German Bundesliga Review

Robin Dutt celebrated his first victory in charge of Bayer Leverkusen as a Michal Kadlec goal was enough to see off Werder Bremen at the BayArena.

Kadlec scored the decisive goal in the 85th minute to help Leverkusen pick up their first win of the campaign and lift them up to mid-table.

Bundesliga new-boys Augsburg maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-1 draw at Kaiserslautern on Sunday.

Sascha Molders scored his third goal in two games to put Augsburg in front in the ninth minute, but Etey Shechter levelled for the hosts 10 minutes from time.

On Saturday, a last-gasp goal from Luiz Gustavo was enough to give Bayern Munich their first win of the Bundesliga season at the expense of Wolfsburg.

The Brazilian midfielder struck practically with the last kick of the game to silence the VW-Arena after a legitimate goal from Patrick Helmes had been disallowed in the first half.

The rather fortunate win lifts Bayern up to mid-table and gives them confidence ahead of their Champions League bow against FC Zurich in midweek.

Borussia Dortmund was brought back down to earth with a bump with a 1-0 defeat at Hoffenheim.

Having opened their Bundesliga campaign with a convincing victory over Hamburg last weekend, the defending champions were unable to build on that at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena, succumbing to Sejad Salihovic's early goal.

Four goals in 17 minutes and a hat-trick from Dutch striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar secured an emphatic win for Schalke over Cologne at the Veltins Arena.

Last season's Champions League semi-finalists fell behind to a Lukas Podolski strike but recovered well to claim all three points as goals from Lewis Holtby and Raul, as well as Huntelaar's hat-trick, gave them their first Bundesliga win of the season.

Borussia Monchengladbach and Stuttgart defended their unbeaten starts to the season with a 1-1 draw at the Borussia Park Stadion.

The goals arrived in quick succession after a keenly fought first half had ended all square.

Gladbach were first to strike with a penalty in the 67th minute, converted by Filip Daems, and Stuttgart replied in the 71st minute through Cacau.

The home side ended the game with 10 men due to Roel Brouwers' red card in the 80th minute, but they weathered a late Stuttgart storm to hold on for a point.

Mainz's hopes of repeating their stunning start to last season remain intact after they made it two wins from two in the current campaign with a 2-1 victory over Freiburg.

All the goals came in the second half with Marcel Risse and Eric Choupo-Moting putting Mainz 2-0 up before Freiburg netted a stoppage-time consolation through Papiss Demba Cisse.

Hertha Berlin equalized two minutes before the end of each half to deny Hamburg a win and claim their first point in a 2-2 draw since their return to the Bundesliga.

Mladen Petric opened the scoring from the spot for the hosts after 25 minutes, but Tunay Torun levelled just before the break.

Son Heung-min restored the home side's advantage just before the hour mark but Andre Mijatovic struck from a corner to salvage a point for the capital club, who also hit the woodwork twice.

Hannover warmed up for their much-anticipated Europa League tie against Sevilla next week with a 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Nurnberg.

Mirko Slomka's side forged ahead after a quarter of an hour through Mohammed Abdellaoue and they doubled their advantage when Konstantin Rausch scored from the penalty spot following a foul on Abdellaoue by Nurnberg goalkeeper Raphael Schafer.

The home side pulled one back through Tomas Pekhart after 55 minutes but Hannover held on to make it two wins from two this season to build on their impressive fourth-placed finish last term.

Dutch League Review

Ajax overwhelmed Heerenveen in the second half at the Amsterdam ArenA to sit atop the embryonic Eredivisie table after a 5-1 victory.

The hosts led 2-1 at half-time thanks to Toby Alderweireld's wonder strike after Bas Dost had cancelled out Kolbeinn Sigthorsson's opener.

It was a different story after the break, though, as Derk Boerrigter, Miralem Sulejmani and Gregory van der Wiel all netted to give the capital giants a comfortable win.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Heracles Almelo fought back from a half-time deficit to defeat NAC Breda and record their first victory of the new Eredivisie season.

Visitors NAC took a 32nd-minute lead through Matthew Amoah but Heracles drew level thanks to a Willy Overtoom penalty midway through the second half and then snatched the winner through Everton 14 minutes from time.

Tim Matavz struck a first-half hat-trick as FC Groningen bounced back from their opening-weekend defeat with a home triumph over ADO Den Haag on Sunday.

Slovenia international Matavz netted in the 17th, 21st and 38th minutes and when Leandro Bacuna made it 4-0 immediately after half-time Groningen were on course for a comprehensive victory.

However, ADO hit back with quickfire goals from Lex Immers and Mike van Duinen to at least save some face.

Two goals by Jacob Mulenga in the last 12 minutes of the game saw FC Utrecht come back to claim a 2-2 draw against De Graafschap.

Goals by Rydell Poepon and Soufian El Hassnaoui had given the visitors a two-goal lead as they searched for their first point of the season after their 4-1 mauling by Ajax in the opening game.

However, Mulenga struck with 12 minutes to go and equalized five minutes later to give the hosts their second consecutive draw.

On Saturday, Feyenoord and FC Twente made it two wins out of two at the start of the Eredivisie season with impressive victories.

Jerson Cabral scored two and created the third as Ronald Koeman's Feyenoord swept aside Roda JC 3-0 at De Kuip.

The 20-year-old winger scored two brilliant individual goals either side of a Leroy Fer effort.

Twente were 2-0 winners over an AZ Alkmaar side who had beaten PSV Eindhoven in their first game.

Marc Janko headed home the first goal in the third minute and a fine solo strike from substitute Bryan Ruiz midway through the second half made the result safe.

PSV bounced back from their opening-day defeat with a 1-0 success at home to RKC Waalwijk thanks to a 24th-minute goal from Dries Mertens.

Vitesse Arnhem secured their first win of the campaign with a thumping 4-0 win over VVV-Venlo at the GelreDome.

John van den Brom's side dominated proceedings and scored twice in each half, the goals coming from Marco van Ginkel, a Marcel Meeuwis own goal, Wilfried Bony and Giorgi Chanturia.

French League Review

Lille's stuttering start to the new campaign continued as last season's champions lost 1-0 at home to Montpellier.

Rudi Garcia's side was held to a 1-1 draw against Nancy on the opening weekend and a second-half strike from Olivier Giroud was enough for Montpellier to inflict a defeat on the double winners.

In contrast, the victory for Montpellier means they have won their opening two games of the new season following last weekend's impressive 3-1 victory against Auxerre.

Auxerre recovered from a 2-0 half-time deficit to salvage a point from their home clash with Marseille on Sunday.

Marseille looked on course for the win as goals at either end of the first half from Loic Remy and Andre Ayew put them in charge at the break.

However, Auxerre netted almost immediately after the restart through Alain Traore to get back into the contest and Roy Contout's equalizer eight minutes from full-time saw the hosts claim a draw.

Elsewhere on Sunday, a second-half goal by Saber Khelifa guided Evian to their first ever win in Ligue 1 as they edged out Nice.

Bernard Casoni's side was promoted for the second successive season at the end of the last campaign when they were Ligue 2 champions.

Evian had drawn their first match in the top flight last week against Brest but Khelifa's effort ensured they took all three points.

On Saturday, Toulouse, Caen and St Etienne all made it two wins from two in Ligue 1 - but big-spending Paris St Germain were still looking for their first victory after being held to a 1-1 draw at Rennes.

Toulouse scored twice in the final 20 minutes, through Umut Bulut and a Paulo Machado penalty, to see off top-flight new boys Dijon 2-0.

Two former Sochaux players returned to haunt the Montbeliard side as Caen sealed a 2-1 victory at Stade Auguste Bonal.

Romain Hamouma, who spent five years with Sochaux as a youth-team player, gave the visitors a first-half lead, before Pierre Alain-Frau - who made more than 200 appearances for Les Lionceaux - doubled the advantage.

Ryad Boudebouz pulled a goal back three minutes into stoppage time, but the hosts were unable to find an equalizer.

Sylvain Marchal fired home from close range three minutes from time to give St Etienne a richly-deserved 1-0 victory over Nancy at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

The leading trio found themselves five points clear of PSG, whose stuttering start to the league campaign - following their summer takeover by Qatar Sports Investments - continued.

The capital club went down 1-0 at Lorient in their Ligue 1 opener last Saturday and fared only slightly better tonight as Jonathan Pitroipa's 88th-minute leveller for Rennes cancelled out Kevin Gameiro's 73rd-minute strike.

Elsewhere, Lisandro Lopez struck a late equaliser for Lyon to deny newly-promoted Ajaccio an unlikely victory at the Stade Gerland.

Lisandro netted seven minutes from time to earn Les Gones a 1-1 result after a 59th-minute goal from Frederic Sammaritano had put the visitors ahead against the run of play.

A stoppage-time goal from Henrique also salvaged a 1-1 draw for 10-man Bordeaux at the Stade du Moustoir after Yann Jouffre's 82nd-minute strike appeared to have earned Lorient their second win in as many games.

Les Girondins were a man down for the final 11 minutes following the dismissal of Gregory Sertic for a second bookable offence.

In the late kick-off, Valenciennes and Brest battled out a 0-0 draw in the first Ligue 1 match at VA's new Stade du Hainaut home.

Both teams created plenty of chances but there was no breakthrough, with VA goalkeeper Nicolas Penneteau and Brest counterpart Steve Elana solid throughout.

Chelsea Offer Tottenham Three Players To Seal £35m Modric Transfer

Chelsea will give Tottenham their pick of three of their players in a bid to secure the signing of Luka Modric.

The Blues are desperate to bring the Croatia international to Stamford Bridge but have been surprised by their rival's stubbornness in negotiations. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is notorious for driving a hard bargain but he has outdone himself on this occasion by refusing to be moved by either Chelsea's approach on the player's wishes.

Bids of £22m and £27m have been lodged and rejected and the West London club is now prepared to up the ante, driven by a need to add some much-needed creativity to their squad. To tempt Tottenham they are prepared to let them have one or all of Yossi Benayoun, Gael Kakuta and Salomon Kalou - plus cash - in a last-ditch bid to snare Modric despite chairman Bruce Buck attempting to play down the pursuit of any potential transfer targets

Manager Harry Redknapp is known to be an admirer of Didier Drogba though Chelsea will not sanction the departure of the giant Ivorian despite his advancing years and fierce competition for the central striker role. Whether Spurs will have their head turned remains to be seen as they weigh up the need to raise funds to invest in a new front line against the prestige of keeping Modric at the club.

Tottenham Prepare £35m Offer For La Liga Hotshot

Tottenham and Napoli will go head to head for £35m signature of Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi.

The Italy international has been tracked by Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus this summer but Villarreal have so far refused to sell their marquee name.

Napolis president has gone on record to state his admiration for the former Manchester United youngster, and could rival any bid that arises from White Hart Lane.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who failed in an attempt to sign Rossi in January, has been keeping close tabs on the 24-year-olds situation and watched as the strikers proposed move to Juventus collapsed.

Redknapp is determined not to miss out on the forward this time round as he looks to freshen up his strike force after seeing Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko manage just 17 Premier League goals between them last season.

Rossi recently spoke of his respect for Napoli but would jump at the opportunity to return to the Premier League, according to sources close to the player.

Spurs will offload Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios to Stoke for £20m to partly finance the deal.

According to the Daily Mail, Redknapp is prepared to offload wantaway midfielder Luka Modric to fund the signing of up to three strikers, but chairman Daniel Levy is keen to keep the Croat.

The North London club has been linked with several big-name forwards this summer including Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente, Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan and Portos Radamel Falcao.

Arsenal Consider Shock Swoop For Liverpool Midfielder

Joe Cole has emerged as a shock transfer target for Arsenal as the Londoners prepare for life without Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

The Liverpool midfielder has struggled to hold down a regular place in Kenny Dalglish's side after enduring a difficult debut season characterized by injuries and a loss of form.

Cole's situation on Merseyside has been compounded further by the summer arrivals of midfield signings Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is now willing to offer Cole an escape route from his Anfield nightmare as the French tactician seeks replacements for Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, who are bound for Barcelona and Manchester City respectively.

Wenger still sees potential in Cole and he believes the former West Ham man can still do a job in central midfield or on the left-wing.

The Merseyside club is looking to get Cole's £90,000 weekly wages off their books, but Wenger will ask the player to take a considerable pay-cut if he is to secure a switch back to London.

The 29-year-old's switch from Chelsea to Liverpool wad widely regarded as one of the major transfers coups of last summer, with former Kop boss Roy Hodgson snapping up the playmaker on a free.

Premier League new boys QPR have also been linked with a move but Cole is convinced he can still play at the very top level.

Liverpool Set To Offer Stoke £10m Plus Player For English Defender

Liverpool will make a last ditch offer of £10million plus midfielder Christian Poulsen to Stoke City for captain Ryan Shawcross.

The Reds are in need of central defensive cover because of doubts over Jamie Carragher and Sotirios Kyrgiakos’ long-term futures and Daniel Agger’s fitness.

Anfield boss Kenny Dalglish has already had a £10million offer rejected by the Potters who want closer to £18million for the club skipper.

The 23-year-old has impressed with his no-nonsense approach to defending and fits into Dalglish’s policy of buying young British talent.

But the Liverpool manager’s hands are tied as he cannot improve on his original bid until he manages to sell the dead wood at the club.

Poulsen is one of the unwanted figures, as is Alberto Aquilani, David Ngog and Joe Cole.

The Denmark international has rejected several offers from his homeland but has demanded he either play in the Reds’ first-team or he be sold by the August 31 deadline.

Dalglish will put his offer forward as he is aware the transfer window will soon close and he needs a centre-back in the club now rather than in January.

Newcastle Plot Move For Lyon Full-Back

Newcastle is set to continue their French revolution with a move for Lyon defender Aly Cissokho, according to reports in Paris.

Alan Pardew is in the hunt for a new left-back following Jose Enrique's departure to Liverpool earlier this month and has identified Cissokho as his first-choice replacement.

The 23-year-old has been linked with a move away from Lyon all summer and was wanted by Liverpool before they completed the signing of Enrique.

But now it has been reported that Newcastle are lining up an £8m offer for Cissokho, who has made no secret of his desire to try his hand in English football.

The left-back would become Pardew's fifth French signing of the summer following the arrivals of Sylvain Marveaux, Yohan Cabaye, Mehdi Abeid and Gabriel Obertan.

Sevilla’s Rodri Set To Undergo Medical Ahead Of Barcelona Move

Sevilla have confirmed that Rodri is set to undergo a medical with Barcelona before joining the Camp Nou outfit.

The 21-year-old developed through the youth ranks in Seville before earning his debut for the senior team last term, making five appearances in La Liga.

However, his spell at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan appears over as he gets set to join the European champions, possibly as a replacement for Bojan Krkic who moved to Italian side Roma.

A statement on Sevilla's official website reads:

"Sevilla FC forward Rodri will be in Barcelona later [Monday evening] to have his medical. Barcelona is interested in the player to join their B team.

"As the first stage of the process in terms of leading to an agreement between the clubs, Rodri will have a medical, as is always the case in these types of moves."

Rodri scored 19 goals playing for the Sevilla B side last season before being promoted to the first-team.

Zuculini Set For Zaragoza Loan

Hoffenheim misfit Franco Zuculini is to make a season-long loan move to Real Zaragoza, according to the German club's general manager.

The Argentine had only just returned to Rhein-Neckar-Arena after six months on loan Racing Club in his homeland.

But Hoffenheim general manager Ernst Tanner has announced the 20-year-old midfielder will again be sent elsewhere in order to play more football.

Tanner told Deutsche Presseagentur: "Hoffenheim and Real Zaragoza have agreed on terms. Franco will be playing for Zaragoza until the end of the season.

"He will have better chance to play regularly at that club. And regular match action is definitely helping him to develop as a player."

Zuculini joined Hoffenheim from Racing Club two years ago for a transfer fee of £3.9m. He has a contract at Hoffenheim until June 2014.

Cesc Fabregas To Undergo Barcelona Medical On Monday

Arsenal playmaker Cesc Fabregas is ready to complete his long-awaited transfer to Barcelona on Monday, as he is preparing to undergo a medical, according to Marca.

The publication reports that the two clubs have reached an agreement on the sale of the 24-year-old, who is now close to concluding his move to Camp Nou, and could possibly feature for Barcelona in their Supercopa second-leg fixture against Real Madrid on Wednesday.

It is expected that Fabregas will pass the routine checks and subsequently put pen to paper on a lucrative five-year contract, before being officially unveiled to the media in the week.

The news comes off the back of coach Pep Guardiola's announcement that talks to bring in the Gunners' No. 4 were at a very advanced stage.

Tottenham Plot Shock Swoop For Arsenal Defender

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is plotting a shock raid on bitter rivals Arsenal for right-back Bacary Sagna, according to The People.

It is understood that France international would be prepared to make the move to Arsenals foes having grown disillusioned with the impending departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri as well as the clubs six-year silverware drought.

Redknapp is keen to sign an experienced right back despite the emergence of England Under-21 star Kyle Walker.

And after making an audacious swoop for Arsenals William Gallas last summer, he wants to repeat the trick with Sagna one of the Premier Leagues top right-backs.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is determined to hold on to Sagna, who is regarded as one of the most influential characters in the teams changing rooms and his disaffection will be viewed with alarm at the Emirates.

The 28-year-old was a £9million signing from Auxerre in 2007 and he would not be allowed to go for anything less.

Redknapp is impressed by Walker, who has been out on loan at Aston Villa and QPR, but he believes the youngster could develop into a quality right winger in much the same way that Gareth Bale moved from left-back to the left wing.

Man United Target £14m Newcastle Star To Bolster Midfield

Manchester United has identified Cheick Tiote as the man to beef up their midfield.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team may have won the Premier League without too many alarms last season but there is till concern at Old Trafford that the centre of midfield is a bit lightweight. Michael Carrick is more of a passer than a destroyer with Anderson seemingly a jack of all trades but master of none. Darren Fletcher remains the one real dynamic performer but with the Scotland international still recovering from a debilitating virus, there is a definite lack of bite and industry in the heart of the United team.

Tiote would certainly add both those attributes after an excellent debut season in England since arriving from FC Twente last summer for £3.5m. His muscular displays saw him win many favourable comparisons with Chelsea enforcer Michael Essien and he was indeed the subject of interest from the Londoners in January prompting Newcastle to give their man a new contract after just six months at the club.

The Blues were expected to renew their interest in the Ivory Coast international following the injury to Essien in pre-season training that has sidelined him for six months but instead it is United that are showing the strongest interest. With money not an issue on Tyneside due to the £35m windfall that the Magpies received from the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool, The Red Devils will need to offer in excess of £14m to get their man.

Juventus Looking To Take Alex On Loan

Juventus has shown interest in Chelsea defender Alex, but the Bianconeri are hoping to bring the Brazilian on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.

The Old Lady is looking for defensive reinforcements and they have now set their sights on Chelsea’s Alex.

The Italian giants have been linked with a £7.5m move for the 29-year-old, but La Gazzetta dello Sport says that Juventus are only interested in a loan deal.

The Bianconeri are reluctant to splash the cash on the injury prone defender and would rather bring him on loan with an option to buy his contract at the end of the season.

Should Chelsea reject the loan offer, Juventus will turn their attention to Uruguay international Sebastian Coates.

Arsenal Consider £20m Offer For Everton Defender

Arsenal is expected to make a renewed bid for Everton defender Phil Jagielka this week as the club come to terms with the imminent departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasr, according to the Daily Mail.

Fabregas is due to fly to Barcelona on Monday to complete his £35million move, and Samir Nasri will be sold to Manchester City for £20m.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is also still searching for a midfield replacement for Fabregas, having ruled out Valencia's Juan Mata, but is adamant he will not pay over the odds for players despite raising up to £55m from the sales of his star duo.

Fabregas will finally complete his protracted move to boyhood club Barcelona on Monday when he undergoes a medical, but Barca manager Pep Guardiola has appeared to criticize the premature euphoria of his players Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, who had used Twitter to announce the Fabregas deal on Friday.

Guardiola said: 'Cesc is still an Arsenal player. When I want to know the latest on the matter I don't look at the tweets of Pique and Puyol. I speak to the directors and they tell me that matters are very advanced but some papers unsigned.'

Fabregas will wear the No 4 shirt at Barca, the shirt once worn there by Guardiola himself.

Given Everton manager David Moyes is unwilling to sell Phil Jagielka, only a £20m bid is likely to succeed, but Arsenal are reluctant to pay that for a player who is 29 this week.

A source close to Jagielka said he is 'ambitious for Champions League football but sensible', indicating that he will not agitate for a move unless Everton decide to sell him.

Manchester United Chase Mario Goetze

Manchester United has switched their attention to Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Goetze after missing out on Wesley Sneijder.

Sir Alex Ferguson was looking to reinforce his midfield with the Inter star, but the deal fell through as the Dutch international was not prepared to take a pay cut to join United.

Sunday Express now reports that United have turned their attention to Borussia Dortmund superstar Mario Goetze, who has enjoyed a remarkable start to the season.

The 19-year-old first helped Borussia win their opening game against Hamburger before scoring a goal as Germany beat Brazil in midweek.

The German club is not willing to sell their most prized asset, while the player himself is adamant he is happy in Dortmund, but the recent reports suggest that a £20 million offer could make BVB chiefs change their minds.

Manchester United, however, face a stiff competition from Barcelona and Real Madrid, as the Spanish giants are also keen on the youngster.

Porto Agree To Sign Standard Liege Duo

Porto is set to sign Steven Defour and Eliaquim Mangala, Belgian newspaper Le Soir has revealed.

The Dragons have been keeping tabs on the Standard Liege duo for quite a while and they appear to have agreed a transfer fee with the Belgian club.

The total cost of the transfer will be around €13 million, with both players set to sign five-year deals at Dragao.

According to the Belgian newspaper, Standard Liege have scheduled a new conference for Monday to announce the departure of the two players.

Midfielder Steven Defour has been linked with a number of top European clubs in the past, including Manchester United, but the interest in his services subsided as he missed big part of last season through injury.

Eliaquim Mangala has earned rave reviews for his defensive performances last season and the 20-year-old has now jumped at the opportunity to join a bigger club.

Atalanta Confirm Denis Deal

Atalanta has made it clear they will sign German Denis from Udinese in the next few days. “There’s no maybe about it.”

The deal has been done to bring the Argentine striker, nicknamed El Tanque, to the Stadio Azzurri d’Italia this summer.

“There’s no maybe about it. We are just waiting for his agent Leo Rodriguez to arrive so we can put pen to paper with Denis,” said Atalanta director Pierpaolo Marino.

“As for further reinforcements, we lack nothing in terms of creativity and quality. We will only make more changes based on the needs of the squad.

“The President doesn’t hold back from making personal sacrifices for the good of Atalanta.”

It is going to be a tough campaign, as the newly-promoted side start from -6 points due to the betting scandal that saw Cristiano Doni and Thomas Manfredini banned for three years.

The Bergamo club has already lodged an appeal against the punishment.

Manchester United Pair Contemplate Moves To Premier League Rivals

Blackburn Rovers are looking at bringing two Manchester United stars on loan to Ewood Park.

Their manager Steve Kean confirmed the approach, with much speculation about which players are the subject of Rovers' interest.

It is believed that one player would be one of Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda to add firepower up front.

The other would be to add culture to the midfield, with either Tom Cleverley or the teenage Paul Pogba brought in.

"I had a chat with Sir Alex after Paul Scholes' testimonial about a couple of players and that is ongoing," said Kean.

"I don't want to name names because I want to be respectful of Manchester United and Sir Alex," said the Rovers manager.

"We have a good relationship. He has taken one of our players. I saw him at the Premier League managers meeting as well and hopefully we can keep that relationship up and if we do want to loan a player then he will be complimentary to what we are trying to do.

"I don't want to name names but the loan market is definitely something we can look at."

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."

Arsenal And Tottenham Fight Over Inter Milan Star Transfer

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are on high alert after Cameroon star Samuel Eto'o admitted on Saturday he could leave Inter Milan.

The 30-year-old said while he is in talks with Russians Anzhi Makhachkala, he could yet stay with Inter Milan or even head to England - where Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is certainly keen on a new forward.

Anzhi, from the capital of the restless Russian republic of Dagestan, are in advanced negotiations with Inter for the striker in a reported 20-30 million euro transfer.

Press reports in Italy suggest he's also been offered between 15-20 million euros a season.

However, speaking at a press conference in Douala, Eto'o told journalists that he doesn't yet know where he will be playing this season.

"The negotiations (with Anzhi) are ongoing, you must be patient," he said according to media in Cameroon and Italy.

"There's nothing to say I will leave and nothing to say I will stay, there could still be a surprise from England.

"Wait until the end of the transfer window (at the end of the month) which is coming up soon.

"The truth is I'm still under contract with Inter Milan.

"When I leave here I'll go and continue the negotiations."

Eto'o is the most decorated player in African history having won the Champions League three times, twice with Barcelona and once with Inter.

The four-time African player of the year also won three league titles with Barca and one with Inter while with Cameroon he has twice won the African Cup of Nations.

He began his career with Real Madrid before having loan spells with Leganes, Espanyol and Mallorca, whom he then joined permanently.

He helped Mallorca to a Copa del Rey victory in 2003, earning a move to Barca the next year.

He joined Inter in 2009 in a swap deal involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the Italians also receiving 50 million euros.

Anzhi have only had one full season in the Russian top flight but have become a major player since they were bought by Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov, who has poured money into the club.

Despite the dangers in Dagestan, where a low-level Islamic insurgency has made the republic very unstable, Anzhi have already managed to attract the likes of Roberto Carlos and Yuri Zhirkov.

They play their home matches in Makhachkala but the players live and train in Moscow for security reasons.

Chelsea Hijack Man City Transfer Of Serie A Ace

Chelsea have entered the race to sign Fiorentina winger Alessio Cerci, meaning Manchester City could well miss out on his signature.

Man City boss Roberto Mancini has made no secret of his interest in the 24 year-old Italian, but equally has made it quite clear that he is frustrated with the board's slow approach to the transfer market.

"[Cerci] is a good, young player, who could be an option," revealed a smiling Mancini yesterday.

The smile soon disappeared though when he talked about the lack of progress made with signings.

"Last year was the same too,"

"I don't understand this. I thought we could get all the players we needed three or four weeks ago. But here we are and the deals aren't closed.

"I asked for [Nasri] two months ago. I'm worried because I don't have this player today and I probably won't have him tomorrow. We play three games in August and I am worried."

Andre Villas Boas is thought to be concerned by the lack of width in the Chelsea team, so perhaps Alessio Cerci would be a valuable asset at Stamford Bridge.

Blackburn Rovers Complete Deal For Bruno Ribeiro

Blackburn Rovers have confirmed the signing of Brazilian full back Bruno Ribeiro, who signs a three-year deal with the club, signing on a free transfer.

The defender has spent part of pre-season with the club on a trial basis and has done enough to convince new manager Steve Kean that he should be part of his plans for the forthcoming season.

Ribeiro pulled on the blue and white shirt over the pre-season, starring in the clubs victories over Accrington Stanley and Kilmarnock and also linked up with the squad at their pre-season training camp in Austria.

This gave manager Kean the chance to cast an eye over his new signing and allowed for the Brazilian to get to know his new team mates.

The 28-year-old Ribeiro joins from Brazilian club Gremio Barueri and the transfer offers him the chance to move away from his homeland and try to establish himself in the English Premier League.

Manager Steve Kean has been relatively busy in the transfer of late, with the most notable signing being striker David Goodwillie from Dundee United, who will be expected to provide the goals for the Lancashire outfit.

Arsenal Tell Man City: Carlos Tevez For Samir Nasri

Arsenal has sensationally told Manchester City: Give us Carlos Tevez and you can have Samir Nasri. Hitman Tevez has been trying to get out of Manchester all summer.

And with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger under growing pressure to bring in a top buy, the Gunners have suddenly come up with their shock proposal.

Midfielder Nasri had hoped to sign for City by yesterday lunchtime after being promised a £180,000-a-week deal.

But Arsenal - also on the verge of losing skipper Cesc Fabregas - has blocked the move while they see if they can sort a swap with Tevez.

The Gunners will have to make a cash adjustment in City's favour for the Argie because the club's top scorer is valued at £50million.

The best Arsenal can get for Nasri is £25m as there is only one year remaining on the French star's contract - meaning he could walk for nothing next summer.

However, Arsenal are hoping to get the Tevez fee down by £10m.

And they believe they can come to an agreement over his wages which could be as much as £200,000 a week.

Tevez has said he wants out of City to be closer to his family in Argentina but London is only 200 miles nearer South America than Manchester.

However, SunSport understands Tevez would be delighted to join Arsenal in a move which would be a massive boost for their fans.

An Arsenal insider said: "Tevez would be just the signing to give everyone a lift.

"There is a lot of work to be done yet but if there is a will on all sides it can happen.

"Nasri wants to get to City, Tevez wants to get out and Wenger needs a new star to get everyone off his back.

"It seems like win-win all round."

Liverpool Make £16m Player Plus Cash Offer For Star Man

Liverpool has stolen ahead of Arsenal in the pursuit of Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill.

According to ESPN, the Merseyside club has offered £12m and French striker David Ngog in part exchange in order to bring Cahill to Anfield.

With Jamie Carragher in the twilight of his career, it is only natural that Kenny Dalglish is looking for his successor, but it may come as somewhat of a surprise that he is not looking to promote from within.

While Martin Kelly cut his teeth for Liverpool last season at right back, it is widely believed that he will ultimately ply his trade in the centre of the defence – and of course Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger offer more experienced options when fit.

Gary Cahill is a proven centre half at Premier League and international level. He would be a risk free signing even at such a price, while there has been a feeling within the Liverpool hierarchy that David Ngog would not make the grade as a 20 goal per season man at a top club.

Tottenham And Chelsea In Last Chance To Sign Radamel Falcao

London rivals Spurs and Chelsea are locked in a head-to-head battle to sign Porto striker Radamel Falcao.

Harry Redknapp has reportedly eyed up a £35 million bid for the Colombian star, while Stamford Bridge could also be a potential destination for the forward as he has previously worked with new Chelsea boss Andres Villas-Boas.

If either club is to get their man then they will have to fight off competition from the two Madrid sides, with Real and Atletico both keeping an eye on developments.

Portuguese newspaper A Bola has said that Jose Mourinho is even prepared to wait until the start of next season to get his man, while Atletico's president Enrique Cerezo confirmed that Falcao 'is an objective of ours'.

Last season, Falcao scored 17 goals as his Porto side won the Europa League, including the only goal in the final against Braga.

Spurs have been hoping to bring in a top class striker all summer, with moves for Giuseppe Rossi and Alberto Gilardino among those reported.

It comes as Redknapp appears to have lost patience with current strike force Robbie Keane, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Keane was sent out on loan last season and is wanted by Leicester City, Stoke City have bid for Peter Crouch and Pavlyuchenko's future has been in doubt for some time.

Vela Set For La Liga Loan

Arsenal forward Carlos Vela is set for a loan move in Spain, according to the player's agent.

Vela, 22, has already had loan spells in Spain with UD Salamanca and Osasuna since signing for Arsenal in 2005, and he spent time last season at West Brom.

With the Mexico international still not deemed ready for first-team duties at Arsenal, agent Eduardo Hernandez has revealed a return to La Liga could be sealed within days.

He told ESPN: "I'm going to fly to London tonight to finalize things with Arsenal.

"We have three teams in Spain that have made offers and we think that playing in Spain would be a good move for Carlos. Arsenal are happy for him to go out on loan and we hope to find a solution by next week."

Cruzeiro Interested In Signing Keirrison On Loan

Cruzeiro is interested in the loan signing of Barcelona's out-of-favour striker Keirrison, Lancenet reports.

The Brazilian forward signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2009 for €14 million. And although labelled as a hot prospect, he has failed to make a name for himself in Europe.

Keirrison has struggled for form during his loan spells at Benfica, Fiorentina and Santos, with the Brazilian side cutting his stay short earlier in the summer to allow him to find a club where he can flourish.

Spanish sources have suggested that Keirrison could spend the season with Barcelona's B squad, but fresh speculation in Brazil indicates Cruzeiro are willing to sign him on a temporary basis.

Cruzeiro, who have a record of just over one goal per match this term, are reportedly only receptive to the idea of covering part of Keirrison's wages.

Jan Vertonghen On Inter Radar

Inter are considering making a move for Ajax defender Jan Vertonghen as they are looking to bolster their defensive options ahead of the start of the 2011-12 Serie A campaign, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.

New head coach Gian Piero Gasperini isn't convinced Christian Chivu is the right man to fill in the position of left central defender in his 3-4-3 formation and sees Vertonghen as the perfect addition to his back-line.

The 24-year-old defender has a contract until the summer of 2013 with Ajax, but has a limited fee release clause in his deal.

Ajax's Danny Blind recently revealed that Vertonghen's buy-out clause is over €20 million (£17.5m), but the Eredivisie champions could be tempted to cash in on their skipper if an offer in the region of €12m (£10.5m) comes in.

Vertonghen was previously linked with Manchester City and Arsenal, but a move to the Premier League never materialized.