Spartak Moscow striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, the leading scorer in the Russian Premier League the last two seasons, is set to join Tottenham, according to the player.

Pavlyuchenko told website uefa.ru that he is not in Kiev, where Spartak is scheduled for the second leg to their Champions League qualifying tie with Dynamo. Rather, he is in Moscow securing a visa. After that process is concluded, Pavlyuchenko says he will complete his move to London and join Spurs.

A Spartak Moscow says the deal is close, though has not been officially signed.

Pavlyuchenko has been linked throughout the summer with a move to the Premiership, with various clubs being mentioned. After staring along side Andrei Arshavin for Russia at this summer’s European Championships, Pavlyuchenko saw his stock rise, though one week ago he downplayed a move to England, saying he was happy in Russian amidst speculation he would be brought in to replace Dimitar Berbatov as Tottenham’s lead striker.

Tottenham had been thought to be in pursuit of another lead striker whose acquisition would pave the way for the sale of Berbatov, who Juande Ramos did not play on Saturday amidst concerns with the Bulgarian’s attitude. Pavlyuchenko plays a traditional number nine and would be able to play alone with Darren Bent or in a more isolated role with Giovani Dos Santos in support.

Today, Tottenham received the first yields from the Robbie Keane sale when David Bentley agreed to move from Blackburn to White Hart Lane.  Having agreed to terms with the Rovers today, Spurs have scheduled a media conference for Thursday to unveil their new midfielder.

The price for the 23-year-old England international is expected to be £18 million.

Shortly before new manager Paul Ince was hired at Ewood Park, Bentley had handed in a request to be transferred.  Tottenham was immediatelly linked with the wantaway midfielder though their initial inquiries failed to meet Blackburn’s evaluation.  When Ince was unable to convince Bentley to say with the Rovers and Spurs sold Keane to Liverpool, Bentley’s transfer to Tottenham looked all but assured.

On Thursday, Bentley will be welcomed to the club, where he will play on the right side of a midfield led by attacking midfielder Luka Modric, another summer acquisition.  Along the right side he will be expected to link up with prospect striker Giovani Dos Santos, who was acquired from Barcelona last month.

After spending his early professional career training at Arsenal, Bentley moved to Blackburn in 2005, making his initial loan permanent one season later.  He made 132 career appearances for the Rovers over three years, occasionally seeing time in the middle of the pitch in edition to his customary right side.  He totalled 20 goals and 27 assists while working his way into the England men’s national team, for whom he’s made six appearances over the last year-and-a-half.

The rumors of the Bentley acquisition heated up after Liverpool confirmed the signing of Robbie Keane.   Spurs are said to remain in the market for a striker, a potential replacement for the wantaway Dimitar Berbatov.  Andrei Arshavin’s Zenit St. Petersburg club is said to be negotiating with Tottenham regarding a potential sale, while Valencia’s David Villa and Fluminense’s Thiago Neves continue to be linked with the club.

Back Pages Dominated by Chelsea Speculation

While Premiership followers should never underestimate the power of the British press’s imagination, this transfer season’s fury surrounding Chelsea FC - new coach, rich owner, wantaway stars - has reached a feverish, comical pitch.

Aside from the acquisition of Deco from Barcelona last month, there has been very little movement at the Bridge. Frank Lampard remains in fold. Didier Drogba is not only a Blue, he has no suitors. Robinho seems no closer to making a move from Real Madrid.

While I usually try to avoid delving too deep into tabloid speculation (though given the nature of this piece, it’s almost impossible), it can be fun to see what gets linked to a multi-billionaire oil magnate coming off a year without silverware. With that in mind …

AC Milan continues to insist that Chelsea have make offers for midfielder and World Player of the Year Kaká (left). The amount linked with the offers range from 80 million euros on the low end to 150 million euros in the unreliably high reports.  The modal figure reported is 100 million euros. This week, a Brazil press officer fueled these rumors saying Kaká would entertain a move to the Premiership and Chelsea, but with Chelsea publicly denying any Kaká approach, this story has no legs.

One approach the club is not denying attempts to procure Brazilian winger Robinho from Real Madrid. There are conflicting reports as to whether the 24-year-old would welcome a switch. He is unsettled, being concerned about a lack of regard from his club. He has, however, reiterated an intention to stay, and a contract extension is being negotiated. Still, Chelsea is said to have discussed a bid of close to £30 million with his club. Real, reportedly, wants closer to £50 million, a ridiculously high amount.  Despite the price, Chelsea remains keen on buying the Brazilian, with club chief Peter Kenyon publicly stating Robinho would be the last piece to the team’s puzzle.

Meanwhile, the club continues to try and flush out Frank Lampard. Today there are reports that Chelsea have upped their contract extension offer to £150,000 per week over four seasons. Lampard’s sticking point with past offers has been less the salary and more the length. He wants a five year deal, an almost unprecedented duration for a player his age. The negotiation between player and club seems less an attempt to agree on a new deal than a public relationship game in anticipation of the player’s departure for Inter Milan. With such a lucrative offer, Chelsea may have taken the lead in that game. Regardless, Lampard seems set for Chelsea for the near future, with Jose Mourinho conceding he is unlikely to sign the midfielder before January.

While all these rumors float, Luiz Felipe Scolari continues to refine the bloated roster he inherited. Khalid Boulahrouz has been sold to Stuttgart after spending last season on loan in Spain. Defender Tal Ben Haim is said to be close to a move to Manchester City. Shawn Wright-Phillips has been linked with a move to Portsmouth. Flourent Malouda has been linked with the Serie A’s AS Roma, though he may be a back-up plan to their bid for Fiorentina’s Adrian Mutu. And, of course, there’s Drogba.

But along with the sales, there have been contract extensions. Michael Essien and Petr Cech have signed five year extensions to stay at the Bridge.

Ince Affirms Position on Bentley by Rejecting Tottenham Approach

Aston Villa confirmed news from earlier this week that they had approached and been rejected by Blackburn for midfielder David Bentley (left).This weekend, reports surfaced that Tottenham, who has long been considered the favorite in the Bentley pursuit, was also rejected by Rover manager Paul Ince.

Though Bentley handed in a formal transfer request last month, Ince has maintained his desire to keep the England international at Ewood Park. Bentley is looking to move from the Rovers to a club playing in Europe after Blackburn failed to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Ince, however, has been reluctant to let either Bentley or striker Roque Santa Cruz leave.

In the interim, Martin O’Neill says that Aston Villa has moved on and are no longer pursuing Bentley after having their offer rejected. According to O’Neill, Villa offered £10 million for Bentley.  Blackburn want closer to £17 million.

With Gareth Barry’s move to Liverpool in limbo, Aston Villa’s need for Barry may be mitigated.

Tottenham Looks to Revamp Striking Duo

For all the rumors Chelsea and Liverpool have been linked to this summer, no team has been the subject of more paper talk than Tottenham Hotspur. Manager Juande Ramos (left) is going through his first summer transfer season with the club and has sought to completely overhaul the roster in an attempt to crack the big four. The most recent rumors linked with the club, however, will not help that goal.

The striking tandem of Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov, who combined for more than forty goals last season, have been linked with moves away from White Hart Lane. Keane is being publicly pursued by Liverpool while Manchester United claims to have tabled a bid for a player, thought to be Berbatov. Keane’s price is said to be around £20 million while Berbatov should go for closer to £25 million.

These stories took a intriguing turn this week when Daniel Levy, Spurs chief, filed a complaint with the Premier League regarding public statements about his strikers from Rafa Benitez and Alex Ferguson. Seems there is a club chief that is not ready for the spotlight of an elite club.

As rumors regarding current Spurs strikers heat up, word comes from St. Petersburg, Russia that Tottenham have made an offer for Zenit attacker Andrei Arashavin. Zenit has rejected a bid that’s said to be a couple million pounds short of the club’s £21.5 million evaluation.

Tottenham has also been lightly linked with Arshavin’s Russia national team strike partner, Roman Pavlyuchenko. The Spartak Moscow striker could be had for about half the price of Arshavin. Were Tottenham to make a play for the Russian partnership, not only would it be one of the more interesting stories for the start of the Premiership, it would also put abotu £12 million in Ramos’s pocket as he continues to build his squad, almost enough to afford Bentley.

To bring in the rest of the money, Ramos is rumored to be selling off a number of other players. Pascal Chimbonda and Teemu Tainio are taking medicals at Sunderland, with contracts said to have already been offered. Steed Malbranque has also been sought by the Black Cats, while Aston Villa is said to be in the lead for defender Younes Kaboul.

Around the Premiership

• One Manchester United transfer that will not happen is the acquisition of Atletico Madrid’s Sergio “Kún” Aguero, with the striker affirming this week he has no interest in a move.
• Gilberto Silva, out of favor with Arsenal, has completed his move to Greek side Panathinaikos. The Brazilian midfielder was moved for a £1 million fee.
• William Gallas could also be on the move, though the noise from Paris St. Germain attempted to lure another French star may be nothing but racket. Still, Gallas has been embattled as captain for the Gunners, with his play and leadership coming under fire. PSG is offering Gallas a way out of what’s slowly becoming a tight situation for Gallas at the Emirates.  The fee would be just short of £7 million.
• Right back Barcay Sanga, whose ankle injury last season coincided with Arsenal’s drop on the table, looks set to be healthy for the start of the season.
• Meanwhile, attacking midfielder Tomas Rosicky, injured for much of last season, says he will miss the beginning of the season. The Czech Republic star says he will not be ready until at least September.
• Liverpool continues mired in a transfer rut after their inability to sell Xabi Alonso. Still trying to find money for Gareth Barry and Robbie Keane, Rafa Benitez is now ready to sell back-up striker Andrei Voronin, though the Ukrainian is unlikely to fetch more than £3 million.
• The Rovers have added some needed creativity to the midfield with the acquisition of Chilean midfielder Carlos Villanueva. The 22-year-old midfielder, nicknamed “Pineapple Head,” could see time immediately in the middle of the pitch for the Rovers.
• West Ham have confirmed the signing of Swiss defender Valon Behrami. The 23-year-old former-Lazio back appeared on the international radar after a strong performance in Euro 2008. West Ham will to pay around £5 million as a fee.
• Sunderland has seen a £4 million bid for Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher rejected. Fletcher has said he would like to stay with United and battle for playing time.
• Newcastle has lost midfielder Emre Belozoglu to Turkish side Fenerbahce. Belozoglu, who was expected to leave, signed a four year deal win Turkey after appearing in 14 games for the Magpies last season.
• Wigan have acquired midfielder Lee Cattermole from Middlesbrough. The 20-year-old England U21 star was the subject of a £3.5 million bid for the Latics and should see playing time immediately.
• Wigan has also completely the long-negotiated acquisition of striker Amr Zaki. The star of the last African Cup of Nations had seen his desired move held up in a contract dispute with his former Egyptian league side.
• And late last week, Wigan completed the acquisition of French midfielder Olivier Kapo from Birmingham, keeping the 27-year-old in the Premiership at a £3.5 million fee.
• Fulham continues to try and bolster their attack, looking to secure oft-injured striker Louis Saha from Manchester United. The Cottagers are competing with Sunderland for the Frenchman’s services.
• Goaltender Scott Carson completed a permanent move to West Bromwich Albion, with former club Liverpool receiving a £3.5 million transfer fee. Carson, who spent last year on loan to Aston Villa, had been close to a move to Stoke City earlier in the week before West Brom swooped for the England international.
• West Brom has also bolstered their defence by acquiring Slovakian left back Marek Cech from FC Porto. The 25-year-old, who has made 29 appearances for Slovakia, was acquired last week for a £1.4 million fee.
• Stoke City had been the least active of the Premiership’s three promotees until breaking the club’s transfer fee record in acquiring Dave Kitson from relegated Reading. Kitson signed a three-year deal with Stoke after being acquired for a £5.5 million fee.
• Hull City continues trying to add players with Premiership experience by seeking defender Noe Paramot from Portsmouth, according to Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp. Redknapp, looking to add to a transfer kitty he needs to boost to get Wright-Phillips, is unlikely to demand much for the reserve back.
• One of those Premiership-experienced players Hull is trying to acquire is Wigan striker Marlon King. Hull manager Phil Brown said the deal for the 28-year-old striker, who scored one goal in eight appearances after joining Wigan from Watford in January, is near completion.

Manchester United Moves

The insanity of the Cristiano Ronaldo news aside, Manchester United has been relatively quiet since the end of the season.  Although the names of Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Dimitar Berbatov have been mentioned, no rumors have stuck to Alex Ferguson’s squad the way the Adebayor, Barry, and Lampard rumors have hit other clubs.

That all changed today when two British sources reported that Manchester United and Tottenham had agreed to a £28 million fee for Dimitar Berbatov. While there has been no confirmation from the clubs on such an agreement, the idea of Berbatov being destined for United has been floated since before the end of the last Premiership. With Cristiano Ronaldo destined to miss the first one or two months of the season, Berbatov would fill the need United would have for an aerial force and striker. If the rumors of an agreement, however extravagant, are correct, Berbatov and United are now discussing personal terms.

In even more flamboyant rumors, Argentine Sergio “Kun” Aguero has been linked to the Premiership thanks to comments from his agent saying a big club has expressed interest in his client. Sources revealed that club to be Manchester United, a strange connection considering the current make-up of United’s strike force. Aguero,  who last season won the Puerta Award as La Liga’s best player, stands just short of 5-foot-8, making about the same stature of both Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

Aguero’s agent did not eliminate either Arsenal or Liverpool from the possibilities, but the amount being discussed would make those clubs unlikely suitors. The 20-year-old who scored 19 goals last season for Atletico Madrid has been linked with valuations from £32 million to £44 million.

Aguero’s reported price plus the Berbatov rumors have led to speculation that an agreement is in place between Manchester United and Real Madrid for the sale of Ronaldo. That theory:  The Ronaldo sale will go through once the main compensating purchase - in this case, Aguero - is made. At that point, Ronaldo would be sold for around £75 million.

Alonso to Juventus Falls Apart - What Now for Barry?

Juventus has their midfielder, and it’s not Xabi Alonso.

Today, Juventus confirmed their purchase of former Sevilla midfielder Christian Poulsen.  The Dane moves to the Serie A after Juve paid his 10 million Euro buy-out. Poulsen, a deep sitting midfielder like Alonso, was said to be chosen over Alonso as the better battler. That choice eliminates the main suitor for Alonso, who was to be Benitez’s main source of funds for the acquisition of Gareth Barry. Juventus has said they are gone acquiring out-field talent.

Late last week Benitez had confirmed that he needs to sell more players to acquire Barry and the striker he wants (still thought to be Tottenham’s Robbit Keane). With Alonso now either set for an Anfield stay or to be sold for less than the £15+ million Juventus had said to be bidding, Benitez finds himself in a quagmire.  This may be the reason why goaltender Scott Carson was linked to both West Brom and Stoke City for £4 million.  The total is less than he had told Martin O’Neill the England international would be sold for.

If Benitez can sell Carson, the money from his, Peter Crouch’s, and John Arne Riise’s sales come close to the £18 million O’Neill is demanding for Gareth Barry. Assuming Benitez either has or can find the rest of the money, Barry and Alonso may be playing in the same midfield in a month. Unfortunately, they will be playing behind an attack that will against rely heavily on great performances from Fernando Torres and Steven Gerard, a formula that only got the club fourth place last season.

David Bentley Auction Picking Up Steam

With all the talk of Gareth Barry’s thought-to-be impending move to Anfield, many forgot that there was another England international midfielder who had handed in a transfer request. Blackburn’s David Bentley, four years younger than Barry, had his situation confused by the managerial change at Ewood Park, but with Paul Ince now firmly in charge, the bidding has started.

Tottenham has been long thought to be in line for Bentley’s services, and although Bentley’s request to play in the Champions League seems at odds with moving from seventh place Blackburn to eleventh place Tottenham, Spurs’ offseason activity, rumored £17 million dollar bid, and UEFA Cup spot make them an attractive option. Multiple sources have reported the two clubs have agreed on that transfer fee, though there has been confirmation from neither club.

One bid Paul Ince has confirmed is that coming from Aston Villa. There was no value quoted on Martin O’Neill’s bid, but Ince said that he turned it down, reiterating his intention on keeping his star midfielder.

Likewise, Ince does not want to see the Rovers’ other main contributors last season, striker Roque Santa Cruz and goaltender Brad Freidel, move. Both have had their names come up in rumors, with Santa Cruz links to Spurs and Arsenal. The Paraguayan sar has reiterated that he would like to stay with Rovers, though there may be an Adebayor-like temptation to sell high on a goalscorer who many feel performed beyond expectations last season. Friedel, who has been linked with Aston Villa and Manchester City, was thought to be on the wrong side of Ince’s option until this week when his new manager said he does not plan to move the American goaltender.

Around the Premiership

• Chelsea target Robinho said he is under the impression that Real Madrid will only be selling him in the event that they acquire Cristiano Ronaldo, though even in that scenario he has no interest in moving away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
• Chelsea’s other big move, the potential departure of Frank Lampard, may have got slightly more likely with the news of an improved offer from Inter Milan.  Whereas Inter had been offer just short of £8 million for Lampard, their new offer is £15 million plus Brazilian striker Adriano, currently playing for Internacional in Brazil.
• Andriy Shevchenko, last week linked with a return to AC Milan on loan, has seen the Serie A’s Sampdoria start negotiations for a similar move.
• River Plate’s Falcao Garcia, who has been tracked by Manchester United, is said to be the subject of a £8 million bid from Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. The 22-year-old Garcia scored 6 goals in the the Argentine Premier League’s Clasura and is being sought to replace Emmanuel Adebayor’s spot on the roster. If Adebayor stays, it is unlikely Arsenal will move for the Colombian striker.
• On the Adebayor front, Arsenal was rumored to have reduced their asking price on the Togoan, thought previously to be £36 million. Suggesting they are ready to move on, Arsenal was said to be asking only £19 million from AC Milan.
• The agent for Andrei Arshavin said yesterday that his client would enjoy playing for Arsene Wenger, feeding into the idea tha Wenger has been in on the pursuit for the Russia star all along. This, in addition to the Huntelaar, Falcao, and Santa Cruz rumors, is seen as explaining why Adebayor’s price may have dropped.
• Aston Villa has agreed with MLS on the transfer of Chivas USA goaltender Brad Guzan and now await his work permit. Guzan’s recent stretch of appearances for the men’s national team has manager Martin O’Neill optimistic the same stumbling block which blocked a January move will not prevent Guzan moving to England. The only question remains whether Guzan’s nine appearances meet the work permit requirement that a player be a regular on his national team.
• Paul Ince and the Blackburn Rovers have given 33-year-old former England international Robbie Fowler a two week trial.
• Romanian defender Dorin Goian, one of the country’s best players at Euro 2008, has been linked with a move to Sunderland, who would pay a £3.5 million to Steaua Bucharest for his services.
• Hull City have reportedly agreed to personal terms with George Boateng, with the midfielder slated to join the Tigers from Middlesbrough. Boateng was allowed to seek a new home by Gareth Southgate and has agreed to a two year deal with the recently promoted club.
• Further bolstering their midfield, Hull City also acquired French international midfielder Bernard Mendy on a free transfer. The former Bolton Wanderer who had been with Paris St. Germain signed a three year deal with Phil Brown’s squad.

Huntelaar, Ajax Reveal Manchester United Interest

It has been long assumed that when Ajax star Klans-Jan Huntelaar was ready to move beyond the Eredivisie, Manchester United and Arsenal would be interested.  With contract talks between Huntelaar and club on an extension for the 24-year-old going nowhere, the Dutch international may be ready to move.  Today, Huntelaar went as far as to say he won’t sign a new contract with the club.

Both Huntelaar and Ajax have confirmed that Manchester United are “very interested” in the striker, who would fill the Red Devils’ need for a tradition number nine.  The traditional number nine was thought to be Dimitar Berbatov last week, but Huntelaar better fits the profile of player Alex Ferguson traditionally pursues.

Conversely, Arsenal is reportedly yet to contact Ajax about the Dutch international.

Huntelaar has been one of the most prolific scorers in Europe since his move to Ajax from Heerenveen three seasons ago.  During that stretch, he has scored 96 goals in 115 contests (all competitions).  He has also made thirteen appearances with the national team, scoring eight goals, one of which came during Euro 2008.

Because of the resourcefulness with which he scores his goals, Huntelaar draws natural comparisons to Ruud van Nistelrooy.  The former Manchester United star’s name was evoked by Huntelaar when discussing his potential interest in a move to Old Trafford.

Real Madrid has also been long linked with Huntelaar.

Ajax is reported to have put a £20 million price on a potential Huntelaar sale, only slightly more than Arsenal proposes to sell Alexander Hleb to Barcelona for (below) and the cheapest of United’s rumored targets, which includes Berbatov and Lyon’s Karim Benzema.  Ajax has already insured against a Huntelaar sale with Friday’s acquisition of Miralem Sulejmani from Heerenveen.

Juventus Spurning of Alonso Could Have Chain Reaction

In a bit of irony that could have a serious effect on Liverpool’s Premiership ambitions, Juventus is now looking for more midfielder options besides Xabi Alonso.  Alonso’s Euro 2008 run and subsequent holidays have delayed transfer negotiations, and the clubs’ inability to agree on a price (now that discussions have started) has led Juve to look at other options.  AS Roma’s Alberto Aquilani is currently linked with a move.

Juve coach Claudio Ranieri has said the club has multiple options to fill their needs in midfield.

If Juventus go for an option besides Alonso, the decision could impact the Gareth Barry negotiations.  It may be no coincidence that the asking price on Alonso, now thought to be north of £16 million, has increased in proportion to Martin O’Neill’s asking price for Gareth Barry.  Rafa Benitez’s tight transfer budget likely requires him to sell Alonso before he can move for Barry.  Should a sale to Juventus not take place, Benitez would have to find another team to take Alonso.  At that point, it would be unlikely Benitez would be able to get £16 million for his most attractive sale item.

If Liverpool can not get enough money for Alonso, they may have to rely solely on the money they received from Portsmouth for Peter Crouch.  If that happens, there is little chance Benitez will be able to get the forward he seeks to pair with Fernando Torres.  This week, Benitez against brought up David Villa as a target, though it is unclear how Benitez can meet a newly resolute Valencia’s price without getting Juventus-money for Alonso.  The Villa rumors, as well as those about making a play for Tottenham’s Robbie Keane, would die quickly.

In the interim, the sale of Peter Crouch has done nothing to speed up the transfer of Barry.  Now three days after Liverpool gave Portsmouth permission to negotiate with Crouch, there has been no progress in the Villa-’Pool negotiations.  Martin O’Neill is set at a price of £18 million.  Liverpool, knowing Barry will go nowhere else, continues to try and short-change Aston Villa.  Villa is said to be willing to come down to £17 million of Rafa Benitez throws in Steve Finnan, but Benitez rates the defender higher than £1 million.

Around the Premiership

• Inter Milan faxed a £6.5 million offer to Chelsea for midfielder Frank Lampard along with a request to start negotiating personal terms with the player.  Chelsea refused, with Luiz Felipe Scolari saying in his first press conference that both club and player want to stay together.  Rumors immediately started surfacing of Lampard’s continued desire to move.  Today, the first rumors surfaced of Lampard buying out his contract.
• AC Milan has inched closer to a loan deal for Andriy Shevchenko, the former Rossenari striker who is on the outs at Chelsea.
• Responding to last week’s rumors that he would be targeted should Arsenal lose Emmanuel Adebayor, Newcastle’s Obafemi Martins said he would find it hard to resist the Emirates should Arsene Wenger come calling.  Since that time, Huntelaar has become available and the talk surrounding Adebayor has cooled, making an approach for Martins less likely.
• Money for Huntelaar or Martins could come from the sale of Alexander Hleb, who was in route to Barcelona today for a medical.  Barcelona and Arsenal are said to have already agreed on a fee, with Hleb to sign a four-year contract with Barça.  The fee for the winger,  who is keen to move away from London, is likely to be between £12 and £15 million.
• Another Gunner set to leave the Emirates, though one that will be missed less on the pitch, is last season’s vice-captain Gilberto Silva, who looks to jump to Super Greek League power Panathinaikos.  Silva lost his regular spot last season to Mathieu Flamini and still looked unlikely to regain playing time after Flamini’s move to AC Milan.
• Liverpool finalized the acquisition of Andrea Dossena in a move that had been reported last month.  Dossena, formerly of Serie A’s Udinese, will immediately step in at left back.
• The Reds also inched closer to closing the deal for Palmeiras goaltender Diego Cavalieri, with a £3 million fee agreed and the medical passed.  Personal terms and a work permit are the remaining obstacles for the Brazilian goaltender who will be Pepe Reina’s understudy.
• Everton have put a £12 million price tag on forward Andy Johnson, who Sunderland, Wigan and Fulham are pursuing.  Though David Moyes has said he does not intend to sell Johnson, the sale of the now reserve striker is expected to be needed to fund Moyes’s close season ambitions.
• That sale could finance the acquisition of Argentine forward Diego Milito from Real Zaragoza.  Milito was linked with a possible move to Tottenham three weeks ago but has since seen David Moyes step up Everton’s chase.  Milito, who seems sure to leave relegated Zaragoza, would prefer a move to Genoa in the Serie A.
• The same rumors that surfaced at the end of the season linking midfielder Mikel Arteta with a move to La Liga and Atletico Madrid have come up again, with the Everton star said to be the subject of a £12 million bid.  Those rumors, having surfaced this weekend, cooled after a series of Atletico moves this week, none of which involved Arteta.
• One player David Moyes had been targeting to bolster the midfield was Brazilian-born, Turkey international Mehmet Aurelio.  Aurelio signed with La Liga’s Real Betís today.
• On the same day Aurelio escaped, Moyes’s acquisition of Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell went through.  The little-used Sidwell, sold for £5 million, is expected to slot into Gareth Barry’s spot in the starting XI.
• Colin Kazim-Richards has played the field well in his plan to return to the Premiership and now has a chance to move to Manchester City, where as he looked destined for Hull two weeks ago.
• City have also sewn up Richard Dunne, putting ink to a contract that Mark Hughes reported as agreed-to last week.  Dunne had been linked with Tottenham and Portsmouth.
• To help Dunne at the back, Manchester City has approached  Chelsea about purchasing defender Tal Ben-Haim.  The price would be in the £5 million range for the defender, who is one of a speculated seven names Luiz Felipe Scolari has decided to unload to pair down Chelsea’s roster.
• Mark Hughes is also keen on reuniting with goalkeeper Brad Friedel, one of his key contributors last season at Blackburn.  Shortly after the Rovers hired Paul Ince to replace Hughes, news leaked that Ince would look to replace Friedel, having identified him as a weak link in the club.  Hughes would bring Freidel in to help nurture Englan international goaltender Joe Hart.
• Tottenham has reportedly made a £10 million bid for Spartak Moscow forward and Euro 2008 star Roman Pavlyuchenko.  The bid has been rejected, with Spartak saying they want at least £12 million for Pavlyuchenko, should they decide to sell the Russian Premier League’s leading scorer in 2007.
• Spurs also failed in another bid for Sevilla winger Diego Capel.  The 20-year-old said he is not considering a move this season.
• Pascal Chimbonda is set to leave Spurs, but whereas last week he looked destined for La Liga and Valencia, it now appears former coach Martin Jol at Hamburg SV is angling to acquire the defender.
• Newcastle has agreed to a new three year contract with center back Steve Taylor.
• Kevin Keegan is also making a play for Swiss international Gokhan Inler.  The Udinese midfielder is the subject of a £4 million Magpie bid after his success at Euro 2008.
• Paris St. Germain have finally let midfielder Dider Digard move to Middlesbrough in a move that was held up for almost a weak after PSG suspended the player.
• Middlesbrough also finalized the move of forward Marvin Emnes from Sparta Rotterdam.  The 21-year-old cost Boro £3.2 million.
• Sunderland is looking to strengthen their backline by reacquiring George McCartney.  The left back was sold to West Ham two years ago.  The Black Cats are to have made a £4.5 million offer to reacquire him, with sources saying the Hammers have already rejected the approach.
• Earlier this summer it looked as if Wigan target Amr Zaki, playing for Zamalek in Egypt, would be moving to the Premiership.  Now with the club standing in the way of his move, the Egypt international is asking FIFA to step in an invalidate his contract.  Zaki claims the contract should be voided because his salary has not been paid, though the Egyptian Football Association has already failed to cancel the deal.
• Bolton have gotten ink to contract extensions on Jussi Jasskelainen and Ricardo Gardner.
• Fulham have received permission to talk to West Ham striker Bobby Zamora about stepping into the new vacancy in their lineup.  They also received permission from the Hammers to talk to defender John Pantsil.  Zamora had been linked with a loan move to Championship favorite Queens Park Rangers.
• Last week, Brazilian midfielder Geovanni agreed to a two-year contract with Hull City two days after being released by Manchester City.
• Henrik Pederson has left Hull City and returned to Denmark, leaving Hull surprised and suddenly thin on the left side.
• Hull have also reached an agreement with Middlesbrough for midfielder George Boateng, with manager Phil Brown saying only a few details remain to be worked out with the player.
• Stoke City and Hull City are in a battle for Portsmouth striker David Nugent.  Nugent has been largely unable to crack the starting lineup for Harry Redknapp since being purchased and is unlikely to see any more time with Peter Crouch’s acquisition.
• West Brom acquired midfielder Graham Dorrans from Scottish club Livingston for £100,000.
• Kevin Phillips made his departure from West Brom official, electing to drop back down to the Championship and join relegated Birmingham City.  Phillips was Albion’s leading scorer last season, finding the net 24 times.

Newcastle Sign Midfielder Gutierrez Amidst Controversy

Argentine midfielder Jonas Gutierrez stands to bring some much needed skill and athleticism to Newcastle’s midfield after buying out his contract with La Liga’s Real Mallorca to make the switch to Tyneside. That buy-out, however, is now being contested by Mallorca.

Having served three years of a five year contract he sided with Mallorca in 2005, Gutierrez used his FIFA article 17 rights to compensate Mallorca and get out of his contract. Mallorca, however, in an apparent challenge to last year’s Webster ruling, are seeking £7.9 million in compensation from Gutierrez, citing an offer Portsmouth made for the Argentine last winter.

The case is likely headed for arbitration, with Gutierrez (or Newcastle, through the player) unlikely to pay what amounts to a full transfer fee. Mallorca, however, say they are determined to “defend their interests,” according to the club’s sporting director.

Gutierrez is one of the first players to use Article 17 to opt out of his contract since the Webster ruling came down in May of 2007. Per the regulation, he is to pay Mallorca compensation for breaking his contract without cause. The Webster ruling’s precident points towards player salary and future earnings as the basis for compensation. Mallorca seems unlikely to get near £7.9 million, but how the process is played out could influence how similar deals are finalized in the future.

Barry Relationship With Villa, O’Neill Turns Ugly

Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry has been fined two weeks wages for giving an unauthorized interview with Britian’s News of the World.

In the interview, Barry reiterated his intent to leave Aston Villa, saying there is no turning back, while criticizing manager Martin O’Neill for prioritizing Euro 2008 punditry with the BBC over settling the transfer situation. Barry has also been told not to report for training with Villa, which began yesterday.

Barry requested a transfer to Liverpool in May but has seen O’Neill continue to refuse Rafa Benitez’s approaches. O’Neill has said Liverpool has failed to reach his valuation of Barry, which is reported to be £18 million. Yesterday, Aston Villa confirmed that Liverpool made another bid this week; however, that bid was rejected.

Chelsea Leading Race for Arshavin?

While his choice club Barcelona continues to consider how much they want him (if at all), Andrei Arshavin has seen Chelsea step to the forefront of the chase for his services. Meanwhile, owners of his current club, Zenit St. Petersburg in the Russian Premier League, came forth saying they do not want to sell the Russian player of the year. Arshavin continues to insist on a move. While some rumors this morning had Zenit accepting a bid from Chelsea, it appears that Roman Abramovich’s team has merely entered the battle with Barcelona for the Euro 2008 star.

Arsenal, who until days ago were thought to be leading Premiership teams in the race for Arshavin, is now a quiet contender for the Russian star, with Chelsea assuming the non-Barcelona favorite’s position.

Chelsea’s interest comes amidst loose speculation that Abramovich has instructed his new manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari, to acquire a Russian. If that’s the mandate, might as well make it king of the Russian footballers.

Around the Premiership

• Spain stars David Villa and David Silva, linked with various Premiership sides throughout Euro 2008, have stated their intention to stay at Valencia.
• Cristiano Ronaldo had his injured ankle examined by Manchester United and Portugal national team doctors yesterday. No decision has been made as to whether to proceed with surgery.
• Manchester United is reported to be tracking 22-year-old Colombian forward Falcao, who is rated at £15 million after scoring 38 goals in 58 matches for his club in Argentina.
• Emmanuel Adebayor’s agent is now seeking a commitment from Arsenal in the face of waning interest from AC Milan. Barcelona, however, remains heavily linked with the striker.
• Blackburn’s Roque Santa Cruz is currently said to be Arsene Wenger’s number one choice to replace Adebayor, should he move.
• Ronaldinho moved a bit closer to AC Milan (and farther from Manchester City and Chelsea), with his agent-brother saying that the former World Player of the Year is 90 percent likely to move to the San Siro.
• Shaun Wright-Phillips has been urged to move from Chelsea, where he has lost his playing opportunity, to Portsmouth by his father, former Arsenal star Ian Wright.
• Chelsea released out-of-contract Hernan Crespo, who has spent the last two seasons on loan to Inter Milan. The Argentine striker is seeking a permanent move to Inter.
• Though Chelsea have offered him another year at Stamford Bridge, Claude Makelele could still move to Paris St. Germain, if reports from the Parisian club are true. PSG coach Paul Le Guen claims contact with Makelele and remains hopeful that he can lure the veteran defensive midfielder to his club.
• Swiss fullback Phillip Degen has joined Liverpool, rejecting an offer from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund to extend his stay.
• Liverpool has been linked with Brazilian keeper Diego Cavalieri, in Europe trying to secure a work permit, as a backup to Pepe Reina.
• Everton has been linked with midfielder Mehmet Aurelio. The Turkish international has said he will move to England, with Newcastle also being mentioned. A deal sending Aurelio to La Liga’s Real Betis fell through.
• Aston Villa has made last year’s loan of defender Curtis Davies from West Brom permanent, signing him to a four year deal.
• Villa has settled in on Tottenham’s Paul Robinson to replace Scott Carson, with the club hoping to complete personal terms this weekend, finishing a £5 million deal.
• News that Pompey manager Harry Redknapp was in pursuit of Harry Kewell was quashed when the Australian attacker signed with Turkish side Galatasaray.
• Out-of-contract striker Kanu confirmed that he intends to return to Portsmouth, denying speculation that he was unhappy with Pompey’s last offer.
• Whereas it once looked like captain Richard Dunne was set to leave Manchester City, Mark Hughes is close to securing the center back to a new contract. Hughes has said Joe Hart will also receive a new deal.
• West Ham United defender Anton Ferdinand has dismissed last week’s reports of an approach by Aston Villa as mere speculation.
• Middlesbrough target Didier Digard, midfielder for Paris St. Germain, has been suspended by his club for speaking out against PSG’s inability to finalize a deal with Boro.
• Sunderland back-up keeper Martin Fulop wants to move to Stoke City for first team football. Sunderland wants £3 million while Stoke is hoping to pay less.
• Striker Dwight Yorke has signed a new deal with Sunderland that will keep him with the Black Cats for one more season.
• Winger Ross Wallace will also be back with Sunderland after declining a move to Preston North End.
• Bolton has re-upped out-of-contract goaltender Jussi Jasskelainen to a deal which will keep him at the Reebok until 2012.
• Finish defender Toni Kallio, who has been on loan with Fulham since January, completed a permanent move to the Cottagers with a two year deal.
• Fulham remains in negotiations for another Scandinavian defender, Swede Fredrik Stoor, for whom Rosenborg BK in Norway are said to want more than £7 million.
• A transfer to Scottish side Rangers is still a possibility for Fulham midfielder Steven Davis. Rangers’ manager Walter Smith said he will meet with Fulham this week to try and finalize a move that has been in the works since season’s end.
• Roy Hodgson is said to be looking at Reading’s Dave Kitson to fill the void at striker caused by the injury to Diomansy Kamara. Wigan is also interested in Kitson.
• West Brom striker Kevin Phillips is set to return to the Championship, ready to join relegated Birmingham City.
• In the interim, the Baggies shored up their defense with the £3.2 million purchase of Holland’s U-21 right back Gianni Zuiverloon from Heerenveen of the Eredivisie.
• Former Manchester City midfielder Geovanni, released earlier today by the Blues, has drawn immediate interest from Hull City.
• Hull City has also signed forward Craig Fagan from relegated Derby for £700,000.

Manchester City Moves One Step Closer to Long-Rumored Jo Move

Manchester City moved a step closer to finishing the acquisition of Brazilian striker Jo after issues regarding his ownership were put to bed.  Jo, who last weak was rumored to have his rights owned by the same agency behind the controversial transfers of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, was cleared for transfer after it was determined CSKA Moscow, his current team, own his contract.  His former club, Corinthias in Brazil’s Serie A, will get a sell-on fee from the £19 million City will pay Moscow.   The £19 million is a Manchester City record transfer fee.

Jo, who has four goals in ten games so far in this season’s Russian Premier League, must still agree to personal terms with Manchester City.  He must also pass a medical and obtain a work permit.  All of these things could happen in time for Jo, whose real name is Joao Alves de Assis Silva, to join the Blues in time for their UEFA Cup qualifying match on July 17.

Jo is in his third year for CSKA Moscow.  He has made 53 appearances and scored 30 goals in league.  Before moving to Moscow, Jo scored 13 goals in 81 matches for Corinthians.  Because of a poor relationship with national team coach Dunga, he has made only one appearance for Brazil.

Tottenham Reaches Agreement With PSV Eindhoven on Gomes

Tottenham has found a starting goaltender, reaching agreement with PSV Eindhoven on a £7 million fee for 27-year-old Brazilian Heurelho Gomes.   PSV has claimed the fee is actually more than reported but confirm a deal has been reached.  Player and team must still come to personal terms as well as secure a work permit.  Should that happen, Gomes would immediately become Spurs number one keeper, addressing their biggest need.

Nicknamed the Octopus for his long arms, the 6-foot-4 Gomes had requested a move from the Dutch champions.  As part of the deal, Tottenham will send South Korean defender Young-Pyo Lee to PSV for £800,000.

Gomes surfaced on Tottenham’s radar last season when he helped PSV knock Spurs out of the UEFA Cup.  He conceded only 24 goals in 34 Erevidisie matches, leading PSV Eindhoven to their fourth consecutive league title.  Before moving to the Dutch league, Gomes spent three seasons with Cruziero in Brazil’s Serie A.  He has also made seventeen appearances for Brazil’s MNT.

Gomes will be replacing Paul Robinson, who is currently talking to Martin O’Neill about a move to Aston Villa.

PSV is set to pursue Manchester City back-up goaltender Andreas Isaakson, who just finished serving as Sweden’s starting goaltender at Euro 2008.

Agent for Real Madrid’s Robinho Confirms Talks with Chelsea

Speculation after Luiz Felipe Scolari’s hiring at Chelsea held he would bring in a series of players with whom he was familiar.  The feeling that those players would be predominantly Brazilian and Portuguese has been fed by the signing of Deco and the news that Real Madrid winger Robinho is speaking to Chelsea about moving to Stamford Bridge.

Robinho has been linked with a move to the Premiership in the Cristiano Ronaldo rumors.  He is expected to command a fee of around £27 million.

Last year at the Santiago Bernabeu, the 24-year-old winger scored 11 goals in 32 league games.  In 101 appearances for Real Madrid, he has scored 25 goals.  He is a regular for Brazil, already having made 50 senior international appearances, scoring fifteen goals.

At Stamford Bridge, he could compete with Joe Cole on the right wing or compliment Didier Drogba as a second striker.

Liverpool Making No Progress On Old, New Pursuits

Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry, who has been connected with a Liverpool transfer for more than a month, spoke out against manager Martin O’Neill for holding up a move to Anfield.  O’Neill is now demanding £18 million for Barry, a price that has been reported to have been raised twice during Rafa Benitez’s courtship of the midfielder.  Barry this week said that his mind is made up to leave Villa Park and that he is “desperate” to play Champions League football.  He also hit out at his manager for finding time for Euro 2008 punditry without addressing his captain’s transfer situation.   O’Neill responded, saying Barry is free to leave provided Liverpool meet his valuation.

And while the Barry situation continues in park, a shocking name has been associated with an approach from Anfield.  Republic of Ireland icon Robbie Keane, a figurehead at White Heart Lane with Spurs, has been linked with a move to Liverpool with Benitez offering striker Peter Crouch and £5 million for a player Juande Ramos is bound to demand more for.  Whether he can afford to move Keane at all is debatable considering the upheaval Spurs backers are likely to have if such a move were to happen.  But reports that Keane has requested a transfer have also surfaced, with the star said to be ready to move after hearing about his opportunity at Liverpool.  While it still seems unlikely Keane will move, his is one of the more shocking names to be thrown about thus far in the silly season.

Around the Premiership

• Manchester United’s executives have reportedly given Alex Ferguson money to pursue Tottenham’s Dimitar Berbatov, with the reported figure ranging from £23 to £30 million.
• United has also been linked with a £12 million bid for Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger.
• AC Milan have said they’ve withdrawn from the race for Emmanuel Adebayor, claiming they can not compete against Barcelona and new contestant Chelsea.  The withdrawal may have as much to do with Ronaldinho’s new-found desire to move to the Rossoneri as Adebayor’s price tag.
• Arsenal had been said to be pursuing a £15 million bid for Newcastle’s Obefemi Martins before AC Milan’s announcement.  Gunners fans will be disappointed to discern the bid may now be withdrawn.
• Greek club Panathinaikos is tracking Arsenal vice-captain Gilberto Silva after he lost playing time last year that he is unlikely to regain.  The club is also tracking Chelsea’s Claudio Pizarro.
• Highly rated 20-year-old Portuguese midfielder Amaury Bischoff, who has known Arsene Wegner since his mid-teens, will move from Werder Bremen to Arsenal in what the player described as a dream move.
• Arsenal and Manchester United target Miguel Veloso, midfielder for Sporting Lisbon, saw Juventus drop out of the race for his services.
• Official confirmation of Samir Nasri’s move from Marseille to Arsenal has been delayed by a dispute between Marseille and Lyon over winger Hatem Ben Arfa.  That dispute was settled by the French league today, with Ben Arfa officially moving to Marseille.
• Liverpool prospect Paul Anderson signed a new deal running through 2011.  He will play this season on load at Nottingham Forest.
• Liverpool remains in waiting over Xavi Alonso as the Spanish midfielder has prioritized holiday over firming up a deal with Juventus.
• Everton boss David Moyes says he has no intention to sell Andy Johnson despite rumors linking him to multiple Premiership sides amidst O’Neill’s need to build funds for transfers.
• Everton and Newcastle target Pablo Aimer of Real Zaragoza is close to a deal with Benfica in Portugal.
• Martin O’Neill, still searching for a goaltender to replace Scott Carson, is looking towards West Ham’s Robert Green at £6 million.
• Portsmouth have finalized a six month loan agreement for Chelsea’s Ben Sahar, an 18-year-old Israeli international who split last season split between loans to Queen’s Park and Sheffield Wednesday.
• Spurs have been set a setback in their £12.5 million bid for Sevilla’s Diego Capel after the Spanish club rejected the applicability of the player’s buyout clause to non-Spanish teams.
• Tottenham is also in pursuit of highly-regarded Paraguay center back Nelson Cabrera.
• Middlesbrough is close to signing Sparta Rotterdam’s Marvin Emnes, according to the player’s agent.  The 20-year-old winger had eight goals in 28 league games last season.
• Stewart Downing has been loosely rumored with a move from Middlesbrough to Liverpool, though Gareth Southgate denies his star is available.
• Boro is in a slight war of words with Paris St. Germain over midfielder Dider Digard, who seems headed for Riverside once club executives cease arguing who is at fault for the £4 million agreed-upon transfer fee not being in PSG’s hands.
• Sunderland continues their pursuit of Tottenham’sDarren Bent, valued by his club at £12 million.
• Wigan has reunited manager Steve Bruce with Dutch midfielder Daniel De Ridder after the 24-year-old midfielder was released by Birmingham City.
• Fulham striker Diomansy Kamara will be out for sixth months after tearing knee ligaments while playing for Senegal.
• As a possible replacement, Fulham has been linked with Swiss Euro 2008 star Hakin Yakin .
• Martin Albrechtsen has rejected an offer to stay at West Brom and will move to relegated Derby, saying he did not get the impression West Brom wanted him as much.

Undermining a report published Friday on France Football’s website, Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho today said that he does not expect Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard to join him in Italy this season.  Mourinho said that he expects Lampard to play out the season at Stamford Bridge before joining him at the San Siro for the 2009-10 season.

“For the next season it will be easier for him to join me at Inter,” said the former Chelsea coach. “I’m 100 per cent sure in 2009-10 he will be playing here.

“This season? I don’t think so. Why won’t he . . . I’m sure Chelsea don’t want to sell him.”

Mourinho’s comments contradicted the France Football report, relayed here on Friday, that Lampard had already agreed to terms with Inter.  France Football cited a source within the Lampard family.  Lampard has not confirmed the report and has also refused to rule out a move to Inter this season.

Lampard was reported to be in Italy today on vacation.

After the France Football report broke, Chelsea said that they had no agreement with Inter for Lampard.  Mourinho has said Chelsea does not intend to sell him.

English Teams Line-Up for Arshavin

He has said he wants to move to La Liga but would not mind playing in the Premiership. His dream team is Barcelona, but before he came to dominance at Euro 2008, he was close to moving to Newcastle.

When he come west, Andrei Arshavin will be abel to move wherever he wants. His club, the Russian Premier League’s Zenit St. Petersburg - reigning UEFA Cup champions - has said they will not be able to keep Arshavin should he want to move. With that news, the queue of Premiership sides vying for the star’s services started to form.

Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham have been linked with most names in the trasnfer market. That’s no different here. Where Arshavin’s situation gets particularly interesting is with the interest of two clubs not used to aiming haphazardly at targets. Arsenal’s pursuit of Arshavin is becoming well documented, while Arshavin’s agent’s report that five clubs had made firm offers brought forth Manchester United’s name for the first time.

Arsenal, of all the Premiership sides, is said to have the best chance at landing Arshavin. Newcastle has apparently stepped out of the queue.

Originally thought to have a price tag of around £10 million, the 27-year-old’s play has doubled his demanded rate.

But no matter how well Premiership sides position themselves for this summer’s star, it will all be for not should Barcelona they decide they want Arshavin. The Russian’s agent, Dennis Lachter, said money will not persuade his client to abandon his Barcelona dream, echoing Arshavin’s sentiments from earlier in the week.

“I have supported Barcelona all my life. Barcelona are my dream,” Arshavin said. “I never thought I would have a genuine chance to play for the club.”

German Star Podolski Targeted by Spurs

Lukas Podolski has used Euro 2008 as his opportunity to remind the world that the dynamic scorer who stared in the 2006 World Cup has not been wasting away on Bayern Munich’s bench. While three weeks ago it appeared Podolski could assume a similar bench role for the national team, a move to the left wing has led to three goals in five games, two great assists on Bastian Schweinsteiger goals, and a new profile. He has been Germany’s main offensive threat, showing he can play number of role in the attack. For Premiership sides, his ability to get on the end of long, direct play lends itself well to England’s game.

Thus it’s only logical that the 23-year-old has had his name linked with a number of Premiership sides, most notably Tottenham. Podolski has fueled the fire under this story by saying he is not happy with the lack of opportunities he’s received over the last two Bundesliga seasons. Like most transfer targets still active in Euro 2008, Podolski has said that he will not consider his future until after the tournament, but once Germany is done, Spurs, Serie A’s Juventus, and his former club Cologne are expected to make a push for his services. Both Podolski and Spurs have acknowledged Tottenham’s interest.

Manchester City and Arsenal have also been linked with Podolski. Stuttgart in the Bundesliga is also expected to pursue Podolski with news of Mario Gomez possibly moving into Podolski’s spot a Bayern.

City Passed by AC Milan in Race for Ronaldinho

Though he has not closed the door to any options, Ronaldinho appears to have decided to pursue a move to AC Milan.

Though Milan’s brass has said their only target is Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, that confession came after the Rossoneri thought themselves priced out of the Ronaldinho race by Manchester City. Now, Ronaldinho’s agent-brother Roberto de Assis says he is doing everything in his power to get his brother into red at the San Siro.

The news is a potential hit to City’s aspirations to raise the club profile and challenge for a European spot. Owner Thakin Sinawatra had made Ronaldinho his main summer target, willing to offer the 28-year-old a £200,000 per week salary.

Though moving to AC Milan would mean accepting less money, Ronaldinho has made Carlo Ancelotti’s side his first choice.

A move to Chelsea and a reunion with Luiz Felipe Scolari, with whom Ronaldinho won a World Cup for Brazil in 2002, also remains a possibility.

Ince Take Bentley, Santa Cruz Off the Market

Paul Ince, upon being named manager at Blackburn, announced his intent to keep both midfielder David Bentley and striker Roque Santa Cruz at Ewood Park. Bentley has handed in a transfer request while Santa Cruz has been linked with Arsenal and Manchester United.

Bentley had been the subject of a £15 million bid from Aston Villa, who had identified the midfielder as the logical replacement for the soon-to-depart Gareth Barry. Blackburn quickly rejected that approach. Tottenham, who had been waiting for John Williams’ managerial appointment before pushing for Bentley, is still a leading contender should Ince acquiesce to Bentley. The midfielder has also been linked with Everton, who fear Mikel Arteta could be move back to Spain with Atletico Madrid.

Santa Cruz, currently leading Paraguay through South American World Cup qualifiers, was to set off a bidding war between Manchester United and Arsenal. The lucrative auction is being called off by Ince, who seeks to keep the league’s fourth leading scorer at Ewood Park. Santa Cruz is being targeted by Arsenal to replace Adebayor, while United would be looking to add a more traditional striking option to their Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez-attack.

Around the Premiership

• Germany winger Bastian Schweinsteiger has expressed interest in moving to the Premiership, with Luiz Felipe Scolari and Chelsea said to be interested. Schweinsteiger has a minimum release clause with Bayern Munich that is being considered by both Chelsea and AC Milan.
• Spain international David Guiza is being lined-up to replace Emmanuel Adebayor, should the Togoan leave the Emirates. Guiza, who led La Liga with 27 goals last year for Real Mallorca, has a £12 million buy-out.
• Star left back Gael Clichy has signed a new deal that will keep him with Arsenal until 2012. The French defender has become one of the best left backs in the league after being brought in to replace Ashley Cole. Only 21 years old, Clichy had been targeted by Juventus and AS Roma.
• Poland’s Artur Boruc, who was the best goalie in the group stage of Euro 2008, fears Celtic’s £15 million asking price could keep him from moving to a bigger club. The 28-year odl has been linked with AC Milan, Arsenal, and Tottenham, with the high price reflecting Celtic’s reticence to sell.
• Injury-riddled Louis Saha is set for a move to AS Roma. Manchester United is near a loan agreement for the French striker, who missed most of the last season with injuries.
• United defender Mikael Silvestre has seen a move back to France become less likely after Bordeaux dropped out of the chase for the Frenchman. Silvestre’s salary is said to be too large for Bordeaux to take on, making AS Roma the favorite to inherit the 30-year-old.
• Manchester City’s acquisition of CSKA Moscow striker Jo, once thought to be a done deal, continues to be in doubt after it was discovered the Brazilian is owned by the same agency that claimed ownership of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez last year. The Premier League is expected to block any deal that would pay a third party for the transfer of a player. Manchester City continues to consult the League to try and salvage the deal.
• Everton’s Andy Johnson, having seen his place in the lineup lost with David Moyes’ shift to a lone striker formation, has been linked with the likes of West Ham, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Wigan and Sunderland, with the Black Cats ready to offer £10 million to get a replacement Kenwyne Jones. Jones’s knee injury is thought to be worse than first hoped. Jones could be out until March, forcing Roy Keane into the market for another striker.
• As a replacement for Johnson, David Moyes is said to be interested in Darren Bent, who is on the outs at Tottenham. Bent’s main problem with Spurs, playing time, is unlikely to be better at Merseyside, though his sparse playing time looks to decrease even more should he not move on from White Hart Lane. Sunderland, along with Aston Villa, continues to be linked with Bent.
• Meanwhile, Tottenham continues their pursuit for Real Zaragoza’s Diego Milito. The Argentine striker is likely to be sold from the relegated Spanish side. Spurs had been in competition with City for the 29-year-old, but City has since tabled their bid. The price for Milito is expected to be around £8 million.
• The much rumored bid from Juande Ramos for Sevilla protege Diego Capel has surfaced, with Spurs offering £8 million for the 20-year-old Spaniard. Capel has been thought to be a Ramos target since his hiring at White Hart Lane, though the move is unlikely to come to fruition until the Dimitar Berbatov situation is settled.
• Spurs continue their pursuit of PSV Eindhoven goaltender Heurleho Gomes. With Paul Robinson set to leave and Joe Hart uninterested in moving from Manchester City, Gomes has emerged as Juande Ramos’s prime goaltending target. PSV has confirmed that Tottenham has contacted them about their 27-year-old Brazilian goaltender and are expected to target Hart’s back-up, Andreas Isaakson, to replace Gomes. The move is expected to cost Spurs £10 million.
• Robinson, told he can leave White Hart Lane, is set to open talks with Aston Villa.
• Newcastle is ready to pounce on the players being pushed out at White Hart Lane. Kevin Keegan is set to offer £4 million for winger Aaron Lennon and defender Michael Dawson. Ramos is expected to want more for Lennon.
• The Magpies are also interested in Swiss striker Eren Derdiyok, who impressed for the Switzerland at Euro 2008. Keegan is ready to pay £6 million to FC Basel for the 20-year-old, who has also caught the eye of Arsenal.
• After a personal appeal from owner Mike Ashley, England U-21 captain Steven Taylor is close to signing a new deal with the Magpies.
• Aston Villa has approached West Ham about defender Anton Ferdinand. The brother of Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand has had a price of £8 million set, given West Ham had no plans on moving him. Martin O’Neill is said to be considering the price. Ferdinand has also been the target of Tottenham, who have offered £6 million.
• Manchester City, Everton, Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Bolton are in a race to sign the 21-year-old Ghanaian who has been dubbed the next Michael Essien. Anthony Annan, currently playing in Norway, is convinced he will be playing in the Premiership, though has also allowed for a move to Spain or France. Annan, who made his senior national team debut last year as a substitute for Michael Essien, was in form for Ghana at the African Cup of Nations.
• Turkish winger Kazim Kazim could be moving from Fenerbahce back to the Premiership. The former Chelsea player, who was known as Colin Richards before his move to Turkey, has said he wants to return to England. Hull is set to offer £2 million, a club record, to bring the right winger back to the Premiership.
• Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi, loaned out to Stoke in January, is set to move to West Brom for between £2.5 and £3 million.
• Pat McCourt, who Derry City had agreed on a fee for with West Brom, has instead elected to go to Celtic. The fee was not disclosed.

Valencia striker and Spain international David Villa, the pre-Arshavin star of Euro 2008, has adjusted his Premiership aims to match his increased profile. Where he was once close to joining Juande Ramos at Tottenham, Villa is now linked with two of the league’s big four: Chelsea and Liverpool. The 26-year-old striker has admitted interest in both clubs, saying the sides “are both big clubs with lots of attraction.”

Chelsea’s place in the Villa conversation is obligatory. They are linked with every high-profile name in the transfer market. Liverpool, however, is the logical choice, with Rafa Benitez, Spain partner Fernando Torres, and a perceived need to add another threat in the attack.

The only problem with the Liverpool scenario is money. Benitez is still on a limited budget, and Villa would cost at least £20 million. There are, however, indications that Benitez’s financial limitations may be easing.

Reports surfaced last week that owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are patching up the contentious relationship that overshadowed Liverpool’s season. Partly due to this infighting, Benitez’s transfer budget has remained static for the last year-and-a-half.  Meanwhile, player wages and transfer fees have increased with league revenues. This stalemate has contributed to the perception that Liverpool is falling behind the other big four Premier League clubs. While players like Gareth Barry and David Villa are linked with Anfield, Benitez has not been able to finalize any deals, insisting that he must sell players before he can buy.  This has fueled the speculation and urgency surrounding the transfers Xavi Alfonso and Peter Crouch, amongst other Liverpool players.

One of those other Liverpool players, John Arne Riise, has agreed on a move to AS Roma. Roma will give Liverpool around £4 million as a fee for the left back, whose departure from Anfield was guaranteed after the Champions League semifinals. In a class move, club owners and coaches used the Norwegian’s departure as an opportunity to remind Liverpool fans of Riise’s contributions to the club.

With the club owners making peace, more transfer funds may become available, but until the boardroom hatchets are fully buried, the sales of Alonso and Crouch - along with the sales of pieces like Riise - will be crucial to Benitez’s restocking the club.

The main bidder for Crouch, Portsmouth, has seen their £9 million bid rejected. Crouch, who is entering the last season of his deal, has told Rafa Benitez that he wants to move on.  The lanky strike is concerned about playing time with the club and his status on the England national team. Benitez’s move to a one striker, Torres-led attack last season saw Crouch relegated to the bench last season.  Crouch wishes to move to a club where he can have a consistent place among the starting XI.

While Liverpool’s tactical change could motivate Benitez to sell Crouch, increased transfer funds from the boardroom may allow Benitez to keep Crouch. Even if those funds aren’t made available, Benitez alues Crouch at closer to £15 million, a price Pompey boss Harry Redknapp will not meet.

With Crouch out of his reach, Redknapp has expressed interest in teammate Yossi Benayoun. Benayoun is also on Manchester City’s wishlist, though he says he has no interest in moving from Anfield. Should Benitez elect to sell the Israel international, Benayoun could fetch Liverpool up to £6 million.

In the meantime, Spain’s run to the Euro 2008 semifinals has hindered Juventus and Liverpool’s ability to finalize the Xavi Alonso transfer. Though he has said he wishes to concentrate on the European Championships, Alonso has spoken throughout the tournamen of his admiration for Juventus. Being Benitez’s most valuable player to sell, the midfielder is likely to go to Le Zebre shortly after Spain ends their run. The £14 to £16 million Benitez gets from the sale, combined with a few million pounds from Liverpool, will go into Martin O’Neill’s pocket at Aston Villa, ending the prolonged and now predictable Gareth Barry-to-Anfield saga.

The Alonso and Barry dominos are also affecting Liverpool’s play for Newcastle winger James Milner. Milner spent last season on loan to Aston Villa. Now returned to Newcastle, he does not fit with Kevin Keegan’s plans. As with Barry, Benitez and O’Neill are tussling over Milner, with the Aston Villa boss eager to reacquire the 22-year-old. If O’Neill is willing to pay the rumored £8 million he’s say to have offered Newcastle, Benitez will be priced out.

With the Barry negotiations dragging out, Liverpool back-up plans have started popping-up in the news. Midfielder Rafeal van der Vaart’s performance for Holland in Euro 2008 has seen his name linked to Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. Speculation holds the Reds will jump into the Hamburg midfielder sweepstakes should Martin O’Neill continue to raise Barry’s price. Likewise, Blackburn midfielder David Bentley has seen his name attached to Anfie