There Is Only One Sinnacle

Striker Sergio Aguero is expected in England on Wednesday morning for talks with Manchester City to finalise his £38m transfer from Atletico Madrid. Full story: Various, including the Independent

It’s seems to be at the end of the day Manchester City where the only ones to meet Aguero’s price tag. It’s time for a move but if I was a player I’d really wonder about Manchester City. They never seem to have a set plan. They just keep buying and buying the best players they can and hope something works.

On the other side of the city, Manchester United are set to make a renewed bid to sign Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder. Full story: Daily Telegraph

Yeah, I didn’t expect Sir Alex to give up the chase so easily.

Midfielder Samir Nasri, out of contract in July 2012 and heavily linked with a move from Arsenal this summer, has told the Gunners he will stay for this season. Full story: Daily Star

Arsenal are fools if Nasri leaves as a free transfer next summer. He either signs or you sell.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew will go all out to sign Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe if he fails to land his top target, Paris St Germain’s Turkish forward Mevlut Erdinc. Full story: the Sun

Defoe is a moody striker at the best of times. Playing in Newcastle would set him off even further. Unless Tottenham pushes him out I can’t see Defoe leaving.

Tottenham hope to complete a deal for Barcelona midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, who has been forced to settle for a bit-part role since joining the Catalan giants from PSV Eindhoven in January. Full story: Daily Mirror

Don’t feel sorry for Afellay. He called his shot last year and chose to join Barcelona who will never give him a fair shot at starting week in and week out.

Spurs are interested in signing Spain international striker Fernando Llorente from Athletic Bilbao as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the new season. Full story: caughtoffside.com

Llorente is twice the player Andy Carroll is and that is the problem. Bilbao knows this which means they would be looking for Carroll type money to sell him.

Tottenham are also considering a move for Hamburg striker Paulo Guerrero after the Peru star revealed he is considering leaving the Imtech Arena. Full story: fanatix.com

Guerrero hat trick in thr semi finals to go along with winning the golden boot in the Copa America has nicely boasted his stock.

Heading out of the White Hart Lane exit door, though, is forward Giovani dos Santos, who Spurs have agreed to sell to Sevilla. The London club would have to pay 10% of a sell-on fee to his former club Barcelona if he is sold before 1 August. However, a deal has been agreed that would go through a day later.

I’m all for Tottenham sticking it to Barcelona.

Birmingham are struggling to pay their bills and could be forced to sell more players to survive after owner Carson Yeung’s assets were frozen in the Far East pending his money-laundering court case.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Foregin ownership everyone. I’m sure the EPL did a great job in their background check on Carson Yeung.

Blackburn boss Steve Kean says he will go on a spending spree before the start of the new season, bolstered by the fee the club received from Manchester United for Phil Jones.

Who is going to want to play in Blackburn?

Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov insists he will not change his languid style in the forthcoming season, saying: “There is a saying in Bulgaria that great quality doesn’t require much effort.”
Full story: the Sun

This will be my new motto for work.

You know who benefited the most from Sergio Batista’s era as Argentina’s head coach? Brazil’s coach Mano Menezes that’s who. Sergio Batista Argentina’s team were so flat and their tactis were so wrong that no one really baited an eye lash at Mano Menezes as his Brazil squad failed in their quest to win the Copa America.

Heading into World Cup qualifying it was clear Batista had to go. His players never rallyed around him. You would think playing at home would moviated these players by themselves but they never really got going and in the end Sergio Batista paid the price.

Tottenham have put a £9m price tag on striker Peter Crouch after an approach from Newcastle.
Full story: the Sun

I really hope Peter Crouch rents and doesn’t buy.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew wants to sign left-back Wayne Bridge from Manchester City.
Full story: The Sun

I don’t think there are many clubs beating down the door for Wayne Bridge.

Palermo are trying to kick-start an auction for £44m-rated playmaker Javier Pastore by warning Chelsea that Qatar-backed French club Paris St Germain want the midfielder too. Full story: Daily Mirror

PSG may have money behind them but I somehow doubt Chelsea is worried about PSG going after Pastore.

Tottenham Hotspur are planning a £22m double swoop on La Liga by looking to purchase 25-year-old striker Alvaro Negredo from Sevilla for £18m and Barcelona winger Ibrahim Afellay for £4m.
Full story: footybunker.com

Barcelona is not exactly a deep team. I don’t see them selling Afellay this season.

Bolton are close to signing Burnley duo Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears in a £2.75m joint deal. Midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker, who was released by Aston Villa and is available on a free transfer, could also arrive at the Reebok Stadium. The Trotters also want a striker but Liverpool’s £6m valuation of David Ngog could mean they pursue Birmingham’s Cameron Jerome instead. Full story: Daily Mirror

Always liked Chris Eagles even going back to his brief Manchester United days.

Liverpool striker Dani Pacheco has asked Premier League newcomers Norwich to rescue him from his Anfield misery. Full story: Daily Star

Forget Norwich as they are going to play dump and chase football all year. Pacheco needs to go back to Spain.

Uruguay where the best South American team during the last World Cup and fast forward a year later they are worthy winners of the Copa America defeating Paraguay 3-0 in yesterday’s final.

This Uruguay team reminds of the Portugal Euro 2000 team, well with the exception that Uruguay actually won something but this Uruguay is the blue print on how to set up a team. You have one leader in his final days in Diego Forlan who got rewarded with two goals in the final after a tying club season. Then you have your star player on the rise in Luis Suarez. Aside from the great Edinson Cavani who was not 100% the rest of this Uruguay squad while all good players in their own right knew exactly what they roles were, were comfortable with them and knew they were there to support Suarez and Forlan. The result Uruguay wins a record 15th Copa America.

People are funny sometimes. I can understand it being a shock to the senses waking up on Sunday to discover Amy Winehouse had died but please I’m not shedding a tear over this news.

Amy Winehouse has spent the last three years being a joke and while thankfully I have no first hand knowledge of this I’m sure addiction isn’t a barrel of laughs but here is a person who was blissed with a god given gift and decided to threw it away with a needle in her arm and who knows what else.

A tragedy is what happened in Norway, this is a case of a soul lost. I don’t want to be mean spirited but I can’t bring it in me to feel bad for a person who threw her life away.

What a goof. I love how he talked back after he was subbed like he didn’t do anything stupid. So talented but you just can’t count on him. He should of stayed on five more minutes to give the Galaxy players a shot at tackling him.

Midfielder Joey Barton reassures Newcastle fans that he has no immediate plans to leave St James’ Park, despite rumoured interest from Manchester United. Full story: talkSPORT

I’m far from a Joey Barton fan nor do I believe this Manchester United but if Man United were looking to get a Roy Keane type Joey Baton does fit the bill.

A deal to bring attacking midfielder Javier Pastore to Chelsea is almost complete, Palermo vice-president Guglielmo Micciche has claimed, leaving Tottenham’s Luka Modric’s chances of joining the Blues in ruins. Full story: Metro

Smart move by Chelsea. Pastore is a better player and easier to sign than Modric.

Arsenal are prepared to sell Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona for less than £40m – but only if 20-year-old midfielder Thiago Alcantara is included in the deal. Full story: Metro

Forget about the money, you can easily make the Thiago is going to be a better player than Fabregas in five years time.

Manchester City are ready to begin talks with Atletico Madrid for forward Sergio Aguero, regardless of whether or not wantaway striker Carlos Tevez leaves the English Premier League club.
Full story: Metro

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says nobody will be prepared to stump up the £45m asking price for Manchester City’s Tevez – even though Inter Milan sporting director Marco Branca was seen chatting to the player last week. Full story: Metro

Sir Alex likes to stir it up but he is right. No European club in their right mind should pay big money for the flake that is Carlos Tevez. You can trap me in Europe on millions of dollars, I’ll miss Canada but I know I’ll make it back home at somepoint.

Alberto Aquilani could yet leave Liverpool in the transfer window after his representative revealed he is planning talks with Italian side Fiorentina. (Daily Telegraph)

Aquilani should read the tea leeves. He isn’t a King Kenny player. For him to starting for Liverpool he’ll have to massively outplay all the current midfielders Liverpool have.

Rennes midfielder Yann M’Vila has attracted the attention of Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas, who plans to test the water with a £15m bid in an attempt to fill the gap left by the injured Michael Essien. Full story: Metro

No replacing Essien but M’Vila is a fine player in his own right.

Newcastle defender Jose Enrique has used social networking site Twitter to criticise the club’s transfer policy. Full story: Daily Mirror

Hey it worked for Darren Bent when he wanted to leave Tottenham.

The first thing which came acorss my mind when I heard about Barcelona signing Alexis Sanchez for 22 million with another 10 million down the road is Ibrahim Afellay. Afellay must be thinking hey I’m every bit as good as Alexis Sanchez but you know Sanchez is going to get every shot of making the starting 11 where as Afellay who signed for next to nothing will be the 3rd guy off the bench since Barcelona need to justify the price they have paid for Sanchez.

No denying the talent but it will be interesting to see how quickly Sanchez makes the jump from the expectations placed upon him at Udinese to the non stop you have to be at your best at all times pressure he will face playing for Barcelona. With the moves Barcelona, Real Madrid and Barcelona have made this year it’s easy to say the rich get richer.

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has been spotted speaking to Inter Milan technical director Marco Branca, raising speculation he could be playing at the San Siro next season. Full story: Daily Mirror

You know what you are going to get out of Carlos Tevez. You will get two years of great football before he whines his way out of town.

Chelsea will make one final bid of £35m for Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric. Full story: Footy Bunker

and Tottenham should accept it but have a feeling this may go down til the final day.

Arsenal will have to pay around £18m if they want to bolster their defence by signing Everton centre-back Phil Jagielka. Full story: Metro

Good luck getting 18 million out of Arsenal. It does amuse me watching Arsenal trying to buy players at 2006 prices.

Liverpool are interested in £10m-rated Hamburg left-back Marcell Jansen and £18m-rated Porto defender Alvaro Pereira. Full story: Daily Mail

Alvaro Pereira is having a great Copa America. Pereira has turned out to be a great replacement for Jose Bosingwa.

It gets good around the four minute mark as Ronaldo is already gearing up to knock off Barcelona this season.