Newcastle In Transfer Tussle Over £7m Striker

French side Sochaux have threatened to report Newcastle for making an illegal approach for striker Modibo Maiga, with the 23-year-old refusing to attend training yesterday.

Sochaux chairman Alexandre Lamcombe told reporters that the club will make a complaint to FIFA if talks take place without their knowledge.

“Newcastle is going on contacting our players despite our refusal,” Lacombe said.

“So we will register a complaint with UEFA, telling them such behaviour is not fair play.”

Maiga has long been clear about a desire to join Newcastle, with the Daily Mail reporting that a deal worth £7 million is on the cards for the Mali international.

But Sochaux have said that their main man is not for sale, and should Newcastle have illegally contacted the player, they may face a UEFA reprimand.

Chelsea Poised To Sign Mexican Strike Sensation

Chelsea are poised to sign talented young Mexico striker Ulises Davila in a deal that would result in him being loaned to affiliate club Vitesse for a season.

Blues scouts watched Davila at the CONCACAF Under-20 World Cup last year and have monitored him since then.

The promising attacker has attracted the interest of a number of other clubs, including Ajax and Atletico Madrid, but the 20-year-old is expected to be confirmed as a Chelsea player this week, according to Dutch reports.

Davila does not qualify for a work permit which means Andre Villas-Boas will send him on loan to Dutch club Vitesse for a year.

Everton Linked With Ridgewell & Onuoha

The British tabloids have covered the financial situation at Everton in great detail over the past few days, but still have found time to link the Merseyside club with Liam Ridgewell and Nedum Onuoha.

These reports come from the Daily Mail so make of them what you will.

The first links Everton and Celtic to Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell.

The 27-year-old was due to sign for West Brom but the move has now broken down.

If Everton was to make a move it would be a loan deal, with a view to a permanent transfer.

The paper claims that: 'Everton would like to make a deal permanent once they have cash.’ which is never probably.

They have also linked Everton with Manchester City’s Nedum Onuoha, who has been linked a few times over the summer, so perhaps there could be something in that? But again it is likely to only be a loan.

Former Reds Striker In Shock Anfield Return Link

Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy is poised for a sensational return to Liverpool according to reports in the guardian.co.uk.

The 32-year-old Welsh international finds himself surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium, and spent last season on loan at Cardiff City.

Citizens boss Roberto Mancini has made no secret of his desire to sell Bellamy this summer - but the player's £95,000 per week wages have proved to be a substantial stumbling block for a number of interested parties.

However, Reds boss Kenny Dalglish is believed to be considering a surprise swoop for Bellamy - a move that would see the player return to Anfield, where he spent a solitary season in 2006-07 scoring seven goals in 27 appearances under then manager Rafael Benitez.

But after failing to make a big enough impact at Liverpool, Bellamy moved on to West Ham, where he joined for £7.5million, and played there for two years before signing for Manchester City in 2009.

Liverpool are prepared to offer Bellamy a similarly lucrative contract in order to orchestrate a return to Anfield, providing City will not demand any transfer fee.

Fulham Rival Tottenham In FC Twente Double Swoop

Fulham is preparing a double bid for FC Twente stars Nacer Chadli and Bryan Ruiz.

The Craven Cottage club has formally lodged a bid for winger Chadli but has been told to double their £4.37million offer by Twente chairman Joop Munsterman.

The 21-year-old has impressed for the Eredivisie side since joining from AGOVV last summer and scored in both recent Champions League clashes with Tottenham.

The Belgium international has been attracting interest from across Europe with Fulham not being the first team to have a bid rejected.

Cottagers boss Martin Jol is also in the market for a striker and has inquired about Spurs target Ruiz.

The Costa Rica international has a £13.75million release clause but Fulham were hoping to compromise over a fee.

Munsterman confirmed the interest in the 25-year-old but he does not expect the deal to get very far.

“The offer for Chadli we consider a half bid, “he told Voetbal International. “And Bryan did not even want to join Fulham.”

Chelsea Defender Set For Hamburg Switch

Chelsea defender Slobodan Rajkovic has passed his medical at Hamburg and will sign a three-year deal with the German club.

The Serbian joined Chelsea in 2005 from OFK Beograd, when he was 16, and has since spent loan spells back at his former side as well as PSV Eindhoven, FC Twente and Vitesse Arnhem.

Despite featuring for Serbia since his move to Chelsea, Rajkovic has failed to earn a work permit at the club and Hamburg has stepped in.

Former Chelsea director Frank Arnesen, now at Hamburg, has sorted a deal for the 22-year-old, who completed a medical at his new club on Tuesday morning.

German Bundesliga Weekly Review

Schalke recovered from two goals down to claim a 4-2 victory over Mainz on Sunday as the hosts suffered their first defeat of the Bundesliga season.

It all looked so easy for Mainz in the first half at the Mainz Arena, with goals from Andreas Ivanschitz and Elkin Soto putting them within reach of a third straight win from three games

However, Schalke were transformed in the second half with goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Benedikt Howedes, Joel Matip and Christian Fuchs earning Ralf Rangnick's side a win that nobody would have imagined possible at half-time.

Following Mainz's slip-up, Hannover went joint top of the fledgling table alongside Borussia Monchengladbach on seven points although they were denied victory as Hertha Berlin struck late for a 1-1 draw.

Pierre-Michel Lasogga's tap-in seven minutes from time rescued a point for newly-promoted Hertha after Sergio Pinto's free-kick had given Hannover the lead in the first half.

Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund bounced back from last weekend's defeat at Hoffenheim with an efficient 2-0 home victory over Nurnberg on Saturday.

Robert Lewandowski put Jurgen Klopp's side ahead four minutes into the second half and Kevin Grosskreutz made the points safe with a second goal - courtesy of a wicked deflection off Phillipp Wollscheid - 10 minutes from time.

The result moved Dortmund to within a point of leaders Borussia Monchengladbach in the fledgling league standings, while Nurnberg remains in the bottom half.

Hoffenheim made it back-to-back wins to leave Augsburg still searching for a first victory since their promotion as they ran out 2-0 victors.

Ryan Babel gave the visitors an early lead with Sejad Salihovic scoring from the spot in the second half as Holger Stanislawski's men built on last weekend's success over champions Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern Munich swept aside woeful Hamburg 5-0 at the Allianz Arena.

Daniel van Buyten gave the home side an early lead before Franck Ribery swiftly added a second.

Arjen Robben put the result beyond doubt before the interval and Mario Gomez and Ivica Olic were on target in the second half.

Werder Bremen scored twice in the final four minutes to claim a thrilling 5-3 home win over Freiburg.

The visitors twice came from behind to draw level at 3-3, but Aaron Hunt's 87th-minute penalty and a last-gasp Beltrame Wesley strike won it for Bremen.

Papiss Cisse netted twice for Freiburg, opening the scoring in the seventh minute and making it 2-2 shortly after the break after Clemens Fritz and Claudio Pizarro had turned the game in the hosts' favour.

Marko Arnautovic put Bremen back in front in the 65th minute, but Stefan Reisinger looked like he had rescued a point when he made it 3-3 six minutes from time.

Stefan Kiessling took advantage of an error by Stuttgart goalkeeper Sven Ulreich to steer Bayer Leverkusen to back-to-back Bundesliga wins with a 1-0 victory.

Ivo Ilicevic opened the scoring for Kaiserslautern after 17 minutes away to Cologne but Mato Jajalo netted two minutes later to ensure the spoils were shared.

Borussia Monchengladbach claimed an impressive come-from-behind 4-1 victory over Wolfsburg on Friday.

The visitors took a 12th-minute lead at Borussia-Park when Makoto Hasebe rounded off a fine team move by lashing into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the area.

But Monchengladbach were level less than three minutes later when Raul Bobadilla capitalized on a defensive error from Simon Kjaer to set up Marco Reus, and went ahead through a Filip Daems penalty just after the half-hour before Bobadilla nodded home a third on the stroke of half-time.

Reus then sealed an emphatic victory by netting a fourth goal midway through the second half.

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.