BERBA MUST GO!

The Bulgarian hitman has been reported to scribbling his signature on a Red Devils shirt proffered to him by a fan at the Sofia Airport.

Berbatov has been itching for a move to Old Trafford over the last few weeks, as he is desperate to play in the Champions League once more.

And while Spurs and United are deep in negotiations, a disagreement over the transfer fee means the deal remains incomplete.

The 27-year-old recently attempted to quash speculation that his desire to leave was causing problems at White Hart Lane, insisting he had behaved professionally and above board despite his wish to move on.

Lilywhites fans remained doubtful regarding Berbatov's commitment to the club, however, and this latest development will surely complete his transformation from hero to villain.

Spurs legend Jimmy Greaves said: “Signing the United shirt is certainly cheeky.

“He clearly wants to leave. If he doesn’t want to stay they should get rid of him.”

COULD IT BE TRUE?

The centre of one of the more surprising transfer stories of the summer admitted that the nature of the move caught even him off-guard, but insists that he is more than happy to be calling the Emirates home now.

"I am very glad to be here and it is an honour to finally sign for Arsenal," Silvestre told Arsenal TV.

"It was a big surprise, but a very good surprise in the end. I left United especially because I didn't want to spend anymore time on the bench.

"I was looking for a new challenge and when Arsenal come you cannot say no. Hopefully I can look forward to a fresh start without any injuries."

The veteran French international defender went on to give thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson for not standing in the way of the move, while admitting that he will certainly miss Old Trafford.

"It is hard to leave because there are so many nice people there," he added.

"But the fans will understand that as a player you leave.

"I was loyal to Man United for nine years and will now be loyal to Arsenal and perform as much as I can, which is all that matters."

Can David Save Tiago

Everton boss Dave Moyes still must convince Juventus midfielder Tiago about a return to England.

The Toffees agreed to pay Juve £250,000 to take the 27-year-old on loan for a season - and could sign him permanently for £8m next summer.

They will pick up his £50,000-a-week wages in full but Moyes still has to convince the ex-Chelsea man to become his first summer signing, says The Sun.

Portugal star Tiago is worried about returning to England after being branded a flop during his spell at Stamford Bridge.

HUNTED!

It is thought that Tottenham Hotspur have rejected a recent bid from United for Berbatov, who is commonly regarded as the Red Devils' number one target this summer.

With €32m apparently not being enough for the Lilywhites, United may soon take their interest elsewhere, and that could be in the direction of the Dutch capital.

Ajax, no stranger to selling their top talents, may accept a bid of slightly under €30m for their international striker, who has a great admirer in the form of United boss Alex Ferguson.

MD additionally reports that, should Ferguson make his interest concrete, a "war" could be on the cards. Real Madrid have made it clear in the past that they too are fans of Huntelaar, and if they do not make a move this summer certainly they would at least consider it next year.

As such if United make a formal offer, Madrid could potentially follow, reawakening the ugly scenes of "Ronaldogate." That said, Madrid are currently preoccupied with the fate of Robinho, to whom they are trying to offer a new contract.

Can Newcastle FC Survive?

Manchester United FC opens their 2008/2009 FA Premiership campain against Newcastle United FC, a game that pitches the European Champions against one of the average teams of the English FA Premiership. Newcastle United FC had sacked about three coaches in two seasons ranging from Glenn Roeder to Sammy Lee. Also, the take over of the club by Mike Ashley gave new hope to the club which lead to the return of Kevin Keegan and a streak of match wins.

ROBBIE MUST GO!

Chelsea boss Luis Felipe Scolari is keen to add to his attacking options before the transfer window closes on 31st August, and chief executive Peter Kenyon has confirmed that The Blues are still on the trail of skilful Brazilian.

He said:“It is continuing. We've still got a few days left of the window and hopefully we'll get a result."

Robinho has been wowing the Real Madrid faithful since his €24 million move from Brazilian side Santos in 2005.

He has so far scored 35 times in 131 appearances for the La Liga giants, but boss Bernd Schuster has already warned Chelsea off him, telling Spanish newspaper Marca,“We are not contemplating his departure - Robi will continue with us. Robinho is happy as always."

Robinho may become Chelsea’s third major signing if they are successful in their quest,following former Scolari players Jose Bosingwa and Deco to Stamford Bridge.

BLUE KAKA!

Chelsea FC had been in the pursuit of wooing Ricardo Kaka to the Stamford Brigde after it has been confirmed that and the West London Club are offering the Brazilian a whooping 250,000 pounds a week deal.

The Brazilian earns 9 million pounds in his initial year with an about 1 million pounds a year. AC Milan has constantly reiterated the “Alex Ferguson” slogan “He is not for sale”. However, time will tell if AC Milan would sell the mid-fielder play-maker to Chelsea FC after they had rejected an initial bid from the Blues last transfer season.

Ac Milan FC had completed the move of Ronaldinho from Barcelona FC putting an end to a saga that had left the football world wandering if any club was going to give him a second season after a “lack of shine” season at the Nou Camp.

However, with the arrival of Ronaldinho at the San Siro Stadium, the fight for who occupies the mid-field is blazing as Clarence Seedorf, Ronaldinho and Kaka fight for who occupies the prime mid-field position.

AC Milan may as well be on the line to make ace Kaka's transfer to Chelsea FC the biggest next summer.

Chelsea are working with several leading agents on a deal that could take more than a year to come to fruition. Milan have rejected several polite inquiries this summer and insisted that Kaka is not for sale at any price, but they indicated that they may be willing to do business in the future.

GUNNER 4 LIFE!

Thierry Henry has been severally linked with a move to Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson has not hidden his desire to sign the ex-gunner after Thierry Henry had failed to impress in his first season at Barcelona FC.

However, Mr. Arsene Wenger has moved to further quell these reports by insisting that Henry will not be coming to England and that his fellow Frenchman would rather move back to the Emirates Stadium than move to Old Trafford.

Thierry Henry had spent six years at Arsenal FC and left during the last summer transfer window, a year after Barcelona FC had initially courted for his services.

DEADLY STRIKE!

Robbie Keane’s move to The Anfield has left many soccer pundits at a cross-road because not many had anticipated his transfer deal away from Tottenham FC.

Coach Rafa Benitez of Liverpool has been a keen admirer of Keane and had ferociously courted his services. The most likely strike partnership between Robbie Keane and Fernando Torres is widely purported to be the most deadly strike in the English FA Premiership 2008/2009 Season.

Liverpool FC is strongly looking forward to win at least four major trophies this season, a decision that has seen Benitez publicize his desire to sign profile players like Gareth Barry and David Silva.

The Reds also boast of assistant manager Sammy Lee who was part of the last Liverpool team to win the FA Premiership Title and it is widely believed that his experience will give the Reds a good run in the season.

Hulled To Hull City?

Hull manager Phil Brown is in talks with Chelsea over an ambitious move to sign Peru striker Claudio Pizarro.

Pizarro, 29, has already been linked with Stoke and River Plate after a disappointing debut campaign at Stamford Bridge. Now Premier League newcomers Hull have joined the race to sign the former Bayern Munich star on a season-long loan.

"We've made contact with Chelsea with regards to Claudio," Brown told the Hull Daily Mail. "It's a very expensive option, but again, it would be one if we got the option to speak to the lad or the opportunity to speak to the lad, then who knows?

"But as far as we are concerned we have made contact with Chelsea and that's where it lies at the moment."

THE SPECIAL ONE SPEAKS

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has told Arsenal to forget about competing for the Premiership title this season.

The Special One said: "I saw Arsenal. They have a good team but have a small group of experienced players. The second group is full of boys. They have talent but maybe Arsenal are without the depth needed to win the title.

"Man United and Chelsea will be fighting but one day Liverpool are going to get that title. I think it might be this year."

THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL!

The English and European champions go into the campaign with few new signings, but plenty of confidence. Their squad still looks formidable, and the continued presence of Cristiano Ronaldo will be a godsend. Yet will the rumours surrounding the Portuguese winger's desired move to Real Madrid unsettle the side? Does Edwin Van der Sar have another good campaign left in him? How long can Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary motivational skills do the trick?

Chelsea have a new big-name coach in FIFA World Cup™-winner Luiz Felipe Scolari, and have held onto their prize asset Frank Lampard, acquiring the services of Portugal schemer Deco and highly-rated fullback Jose Bosingwa as well. Will Scolari adapt to the hustle-and-bustle of English football? Will Claude Makelele's departure to PSG weaken the midfield engine room? Can Petr Cech put the disappointments of UEFA EURO 2008 behind him?

Arsenal and Liverpool are to be respected as always. The former have signed the skilful Samir Nasri from Marseille and Cardiff's precocious winger Aaron Ramsey, but concerns remain that their side is still a little too inexperienced to challenge for top honours. Fernando Torres is ready to fire in the goals again on Merseyside, but will he have enough support for Liverpool to push for the title that has eluded them for so long?

DOUBLE GUNNERS

Arsenal have been given a hands off warning by Barcelona over Yaya Toure after rumoured interest from the Gunners.
The defensive midfielder, the younger brother of Arsenal centre-back Kolo Toure, will not be leaving Camp Nou.

"Yaya Toure will not be leaving," said a Barcelona spokesman.

"He is an important player for the team and it does not enter our plans to sell him."

New coach Pep Guardiola is also adamant that the 25-year-old features in his long-term plans.

"Yaya is a key man in my scheme," added Guardiola.

Yaya Toure really had hopes of joining his brother Kolo at the Emirates Stadium but the Catalan Club is more likely to hold onto him.

END OF DAYS!

It was almost like a fairy tale epic movie “End of Days” when the whole Christiano Ronaldo transfer saga ended and the young Portuguese winger flew back to Manchester United FC’s training grounds.

There were so many profile names that were listed in the saga and some of them included Sepp Blatter who was almost crucified for his mind-blowing “If a player wants to leave then he should be allowed to leave, it is not good for both the club and the player”,i.e, “Manchester United is involved in modern slavery and should let the player to leave.”

Eric Cantona had also let his feelings known by reiterating “He would be very stupid to leave”.

It would be very had to give a blockbuster title to these saga becos it had been the talk of the town and of course nobody is going to forget Sir Alex Ferguson’s and Marcello Lippi’s “he is not going to leave” or Ramon Calderon’s “he is going to sign tomorrow, next week, next millennium” comments.

The most important thing to know is that Christiano Ronaldo is not going to do a Blatter!,i.e, “sign a long term deal so that when he wants to leave, he can pay off his contract”

CATALAN TO RED-DEVIL?

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson refused to rule out a move for Barcelona striker Thierry Henry after their Community Shield victory.

"It has been pressing since the end of last season," said the Scot. "We like to operate with four strikers and we have not been able to do that."

There is bound to be fresh speculation over a move for Tottenham's Dimitar Berbatov, while Karim Benzema, David Villa and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar have also been linked with Old Trafford over the last few months.

Henry's name has just been added to that list despite the 31-year-old's obvious link with Arsenal.

Tellingly, it was an issue Ferguson chose to skirt round rather than reject.

Its rather surprising that Thierry Henry is on Manchester United's wish list but he will be welcome to Old Trafford in order to save his seemingly dipping form.

CAN THE REDS CARRY BARRY?

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is keen not to make a challenge for the elusive Premier League title the club’s only focus this season.

He insists he is not prioritising trophies, simply going all out to win every one of them.

Benitez watched his side thrash Rangers 4-0 in a friendly at Ibrox on Saturday, maintaining their unbeaten pre-season programme after six games to date. Anmd the Spanish tactician would like to be able to have Barry in his squad ahead of the friendly against Lazio on Friday.


While not willing to say much about the Barry transfer negotiations, Benitez said of this season’s targets:

"Everything is important. Europe is important, the Premier League is important, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, so we will try to win every trophy and you never know.

"We will try to win from the first game and then see the situation.

"Clearly we have confidence in ourselves and have the quality to try to win every game but you never know what can happen in any competition.

"We started really well and finished really well last season.

"If we can do the same this time then hopefully we will be better in the middle of the season.

"But we will be working really hard to be as competitive as we can."

THE BLUE RESIZING CONTINUES

Roma hope to step up talks with Chelsea for winger Florent Malouda later this week.
French sources say Roma executive director Rosella Sensi will seek to thrash out terms with Chelsea this weekend while they're in London for a friendly against Tottenham.

Roma are banking on Chelsea being successful in their pursuit of Real Madrid winger Robinho to convince them to sell Malouda.

Chelsea FC had earlier made thier position to streamline the playing staff to a reasonable number. This move has seen the free-transfer of Claude Makalele to PSG FC,Boularouz's move to Stuggart, Steve Sidwell's move to Aston Villa FC, etc.

MISSING!

Chelsea FC manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has revealed that Didier Drogba is set to miss the start of the season as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.
The 30-year-old has spent the summer recuperating from the long-standing problem and will not be fit for the Premier League opener against Portsmouth FC on 17 August.

Drogba is likely to sit out Chelsea's second match at Wigan Athletic FC too and while Scolari hopes to have him back for the Tottenham Hotspur FC game on 31 August, the Brazilian conceded that the nature of the injury makes it difficult to predict a return date.

Chelsea will be relying heavily on Nicolas Anelka, who scored four goals in an impressive 5-0 defeat of AC Milan on Sunday. Salomon Kalou is on international duty with Ivory Coast at the Olympic Games.

The Ivorien striker had really enjoyed most of last season including the defeat of Manchester United at Stamford Bridge,the defeat of Liverpool FC in the Semi-Final Round of the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. However, the bust-up with Nemanja Vidic and the eventual finishing as runner-up against the Red-Devils has not really gone well with him.

Unbelievable..Is Benitez Keane To Sell?

Arsenal have made an offer for Liverpool’s Xabi Alonso, with manager Arsene Wenger envisioning a Spanish central midfield of Alonso and Cesc Fabregas.

However, any deal will depend upon Liverpool significantly lowering their £18million asking price for the playmaker, who has been linked with a move away from Anfield all summer since Rafael Benitez made clear his desire to recruit Aston Villa‘s Gareth Barry and his willingness to sell to raise the necessary finance.

The Gunners have made an initial approach for Alonso, 26, but with a bid that reflects their £10.5million valuation of the Spain star.

A transfer therefore remains unlikely unless either Liverpool or Arsenal significantly adjust their positions - or both clubs arrive at an acceptable compromise of around £14million.

Meanwhile, Alsonso scored a penalty as Liverpool trounced Rangers 4-0 at the weekend, and Benitez said the player would not necessarily be leaving Anfield before the transfer window closes.

He said: "It's simple. He is a very good player who is playing for us and I am really pleased with that."

It would remain a fairy tale to behold if Rafa Benitez will be willing to let his fellow Spaniard go to the Emirates Stadium after Juventus Fc where not successful in thier bid for the gifted Midfielder.

Moreover, Benitez migth want to hold onto him as he is a good ball-controller in the mid-field who knows how to uplift a game when the chips are down.

Finally! OR IS MORE EXPECTED?

Tottenham are ready to sell striker Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United.
Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy intends to finance a move for Valencia striker David Villa by finally allowing Berbatov to leave for Manchester United in a £30m switch.


It has been more or less of a cat and mouse game between Manchester United FC and Tottenham FC for the sevices of Dimitar Berbatov as the Spurs had placed the transfer fee at £38 million after The Red-Devils had earlier made a £28 million bid.


Dimitar Berbatov has been known to want Champions League Football for a long time and he is expected to form a deadly strike force between himself and Wayne Rooney.

BLUE ROBINHO!

The Brazilian star's frustrations were let out during a round of negotiations with club president Ramón Calderón and coach Bernd Schuster with the player making his feelings clear, according to Marca.

After being told what could be on offer at Stamford Bridge, Robinho feels let down by Madrid's delaying tactics over a new contract and then the offer well below his expectations.

Having been mentioned as a possible makeweight in the Spanish champions' bid for Ronaldo, the 24-year-old feels unappreciated and has let los Merengues know his true feelings.

"Let me go to Chelsea," Marca claim Robinho told Calderón and Schuster. "I want to go to Chelsea in the same wat that Ronaldo wants to come to Madrid. It is the same thing."

Schuster went public with his desire to keep the former Santos star at the club, but that has done little to reassure the player that the hierarchy feel the same way.

While Madrid are said to have offered him a double-your-money contract of €4m, Robinho knows that Chelsea would hand him a salary of nearly €6m-per-year.

Before the meeting where Robinho explained his desire to go to London, Schuster thought that he had finally convinced the player to remain in Spain.

"I've talked with him and he knows perfectly that he is an important part of our plans," the trainer told reporters. "He is a key player and we are not thinking about if he leaves or not."

Robinho may well be using the Blues' interest to force Madrid to raise their contract offer, but with the London club ready to make an official move he could yet see his wish come true.

Robinho really wants to go to Chelsea FC where he feels that he will be at home with World-Cup winning Coach Luis Phillipe Scolari.

GOING,GOING,GOING OR GONE

Cristiano Ronaldo is reluctant to return to Manchester United this week, it has been revealed.

The Mirror says sources close to the Portugal star claimed: "Cristiano is not going back today, tomorrow, or any time soon. Everyone knows what he wants."

The 23-year-old was due to return to United's Carrington training ground today - with Real Madrid insisting the winger wanted to confirm to Fergie his "dream" of moving to the Bernabeu face-to-face.

But as the Spanish giants finally prepared to make an official £70million bid, Ronaldo decided against his return to Manchester.

Real president Ramon Calderon remained behind in London after the weekend's Emirates Cup competition amid speculation that he had scheduled a meeting with United's top brass.

The On-going Saga involving Christiano Ronaldo, Ramon Calderon and Manchester United FC is almost turning into a satire with World-Cup winning Coach Marcello Lippi being the latest to implore Christiano Ronaldo to remain at Old-Trafford.

Unhappy Terry! ANY REMEDY?

Sir Alex Ferguson recently commented that Chelsea may struggle this season as their average playing age was seen as 'too old'. Perhaps as a belated reaction to this jibe.

John Terry, 27, has moved to mention that Manchester United have already 'peaked', and as a consequence, there is only room for regression.

Speaking to Chelsea TV, Terry said: "Manchester United had had two good years... you have to stand back and take your hat off to them but we know we were good last year and we have another level to go to."

"I think we saw the very best of Man United last year, we have got improvements to make, but I think Man United are at their peak."

On the subject of Chelsea's ambition and priorities, the no-nonsense defender said: "The Premier League is the one we are after. To get that back off Man United would be fantastic."

The strong Chelsea defender is really unhappy about Chelsea last season's dug-out which saw them finish behind the Red-Devils in both the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE and the English FA Premiership Title.

However, Chelsea Coach, Phil Scolari has rather preffered to be silent about Sir Alex Ferguson's comments.

INDIAN SOCCER...DOES IT CLICK?

Indian billionaire Anil Ambani is still interested in a takeover of Newcastle United.

While his mobile phone company Reliance Communications has refuted takeover reports, the Telegraph says Ambani's interest in St James' Park could still be very much alive.

"This doesn't mean that Ambani isn't interested in investing from his personal wealth outside his company," said one source.

City analysts believe that tentative third-party contact has been made between sports retail magnate Ashley and Ambani and that the telecommunications tycoon has backed off due to the publicity caused by weekend reports.

It is also understood Ambani is unhappy about revelations on Sunday that his son attends a private school in Kent due to security concerns and has made a tactical retreat.

Another MEGA-BID!

Tottenham Hotspur are set to test Valencia's resolve by making a record €40m for David Villa, but the Spanish club will still hope to persuade the star striker to stay, as he himself has not expressed a desire to leave the Mestalla despite the club's current plight...

The swift-footed Spaniard has been on the super-wish list of numerous clubs such as Arsenal Fc, Liverpool Fc and many many more..after a superb display in EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland which Spain won in a superb final against the Spaniards.

However, Valencia Fc has been very adamant about letting their Star-man go, even rejecting a bid that was in over 30 million pounds.

Sergio Ramos has been re-branding his team which has seen the likes of Giovani Dos Santos, Luka Modric and probaly Russian Prodigy Arshavin on his way to The White Hart Lane.

Imagine if MIkel?

Sir Alex Ferguson has taken a swipe at Chelsea over the development of midfielder John Obi Mikel. Mikel joined United in 2005, but then challenged this to successfully move to Premier League foes Chelsea from Lyn Oslo.


"Because of his talent and his young age we thought we could have developed him the right way," Ferguson told kickoffnigeria.com. "At the time we were disappointed because we thought that Mikel would be a Manchester United player.

"But he chose Chelsea in the real sense of the matter and there was nothing we could do about that.

"In the past we have witnessed circumstances like this but you have to forget everything and move on."

This case eventually led to the sacking of a Chelsea Director who was involved in the saga.

Do You Accept This Verdict?

Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has told Cristiano Ronaldo he would be "bloody stupid" if he was to quit the club for Real Madrid.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world right now," Cantona said in the Daily Star. "He is a genuine artist.

"His style of play fits Manchester United's very well, and the reverse is also true. It is pleasing to see such harmony.

"As for him wanting to join Real Madrid, I don't really know his personality. Maybe he has valid reasons that drive him to leave United.

"He is still young, and so maybe he wants to take on fresh challenges. I can understand if this is the reason why he wants to leave for Real.

"But if he were to leave because of something else, I think he would be doing something absolutely stupid."

Can the Skipper survive the Nou Camp

PSG and Barcelona are willing to bid £5 million for Arsenal captain William Gallas.

Gallas has two years of his contract left and there have been no indications of an offer of an extension. This has alerted Barcelona, where new manager Pep Guardiola wants to bolster his squad after signing Alexander Hleb from Arsenal for £12m.

Gallas is also a friend of ex-Arsenal star Thierry Henry, who has decided to stay at the Nou Camp.

Willwm Gallas went to Arsenal Fc as part of the infamous "tapping up" swap deal with Ashley Cole.He has not been much of a big hit at Emirates Stadium which got worse during his apathy for the game after the 2-2 draw against Birmingham City FC last season.

Makelele is Gone!!

Chelsea have announced that Claude Makelele has signed with PSG.

A statement on Chelsea's website read: "Everyone at Chelsea would like to take this opportunity to thank Claude for the five years of service he has given to the club.

"He has been a key part of our trophy success during that time and we wish him well for the future.

"He will always be welcomed back to Stamford Bridge in the future either as a player or as a friend of the club."

Makelele will be unveiled by PSG at a press conference later this afternoon.

Adieu Blue Makelele!

Chelsea stalwart Claude Makelele has signed for French capital club, Paris-Saint Germain. The 35-year-old will be presented this afternoon, though the details of the deal have not yet emerged. This ends a five-year spell at Chelsea, who he joined from Real Madrid...The Defensive Mid-field stalwart had been a big hit at Real Madrid but left to Chelsea over some personal disagreements with the Galatico Team.He won six trophies with the Blues under Jose Mourinho.

Please Stay Queiroz!

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has made a late bid to convince Carlos Queiroz to stay at Old Trafford.

The Daily Star says Fergie is determined to hold on to his right-hand man and he is now attempting to talk Queiroz out of taking the Portugal job.

Ferguson is unable to offer Queiroz assurances that he will be handed the reins at Old Trafford when he finally opts to retire as manager.

But the Scot has made it clear to the Mozambique-born coach that he regards him as a vital cog after five years with the club and a huge influence behind United's Premier League and Champions League double success last season.

It appears that he now has the burden of trying to keep Christiano Ronaldo ad his assistant.

Paul's Magic

Frank Lampard has sought advice from Blackburn Rovers boss Paul Ince over his future at Chelsea, it has been revealed.

The Mirror says Lampard has sought Ince's advice, with the latter telling him his own spell at Inter Milan was the making of him as a player and suggesting the midfielder could benefit in the same way.

With the chance to again play for Mourinho and Ince's recommendation he should take the plunge, Lampard was already leaning in that direction before Chelsea turned down his new contract demands.

HAPPY HARRY!

Liverpool striker Peter Crouch will be unveiled as a Portsmouth player on Friday afternoon if he successfully passes a medical at Fratton Park.
The England international will undergo a medical on Friday morning and, providing that does not throw up any issues, he will sign a contract and be presented to the media in the afternoon.

Crouch has already agreed personal terms after Pompey and Liverpool agreed a deal which is believed to be in the region of £11million.

The 27-year-old will be joining Portsmouth for the second time, having played for the club in the 2001/02 season before joining Aston Villa.

The 6ft 7ins striker had limited first-team opportunities at Liverpool last season.

The Reds had earlier rejected a 7million and 9 million pounds offer from Portsmouth FC who want to beef up their team prior to their forth-coming European campaign.Harry Redknapp is a long time admirer of the lengthy striker.

Adieu Drogba!

Marseille fans have launched an appeal to raise the £22million they believe is needed to buy Chelsea star Didier Drogba.

Barcelona, AC Milan and Inter Milan are all said to be interested in the Ivory Coast international but Marseille fans have launched an audacious bid to bring the 30-year-old back to the club he left four years ago.

A supporter called Kain has set up a website Doodle asking fans to pledge one, two or five euros to the club, writing: "Let's try to see if us supporters can pay for him by each donating one or two euros maximum to the club."

The collective attracted immediate attention and has already raised nearly 5,000 euros thanks in part to 800 fans each pledging the maximum five euros.

The Ivorienn Striker has been very much linked to a move outside of Stamford Bridge and had further fuelled the speculations by stating that he had been psycologically affected by the departure of the special one, Jose Mourinho.

Oh...What a Raw Real Deal!!

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has "put his foot down" and told his board he will walk if they sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, it has been revealed.

The Telegraph says Ferguson is said to have been unsettled by reports suggesting that Real Madrid intend to circumvent traditional transfer procedures and go straight to Manchester United's owners, the Glazer family, to facilitate a deal. The Spanish club will offer £75 million direct to the owners, who are in excess of £600 million in debt.

A source close to Ferguson explained: "Sir Alex has put his foot down. He is so adamant that if the club dared to cash in on Ronaldo against his wishes, it wouldn't surprise me if he walked out."

Deco wants to join Chelsea with Ronaldinho

Barcelona midfielder Deco says he and teammate Ronaldinho could be united at Chelsea next season.


The Portugal international said: "It would be very good, because (Ronaldinho) would be with a great club and I would like to see him playing in the Champions League in a great team and showing that, for me, today he is still the best player in the world."

Unbelievable....Scolari For The Blues!!

Ricardo Carvalho has backed his Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to be the next manager at Chelsea.
"At the moment we don't have a coach and it's normal that Chelsea are interested in Scolari, especially after the good work he's done with Portugal," Carvalho told Portuguese newspaper Record.

"I'd be happy because I've worked with him for a long time and I think it would be a real plus for Chelsea."

The Chelsea search for a new coach is coming on the wake of the sack of out-of-luck
coach....Avram Grant who lost the UEFA Champions League and the FA Premiership to Manchester United FC.

Videos: Nguyen, Califf, Torres, and White & Other YA Articles

*There is audio of Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, discussing Americans heading abroad.

*Chang from soccernet weighs in on Michael Bradley's future after the season.

*Tony Sanneh who is 37 is training with Hertha Berlin in the hopes of getting signed somewhere.

*Article about Leah Lynn Gabriela Fortune who is American born, but is playing with the women Brazilian U-20s.

Califf with Aab and Nguyen with Randers FC
*Both went the full 90 in a 3-0 win for Aab.
*I thought Califf had signed with another team, but the match report shows Califf in the squad.
*Highlights will be up soon.
Jeremiah White with AGF
*He played the first half in a 1-1 draw with FC Copenhagen.
*Click the picture for highlights.
Jose Francisco Torres with Pachuca
*He played 62 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Saprissa in CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Davies Video & Other Articles

*Another article about Onyewu and Standard's League title.


*American Soccer Daily has an interview with Jay Demerit.


*Beasley returns to full training with Rangers.



*Zizzo scores a goal with Hannover 96 reserves.



*U-23 goalkeeper Dominic Cervi is on trial with Celtic.


Charlie Davies with Hammarby
*He went the full 90 and had a good chance in a 1-0 loss to Kalmar FF.
*Click the picture for highlights.

Ryan Guy Goal & Yank Abroad Articles

Ryan Guy with St. Pats
*Here is his goal in a 1-0 win over Cobh Ramblers.


Not too much else going on today, but wanted to provide you guys with some articles.

*Article about Brede Hangeland from Fulham who was actually born in Texas.


*Q&A with Kasey Keller.

*Keller possibly moving to Seattle Sounders?

*Article from soccernet about the tough Olympic group for the US.

*Not sure if anyone is interested but here is a referee podcast from US Soccer.

Here is a video from ESPN. Freddy Adu actually shows up in it.

This has nothing to do with Yanks Abroad, but thought some might enjoy it.

Those interested in watching the Champions League game between Man U and Barcelona, you can watch it online here.

Onyewu wins the Belgian title with Standard Liege

*Yanks Down South review of all the Americans in Mexico.

*A little late, but here are some quotes about the Olympic draw which is a tough one.

I know that I posted highlights from yesterday regarding Gooch's title win with Standard Liege, but I wanted to provide more videos, pics, and articles about it since it is a big deal. I believe that it puts him in the Champions League group stages. Congrats to Gooch!Extended highlights of the match

Celebration including an interview with Gooch (not in English)

*US Soccer blog about the victory.

*Article from Fox Sports about the game.

*Great pictures of the game and the celebration.

*Article from the Guardian about the title.

*Article from Yanks Abroad.