Football 4 All

Liverpool have today confirmed the capture of Italian international midfielder Alberto Aquilani from Roma, with the Reds' official website confirming that the player has signed a five-year contract.

The 25-year-old is currently recovering from an operation on an ankle injury, and is expected to be fit in around four to eight weeks time.

Roma defender John Arne Riise, a team-mate of the midfielder's in Rome as well as a former Anfield star, thinks that Aquilani will prove to be a success with Rafa Benitez's side.

This afternoon in Beijing, Inter coach Jose Mourinho held a long press conference in which he talked, among other things, about the Italian Supercup match on Saturday against Lazio.

"If we had more time to prepare for this match it would have been better," he said. "We are a new team and we have changed 40% of our starting XI. We need more time to work, but we have trained and we are in shape.

"We can win this type of match, but I hope we don't get to extra time because playing an extra 30 minutes would be heavy for us."

The coach also announced fresh signing Samuel Eto'o will start the match.

Xabi Alonso has been subject to arguably the longest-running transfer saga of this summer, and after a long period of chasing the Liverpool midfielder, Real Madrid are reportedly set to match the poaching price placed on the player's head.

Anfield officials met with the Galacticos executive director-general Jose Angel Sanchez before the Reds' pre-season game against Espanyol, in order to put to rest the speculation surrounding the future of the pass-master.

The Liverpool Daily Post claims that the 'White House' is willing to match the €35 million asking price, and add a further €2.5m based on the performances put out by the Spaniard during the first two years of his time at the Bernabeu.

Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow spoke about the meeting between the officials of the two powerhouses,
and outlined the story so far.

Blackburn Rovers have this evening confirmed that they have signed striker Franco Di Santo from Chelsea on a loan deal that will last, initially at least, until the January transfer window.

However, Rovers' official website also states that the Lancastrians have "the first option of extending the deal until the end of the season in the event that Chelsea do not wish to recall him to their squad", which suggests a longer deal extending to the rest of the season is probable should the switch go well.

The 20-year-old has already played his part for the west London outfit during their pre-season schedule, scoring in the Blues' recent 2-1 win over Club America, and now looks set to make his Rovers debut in the club's friendly against Scottish side Hibernian on Wednesday at Ewood Park.

The Argentine made 16 appearances for Chelsea last season, all as substitute. Although largely untested at Premier League level, Rovers boss Sam Allardyce will be pleased to have secured the player's services.The departures of Roque Santa Cruz and Matt Derbyshire had left the Lancashire club thin in terms of their forward options, after a potential move for out-of-contract veteran Christian Vieri seemed to stall last week.

Philippe Senderos had recently returned to the North London club from a loan spell at AC Milan, where he figured just infrequently.

The Swiss Football Federation announced on its official website on Sunday that Senderos, who has one year to run on his contract with Arsenal, had signed for Everton for an undisclosed fee.It is understood that Senderos, who has been looking for regular first-team action ahead of the 2010 World Cup, will fill in for Manchester City-bound Joleon Lescott at Goodison Park.

Neither club have yet commented on this matter to date. The Swiss Football Federation has no details of the figure involved in the transfer or the duration of Senderos' contract with the Liverpool-based club.

Arsenal were worthy winners of the Emirates Cup, beating Rangers convincingly at the Emirates stadium.
Arsenal went into the game knowing a draw was enough to win the tournament, while Rangers needed to defeat the Gunners to secure the trophy.

Arsene Wenger's side weren't tempted to take a defensive approach and dominated the game from the offset, with Arsenal leading by two goals after ten minutes. They naturally eased up after this point but still monopolised possession, creating chances effortlessly in both halves.
Rangers showed more fight in the second half, creating a few good opportunities, but the Gunners were too strong and extended their lead further to roll out 3-0 winners.
Jack Wilshere opened the scoring after 90seconds as Arsenal tore through the packed Rangers defence.

Andrey Arshavin played the ball across the field, Wilshere left it for Cesc Fabregas who picked the ball in the right of the penalty area.
The Spaniard cut back into a pile of bodies but found Arshavin in the middle of the penalty area with a neat pass, who had made a run from deep.
Arshavin played it back towards the penalty spot first time, and the ball was picked up by Wilshere who struck the ball with his left foot. His shot spewed under the goal keeper and into the back of the net. 1-0 to the Gunners.

Arsenal were 2-0 up after 10minutes. Fabregas played the ball long and it was nodded back to Fran Merida by Arshavin, the young Spaniard then played a beautiful disguised pass to Eduardo who was attacking the right side of the penalty area.
The Croatian took a touch and cooly curled the ball into the far corner, with the ball going in off the post.
Rangers had their first real attack 18minutes into the game, Pedro Mendes swung in a corner from the right but it was dealt with comfortably by Alex Song and Arsenal cleared their lines.
Arsenal were caught napping in the 26th minute, Mendes was released down the right when a sloppy offside trap left Eboue lingering. The ex-Portsmouth midfielder crossed into the middle and Mickael Silvestre was uncomfortable as he turned the ball behind for a corner, nothing came of the chance.

Merida, who was having an excellent game, then tried his luck from 30 yards. His left footed strike was powerful but was watched comfortably wide by keeper Allan McGregor.
Rangers troubled Arsenal with a pair of set pieces just before the end of the half. The first came from the
Wilshere delighted with a piece of individual brilliance, moving across the edge of the 18 yard box lifting the ball over Mendes and controlling the ball onto his chest. He found himself outside the left of the box, and he attempted an audacious chip over McGregor in goal. The Scotsman managed to tip the ball over the crossbar.

Minutes later, Arshavin played an exquisite first time ball over the top of the defence from deep, releasing Eduardo for a one-on-one with the keeper. The Croatian lingered on the ball slightly and was closed by McGregor and the chance was gone.

Rangers were a little livelier in the second half, crafting an opportunity down the right with substitute Nanco Novo breaking into space. He squared the ball across the face of the goal, and Eboue challenged to deny Steven Naismith.
The ball fell to the back post and Song got across quickly and produced an excellent block to deny Rangers on the rebound.
At the other end Wilshere was involved again, laid off by Fabregas, the youngster showed quick feet in the box to engineer space, unleashing a flashing drive that just missed the top right-hand corner.
Rangers sprang on the counter attack on the 61st minute, Mendes released the Gers as they broke on the Gunners. Song slipped high up the pitch, as the last man, and allowed Steven Davis room to charge into.

The former Villian rolled the ball across the box to Naismith who was breaking into the left of the box, but the Scot wasted the chance and hit the ball straight at Manuel Almunia.
Substitute Herschel Sanchez Watt chased lost cause into the left hand side of the box, sliding in to win the ball back.

It fell to Aaron Ramsey who crossed to back post where Wilshere arrived, hitting the ball on the bounce and smashing it into the top left-hand corner. 3-0 to Arsenal.
Substitute Kenny Miller had a good opportunity to grab a consolation four minutes from time, being slid into the right of the box, but he sent his shot well wide of the far post.
Arsenal played the game out, holding onto possession, and were crowned winners of the third annual Emirates Cup.

Aston Villa were energetic and Juventus will rue missing a whole host of chances in regulation time, as the English side managed to win the Peace Cup 2009 edition in a penalty shoot-out.Winger Ashley Young had the first good opportunity of the match, cutting inside past Jonathan Zebina, but his powerful effort was straight at Gianluigi Buffon.Indeed, while Juventus were being fairly patient in attack, Aston Villa were using the wings to attack, forcing the Bianconeri goalkeeper to make a number of stops from shots from a tight angle.

Sebastian Giovinco and Mauro Camoranesi were causing the Villans defence problems with their crossing and through balls, but Vincenzo Iaquinta missed a golden chance when he could not direct his header on target after thirty minutes.John Carew had been largely anonymous, but his powerfully hit free-kick was turned around the post by Buffon. Juventus responded, but Iaquinta spurned yet another chance from his head after a set-piece by the 'Atomic Ant.

'The English side were doing most of the pressing, but the Bianconeri rearguard held up well until the half-time whistle blew.It was more of the same in the second half, as neither team could break the deadlock.The restart was largely uneventful until 60 minutes, when Zebina broke down the right and cut back for David Trezeguet, but the Frenchman shockingly hit it over the bar. It was a waste of the best opportunity of the match thus far.Eric Lichaj chased a promising through ball, but only caught a piece of Buffon while lunging for the ball.The Italians were taking more control in the match as it came to a close, looking for a winner, but were once again thwarted by poor finishing from both Trezeguet and Iaquinta.With extra-time approaching, Ciro Ferrara threw on Alessandro Del Piero, but despite some exciting dribbles no more real opportunities arose.Marc Albrighton, who has had an excellent tournament, nearly was one-on-one with the keeper, but Giorgio Chiellini made a crucial clearance.

The Italian international was involved again as he poked the ball off the foot of Nigel Reo-Coker in the area.The veteran Trezeguet nearly made up for an earlier mistake with a well-executed bicycle-kick, but it was straight at Guzan, who gathered the ball.As both teams tired, the match lost it's edge and there was an interesting incident as the referee blew the whistle early, at 116 minutes, rather than the customary 120 as penalties arrived.After Bannan scored, Iaquinta's poor night continued as his weak penalty was saved by Guzan. However, Sidwell lofted his effort over the cross bar.

Trezeguet, Lowry, Amauri, Young, Felipe Melo all converted before Buffon denied substitute Chris Herd. However, talisman Alessandro Del Piero shot right down the middle - but the American shot stopper was not fooled and also made the decisive stop on Nicola Legrottaglie for a precious shoot-out victory!

It's no secret that Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti is desperate to bring Milan star Andrea Pirlo, a player he knows through and through from his time with the Rossoneri, to Stamford Bridge.

For a long time Milan have denied Pirlo is on the transfer market, but now transfer guru Adriano Galliani has indirectly admitted that the player is not unsellable under any circumstances, by deeming an offer made by the Blues to be insufficient.

"The offer of 8 million euros plus Claudio Pizarro is unsatisfying and at these conditions Pirlo is unsellable," he told Sky Sport 24.
Meanwhile, Milan are also said to be aiming to sign Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, after failing to bring in Luis Fabiano from Sevilla.
On this negotiation, Galliani revealed: "Soon I will meet with my friend [Real Madrid president] Florentino Perez."

The Rossoneri are yet to find a replacement for Kaka, who completed a blockbuster transfer to Real Madrid at the start of the summer transfer period.

Obafemi Martins has moved from Newcastle United to German champions VfL Wolfsburg today for a reported £9 million fee, signing a four-year contract, with the move confirmed on the Bundesliga club's official website.The deal was agreed between the clubs yesterday, with personal terms being ratified today.

Martins joined the Toon from Italian giants Inter three years ago for £10 million. He scored 35 goals in over 80 games for the Magpies in his time at St James' Park.Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh was pleased to gave snapped up a player whom he thinks will complement the forwards already at the club.

"This is exactly the type of player we were looking for to have at the club in addition to Grafite and Edin Dzeko," the coach said. "We now have the opportunity to use a two or three-pronged attack."

Alvaro Arbeloa's move to Real Madrid has moved a step closer after the defender passed a routine medical with the Spanish giants.
Liverpool have agreed a £3.5million fee with the capital club, as the 26-year-old finalises his move to Europe's heaviest summer spenders.
Arbeloa successfully completed various medical tests at the Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja and is now all set to put the final touches on a dream return to the club with whom he started his career.

Madrid's medical chief Carlos Diez told his club's website: "He (Arbeloa) has undergone a standard examination and the results of all the tests are very satisfactory.
"He is delighted to be able to play for Real Madrid, which has been his lifelong dream. He's looking forward to joining his team-mates."
After leaving the hospital, Arbeloa is to travel to the club's Bernabeu stadium to sign his five-year contract.
The Spain international, who was part of last summer's successful Euro 2008-winning squad, was on Madrid's books as a youngster before moving to Deportivo La Coruna in 2006, and then onto Liverpool six months later.

Martin Caceres is now just a simple medical away from officially completing his move from Barcelona to Juventus.The 22-year-old was aboard a plane that landed in Turin just a couple of hours ago, and despite not speaking upon his arrival, he looked to be in an extremely buoyant mood according to TMW.

The Uruguayan defender will undergo his medical at 11:00 CET, and if he manages to get through that without any complications, then it is expected that the transfer will be officially confirmed at its completion.

The latest reports go on to suggest that Caceres may sign on loan with the Bianconeri after all, with the option of purchasing him outright in 12 months' time.

If the talented defender does sign for the Old Lady, then he will become the club’s fourth significant signing of the summer, following Fabio Cannavaro, Diego and Felipe Melo.

The central defender is to return from the club's pre-season training camp in Austria to undergo talks with City officials and manager Mark Hughes.

City reportedly failed in a bid to sign the Ivory Coast international in January but appear to be close to landing their man this time around.
When quizzed on Toure's future on Monday, Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger said: "We'll see what's happening in the next 24 hours."

City boss Hughes is eager to add defensive reinforcements to his ranks having already pepped up his attack this summer, via the high profile additions of Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz.

Bids for Chelsea captain John Terry and Everton stopper Joleon Lescott have failed to bear fruit, with Toure seen as a viable alternative.

Robbie Keane is looking forward to playing alongside Peter Crouch and is not worried about competition for places.

England international Crouch completed a move from Portsmouth to Tottenham earlier this week in a deal reported to be worth £9million.
He has played under Harry Redknapp previously and could now renew his partnership with Jermain Defoe that was so successful at Fratton Park.

Keane's spot could therefore become vulnerable but he maintains that Crouch's arrival can only benefit Spurs and will help to motivate all the strikers at the club.

"I am looking forward to playing with him," said the Republic of Ireland captain. "He is a tremendous player and he is a good addition to a good squad that we already have.
"As a striker it is always good to be kept on your toes and we now have four good strikers and it is good to have that competition as it now means we all have to perform otherwise someone else is going to come in.

The Peter Crouch saga looks to have come to an end, with reports suggesting a deal has been agreed with Tottenham Hotspur. Crouch has been linked with a move away from Pompey all summer, with Sunderland and Fulham trying to land him.

However, according to The Mirror, Tottenham have won the race for his signature. They claim that Spurs have had a £10 million bid accepted, and Crouch will sign a five-year deal worth £70,000 per week. Indeed, Portsmouth manager Paul Hart appears resigned to losing Crouch, saying, "Obviously I'm disappointed to see Peter leave, but given the severe financial restraints in place here we had no choice but to accept an offer from Tottenham.

"I think people need to realise that Pompey have been punching way above their weight and could no longer sustain the level of spending that has gone on here over the past three years."And even though a new owner is poised to come in, our dealings in the market will be modest in comparison to the past."

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has confirmed that the club are on the brink of completing the capture of Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o.
The Cameroon international's agent has already stated the player has agreed personal terms with the Serie A champions.

Eto'o is now poised to seal his transfer from Barca, with Inter forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to head in the opposite direction in the near future.

Moratti said: "I repeat what I said this morning. I like everyone's interviews, but I prefer to wait until it's official."

When then asked if a deal had been done, he replied: "Almost, so let's wait.
"I don't know (when the deal will be completed). Hopefully today (Thursday). When it arrives, it arrives, but it's not as if it's a race against time."
Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic has left Inter's pre-season training camp in America ahead of his proposed move to Spain.

After snapping up holding midfielder Didier Zokora two weeks ago, Sevilla have added further defensive steel to the team by signing Sergio Sanchez from Espanyol.

The Andaluz outfit have confirmed on their official website that an agreement has been reached between both clubs for an undisclosed fee, but the 23-year-old will sign a four-year contract with a €25 million buy-out clause inserted into his terms.

Sanchez, who can play as a right-back or as a centre-back, said in his official press release, “I am very happy because Sevilla are the club that I wanted to join, for all the fanbase, for the team and the city.

While the football world is expecting Xabi Alonso to move to Real Madrid, Manchester City are plotting an audacious bid of their own.

The Alonso saga has dragged on all summer, with the player appearing keen to move to The Bernabeu. However, as that deal continues to fail to reach a conclusion, Man City are preparing a bid.

According to The Daily Express, The Citizens are now willing to match Alonso's £35million valuation, and could even increase their bid to fend off Los Merengues.

It is unlikely that Alonso would choose City over Madrid, but should Los Blancos pull out of the race, Mark Hughes' side are ready to pounce.

In a sensational twist, the Cameroonian international may join the Rossoneri according to Italian reports but over in Spain, he is expected to become an Inter player by Tuesday morning...

Club America and Inter kicked off the 2009 World Football Challenge with an entertaining match, in front of a strong crowd of over 30,000 fans. The result after 90 minutes was deadlocked at 1-1, meaning that penalties were required to separate the two sides on the night.The intense shoot-out ended in favour of the Mexican club 5-4, meaning that an extremely strong Nerazzurri line-up suffered yet another shock result, after their 2-2 draw with UCLA a few days prior.

The Italians were the stronger side in the early stages, especially through Sulley Muntari, a player who was keen to continue his impressive form this pre-season. It was he who was responsible for sending in the perfect cross for the new signing Diego Miltio, which was hit just wide of the target after two minutes of play.Ricardo Quaresma and Dejan Stankovic were causing havoc in the middle, whilst another new signing in Thiago Motta went close to opening his side’s account with a powerful drive from 30 yards on the half hour mark.From this point though the Mexicans worked themselves into the contest, as they struck the woodwork twice in the next ten minutes, to send a wave of shock through the Inter camp, however they failed to take full advantage of this, as the half ended 0-0.Jose Mourinho made a number of changes prior to the commencement of the second period, as Patrick Vieira and Nicolas Burdisso were amongst those who came on in the early stages of the half.

Despite this though, Club America took a shock lead on 51 minutes, when Pardo’s corner was met by Silva, and his left-foot drive was coolly smashed into the back of the net.Inter did all they could to immediately respond, as Mario Balotelli’s shot from distance just moments later, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s inclusion into the match, clearly signified their intentions to win the game. This switch eventually paid off, as on 60 minutes Cordoba levelled the score line with a header from a Balotelli corner, which was won by a determined Ibrahimovic.

America had a player sent off in the closing stages, as Esqueda was sent for an early shower following some rough and late contact on the opposing keeper Belec, whilst the referee’s whistle after 90 minutes meant that penalties were required to separate the two clubs.The shoot-out started positively for both sides, as the first six penalties were successfully converted by all of those who stepped up to take a shot. The seventh, taken by Patrick Vieira, was smashed over the crossbar, which eventually allowed Rojas to send home the winning kick from the spot, to give Club America a memorable victory.

John Terry led Chelsea to victory as the English side opened their four-game US tour by overcoming a competitive Seattle Sounders 2-0 at Qwest Field. The England captain, the subject of intense transfer speculation following a bid from Manchester City, retained the skipper's armband as Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti sent out his first side since taking over from Guus Hiddink at the end of last season.

First-half goals from teenage debutant Daniel Sturridge and England midfielder Frank Lampard were enough to see off a Seattle team led by Freddie Ljungberg in their inaugural Major League Soccer season and watched by a crowd of 65,289 in the Pacific Northwest. Sturridge, 19, was handed a starting role alongside Nicolas Anelka in the Chelsea attack following his summer move from Manchester City and he needed just 12 minutes to get on the scoresheet for his new club.
He collected a Florent Malouda chip over the top of the Sounders defence, checked his run down the left channel to beat defender Tyrone Marshall and curled home right-footed across Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Lampard doubled the lead in the 35th minute after Jose Bosingwa had cut in from the right to send Anelka into space on the byline, the Frenchman cutting the ball back for the midfielder to slot home.

Seattle were not without their chances, former Arsenal star Ljungberg forcing a fine save from Petr Cech just before Chelsea's second goal from a free-kick 20 yards out. The Blues keeper pushed the ball around the post at full stretch to his right from the Swede's effort. Ljungberg forced more rearguard action just before half-time with a low drive from in front of goal and through a crowd of players that Cech blocked after Bosingwa's diving body had taken the pace off the shot.
Ancelotti kept his promise to make multiple substitutions during Chelsea's first pre-season outing and nine changes followed at half-time, with just Lampard and Michael Ballack remaining from the starting line-up.

Seattle made four changes and the home side made the brighter start to the second half, Chelsea keeper Hilario flapping at a Ljungberg corner that reached sub Zach Scott at the back post. The Sounders full-back outjumped Ricardo Carvalho, but sent his header past the upright.
There was further trouble for Chelsea at the back when Hilario's attempted clearance was charged down by Sebastien Le Toux in the 69th minute and ran just past the post, while minutes later Sanna Nyassi got behind the Blues defence and sent a chip onto the roof of the net.
Lampard even managed to get booked in stoppage time for a foul on Nyassi as the Blues closed out the game with a clean sheet to give Ancelotti a winning start to his Chelsea reign.

Manchester City have completed the signing of Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor on a five-year contract.
The fee for the Togo international has not been disclosed, although the 25-year-old is believed to have cost City in the region of £25million.
Adebayor was omitted from the Arsenal squad which tackled Barnet on Saturday as he was in Manchester putting the final touches on his five-year contact.
The former Monaco man, who joined Arsenal in 2006, has been moved by the reception received by fans and is looking forward to making history at Eastlands.

Aly Cissokho has signed a five-year contract with Lyon after the French side agreed a €15 million fee with Porto.

As reported earlier, the Dragons will be entitled to 20 per cent of a future sale of Cissokho by Lyon.

According to Lyon's official website, Cissokho has passed a medical with the club and will train for the first time with his new club on Monday morning, before being presented to the media together with Michel Bastos.

Cissokho, 21, joined Porto from Vitoria de Setubal in January and rose to prominance in the Champions League quarter-finals with two eye-catching performances against Manchester United.

Everton have confirmed they have rejected a bid from Premier League rivals Manchester City for defender Joleon Lescott.
City made a formal offer of £15million on Thursday for the England international in a week that they wrapped up the signing of Carlos Tevez.
Mark Hughes wants the former Wolves central defender, who can also operate at left-back, to partner John Terry at the heart of what would be a new-look defence.
However, it seems Hughes' dream partnership may not have a happy ending with Everton and Chelsea remaining firm in their desire to keep their star defenders.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed an 'agreement in principle' has been reached with Inter Milan regarding a deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Swedish striker Ibrahimovic appears to be on his way to the European champions, with Samuel Eto'o and Alexander Hleb heading in the opposite direction.
Inter supremo Massimo Moratti revealed earlier on Friday that he had been locked in talks regarding player movement between the two clubs for the past week.

Brazilian full-back Maxwell has already agreed to sign for Barca from Inter and he could soon be joined at Camp Nou by Ibrahimovic.
Reports have suggested that Inter are willing to accept €40million (£34.6million) plus Eto'o and the season-long loan signing of Hleb in order to let Ibrahimovic move to Spain.
Though negotiations between the two clubs are continuing, Laporta confirmed that a deal is close to being agreed.
"There is an agreement in principle with Inter Milan," Laporta told the Spanish media.
"Ibrahimovic's signing depends on the player himself, on Samuel Eto'o and all the parties involved."

Eto'o, who has a year remaining on his contract, has been offered a new two-year deal by Barca, but has not yet responded to the terms.
Manchester City dropped their interest in signing the Cameroon international last week and he now appears set to link up with Jose Mourinho's Inter.

Meanwhile, Laporta revealed that the potential arrival of Ibrahimovic would not necessarily lead to Barca dropping their interest in Valencia star David Villa.
He added: "David Villa as an option is not finished. We haven't discarded any possibilities."

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has said that he expects Peter Crouch to make a decision about his future in the next 48 hours. The Black Cats have already had a bid of around £12million accepted by Portsmouth, but some believe Crouch is holding out for a move to Fulham. However, Bruce is confident that Sunderland will get their man, telling The Guardian, "Why should Sunderland not be the place for Peter Crouch?""He's an England centre-forward and people up here love a good centre-forward. This can be the place for Peter Crouch."We have spoken to him with his agent.

It was good to see him up here. "Let's keep our fingers crossed now."Bruce did concede, however, that there were other clubs in the running, continuing, "I believe there's a bit of competition in there, but let's keep our fingers crossed because he is the type of signing that would obviously set our intentions of where we want to be.""But we will see what develops over the next 24, 48 hours.

I am always an optimist - I hope so, but we will keep our fingers crossed."We have had him up, we have done our utmost, the club has backed me. We have done everything we possibly can and if we can pull it off, it will be a terrific signing for the club."The intention is there for everybody to see.

Stewart Downing will sign for Aston Villa on Thursday, but only if he passes a rigorous medical. Middlesbrough have accepted a £12 million bid from Villa, and Downing is also thought to have agreed personal terms.

According to The Guardian, Villa want to make sure that the damage to Downing's foot, which he broke in a match against them, will not last longer than expected.

The winger will have a pin removed from the fracture in September and could return in October at the earliest, but is more realistically expected to debut for the Midlanders in December. Meanwhile, Martin O'Neill has stressed that Downing's signing does not mean that Ashley Young will leave the club, especially as Downing could be out for the first half of the season.

Barcelona are closing on their first signing of a quiet close-season with the likely acquisition of Inter Milan defender Maxwell.
While arch rivals Real Madrid have been responsible for unprecedented spending following a trophyless campaign, Treble winners Barca have seemingly been content with their lot.

Barca boss Pep Guardiola is expected to make signings though and it is Brazilian Maxwell that will become his first of the summer for a €5million (£4.3m) fee agreed with Inter.

The Catalan giants have been on the lookout for a new left-back following the departure of veteran Sylvinho.
Maxwell, who made 33 appearances for the Italian champions last season, is the man they have plumped for after negotiations with Deportivo La Coruna for Filipe Luis failed to yield an accord.

Carlos Tevez claims he has joined Manchester City because Manchester United did not do enough to persuade him to stay.
The Argentina international completed his much-touted move to Eastlands on Tuesday, penning a five-year contract with the Blues.
He had spent the last two seasons with City's arch-rivals United, but has opted to cross the Manchester divide.
United had always insisted that they were keen to turn Tevez's two-year loan deal at Old Trafford into a permanent agreement.

However, the combative striker insists Sir Alex Ferguson and United chief executive David Gill failed to convince him that he was an important part of their future plans and, as such, he has decided to take on a new challenge at City.
"The fact that I am not staying at United is not because of the fans, it is because Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill did not do enough to keep me there. If it was down to the fans, I would still be there," Tevez said.

"I want to thank Manchester United, David Gill, Sir Alex Ferguson and the fanbase for a happy time there, but this is a new challenge and I am very happy to be at Manchester City."

Manchester City have confirmed an agreement has been reached to sign Carlos Tevez on a five-year contract.
Tevez has been widely expected to join City after the end of his two-year loan spell at local rivals Manchester United.

The Argentine failed to agree on an extension at Old Trafford and had also been linked with fellow Premier League clubs Chelsea and Liverpool.
The 25-year-old revealed he would not sign for Liverpool due to their rivalry with United, but has opted for a deal with neighbours City.

He is due to undergo a medical before signing the paperwork, with the deal having been ratified by the Premier League and the Football Association.
City boss Mark Hughes is delighted to have snapped up the former South American Footballer of the Year and expects Tevez to add another dimension to his team

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes it will take time for the new-look side to gel but says he is fully committed to the club.
The Spanish giants have invested heavily this summer after ending last season empty-handed, and their failure was brought into even sharper focus as rivals Barcelona claimed the league, UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey.
And while Casillas is happy to face up to the 'challenge' of taking back some silverware from Barca, he admits it may take time to hit top form.
"It's a little damaging to your pride and you do think, 'What a shame that they won the treble'," he told Don Balon.
"You wonder why Real Madrid can't win three competitions or even aspire to that.
"I think that we will view all three competitions equally next year. All three are very important."
Asked whether having the Champions League final at the Bernabeu next season would make that competition particularly special, he replied: "Yes, but we can't go from winning nothing to winning everything in a year, right?
"For five years, we have gone out when we have reached the last 16 of the competition.
"Obviously those at the club feel that being in this final is the most important ambition, but clearly we cannot expect to win everything overnight.
"We need to take a calm approach."

El Mundo Deportivo states that Barcelona's attempt to land David Villa of Valencia has become that much harder following a meeting between Los Che's hierarchy and the star striker.Weeks ago Llorente stated that only a 'scandalously scandalous' offer would be able to provoke the Mestalla side into selling El Guaje, and this appears to have been the theme of the summit.

With Barcelona said to be offering no more than €40m for the Asturian hitman, Valencia are apparently seeking upwards of €50m from the Camp Nou outfit.Going even further than MD is Madrid-based sports daily AS. According to this source, Llorente allegedly told Villa he is a key member of the squad and is not willing to let go of him, having explained the club's financial project to the 27-year-old.Villa, on the other hand, told the president of his distress at the way Valencia have handled his situation, with the club having at the end of the season told him to find a new employer, only to classify him as "non-transferable" after talks with Real Madrid produced no result.It is believed that Villa once again reiterated his wish to move on, but Los Che appear keen to hang on to their prized striker.

Bayern Munich have persisted time and again that Franck Ribery will not be leaving the Allianz Arena this summer amid continuous bombardment from the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea.

But despite assurances from the bigwigs at the Bavarian outfit that Ribery will be wearing the Bayern colours for the upcoming campaign, coach, Louis van Gaal remains sceptical, especially after Madrid’s director of relations, Emilio Butragueno recently declared that the Merengues have not yet given up hope of signing the Frenchman.
“Obviously, Franck has an important role to play in this team,” van Gaal told reporters, as quoted by AS, “but in the world of football, you never know what is possible. We have already seen what happened with Cristiano Ronaldo.”

The German press are also aware that Barca have made a fresh round of assault to lure the 26-year-old to the Camp Nou by offering Die Roten cash plus Alexander Hleb and Eidur Gudjohnsen instead of the mammoth €80 million transfer fee.
FifPro, meanwhile, has announced that they will support Ribery if he chooses to force an exit by invoking a FIFA ruling which states that a player can choose to unilaterally rescind his own contract after three years with one particular club.

Roman Abramovich has informed John Terry that he will not be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge. Terry met Chelsea officials yesterday to sort out his future, as rumours of a move to Manchester City heightened.

According to The Independent, Terry requested to be allowed to talk to City, but was swiftly denied by Abramovich. Manchester City are reportedly offering Terry a mammoth deal that will see him earn £280,000-a-week for four weeks, more than doubling his current salary.

Abramovich is willing to increase his wages to make him the highest paid player at the club, but the offer is still nowhere near City's proposal. Chelsea leave for their pre-season tour of America on Thursday, and Terry wants his future sorted out before then. The club have informed him that he is expected to join them on tour.

David Villa is set to return to Valencia to demand a move to Barcelona. El Guaje has been the subject of intense transfer speculation over the summer, with the boardroom complications at the Mestalla dragging matters out even further.

However, it appears that Villa has run out of patience, as according to Catalunya Radio, he is set to return to Valencia on Monday to speak to either Manuel Llorente or Vicente Soriano, if not both of them.

Villa will argue that Valencia had agreed to allow him to to take up an attractive offer if it came along, regardless of who was in charge of the club.

Valencia's ownership situation continues be the cause of much confusion, to the extent that Villa does not know which man to discuss the issue with.

Real Madrid have confirmed that they are in advanced negotiations over the sale of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
The 25-year-old Holland international moved to the Bernabeu from Ajax in January but appears to be surplus to requirements following the arrival of president Florentino Perez.

Stuttgart have agreed to pay the player's €20million (£17.2m) asking price and Real sporting director Miguel Pardeza has revealed it is now up to Huntelaar to decide whether to complete the move.

"[Madrid director general Jorge] Valdano wants to involve him in the situation and for him to make a decision," he said

Juan Valera, who had only one more year left on his contract, had been tipped to join Osasuna after playing at Racing Santander on loan last season.But the 24-year-old has now ended speculation about his future at the Vicente Calderon by committing himself to the capital club.

Valera is now tied to Atletico Madrid until 2012 after extending his previous deal by two more years.

The former Murcia man has been at Atletico since 2005 but his time with'Los Colchoneros' has been marked by a series of injuries.

Manchester City have confirmed this evening that they have ended their pursuit of Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, a player whom they were set to make the highest paid player in the world, according to reports.

City chief executive Garry Cook confirmed the decision to the club's official website, stating, "Samuel Eto'o is undoubtedly a fine footballer but the circumstances surrounding him were such that the deal could not be completed.

"We now feel the time is right to pursue other avenues and we have a clear and strategic transfer plan, which we continue to follow."

The Mancunians were reported to have made a bid of around £25 million for the player, and were apparently ready to offer him wages of over £200,000 a week. However, there now seem to have been too many stumbling blocks for the deal to be completed.

It was also reported that Eto'o was seeking a severance payment from Barca in addition to the wages he was demanding, and it seems now that the Citizens will move on to other targets.

Barcelona are set to make their first summer signing and it is the one that they wanted most...

Deco says he is willing to stay at Chelsea this season, but believes things must change at Stamford Bridge.
Portugal international Deco had been linked with a move away from the Premier League club following a largely disappointing debut campaign in West London.

Though Deco scored in his first two games for the Blues, he struggled with injuries and then made just three appearances during Guus Hiddink's short reign.

He had expressed a desire to be reunited with his former Porto boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan, however the Italian champions are not willing to meet Chelsea's asking price.
The Brazilian-born playmaker is now prepared to stick with the Blues before seeking a move back to his homeland.

Jermaine Pennant is close to completing a move to Real Zaragoza after passing a medical.
The 26-year-old is expected to put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal on Friday.

Pennant spent five months on loan with Portsmouth at the end of last season after falling out of favour at Liverpool
With his contract at Anfield ending in the summer, he was said to be keen on a switch overseas and was linked with a move to Real Madrid earlier this year.

However, he is now set to join up with the Spanish side's newly-promoted rivals by the end of the week.

Celtic have confirmed the signing of Marc-Antoine Fortune from Nancy on a three-year contract.
Fortune has been linked with a move away from Ligue 1 club Nancy since impressing during a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion last season.

Former Baggies boss Tony Mowbray, now in charge of Celtic, has been keen to work with the forward again and has finally got his man for an undisclosed fee.
A number of sides, including Hull City, were believed to be interested in Fortune, but the 28-year-old has explained he had his heart set on plying his trade at Parkhead.

He told the club's official website: "This is where I want to be. Having met the people at the club and knowing all about the club's fantastic pedigree and support, this is where I saw my future.
"I am looking forward to the challenge of winning the league title, competing for the cups and playing in Europe, in front of the Celtic supporters.

Alex McLeish has made another signing in a busy close-season at Birmingham City by adding Lee Bowyer to the club's panel on a permanent basis. The deal has been announced on the club's official website.Bowyer has signed a two-year contract after impressing on loan last season. The midfielder joined from West Ham United in January, making 17 appearances for the Blues and scoring one goal. However, the Hammers chose not to renew his contract and he was released at the end of the campaign.

The 32-year-old gained notoriety for off-field incidents while at Leeds United, and had an on-the-pitch scuffle with team-mate Kieron Dyer at Newcastle United. He performed admirably for Birmingham in the last six months, and will hope to repay the faith shown in him by the Midlands club.Bowyer is the seventh player to join Birmingham this summer, and Alex McLeish can now fully focus on his attempts to reinforce his midfield further.Moves for Inter's Patrick Vieira and Newcastle's Joey Barton are still in the pipeline, and it appears as if there will be further signings at St. Andrews before the summer is out.

Speculation continues to link Franck Ribery with a move to Real Madrid after the France international made public his wish to play at the Santiago Bernabeu, however, current employers Bayern Munich are to offer the winger a new deal in the hope he remains at the club.With Bayern Munich firm over their €80 million price-tag for Ribery, Real Madrid general director Jorge Valdano claimed on Tuesday that the club's efforts to sign the midfielder may not produce a favourable outcome.

Valdano also claimed that a new offensive for Ribery could be launched next summer if he is to stay at the Allianz Arena.Bayern Munich executive chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has now made it clear that, to prevent further speculation on Ribery's future, the club want to offer him a new deal."Our wish is not only that he stays, but also that he signs an extension," Rummenigge told Bild.Ribery, who joined Bayern from Olympique de Marseille in 2007, has a contract valid with the German giants until 2011

Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora is heading for Sevilla after the two clubs agreed a fee for the midfielder.

Ivory Coast international Zokora has been a long-term target for the Spanish side, but the two clubs were unable to settle on a sum for his services.

With an accord now reached, the 28-year is heading for the White Hart Lane exit after three years in North London.
A statement on Spurs' official website read: "We have reached agreement for the transfer of Didier Zokora to Sevilla.

"The Ivory Coast international joined us from St Etienne in July 2006 and went on to make 134 appearances for the club, including being part of the League Cup-winning side of 2008.
"We thank Didier for his contribution and wish him every success for the future."
Sevilla announced on their website that Zokora has signed a four-year contract.

Zokora said: "I am delighted to join an ambitious club and am looking forward to the Champions League.

The French winger has left Girondins de Bordeaux to join Sir Alex Ferguson's squad on a four year deal.

The Bianconeri have signed the Brazilian for €20 million plus Marco Marchionni, according to Sky Sport Italia...

Speculation concerning Karim Ziani's impending move to the Bundesliga side intensified on Monday after the player's father was quoted as saying that everything had been settled between the two clubs.

Fast forward one day later and Ziani has officially signed a four-year contract with Wolfsburg after passing a medical in a transfer that will see Marseille receive €7 million.

Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh was visibly happy to have signed the midfielder, who had joined Marseille from Sochaux in 2007 for €8 million."I am very pleased with Karim Ziani's signing. He fits well into our team and will help us achieve our goals this season," Veh told Bundesliga.de.

Ziani, who expressed his delight at "playing in the Bundesliga", will wear the club's No.15 shirt, the same number he wears for Algeria.

FC Porto have completed the signing of Olympiakos creative midfielder Fernando Belluschi, the Portuguese club have confirmed on their official website.

The Argentina international has signed a four-year contract with the Dragons after Porto and Olympiakos agreed a €5 million fee for 50 per cent of the midfielder's playing rights.Belluschi, whose buy-out clause is now set at €30 million, is hoping to add some much-needed creativity to Porto's midfield following the departure of Lucho Gonzalez to Marseille.

He has become Porto's seventh summer signing, following in the footsteps of the likes of Alvaro Pereira from CFR Cluj and Nacional da Madeira's Maicon.Belluschi, who joined Olympiakos from River Plate in January 2008 for €6.5 million, is expected to finalise his switch to Porto in the coming days after passing a medical.

Former Arsenal and Valencia midfielder Edu has returned to Corinthians in Brazil - the club where he made his professional debut.

The player suffered a barrage of injuries during his time with los Che which did not allow him a proper chance of establishing himself in the starting line-up.

However, the 31-year-old has been offered a new lease of life by his former club, with the Brazilian side tying down their new number 22 until the winter of 2011 - according to Corinthians' official website.While financial details have not yet been officially disclosed, the local media have said that Edu will be the club's second highest paid player, behind former Player of the Year Ronaldo.