There Is Only One Sinnacle

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho will temper his disappointment at not signing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba by making a January move for Manchester City forward Emmanuel Adebayor. (Daily Star)

If you can’t get Drogba, might as well get Drogba light. If I’m Adebayor I’m praying at night this move happens.

Borussia Dortmund are interested in offering midfielder Steven Pienaar a return to Germany if he fails to sort out his future with Everton. talkSPORT

One thing about German clubs is that they do pay well. I also think Pienaar is setting himself up for a move away from Everton.

Atletico Madrid are keeping tabs on Manchester City winger David Silva as the Spanish international tries to adjust to the Premier League. Daily Mail

Wonder how David Silva feels seeing David Villa star for Barcelona while he is playing behind Shaun Wright Phillips?

England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been the subject of allegations concerning his private life and he can expect some “stick” if he plays against former club Everton on Saturday, according to Goodison Park centre-back Phil Jagielka.
Full story: the Independent

Rooney can expect some stick in every stadium Manchester United travels too this season.

Manchester City’s Argentine striker Carlos Tevez says he may quit international football before the next World Cup in 2014 as he is “tired and old” – at the age of 26. Daily Mirror

It feel almost amaze me the travel these players have to put in going from European to South America and back countless times a year.

Tottenham will renew their attempts to sign Aston Villa and England winger Ashley Young when the January transfer window opens. The 25-year-old was close to a move this summer until Martin O’Neill resigned as manager at Villa Park, which meant any transfer activity was put on hold. talkSPORT

Nothing against Ashley Young who is a fine player but he is really the one who can put Tottenham over the top?

PSV Eindhoven’s Dutch winger Ibrahim Afellay, 24, claims he turned down a move to Everton this summer because he did not like “the feel” of the Goodison Park club. Daily Mirror

Translation he most likely disliked Liverpool.

Fiorentina’s Italian international playmaker Riccardo Montolivo has played down speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal, saying he is “fine in Florence”. Full story: Daily Mirror

I know a career shouldn’t be judged on three games but Montolivo didn’t exactly light up the World Cup. Arsenal would be fine without him.

Veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer hopes to sign a pre-contract agreement with a European club in January in a bid to leave Fulham on a free transfer when his contract expires next June. Cottagers boss Mark Hughes denied the 37-year-old Australian the chance to move to Arsenal in the summer transfer window. Daily Mirror

Even more reason as to why Fulham should of sold Schwarzer this summer.

Yuri Zhirkov will consider his future at Chelsea if he remains a bit-part player. Zenit St Petersburg and Spartak Moscow could move for the left-sided 27-year-old, who joined the Blues for £18m from CSKA Moscow in July 2009. (Full story: Daily Mail)

I’m sure if either club paid Chelsea the 18 million they originally paid for Zhirkov he’d be sold.

Inter Milan are set to launch a January bid to sign Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill, although the 25-year-old could cost £17.5m after his England debut led to an increase in the value of his buy-out clause. IMScouting

Good for Gary Cahill who deserved to crack the England team. These English players to European clubs trend to only be a rumour and nothing more. Can’t see Inter Milan paying for Gary Cahill what they did for Wesley Sneijder.

Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale was the subject of a “big-money” bid over the summer, according to Wales manager John Toshack. Daily Mirror

Nice of John Toshack to only say half the story. Gareth Bale could of been a part of a small money move in the summer of 09.

Spartak Moscow are ready to offer Yuri Zhirkov a route out of Chelsea after Russia coach Dick Advocaat warned the defender he must be playing regular football to feature for his country. Daily Mail

This is a make or break year for Yuri Zhirkov who doesn’t seem to fit the Chelsea set up this far. He’ll need to find a way to impress this season or else Chelsea will sell him next summer.

England fly-half Danny Cipriani has thrown his rugby union future into doubt after travelling to the United States for a trial with Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids. Times

It’s either Cipriani really loves soccer or rugby players don’t get paid that much. I should look up one day how much rugby and cricket players get paid.

Former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier is set for a dramatic return to English football with Aston Villa after holding talks with the club’s owner Randy Lerner. Daily Mail

But former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has been ruled out of the running for the vacant managerial post at Villa Park.
Full story: the Sun

With the state of French football I don’t blame Houllier if he looks to jump ship from the French FA.

Poor Sven who despite his flaws did do a good job at Manchester City.

Blackburn striker Benjani Mwaruwari claims there is ”no trust” at his old club Manchester City and that some of their players are motivated primarily by money: Daily Telegraph

You mean Yaya Toure didn’t leave Barcelona for a new football challenge?

Birmingham will offer manager Alex McLeish a major pay-rise in an effort to get get him to stay, according to City’s vice president Peter Pannu. Daily Mirror

The last thing Birmingham need is McLeish leaving mid season like Steve Bruce did for Wigan. Not the biggest McLeish fan but by all accounts he deserves a new deal.

Jose Mourinho pleaded with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to sign Chelsea striker Didier Drogba until the very last moment of the Premier League transfer window, which shut at 1800 BST on Tuesday. IMScouting.com

A major transfer like Drogba leaving Chelsea just can’t happen at the last minute. Besides there is no way Chelsea sells because for their style of player he is irreplaceable.

Liverpool are believed to have offered Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva and Dutch forward Ryan Babel in exchange for West Ham striker Carlton Cole but neither player wanted to leave Anfield for Upton Park.
Full story: The Guardian

Perfect reason why player exchanges rarely happen in football.

Arsenal missed out on signing Mark Schwarzer for £4m after Fulham were denied a move for Crystal Palace’s £1.5m-rated goalkeeper Julian Speroni. The Cottagers were also thwarted when they tried to land Brazilian keeper Alexander Doni from Roma, but a season-long loan deal could not be arranged in time before the end of the transfer window. Mirror

Like a said yesterday, the deadline day winner is Manuel Almunia. Granted Mark Schwarzer may not of been the answer but Almunia has been more than enough rope to hang himself. This Arsenal team is again doom to fail for all the same reasons as in previous years.

Stoke boss Tony Pulis says he was advised to make a move for Eidur Gudjohnsen by Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, who had signed the Iceland international striker on loan from Monaco last season.
Full story: Mirror

Left it left but nice job by Tony Pulis pulling a couple of good players out of a hat. Gudjohnsen showed he still had some gas left in the tank with Tottenham last season.

Striker Roque Santa Cruz faces being frozen out at Manchester City after a deadline-day move to Italian club Lazio collapsed. The Sun

Roque Santa Cruz is used to it from his Bayern Munich days. Besides the pay is still the same every two weeks.

The £250m spent in the 2010 summer transfer window was the lowest total since 2006, according to research by financial analysts Deloitte. Mirror

Slowly English football seems to be coming to grips with reality.

An ankle injury has forced Newcastle striker Andy Carroll to pull out of the England Under-21 squad to face Portugal and Lithuania. Daily Mail

In other words Andy Carroll blew the under 21 squad off.

Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald says he wants to the job permanently.
Full story: The Sun

Took him awhile to admit it but you can’t blame him. The Aston Villa job fell into his lap after a lifetime in the game. It would be hard for anyone to give it up.

Newcastle defender Sol Campbell was taunted by Sunderland supporters for being overweight as he made his debut on Tuesday night, playing only the first half of a reserve match at the Stadium of Light.
Full story: Daily Mail

Sol Campbell has always struck me as an idiot and showing up fat this year and signing for Notts County last year doesn’t help his cause. You’re a football player, your only real job is to keep in decent shape to play football. Besides eating what in the world is Sol Campbell doing with his free time?

New Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has played down their disappointing opening day draw with Real Mallorca, and says he is the man to bring long-term stability to the club. “I am a coach not Harry Potter. He is a magician. Magic is fiction and I live for football which is real,” he said. (Reuters)

In other words Shut Up La Liga.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has made a sensational bid to land Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor. Daily Mirror

I’ll say this about Manchester City’s transfer policy, they don’t sell players to rival EPL clubs. Can’t see Manchester City sell Adebayor to the club who defeated them for the last Champions League place.

Goalkeeper Shay Given has decided to stay at Manchester City, turning down the chance to rejoin his former manager Mark Hughes at Fulham. The Guardian

With the way Joe Hart is playing, Shay Given isn’t going to leave the bench anytime soon staying with Manchester City.

AC Milan are trying to lure Brazilian forward Robinho from Manchester City. The Guardian

I get it but I don’t get it. Robinho’s transfer value isn’t sky high at the moment so can see why A.C Milan would want to buy a player at his lowest point. I don’t see how Pato, Ronaldinho, Ibra and Robinho would gel in attacking. Too many players, not enough ball.

West Ham have underlined their desire to keep midfielder Scott Parker after rejecting a fresh £7m bid from Tottenham. Daily Mail

Scott Parker hasn’t exactly rushed out to put pen to paper on West Ham’s contract offer.

Aston Villa are being linked with a shock move for Everton boss David Moyes after the odds of the Scot’s joining Villa were shortened considerably on Monday. Daily Mirror

They have also sounded out unsettled Birmingham manager Alex McLeish, and former Blues boss Steve Bruce, about taking over at Villa Park. (Daily Telegraph)

Unless there is something going on in Everton I don’t know about Moyes is staying. He has put in too much work into this Everton club to leave now and it isn’t like Aston Villa is a step up. There would be riots in the streets if Alex McLeish crossed over and Steve Bruce hasn’t exactly set the world on fire for Sunderland after spending a ton of money last year.

Villa defender Luke Young says he has no idea why he was frozen out by O’Neill and feels the club is a fairer place now he has gone. the Sun

In other words Martin O’Neill is a prick.

Argentina striker Francisco Varallo, the last surviving player from the inaugural 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, has died at the age of 100. (The Times)

Oh the stories Varallo must of had.

Manchester United are preparing a £10m-plus Michael Carrick bid for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell before the transfer deadline at 1800 BST on Tuesday. (The Sun) The Sun

Tottenham will make a late £15m bid for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young and they are willing to offer the likes of Robbie Keane, Jermaine Jenas and Alan Hutton as sweeteners. Daily Express

Aston Villa and Everton are not car dealership. It’s not trade in your clunker towards the purchase of a new player. Aston Villa can’t sell Ashely Young now cause it would look bad and kill morale in the dressing room but if things were different I’d actually consider cash plus a player or two type of deal.

Manchester United are monitoring the progress of 22-year-old Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole.
Full story: Caught Offside

Lee Cattermole would of been a perfect player in the 70′s/80′s era style of English football.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will launch a last-gasp bid to sign Sevilla’s Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano, while moves for Villarreal forward Giuseppe Rossi and AC Milan hitman Klass-Jan Huntelaar remain possibilities. Daily Mirror

Spurs have actually been told by AC Milan to come back with a better offer for Huntelaar after the Italians refused to let him leave on loan. The Dutch striker could cost £11m. The Sun

You know A.C Milan wants to cash in on Huntelaar with them owing Barcelona 24 million in a year’s time.

Wigan are hoping to finalise a £2m deal for Chelsea striker Franco di Santo, 21, and want Man Utd midfielder Tom Cleverly to join on loan. Daily Mail

Franco di Santo has been hanging around English football for three years now and has done nothing of note. Could see why Chelsea would sell him, can’t see why another English club would want him.

Newcastle are planning a £8m swoop for Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel, who last week hit a hat-trick for Utrecht as they knocked Celtic out of the Europa League. Daily Mirror

If it wasn’t for van Wolfswinkel (great name) scoring three against Celtic, few outside of Holland would know who he is.

Stoke are preparing a £7m bid for out-of-favour Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas, while Potters boss Tony Pulis is also keen on Portsmouth skipper Marc Wilson, Wigan striker Hugo Rodallega and ­Middlesbrough defender David Wheater. Daily Mirror

After losing three games already this season you know the pressure is on Tony Pulis to make a move before the transfer window closes.

Charles N’Zogbia’s £9m move from Wigan to Birmingham collapsed after he asked for an extra £10,000-a-week to take his wages to £50,000-a-week. The Sun

Can’t blame Charles N’Zogbia’s for asking but good for Birmingham striking to their guns. On the flip side I wonder why they even bothered making a bid for N’Zogbia if they had no plans to give me a raise?

It may not be the Champions League but it’s still an important event to take part in. The headlines will be Juventus and Manchester City being paired up together but a day after I mentioned Ricardo Quaresma I find it interesting that he’ll travel back to Portugal to face old club Porto.

Group A

Juventus
Manchester City
Salzburg
Lech Poznan

Group B

Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
Rosenburg
Thessaloniki

Group C

Sporting
Lille
Levski Sofia
Gent

Group D

Villarreal
Club Brugge
Dinamo Zagreb
PAOK

Group E

Alkmaar
Dinamo Kiev
BATE Borisov
FC Sheriff

Group F

CSKA Moscow
Palermo
Sparta Prague
Lausanne

Group G

Zenit St Petersburg
Anderlecht
AEK Athens
Hajduk Split

Group H

Stuttgart
Getafe
Odense
Young Boys

Group I

PSV Eindhoven
Sampdoria
FC Metalist Kharkiv
Debreceni

Group J

Sevilla
PSG
Borussia Dortmund
Karpaty Lviv

Group K

Liverpool
Steaua Bucharest
Napoli
Utrecht

Group L

Porto
Besiktas
CSKA Sofia
Rapid Vienna

Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor is determined to leave Eastlands before the end of the transfer window if an offer comes in for him. Talksport

Life as Arsenal’s first choice striker doesn’t look so bad now doesn’t it? Serves Adebayor right for being a gaint headache in his Arsenal days. Back in 2008 I could of understood Adebayor being annoyed about his salary and wanting to play for A.C Milan. A year later after Arsenal and Adebayor have agreed to a new contract to pout like a child again, well karma comes to mind.

Tottenham are in talks with AC Milan over bringing Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to White Hart Lane on a season-long loan deal. The move will include the option to buy at the end of the spell, with the sum of £12m thought to be the asking price. Daily Mirror

Newcastle and West Ham are keen on signing Tottenham striker Robbie Keane on loan before the transfer window shuts on Tuesday. Talksport

I’d be looking to sell Robbie Keane and using those funds to help buy Klass-Jan Huntelaar. The Robbie Keane to Newcastle rumours amuse me because of the special1tv interview where Rooney was asking Keane about Newcastle and he goes “I’m not that desperate.”

Liverpool and Newcastle will find out soon who has won the race to sign Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa. The 23-year-old has gone on strike at his French club in an effort to force through a move. German side Werder Bremen are also interested. Talksport

Maybe if Gerard Houllier was still in charge of at Liverpool Hatem Ben Arfa would join them. So much talent, so much of a headcase.

Fulham boss Mark Hughes is set to raid his former club Manchester City to sign striker Roque Santa Cruz and goalkeeper Shay Given. Daily Mail

The least Manchester City could do for Mark Hughes after tossing him aside is to throw a couple of players his way.

Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg is not interested in leaving the Dutch side for Arsenal following their Champions League qualification. Talksport

It’s good to see Ajax back in the Champions League. Just one of those clubs for me who should be in the Champions League after a couple of years away.

West Ham are poised to make a move for Hamburg’s 29-year-old right-back Guy Demel. Talksport

With Manchester United and Chelsea coming up, West Ham need help quick.

New Manchester United striker Bebe, who manager Alex Ferguson paid £7.4m for without seeing him play, was not included in the club’s recent 16-man reserve squad to face Manchester City – and was this week taken out of a training match because he was ‘off the pace’. Daily Mail

Loved how Sir Alex Ferguson defended Bebe against these “attacks” as he called them. No one figured Bebe to rush into the starting so now the press are hoping Manchester United end up looking foolish for singing such an unknown player.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez called Birmingham boss Alex McLeish “disrespectful” over his pursuit of Latics winger Charles N’Zogbia. The Sun

Dog eat dog world and don’t think Alex McLeish is losing too much sleep over this. Besides Wigan in the end have accepted Wigan’s bid for N’Zogbia.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is hoping to secure the funds to make a move for Sampdoria’s Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini, 26, with a fee of about £14m likely. caughtoffside.com

Guess Roy Hodgson was watching the Champions League mid week also. Pazzini second goal against Werder Bremen was top class.

Manchester City are battling with AC Milan for Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahomovic, with the Serie A side set to target City’s Brazilian forward Robinho, should Ibrahimovic choose to move to Eastlands.
Full story: imscouting.com

Zlatan Ibrahomovic would be a better fit playing in Serie A but Robinho would be a lot easier to sign. Would also be interesting to see the magic Ronaldinho, Robinho and Pato can produce.

Bayern Munich’s Argentine utility player Martin Demichelis has turned down a £10m move to Chelsea, saying he wants to join Spanish side Sevilla. Daily Mail

Martin Demichelis is one of the most over rated defenders anyway.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle wants to bring Manchester United’s England Under-21 midfielder Tom Cleverley to the Reebok. Daily Mail

Cleverley would be a good replacement for Jack Wilshere. Wisely Arsenal wants to keep a hold of Wilshere this season.

Newcastle are eyeing a double loan swoop for Manchester City defender Dedryck Boyata and striker Roque Santa Cruz. Daily Mail

Take a guess where Santa Cruz will end up in. One minute it’s France, then Lazio and now Newcastle.

However, England manager Fabio Capello says he will not try to tempt the likes of midfielder Scholes, Manchester United defender Wes Brown, Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher out of international retirement. the Independent

All of those players are old, plus in the case of Brown and Robinson they have already called time on their England career.

Liverpool’s 3-0 drubbing by Manchester City on Monday has prompted manager Roy Hodgson to make a shock move for West Ham striker Carlton Cole, with the Reds prepared to offer £6m up front for the 26-year-old. Daily Mirror

No idea why the Daily Mirror wasted newspapar space on this rumour. Not a chance West Ham sells Carlton Cole for 6 million up front.

Hodgson is desperate to sort out the future of Javier Mascherano, who wants to move for family reasons, and has told Barcelona they will need to pay £18m in cash by the end of the weekend to secure the Argentine midfielder. Daily Mail

A new coach needs every player to be on board. Javier Mascherano was never going to be on board with Liverpool going forward.

Barcelona may offer midfielder Alexander Hleb and defender Martin Caceres in part exchange as they look at ways to tempt Liverpool to sell Mascherano. the Guardian

Like both players but neither is British so it’s unlikely both will make their way to Liverpool. Maybe one as a makeweight but not both.

If Liverpool do finally offload Mascherano, they may attempt to secure Marseille’s £7m-rated midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa. Daily Star

Liverpool should do backflips if they can get Hatem Ben Arfa for 7 million. Unlikely, even with Hatem Ben Arfa walking out on Marseille that the French side will sell him at that price.

Everton have been put off Tottenham striker Peter Crouch after being quoted what they consider to be an exorbitant fee of £10m. Talksport

Not in the English trasnfer market it isn’t. This is the same club who sold Andrew Johnson to Fulham a couple of years ago for double figures.

England manager Fabio Capello has come under fire from Real Madrid’s new manager. Jose Mourinho said: “He has a one-track relationship with players. You cannot go around just shouting at players. They need to feel special. Capello will not work for England. He does not know the players. They are frightened of him and they can’t play for him.” Daily Mirror

The special one isn’t one to hold back.