Transfer news...

Transfer news...

[h=2]Liverpool Target Chelsea Striker Sturridge[/h] Posted on 15. Jul, 2011 by Simon Furnivall in Rumours
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Liverpool have set their sights on Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, according to CrunchSports.com. The England U-21 international spent the second half of last season on loan at Bolton and impressed, scoring 8 goals in 12 Premier League appearances. The Reds have reportedly now made him another of their summer targets as they look to add depth to all areas of their squad.
Liverpool were linked with Sturridge back in January, when he ended up making his loan move to Owen Coyle’s side, and it seems that their interest has not faded. The Reds have also been making it a priority to bring in players with Premier League experience, and Sturridge certainly has that, having made 59 top flight appearances between his spells at Manchester City, Chelse and Bolton.
Sturridge is just the latest in a long line of strikers to be linked with a move to Anfield – Conor Wickham, Nolan Roux, Park Chu-Young and Benjamin Moukandjo have all reportedly been the subject of interest from Liverpool – but he certainly fits in with the profile of player being looked at, given his age – he won’t turn 22 until September so would have significant resale value for a long time yet – and Premier League experience.
One stumbling block may be his wage demands. Sturridge hit the headlines when he moved to Chelsea from Man City, reportedly demanding a salary deemed excessive for a man who had made only 21 appearances. It seems unlikely, two years later, that he would be willing to take a significant pay cut to facilitate a move away from Stamford Bridge, whilst the hierarchy at Liverpool have been quite open about reducing the wage bill.
Kopsource rating: 42% – (Kopsource ratings explained)
 
[h=2]Cissokho Edges Closer to Liverpool Move[/h] Posted on 14. Jul, 2011 by Dominic Campbell in News, Rumours
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Liverpool look likely to seal the signature of Aly Cissokho after Lyon admitted that they will sell the player should the right offer be made. It is believed that a deal in the region of €12m may be enough to see one of Europe’s brightest defensive prospects join the Red half of Merseyside.
Having seemingly fallen out with his current club’s hierarchy, the Frenchman may be looking for a new challenge. And having previously stated his desire to one day play in the Premier League, a deal could be struck as early as next week.
With Newcastle standing firm over their valuation of Enrique, a move for the 23-year-old now looks to be the likeliest outcome.
History
Kopsource understands that the club held informal talks with the player’s representatives in the latter stages of last year. It is believed that the discussions went well, although an immediate move for the player was ruled out and put off until the summer.
The left-back then openly admitted that it would be a ‘dream’ to play for Liverpool; although he also stated that he was happy at Lyon, with any lingering hope crushed by Lyon when they stated they would not sell the player.
However, Lyon have told the club that they will sell him at the right price and have already begun the search for a new left-back – leaving Cissokho free to find a new challenge.
And with Kenny Dalglish & co. openly looking for quality additions, a move for Cissokho may not be as far fetched as when we first reported it back in December 2010.
Player rating: 79%
There are very few young full-back prospects who have the attributes to make it in the Premier League, so hearing that we are linked with one of Europe’s hottest prospects is undoubtedly exciting for all involved. And a player of Cissokho’s potential would definitely be welcomed with open arms at the gates of Anfield.
Despite his sketchy form last season, Cissokho is still held in high regard and the club are confident in his ability to overcome his consistency issues. Young, quick, and full of potential, Cissokho fits John W Henry’s transfer policy as he looks to buy young in order to set a foundation for the future.
Concerns
Many are concerned that Lyon are willing to release Cissokho without so much as a fight. However, this shouldn’t distract from the fact that the player is miles ahead of most left-backs his age.
Just because the club are willing to sell, doesn’t mean alarm bells should automatically begin to ring. Diego Forlan, Gerard Pique and Arjen Robben – to name a few – are all players who were willingly, and regrettably, sold.
 
[h=1]Official: Liverpool completes Stewart Downing signing from Aston Villa[/h] [h=2]The long-awaited arrival of the English winger took place late on Friday, with the Anfield men continuing to spend as they seek to regain a top four place in the Premier League.[/h] [h=4]Jul 15, 2011 6:10:00 PM[/h] 11 Share
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Stewart Downing has completed his move to Liverpool from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.

Having agreed personal terms and completed a medical, the 26-year-old becomes the club's fourth signing alongside Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Alexander Doni, who completed his switch from Roma earlier on Friday.

The length of Downing's contract has not been announced but has been described by Liverpool as a 'long-term deal'.

And although the exact amount paid for the midfielder has not been confirmed, it is thought to be in the region of 20 million pounds.

Downing moved from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa in 2009 for a fee of 12 million pounds and has revealed his aim to secure silverware at Anfield.

"It would be nice to win something. I'm sure that's the same objective for everyone, not just me personally," Downing told the club's official website. "My aim is to be in the team, to play well and give something back because the manager has pushed the boat out to get me here, so hopefully I can give him something back."

Downing concedes he was always vying for a move to Liverpool upon hearing its interest but admits he was made to wait due to the transfer negotiations.

"It's been a long time coming and I've had to wait a few weeks, but I'm really pleased to be here," said Downing.

"With the tradition, the manager and the players they have here, there was a big temptation to come here and once I knew of their interest, there was only one place I wanted to go."
 
[h=1]Chelsea agree deal to sign goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from Genk[/h] • Genk confirm they have accepted bid for 19-year-old
• Deal could be worth as much as €9m (£7.9m)




  • Katy Murrells
  • guardian.co.uk, Saturday 16 July 2011 17.13 BST Article history
    Thibaut-Courtois-007.jpg
    Thibaut Courtois recently said Chelsea see him 'as the successor to Petr Cech'. Photograph: Str/AFP/Getty Images

    Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign the highly-rated young goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from Genk, the Belgian champions have confirmed. Reports suggest the fee could be as much as €9m (£7.9m).
    Genk announced in a statement on their website that they were left with no option other than to let the 19-year-old leave when he did not appear for Saturday's friendly against Lyon. They said Chelsea's offer was "by far the largest bid" they have ever received for a player.
    The 6ft 6in Courtois was the first-choice goalkeeper for Genk last season. He also received a first call-up to the senior Belgium squad, but is aware breaking into the Chelsea team will be a much tougher proposition.
    "Chelsea see me as the successor to Petr Cech," he said recently. "It won't happen in one or two years, but in three, four or five years. I can therefore work on my development in peace."
    Chelsea could immediately loan out the teenager – who had also been linked with Atlético Madrid as a replacement for David de Gea – to give him more experience.

 
[h=1]Liverpool urge Uefa to rule on Manchester City's deal with Etihad[/h] • Ian Ayre questions value of stadium naming rights
• 'There is no benchmark to generate that amount'




  • Tim Rich in Kuala Lumpur
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 15 July 2011 22.30 BST Article history
    Liverpool-Manchesteer-Cit-007.jpg
    Liverpool have joined Arsenal in questioning the legality of Manchester City's sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways. Photograph: Ed Sykes/Action Images

    Liverpool's managing director, Ian Ayre, has joined Arsène Wenger in questioning the legality of Manchester City's record sponsorship deal with Etihad. Speaking in the Malaysian capital, where earlier in the week the Arsenal manager had said that City's new agreement raised "the real question about the credibility of financial fair play", Ayre also queried the £400m deal.
    Under financial fair play, clubs cannot avoid the requirement to stay below aggregate losses of €45m (£39.5m) a year by effectively sponsoring themselves with what are known as related payments. Since Etihad, an airline that has the same number of aircraft as Flybe and has never declared a profit, is owned by the same Bin Zayed family that rules the emirate and owns Manchester City, Ayre believes it is a related deal and has called on Uefa to investigate the matter further.
    "When I spoke at Soccerex earlier this year I was on a panel about financial fair play," Ayre said. "The guys from Uefa said there would be a robust and proper process about related-pay transactions. Is Etihad, Manchester City and Sheikh Mansour a related party? If they are, then it's up to Uefa to rule on them."
    The other test the Etihad sponsorship would have to overcome is whether it represents "fair value". Manchester City have pointed out that the £40m a year arrangement also provides for redevelopment work around Eastlands as well as shirt sponsorship and naming rights. However, Ayre questioned whether the naming rights to any stadium – especially one that already has a name – are worth anything like the money the airline has agreed to pay.
    "It hasn't happened in Europe that a football club has renamed an existing stadium and it's had real value," he said. "It was the City of Manchester Stadium or Eastlands for the last nine years and now it's going to be called something different and someone has attached a huge amount of value to that.
    "I find that odd because it has never been done before. There is no benchmark that says you can rename your stadium and generate that amount of value. Mike Ashley tried it at Newcastle but nobody called it Sports Direct@St James' Park and it certainly didn't have that kind of value."
    Despite arguing that, in Asia, Liverpool and "another team down the M62" were the only two English football brands with a global reach, Ayre said Liverpool would be cautious about signing Asian players simply to reinforce the club commercially, although the club's director of football, Damien Comolli, has overseen trials in China this week.
    In May, Gavin Laws, the head of Standard Chartered, Liverpool's main sponsors, perhaps conscious of the fact that Park Ji‑sung has helped Manchester United recruit 1.2 million holders of its credit card in South Korea, said he would want the club to sign footballers from the region. "Signing a player because he is Asian wouldn't deliver anything in the long term," Ayre said. "Manchester United have got the best value in Park. He is a player who can perform at the top level and they have got value from his playing ability. There aren't many of them about."

 
[h=2]Pre-season friendly[/h] [h=1]Arsène Wenger: Manchester City's Roberto Mancini is 'out of order'[/h] Hangzhou Greentown 1-1 Arsenal




  • David Hytner at the Meihu Sports Centre, Yiwu
  • guardian.co.uk, Saturday 16 July 2011 17.39 BST Article history
    Samir-Nasri-007.jpg
    Arsenal's Samir Nasri, right, takes on Shaokun Wu of Hangzhou Greentown during the pre-season friendly in Yiwu, China. Photograph: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

    There was a storm before Arsenal brought the curtain down on their Asia tour, featuring thunder, lightning and torrential rain, yet it was nothing like the one afterwards, when Arsène Wenger raged at a familiar slight.
    The manager has digressed regularly from the real business here, which has been to promote the club's brand to the captive audience in Malaysia and China, to insist that the captain Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri are staying put in north London. Fàbregas, who has not been in Asia because of injury, is dancing once more with Barcelona, while both of the Manchester clubs want Nasri, who is into the final 12 months of his contract.
    Wenger began the tour by declaring his determination to keep Nasri this summer was so absolute that he would be prepared to lose him on a Bosman free transfer next year, and he ended it with a stinging rebuke to his Manchester City counterpart Roberto Mancini, who has said that he still hopes to sign the midfielder by the end of the month.
    "This comment is out of order," Wenger said, before addressing the issue of its disrespect. "I cannot say otherwise. These comments are not allowed. They are against the basic rules of football and he should be informed [of that].
    "I don't know what should be done. I don't spend my time worrying about what other people say because we are focused on our game. But what we want is respect and we don't make these comments about players who are under contract at other clubs. It's time football in England came back to these basic rules."
    Nasri was the focal point at the outset even if, in between the explosive weather and post-match quotations, the match was something of a damp squib. He was again handed an advanced midfield role in the middle of Wenger's 4-1-4-1 formation, strengthening the impression that, if Fàbregas were to leave, Nasri might be asked to step into his boots.
    The story of the first half was the pace and incision of Hangzhou Greentown, the Chinese Super League team, together with some dreadfully sloppy Arsenal defending. Thank goodness it is only pre-season. Sébastien Squillaci got another dishonourable mention.
    Greentown had the first chance with just 90 seconds on the clock, Wang Song breaking clear only to be denied by Vito Mannone's legs, and Paulo Pezzolano hit the post shortly before the opening goal after being given too much time to line up a curling shot. A minute later they scored through Sebastián Vázquez's close-range finish, and there were soon sightings of Wenger's outstretched arms on the bench. Carlos Vela's bundled equaliser on 45 minutes, after Andrey Arshavin and Robin Van Persie had combined, had scarcely been signposted.
    It felt strange to see Arsenal turn out in a neat-and-tidy athletics stadium, given the clamour from the fans in China to see them. The capacity was 45,000 and it was significantly under half full, although virtually everybody was supporting Wenger's team. For Arsenal, though, the live broadcast rights to the game across China were everything. Rather more watched from their armchairs.
    Arsenal's marketing department has been excited at how the tour has helped to make the club more visible in China and increase their reach. One of many remarkable statistics was the one million users who logged in to a web chat with Vela and Aaron Ramsey, whose nickname in these parts is Mr Handsome.
    There is no doubt that Arsenal have felt the love from the locals. They have choreographed their tour to perfection, making capital from even the little touches. The players' names on the back of their shirts here were in Mandarin.
    Wenger made 11 half-time changes, the arrivals including Ramsey and Theo Walcott, and his new-look line-up dominated the second period. Yet they spurned a stream of chances to win, with Walcott the chief culprit.

 
[h=1]Why Jamie Redknapp goes over the top top top when rating players[/h] The Sky Sports pundit's love of superlatives is now football's default setting – a gloriously irresolvable confusion of absolutes



  • Jamie-Redknapp-007.jpg
    Jamie Redknapp was a top top player before he became a Sky Sports football pundit. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

    It seems significant that the dominant emotion of the current summer transfer window is not excitement or ambition, but a kind of generalised, grasping confusion. Mainly, nobody has any real idea about value. English premiums, contract lengths, degrees of risk and reward are all suddenly avenues of fevered debate. It is a peculiarly exciting mess – and one that is developing its own language. This week Harry Redknapp described Luka Modric, who looks increasingly haunted and unhappy, like a frightened cat being forced into a basket, as not just a good player but "a top, top player".
    Redknapp isn't alone in identifying this quality. Charlie Adam has talked about the "top, top players" at Liverpool and how he's looking forward to "learning from them", albeit this is the sort of thing you would expect Adam to say given his endearing resemblance to a Dickensian man-child rogue, perhaps a thieving tinker or a chimney sweep who is taught to read by a six-year-old girl and discovers the true meaning of Christmas. Top top players. Top top top top players. This is apparently the way we're going to talk about footballers now. But whose fault is it?
    It is tempting to point to a wider overheating, a compounding of absolutes everywhere. It is a top top top top world and football is simply reflecting this. On the other hand it may be easier just to blame Jamie Redknapp. Redknapp popularised the concept of top top through his punditry on Sky Sports, often concluding his entertaining digressions with the phrase "We're talking about top top players, Ruud – top top top players". No doubt this has had a profound influence. Like the kind of people who shout "Murderer!" and "Give Denise's baby back!" in the street at off-duty soap actors, there are those who have perhaps become confused by Redknapp's TV persona and genuinely consider him to be a footballing oracle, the voice of what Pelé once called "the top top game".
    It is above all a crisis of diminishing superlatives. The concept of top top sprung out of a superheated Sky-driven Premier League where everything is great pretty much all the time. How do you express excitement or even mild approval in a world where the emotional barometer is continually pitched at a level of damp-eyed superbity?
    In theory, this is an open-ended scale. Redknapp might remark in passing: "You look at Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs – these are top top players."
    "Yes, Jamie," you'd say. "But you look at Xavi, Iniesta – these are top top top players."
    "Lionel Messi, Nandor Hidegkuti, Garrincha, Hot Shot Hamish, the Honourable Alfred Lyttelton – you're talking top top top top top players," Jamie would insist, becoming agitated.
    And so it is that fresh mezzanine levels of topness just keep opening up, secret doors, priest holes, tower rooms, private elevators, Jamie ushering you ever upwards though VIP suites of vertiginous approval and into a realm of pure top top top top top. In fact, the issue of footballing classification pre‑dates even the Redknapp Index. The more you look at it, the more confusing it becomes – and so in the current age of rolling analysis the old problem of working out who is and isn't any good at football has become a barking chorus of blanket bafflement. This isn't cricket, where a player's worth can be measured out by an exacting formula. Football is free-form. It is one giant amorphous opinion. Even with things like statistics and goalscoring records and medals with things like "player of the year" inscribed on them, still the debate rages.
    No one is safe. Frank Lampard is too fat. John Terry is too slow. Rio Ferdinand is too easily distracted by bright lights, magazines, shoes, gurgling banter-attacks. Steven Gerrard is simply a pair of wild, flailing legs. Stewart Downing is wreathed in a peculiar air of sadness. Peter Crouch is a brilliant satirical spoof of English traditional "strengths". Messi is a cheat, obsessed with temperate weather. Weirdly, the only exception, the only unclouded absolute, is Paul Scholes: if you say he's rubbish you get stabbed in the eye by the Queen.
    This instability extends across management, officialdom and punditry. Sir Alex Ferguson makes referees give Manchester United trophies. Arsène Wenger is mad and a proven loser. Fabio Capello is evil. Stuart Pearce hates old people and dogs. Roy Hodgson tortures mice in his kitchen. Sam Allardyce regularly shoplifts penny sweets then just throws them out of his car window on the motorway.
    I think Jamie Redknapp is great but there are those who see only a thigh-chafing collage of unrelated think-blurts. Is Graeme Souness really any good, or is he just grimacingly soulful and authentic, like a man in an uplifting advert for boiler repair care plans? Is Alan Hansen wonderfully laconic or does he just never say anything with any content, instead lolling immovably on his sofa cushions, trussed within his satin man-shirt and unspooling his soothing gobbets of TV-Scottish?
    Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows anything. Glazed by superlatives, wildly overpriced and buffeted by conflicting tribal denouncements, this is now football's default setting: a gloriously irresolvable confusion of absolutes, and a condition that spreads right through from bottom to top to top top top top.
    Twitter.com/barneyronay

 
[h=1]Manchester City hopeful of signing Sergio Agüero and Samir Nasri[/h] • Atlético striker Agüero identified as Tevez replacement
• Mancini hopes to complete Nasri signing this month




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Saturday 16 July 2011 11.35 BST Article history
    Sergio-Aguero-celebrates-007.jpg
    Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring against Costa Rica in the Copa America. Photograph: Enrique Marcarian/Reuters

    The Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, has confirmed the club's interest in signing the Argentinean striker Sergio Agüero from Atlético Madrid and the Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri.
    Mancini's pursuit of the 23-year-old Agüero appears to confirm that Carlos Tevez's request to leave the Etihad Stadium will be granted.
    Tevez has told City he wants to leave in order to spend more time with his children. The Brazilian side Corinthians have had a bid of £40m turned down for the striker, and their president Andrés Sánchez said on Friday that the Italian side Juventus had made an even bigger offer for the player. City are understood to want in the region of £50m for their club captain.
    Mancini has already given thought to the role Agüero could play at City, and told Sky Sports News: "Agüero is a player that can play for Manchester City because he is young and he is a good player like Carlos. He can score a lot of goals and can play with Mario [Balotelli], with Edin [Dzeko] ... it could be [that he joins]."
    Nasri was also confirmed as a target for Mancini, and the Italian manager is hopeful he could tie up a deal for the Frenchman "before the end of the month."
    Mancini added: "Samir is under contract with Arsenal. Also for Samir it depends on many things."
    Asked if an offer has been made for Nasri, Mancini continued: "I don't know in this moment, I don't know the situation but for Nasri it is difficult. I hope that we can buy because we need other players, and I hope that this player can arrive before the end of the month."
    Nasri has one year left on his Arsenal contract and has been strongly linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium.

 
[h=1]Mata brushes off Arsenal and Liverpool rumours[/h] Published 11:53 16/07/11 By Football Spy

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...-Mata-brushes-off-rumours-article769209.html#
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Juan Mata has brushed off rumours suggesting he could be on his way out of Valencia.
The in-demand 23 year-old winger has been linked with a number of clubs including Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Manchester United.
Top 10 things you need to know about Mata plus watch him in action
However Mata insists he's only focused on getting into shape for the new season.

"It is true that teams have been linked with me but this is a good sign that I am playing well," he told Lasprovincias
"Despite all the rumours, I have to stay calm and step away from all the speculation. I am well aware of the rumours but this is not the first summer I have had to deal with this so they do not worry me.
"My aim now is to make sure I am ready for the start of the new season and keep improving as a player. I want to win more trophies."
Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Saturday's papers


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[h=1]Wantaway Arsenal star set to join Sao Paulo (Report)[/h] Published 11:47 16/07/11 By Football Spy

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...ao-Paulo-season-long-loan-article769208.html#
arsenal-denilson-cropped


Arsenal midfielder Denilson is reportedly close to joining Sao Paulo on loan.
The 23 year-old expressed a desire to quit the Gunners at the end of last season - and looks likely to return to the club at which he began his career.
"Everything has been settled. He is already returning home and he is very happy with that," a source told Lancenet in Brazil.
Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Saturday's papers
 
[h=1]Nike could step in to seal Sneijder move to Man United (Report)[/h] Published 12:18 16/07/11 By Football Spy

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...me-wages-to-seal-transfer-article769228.html#
International-Holland-Wesley+Sneijder-cropped


Nike could hold the key to any deal taking Wesley Sneijder to Manchester United.
Speculation has been rife that the Dutch star could be on his way to Old Trafford - although the move had appeared to stalled by Friday .
However, a report on Goal.com claims that sportswear manufactures Nike could be instrumental in forcing the transfer through.
The US-based company make both clubs' kits but are keen for Sneijder to join United as their penetration is greater in important Far East and Latin America markets.

Nike have previously helped facilitate transfer deals including Brazilian Ronaldo's move to Inter and Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham's moves from Manchester United to Real Madrid.
it is suggested that Nike could go as far as subsidising Sneijder's wages, with a source reported as saying:
"If Nike wants you to move then you will move. Nike wants Sneijder to Manchester United because it is easier for them to use him as a commercial icon.
"If United will only pay the same salary as Rooney and there is a gap between what they can offer and what the player wants, then Nike will pay the gap. It was the same with Adidas when they bought Cristiano Ronaldo and Beckham. When top players go to Real Madrid, Adidas are always involved in things financially."
Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Saturday's papers


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[h=1]Chelsea unconcerned by Manchester United spending, says Frank Lampard[/h] • We have a very good squad," said Chelsea midfielder
• Manager says he will assess players on Asian tour




  • Dominic Fifield
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 18 July 2011 22.29 BST Article history
    Chelsea-Press-Conference--007.jpg
    Chelsea are going to be strong next season regardless of the money Manchester United spend, says Frank Lampard. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Getty Images

    Frank Lampard says Chelsea are not concerned with the "fortunes" Manchester United have spent this summer in strengthening their Premier League winning squad as the Londoners wait to make their mark in the transfer market.
    André Villas-Boas and his 26-man squad arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday with their only signing to date, the 19-year-old Belgian goalkeeper Thibault Courtois, undergoing a medical back at Cobham before joining up with his new team-mates in the far east. While Chelsea have as yet been frustrated in their pursuit of Luka Modric, Romelu Lukaku and even Scott Parker, United have spent heavily on Ashley Young, David de Gea and Phil Jones.
    That has served as a statement of intent by the champions, who finished nine points clear of Chelsea last season. "They have been very active and spent fortunes on good quality players but we know we have a very good squad," said Lampard. "But the manager wants us to come here [to the far east] so he can evaluate what he's got. We are going to be very strong next season and, however much Manchester United spend, we still believe in ourselves."
    While Manchester City and even Arsenal – despite all the talk of departures – have added to their squad this summer, Villas-Boas intends to continue assessing the players he has at his disposal over the next fortnight as Chelsea tour Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong. The Portuguese has said he will try to strengthen before the transfer window closes next month with a third, improved offer for Modric in excess of £30m to be lodged - Tottenham Hotspur have already rejected bids worth £22m and £27m - and talks on-going with Anderlecht over Lukaku.
    Yet, with other clubs apparently wanting to sign Lukaku, the manager suggested he did not anticipate new signings arriving at the club over the course of the two-week tour. "We do not have the same sense of urgency that you are trying to put on me," said Villas-Boas. "It is a big 15 days and then we will go to the market and do some proper business. The market has plenty to offer but we have to decide on our needs. The players here with us are top quality. By the time we go to the market we will know exactly what we need."
    David Luiz and Ramires will join the squad now that Brazil have been eliminated from the Copa América, with the travelling party already including the 16-year-old Nathaniel Chalobah and the 17-year-old goalkeeper Jamal Blackman. Alex and Petr Cech, who have not featured in the pre-season games against Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth after suffering knee and thigh injuries respectively, are also included.
    The time in the far east will offer the players a better understanding of Villas-Boas's methods, with the Portuguese already making his philosophies felt even at this early stage of his tenure. "On the training ground it has been a bit different to what we are used to," said Lampard. "It's always been fast and intense and there's not been one session where people can relax or be sloppy.
    "I think the fact that André is young is irrelevant. There is a nice freshness, a new style and new training methods from last year. His quality is important, however. You saw that at Porto and we know his ideals are very similar to what we had at Chelsea before.
    "There is some discipline and some rules that are important. He doesn't want to lay down too many laws but he expects us to understand the laws without having to tell us. He has a good bunch in our squad. In the Roman Abramovich era we have had six or seven very successful years. You can't win every year; that's obvious. But credit to Manchester United, they deserved to win the league and I don't think anyone in this room would dispute that Barcelona deserved to win the European Cup. Our problems came in the middle of the season when we couldn't get our focus right. This season will be about keeping our eye on the ball."

 
[h=1]Arsène Wenger has 'substantial' transfer budget at Arsenal[/h] • Chief executive says money is there for Wenger
• 'Financially we're strong … we have resources to spend'




  • David Hytner
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 18 July 2011 23.00 BST Article history
    Arsene-Wenger-007.jpg
    The Arsenal chief executive believes Arsène Wenger's style and vision is so pure and his ambition so great that when the team falls short, the disappointment is magnified. Photograph: Lai Seng Sin/AP

    Ivan Gazidis says Arsène Wenger has a "substantial" transfer budget and there is no practical or ideological barrier to him spending plenty of it on a single "world-class" player.
    The Arsenal chief executive offered a measured yet robust endorsement of the club's self-sustaining business vision, maintaining they must consider the "efficiency of spend" and that they had to do things differently to the very biggest spenders because "we don't have those kind of resources".
    But, in the face of supporter frustrations at the relative lack of in-coming deals thus far, Gazidis made it plain that Wenger had identified the squad's shortcomings and he would be backed in the quest to address them. The manager has already signed the striker Gervinho and the young right-back Carl Jenkinson for a combined £11.6m while Gaël Clichy has moved to Manchester City for £7m.
    "We still will be active in this window," Gazidis said. "We haven't finished our business at all. We're just not conducting it publicly. We're working hard privately. We understand where the weaknesses have been.
    "Financially, we're in a strong position. We have resources to spend. We're certainly not sitting there saying 'Let's hold back on our resources for some reason.' Why would we? The resources are there.
    "They're not there to compete with the Manchester Citys of this world and, frankly, if they were, Manchester City would just increase their bids again. You're just never going to be able to compete with limitless amounts of money but we've got a substantial amount of money that we can invest."
    Gazidis is aware that a section of the support crave a big-money statement signing and he said that Wenger, despite his reputation for preferring diamonds in the rough, was not opposed to making such a purchase.
    "If we found an established, world-class player and we thought the economics made sense and he would add to what we could do on the pitch, then there's no philosophical objection to that," Gazidis said. "Arsène has no point of principle to show the world that he can build his own team of young players. That's just not the way it is.
    "Our fans have the right to be excited, to look forward to the season with anticipation and to expect to see top-class players and exciting things happening on the pitch. It's our goal and target to deliver all of that."
    Gazidis believes Wenger's style and vision is so pure and his ambition so great that when the team falls short, the disappointment is magnified. Yet he argued, as Wenger has done, that it was important to have some perspective.
    "The reality is that most fans love this club and think what we're trying to do is fantastic," Gazidis said. "It's easy to lose perspective on what Arsène is trying to do … which I think is an extraordinary vision … but if you look around, the fans we have around the world … that vision is very, very attractive and very, very powerful. We should be proud of that.
    "People should want that in the game. It's a fantastic thing for the game, I really believe that. It is one of the points of difference for Arsenal and something that drives admiration around the world.
    "Listen, we have to deal with some realities in the game. Domestically, the league has been dominated by Chelsea and Manchester United in recent years. They've been the biggest spenders and, although they've done a fantastic job, it's probably not a coincidence and now you see Manchester City and what they are spending and they are going to be in that bracket as well.
    "We have to challenge for trophies in that environment and we will. But we've got to do things differently because we don't have those kind of resources. Our approach is partly driven by vision; it's partly driven by necessary strategy."

 
[h=1]Manchester City frustrated by row with Corinthians over Carlos Tevez[/h] • Brazilian club accuse City of changing the transfer fee
• City deny claim and question Corinthians' motives




  • Stuart James
  • The Guardian, Tuesday 19 July 2011 Article history
    Carlos-Tevezs-transfer-sa-007.jpg
    Carlos Tevez's transfer saga has taken another twist as Corinthians accuse Manchester City of moving the goalposts. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

    Manchester City have reacted with bemusement and frustration after Corinthians accused the Premier League club of moving the goalposts over Carlos Tevez.
    In the latest twist to the saga, the Brazilian club claimed that Roberto Mancini, the City manager, had jumped the gun by saying a deal was in place. Andrés Sanchez, the Corinthians president, said their offer for Tevez had not been accepted and accused City of changing the transfer fee, which is believed to be a touch over £40m, and the structure of the payments.
    "The club sent a counter-proposal to Corinthians this morning that, due to the time difference, did not reach the attention of the board until now," Corinthians said. "In the counter-proposal, the Premier League club sought to change the structure of payment and the total value of the transaction.
    "In addition, Manchester City also insist that Tevez gives up a pending amount with the English club. Finally, the president Andrés Sanchez advises that there is nothing concrete at the current moment with Tevez and that City's counter-proposal will be reviewed by him and his board."
    City's response has been one of frustration that led them to privately question Corinthians' motives. They claim that Corinthians were informed that their terms were acceptable after they had tabled an improved bid. City insist there has been no change in respect of the transfer fee, which is less than their £50m valuation but deemed acceptable because Tevez is moving to South America rather than one of their European rivals.
    According to City, the only change that was made in the proposal sent back to Corinthians was in relation to when the first of the four agreed payments by the Brazilian club was due. City, however, said this should not be regarded as a deal-breaker, adding that they are only concerned that they ultimately get what is owed.
    Although the drawn-out nature of Tevez's departure is a cause of exasperation for everyone at the club, City believe they are progressing in terms of their pursuit of Sergio Agüero as a replacement. The Argentina international has stated his desire to leave Atlético Madrid this summer and his agent, Hernan Reguera, has said the striker's future will be resolved within the next week. Juventus, Real Madrid and Chelsea are also pursuing Agüero but City are cautiously optimistic that they will sign the 23-year-old.
    Whether City will add Samir Nasri to their ranks this summer remains unclear, with Arsène Wenger having stated his determination to hold on to the France international and expressed his annoyance that Mancini has publicly courted the player.
    The Arsenal manager is unlikely to be happy with comments made by Patrick Vieira, his former captain, who said players wanted to leave the London club because of their failure to win silverware in recent years.
    "You have to give credit to Arsenal, they have been at the top, playing Champions League football for 12-15 years," Vieira, City's new football development executive, said. "They are one of the examples to follow if you want to be one of the best clubs in the world. The project here is to play Champions League every year and to win trophies. That is what Arsenal are not doing, winning silverware. That is why people and players are frustrated and want to go. You can understand that. You can't stop players leaving if they really want to leave."
    Vieira applied that last sentiment to Tevez, whose imminent departure he described as a blow but one that other players would have to see as an opportunity. "There are plenty of players in the squad to challenge for the title," he said. "It is up to the manager to replace him – and when you lose players like Carlos you will fight hard to replace him.
    "But it is a chance for other players to take extra responsibility and to be the stars. It happened when I left Arsenal, [Cesc] Fábregas came through to show how good he is. When Thierry [Henry] left, [Robin] Van Persie has shown he can take it on."

 
[h=1]Corinthians pull out of £40m deal for Manchester City's Carlos Tevez[/h] • Brazilians say move for striker was 'impossible' to complete
• Argentinian now faces possibility of returning to England




  • Daniel Taylor
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 July 2011 04.00 BST Article history
    Argentinas-Carlos-Tevez-007.jpg
    Carlos Tevez is unhappy at Manchester City and is desperate to leave. Photograph: Juan Bragio/AP

    Carlos Tevez faces the possibility of having to return to Manchester City against his wishes, after his proposed £40m move to Corinthians disintegrated because of the financial implications for the Brazilian club.
    Tevez is now running out of potential new employers following the official announcement from Corinthians that it was "impossible" for them to conclude what would have been by far the biggest transfer in the history of Brazilian football before Wednesday night's transfer deadline.
    "While acknowledging the efforts of Manchester City, and everyone involved in the negotiations, there wasn't enough time for the transfer to be completed," a Corinthians statement said. "We are aware our fans wanted Tevez to join our club again and we hope we can have the player with us in the future"
    City had accepted Corinthians' valuation of the player, with another £4m in potential add-ons, but the deal first ran into trouble because they could not agree a payment schedule that was acceptable to both parties.
    City had made certain allowances to help facilitate the move, not least lowering their original £50m asking price, but their suspicion over the last few days has been that Corinthians had badly overstretched themselves. The Brazilians' previous transfer record was £9.35m, when they first signed Tevez as a 20-year-old from Boca Juniors in 2004, and they were heavily reliant on sponsorship money to bring the player back to São Paulo. In the end, they were unable even to afford the first payment of £8.7m, asking City if they could delay settling it until next year.
    City had been willing to accept four different payments over four years but Corinthians were also unable to provide the bank assurances that the FA Cup winners regarded as fundamental to signing off the deal. In the process, the saga of Tevez's future will drag on once again.
    One possibility is that City, negotiating with Atlético Madrid for Sergio Agüero, will offer Tevez to Internazionale in exchange for Wesley Sneijder. That, however, is not something that has got off the ground yet, and instead the collapse of the Corinthians deal leaves Tevez with the other scenario of being required to return to City for the start of the new season and resuming life in Manchester, the city he has openly admitted disliking.
    As for Agüero, the chances of that move happening have been strengthened by Atlético's capture of the Deportivo La Coruña striker Adrián López to take the Argentine's place.

 
[h=1]Sir Alex Ferguson hails Dimitar Berbatov's recovery from Wembley pain[/h] • Manchester United striker 'terrific' in training after missing final
• Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley will not be loaned out again





  • Daniel Taylor in Seattle
  • The Guardian, Wednesday 20 July 2011 Article history
    Dimitar-Berbatov-007.jpg
    The Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has praised Dimitar Berbatov's attitude during pre-season training. Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

    Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Dimitar Berbatov for his attitude since returning to training with Manchester United after the crushing disappointment of not even making the substitutes' bench in the Champions League final.
    Berbatov's omission against Barcelona left him so devastated he could not bear to leave the Wembley dressing room. Ferguson admitted he would not have been surprised if the Bulgarian had wanted to find a new club over the summer.
    "Yes, I'd understand that," Ferguson said when he was asked whether the man who finished as the joint top scorer in the Premier League last season might tire of being out of the team. "But you could say that about them all. I don't pick the same team every week, do I? I've only done that once in the last three years. Yes, players will be disappointed they are not playing some weeks. But at the end of the day, it will help [the team]. By the time we get to the end of May next season, we will have done well."
    The chances for Berbatov may be even more limited next season, with Ferguson already stating that Michael Owen will get more opportunities. "What I have to say though is he [Berbatov] has been brilliant, first class," the manager continued. "His training has been terrific. Missing out on the final was not easy, but there were seven or eight players disappointed at not being involved in it.
    "It was straightforward, as far as I'm concerned. Chicharito [Javier Hernández] hit such good form that you had to put him in for every game because he added so much in terms of threatening defenders all the time. It was just unfortunate for Berbatov. It didn't make him a bad player, he was just an unlucky player in that this lad came in and did so well. But he will be all right."
    Next season there will also be competition from Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda, back at the club from their loan spells with Sunderland and Sampdoria respectively. Ferguson confirmed he would not allow Welbeck to go on loan again, and the same applies to Tom Cleverley, now back at Old Trafford after spending last season with Wigan Athletic.
    "Welbeck is an England international now," Ferguson said. "He is an exceptional talent. And Cleverley will play for England too. He is an intelligent modern-day footballer. His movement and understanding of space is really good for a young player. We are happy both of them will stay with us."
    Ferguson recalled how Phil Jones, the £17m recruit from Blackburn Rovers, had needed assurances about whether, in the face of so much competition, he would get games at Old Trafford, and there was a similar issue with Raphaël Varane of Lens, who eventually chose Real Madrid.
    "The area we had to work hardest with Phil was to convince him he would get enough football. The other thing I explained to him was that we are always trying to look ahead towards the team of the future rather than the team of the present. We expect the team of the present to fulfil their responsibilities but the team of the future is the one that is growing whilst the other one is doing the business."
    The son of the United chief executive David Gill, Oliver, has turned down a contract offer at Old Trafford and decided to give up football to go to university.
 

[h=1]Arsenal give Barcelona 10 days to sign Cesc Fábregas[/h] • Arsène Wenger wants to use fee before end of August
• Barça prepared 'to fight to the end' to buy midfielder




  • Jamie Jackson
  • guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 19 July 2011 20.48 BST Article history
    Cesc-F-bregas-Arsenal-Bar-007.jpg
    Cesc Fábregas did not go on Arsenal's tour of Asia due to a hamstring problem, but Arsène Wenger hopes to include him in the team for Saturday's friendly against Cologne in Germany. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

    Arsenal have given Barcelona until the end of next week to sign Cesc Fábregas.Arsène Wenger is not prepared to countenance any deal for his 24-year-old captain unless he has time to reinvest the fee in a replacement before the transfer window closes on 31 August.
    However, Pep Guardiola, the Barcelona head coach, said the club was prepared to "fight to the end" of the window to bring their former player back to Catalonia. He stated that the Arsenal captain was not their main priority with Alexis Sánchez, Udinese's Chilean winger, the current focus.
    Guardiola said: "This year Arsenal has agreed to negotiate and we are working on [it]. Barcelona has made an offer [of £26m], Arsenal another [between £35-40m], and we have time until 31 August and we'll try to reach an agreement. There is a sum of money in the strong box set aside for this signing but if it doesn't work out it will be kept in the box for something else. We will fight to the end to try to get Cesc because we believe he will improve the team and the squad."
    Wenger, though, hopes to keep Fábregas for another season. He insists that unless Barcelona finally end one of the longest-running recent transfer sagas by the close of the month, he will not be sold, saying recently: "We know that this story for Barcelona goes on for years now and we have to close that and for ourselves to focus on the season, hopefully with Cesc Fábregas."
    Barcelona's sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, claimed that the club will not try to force through the deal. He said: "The position towards Arsenal is one of maximum respect because the club own the player; also towards the player. From there, our position is to try and see eye to eye [on a deal], creating proposals that may be of interest, while always maintaining the maximum respect. We don't have a style of doing things by force."
    He said the negotiations for Sánchez were almost done. "All three parties have worked hard and we understand that the negotiations are coming to an end. Some endings are long-winded, but we hope that it is a happy one."

 
[h=4]Series: Rumour Mill[/h] Previous | Index

[h=2]The latest transfer tittle-tattle and gossip[/h] [h=1]Football transfer rumours: City to pip United to Wesley Sneijder?[/h] Today's rumours can't believe he's called Churrasco de Víbora




  • Paul Doyle
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 July 2011 08.28 BST Article history
    Wesley-Sneijder-007.jpg
    A late arrival at the Etihad Stadium? Photograph: Giampiero Sposito /Reuters

    Liverpool are hot on the tail of Pachuca's teenage striker Marco Bueno, whom the Sun is billing as "the Mexican wonderkid", which raises the question: does he ride around on Champion, the wonder horse? Bueno sounds good, and the Sun reckon Liverpool "have unearthed a gem", though given that he recently won the Under-17 World Cup live on global television, the excavation can't have been too tricky. Indeed, even the Mill can tell you that he plays "like a streak of lightnin' flashing 'cross the sky, like the swiftest arrow whizzing from a bow, like a mighty cannonball he seems to fly, you'll hear about him everywhere you go, the time will come when everyone will know, the name of ... Bueno, the wonderkid."
    All this serenading of wonderkids is enough to make you fear football is going the way of gymnastics, with competitors over the hill as soon as they emerge from puberty. There was a time when Javier Pastore might have been described as a wonderkid but at 22 he's an old stager now even if his nickname of El Flaco ("The Skinny One") attests to the fact that he's still a waif. Anyway, someone has put a £40m bid to Palermo for the midfield schemer, but Palermo aren't yet saying who: so let's do a bit sleuthing – who's looking for a playmaker and could afford to fork out £40m to get him? It's not hard to work out.
    Noisy neighbours Manchester City are about to metaphorically turn on the washing machine at 3am and start banging drums outside Sir Alex Ferguson's house while setting off car alarms. By gazumping United for the signature of Wesley Sneijder, obviously. In return Internazionale will be given a large pile of money plus Carlos Tevez, who will thus edge closer to home.
    Were Arsenal one of the clubs you thought of when we mentioned £40m playmakers? It's easy to forget that Arsenal could afford to spend £40m. But do they need a playmaker? Perhaps, if Cesc Fábregas goes. Which is why it may interest you to know that the French media claim that Arsène Wenger had a bid turned down a few weeks ago for Lyon's Miralem Pjanic but remains interested. Lazio, Spurs, Aston Villa and Hamburg want the Luxembourg-born Bosnian too, and who wouldn't?
    Talksport's interest-ometer reveals that Arsenal have also "stepped up their interest" in recruiting São Paulo's 20-year-old full-back Bruno Uvini. And if Arsenal players walk into their dressing room next season to find that some hilarious prankster has smeared toothpaste on the door handle or placed whoopee cushions on their seats, it'll be because Wenger has signed wacky japester and formerly decent winger Franck Ribéry.
    Were Paris Saint-Germain one of the clubs you thought of when we mentioned £40m playmakers? It's easy to forget the newly-flush French side can blow almost anyone out of the water, Rainbow Warrior-like, now that they've been taken off by ludicrously rich sugar daddies. But a playmaker isn't what they're after at the moment: their No1 target, apparently, is a humungously powerful teenage striker – a wonderkid, you might say – and that means Chelsea et al may not get to land Romelu Lukaku, after all.
    Bolton sure won't. But they might nab Jeffren from Barcelona for a mere £5m, which would be quite a coup for a club that faces being beaten to Nigel Reo-Coker by Leicester City. Sven-Göran Eriksson also wants to beat Swansea to the signing of Wayne Routledge and have the advantage of being able to offer him Championship football, which is much closer to his level. Swansea's Welsh brethren Cardiff, meanwhile, want Kenny Miller to fire them to the brink of the Premier League before their customary late-season collapse.
    Matt Taylor could leave Bolton for European football's Stoke. Birmingham, meanwhile, want to relieve Sunderland of Matt Kilgallon.
    But what of Wolves? Who might Mick McCarthy be planning to bring in to avoid another nail-biting relegation scuffle? Let's pick up the local newspaper to find out: "Nothing to report today," admits the admirably honest Express & Star.

 
[h=1]Xavi insists Arsène Wenger's criticism of him was 'absurd'[/h] • Arsenal manager annoyed by comments about Cesc Fàbregas
• 'I was only acting in the interest of Cesc and Barça,' says Xavi




  • Reuters
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 20 July 2011 12.37 BST Article history
    Barcelona-midfielder-Xavi-007.jpg
    The Barcelona midfielder Xavi celebrates after scoring against Arsenal in last season's Champions League. Photograph: Siu Wu/AP

    The Barcelona midfielder Xavi has defended himself against criticism from Arsène Wenger after the Arsenal manager accused him of disrespect over comments he made about Cesc Fàbregas.
    Wenger said last week Xavi had been "very disrespectful" for suggesting his Spain team mate Fàbregas was suffering as he waits to find out whether the clubs can agree a deal for him to return to Barça.
    "It seems absurd to me," Xavi told a news conference at Barca's training ground outside the Catalan capital on Wednesday. "I was only acting in the interest of Cesc and of Barça. But that's that and I really don't want to get into a war of words with Wenger. I didn't want to offend anyone."
    The Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola, confirmed on Tuesday that the European champions were in talks to buy Fàbregas and said the club were ready to fight right up until the transfer deadline on 31 August to get their man.
    The 24-year-old came through Barça's youth academy at the same time as the World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi, before joining Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16. Wenger has said he wants to keep his captain and is trying to convince Fàbregas that it is not the right time for him to leave England.
    "I don't really know the situation but it seems they are more disposed to sell this year than last year," Xavi said. "Maybe we can be a bit more optimistic [this year] but it depends on reaching an agreement with Arsenal."

 
[h=1]Best way forward for Cesc Fábregas may mean staying at Arsenal[/h] Barcelona's indecision and the puzzle of where the Arsenal captain would fit in at the Camp Nou could persuade the Spaniard to remain at the Emirates



  • Cesc-F-bregas-Arsenal-Bar-007.jpg
    Cesc Fábregas attracted an initial £26m bid from Barcelona, which was rejected by Arsenal, and an improved bid is yet to be lodged for a 24-year-old who suffered from hamstring problems last season. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images

    Cesc Fábregas's gilded career was not meant to feature time during his peak years as a misfit or reserve. Yet if his protracted move to Barcelona finally happens this summer, Arsenal's captain may puzzle where he fits into Pep Guardiola's Camp Nou project.
    Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta occupy Fábregas's favoured central midfield berths. The duo who provide the side's devilry and carousel passing are going nowhere soon. This combination kept Fábregas on the bench when Spain won the 2010 World Cup, with neither making way when he came on as 87th-minute replacement against Holland in the final. While, at 31, Xavi is four years older than Iniesta there is no sense that he wishes to depart the stage, having signed a new deal last summer that keeps him at Barcelona until 2016.
    Guardiola usually shapes his side in a fluid 4-1-2-3. Fábregas has not been pursued so doggedly for him to be yanked back into a holding midfield role, where his skills would be stymied, and Guardiola already has an impressive enforcer in Sergio Busquets. Unless the coach wishes to tinker with the seamless formation that bedazzled Manchester United in last season's 3-1 Champions League final win at Wembley, and swept Barcelona to a 21st league title, exactly where Fábregas will perform is unclear.
    How a World Cup and European Championship winner who glides through midfield untouched by incoming artillery while scoring crucial goals might squeeze into the scheme of a club that has courted him for two years should not be a conundrum. But after the initial £26m offer made to Arsenal for him earlier this summer, the messages from Catalonia are now mixed.
    After that bid was rejected, an improved offer has yet to be lodged at the Emirates. Sandro Rosell, the Barcelona president, talks of "wear and tear" reducing the 24-year-old's value. Guardiola states that the priority is signing Udinese's Alexis Sánchez and says: "We have time until 31 August and we'll try to reach an agreement [for Fábregas]. There is a sum of money in the strong box set aside for this signing but if it doesn't work out it will be kept in the box for something else."
    Sánchez should cost around £30m. So Rosell's stance regarding a footballer who is troubled by hamstring problems could reflect the hard financial reality that requires his price to be driven down.
    Barcelona are £400m in debt, and Rosell says: "What is the limit for signing him? We'll need to see. First we need to know what his salary is and what are his conditions." Reflecting the financial crisis affecting the country, Spanish football is not awash with cash. Despite the club's record £25m-a-year shirt deal over the next five seasons with the Qatar Foundation, the Barcelona coffers hardly bulge.
    Alternatively, in questioning Fábregas's value, Rosell may be voicing the prevailing view of Guardiola and the club that Fábregas will start life at the four-times European Cup winners as a squad player who has to scrap for a starting spot.
    Last year the offer tabled for Fábregas was £36m, according to Rosell, and Barcelona began this summer bidding's at £10m below that mark. Whatever the reason, it would be understandable if Fábregas has become confused about how valued he is by his suitors and must consider how badly Barcelona actually want him.
    Peter Hill-Wood, the Arsenal chairman, is picking up on the vibes. He said: "I am not sure how keen they are. There are still stories in the [Spanish] press, but they don't talk to us. They've made one offer, which works out at around £26m, but that was ages ago. We have told them a number of times that what they are proposing [the fee] is unacceptable and yet they haven't moved on it.
    "I don't approve of what they are doing, but unfortunately it seems the way of the world right now. It has become a real bore and an unnecessary interruption to what we are trying to achieve. But at the moment our situation is very straightforward: we don't want to lose him. Obviously if they come up with an offer which was a very good offer we would have to think about it."
    Since leaving Barcelona for north London in 2003 Fábregas has always appeared destined to return. A professional instinct, though, may be telling him that to stay on under Arsène Wenger for another season at the Emirates would not be so painful after all.
    Recently, Fábregas said: "Barcelona are the best team in the world and going there guarantees titles." But going home may not guarantee being a focal member of that title-winning side.

 
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