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Headline of the day...


BEAN'S F-WORD SHAME
In one of the most unlikely stories of the year, we have Neil Warnock telling The Sun - well, via his book - that Hollywood star Sean Bean made his family cry. Apparently, after Sheffield United were relegated at the end of last season, Bean made his way to Warnock's office and told Mrs Warnock and his son: "It's your f**king husband that got us relegated. He's a f**king w**ker." Well, that's not very nice is it? Warnock gets his revenge by ridiculing Bean for his one contribution to the club being a suggestion to get rid of the mascot. We'll still a little disappointed that it was Sean Bean, not Mr Bean, who swore at a five-year-old child. Now THAT would have been a story.

Hold the back page...

OUT OF OUR LEAGUE
On a day when no-one can decide what the big football story is, the Daily Mirror focus on Steve McManaman's claim that Liverpool won't win the league this season.

RED-TAPE ROW HITS ALEX
Meanwhile, the Daily Star report on bad news for Chelsea's attempts to get Alex into their squad at last, as he flew into Heathrow and then flew back out again because of problems with his work permit.

DOUBLE BUBBLE FOR WEST HAM
According to the Daily Express, West Ham United will continue their summer spending by signing Eidur Gudjohnsen from Barcelona and Alan Smith from Manchester United.
Article continues below

CHIEF IN DOCK OVER TEVEZ
Of course, you can't mention West Ham without thinking of a certain Argentinean, and the Daily Star say that Premier League chief Richard Scudamore could be in the trouble for his role in the whole sorry mess

Other top stories...

CHELSEA FEEL STRAIN
The Daily Mail report on an injury list that is threatening to derail Chelsea's start to the season, with John Terry, Arjen Robben, Claude Makelele, Michael Essien, Paulo Ferreira, Andriy Shevchenko, John Obi Mikel, Lassana Diarra, Michael Ballack, Ashley Cole, Salomon Kalou and Wayne Bridge all suffering from various problems. At least Didier Drogba's fit, eh?

ALLARDYCE CLEARS THE AIR IN TALKS WITH CHAIRMAN
In The Guardian they report on the slight unease between Sam Allardyce and his new bosses at Newcastle United over a lack of spending money which he claims is leaving him with a squad fit for a 'disaster'. He's also not happy about the rumours of a return for Kevin Keegan, so fans will hope that clear-the-air talks yesterday sorted things out.

NEWCASTLE PUT MARTINS ON SALE TO RAISE TRANSFER CASH
Will Allardyce be happy to find out that one way of getting money for spends is to sell one of his star strikers? That's what The Independent are saying about Obafemi Martins, who has apparently been told he can leave.

FABREGAS CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS
Much more optimistic is Cesc Fabregas in the Daily Telegraph, saying that if Arsenal play like they did against Inter at the weekend, they should have a good chance of challenging for the title.

ERIKSSON'S OVERSEAS BUYING POLICY GOES AGAINST TYPE
In The Times they analyse Sven Goran Eriksson's transfer business this summer, pointing out that it's strange for someone who has so often lauded the Premier League that he has bought entirely from abroad so far. Mind you, he's not had much luck with English players in the past, has he?

THREESY DOES IT FOR SHIN
Do you even need us to tell you which paper wrote that headline? It was the Daily Star of course. What's it about? Apparently Thaksin Shinawatra reckons Manchester City can challenge for the title within in the next three years.

ON YA QUAD BIKE!
Quad bike? Don't ask us. The Sun reveal that Sir Alex Ferguson is confident that Manchester United have the squad to challenge for all four trophies this season. And maybe then he'll buy himself a quad bike.

UPSON CAN'T WAIT TO BE GUILT FREE
In the Daily Express Matthew Upson says that he is looking forward to finally being able to prove himself to the West Ham United fans after an abortive start to his career last season.

THE WORLD'S MOST HIGHLY-PAID SPECTATOR?

If David Beckham wanted to dispel the feeling that his American odyssey was all about the football rather than the hype and publicity, he couldn't have hoped for a worse start. With just a 12 minute cameo against Chelsea to his name so far, he will be sidelined again on Tuesday night for LA Galaxy's latest Superliga game against FC Dallas. The new North American equivalent of the Champions League would have been a good place for Becks to start impressing on the pitch, but defeat against Dallas would see the Galaxy eliminated before he even gets involved.

He's had to watch the last two games - a 2-1 win over CF Pachuca and a 2-1 defeat to Chivas de Guadalajara - from the sidelines because of his ankle injury. However, despite his continuing absence and that last defeat, boss Frank Yallop is trying to stay positive: "I wouldn't say it's a step back. I think we're even. I think at least we didn't play terribly all game. That would not be good," said Yallop. "We had chances to score, so there are some positives in that. But I agree, coming out flat again was difficult to take."

Yallop will be up against another former Premier-League-player-turned-MLS-coach in Steve Morrow of FC Dallas tonight, and the ex-Arsenal star isn't letting Beckhammania affect him: "We're very much focused on what we need to do. We feel we've had some very good performances so far in the SuperLiga and if you'd told us at the start of the tournament that we would need to win our final game at home against LA we would have been happy with that. I think whatever is going on with the Galaxy and Beckham doesn't affect us because we know what we need to do."

Beckham won't even be with the team in Dallas, because Galaxy are more keen to get him possibly fit in time for a televised MLS clash with Toronto FC on Sunday. Yallop admitted: "He's very frustrated," he said. "If it's up to him and it wouldn't hinder his injury, he would come with us (to Dallas). But because of flying, he just can't do that. We want him ready to travel with us on Friday. That's the thing he's aiming for."

This Toronto fixture has always been a big one for Galaxy and Brand Beckham, being his MLS debut and one that will be national television, giving them and him the chance to really win over some new converts away from the Hollywood party scene. If he misses it, he risks losing all of the momentum his glitzy arrival has built up, and it would also be a blow for the home side, who are expecting a packed crowd on Sunday, though they claim that Beckham wouldn't be the only attraction.

"(Injuries) are things we can't control," said Toronto FC marketing director Cesar Velasco. "We're getting ready for a regular season game. The only difference is the number of media requests and the additional security. David Beckham was an added value," Velasco said. "But we have a fan base that bought tickets to watch Toronto FC." Unfortunately, even Toronto have their injury problems, with several first team players likely to miss the game too, including Danny Dichio. That's surely got to be a bigger blow than losing Goldenballs would be...

Pele would probably think so. Ever one to sway in the direction of public opinion, the Brazilian legend has given up saying that Beckham is ace and will change the world, and has now decided that he's a bad thing: "David Beckham is more of a pop star than a player. Based on my experience at Cosmos New York, I advise him to be very well prepared for the matches," Pele said, warning that Posh Spice also needs to take a backseat (like that would happen!)

"I know the level of play in that league, it is very evenly balanced, and the fans will demand a lot from a star like him. He can stroll through Hollywood on his days off and when he has no training. Victoria Beckham does her share for the improved image of football in North America," he said. "There is no doubt about it. But David must be the one to lift the sport. He must give the right answers on the pitch, that is not Victoria's business."

So, is there any good news for Beckham? Well, he's made a big impression on one of his young team-mates, Quavas Kirk (wonder how many times Becks has called him 'Quavers'): "We are basically adding an excellent player and I'm learning off him already, he said. "I have watched all his tapes and have been hearing David will play in the centre, so it will be a good opportunity for him to set me up and work together. Most importantly, we know he is a great player so he will contribute to the team, he has made us feel like a European club. We realise his arrival has been good for all of us."

************************

POSH VS WHOOPI?

Of course, it's not all about football in the world of Brand Beckham. In fact, it's hardly ever about football. Certainly not when Posh Spice is involved, despite Pele seeing her as some kind of ambassador for the sport. She's more interested in raising her own profile, and one perfect way to do that would be to get on national television in a show like The View, which is basically the American inspiration for Loose Women (cheers for that!).

'A load of women yakking about nonsense' is the best way of summing The View up, so obviously Victoria Beckham would be the perfect contributor and she is believed to be a contender to replace previous big-mouth Rosie O'Donnell. The Daily Star reckon the job's in the bag: "Victoria is hardly a bimbo and she has the added appeal of having already rubbed a lot of American women up the wrong way, so sparks are guaranteed to fly," said 'a source'.

"She also, of course, hob-nobs with A-listers like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and has one of the hottest husbands in town in David Beckham. There's no doubt she's going to add a lot of pizazz to the show." However, it seems like she might be getting pipped to the role by an actual star, Whoopi Goldberg, who already has the support of co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck (we've no idea who she is either).

"I loved working with Whoopi Goldberg," Hasselbeck said. "She is soulful, has a world of experience to bring to the table, and I don't sense any sort of political agenda. She is so funny, but at the same time, she is one of the most thoughtful people that I've met." Hmm, thoughtful... Posh Spice could be in trouble there. In better news, she's going to have a cameo appearance in Ugly Betty: "There's a wedding dress involved," executive producer Marco Pennette explained. "There's a wedding involved with her storyline."

"But we want her husband David on set," he joked. "It's one of the requirements!" Whether or not Goldenballs will be gracing the set of Ugly Betty or not remains to be seen, but he definitely won't be appearing in The Simpsons, according to Matt Groening. Why would anyone turn down such an opportunity? Because Marge made fun of his 'alleged' affair with Rebecca Loos in her alternate Queen's Speech on C4 a few Christmases ago, apparently.

Indeed. And it's a shame, because he could have used his new-found public-speaking abilities if he had been in The Simpsons. According to a pointless and long story in the News Of The World, he's been taking tips from Tom Cruise about presentation, body language and not sounding like a squeaky Cockney. A 'source' told the 'newspaper': "David's performance was so slick and assured it's clear the advice from Tom has been rubbing off. David has always been quite shy in front of the cameras.

"He's got a squeaky Cockney accent normally and he talked into his chest. While wife Victoria could turn on the charm, David always looked uncomfortable with that side of fame and preferred to do his talking on the pitch. But Tom's being drumming into him that Americans expect their stars to be able to be all-singing, all-dancing. They have to look good, sound good and work the roomâ€'even if the room is a 60,000-seater stadium or a packed theatre."

Who? - Gabriel Heinze - Speculation
Where is he? - Manchester United
Who is he linked with? - Liverpool

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at the agent of Red Devils defender Gabriel Heinze, who is a transfer target for deadly rivals Liverpool. Heinze's representative has claimed that the Red Devils have set a price for his client that has been met by the Reds, but the bid from Liverpool has been turned down amid growing rancour. A stoic Ferguson commented: "Gabriel Heinze will not be joining Liverpool. We are examining some of the statements coming from his agent and when contact was first made with Liverpool. We are not happy with the agent's conduct in the matter and we are examining that as well, but it will take a couple of days before we have anything more to say." In contrast, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez remains upbeat about the possibility of landing the 29-year-old Argentina stopper. He added: "We made the offer and they rejected it. Now the lawyers are working on it. We have to wait. We are still trying to push the deal through because he is a good player and a player we like."

As most of you who regularly read the BLOG know i mainly specialise in
soccer betting but i also have a keen interest in horse racing.

I tend to be more of a jumps man but with the start today of "Glorious
Goodwood" thought i`d share with you a tip i received from a good source.

As in all betting no guarantees but you should get a good run for your money.

The race is the 4.00 and the horse is Spirit of Sharjah he is generally
7/1 with most bookies and at that price is worth an each way investment at
least.

The weather has improved in the Goodwood area so the ground has come
right for him.

The 6f was just not his cup of tea last time so a line can be drawn
through that race i feel.

His run in the Norfolk Stakes when running very keenly on only his second
outing may have taken a bit too much out of him when running on late to go
down a shade over a length to the useful Winker Watson.

If he had settled a bit better he may have had the race for the taking.

Runners in the Norfolk stakes traditionally do well in this race and
hopefully this year will be no different, although the draw may have been
kinder, with the going as it is, the draw may not be as effective as it
has been in the past when pre meeting watering has been the norm, I'm
looking for the front runners to be found wanting in the final furlong
having set things up nicely for Spirit of Sharjah to charge home late to
land the spoils here.

Well thats the theory and hopefully trainer Julie Fielden will have her
charge revved up and ready to go and with Jimmy Fortune in the saddle i
fully expect the horse to run a big race.

So Spirit of Sharjah for be at best price 7/1 with various bookies,

good luck

Silverfox.

The new season is slowly beginning to come to life and hopefully this will
bring more opportunities to make money with it.

Todays selection comes from the Norwegian league which is well under way
and the game i`m interested in is the clash between Lyn Oslo in 6th and
Fredrikstad in 9th.

Lyn Oslo`s home home this season has been good and they have won 5 drawn 1
and lost 0 of the 6 home matches so far in the league scoring 18 and
conceding 5.

They are also top of the form league over the last 6 games with a record
of W4 D1 L1 F14 A7.

Fredrikstad on the road this season have been disappointing with a record
so far of W0 D4 L3 F10 A17 and their form over the last 6 games have seen
them win 1 draw 4 lose 1 score 8 and concede 6.

They are a tough side to beat but i feel Lyn at home especially in their
current run of good form should have enough to take the 3 points.

One note of caution is the head to head record over the last 7 games which
shows that Fredrikstad have the edge.

Apr 14, 07 Tippeligaen Fredrikstad FK 3 - 1 FC Lyn Oslo
Oct 29, 06 Tippeligaen FC Lyn Oslo 1 - 2 Fredrikstad FK
Jul 2, 06 Tippeligaen Fredrikstad FK 1 - 2 FC Lyn Oslo
Jul 24, 05 Tippeligaen Fredrikstad FK 2 - 1 FC Lyn Oslo
Apr 10, 05 Tippeligaen FC Lyn Oslo 1 - 1 Fredrikstad FK
Oct 3, 04 Tippeligaen FC Lyn Oslo 2 - 2 Fredrikstad FK
Jun 6, 04 Tippeligaen Fredrikstad FK 2 - 4 FC Lyn Oslo

But even with those stats i am going for form to overcome history and at
17/20 best price with various bookies am prepared to gamble that Lyn can
help to keep my turn in fortune going.

The other bet which might be worth taking a look at is the draw no bet
market,at the time of writing i could not find odds for this market but in
know it is a popular bet with firms such as Sporting bet and may be worth
sticking a few pounds/Euro on as a saver.

As ever good luck,

Silverfox.

Today even at this early stage of the season see`s the first silverware up
for grabs in Germany when Bayern Munich take on Schalke 04 in the final of
the German league cup.

Bayern are still stinging from the fact that they failed to qualify for
this season`s Champion`s league when they only finished 4th in the
Bundesliga last season 10 points behind Stuttgart the champions and 8
behind todays opposition.

As a result they have gone on a recruiting campaign in the summer to
ensure that they do not make the same mistake again.

The signing of Luca Toni from Fiorentina and Frank Ribery from Marseille
along with that of Miroslav Klose from Bremen will ensure that not many
sides will outscore them this season.

In the 2 games they have played in the competition so far they have beaten
Bremen 4-1 in a game that saw Ribery make his competitive debut with 2
goals and then in the semi final match they beat Stuttgart 2-0 with Ribery
scoring again.

At 5/6 best price with Blue Square they are a good price in my opinion.

Schalke their opposition today however are not to be taken lightly as
their runners up spot last season will testify.

They reached the final of the competition by first beating Karlsruhe 1-0
then in the semi final overcoming Nurnberg 4-2 so have had the easier
route to the final.

Schalke`s success last season was owed in no small part to their fine
defence that conceded only 32 goals in 34 games which along with Nurnberg
was the lowest in the league, and they will have to be at their best today
to hold off a Bayern side who i feel this season are a team on a mission.

So for me Bayern to beat Schalke @ best price 5/6.

Good luck and good punting

Silverfox.

Who? - Sol Campbell - Speculation
Where is he? - Portsmouth
Who is he linked with? - Villarreal

Centre-half Sol Campbell has dropped a major hint that he could be about to leave Portsmouth, with Spanish club Villarreal reportedly keen on the former England international. The 32-year-old was a regular for Pompey last season following his arrival from Arsenal, but the summer recruitment of Sylvain Distin and Hermann Hreidarsson appears to have left Campbell pondering pastures new. He told The Times: "I don't think Portsmouth will be my last club. There have been a few additions that will help, but I still feel we need a couple more players in certain positions to really challenge and move forward in the right direction. A new training ground and stadium is a big thing, even if it's not for us now, but for the future of the club. Those things really mean a lot to me and any top player coming into a club. At top-level clubs these things need to be there, it doesn't matter where you are. It's not only me. They have to do it for the future of the football club and the stability of the club."

Who? - Michael Brown - Quite likely
Where is he? - Fulham
Who is he linked with? - Wigan Athletic

Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez has confirmed that talks are still in progress over midfielder Michael Brown's proposed move to Wigan Athletic. The 30-year-old schemer is not with the rest of the Cottagers squad on their pre-season tour of Hong Kong, with Sanchez still expecting a deal to be completed in the near future. He commented: "There are still ongoing discussions with Wigan. Michael's the club captain and still is at this moment in time, but we had an offer that we felt was a good offer and what he could get somewhere else at this moment of his career is better than what he could get here, also came into consideration. He's from that part of the world anyway. All those factors came together and we said we'd be willing to accept that money if he wanted to go, so the ball's very much in his court."

Before I give my views on today's tips I have to say that my form recently
has been poor to say the least.

At the moment I would have difficulty picking the winner in a one horse race!

All punters go through this and it is an accepted risk of the profession
but when I am in a run like this I always keep my stakes low and try to
find bets which I feel are "safe".

The worst thing anyone can do is chase losses; there really is no reason
to as there have never been more opportunities and markets to bet on.

The important thing is to have discipline and continue to do the things
that brought you winners. As those of you who read this blog regularly may
know I am a great believer in form, I feel it is the best way to make an
informed decision and though you cannot help having the odd freak result
you will over time win more then you lose.

The other thing that you have to cope with is the mental doubt when you
are on a bad run and anyone who is thinking about taking up punting
professionally must be mentally prepared for the downs that inevitably
come.

As you know by now this is how I make my living and when the bad time come
it is an added pressure you have to deal with, fortunately I have more ups
then down and a very understanding wife who likes beans on toast!

The reason I point this out is because it is so easy to get caught up in
the euphoria of a win and think that punting is an easy way to make money,
when nothing could be further from the truth,
The reality is that I work longer hours now then when I had a proper job
but I also get more satisfaction from what I do then I ever did.

Well after that on to today's tip and I hope a change in fortune.

IA Akranes take on HK Kopavogar in the Icelandic Premier league. Akranes
are currently 4/6 with several bookies for tonight's game and look to be
worth an investment.

Akranes currently sit 4th in the league but in their last 6 games they
have won 4 drawn 1 and lost 1 winning the 3 home matches in that time
scoring 7 and conceding 3 and 2 of the home wins came against 2nd placed
Valur and 3rd placed Keflavik both by a 2-1 score line.

HK are 8th in the 10 team Icelandic league but their away record is W0 D1
L4 F0 A11 so as you can see not the best travellers, the only point they
gained on the road was in their first match back in May when they held 7th
placed Vikingur to a 0-0 draw.

Needless to say they are bottom of the 6 game form table with only 1 win
to show in that time.

So hopefully Akranes will get be a confidence boosting win and start me
off on a long winning run, (there goes the eternal optimist in me again!).

As always good luck and good punting,

Silverfox.

Who? - Leighton Baines - Speculation
Where is he? - Wigan Athletic
Who is he linked with? - Sunderland

Sunderland will not be signing Leighton Baines after Wigan Athletic included the England Under-21 international in their squad for Wednesday's pre-season friendly against Blackpool. The Latics were reported earlier this week to have given the defender permission to talk to the Black Cats, but it now appears that Baines will not be moving to the north-east. Boss Chris Hutchings told the club's official website: "Leighton is finally over his virus. He trained for the first time this summer yesterday (Tuesday) and he will be involved in some capacity tonight. He's been laid low with a virus for the last couple of weeks and has been restricted to light training. He was with the rest of the squad in Holland working directly with our physiotherapists, but now he's been given the all-clear to get involved in the heavy stuff. Leighton is a first-class pro and a first-class person and, despite all the speculation and rumour surrounding his future, he's remained professional throughout and as ever is a joy to work with. I've coached him since he first broke into the first-team as a young apprentice and taken great satisfaction in how he's developed as a player and an individual."

Who? - Guiseppe Rossi/Gerard Pique - Speculation
Where is he? - Manchester United
Who is he linked with? - Parma/Real Zaragoza

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists he wants to keep Giuseppe Rossi and Gerard Pique at Old Trafford this season. Both youngsters impressed during loan spells last term, 20-year-old Rossi at Newcastle United and Parma, and Pique at Real Zaragoza, but Ferguson thinks they have a role to play in his side in the forthcoming campaign. "The lads going away proved themselves," he told the club's official website. "Giuseppe scored nine goals in 16 matches for Parma and the consensus is that he kept them up. Everyone says that. Gerard played 24 games for Zaragoza and did exceptionally well. We got all the videos of the players and watched what they did in training. They will certainly come back. Hopefully we now have a strong enough pool of players. That's one of the reasons I was keen to get the young lads who were away on loan last year back at the club. They will develop better with us. They may play more regularly away on loan, but training with us and being part of the squad brings them on immeasurably. The really big test last season was when we got the injuries in March. When we got to the AC Milan game, we didn't have enough freshness in the team to prepare for a semi final. That was a blow. We hope now that if we do get those injuries again, this time we have better back-up."

Sampdoria to beat Cherno More: The Italians did most of the hard the hard work in winning the away leg and should finish the job in the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Utrecht to beat Hammarby: Swedish side Hammarby have reached this stage without ever looking too impressive. This will be their toughest test yet and may just find them wanting.

Blackburn v FK Vetra. Mark Hughes' side effectively ensured their passage to the UEFA cup qualifying stages with a comfortable first leg victory. I can only see more of the same in this second leg at Ewood Park.

Trabzonspor v Otelul. The Romanian side Otelul managed a surprise win in the first leg but will be up against it in Turkey . Trabzonspor managed six goals in their last home match and their fanatical supporters will demand nothing less than a convincing victory, I don't expect them to go home disappointed.

Bet £20 win double on Blackburn and Trabzonspor.

Atletico Madrid v Gloria Bistrita (Intertoto Cup)
Atletico will be smarting from a shock first leg defeat in Romania and will certainly be up for this match. A club of Atletico Madrid 's stature needs to be playing European football and a run in the UEFA cup is important to them. Now that the pressure is on, Gloria might find them a completely different proposition.

Bet £10 on Atletico Madrid to lead at half time and full time....

Lens v Chornomorets (Intertoto Cup)
After a goalless first leg, this tie is still up for grabs. Lens will be favourites on home soil but don't have the luxury of an away goal. Whilst they didn't lose many at the Felix-Bollaert Stadium last season, they did end up with eight draws. I can certainly see the Ukrainians scoring, which would be enough to see them through if they can avoid defeat.

Bet £5 on a score draw.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is excited about the prospect of the club moving in to their new 60,000-capacity stadium in 2010.

Designs for the new £300million stadium on Stanley Park, that could eventually hold 76,000 fans, were revealed on Wednesday morning.

"The plans for the new stadium are absolutely fantastic," Benitez told the Reds' official website. "The design is really good, really pretty and really nice.

"For me the pitch is always what's most important and I'm sure that will be okay too.

"The facilities the new stadium will provide are going to ensure that the future of this club is a great one and this is what our fans deserve.

"It looks very different to other stadiums I have seen. There are a lot of windows and it really is ground-breaking in terms of stadium design.

"I'm sure it will be considered as one of the best in Europe.

"Unfortunately, I cannot play anymore so I won't be able to experience playing a match there, but it would be fantastic for me to still be manager when we move and win lots of silverware there."

Who? - Andriy Shevchenko - Speculation
Where is he? - Chelsea
Who is he linked with? - AC Milan

AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has signalled an end to his club's attempts to bring Andriy Shevchenko back to the San Siro from Chelsea. The 30-year-old Ukraine star struggled to find top form during his first season at Stamford Bridge, prompting Berlusconi to try and tempt Shevchenko to return Italy. However, Berlusconi admitted on the Rossoneri's TV station: "We don't feel able to make any offer which can please Chelsea. There are insurmountable obstacles tied to the player's value. I'm very tied to Sheva and I have always expressed my approval for his possible return. We want to reinforce our attacking quartet. We tried to sign Ronaldinho, but Barcelona president Joan Laporta declared him not for sale. However we are in talks about two attackers, two champions, and we are confident at least one can play with us."

Who? - Gabriel Heinze - Speculation
Where is he? - Manchester United
Who is he linked with? - Liverpool

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at the agent of Red Devils defender Gabriel Heinze, who is a transfer target for deadly rivals Liverpool. Heinze's representative has claimed that the Red Devils have set a price for his client that has been met by the Reds, but the bid from Liverpool has been turned down amid growing rancour. A stoic Ferguson commented: "Gabriel Heinze will not be joining Liverpool. We are examining some of the statements coming from his agent and when contact was first made with Liverpool. We are not happy with the agent's conduct in the matter and we are examining that as well, but it will take a couple of days before we have anything more to say." In contrast, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez remains upbeat about the possibility of landing the 29-year-old Argentina stopper. He added: "We made the offer and they rejected it. Now the lawyers are working on it. We have to wait. We are still trying to push the deal through because he is a good player and a player we like."

Today my tip comes from the Icelandic League: Valur Reykjavik v Fylkir

Valur are the form team in Iceland at the moment with 4 wins 1 draw and 1
loss in their last 6 games, and they are in 2nd place in the league 2
points behind leaders FH.

So far at home in the league Valur have won 3 and drawn 2 of their 5 games
scoring 12 and conceding 6 one of the home wins was a fine 4-1 defeat of
FH who are regarded as the best team in Iceland.

Fylkir are 6th in the 10 team league but have only won 1 of their last 6
games and in that time have only scored 2 goals whilst conceding 7, and
their away record in the league reads won 2 drawn 1 lost 2 goals for 3
goals against 4, and their last league game was a 3-0 home defeat to 5th
place Breidablik so they are not in the best of form.

Fylkir started the season reasonably well winning their first two away.
However since then they have drawn one and lost their last two away from
home.

The head to head record over the last 6 meetings reads:

20-MAY-07 Fylkir 1-2 Valur - League
27-AUG-06 Fylkir 0-1 Valur - League
08-JUN-06 Valur 3-1 Fylkir - League
04-AUG-05 Valur 2-0 Fylkir - Cup
27-JUL-05 Valur 3-1 Fylkir - League
26-MAY-05 Fylkir 1-2 Valur - League

6 out of 6 wins home and away for Valur with a goal difference in those
games of 13-4 in favour of Valur in my opinion they look a fairly good bet
for tonight's match.

Valur are best price 4/6 for the win and given the stats I believe it is a
good bet, not many UK bookies have priced up this game but if you are
looking to have a punt on this match other then Sporting Odds, Bet 365 and
Gamebookers offer markets for the game.

Welcome to today's latest football transfer gossip and football transfer speculation.

Who? - Wes Brown and Ryan Giggs - Speculation
Where is he? - Manchester United
Who is he linked with? - No-one

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has confirmed that Ryan Giggs and Wes Brown are close to penning new deals with the club. Both players are out of contract at the end of this season but have already said they want to remain at Old Trafford. Gill said: "We're always relaxed about Ryan because we trust him and he trusts us. I'm sure we'll look at that. Wes likes it here and we will be looking to extend his deal." Brown, who has spent almost a decade with the club, said last week: "I love playing for United and talk of me leaving this summer was rubbish. I have never thought of going anywhere else because it would be a step down. Having that conversation with the manager is something I dread."

Who? - Benni McCarthy - Speculation
Where is he? - Blackburn Rovers
Who is he linked with? - Chelsea

Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes has dismissed rumours that Benni McCarthy will leave the club this summer. Chelsea are reported to be interested in the striker, who enjoyed a hugely successful first season in the Premier League, but Hughes has poured cold water on talk of a transfer, saying: "The situation is he's our player, we won't want to sell him and we're not going to. Benni understands that and seems happy. He comes to training with a smile on his face. I don't think he is agitating for a move. We fully expect him to be with us at the start of the season."

Who? - Julio Baptista - Speculation
Where is he? - Real Madrid
Who is he linked with? - Newcastle United

Former Arsenal loanee Julio Baptista is a reported transfer target for Newcastle United. The 26-year-old Brazil international, who can play either in midfield or attack, scored ten goals in 35 appearances for the Gunners last season, but is currently back at Real Madrid after a permanent deal failed to materialise. However, Newcastle are now rumoured to be interested in bringing the South American back to England. He told the Sunday Mirror: "I believe I showed at Arsenal last season that I can play in England, score goals and make goals. Newcastle is a big club, but before I consider a move I need to know about my future with Real. I want the chance in pre-season to show our new coach, Bernd Schuster, I should be part of his plans. If things don't work out here I will have to look at other options in Spain and England."

Who? - Jose Antonio Reyes - Speculation
Where is he? - Arsenal
Who is he linked with? - Lyon

Lyon have confirmed they are interested in signing Jose Antonio Reyes from Arsenal. The Spanish forward spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, having failed to settle in England. It was thought he would stay in his native country for the forthcoming campaign, however, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has revealed that the club is considering a move. "I talked about him to [Lyon sporting director] Bernard Lacombe, who told me he is a good player," Aulas told L'Equipe. "Indeed, he could enter our list, but we have had no contact so far. We also have two or three other trails."

Who? - Luke Young - Very likely
Where is he? - Charlton Athletic
Who is he linked with? - Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough have agreed a transfer fee of 2.5million for Charlton Athletic defender Luke Young. The 28-year-old England international will move to the Riverside Stadium subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms. Addicks boss Alan Pardew recently hinted that Young would be leaving The Valley this summer, saying: "I've got a lot of time and respect for Luke and I appreciate where he is in his career he wants to play in the Premier League. If a decent club comes in and I thought the fee was right I'd let him go. I've obviously brought in a replacement already in Yassin Moutaouakil, who I feel is going to give real competition to Luke whether he stays or not. I know that if we don't get the right offer then he'll stay and be as professional as he is. There is no bad feeling and he's not being difficult." Young made 207 appearances for Charlton following his 4million switch from Tottenham six years ago.

Headline of the day...

HARRI PUTTER
A man called Padraig Harrington won the Open at Carnoustie yesterday. A new Harry Potter book came out on Saturday. Should we be at all surprised that some bright spark at the Daily Mirror put the two together to come up with this 'magical' headline pun?

Hold the back page...

THE MAGIC OF HARRI PUTTER
The Sun had the same idea, but lose out because they couldn't be bothered trying to copy the Harry Potter logo font.

BECKS BOW
The back pages are largely dominated by Harrington and Lewis Hamilton, but of course David Beckham still manages to creep in at The Sun, who report on his 12 minute debut for LA Galaxy against Chelsea and John Terry's claim that England need him for the Euro 2008 qualifiers.

ECCLESTONE AND KROENKE JOIN FORCES
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror report on claims that F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone might join forces with Stan Kroenke to buy Arsenal, rather than put in a rival bid. Apparently Kroenke wants to do a deal with him in exchange for taking F1 back to the States.

WENG'S BIG GUNS WORRY
However, in the Daily Star Arsene Wenger warns that it could be very bad for Arsenal if the club gets sold to these people. He doesn't actually say anything like that, but managing director Keith Edelman reckons he's against it.

Other top stories...

THE FRIGHT OF SIDWELL'S LIFE
The utter hysteria in the British media about David Beckham rages abound in the Daily Express, who say that Steve Sidwell's challenge on him in Saturday's friendly could have spelled the end of Sidwell's Chelsea career if Beckham had been injured by it. Really?

ON THE 10TH DAY HE PLAYED
The Daily Mail have a two-page spread to sum up the importance of Beckham's first game in America. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger was there to see it. Are the UK press really this desperate for him to be a success over there, when nobody actually cares?

HARD WORK BEGINS NOW, SAYS BECKHAM AFTER OPENING CAMEO
The Guardian breathlessly announce that Posh Spice was sitting next to Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, while Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Winstone and Matt Goss (!) were also there.

BARTON FRACTURES FOOT
The Daily Telegraph are also starstruck by Beckham and relegate all their other football news into a short paragraph where they reveal that Joey Barton has fractured a metatarsal bone and will miss the start of the season.

JOEY BLOW IS A BAD BREAK FOR DYER
The Daily Mirror say that Barton's injury is a problem for Kieron Dyer, who will now have to stay at Newcastle a bit longer. Life is really cruel sometimes...

EVRA THANKS GOD FOR A UNITED SHIRT
Patrice Evra is in typically good form in The Times, saying that as one of 26 children when he was growing up, he thanks God for the chance to play for Man United. Even better, on a trip to an orphanage in Seoul, while Michael Carrick was politely signing autographs, Evra was busy wrestling with four or five laughing children. The man is a legend.

FOOTBALL LEAGUE TO RECEIVE £90m PREMIERSHIP BOOST
The Independent meanwhile report on the news that the Football League will get £90m from the Premier League as part of a 'solidarity package'.

LA Galaxy 0 - 1 Chelsea
David Beckham made his LA Galaxy debut on Saturday night, but it was the man who replaced him as England captain last year who made the difference in Chelsea's 1-0 victory over the MLS side. John Terry scored the winning goal with a powerful drive early in the second half, but with a host of Hollywood stars watching from the stands this was all about Beckham and he came on to a rapturous applause from the 27,000 Home Depot Centre fans for the final twelve minutes. He displayed a few flashes of skill, but was clearly still suffering from his swollen ankle and said after the game: "I'm not fit and I haven't trained since I have been out here. The ankle is swollen and we'll see how it is tomorrow. It is not going to go away for a week or so but it's making progress, it's not a serious injury."

Auxerre 0 - 2 Liverpool
Liverpool maintained their 100 per cent pre-season record thanks to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Auxerre in France. Steven Gerrard broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a trademark low-struck drive before Daniel Agger headed home Nabil El Zhar's corner for the second mid-way through the second period. Benitez's side now jet off to Hong Kong for the Barclays Asia Trophy.

FC Seoul 0 - 4 Manchester United
Already in the far east are Manchester United, who got their first win of the pre-season period with this 4-0 thrashing of FC Seoul. Sir Alex Ferguson started with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo up front and the experiment paid off as the Red Devils hit three goals inside the opening 21 minutes through Ronaldo, Rooney and Chris Eagles. The scoring was completed on the hour mark by Patrice Evra.

Bolton 0 - 1 Lyon
Bolton were comfortably beaten by Lyon in the final of the Peace Cup. The French team dominated their English opponents throughout, but it wasn't until four minutes from the end that the goal finally came when Ben Afra went on a mazy 40-yard run before feeding Kim Kallstrom who scrambled the ball home from close range. Bolton were not without their chances, but they were outplayed and never really got to grips with the match.

Kaizer Cheifs 1 - 2 Spurs
Spurs are also taking part in a mini-tournament (the Vodacom Challenge) and got their bid for glory off to a good start with a 2-1 victory over South African side the Kaizer Cheifs. A strong squad, boasting the likes of Paul Robinson, Dimitar Berbatov and Jermaine Jenas, took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Robbie Keane. Shortly after the restart, the hosts were level when Shaun Bartlett nodded home Onismor Bhasera's cross. However, the match was won on the hour mark when Darren Bent fooled the keeper by squaring to Dimitar Berbatov who had the simple task of sidefooting the ball into the back of the unguarded net.

Burnley 1 - 1 Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough's poor start to pre-season continued as they battled out a draw at Burnley. The hosts had the better of the first half and took the lead shortly before the break when Andy Grey flicked home Michael Duff's header on. James Morrison levelled things up ten minutes after the restart but Gareth Southgate's men struggled to hit top form once again and their underwhelming performances must be raising concerns for the start of the new season.

Carlisle 1 - 1 Newcastle United
Newcastle were also held to a surprise draw against lower league opposition as they drew 1-1 with League 1 side Carlisle. The likes of Shay Given, Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi missed the game through injury and the Magpies struggled slightly, falling behind eleven minutes into the second-half through Danny Livesey's header. Sam Allardyce's men were not without their chances though and deservedly equalised a minute into injury time through Nolberto Solano. Joey Barton wore the captain's armband and Geremi made his debut as a second-half substitute.

Scunthorpe 1 - 0 Sunderland
Sunderland suffered a shock defeat as they went down 1-0 to Championship side Scunthopre. Michael Chopra and Dickson Etuhuh were given debuts, but neither had chance to really shine and the only goal of the match came just two minutes in when a defensive error from Nyron Nosworthy allowed Martin Paterson to slip in and slot home.

Before i give my tip for today a quick line on yesterday`s tip.

I am still sitting here scratching my head and wondering how Honka blew a
3-1 lead against Oulu to eventually draw 3-3!

However thats football i suppose and one of the reasons we come back for
more!

On to today and i`m going for Shamrock Rovers to beat St Patrick`s in the
Eircom League Premier division game tonight.

This is a top of the table clash with Shamrock in 3rd 2 points behind
St.Patrick`s in 2nd and 4 points behind leaders Drogheda, so tonights game
is vital to both sides hopes of challenging for the title.

Shamrock at home this season in the league have won 7 drawn 1 lost 1
scored 12 and conceded 2 compared to St Pat`s away record of W4 D2 L3 F11
A8.

Over the last 6 games however Shamrock have won 4 drawn 2 lost 0 scored 10
and conceded only 1 which is the best record over the period along with
leaders Drogheda.

St Pat`s record over the same period reads W2 D1 L3 F8 A9 to show for
their efforts and have been inconsistent in that time.

Shamrock are best price 13/8 with Stan James at the time of writing and as
the form team i am hoping they can keep their current good run going with
a win especially given the fact that St Pat`s still have the distraction
of the UEFA Cup where they face a tricky away 2nd leg at Odense in Denmark
after a 0-0 home draw last week.

The recent head to head record of the two sides reads:
St Patrick's Athletic 2 - Shamrock Rovers 1
St Patrick's Athletic 0 - Shamrock Rovers 0
Shamrock Rovers 8 - St Patrick's Athletic 1
Shamrock Rovers 0 - St Patrick's Athletic 2
St Patrick's Athletic 1 - Shamrock Rovers 4
which does not give to many clues to how tonight`s game will turn out.

Early team news is that St Pat`s will be missing Foley in defence,Ndo in
midfield and O`Neill in attack, while Shamrock will be without Paul Shiels
in midfield,Captain Aiden Price in defence and goalkeeper Steve O`Brien.

As a side line this game brings together the leagues 2nd and 3rd top
scorers in the league this season,Quigley of St Pat`s has 11 and Purcell
of Shamrock has 10, and it could well be that one of these two marksmen
will win the game for their teams.

At the time of writing i was trying to find a first goalscorer market for
this game as Purcell has netted first 6 times and Quigley 5,with a strike
rate of 50% and over to goals scored would definitely be worth a small
flutter on both as a side bet.

So for me it hopefully will be Shamrock to come out on top in a tight
match at best price 13/8.

Good Luck and good punting,

Silverfox.

Today their is a game in Finland which could prove to be profitable if the
price holds.

I`ve got on at 6/5 and the game in question is FC Honka away to AC Oulu.

Totesport have this game priced at 6/5 and generally it is up at evens.

Honka are 5th in the 14 team Finnish league 10 points behind leaders
Tampere but with 2 games in hand,whilst Oulu are 13th.

Honka have a home record of W3 D2 L1 F7 A3 and have only lost one other
match in the league. In their last 6 games they are also unbeaten winning
3 and drawing 3.

They were knocked out of the Intertoto cup on away goals to Aalborg of
Denmark which was a creditable result indeed.

Oulu have struggled all season and have a home record of W2 D2 L2 F8 A7
and the to home wins are their only league wins of the season. In fairness
one of those wins did come against league leaders Tampere in May,but since
that time Oulu`s form has dipped they have won 0 drawn 2 and lost 4 in
that time but the worrying stat for me is that in the same time they have
only scored 3 goals while conceding 13.

This is primarily the reason that i am going for an away win today.

So for me it is Honka at best price 6/5 with Totesport,though i cannot see
that price holding for long.

Good luck,

Silverfox.

Michael Owen Injury Latest

Newcastle United striker Michael Owen has suffered a fresh injury blow after picking up a thigh injury in training.

The 27-year-old England hitman has been ruled out of Saturday's pre-season friendly at Carlisle United and will be sidelined for around ten days.

"Hopefully, it will be no more than ten days and he should be back," said Magpies boss Sam Allardyce.

"It may be a little early for the Celtic match, but we hope he will be fit to face Juventus on the Sunday."

Meanwhile, Allardyce has revealed he will hold talks with Kieron Dyer following speculation linking the midfielder with a move to West Ham United.

"I suppose I will have to have a chat and a conversation with Kieron to see if he thinks there is anything in it and if there is, we will discuss it privately from there," he continued.

"But at the moment, there is no bid from West Ham, so until Alan Curbishley rings me or the chief executive rings (his Newcastle counterpart) Russell Cushing, then there would be no discussion.

"It has been rumoured in the papers and sometimes there is no smoke without fire.

"But if there's a bid going to come in, I would probably expect a phone call either today or over the weekend because they have lost one of their new players."

Today Bohemians in 4th place take on Derry in 7th in the Eircom Irish
Premier division.

Bohemians have an impressive home record this season winning 6 drawing 3
and losing 0 whilst scoring 14 and conceding only 2,and they have won
their last 3 home games against Bray,Waterford and St Patricks without
conceding.

Derry have been disappointing this season and their last 6 games have
brought 1 win 3 draws and 2 defeats and their last away game was a draw at
9th placed UCD.

Bohemians are generally 11/10 to win the game tonight and for be that
looks over priced for a side with such a strong home record as theirs.

Derry will also have one eye on their Champions League 2nd league match in
Armenia against Pyunik next week, they drew 0-0 at Brandywell in the first
leg so still have a chance of progressing.

So with this in mind i`m going for a Bohemians win.

As always good luck and happy punting,

Silverfox.

As there are no bets that i am tempted by today on the football front i
thought i would share my thoughts on the forthcoming Premier season and my
anti post bet for who i expect to be the winners.

Now before i go any further i must declare to be an ardent Arsenal
supporter and so the following words are hard for me to write as i have to
rule out my beloved Gunners this season at the start!

They are still a season or two from being the finished article and all i
hope is that we can compete better than last season and progress in the
cup competitions.

Chelsea and Man Utd have strengthened their squads with more quality players.

Chelsea have added the likes of Malouda,Pizarro and Sidwell to their
already formidable squad, and the news that captain Terry is near to
signing a new deal with the club will be a major boost but i feel they
will be more focused on the Champions League this season.

Man Utd have been extremely busy in the transfer market and there is no
doubt that the likes of Hargreaves,Nani and Anderson along with the
possible addition of Tevez will make Man Utd even more entertaining
especially when you consider the talent already at their disposal with
Rooney,Ronaldo and Giggs.

However my concern is the United defence, i am a great fan of Van Der Sar
but he did look suspect at times last season and Rio Ferdinand for me is
not as consistent as his fellow centre half partner the impressive Vidic,
also i feel they lack true quality cover at the back.

My anti post money has gone on Liverpool at 6/1 with Betfred.

For Liverpool and their fantastic fans 18 years is far to long for a side
of their quality to go with out a title, the last time the Championship
flag flew over Anfield was 1989/90 and that is simply to long.

They have flattered to deceive on several occasions in the past only to be
disappointing but Benitez now has built a squad of true quality and
strength throughout the team and in my opinion have quality cover in all
positions to cope with the demands of the modern game.

In Reina they have a goalkeeper of true world class,at the back Carragher
is a rock and does not deserve the criticism he received recently,Agger
and Riise are talented full backs, the midfield has Gerrard,Alonso and
Sissoko to bring strength,goals and creativity and up front they have
Crouch and Kuijt to provide goal power.

Now add Torres,Voronin,Babel and Benayoun to that squad and compare it to
Chelsea and Man United and i think you will agree they are the equal if
not better.

A lot has been said about Babel and Torres coming to Liverpool but the
arrival of Voronin has gone almost unnoticed, yet for me he is the player
who could be the key to Liverpool`s challenge.

He is a talented player who when he plays for Ukraine alongside Shevchenko
does a lot of the ground work and makes the runs which creates the space
for goals yet he does not get the credit he deserves.

He marked his debut for Liverpool with two goals in their 3-2 win against
Werder Bremen earlier in the week and for me they will be the first of
many in the Red of Liverpool.

So for me it`s Liverpool for the Premiership,with Man Utd runners
up,Chelsea finishing third and Arsenal again having to be content with
4th.

For me the only team that could break the four team monopoly that
currently exists is Spurs,again they are a talented side going forward but
until they learn how to defend and get results against the so called
"lesser" sides in the league they will not make the next step.

Good luck

Silverfox.

Summer Football Transfers - all of this summers football transfers.

ARSENAL

In: Lukasz Fabianski (Legia Warsaw, undisclosed); Eduardo Da Silva (Dinamo Zagreb, undisclosed); Bacary Sagna (Auxerre, undisclosed);

Out: Thierry Henry (Barcelona, £16m); Matthew Connolly (Colchester, loan); Jeremie Aliadiere (Middlesbrough, £2m); Mart Poom (Watford, undisclosed); Arturo Lupoli (Fiorentina, free); Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham City, undisclosed); Arturo Lupoli (Arsenal - Fiorentina, free);


---------------------------------------------------------




ASTON VILLA

In: Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham, £8.5million); Marlon Harewood (West Ham, undisclosed);

Out: Aaron Hughes (Fulham, £1m); Robert Olejnik (Falkirk, free); Jlloyd Samuel (Bolton Wanderers, free); Gavin McCann (Bolton Wanderers, £1m); Chris Sutton (Retired); Steven Davis (Fulham, £4million);


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BIRMINGHAM CITY

In: Olivier Kapo (Juventus, £3m); Stuart Parnaby (Middlesbrough, free); Arturo Lupoli (Arsenal, undisclosed); Daniel de Ridder (Celta Vigo, free); Rafael Schmitz (Lille, season-long loan);

Out: Stephen Clemence (Leicester City, £1m); Bruno N'Gotty (Leicester City, free); Julian Gray (released);


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BLACKBURN ROVERS

In: Maceo Rigters (NAC Breda, undisclosed); Gunnar Nielson (BK Frem Copenhagen, undisclosed);

Out: Andy Todd (Derby County, undisclosed);


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



BOLTON WANDERERS

In: Gavin McCann (Bolton Wanderers, £1m); Zoltan Harsanyi (FC Senec, undisclosed); Jlloyd Samuel (Aston Villa, free); Danny Guthrie (Liverpool, season-long loan);

Out: Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea, free); Quinton Fortune (Released); David Thompson (Released); Cesar Martin (Released); Henrik Pedersen (Released);


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CHELSEA

In: Florent Malouda (Lyon - Chelsea, undisclosed) Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea, free); Claudio Pizarro (Bayern Munich, free); Steve Sidwell (Reading, free);

Out: Khlaid Boulahrouz (Sevilla, loan); Yves Makaba-Makalamby (Hibernian, undisclosed); Nuno Morais (Apoel Nicosia, free); Geremi (Newcastle, undisclosed);


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DERBY COUNTY

In: Robert Earnshaw (Norwich City, £3.5m); Andy Todd (Blackburn Rovers, undisclosed);

Out: Seth Johnson, Paul Boertien, Morten Bisgaard (All Released); Lee Grant (Sheffield Wednesday, free); Ryan Smith (Millwall, £150,000); Paul Peschisolido (Luton, free);


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EVERTON

In: Phill Jagielka (Sheffield United, £4million);

Out: Richard Wright (Released); Alessandro Pistone (Released); Richard Wright (West Ham, free); Gary Naysmith (Sheffield United, £1million);


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FULHAM

In: David Healy (Leeds United, £1.5m);
Paul Konchesky (West Ham, £3.25m); Aaron Hughes (Aston Villa, £1m); Steven Davis (Aston Villa, £4million); Diomansy Kamara (West Brom, £6m); Chris Baird (Southampton, £3.025m);

Out: Mark Pembridge (Released); Tomasz Radzinski (Released); Claus Jensen (Released); Mark Crossley (Released);


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LIVERPOOL

In: Ryan Babel (Ajax, £11.5m); Yossi Benayoun (West Ham, undisclosed); Nikolaj Mihajlov (Levski Sofia, undisclosed); Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid, undisclosed); Andriy Voronin (Bayer Leverkusen, free); Ryan Crowther (Stockport, undisclosed);

Out: Craig Bellamy (West Ham, £7.5m); Godwin Antwi (Hartlepool, loan); Robbie Fowler (Released); Florent Sinama Pongolle (Recreativo Huelva, £2.7m); Luis Garcia (Atletico Madrid, undisclosed); Bolo Zenden (Marseille, free); Djibril Cisse (Marseille, undisclosed); Danny Guthrie (Bolton, season-long loan); Adam Hammill (Southampton, loan);


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MANCHESTER CITY

In: Rolando Bianchi (Reggina, £8.8m); Gelson Fernandes (FC Sion, free); Geovanni (unattached, free);

Out: Sylvain Distin (Portsmouth, free); Joey Barton (Newcastle United, £5.5m); Hatem Trabelsi (Released); Stephen Jordan (Released); Trevor Sinclair (Released); Nicky Weaver (Charlton, free); Stephen Jordan (Burnley, free);


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MANCHESTER UNITED

In: Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich, £17m); Luis Carlos Nani (Sporting Lisbon, undisclosed); Luis de Abreu Anderson (Porto, undisclosed);

Out: Danny Rose (Released); Phil Marsh (Released); Kieran Richardson (Sunderland, undisclosed);


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MIDDLESBROUGH

In: Jonathan Woodgate (Real Madrid, £7m); Jeremie Aliadiere (Arsenal, £2m);

Out: Mark Viduka (Newcastle United, free); Stuart Parnaby (Birmingham, free); Abel Xavier (LA Galaxy, free); Malcolm Christie (Released); Danny Graham (Released);


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NEWCASTLE UNITED

In: David Rozehnal (Paris St Germain, £2.9m); Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough, free); Joey Barton (Man City, £5.5m); Geremi (Chelsea, undisclosed);

Out: Alan O'Brien (Hibernian, undisclosed); Scott Parker (West Ham, £7m); Titus Bramble (Wigan, free); Antoine Sibierski (Wigan, free); Craig Moore (Released); Olivier Bernard (Released); Pavel Srnicek (Released);


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PORTSMOUTH

In: David Nugent (Preston, £6m); John Utaka (Rennes, undisclosed); Sylvain Distin (Man City, free); Sulley Muntari (Udinese, £7m); Hermann Hreidarsson (Charlton, free); Martin Cranie (Southampton, undisclosed); Paris Cowan-Hall (Rushden and Diamonds, undisclosed); Callum Reynolds (Rushden and Diamonds, undisclosed);

Out: Svetoslav Todorv (Charlton, free);


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READING

In: Kalifa Cisse (Boavista, £1m);

Out: Steve Sidwell (Chelsea, free); Greg Halford (Sunderland, £3m); Curtis Osano (Rushden and Diamonds, work experience); Jonathan Hayes (Leicester, free);


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SUNDERLAND

In: Michael Chopra (Cardiff, £5m); Russell Anderson (Aberdeen, £1m); Greg Halford (Reading, £3m); Kieran Richardson (Manchester United, undisclosed); Dickson Etuhu (Norwich, £1.5million);

Out: Kenny Cunningham (Released); Tommy Miller (Released); Arnau Riera (Falkirk, loan);


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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

In: Darren Bent (Charlton, £16.5m); Gareth Bale (Southampton, £5m); Adel Taarabt (Lens, undisclosed); Younes Kaboul (Auxerre, undisclosed);

Out: Robert Burch (Sheffield Wednesday, free); Mark Yeates (Colchester, undisclosed); Reto Ziegler (Sampdoria, undisclosed);


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WEST HAM UNITED

In: Craig Bellamy (Liverpool, £7.5m); Scott Parker (Newcastle, £7m); Julien Faubert (Bordeaux, £6.1million); Richard Wright (Everton, free);

Out: Paul Konchesky (Fulham, £3.25m); Yossi Benayoun (Liverpool, undisclosed); Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa, £8.5million); Shaun Newton (Leicester, free); Marlon Harewood (Aston Villa, undisclosed);


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WIGAN ATHLETIC

In: Jason Koumas (West Brom, £5.3m); Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborg, undisclosed); Mario Melchiot (Rennes, free); Carlo Nash (Preston, free); Titus Bramble (Newcastle United, free); Antoine Sibierski (Newcastle United, free);

Out: Arjan de Zeeuw (Coventry, free); David Unsworth (Released); Matt Jackson (Watford, free);

Weekend Football Betting Tips

Atletico Madrid to beat Gloria Bistrita: Despite the loss of Torres to Liverpool , Madrid 's squad is packed with internationals and should have too much for Gloria, even on their home ground. After their failure to qualify for an automatic UEFA cup place, Atletico's fans will demand progress from this competition.

Trabzonspor to beat Otelul: After scoring ten goals in the second round, the Turks will not be short on confidence and this trip to Romania should hold no fears for them.

AA Gent v AaB (Intertoto Cup) - The Belgians had a comfortable 6-0 aggregate win over Cliftonville in the last round and will expect to take a decent advantage over to Denmark for the second leg. In contrast, Aalborg sneaked through on away goals in the second round and their defence will have to tighten up against in form Gent strikers, Foley and Olufade.

FK Vetra v Blackburn Rovers (Intertot Cup) - After Legia Warsaw were thrown out of the competition, Lithuanian side Vetra found themselves facing Premiership opposition in this third round. Blackburn 's squad is little changed from last season and they will be looking for an extended European run. Don't expect Mark Hughes to field anything less than a full strength team for this one.

Bet £20 win double on AA Gent & Blackburn Rovers.

Hajduk Kula v Leiria (Intertoto Cup)
Serbian side Hajduk Kula produced an upset in the last round thanks to a thumping 5-0 home win over much fancied Maribor . Confidence will be high and I'm backing them to beat their Portuguese visitors, Leiria, whose away form wasn't particularly good last season. Whilst they will do well to match their performance in the previous round (they were four goals up at half time), Kula will certainly take the game to their opponents from the first whistle.

Bet £10 on Hajduk Kula to lead at half time and full time...

Cherno More v Sampdoria (Intertoto Cup)
Whilst Sampdoria are a famous name in Italian and European football, they were less than impressive on their travels in Serie A last season. Away from the Stadio Luigi Ferraris they only managed four wins, scoring just 14 goals in 19 games. Bulgarian side Cherno More, from Varna , crushed their second round opponents 7-0 on aggregate and will fancy their chances of finding the net in front of fanatical home support.

TUESDAY'S BANKER BET

Bronze Star was a WINNER in the 8.25 at Yarmouth

TUEDAY'S LONGSHOT

Chatshow came sixth in the 3.00 at Brighton

BANKER BET: RECENT RESULTS - Four winners in the last six days
Tuesday's result: Bronze Star was a WINNER at Yarmouth
Monday's result: Zennerman was a WINNER at Wolverhampton
Saturday's result: Cesare was a WINNER at Ascot
Friday's result: Alambic came fifth at Hamilton
Thursday's result: Saddlers Kingdom was a WINNER at Nottingham
Wednesday's result: Jack Junior came second at Newmarket

Who? - Ahmed Hossam Mido - Quite likely
Where is he? - Tottenham Hotspur
Who is he linked with? - Birmingham City

Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce hopes to be able to announce the signing of Tottenham Hotspur striker Mido later this week. The Egypt international has already said that he has agreed terms to move to St Andrews on a season-long loan, while Bruce also hopes to tie up the signing of Mido's Spurs team-mate Hossam Ghaly. "I believe we have signed an absolute top-class striker," Bruce told the Daily Star. "He was a big hit when he arrived in the Premiership and we hope that he can recapture that form with us." Mido, who has also been linked with Fulham and Portsmouth this summer, had earlier said: "Both sides have agreed terms. I will move on a one-year loan deal and they could buy my contract if the club survives in the Premier League. Birmingham's offer is the best I had received, especially that I chose to stay in England." The 24-year-old scored 19 goals in 41 starts and 20 substitute appearances for Spurs after moving to White Hart Lane, initially on loan, in February 2005.