French League Weekly Review

Big-spending Paris St Germain picked up their first win of the new Ligue 1 season with a hard fought 2-1 victory over Valenciennes at the Parc des Princes on Sunday evening.

Marquee signing Javier Pastore featured in the PSG squad in a league match for the first time, albeit on the bench, but it was fellow new signing Kevin Gameiro who put the hosts ahead late in the first half.

Valenciennes are yet to pick up a win this season but struck back on the stroke of half-time through Remi Gomis before a Nene penalty secured Antoine Kombouare's side their first three points of the season.

Marseille played out their third successive draw - 0-0 at home to St Etienne.

Didier Deschamps' men edged the first half and came close to taking the lead when Loic Remy hit the post.

Les Verts also hit the woodwork after the break, Bakary Sako volleying against the bar after 56 minutes.

St Etienne played with 10 men for the final five minutes after Jean-Pascal Mignot was given a second yellow card for a crude tackle on Alou Diarra.

Montpellier's dream start to the Ligue 1 season got better as they smashed four goals past Rennes without reply to maintain their perfect record.

After Younnes Belhanda's first-half penalty the hosts surged to a comprehensive win after the interval with Geoffrey Dernis on target before a late Souleymane Camara double.

Montpellier have now won their opening three games, including an impressive 1-0 success at champions Lille last weekend, and scored eight goals while conceding just once.

Sochaux overcame the dismissal of Carlao to earn their first win of the Ligue 1 season on Sunday, winning 2-1 against Nancy.

Both teams had come into the fixture with just a single point from their opening two matches, and it was the visitors who took control with goals from Mathieu Peybernes and Sloan Privat.

A red card for Brazilian defender Carlao and a penalty to Nancy, scored by Youssouf Hadji, threatened to undo all the hard work but Sochaux clung on for the victory.

On Saturday, substitute Adrien Regattin grabbed a last-gasp equalizer to earn Ligue 1 leaders Toulouse a 1-1 draw against Nice in a dramatic ending to their match at the Stade Municipal du Ray.

The hosts looked to be heading for their first win of the season thanks to Anthony Mounier's 31st-minute goal.

But Regattin's fine volley rescued a point for TFC, who had substitute Ahmed Soukouna sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.

Eric Mouloungui had the chance to win it for Nice with a 96th-minute penalty but his spot-kick was saved.

Elsewhere on Saturday, champions Lille enjoyed their first league win of the season, 2-1 against Caen to end their opponents' 100% start.

Having taken just a point from their opening two fixtures, the pressure was on Rudi Garcia's side to produce the goods at the Stade Michel d'Ornano.

And they rose to the challenge thanks to second-half goals from Benoit Pedretti and Mathieu Debuchy.

Benjamin Nivet replied from the spot in stoppage time but it was too little too late for the home side.

Promoted Dijon also picked up their first league win of the campaign - 2-0 - at the expense of Lorient.

Gregory Thil gave Patrice Carteron's side the perfect start by opening the scoring in the third minute.

It looked like the game may have swung away from them when Abdoulaye Meite was sent off before half-time for a foul on Julien Quercia, but Lorient could not make the most of their numerical advantage and Brice Jovial added a second goal for the hosts two minutes from time.

Ten-man Lyon came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at Brest as both sides continued their unbeaten starts.

Brest midfielder Benoit Lesoimier gave the hosts an early lead and it looked as though they would hang on for the win when Sidy Kone was dismissed just after the hour.

But Bafetimbi Gomis struck not long after the red card to secure a share of the spoils for Les Gones.

Bordeaux and Auxerre both remained without a win this season after battling out a 1-1 draw at the Stade Chaban Delmas.

In a match played in temperatures that reached 36 degrees at times, Bordeaux went in front midway through the first half through Yoan Gouffran's first goal of the season.

But Auxerre responded at a similar stage of the second half, with Alain Traore ensuring his side returned home with a share of the spoils.

Kevin Berigaud's late equalizer earned Evian a 1-1 draw at Ajaccio after Frederic Sammaritano's early goal had given the hosts the lead in an encounter between two promoted clubs.

Dutch League Weekly Review

Ajax battled back from two goals down to earn a share of the points from their trip to VVV-Venlo on Sunday.

A second-half double from Ahmed Musa put VVV in charge and on course to inflict a first defeat of the season on reigning champions Ajax, but the visitors struck twice inside a minute to salvage a draw.

Theo Janssen pulled a goal back in the 68th minute before Kolbeinn Sigthorsson levelled things up almost immediately.

Ajax now have seven points from their three games while VVV have two points.

Dries Mertens was the star as PSV Eindhoven claimed their first away win of the Eredivisie season, three first-half goals easing them past ADO Den Haag 3-0.

Mertens had a hand in all three goals as he opened the scoring in the 21st minute, before setting up Georgino Wijnaldum (24) and Ola Toivonen (39) to make the points safe before the interval.

With the game over as a contest there were few chances of note in the second half, leaving the hosts still looking for their maiden win of the campaign.

Guyon Fernandez struck a late equalizer on Sunday to earn Feyenoord a point in a 1-1 draw Heracles Almelo and keep intact their unbeaten start to the season.

Fernandez netted 12 minutes from time for the visitors to cancel out Glynor Plet's 63rd-minute opener for Heracles.

The result leaves Feyenoord with seven points from three games, while Heracles have five points to their name.

AZ Alkmaar returned to winning ways by thumping four goals past 10-man NEC Nijmegen at the AFAS Stadion.

All of the goals in the 4-0 win arrived in the second half as Jozy Altidore bagged a brace, either side of a Rasmus Elm penalty, before captain Niklas Moisander completed the rout late on.

NEC's capitulation came after the dismissal of Pavel Cmovs for hacking down Maarten Martens after 63 minutes, which resulted in Elm's successful penalty to make it 2-0.

Victory for AZ helped put the disappointment of back-to-back defeats to one side.

On Saturday, FC Twente maintained their perfect start to the Eredivisie season with a 5-1 rout of Heerenveen.

The Enschede club was 3-0 up at the interval with Luuk de Jong (27), Willem Janssen (29) and Marc Janko (45) all finding the target.

Substitute Emir Bajrami then added a fourth after 66 minutes and, although Luciano Narsingh pulled one back for Heerenveen three minutes from time, Janko scored his second of the match moments later from the penalty spot to make it three wins from three for Twente.

Elsewhere on Saturday, a brace from Wilfried Bony gave Vitesse Arnhem a 2-1 win against 10-man FC Utrecht to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign.

The hosts were ahead after only six minutes with a penalty from Ivory Coast international Bony, but Jacob Mulenga levelled after 26 minutes.

However, Utrecht were reduced to 10 men when Marcus Nilsson was shown a straight red card for a late foul on Frank van der Struijk and Vitesse made their man advantage count as Bony scored again in the 89th minute.

Excelsior grabbed their first point of the season thanks to a late Leendart van Steensel equaliser at home to De Graafschap.

De Graafschap led through Rydell Poepon's 27th-minute opener, but they were denied a first win of the campaign when Van Steesel struck seven minutes from the end.

NAC Breda battled from two goals down to pick up their first point with a 2-2 draw against FC Groningen.

Leandro Bacuna put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute and Petter Andersson doubled their advantage a minute before the break to seemingly wrap up a second win of the season for Groningen.

However, NAC had other ideas and halved the deficit through Mike Zonneveld three minutes after the restart and then salvaged a draw thanks to Anthony Lurling's 56th-minute equalizer.

RKC Waalwijk recorded their first win back in the Eredivisie as they secured a 2-0 result at Roda JC in the Friday night game.

Having picked up just a point from their first two games following promotion back to the big time, Friday night's assignment in Kerkrade looked a difficult one.

However, goals from Ard van Peppen and Geoffrey Castillion proved to be enough for Ruud Brood's side, who are in the top half of the table.

Inter Make Kuyt Offer

Dirk Kuyt's agent claims Inter Milan have made an offer for the Liverpool forward.

Inter is looking for striking reinforcements with Samuel Eto'o poised to join Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala and Kuyt is on their list of targets.

The Italians have held a long-term interest in the Holland international and they tried to sign Kuyt last summer while former boss Rafa Benitez was still in charge at the San Siro.

Kuyt's representative Rob Jansen admits the 31-year-old needs to think about the offer from Inter.

"Inter Milan has made an attractive offer for Dirk and he has to think about it," Jansen told RTV West. "However, the two clubs have yet to agree a deal."

It is unlikely Liverpool would be willing to sell Kuyt as he enjoyed a strong second half to last season and he was rewarded with a contract extension to keep him at Anfield until 2013.

Kuyt was left out of Liverpool's starting line-up for the opening draw at home to Sunderland, but he returned to the first XI for the weekend win at Arsenal.

Chelsea To Make Final £30m Plus Double Player Swap Offer For Modric

Chelsea are lining up one last offer for Tottenham target Luka Modric as Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas looks to make some final additions before the transfer window slams shut. The West London club will reportedly offer the White Hart Lane side £30m plus midfielder Yossi Benayoun as well as striker Daniel Sturridge, however the England Under 21 star’s move would only be a season long loan deal.

Despite agreeing a deal to bring in Spanish international Juan Mata the West London club are still very much interested in luring Modric to Stamford Bridge and the Croatian international has made it clear he wishes to make the move across London but Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has thus far held firm and turned down reported offers of £22m and £27m this month.

However now that Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has come out and stated that the playmaker would not take part in the club’s opening game of the season at Old Trafford because “his head’s not right” will further add fuel to the speculation that if the right offer is made then it may well be considered.

Thus far Redknapp has spent very little in the transfer market as Levy has stated that players must be sold before funds can be invested in new additions and with a little over a week left of the transfer window clearly sales must occur soon in order for the White Hart Lane boss to bring in signings.

Israeli international Benayoun has stated that he believes he may well be on his way out this month having missed the lions share of last term with a ruptured achilles injury. The adaptable midfielder would welcome a move to any side more likely to offer him regular first team action and would presumably be happy to move to Tottenham.

Villas-Boas has noted that his side has struggled to break down both Stoke City and West Brom in their opening fixtures and is therefore even more determined to snap up schemer Modric and will therefore sanction the loan signing of Daniel Sturridge in order to further tempt Messrs Redknapp and Levy into selling one of their prized assets.

Sturridge has missed the first two games of the season through suspension but given that Didier Drogba has failed to garner a start thus far then the England youngster is seemingly unlikely to either. Having spent a successful loan stint at Bolton the former Man City man will not be happy to waste away on the Blues bench and may also feel a loan move to Tottenham would help his career progression.

Redknapp has spoken about his frustrations with his current crop of strikers, who all failed to make an impact last term, and with Robbie Keane sold to MLS side LA Galaxy and Peter Crouch rumoured to be on his way to Stoke City, the addition of an up coming striking talent may just be tempting enough to consider agreeing a deal with their London rivals.

Real Madrid Superstar Dismisses Arsenal Move

Real Madrid midfielder Kaka has dismissed speculation linking him with a loan move to Arsenal.

The 29-year-old, who has four years left on his contract, insists he wants to stay with the Spanish giants next season.

The Brazil international has failed to establish himself in the starting XI since his then record £56million move from AC Milan in 2009 due to poor form and injury.

He has been linked with moves to Manchester City or Chelsea but, after Cesc Fabregas joined Barcelona last week, there were suggestions Gunners boss Arsene Wenger could ask Kaka to fill the void.

But the playmaker wants to stay and fight for his place at Real Madrid under the guidance of Bernabeu boss Jose Mourinho.

“My plan is to remain with Real Madrid and to obtain the confidence of the coach,” Kaka told Marca.

Wenger will now turn his attention to other targets to help strengthen his depleted squad.

Eden Hazard, Yann M’Villa, Scott Parker, Mauro Zarate, Lucho Gonzalez, Phil Jagielka and Scott Dann have all been linked with a move to the Gunners in recent weeks.

Sotirios Kyrgiakos Leaves Liverpool For Wolfsburg

Liverpool has confirmed that defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos has joined Wolfsburg. The Greece international has signed a two-year contract with the German club although no fee has been announced.

"Liverpool FC this afternoon confirmed that Sotirios Kyrgiakos had left the club and joined Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg," a statement on Liverpool's website read.

Kyrgiakos made 49 appearances for Liverpool after joining the club from AEK Athens in the summer of 2009. The 32-year-old made 28 of those last season although his first-team opportunities were reduced when Kenny Dalglish returned as manager.

Kyrgiakos revealed he was looking forward to returning to Germany after spending two season at Eintracht Frankfurt from 2006 to 2008. "Wolfsburg is a good club. They won the championship in 2009," he told the club's official website. "I'm here to play and I would like to play every game. I am fit and ready, but the coach decides when and if I get to play."

Bayern Munich Eye Up A Move For Liverpool Or Arsenal Strikers

Bayern Munich are contemplating making bids for either Liverpool’s David N’Gog or Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner after striker Ivica Olic injured himself last weekend.

The 31-year-old was sidelined for nine months last season with a knee problem but will now be out for up to two months with a hip injury.

The Croatia international was hurt scoring the final goal in Saturday’s 5-0 win against Hamburg after coming on as a substitute.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Olic’s injury has left Bayern with only two healthy strikers and “we will see if we have to do anything.”

The Bundesliga giants will now make inquiries into the Premier League duo, who are both available for the right price.

N’gog, 22, has been a target for both Sunderland and Bolton this summer but neither club has matched Liverpool’s £5million valuation for the Frenchman.

It is a similar story with Bendtner, who has attracted interest from Germany, Portugal and Turkey as well as the Premier League.

No club seems willing to match his £10million price tag as well as high wages, but this will not be a problem for Bayern.

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.