first team at 17 and could sign for Bayern Munich at 18. That just shows what smaller clubs can do.
"We can't compete with the big boys and to play for Everton, Liverpool or Manchester United must be fantastic, but we can offer a route to the top and to have a player sign for Bayern Munich would be fantastic for the club and for the youth set-up. Dale is an exciting player and yYou could see he was a talented boy straight away. He wants to express himself on the pitch and part of his armoury is that you don't know what he is going to do next."

And no one could have predicted this.