Chelsea Defender Kalas Joins Vitesse Arnhem On Loan

Chelsea defender Tomas Kalas - who has yet to play a game for the club since joining in 2010 - has been sent out on loan to Vitesse Arnhem for the season.

The Czech defender moved to Stamford Bridge last year from Sigma Olomouc for a fee believed to be in the region of £5m.

Chelsea immediately sent him back to the club on loan for the first year of his deal before recalling him from his loan in the second half of last season.

He made his debut for the reserves against Aston Villa in February but has so far not featured for the senior team.

Kalas, 18, can play in the centre of defence or right-back and he will continue his development at Vitesse for a season.

Romero Signs For Sampdoria

AZ Alkmaar have confirmed goalkeeper Sergio Romero has signed for Sampdoria in a deal worth 3.5million euros (£3.1m).

The 24-year-old was said to be looking for a new challenge after four years in Holland and still had two years left on his old contract.

During his time with Alkmaar he helped them to claim the Eredivisie title and the Dutch Cup.

Romero was Argentina's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup and this summer's Copa America.

Betting Recommendations for Barclays Premier League Matches (22 August 2011)

MANCHESTER UNITED vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS

Patrice Evra returns to the Manchester United line-up for Monday's Barclays Premier League match with Spurs after missing the season-opening win at West Bromwich Albion with an ankle injury. With Rio Ferdinand unlikely to return until next weekend due to a hamstring injury, and with captain Nemanja Vidic out for up to five weeks with a calf problem, youngsters Phil Jones and Jonny Evans will form the centre-back pairing. Darren Fletcher (virus), Antonio Valencia (ankle) and Javier Hernandez (concussion) are all closing in on a return, but are not yet ready.

Luka Modric is likely to return to Tottenham's starting line-up after missing the 5-0 win over Hearts with a minor groin injury. Tom Huddlestone (ankle) could also return after starting on the bench at Tynecastle, but fellow midfielders Sandro, Wilson Palacios (both knee) Steven Pienaar (groin), and Jermaine Jenas (Achilles) are all out.

This is the game of the week and is a fixture which rarely goes without controversy. In 2005, Pedro Mendes half-way line effort beat then Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll and crossed the line, only for the goal to be notoriously not given while last season, Spurs stopper Heurelho Gomes was on the receiving end of further controversy, when Portuguese winger Nani capitalised upon a mix-up between the Brazilian and referee Mark Clattenburg. However, with Man Utd having some sort of back line problem, I expect Man Utd to be extra cautious in their approach towards this game. Tottenham last tasted victory at Old Trafford in 1989 and last beat Man Utd in 2001. Expect Man Utd to continue its record against Tottenham, but my bet will be Under 2.50.

Juan Mata Set for Chelsea as Valencia Accept £23.5m Offer

The Spain winger was a target for Arsenal, but Arsene Wenger pulled out of the race to sign him last week, leaving Chelsea free to snap up the 23-year-old.

Lawyers for Valencia and Chelsea are still finalising a few details, but reports in the Spanish press suggest the La Liga club have accepted the offer and Mata has told coach Unai Emery that he wants to move to Stamford Bridge.

Mata is likely to sign a five-year contract with the Blues.

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has spoken of his desire to add a number of creative players to his squad and, despite the deal for Mata, still wants to sign Modric.

Spurs have said the Croatian playmaker is not for sale at any price, but the Blues will try to tempt them with a cash-plus-player offer involving Yossi Benayoun and Salomon Kalou.

Manchester United in Last Attempt to Land £35m Dutch Star

Sir Alex Ferguson will make one last attempt to sign long-term target Wesley Sneijder, after the unsettled midfielder pulled out of training in a desperate attempt to secure a move to the Premier League champions.

According to the Daily Mail, the Manchester United manager has been encouraged by Inter Milan's unusual statement on their official website that Sneijder had not trained due to 'personal reasons' and that he would not be available for Sundays home friendly against Olympiakos.

The 27-year-old has been heavily linked with a £35m move to United for much of the summer as Ferguson tries to replace the retired Paul Scholes.

But it has been reported that the Dutchman's high salary demands had been proving to be somewhat of a stumbling block and the Red Devils informed Sneijjder that he would have to lower his £250,000-a-week wages to secure a move to the Premier League champions.

And any move seemed dead when Sir Alex said he felt a big midfield signing might impede the development of Tom Cleverley and the highly promising Paul Pogba.

He said: 'There's an emphasis on young players in the squad and there always has been.'

And on Pogba he said: 'We have to give him the opportunity to see how he can do in the first team, and hes got great ability, plus hes got the physique and athleticism.'

However, there might be a rethink after Inter's statement yesterday as well as talk from those close to Sneijder that he would be willing to drop his pay needs to closer to United's wage ceiling.

He has also been touted as an alternative target for Manchester City and Chelsea should their respective approaches for Samir Nasri and Luka Modric prove fruitless.

Man City Boss Keen On Sebastian Coates

Roberto Mancini is desperate to sign Uruguay centre-half Sebastian Coates, according to The People.

The City boss is a huge admirer of the Nacional defender and the Italian has urged his board to hand him another £6m to sign the youngster.

If the proposed £25m deal for Arsenals Samir Nasri does go through, Coates acquisition would take the Blues summer spending to £76m.

But Mancini is hoping to offload fringe players like Wayne Bridge, Nedum Onuoha and Shaun Wright-Phillips to free up space for Coates.

The 20-year-old was voted Young Player of the Tournament last month when he helped Uruguay win the Copa America and reported suitors include Arsenal, Liverpool, Porto and Sao Paulo.

If a deal can’t be done by the end of this month, Mancini is certain to resurrect his interest in the young South American when the transfer window re-opens in January.

Coates is an elegant and quick defender, comfortable with possession and capable of bringing the ball out from defence.

He missed out on his country's World Cup squad in South Africa last summer and his inexperience at senior international level could provide an obstacle in obtaining a work permit, although he does have Spanish and British ancestry.

Kaka Cut for Arsenal Switch

Real Madrid striker Kaka has been cut to 10/1 (from 14/1) to join Arsenal with Sky Bet after reports of a move to the Premier League club materialised on Sunday.

The online betting company saw a steady stream of bets for the Brazilian star to move to the Emirates, with Arsene Wenger under pressure to re-invest some of Cesc Fabregas' transfer fee after a lacklustre start to the campaign.

Following the 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool, Wenger moved to 6/1 to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post, with his reluctance to spend money on players annoying some quarters of the Gunners faithful.

Arsenal have been linked to a number of central defenders with Gary Cahill 13/8 to make the switch to north London, Blackburn skipper Chris Samba 4/9 to join and Scott Dann 1/8 to bolster the Gunners backline.

Elsewhere, Didier Drogba is 5/4 to join Tottenham after Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted he is uncertain of the Ivory Coast striker's future.

AVB said last week he is hopeful of securing Drogba on a new one-year deal, but conceded on Saturday that no agreement has been reached.

Turkish Super Lig outfit Galatasaray are 5/1 to sign Drogba, with his former club Marseille (12/1) also in the picture.

Tottenham Targets 10 Deals in 10 Days Before Transfer Window Closes

With 10 days left until the close of the transfer window, Tottenham are seeking to do as many as 10 deals in and out of the club.

Spurs are closing in on the signing of Lassana Diarra from Real Madrid while Emmanuel Adebayor is expected on loan from Manchester City as the club finally come to life in the transfer market.

The hold-up in both deals has been wages. Tottenham have a strict salary structure and if they matched what either player was on it would break it.

Adebayor is reportedly on £170,000 per week while Diarra is on £85,000 per week after tax in Spain. One way of resolving the dispute is by paying the players a fee up front or even paying the clubs an added fee that can be used to subsidise their salary.

Spurs are refusing to negotiate on Luka Modric however. One source claimed Chelsea bid £30 million for the player last week but Spurs insist they have received no bid and would reject it in any case.

The player is understood to be growing increasingly frustrated by chairman Daniel Levy’s intransigence, but remains committed to playing for Spurs and is expected to be named in the team to play Manchester United tomorrow.

While Harry Redknapp has made it clear he is open to a deal at the right price, Levy is holding his line.

With 27 players over 21 in their squad and only 25 eligible under Premier League rules, the pressure is on to sell players.

Stoke still hope they might be able to do a deal for Wilson Palacios and would also go for Peter Crouch or Jermaine Jenas at the right price.

Spurs want to sell Alan Hutton, Sébastien Bassong and David Bentley but need to reduce their asking price if they are to generate interest.

Niko Kranjcar, a target for Sunderland, is another who could go, even with the current problems with injury in midfield.

Arsenal Ready to Make Yann M'Vila Transfer Bid

The Gunners boss is keen to sign a holding midfielder to provide competition for Alex Song and has now set his sights on the Rennes star.

M'Vila, who has established himself as a regular in the French national team over the past 12 months, would cost around £10 million, reports the Sunday Mirror.

Bringing in Scott Parker from West Ham United would be a cheaper option and provide Arsenal's youthful midfield with some much needed experience.

However, the frugal Wenger has doubts about whether paying £8 million for a 30-year-old with no resale value represents a good financial decision.

Instead he will test the water with a bid for M'Vila, 21, although Rennes are known to be reluctant to sell the rising star.

Wenger again faced calls from fans to spend some money during Arsenal's 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool on Saturday.

It is thought he will move for Blackburn centre-back Chris Samba or Bolton defender Gary Cahill in the next few days, while Marseille have confirmed the Gunners are keen to sign Argentina midfielder Lucho Gonzalez.

Any further spending may depend on whether Samir Nasri's proposed £22 million move to Manchester City goes through.

A French television station reported on Saturday that the transfer had collapsed, but City officials remain confident of landing Nasri.

PSG Fight Inter Milan for Diego Forlan

Diego Forlan may have said he’s waiting for Inter, but Paris Saint-Germain and Leonardo are preparing a surprise swoop.

The Uruguayan hitman has been pinpointed as the ideal replacement for Samuel Eto’o, who is heading to Anzhi for €27m.

Forlan’s father told newspapers that talks were already in place and they were only waiting for Eto’o to complete his sale.

However, French newspapers suggest PSG have dived in to anticipate Inter with a €10m offer to Atletico Madrid.

It would be a snub on the transfer market from Paris Saint-Germain director Leonardo, who left the Inter bench to take that job.

Juventus Offer Storari - Alex swap to Chelsea

Juventus could use Marco Storari as part of the deal to coax Chelsea into releasing defender Alex.

This weekend Alex stated he would “gladly accept” a transfer to Turin, but only if it was a permanent move rather than a loan.

His price-tag is thought to be around €7m and director Beppe Marotta is expected to fly out to London for negotiations.

According to Tuttosport, the Bianconeri have an ace up their sleeve, namely goalkeeper Storari.

Chelsea sent scouts to view Storari during Thursday’s Trofeo TIM tournament and need a reliable pair of hands after Petr Cech was ruled out for a month with knee ligament damage.

Storari already proved himself in this role when replacing Gigi Buffon at Juve during his injury lay-off.

However, Tuttosport claims it will be a last-minute scramble, as the talks could only reach a turning point from Thursday.

Meanwhile, Juventus continue to track a left-sided midfielder for Antonio Conte’s system.

Diego Perotti and Eljero Elia are proving difficult, so Cesena revelation Emanuele Giaccherini is looking the more likely candidate right now.

Juventus Consider Arshavin Swoop

There are reports Juventus could make a swoop for Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin.

The Russian will be out of contract at the end of the season, so the Gunners must sell now before losing him on a free transfer.

According to The People newspaper, Juve are prepared to make an offer worth below €5m.

Arshavin would be the latest Arsenal player to leave the Emirates in a summer exodus that has included Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy.

The Bianconeri face competition from Turkish club Galatasaray for Arshavin’s signature.

Getafe Signs Dani Guiza

Spanish first-division club Getafe has confirmed the return of Dani Guiza after the striker left Turkish club Fenerbahce earlier this week.

The Madrid-based team announced Saturday that the former Spanish international has agreed to a three-year contract. He will be presented on Monday.

The 31-year-old Guiza played for Getafe from 2005-2007. He then signed for Mallorca, becoming the Spanish league's top scorer in 2007-2008 with 27 goals.

Guiza helped Spain win the 2008 European championship before moving to Fenerbahce for the past three seasons.

Betting Recommendations for Barclays Premier League Matches (21 August 2011)

BOLTON vs MANCHESTER CITY

Bolton hope to have new signing Tuncay Sanli available to play against the Citizens. The Turkish international is expected to have his work permit processed in time. Meanwhile, Jamaican Midfielder Ricardo Gardner will have a late fitness test on a groin injury. Former City man Tyrone Mears and Korean Lee Chung-yong both sustained broken legs during pre-season.

After handing in a transfer request, it was expected that a host of clubs would make a move for Argentinean striker Carlos Tevez. After a move failed to materialise, the Manchester City talisman returned to his club where he could feature at the Reebok Stadium tomorrow. Sergio Aguero's devastating cameo could result in the hotshot being given his first start for the Blues. The only doubt for Sunday is Dutch enforcer Nigel de Jong who picked up a foot injury against Premier League newcomers Swansea.

Both teams display a fine performance in their opening Barclays Premiership game winning by the same scoreline, 4-0. With the attacking threat that Man City possess, we can expect another great game with goals in it. However, as we have seen many times in the Barclays Premier League last season, Mancini has opted to go with negative tactics in Man City’s matches away from home. Will Mancini do the same this season? With so many high profile attacking players on his side, we can expect Mancini to go attacking this time. He has been criticised many times last season for being negative. So expects goals in this game. Over 2.50 will be my choice.

Juan Mata On Verge Of €27m Move To Chelsea

Juan Mata is on the verge of joining Chelsea from Valencia for a fee of €27m (£23.5m). Mata spoke to André Villas-Boas during the day and the Chelsea manager explained the role he has in mind for the attacking midfielder. Lawyers are finalizing details on the deal, which is expected to be definitively closed over the weekend. The Chelsea manager had admitted this week: "We might just add a number in midfield."

The 23-year-old, who has studied at university and speaks reasonable English, has long been open to a move to the Premier League. His father and agent, also Juan Manuel Mata, had spoken to a number of clubs in England. Mata's initial preference was to secure a move to Barcelona but he was in no hurry to depart Valencia. The signings of Alexis Sánchez and Cesc Fábregas by Barcelona finally ended any possibility of a transfer to the Camp Nou.

Mata had already turned down the opportunity to join Tottenham Hotspur at the end of July. Tottenham sought to take advantage of a clause in Mata's contract that allowed him to leave the club before 31 July for a set fee of €25m: had Valencia unilaterally blocked a move at that stage, they would have been forced to increase Mata's salary. The player, though, did not want to move to Spurs.

Liverpool had previously shown an interest in the player but opted in the end to buy Stewart Downing from Aston Villa, with Kenny Dalglish putting a premium on players with Premier League experience. Despite showing an interest and although Mata's camp was open to the idea of a move to the Emirates, Arsenal failed to make a formal bid during that window of opportunity in July. Now Chelsea have done so.

Valencia was not keen to sell one of their key players and believe that, although their financial situation remains difficult, they were not obliged to sell.

They had also hoped to avoid a situation in which they lost the midfielder close to the start of the season but replacements had already been signed in the shape of Sergio Canales and Pablo Piatti and they had set a figure of €30m at which they could be persuaded, given that the July release clause would come into effect again next season.

Mata's desire to accept the offer to move to west London finally helped to bring the two clubs to an agreement which is being finalized.

Milan Consider Crouch Bid

Milan is being linked with a £8m offer for Tottenham and England hitman Peter Crouch.

According to Itasportpress, the 30-year-old is back on their radar after reports already spoke of an interest last year.

The Rossoneri see Crouch as an ideal understudy for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as their other strikers are all physically rather short.

However, they face competition from the likes of Sevilla, Everton, Fulham and Sunderland.

Crouch has a contract with Spurs until June 2014 and is valued at around £8m.

Bayern Munich In For Montolivo

Fiorentina declared Riccardo Montolivo is only for sale abroad, so Bayern Munich reportedly stepped in with a €10m offer.

The midfielder was stripped of his captaincy when refusing to sign a contract extension, so he’ll be a free agent next summer.

Milan was his most likely destination, but Viola director Pantaleo Corvino declared on Friday “Montolivo will only be sold abroad.”

This apparently alerted Bayern Munich, who have lined up an offer of €10m for the Italian international.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Atletico Madrid is also interested in making a Montolivo swoop.

Milan is instead forced to turn their attention towards Liverpool outcast Alberto Aquilani, who would relish a return to Serie A after his loan spell at Juventus.

Tottenham Looking To Replace Modric With Ganso

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has already lined Brazilian sensation Ganso as the player he wants to replace Luka Modic if, as expected, he completes his move to Chelsea before the end of the transfer window, reports out of France are suggesting.

L'Equipe are reporting that Spurs are eyeing a move for Brazil international Ganso, who is keen to test himself on the bigger stage of European football.

With Harry Redknapp now coming around to the idea of selling midfield playmaker Modric, signing a replacement is on his mind, and top of the list is the Santos player.

Ganso and his current team mate Neymar have both been linked with moves to Europe this summer, but the club are determined to hold on to their star assets until at least January, as they are due to play in the Club World Championship later this year.

Santos have reportedly rejected offers from Real Madrid and Chelsea for Neymar, while big spending PSG have had an offer for Ganso rebuffed by the Brazilian club.

However with a potential transfer kitty of £30million, it may be hard for Santos to reject Spurs' overtures, should they make their interest formal.

Ramirez Closer To Juventus

Gaston Ramirez is determined to leave Bologna and Juventus could be his destination. “He won’t join Napoli or Fiorentina,” said his agent.

The young Uruguayan talent has refused a contract renewal and warned he is “held prisoner” at Bologna.

He has been linked to numerous sides, but none of them have been able to satisfy Bologna’s demands.

“I don’t think he will join Napoli, nor Fiorentina, seeing as Felipe turned down the move to Bologna,” agent Vincenzo D’Ippolito told Radio Marte.

This morning several newspapers in Italy have pinpointed Ramirez as a prime target for Juventus.

The Bianconeri are still looking for three more signings before the end of the transfer market on August 31.

They include Chelsea centre-back Alex at a cost of €8m and left-winger Diego Perotti.

Ramirez faces competition from Cesena revelation Emanuele Giaccherini for the final role.

Man United Consider Shock £25m Move For Star Samir Nasri

Sir Alex Ferguson is said to be considering a late bid for Arsenal’s want-away attacker Samir Nasri. The Man United boss has been made aware of the Frenchman’s desire to make the move to Old Trafford and now the Premier League champions are toying with the idea of making an offer to beat local rivals Man City to his signature.

24 year old Nasri has one year left on his current Arsenal contract and has made it clear he has no intention of signing a new deal, hoping to force Arsene Wenger’s hand, and with a move to the Etihad Stadium said to be on the cards Ferguson may opt to tempt the former Marseille man into moving to Man United.

Ferguson has been strongly linked with moves to bring in an attack minded midfielder who can able link midfield and attack and help fill the void left by Paul Scholes, who hung up his boots at the end of last season. To this end Man United are said to have shown a very real interest in the likes of Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder, Tottenham star Luka Modric and Borussia Dortmund youngster Mario Goetze and now the club may turn their attention to Samir Nasri.

The Arsenal man had his most effective season of his Gunners career last term, netting 15 goals and assisting many others and was arguably one of the few bright lights of what was otherwise a dire season. Wenger has already lost Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Gael Clichy to Man City and had hoped to keep Nasri at the club regardless of the fact that doing so would lead to the French international being able to leave for nothing in 12 months time, it seems however that may now not be the wisest course of action.

Some Arsenal supporters have turned against their former hero, chanting abusively at Nasri, with the talented attacking midfielder registering his dismay at such behaviour via his twitter account. Arsene Wenger may feel that now the time is right to sell to avoid having a disruptive unhappy player in his dressing room in what could be a pivotal season for the club and indeed the Emirates Stadium boss himself.

Man United has a number of midfield options but other than wingers Nani and Ashley Young, Ferguson does not have much in the way of a goal threat and is therefore reportedly keen on Nasri and Old Trafford chief executive David Gill has confirmed that funds are still available to Sir Alex and as such a bid may well be in the offing.

Ferguson will also be all to aware of Nasri’s abilities having been on the receiving end of one of the Arsenal player’s best performances for the club when the newly arrived midfielder scored twice in a memorable win over Man United back in November 2008.

Roberto Mancini is said to be keen to complete the move to sign Samir Nasri as soon as possible and with such a move a distinct possibility Aston Villa are said to be keen on two players who seem most likely to under threat by such a signing, James Milner and Adam Johnson.

The interest shown by Man United could indeed lead to a bidding war for the Arsenal man.

Real Madrid And PSG Battling For Swiss Hotshot

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest in FC Zurich defender Ricardo Rodriguez, according to L’Equipe.

The 18-year-old full-back is already considered a first team regular at Zurich and has attracted a lot of attention with his impressive displays at the start of the season.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have been alerted of the player’s potential and they are now pondering a bid for the highly rated youngster.

Rodriguez, who is part of the Switzerland Under-19 side, has four years left on his contract and is valued at €4 million.

The left back was part of Switzerland side who won the 2009 Under-17 World Cup in Nigeria.

Tottenham Break Bank For La Liga Ace Transfer

Tottenham Hotspur has agreed a transfer fee of around £10m with Real Madrid for defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra, according to Goal.com.

The French midfielder is seemingly surplus to requirements at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, and Jose Mourinho is looking to get him off the wage bill.

According to Goal, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has offered Diarra the astronomical sum of £100,000 per week, which would surely make him the best paid player at White Hart Lane.

However, that sum reportedly includes bonuses, so how much Diarra's basic rate would be remains unclear.

Diarra signing for Tottenham would continue the club's connection with Real Madrid in recent times, with Rafael van der Vaart having signed last year and recent Los Meringues loan striker Emmanuel Adebayor thought to be on the way.

Should Diarra arrive, it will also most likely signal the end of Wilson Palacios' tenure with Spurs, with Stoke City the team most strongly linked to his signing.

Milan Line Up €7m Aquilani Swoop

Milan is on the verge of completing their €7m swoop for Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani.

Riccardo Montolivo had been the primary target for the summer, but on Friday Fiorentina director Pantaleo Corvino scoffed at their proposal and declared he would “only be sold abroad.”

With this in mind and time running out, the Rossoneri have transferred their efforts to signing Aquilani instead.

The midfielder is an Italian international who has made it abundantly clear he’d like a return to Serie A after Juventus refused to take up their option on his loan spell.

According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, Liverpool is prepared to part with Aquilani for only €7m.

It is a huge drop from the €20m the Reds paid for this player to take him from Roma in August 2009.

Betting Recommendations for Barclays Premier League Matches (20 August 2011)

ARSENAL vs LIVERPOOL

Arsenal are suffering from player crisis with Gervinho and Alex Song both suspended and Johan Djourou, Kieran Gibbs (both hamstring) and Armand Traore (groin) are out through injury, while Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby (ankle) are still out. This would mean that the Gunners may field young defender Carl Jenkinson and Emmanuel Frimpong and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in midfield. Samir Nasri has also been included in Arsenal's squad for Saturday's Barclays Premier League match despite reportedly being on the verge of a move to Manchester City.

Liverpool could name an unchanged side against Arsenal but we may see Martin Kelly and Dirk Kuyt in the starting line-up should Kenny Dalglish wants to change things around. Liverpool are still without Glen Johnson, Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel but Jose Enrique, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing all made on their debuts will give Reds fans confidence.

It will be the 211th time the two sides have met in their history, with the visitors edging it with 81 victories to Arsenal's 74. Last season both fixtures between these two sides ended 1-1. Liverpool have never won at the Emirates Stadium, and have not won at Arsenal since 2000 when a Titi Camara goal gave them a 1-0 victory. With problems arising in the Arsenal team, with injuries and suspensions as well as the uncertainty of Samir Nasri leaving the club or not, I would bet on Liverpool to finally beat Arsenal at the Emirates tonight.

EVERTON vs QPR

Defender Seamus Coleman is Everton's only absentee as they belatedly start their Barclays Premier League campaign at home to newcomers QPR. The right-back is sidelined with torn ankle ligaments and is likely to be out for several weeks. With no summer signings to freshen up the squad manager David Moyes is fortunate to have no other players sidelined.

QPR manager Neil Warnock will be without summer signing Kieron Dyer for Saturday. The 31-year-old was carried off in last week's season opener and, while his foot injury is not as serious as first thought, he will miss the Goodison Park match. Warnock still awaiting international clearance for recent signing Bruno Perone, while both striker Rob Hulse (knee) and Jamie Mackie (broken leg) remain out.

QPR had a game to forget in its first Barclays Premier League match last weekend losing at home to Bolton by 4-0 scoreline. QPR will look to toughening their defence if they want to get anything from this game. It will look as though this game will end as a low scoring game. Prediction will be Everton to win 1-0 or 2-0. Under 2.5 goals will be a better bet for this one.

CHELSEA vs WEST BROM

Hilario is set to start in goal for Chelsea after Petr Cech was ruled out for up to four weeks with a knee injury. Meanwhile, new boy Romelu Lukaku could be set to feature on the bench, but otherwise Andre Villas-Boas is likely to field a more or less identical squad to the one who recorded a stalemate with Stoke.

Roy Hodgson will be buoyed by the return to fitness of Jerome Thomas and Peter Odemwingie – with the latter having put to bed talk of unrest at the club after signing a new long-term deal at The Hawthorns. Though, whether or not both feature remains to be seen, particularly given Shane Long’s goalscoring debut and the nuisance Somen Tchoyi made of himself against Manchester United

Chelsea have never lost to West Brom in the Premier League. On top of that, West Brom have not won at Stamford Bridge for six games now, with last season score was 6-0 to Chelsea. Chelsea to win this game.

Ligue 1 Weekend Preview

Olympique Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena will not move to Premier League club Arsenal after reports of a possible transfer, OM coach Didier Deschamps and sporting director Jose Anigo said ahead of Sunday's clash with Saint-Etienne.

"Arsenal won't get Mathieu, that's clear," Deschamps said on the club's website on Friday.

"We're not selling but, as he's been here six years, if an offer came in we would listen to it a little more," said Anigo, before adding that Andre Ayew and Lucho Gonzalez would be staying at the south-coast club.

Transfer speculation surrounding champions Lille's forward Eden Hazard has been settled, according to manager Rudi Garcia.

"We must leave him be so that he can express himself to the best of his ability on the pitch."

Lille are without a win in the league so far this season after two matches and visit high-flying Caen, who have two wins from two, on Saturday.

Girondins Bordeaux will be without defenders Marc Planus (adductor injury) and Henrique (knee), midfielder Gregory Sertic (suspended) and forward David Bellion (ankle) for the home game with Auxerre on Saturday. Fahid Ben Khalfallah and Cheick Diabate return.

Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud says the club has no money as the transfer window closes at the end of August.

"We know we're lacking a forward but any player costing six million euros or more is out of our reach," Triaud said on www.sudouest.fr.

Bordeaux, along with Stade Rennes, are pursuing Paris Saint-Germain's Turkish international Mevlut Erding, out of favour in the French capital.

Bundesliga Weekend Preview

Borussia Dortmund defenders Neven Subotic and Marcel Schmelzer have recovered from their injuries and could play against Nuremberg on Saturday, coach Jurgen Klopp told reporters.

Klopp said while both players had completed training sessions this week it was still unclear whether they would be in the squad.

"Let's wait and see how they handle the last training sessions," he said.

Nuremberg will travel to Dortmund for Saturday's game without their goalkeeper Raphael Schaefer who underwent surgery on Friday to repair a loose tendon in his shin.

The Nuremberg captain was expected to be out for six weeks, the club said. "Unfortunately the operation was unavoidable," club official Martin Bader told reporters.

Schalke 04 central defenders Benedikt Howedes and Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who featured in Thursday's 2-0 defeat to Helsinki in their Europa League play-off first leg, missed training on Friday but are expected to be fit for their league game against Mainz 05 on Sunday.

Coach Ralf Rangnick said Hoewedes had some pain in his neck while his Greek defensive partner had picked up a knock in his thigh.

"We assume both will be ready to play in Mainz on Sunday," Rangnick said.

Liverpool And Chelsea Line Up Intriguing Swap Deal

Liverpool and Chelsea could be about to embark on a quite remarkable swap deal, according to CaughtOffside.com.

Chelsea are currently pulling out all the stops trying to bolster what has been perceived as a predictable and unimaginative midfield and have been linked to big-money bids for Tottenham's Luka Modric and Valencia's Juan Mata. They are also keen on acquiring Raul Meireles from Liverpool to add some drive and extra goal threat with manager Andre Villas-Boas an admirer of his fellow Portuguese despite having only worked together briefly at FC Porto prior to the player's move to Anfield last summer.

With Liverpool's midfield full to bursting point with the summer arrivals of Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing competing with Meireles, Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva, Christian Poulsen, Jay Spearing, Jay Spearing, Alberto Aquilani, Jonjo Shelvey and Maxi Rodriguez for a place in the first team, the club is receptive to slimming down that part of the squad. However, they will attempt to exploit Chelsea's interest by demanding Daniel Sturridge in return.

The England Under 21 international was in sparkling form during the second half of last season which he spent on loan at Bolton Wanderers. He struck eight times in just 12 matches though blotted his copybook with a red card at the end of the campaign that has ruled him out of Chelsea's opening three fixtures this time round. Liverpool are looking for another top level striker to provide added options to the Andy Carrol / Luis Suarez axis although whether the former Manchester City youngster would trade swapping the Stamford Bridge substitutes' bench for its counterpart at Anfield remains to be seen.

Blackburn Blow As PSG Enter Race For Raul

Mega-rich PSG is trying to sign Raul from Schalke, dashing the hopes of Blackburn and other Premier League teams hoping to lure the legend to England.

talkSPORT this week revealed how Raul rejected the chance to move to Blackburn but Steve Kean is still trying to persuade him to move to England.

Meanwhile, Kean's interest in the Spaniard has sparked interest among several parties in the Premier League who is monitoring the situation.

But French side PSG are now also in the running as Schalke has indicated they are willing to sell.

Raul was left at home for Schalke's Europa League clash with Helsinki this week and he is open to a move away from Germany, but PSG's interest - and their considerable financial clout - could scupper Rovers' hopes of salvaging a deal.

Aston Villa Leading The Race For French Strike Star

Aston Villa is leading the chase to sign FC Sion striker Giovanni Sio.

The 22-year-old is rated one of the best young forwards in France and has also been attracting interest from several clubs in Italy.

Villa boss Alex McLeish is looking to strengthen his forward line after seeing Ashley Young and Stewart Downing leave the club during the summer.

Sio will get the chance to impress McLeish when he lines up against Celtic in the Europa League on Thursday night.

FC Sion is looking for around £3m for his signature and Villa will look to finalize a deal before the end of the transfer window.

Arsenal Plot Bid For Everton Star As Cesc Fabregas Replacement

Arsene Wenger is reportedly set to make an offer for Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta as the Arsenal boss looks to effectively fill the whole left by the departure of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona. The Gunners boss sees the Toffees star as the perfect stop gap purchase who can fill the void in the short to medium term with the likes of youngster Aaron Ramsey and long term target Eden Hazard seen as possible alternatives in the future.

Wenger is determined to bring in experienced players this summer but as yet has managed to purchase two teenagers, Carl Jenkinson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Lille striker Gervinho and the Emirates Stadium manager knows that he needs to add balance to his side to prevent it being too top heavy with youthful talent.

Arteta is a player that Arsenal have been linked with in the past and now the 29 year old is a target Wenger feels will help add experience and creativity to the club’s midfield. Everton chariman Bill Kenwright has revealed this week that the club is unable to bring in new additions because of a brittle relationship between the Merseyside club and the bank that runs their finances.

Arsenal have already registered unsuccessful bids for defender Phil Jagielka but may feel they could tempt Arteta into making a move to the North London club where he can compete at Champions League level for the first time since his spell at Rangers, aside from an unsuccessful qualifier with Everton back in 2005/06.

The former Barcelona youth team player may also feel that a high profile move could lead to his first senior international cap having somehow failed to garner a single appearance for the full Spanish national team.

Arteta has spent six and a half years at Everton and notched up almost 200 appearances for the club and David Moyes will be loathed to lose such an influential player but may find it hard to prevent the Spaniard from being tempted by such a move.

Fulham Poised To End Striker Hunt By Landing Ajax Hitman

Fulham boss Martin Jol is closing in on the signing of Ajax hitman Mounir El Hamdaoui, as first revealed on talkSPORT.co.uk back in June.

Jol said he wanted to sign a striker after drawing a blank in Fulham's opening-day goalless draw with Aston Villa.

And now he has confirmed his interest in signing the Moroccan forward for the third time as a manager.

Speaking to a Dutch magazine, Jol said: "It is not an unthinkable we could sign Mounir."

Liverpool Enter Transfer Race For Reported Arsenal Target

Liverpool is believed to be contending with Arsenal to sign Lazio striker Mauro Zarate.

The Serie A club is ready to listen to offers for their Argentine forward, having signed Djibril Cisse and Miroslav Klose earlier this summer.

However, their asking price of 20m Euros - approximately £17.4m - is putting off many of the clubs interested in the player.

Arsenal is understandably reluctant to pay that kind of money, while Liverpool has paid out big fees this summer.

Zarate's ability either to lead the line or as a wide player could stand him in good stead at Anfield, with Kenny Dalglish short of options up front when Andy Carroll or Luis Suarez is unavailable.

Whether Liverpool will pay that kind of money for a striker who will likely be no more than backup remains to be seen.

Marotta Promises More Signings

Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta says the club will sign "at least two new players" before the close of the transfer window.

After finishing seventh in Serie A last season, Juventus have had a busy summer in the transfer market, bringing in the likes of Mirko Vucinic, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, but Marotta has revealed their business is far from finished.

"At least two new players will arrive before the transfer window closes, but we could even sign a third," he said.

Cesena forward Emanuele Giaccherini is said to be a target and Marotta, speaking at a Lega Calcio meeting, said: "I'm not here today to specifically talk to Cesena, but there is always an opportunity to discuss things with colleagues."

On Sevilla winger Diego Perotti, he said: "He is not the only opportunity that we are evaluating. We know that we have a few holes to plug."

Atlético Madrid Sign Striker Radamel Falcao

Atlético Madrid has bought the Colombia striker Radamel Falcao from Porto, in a Portuguese record transfer deal worth €40m (£34.7m). The Portuguese club said in a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange that the price tag could rise to €47m, depending on unspecified factors.

Atlético said on their website that Falcao had agreed a five-year contract and was scheduled to arrive in the Spanish capital for standard medical tests later on Friday.

Falcao was a key player for Porto last season, scoring 34 goals to help them win four trophies, including the Portuguese title and the Europa League. He will fill the role vacated by the Argentina striker Sergio Agüero, who has joined Manchester City in a £38m deal.

The 25-year-old Falcao scored the only goal in the Europa League final in Dublin, against Sporting Braga, to set a record of 17 goals in the second-tier competition. Chelsea were reportedly interested in Falcao. The Premier League club's new manager, André Villas-Boas, was in charge of Porto last season.

Espanyol Set Sights On Spurs Outcast

Tottenham outcast Giovani Dos Santos is a target for Espanyol, who hope to pair the Mexican with his younger brother Jonathan.

Giovani is set to leave Spurs this summer with manager Harry Redknapp keen to streamline his squad in time for the new season.

It was thought that the attacker, who spent time on loan at Racing Santander last season, was edging towards a move to Sevilla but now their La Liga rivals Espanyol are ready to make an offer.

According to reports in Spain, Espanyol are currently closing in on a £1m move for Barcelona's Jonathan Dos Santos.

And once that deal is complete, they are set to turn their attentions to Giovani, who is desperate to return to Spain after a miserable three-year spell in England.

Spurs are similarly desperate to get rid of the playmaker but are believed to be demanding around £8.5m for him, ruling many clubs out of the race.

Espanyol, however, are convinced the Premier League club will do business for a lot less than that amount and are preparing a bid.