Leeds move for Arsenal keeper Szczesny

Leeds United are moving to take Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny on loan next season.

The 6ft 5in Polish international, who earned his first full cap against Canada last year aged 19, has been impressive on loan at Brentford.

He turned in a man-of-the-match performance against promoted Leeds, and Simon Grayson wants him to replace the released Casper Ankergren.

Manchester United May Make Shock Move for £18m Rated Defensive Midfielder: Sir Alex Targets Inter Milan Man Cambiasso

Sir Alex Ferguson is reportedly interested in signing Inter Milan’s massively experienced Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso. The Manchester United boss is looking to bring in defensive minded midfield options as he considers alternative to injury prone Owen Hargreaves who himself may be on his way to an Old Trafford exit.

Reports from Italy suggest that if San Siro boss Jose Mourinho decides to make a much speculated move to Real Madrid, who are apparently about to sack Manuel Pellegrini, then a number of Inter Milan players could be set to leave the club. Esteban Cambiasso was surprisingly left out of Diego Maradona’s Argentine World Cup squad but picked himself up to help Inter to yet another Serie A title.

Ferguson is known to be a fan of the former Real Madrid and River Plate man and the 29 year old may feel that the time is right for a new challenge after six seasons, and five titles, in Serie A. If the defensive midfielder manages to net the Champions League next week then he may feel a departure even more timely.

Manchester United have been linked with a number of midfielders after seeing players like Michael Carrick and Anderson put in a fairly average seasons. Add to that the fact that Paul Scholes is nearing the end of his glittering career at the club and the signs point to the need for reinforcements. Cambiasso is a vastly experienced performer and is extremely fit and has many seasons left in the tank and could well be a smart signing.

Arsenal poised to unveil Marouane Chamakh as striker arrives in London to seal deal

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz0oEO2IJiJ

Tom Huddlestone, Pass Master?

Adding to the long list of columns by Martin Samuel which are completely and utterly wrongheaded and stupid, today he actually calls Tom Huddlestone a “pass master.”

Harry Redknapp, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, says Huddlestone is the best passer at the club and this is a team that includes Croatia’s playmaker Luka Modric, remember.

Clearly, Fourth-Place-Itis combined with the impending English national delusion which always accompanies the World Cup finals have combined to create a fever in Martin Samuel. He even compares the Chef to Gilberto Silva.

Want to see how delusional this idea is? Here’s a chalkboard of Tom Huddlestone v. Denilson in the passes category during Spuds’ 2-1 epic win.



http://i40.tinypic.com/33w2lpw.jpg

Huddlestone completed just 18 passes, total. In fact, he misplaced 6 passes which was one less than Denilson misplaced. Of course, Denilson completed 40 more passes than Chef Huddlestone for a total of 58 passes to the Chef’s 18.

Proving once again that if you get your “facts” from Harry Redknapp, you’re a moron.

Hell, Silvestre had more passes than Huddlestone and I don’t think anyone would call him a pass master.

Diaby makes the cut

For those interested, Abou Diaby has survived Raymond Domenech’s first cut of the French World Cup team and looks all but assured to travel to South Africa and watch from the bench as Les Bleus are unceremoniously dumped out of the tournament in the first round.

Yay.

Interestingly for Arsenal fans, supposed Arsenal targets Yann M’Vila and Hatem Ben Arfa were both cut by Domenech. Hey, if we buy one of them they will be well rested for the start of the season!

LOL


when you where 13 was you fast ?

AA:
Yes, and even when I was 7. Fast as a lightning.

Hey Andrey...thanks for this site...i am from India....i love football and play it with my friends in our college ground.......we don't have a coach....so our team dose not do very well in competitions....so, may I ask you how we can work on our teamwork?.....and also could you please tell me how i can improve my finishing?...any special kind of training that i may do..?...thanking you in advance...
yours sincerely.
Aritra Roy

AA:
Just hire me and if the contract is good I’ll try to make champions out of you in my spare time ;)

Andrey, are you frightened of bears?

AA:
On the contrary, I like bears.

Hello there! , what would you say your political views are?

AA:
Globally speaking I’m for world peace.

Andrey, was Windows 7 your idea?

AA:
Unfortunately, no.

Press speculation this weekend has been rife with almost every major club subjected to speculation of one sort or another with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United appearing to be the team most rumoured about. Ferguson knows he needs to strengthen his team and get rid of some of the deadwood at Old Trafford and for the most part the press and media do agree on the three players that Fergie will consider bids for.

The three players in question are Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov, Hargreaves is apparently very unhappy with Ferguson and wants a move, Carrick is viewed as a player in decline while Berbatov never reach the heights at Man Utd that was expected of him.

Ferguson is not looking to raise money, rather he is looking to revitalise a team that fell very short last season, Berbatov simply did not produce when the club needed him to and Carrick’s form has been inconsistent to such an extent that even Bayern Munich who were once said to be interested, backed off.

Naturally Man Utd could do with some extra money no matter how much the club says that Fergie can spend, they are in heavy debt and any extra income is welcomed, especially when Fergie is expected to spend as much as £50 Million this summer.

It is now looking more and more likely that we will see a huge shake up at Man Utd this summer with a significant turnover of players, certainly more than in previous seasons.

Chamakh deal to be completed.

Chamakh's arrival at the Emirates Stadium has been in the pipeline for several months after he revealed he would not be signing an extension to his contract - allowing him to leave on a free this summer.

The 26-year-old confirmed earlier this month he was 'counting the days' until his move to the Gunners was finalised - revealing he was to be in London this week.

More: Arsenal transfer news and rumours

And now Chamakh has arrived at the Emirates Stadium, where he will complete a full medical and put pen to paper on a contract believed to tie him to the club until 2014.

Two weeks ago, the French forward told L'Equipe: 'I am leaving for a new challenge.

'At Bordeaux I was the club's child. At Arsenal, I won't be a kid anymore. I have grown, I have things to prove and I am motivated to achieve it.

'I am delighted to join the English football atmosphere, it is something amazing.

More: Marouane Chamakh 'counting the days' until Arsenal move

'I love Arsenal's game. I know I will have to adapt but I know the short passing game.'

Chamakh is expected to be the first of several new signings by Arsene Wenger this summer as he looks to build a squad capable of ending the club's five-year trophy drought.

Man City looking to upset Arsenal big time with unwarranted bid

Arsenal manager is reported to be furious with Roberto Mancini the Manchester City manager for his attempts to unsettle his captain Cesc Fabregas. Man City are ready to make a bid for Fabregas even if Barcelona decline to do so, but it is the fact that Fabregas has said numerous times that he will not play for another premiership team and that he will leave Arsenal only for Barcelona and that City have chosen just to ignore those statements.

The fact is that Fabregas will not go to Manchester City no matter how much they offer for him or to the player himself and City know this and it is easy to see why Wenger would be mad, City are bidding for a player that they know will not join them from a club that are their direct competitors and it is up to the reader to decide the motivation behind launching a bid that is guaranteed to fail.

Man City are making no friends at all in World football with their antics, they have continually unsettled players with mighty bids and Arsenal and Wenger are just the tip of the iceberg, other managers are furious with the tactics employed by City and the way they conduct their business.

Wenger knows he has a battle on his hands to keep hold of Fabregas and the last thing he needs is for the likes of Mancini and his mega transfer fund to stick his nose in to an already complicated situation. Fabregas may well not be at the Emirates next season, he may stay, that is still up in the air but what is certain is that the Arsenal captain will under no circumstances become a City player next season.



Wankers

Man Utd set to show they are still the big boys with club record bid

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is about to send out a message of intent by launching a huge bid for Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery. Ferguson will show the rest of European football that Man Utd are still one of the biggest boys on the block and that when required the Old Trafford maestro will spend big to get the man he wants.

Ferguson is a fervent admirer of Ribery and has made no secret of his desire to bring the player to Old Trafford and even with a bid reported to be in the region of £50 Million and Man Utd having huge debts, the canny Scotsman will show the world of football that Man Utd can still bid with the best of them.

That said Fergie is hoping to offset the cost of bidding for Ribery by selling the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick which will go a long way to reducing the overall cost of Ribery to the Premiership runners up.

Ribery would form a terrifying partnership with Wayne Rooney and Fergie’s spending will not stop there, he is still very hopeful of signing David Silva from Valencia as well as looking for a keeper to replace Edwin van der Sar who’s career at Man Utd is fast approaching an end.

A bid like the one being reported for Ribery would certainly be an eye opener considering Man Utd’s debt but then Fergie does have a habit of surprising us on a regular basis.


50m on a 27 year old who lets be honest is not the best in the world.

Barcelona willing to offer Ibrahimovic for Arsenal ace Cesc

Barcelona are weighing up offering Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Arsenal in exchange for Cesc Fabregas.

El Mundo Deportivo says Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger would soften his stance over keeping Cesc if Ibrahimovic was offered in part exchange.

Despite the arrival of Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux, Wenger would still welcome the chance to sign the Swede - who actually came close to joining the Gunners as a teenager.

Barca want a deal for Cesc before the World Cup, which will mean Ibra being offered to the Gunners in the coming weeks.

Arsenal Apparently Set for £55m Heartache: Wenger Set to Lose Emirates Skipper to Barcelona?

http://www.caughtoffside.com/2010/05...-to-barcelona/


Finally a price tag fitting for him. 55m yes.

40m no way!

Everton determined to keep Man Utd, Arsenal target Jagielka

Everton will not consider selling defender Phil Jagielka.

The England international was linked with Arsenal and Manchester United over the weekend.

The Liverpool Echo says any approach for Jagielka will be strongly resisted by Everton..

With Jagielka valued at £15million upwards, Everton could make a huge profit on a player who cost just £4million.

flops

Chelsea may have just won the double but here’s my pick of the top (or bottom, depending how you look at it) five players who would rather forget their miserable time at Stamford Bridge.

Winston Bogarde

Bogarde’s time at Chelsea was notable because only weeks after signing his contract with the club, new boss Claudio Ranieri wanted him to leave. Signed without the knowledge of previous manager Gianluca Vialli, he arrived on recommendation from Mario Melchiot as an international pedigree defender.

Despite the London club’s desire to get rid, Bogarde demanded that his contract be respected and subsequently never played for Chelsea again. In the end he made just 11 appearances during his four year contract – reportedly earning £40,000 a week.

With his reputation in tatters, he failed to find a new club and retired at the age of 34.

Buy authentic signed sports memorabilia - Football shirts, boots, prints and photos

Juan Sebastian Veron

Roman Abramovich made a huge splash at the start of his tenure at the Bridge including the misguided £15m transfer of Veron from Manchester United in the summer of 2003. Astonishingly this was only around half the amount that Alex Ferguson had spent on bringing the Argentine to Old Trafford just two years earlier.

Predictably he failed to make the most of his second chance in English football and proved to be completely ineffectual in a Chelsea shirt.

Inexplicably his complete ineptitude on the football pitch appeared to be strictly confined to these shores as after only a handful of appearances for the Blues, he was loaned to Inter Milan where he helped them win two Scudettis.

Asier Del Horno

The special one got things right more often than not but how can we overlook the £8m fee Jose Mourinho paid to bring left back Del Horno to West London in the summer of 2005.

The Spaniard showed early promise but went downhill fast after being sent off against Barcelona for a rash challenge on Lionel Messi. Mourinho quickly lost faith in him and he was flogged to Valencia at a loss of £3m only a year later.


Andriy Shevchenko

The Ukrainian’s £30.8m transfer from AC Milan was an English record buy back in 2006 but he was to find himself permanently on the bench behind Didier Drogma after consistently failing to find the back of the net.

14 goals in 51 appearances was not really the return Chelsea were looking for and after being loaned back to Milan, he is now back with his first club Dynamo Kiev – for a fraction of his original transfer fee. Shocking business.

Adrian Mutu

Chelsea splashed out £15.8m on Mutu in 2003 but he was sacked for taking cocaine a year later. The Blues effectively gave the striker away for free, with Juventus signing him after his seven-month suspension.

They say lightening doesn’t strike twice but the Romanian international has just received a second lengthy bad after failing an anti-doping test in January. After successfully rebuilding the reputation he destroyed in England with Florentina, the striker will now be out of action for nine months.

So Man City have put in a bid for James Milner.. can't see him leaving Villa for them:nono:.

HT Millwall 1 Huddersfield 0.

Oh dear I didn't realise Cesc was dumb, he won't get in the Barca first team

Cesc has reportedly told Wenger " i want to leave for barca this summer"


I think he will get first team, but he will be rotation not star player..

Manchester City and Arsenal in battle to sign £25 million-rated Bordeaux talisman Yoann Gourcuff - report
Bordeaux star could replace Fabregas at the Emirates

:shocked: !!

What i wanted for ages ! i would buy a gourcuff shirt.

Manchester City and Arsenal are set to go head-to-head to bring £25 million-rated Girondins de Bordeaux schemer Yoann Gourcuff to the Premier League.

French sports daily L'Equipe has reported that the French international is high on the shopping list of Roberto Mancini as he looks to add some extra craft to his side at Eastlands.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger has also ear-marked the former AC Milan midfielder as the man to fill Cesc Fabregas' shoes — if the 23-year-old makes the £40 million move to Barcelona in the summer.

Gourcuff, who is expected to be given a starting spot at the World Cup for France, has developed at a rapid rate under Laurent Blanc after an unhappy spell in Serie A. He notched seven assists and six goals in the club's unsuccessful bid to retain their Ligue 1 title last term.



Plays very well with chamakh

Barcelona could tempt Arsenal to let go of prized asset Cesc Fabregas by offering last summer's big money signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in part-exchange.

Arsenal have slapped a massive £50 million price tag on their captain to ward off the long-held interest of the Catalan giants. However, Barcelona vice-president Rafael Yuste has confirmed today that negotiations have begun to bring the player back to his boyhood club.

Spanish daily El Mundo Deportivo has reported the Swedish superstar could be offered as a sweetener to break the Gunners' resolve. He was brought to the Nou Camp from Inter Milan a year ago for £40 million — with Samuel Eto'o heading in the opposite direction — but has yet to convince the supporters and staff of his value despite Barca's La Liga title triumph.
The 28-year old turned down the offer of a trial at Arsenal when he was a teenager, but any new move to bring him to north London would soften the blow of losing Fabregas — and his 21 goals in all competitions last season would certainly boost the north London club's bid to reclaim top spot in the Premier League.