Italian Serie-A Preview

The new season of Serie A gets underway this week with AC Milan and Lazio contesting the pick of the opening day fixtures.

Last week was due to herald the start of the new campaign, but a player strike ensured Milan would have to wait to defend their title

The Rossoneri are the heavy favourites to retain the Scudetto, but city rivals Internazionale will be hot on their tails after the summer signings of Diego Forlan and Mauro Zarate.

Juventus and Roma have also made some astute acquisitions, with the former persuading Andrea Pirlo to move from the San Siro, and the latter reinforcing their squad with La Liga duo Bojan Krkic and Fernando Gago.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, newly promoted duo Atalanta and Novara are expected to seal an instant return to Serie B, while Lecce could also be relegated, having survived by the skin of their teeth least term.

AC Milan (Title odds: 6/5)

Ins: Antonio Nocerino; Alberto Aquilani; Stephan El Shaarawy; Zlatan Ibrahimovic; Gianmarco Zigoni; Marco Amelia; Kevin-Prince Boateng; Philippe Mexes; Taye Taiwo.

Internazionale (Title odds: 2/1)

Ins: Andres Ona; Mauro Zarate; Andrea Poli; Diego Forlan; Jonathan; Ricky Alvarez; Rodrigo Alborno; Emiliano Viviano; Luca Tremolada; Dennis Esposito; Yuto Nagatomo; Luc Castaignos.

Juventus (Title odds: 13/2)

Ins: Eljero Elia; Marcelo Estigarribia; Emanuele Giaccherini; Mirko Vucinic; Arturo Vidal; Stephan Lichtsteiner; Matteo Trini; Alessandro Matri; Fabio Quagliarella; Marco Motta; Simone Pepe; Andrea Pirlo; Frederik Sorensen; Michele Pazienza.

Roma (Title odds: 10/1)

Ins: Fabio Borini; Fernando Gago; Miralem Pjanic; Simon Kjaer; Pablo Osvaldo; Ivory Coast ; Alain Pierre Mendy; Alessandro Malomo; Maarten Stekelenburg; Bojan Krkic; Gabriel Heinze; Jose Angel; Loic Nego; Erik Lamela; Emiliano Massimo; Enrico Citro; Gianluca Curci; Stefano Guberti.

Napoli (Title odds: 20/1)

Ins: Ignacio Fideleff; Cristian Chavez; Goran Pandev; Umberto Varriale; Gokhan Inler; Mario Santana; Miguel Angel Britos; Roberto Colombo; Antonio Rosati; Blerim Dzemaili; Lorenzo Insigne; Marco Donadel; Nicolao Dumitru; Edinson Cavan; Federico Fernandez.

Udinese (Title odds: 66/1)

Ins: Daniele Padelli; Roberto Pereyra; Gabriel Torje; Neuton; Zeljko Brkic; Abdoul Sissoko; IThierry Doubai; Barreto; Diego Fabbrin; Danilo..

Lazio (Title odds: 80/1)

Ins: Djibril Cisse; Marius Stankevicius; Federico Marchetti; Lorik Cana; Abdoulay Konko ; Antony Iannarilli; Senad Lulic; Miroslav Klose.

Fiorentina (Title odds: 80/1)

Ins: Gustavo; Santiago Silva; Kelechi Francis Ibekwe; Mattia Cassani; Houssine Kharja; Andrea Lazzari; Gianni Munari; Samuel Di Carmine; Romulo; Edoardo Pazzagli; Lorenzo Tafi; Matija Nastasic; Niccolo Manfredini; Paolo Rozzio; Samuele Bettoni.

Genoa (Title odds: 200/1)

Ins: Andrea Caracciolo; Cesare Bovo; Sebastien Frey; Nicola Pasini; Cristiano Lupatelli; Mattia Bottani; Francesco Bega; Kevin Constant; Mattia Destro; Danilo Russo; Fernando Forestieri; Riccardo Meggiorini; Alexander Merkel; Cristobal Jorquera; Kevin Vinetot; Lucas Pratto; Andreas Granqvist; Giacomo Beretta; Sebastian Ribas; Felipe Seymour; Valter Birsa; Ze Eduardo.

Palermo (Title odds: 250/1)

Ins: Edgar Alvarez; Edgar Barreto; Francesco Della Rocca; Franco Vazquez; Alexandros Tzorvas; Matias Aguirregaray; Matias Silvestre; Ignacio Lores; Andrea Mantovani; Mauro Cetto; Luca Di Matteo; Eros Pisano; Adam Simon; Carlos Labrin; Eran Zahavi.

Spanish Primera Liga Preview

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has been given the all-clear by medical staff and included in the squad for Saturday's game at Real Sociedad, the Spanish and European champions said on Friday.

The Spain international has not played since undergoing knee surgery in June and his return is a welcome development for coach Pep Guardiola, who is still missing Puyol's partner in central defence Gerard Pique.

"He is a fundamental player for us, he gives us things that others do not, he is the captain, he has proven experience in a wide range of situations," Guardiola told a news conference.

"Seeing him content and shouting in training makes us happy and stronger."

Barca have occasionally suffered a dip in form in recent seasons after their players returned from international duty and Guardiola said they are hoping to avoid a similar slip-up on Saturday.

"The first match back after internationals has always been tough for us.

"Real Sociedad are playing differently to last year and it's a team that has made a very good impression on me. We'll have to prepare ourselves well and make a big effort."

Full-backs Adriano and Maxwell and midfielder Ibrahim Afellay were also given the all-clear after injury and are available for the game in San Sebastian, Barca said in a statement on their website.

Sociedad beat Barca 2-1 at their Anoeta stadium last season and their Norway defender Vadim Demidov said the Basque club's strong form at home could surprise the Catalans.

"I think this year will be tougher because they are an incredible team but winning one match against them is not impossible because we are strong at the Anoeta," he told a news conference.

Real Madrid are a better team than last season and are capable of getting the better of Barcelona, Spanish champions for the past three years, according to Real's Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

"To beat them we have to play at 100 percent, but I also think that this season we are more competitive, more mature and have more experience," Ronaldo said in an interview published in Friday's Marca sports daily.

"That's why I think this will be Real Madrid's year," La Liga's top scorer last season with 40 goals added.

Real host city rivals Getafe on Saturday following a 6-0 demolition of Real Zaragoza in the first round of matches.

Getafe coach Luis Garcia, who joined from Levante at the end of last season, said on Thursday he was concerned about a number of injuries in defence and on the wings but insisted his side were capable of causing an upset.

"They have an excellent counterattack and also exploit the spaces very well," Garcia told a news conference. "But Barca and Madrid won't take all the points and there is always a chance."

Valencia can still have a good season despite the loss of Spain forward Juan Mata to Chelsea and the club proved they can survive the exit of top players after David Villa and David Silva left, coach Unai Emery said.

"I believe in this Valencia independently of who is here," Emery said in an interview in Friday's As newspaper ahead of his side's match at home to Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

"Last season we were able to improve on the previous campaign and overcome all the doubts, internal and external, that there were after we said goodbye to Villa and Silva."

Atletico's new signings including Colombia striker Radamel Falcao, Brazilian playmaker Diego and Turkey midfielder Arda Turan need time to adjust, coach Gregorio Manzano said at a news conference on Friday.

"Maybe some of the latest signings are lacking a little bit of connection with the rest of the team, which is logical," said Manzano, who is beginning a second stint with the club.

"It needs some time so that they can continue to adapt and improve their understanding with the others on the pitch."

German Bundesliga Preview

Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath has been given a vote of confidence ahead of their meeting with his former club Schalke this weekend.

The Wolves have made a dismal start to the season with three straight defeats leaving them in the wrong half of the table, but Wolfsburg chairman Francisco Garcia Sanz believes Magath will put things right eventually.

"We have faith in Magath," he said. "He has always managed it in the end.

"Even during his first spell with us, we did not instantly challenge at the top of the table."

Magath led Wolfsburg to the Bundesliga title in 2009 before moving to Schalke, whom he led to the runners-up spot a year later.

However, things did not go according to plan last season for the Royal Blues who, despite reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, struggled in the league.

Magath left with just a few months of the season remaining and was installed as coach of Wolfsburg less than 24 hours later.

Sanz is standing by his decision to reappoint Magath, with whom the club celebrated their greatest success.

"We have started to reconstruct a successful team," explained Sanz. "Thanks to people like Christian Trasch, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Hasan Salihamidzic or Patrick Ochs, we will soon see a real team again."

Schalke fans have seen the formation of a successful team over the last few weeks with three wins in a row taking them into second place, behind Bayern Munich on goal difference.

Magath's era is well and truly a thing of the past in Gelsenkirchen.

"It does not play a role for me," said their new coach Ralf Rangnick to the Revier Sport newspaper.

"We are not playing against Felix Magath but against Wolfsburg."

The Royal Blues may have a three-point deficit to make up by the time they take to the field at the VW-Arena on Sunday.

League leaders Bayern host Freiburg on Saturday afternoon while Werder Bremen, who are below Schalke only on goals scored, host northern Germany rivals Hamburg on Saturday evening.

Fourth-paced Hannover travel to Stuttgart with fifth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach entertaining Kaiserslautern.

The defending champions Borussia Dortmund can also move ahead of Schalke with a win over Hertha Berlin while Bayer Leverkusen have the chance to move to the top of the table tomorrow night when they travel to Augsburg.

Finally, Mainz welcome Hoffenheim to the Mainz Arena and Nurnberg travel to Cologne.

Wenger Confirms Cahill Interest

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted he would have been interested in signing Gary Cahill in the transfer window.

The Bolton centre-back was the subject of summer-long speculation and Arsenal were said to have failed in a bid before Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp revealed he failed in a deadline day offer.

Wenger instead opted to sign 76-time Germany international Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen ahead of Cahill, who made only his fifth appearance for England in the win over Wales.

The Arsenal boss, who sees his side host Swansea on Saturday, thinks Cahill, 25, is a promising player, but has indicated he was keen to secure the experience his squad has been criticized for lacking.

"I don't want to compare. Personally, I like Cahill as a player," said Wenger.

"Both are good players. Mertesacker is a good player. He is more experienced. He has more international experience.

"Cahill is a young, promising English player. I suppose he would have done well for us."

Chelsea Boss Targets Manchester Clubs

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas says his aim is to 'grab' the two Manchester clubs after their impressive starts to the Premier League season.

Manchester United and Manchester City are the only top-flight sides to have won each of their opening three games this season.

Between them, Sir Alex Ferguson and Robert Mancini's sides have scored a total of 25 goals - an average of over four goals per game.

Chelsea are only two points behind but have found it difficult to beat West Brom and Norwich in their two home games after drawing a blank in a stalemate at Stoke on the opening day of the campaign.

But Villas-Boas is excited about the competition that his side will face this season from the leading clubs in the division.

He said: "It's good for them. They've gone on to score a lot of goals and it's good for British football.

"We just hope to score one more goal than the opponents.

"Man United played to perfection and managed to score a lot. They are, with Man City, leading the table for the Premier League and we are two behind them.

"We want to grab them.

"Our objective is on shortening distance and not on what the others do in terms of performance."

The Blues travel to Sunderland in the Premier League this Saturday and Villas-Boas is looking for an improvement from his side.

He said: "I think it can be better and our objective is to transform it.

"We have to improve on a weekly basis, on a game-to-game basis. It's what people expect from us - to get fluency in the way we play.

"I'm very happy that we have been creating enough chances to win games and this is a good sign for us.

"We just need to improve on the quality and fluency of the game."

Liverpool Lead Chase To Sign Europe’s Best Teenager

Liverpool are locked in a battle with AC Milan to sign Ajax teenage sensation Christian Eriksen.

Eriksen, 19, is rated one of the best young midfielders in Europe and has been earning rave reviews in Holland.

Liverpool has been strongly linked with a move for Eriksen but the move never materialized during the summer.

But Kenny Dalglish will have to act fast if he wants to get his man as reports in Italy are now suggesting that AC Milan have entered the race to clinch his signature.

Milan has also been impressed with his performances and want to bring him to the San Siro.

Ajax refused to sell their star player during the summer but the situation could change in 2012 and the club are preparing themselves for a bidding war when the transfer window re-opens in January.

United Make Contact Over Uruguayan Winger Deal

Manchester United have reportedly 'made contact' with Uruguayan winger Gaston Ramirez's representatives over a move from Bologna.

Media sources in the Italian city claim the Red Devils have been joined by 'noisy neighbours' Manchester City in their pursuit of the player, with the pair keen on bringing Ramirez to England at the next available opportunity.

Any issue in relation to a work permit is also not thought to be an issue, given the player's increased involvement with his country at international level. The 20-year-old helped Uruguay win the Copa America in the summer.

Likened to Chilean international and Barcelona winger Alexis Sanchez, Ramirez is reported to be aware of the interest from the Barclays Premier League clubs.

Manchester United spent big this summer to strengthen their ranks with youth talent, with David de Gea and Phil Jones joining Ashley Young in moves to Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson was also linked with a move for Sanchez, but Manchester United failed to win that race as the Udinese star made a La Liga switch.

Should Manchester United land the player, Ramirez would join a growing list of compatriots now plying their trade in the Barclays Premier League.

City & Arsenal Face Fight For Belgian Defender

Arsenal and Manchester City target Jan Vertonghen has ruled out a move away from Ajax in the winter, with the defender insisting that he’s happy in Holland.

Vertonghen has been particularly impressive for Ajax since moving up from the club’s youth ranks in 2006. The 24-year-old has attracted attention from numerous clubs as a result.

Manchester City and Arsenal have both made their interest in the star clear, according to Goal.com, but Vertonghen insists he isn’t going anywhere for the rest of the season at least.

"I have really had enough of all the questions about whether I'm leaving Ajax. Nobody has to ask me whether I'm on the move in January, because I will not leave the club this season," he said.

Arsenal were said to be interested in taking on Vertonghen to bolster their defense, while City had hoped that the Belgian would be a good back up for Micah Richards, Vincent Company and Joleon Lescott.

But while he’s insisted he’s not leaving Ajax, if Arsenal or Manchester City are able to progress further than the side in the Champions League stages, Vertongham’s head may be turned by a move to England after all.

Bridge Set For Loan Move

Manchester City will make former England defender Wayne Bridge available on loan to Championship clubs.

Bridge, 31, does not feature in manager Roberto Mancini's plans but remains a City player after no prospective move materialized before the transfer deadline on August 31.

Bridge spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham and another temporary move is still a possibility with a loan window for Football League clubs now open.

"I think that it is better for him if we can find a good solution in the Championship,'' Mancini said ahead of Saturday's Premier League game against Wigan.

Another player down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium is defender Nedum Onuoha. The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Sunderland but a proposed move to Everton for this term collapsed last week.

Onuoha could still have a role to play in terms of helping City meet minimum homegrown player regulations but the player is still likely to move on sooner or later.

"Onouha will stay with us because he is homegrown but he knows it is difficult for him to play often," Mancini said. "We may find a good solution for him in the next two or three months, or in January maybe."

Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente Confirms Tottenham Interest

Athletic Bilbao star Fernando Llorente has confirmed that Tottenham expressed an interest in his services.

The Spain international was reported to be on Spurs' wishlist during the summer transfer window as the Premier League side was looking to add to its attacking resources.

And Llorente, who broke into Athletic's first team in 2005, has confirmed Tottenham's approach but revealed he had no interest in a move to England.

"I know there was interest from Tottenham, but never at any moment did I want to leave Athletic," he said, according to AS.

The 26-year-old, who netted 19 goals in all competitions last season, said he is optimistic regarding his contract extension.

Manchester United And Man City In Transfer Battle for Serie A Winger

Manchester United have reportedly ‘made contact’ with Uruguayan winger Gaston Ramirez’s representatives over a move from Bologna.

Media sources in the Italian city claim the Red Devils have been joined by ‘noisy neighbours’ Manchester City in their pursuit of the player, with the pair keen on bringing Ramirez to England at the next available opportunity.

Any issue in relation to a work permit is also not thought to be an issue, given the player’s increased involvement with his country at international level. The 20 year-old helped Uruguay win the Copa America in the summer.

Arsenal Hope To Beat Chelsea To Barcelona Transfer

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is desperate to land Gerard Deulofeu – who is being compared to striker Lionel Messi – before he turns 18 next year.

Players in La Liga are only allowed to sign professional contacts at 18 – which means the Gunners can sign Deulofeu for just £3m.

Chelsea are also interested in signing teenage prodigy Gerard Deulofeu, and have already raided Barcelona this summer with their capture of Oriol Romeu.

However, Arsenal are believed to be substantial favourites due to their favourable record in developing promising Barcelona young talent.

In addition, what the club’s fans would make of yet another player coming in with Barcelona DNA remains to be seen!

Barca too are aiming to protect themselves from paying out an extraordinary sum for a player should they lose them young.

They are insisting on a buyback clause in all transfers – including that of Bojan to AS Roma and Romeu to Chelsea.

While Deulofeu is a great young talent, signing him could prove costly should he develop well and be bought back before he can have a true impact – making the transfer more of an expensive loan.

In addition, two appearances in the league already for Deulofeu could see him elect to stay at Camp Nou.

Raul Meireles Explains Switch from Liverpool to Chelsea

Chelsea new-boy Raul Meireles insists he never wanted to leave Liverpool but says the chance to work with Andre Villas-Boas was too good to turn down.

The Portugal midfielder swapped Anfield for Stamford Bridge in a £12m deadline-day move, reuniting him with former Porto boss Villas-Boas.

"I knew that I didn't want to leave Liverpool," he told chelseafc.co.uk.

"[But] when I knew that Chelsea and Andre wanted me, it convinced me. It is only because he wanted me."

Meireles, 28, only arrived at Liverpool in the summer of 2010 in a £11.5m deal.

But, after 35 appearances and five goals, he decided to join up again with the new Chelsea coach, with whom he worked briefly during his time at FC Porto.

The move was a surprise when it went through on the last day of the transfer window, following the Blues' summer-long pursuit of Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric.

Meireles said: "It was strange because I knew of the interest of Chelsea - and the interest of the coach. It was a pleasure to come to this club but it was strange because it was on the last day.

"People think I wanted to leave and it is only because Chelsea wanted me. For Andre to want me, that is why I wanted to go."

Meireles has vowed to make his mark at Stamford Bridge, just as he did at Liverpool after a slow start to his Reds career last season.

He said: "I like to play in midfield but for me it is more important that I play and I help the team. If the coach wants to put me in another place, I want to do my job and do my job well."

Everton Fans Plan Protest March Against Club's Direction

Everton fans' group The Blue Union is to hold what it calls a "peaceful protest march" against the direction of the club at Goodison Park on Saturday.

The Blue Union, who feel Everton are stagnating under chairman Bill Kenwright, hope hundreds fans will take part before the game with Aston Villa.

"This is not a personal attack on Kenwright as our detractors claim," spokesman Joe Jennings told BBC Sport.

"We are protesting about the reasons we are unable to invest in the team."

Merseyside Police have granted permission for the march, which will start near the ground at 1400 BST and finish at the directors' entrance.

Everton sold Mikel Arteta and Jermaine Beckford to Arsenal and Leicester for a combined £14m on deadline day at the end of August but boss David Moyes made only three loan signings over the summer.

Kenwright has often stated his desire to bring new investors into the club and admitted last month that the Toffees could not borrow any more money, while the £9m they raised from the sale of their former training ground at Bellefield had gone straight to the bank.

The Blue Union say the group's aim is not to force Kenwright to leave but want the sale of the club to be taken out of his control.

In a statement announcing the protest, the group's members said they wanted to see Everton "appoint a fully autonomous group of professional individuals who can effectively develop and implement a strategy that will identify and sell the club to a buyer who can demonstrate an ability and a genuine desire to take the club forward on both a commercial and football level."

The Blue Union is a coalition of Everton supporters groups and independent websites, including Evertonians for Change, Keeping Everton in Our City, The People's Group and SOS1878.co.uk, who are concerned at the lack of investment in the club.

More than 400 fans attended its inaugral public meeting last weekend, when the plans for the march were laid.

Jennings, an officer of The Blue Union and editor of the SOS1878.co.uk fansite, added: "We hope as many like-minded Evertonians take the opportunity on Saturday to convey their unhappiness at the current situation.

"The Blue Union wish to tackle the issues not the individuals. It would be wrong to say we are simply protesting about the lack of investment in the team. No Evertonian wants the club to spend money they have not got.

"In any case, the club are in no position to do so because the current board have disposed of all the tangible assets. We're now disposing of the only assets which are left, the intangibles, the players.

"Evertonians want strong leadership and a strong board with a strong business plan."

Andrey Arshavin Could Leave North London And Return To Russia

Cash-rich Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala has not given up in their pursuit of Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin according to insidefutbol.com.

The 30-year-old playmaker has been tracked by the club all summer, and having strengthened their playing ranks with the likes of Roberto Carlos, Yuri Zhirkov and Samuel Eto'o - they retain hope of convincing Arshavin to return to his homeland.

Amid speculation surrounding his future, the Gunners midfielder stated his intention to remain at the Emirates Stadium, and fight for his place in the Arsenal side, following the high-profile departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri from Arsene Wenger's squad.

However, with Anzhi prepared to pay up to €17million to tempt Arsenal into selling Arshavin, a deal could be back on for the former Zenit St. Petersburg player - who could look differently upon his future in north London, if the club were to accept the bid.

Arshavin recently spoke of his anger at the sale of former Gunners teammates Fabregas and Nasri, calling into question Arsenal's desire to continue challenging for trophies if they are open to selling their best players.

But having strengthened with the addition of five deadline day signings, Wenger looks to have temporarily alleviated the mounting pressure, as he looks to restore the club's fledgling campaign, and get Arsenal's title tilt back on track.

Chelsea Stars To Be Allowed To Leave Club

Chelsea will let youngsters Josh McEachran and Romelu Lukaku to leave the club on loan if they do not play enough games this year, according to the Sun.

Andre Vilas-Boas is keen to see the duo harness their potential but is worried that a lack of first team football could hamper their development.

Such is the strength of Chelsea's first team it would appear that the pair face a tough time to force themselves into the reckoning for a starting berth and so if they fail to break through this year they will be allowed to go out on loan to gain some vital first team experience.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez approached Chelsea about the possibility of taking McEachran on loan during the summer, whilst a move to Stoke for Lukaku was ruined by Premier League rules preventing a player from joining two clubs within the same transfer window.

Both players are expected to be on Chelsea's bench for their trip to Sunderland this weekend, but if they have not progressed to the starting line up by the turn of the year they will be allowed to spend the rest of the season at another Premier League team.

Several Championship clubs have asked Chelsea about the availability of the duo for when the loan window reopens tomorrow, but the Stamford Bridge outfit will only be willing to let them go to a top flight team.

Lukaku is not eligible to play in the Champions League for Chelsea this season as he was left out of the Blues' squad.

Tottenham Plan January Bid For Dutch International Goal Machine

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will reportedly look to lure Schalke striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar to White Hart Lane in January as he looks to improve the club’s attacking options. The Dutch international has made an astonishing start to the season, netting 12 goals from six games in all competitions for his Bundesliga side.

Redknapp had hoped to bring in a new striker during the summer transfer window but failed in his attempts to land a number of big name players and had to settle for snapping up Man City’s Emmanuel Adebayor on a season long loan deal. However the North London club offloaded two of their striking quartet with Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch leaving for LA Galaxy and Stoke City respectively, leaving Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko sharing the attacking load with the Togo international.

Schalke reportedly had a number of approaches for a player they value at around €25m (£21.8m) and Tottenham will reportedly be able to make such a bid having offloaded a number of players during the summer whilst not using much of the funds from the sales of the aforementioned Keane and Crouch as well as the money raised from the departures of Jamie O’Hara, Wilson Palacios and Alan Hutton as well as loaning out Jermaine Jenas and David Bentley.

Huntelaar had an up and down time of it at both Real Madrid and AC Milan where he fell foul to change of managers at both the Bernabeu and the San Siro. In his first season in Germany he got back into gear, scoring 13 goals and forming a solid partnership with Spanish legend Raul. This term he has been scoring goals for fun and is also the top scorer in Euro 2012 qualifying with ten goals from seven matches.

The Dutchman is a lethal predatory finisher on his day and would be more amenable to a Premier League move if Schalke once again struggle to make an impact in the Bundesliga after last term managing a poor 14th place finish.

Inter Milan Join Liverpool & Spurs In Chase For Brazilian Starlet

Tottenham and Liverpool will face a fight with Inter Milan for Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas.

The attacking midfielder – no relation to Liverpool’s current midfield anchorman – has been impressing a host of European teams with his performances in the Brazilian top-flight and has now caught Inter’s eye.

The 19-year-old has also been monitored by Liverpool and Tottenham but Kenny Dalglish’s side would have an advantage over Spurs as namesake Lucas Leiva is often his room-mate on international trips.

Inter are lining up a £15m bid but Sao Paulo are reluctant to sell as the teenager is only in his second full season with the first-team.

Barcelona Tracking Tottenham Target Leandro

Tottenham target Leandro Damiao has emerged as a transfer interest for Barcelona.

Although the European summer transfer window has closed, the Champions League holders are reportedly planning a £15m move for the Brazil striker in the next window.

The 22-year-old currently plays for Internacional in the Brazilian Serie A but is understood to be interested in moving to a top European team to cement his place in the Brazil team amid much competition.

The striker may have forced up his valuation with the winning goal in the international friendly between the Samba Stars and Ghana at Fulham’s Craven Cottage home on Monday night.

Tottenham cooled their interest in the forward when the chance to sign Emmanuel Adebayor on loan arose and Arsenal were also linked with the powerful frontman.

Milan Move Possible For Amauri

One of the agents representing Juventus’ Amauri has opened the door for a possible January move to Milan.

The forward has been paired with the Rossoneri over the last few days after Juventus failed to move him on in the summer.

“Let’s leave this until January, but there was a conversation with Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani,” Ernesto Bronzetti told Odeon TV.

“If a few things fall into place then, at that stage, Amauri could be a source of interest.”

The Brazilian-born Italian international frustrated Juventus officials over the summer after he refused to leave the club.

The Bianconeri were keen to see him go given that he earns almost €4m a season and has less than a year left on his contract.

“Marseille offered him a deal, but it was worth around €7m over three seasons,” Bronzetti continued.

“This season he’ll get €3.8m from just Juventus.

“There was interest too from Genoa, Palermo, Fiorentina and Parma, but they couldn’t handle his salary.

“Amauri also took the decision to stay for family reasons.”

Bayern Munich To Move For Fernando Llorente In January

Bayern Munich are set to revisit their attempts to sign Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, with the German club set to make a bid in January according to Cadena Ser.

The Spain international forward has matured at San Mames over the last number of seasons, and attracted interest from a number of leading European teams in the latest transfer window.

The Bundesliga outfit was one of the 26-year-old's suitors, and reports in the Spanish media indicate that Jupp Heynckes' is set to try to lure the hitman to Bavaria in January. The Bavarians are currently short of options in attack behind Mario Gomez, with Ivica Olic sidelined with a troublesome injury and Nils Petersen yet to prove himself in the Bundesliga.

Bilbao parted company with Joaquin Caparros at the end of the 2010-11 campaign, despite the Basque team qualifying for Europe, and Llorente is said to be unsettled by the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa as his replacement.

The 17-times capped man topped the scoring charts for the Lions last term, netting 18 goals in 38 games.

Newcastle Boss Makes Check On United Starlet Target

Alan Pardew was in attendance at St Jakob Park to watch Switzerland defeat Bulgaria on Tuesday night, as reported Manchester United target Xherdan Shaqiri stole the show.

The Swiss starlet netted a hat-trick as his side triumphed 3-1 in Basel, with Pardew sufficiently impressed by his exploits, reports the Chronicle.

The Newcastle boss was also said to be keeping tabs on long-term target Eren Derdiyok, who has been tracked by the Toon for a number of months.

Derdiyok has scored 18 goals in 65 Bundesliga appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, and could provide Newcastle with the added firepower they need.

Shaqiri, meanwhile, has been linked with a move to Old Trafford for a number of months after a number of impressive displays for club and country.

The 19-year-old will have an opportunity to prove his worth to Sir Alex Ferguson after United were pitted against Basel in the group stages of this season's Champions League.

United host the Swiss outfit in the first encounter between the two on September 27.

Dortmund Starlet Keen On Premier League Switch

Borussia Dortmund centre back Neven Subotic has put some of England's top clubs on red alert after he claimed that he would love to move to the Premier League.

The imposing defender was an integral part of the Dortmund side that won the German Bundesliga last year, and has been linked with a move away from the club all summer.

Subotic's performance have drawn attention from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United but after they all signed defenders this summer it remains unclear as to whether they would still be interested in the Serbian international, should he be made available by the German champions.

The 22 year old also claimed that he would only leave Dortmund for the Premier League, quashing rumours he might be set to join German giants Bayern Munich.

He told German newspaper Bild: "I have no reason to go away from here. I feel good and this is a great city.

I could never go to another club in Germany and, if I was to leave here, I would only consider a powerful club in England.

Barcelona Keeping Tabs On Porto's Juan Manuel Iturbe

Barcelona is closely monitoring the progress of young attacker Juan Manuel Iturbe, currently under contract with Porto, AS reports.

The 18-year-old forward joined the Portuguese champions from Cerro Porteno earlier this summer, but has yet to make his official debut for his new side.

Nevertheless, he is considered to be one of the most exciting youngsters around and has already caught the attention of Barcelona due to his performances for Argentina at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Colombia in August.

Although Barcelona have no intention of signing Iturbe imminently, the Catalans' sporting director, Andoni Zubizarreta, has allegedly held an informal meeting with Gustavo Mascardi, who holds 40 per cent of Iturbe's rights, to make him aware of Barca's interest.

Iturbe has a contract with the Europa League holders until the summer of 2016.

Arsenal And Chelsea Battle For Barcelona Forward

Spanish giants and current European champions Barcelona are desperately trying to fend off interest from across Europe in the latest prospect to come through their highly regarded La Masia academy, forward Gerard Deulofeu, according to talkSPORT.

The player has been likened to Lionel Messi by the academy's coaches, leading to interest from several clubs, but Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be at the front of the queue.

Deulofeu is in fact so highly rated by those at Barca that he has been pencilled in to make his debut for the club this season, despite only being 17 years old.

However it is this young age which could be a problem for Barcelona, as he is not allowed to sign a professional deal until he is 18 years old.

Arsenal of course already knows how to poach young players from the Barca set-up, having taken advantage of these contractual issues when they signed Cesc Fabregas in 2003, when he was 16.

The young player, who was apparently watched by Arsenal chief scout Steve Rowley at the Under-19 Championship this summer, could be snapped up for as little as £3m due to a buyout clause in his current deal with Barcelona.

The Catalan giants are keen to keep the player, however, and are said to already be working on terms for his professional contract.

Spurs Striker Set For January Premier League Switch

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is thought to be desperate to land Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and will make a fresh approach in the winter transfer window, according to the People.

The Black Cats boss failed to secure a deal for the Russian forward when Spurs pulled out of the deal in the final hours of the transfer window and instead brought in Nicklas Bendtner on-loan.

Tottenham were forced to withdraw from negotiations as Peter Crouch had sealed a £10m move to Stoke and they could not find a suitable replacement at such short notice.

However, Bruce was left encouraged by Pavlyuchenko's interest in moving to the Stadium of Light and is keen to reopen negotiations in January.

Much of that will depend on the success of Tottenham's strikers and, in particular, Emmanuel Adebayor who arrived at White Hart Lane this summer on-loan from Manchester City.

Santos President Admits Barca Leading Race For Neymar

Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira has admitted that Barcelona have gained the upper hand in the race for Neymar.

The Brazilian hotshot was widely tipped to join Real Madrid, but it looks as though he could move to Barcelona instead.

“It’s true that Barcelona have contacted Neymar, we are in contact with Sandro Rossel and I think, at this moment, he is closer to Barcelona than Real Madrid,” Santos president Luis Alvaro de Oliveira told RAC 1.

The player himself also confirmed that he has been contacted by the Spanish giants.

“Real Madrid and Barcelona have come calling for me. Both clubs want me, I can confirm it, but I have not reached an agreement with any of them,” Neymar told AS.

“The interest from Spain’s big two makes it that my confidence is very high because I am being followed by two big clubs like these.”

Juventus Targets Benfica's Joan Capdevila

Juventus is weighing up a move for Benfica left-back Joan Capdevila, according to a report in ilsussidiario.net.

The Spain international joined Benfica in the summer on a free transfer as a potential replacement for Fabio Coentrao, who left for Real Madrid, but he has found himself behind Emerson in the pecking order at the Portuguese club.

Capdevila has been omitted from Benfica's squad for the Champions League group phase, with the 33-year-old's agent airing his client's disappointment with the decision.

Napoli has been mooted as an interested party and it is now suggested that Juventus has joined the race for the former Villarreal player.

The Turin-based outfit is reportedly looking for a new left-sided defender after loaning Reto Ziegler out to Fenerbahce earlier in the month.

The Spanish veteran, who has so far only made one official appearance for Benfica, has a 20 million euros release clause attached to his contract.

Giuseppe Rossi Refuses To Rule Out Napoli Move

Giuseppe Rossi's future is not strictly confined to Villarreal, as his agent Federico Pastorello will not close the door on a move to Napoli.

The 24-year-old Italy international, who could feature in Tuesday night's Euro 2012 qualifier against Slovenia, was linked with a summer exit from the Spanish club.

A move to Barcelona never took flight despite talks with the club, while interest from Napoli, AC Milan, Juventus and Inter fizzled out as he stayed at the Madrigal.

Napoli has already expressed their desire to sign Rossi in future with president Aurelio De Laurentiis recently admitting a move could be possible.

And Pastorello is not totally against the idea.

"It is nice to hear that Napoli want Rossi, but for the moment there are no chances that any deal can take place," the agent told Radio Kiss Kiss.

"However, like we always say in football, never say never."

Napoli takes on Cesena on Saturday night, while Villarreal hope to recover from their 5-0 thrashing against Barcelona with a home game against Sevilla.

Eriksen Keen On Spanish Move

Highly-rated Ajax starlet Christian Eriksen has revealed he would be interested in joining a Spanish side in the future.

The Danish midfielder was thought to be on Manchester City's radar this summer but it appears the Primera Liga would be his preferred destination.

The 19-year-old, who is under contract in Amsterdam until 2014, insists he is in no hurry to leave the Eredivisie champions but admits his game would be well suited to Spain.

"With my style of play, there is no doubt that Spain would be ideal for me," Eriksen told Voetbal International.

"But I'm still not transferring. My priority is to play football and at Ajax I play in the championship and I will play in the Champions League.

"It may take two or three years before I move to Spain. I'm in no hurry to go until I'm ready to go. "

Eriksen admits he took a course to try and learn Spanish but has already given it up.

The Dane added: "It was pretty demanding, since it was learning Spanish from Dutch."