Ajax Could Cash In On Arsenal and Liverpool Target

Ajax will decide whether or not to sell Arsenal and Liverpool target Jan Vertonghen depending on how they fare in the Champions League group stage.

The talented defender has attracted strong interest from the Premier League pair in the past and is also on the radar of a host of other clubs across Europe.

Ajax hope to cling onto him until at least the summer, but may consider selling if they fail to progress into the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

The Dutch club have been drawn alongside Real Madrid, Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb in a tough-looking group, and could cash in on Vertonghen if they fail to make the lucrative second round.

Incidentally, Group D opponents Lyon are one of the clubs keeping tabs on the 24-year-old Belgian and, according to reports in France, the Ligue 1 side could be ready to firm up their interest with a January bid.

But, should Ajax decide to sell in the New Year, Lyon could face stiff opposition from Liverpool and Arsenal given their previous interest.

Birmingham Willing To Re-sign Crock McFadden

Chris Hughton has told James McFadden he could still have a future at Birmingham.

The out-of-contract Scotland forward has been on the look-out for a new club while he recovers from a cruciate ligament injury that has kept him out of action since last September.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is monitoring the situation with a view to offering the 28-year-old the chance to re-build his career at Molineux.

But Hughton, who is desperate to add bodies to a squad decimated by owner Carson Yeung’s post-relegation fire-sale this summer, feels McFadden could still earn a new deal at St Andrew’s.

Chris Hughton has told James McFadden he could still have a future at Birmingham.

The out-of-contract Scotland forward has been on the look-out for a new club while he recovers from a cruciate ligament injury that has kept him out of action since last September.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is monitoring the situation with a view to offering the 28-year-old the chance to re-build his career at Molineux.

But Hughton, who is desperate to add bodies to a squad decimated by owner Carson Yeung’s post-relegation fire-sale this summer, feels McFadden could still earn a new deal at St Andrew’s.

“He has been training with us for a good while now - since the summer. He’s one we’re still assessing,” said Hughton.

“He’s training on the back of quite a big injury, and the club knew it was going to take him a period of time to recover.

“With that, it’s about making sure he completes his rehab and getting into football work. He’s a player of very, very good ability and he has shown that in the past.”

Hughton is also scouring the loan market for new blood and also considering the possibility of offering a new deal to Stuart Parnaby, who is also a free agent after his deal with Blues expired in the summer.

Arsenal Plot Move to Sign Barcelona Starlet Wing Wizard

Arsenal are reportedly monitoring Barcelona youngster Rafa Alcantara with a view to making a move to capture the teenager in January.

Gunners scouts have been watching the 18 year old in action for Barcelona’s B team where the Brazilian has made an immediate impact. Rafa is more commonly referred to as Rafinha, and is the younger brother of midfielder Thiago Alcantara who is currently on the fringes of the Nou Camp first team after a successful pre-season with the Catalan club.

Unlike his brother, Rafa has opted to represent Brazil even though he has represented Spain at Under 16, 18 and 19 level. The speedy winger can also ply his trade in an attacking midfield role and is said to be a player that Arsene Wenger is taking particular attention to.

The Sao Paulo born starlet is said to be hedging his bets in contract terms and is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal which has led many interested parties to believe that he may be considering his options.

Clearly Wenger is known for trusting to youth and has picked up a number of top young talents from across Europe to ply alongside those coming through the ranks at the Emirates Stadium. The Arsenal boss is also well known for bringing in youngsters from Barcelona, having brought in Cesc Fabregas to North London as well as Jon Toral in the more recent past.

Tottenham Send Scouts to Watch Portuguese Prospect in Action

After an impressive display in the 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is already looking at ways to further strengthen his squad.

Spurs have bounced back from defeats to Manchester United and Manchester City and are now showing signs of the form that saw them push for a top four finish last season.

Tottenham scouts have twice been to watch Portuguese midfielder Eder in action for his club Academica Coimbra and are said to have been impressed with the young talent.

The 23-year-old holding midfielder has just one year left on his contract, but the clubs directors would rather cash in on the player during the January window.

Academia do not want the player to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires and would reportedly be willing to accept an offer in the region of £2million.

Spurs let Wilson Palacios join Stoke during the summer, but the club do still have Sandro and Scott Parker competing for a starting role as a defensive midfielder.

However, the club are still showing real interest in Eder and could decide to pick up the player in January.

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.

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."

Tony Fernandes Poised To Buy Queens Park Rangers

Tony Fernandes could be announced as the new owner of Queens Park Rangers on Monday in a deal that would mean the Asian businessman taking control of the club from Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, in partnership with Lakshmi Mittal, who already owns 33%.

If the deal goes through it is not yet clear if Ecclestone will sell all his 66% holding in the west London club and whether Briatore will retain his 1% stake. However, given the strained relationship Mittal and his son-in-law, Amit Bhatia, have with the Formula One impresario and the former grand prix team principal Briatore, it is thought Ecclestone is likely to sell all his shares.

Ecclestone has said in the past that QPR would be for sale for £100m but the financial details of the deal being struck by Fernandes and Mittal are unknown.

Bhatia, who resigned as chairman in May in protest at ticket-price hikes and the direction the club was taking is likely to return to the board if Fernandes is successful in his attempt to take control.

A source close to the Air Asia and Team Lotus team owner told Observer Sport: "Until the deal is done [it] is not done. But we are hopeful that by Monday it could be complete. It will involve Tony buying into the club and taking charge alongside Mittal."

Barclays Premier League 2011/2012 Preview

Rarely has the start of a new Premier League season thrown up so many conundrums.

Can Chelsea's new young manager, Andre Villas-Boas, convince Roman Abramovich that football clubs work best when the owner puts his hand in his pocket but stays out of team matters?

Will Manchester City kick on from winning the FA Cup, their first trophy under mega-rich owner Sheikh Mansour, and mount a realistic challenge for major prizes at home and in Europe?

Can Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger find a way of turning his side into something more than just the most eye-pleasing performers in English football?

Do Tottenham have the will and manager Harry Redknapp the nous to build on their Champions League quarter-final adventure last season?

Can Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish continue his brilliant refurbishment at Anfield and restore the five-time champions of Europe to their former glory?

They are all questions which suggest we are in for one of the most competitive and unpredictable seasons in Premier League history.

Yet so many of the answers all hang on one club, Manchester United, and one man, Sir Alex Ferguson.

It is the season in which Ferguson will turn 70. The season which will mark his 25th year as supremo at Old Trafford. The season in which he could win United's 20th league title.

A season in which he has already warned the rest that, despite his age and his astounding accomplishments, there will be no let-up in his quest to put more trophies in the Old Trafford cabinet.

"It was Liverpool's time in the '80s, it's our time now," Ferguson said after he had pocketed his 12th Premier League title.

"There's a responsibility as the manager of Manchester United. It doesn't go away. I'm not going to take it easy because we won the title. Hopefully we'll be better next season. The only thing you can do at this club is win, that's all that matters.

"We have a responsibility and expectation to live up to and that carries on next season. As I've always said, Manchester United should accept a challenge. We're good at that and, next season, we'll accept anything that comes our way."

It was why Ferguson was no slouch in his scramble for reinforcements with Edwin van der Sar, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville all having retired.

A goalkeeper was a priority and 20-year-old David De Gea from Atletico Madrid looks a shrewd piece of business. Phil Jones from Blackburn will also bolster squad depth while England's Ashley Young, signed from Aston Villa, has the opportunity to elevate his career to a new level by giving United pace and trickery out wide and in forward areas alongside Wayne Rooney.

In truth, United have been in transition for a couple of years and last season they were carried by their home form, winning 18 of their 19 matches at Old Trafford and drawing the other.

They will miss the influence of Scholes and Van der Sar but they remain the team to beat.

Not that anyone should rule out Chelsea. Villas-Boas has a sharp mind. He is a disciple of Jose Mourinho. He has strength and experience at the core of his side. His challenge is coaxing the best out of an ageing team and getting Fernando Torres to play as he did 18 months ago and not as he has for the past 12 months.

If Villas-Boas can solve when, where and how to play Torres and Didier Drogba then Chelsea could yet prove to be the most powerful squad.

Manchester City, too, are likely to be more of a team than the individuals thrown together with indecent haste and obscene amounts of cash these past couple of years. Whether they have the depth and unity to fight on all fronts, including the Champions League, and win a major prize is uncertain. They still might be a season or two away from that.

As for Tottenham, Redknapp has an impossible job trying to recreate the thrills of the San Siro and the Bernabeu last season.

Liverpool could be the ones to watch. Dalglish has worked wonders in his time back in charge. Charlie Adam from Blackpool is an inspired snip of a signing at £6.75million, just the sort of inventive midfield force required to service strikers such as Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

They are a smart bet to regain their place in England's top four, probably at the expense of Arsenal.

At the other end the same old faithful, Wolves, Wigan and West Brom, are likely to be scrapping it out in one long relegation dogfight. Almost certainly they will be joined by the newly-promoted trio in the shape of Swansea, Norwich and QPR, the latter affording volatile manager Neil Warnock another crack at the Premier League following his controversial exit with Sheffield United in 2007.

It is going to be that sort of season. Tight and tense. Anything but dull. Yet, for all its unpredictability, at the end of it do not be surprised if the big domestic prize once again goes to Ferguson. Still leading the way after all these years.

Fernandes Poised To Buy QPR For £100m

Air Asia tycoon Tony Fernandes is plotting a £100million move to buy Queens Park Rangers.

Sportsmail understands the multi-millionaire businessman, who is team principal for Formula One outfit Team Lotus, is growing increasingly confident of striking a deal to take control of the Barclays Premier League club.

Fernandes, 47, has already been shown around Loftus Road and talked to manager Neil Warnock about transfer funds as Rangers plan for their return to the top flight.

Co-owner Bernie Ecclestone has said £100m would be enough to take over the west London club. Ecclestone holds a 62 per cent shareholding and although business partner Flavio Briatore has an option to buy the shares if the 80-year-old decides to sell, it is believed the pair has given Fernandes the go-ahead for the move.

The club's other shareholder Lakshmi Mittal has failed to secure Ecclestone's shares after refusing to meet the asking price.

A QPR statement confirmed 'preliminary discussions' had taken place over the sale. West Ham fan Fernandes lost out to David Gold and David Sullivan in his bid to buy the Hammers in January 2010 but claimed earlier this year that he was still looking to invest in the club.