Arsenal Striker Is Set For Shock Emirates Exit

Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh looks as though he could be heading out of the Emirates as French Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille are showing an interest, according to reports on tribalfootball.com.

The Moroccan international forward has failed to impress during his time at Arsenal since moving to the Emirates on a free transfer from French outfit Bordeaux last year.

So far this season the 27-year-old has only made four appearances in the Premier League and scored a single goal. He is struggling to gain a first team place and is behind Robin van Persie and Gervinho in the pecking order.

It is believed that Marseille president Vincent Labrune is keen to bring Chamakh on loan in January but it is felt Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will be willing to sell the player on a permanent deal.

Reds Linked With Inkoom

Ghana full-back Samuel Inkoom has claimed Liverpool are closing in on a deal to sign him in the January transfer window.

The club are reported to be in negotiations with the 22-year-old who is contracted to Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

The right-back area has been a problem for the Reds this season, with Glen Johnson suffering from a hamstring injury.

Centre-back Martin Skrtel has been used as a temporary right-back, while young defender Martin Kelly has also deputized in the position.

Inkoom told Ghana radio station Top Radio: "My agent is still locked in talks with my club and a scout of Liverpool and a deal could be concluded very soon.

"Nothing has been decided yet on whether I will join Liverpool on loan or move permanently.

"Liverpool is one of the biggest names in football and so if everything goes well and the Lord allows it, everyone will see where I am going and hopefully, it will be Liverpool, which will be a big step for me."

Inkoom began his career at Ghanaian side Sekondi Hasaacas before playing for Asante Kotoko and Basle.

He has won 25 caps for his country and was part of the squad that reached the World Cup quarter-finals in South Africa in 2010.

City Coach Hypes Up Lavezzi

Manchester City first-team coach Fausto Salsano believes Napoli forward Ezequiel Lavezzi is ready for the Premier League, but has ruled out a swap deal involving Mario Balotelli and says the club will not make a move for him while they have a full complement of strikers.

Lavezzi has been linked with a switch to the Etihad Stadium along with his Napoli team-mates Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamsik following a series of impressive performances over the past couple of seasons.

Salsano feels Lavezzi would be the best equipped of the trio to take English football by storm and rates the Argentine among the best frontmen on the planet.

The City coach says there are no plans at the moment to try and bring in Lavezzi, although he does not know what might happen in the future.

Roberto Mancini currently has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal and there will only be new arrivals if somebody leaves.

Balotelli's agent recently sparked rumours of an exchange with Lavezzi before making it clear that no such deal was in the offing, and Salsano has also stressed that City have no desire to let the Italian go.

He told Radio Kiss Kiss: "Who among Lavezzi, Cavani and Hamsik is ready for the Premier League? They are three important players with qualities that can play anywhere.

"Lavezzi in particular has important qualities because he is good in one on one situations, he's fast, he's clever and he could do very well in England.

"The Balotelli-Lavezzi exchange? Mario is one of the strongest strikers in Europe and worldwide at this time.

"For us he is a very important player and will not leave Manchester City. We believe very much in him.

"However, Lavezzi is proving to be one of the best strikers around the world."

Asked if Lavezzi might come in if Carlos Tevez were to leave City, Salsano refused to speculate on what could happen.

"In place of Tevez? I don't know, at this moment we are full," said Salsano.

"We have very strong forwards and you may not know now about the future, we look only at the present."

Josh McEachran Threatening To Be Left Out In The Cold At Chelsea

With weak opposition facing them, Chelsea used Wednesday evening's Champions League tie to give some of their first-team peripherals the opportunity to get some minutes under their belt.

The likes of Alex, Paulo Ferreira and the recently returned David Luiz were all handed run outs, while Juan Mata, John Terry and Didier Drogba sat out ahead of a week of fixtures which climaxes with the visit of Arsenal.

Another handed the opportunity to impress was Oriol Romeu, a summer recruit from Barcelona.

Those who had missed his Carling Cup appearance against Fulham, before Wednesday night his first start for the Blues, were given a glimpse of the 20-year-old's calmness on the ball and adept positional sence, seemingly inherited from his time at the Nou Camp.

Despite Chelsea plundering five goals past the Belgian champions, it was the performance of the Spaniard that caught the eye at Stamford Bridge.

It appears, at least in the recent history of the Barclays Premier League, that Chelsea more than most have possessed some of the world's best holding players.

The likes of Claude Makelele, Didier Deschamps and more loosely Dennis Wise have applied their trade protecting the Blues' back four, and with John Obi Mikel, only 24, having failed to stamp his authority on the position, Romeu is being prepped as the club's long-term midfield solution.

While on commentary during Wednesday night's win over Genk, former Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins compared Romeu to Brazilian World Cup winner Dunga for his no nonsense approach in midfield, while the morning's papers reported shades of Makelele in the former Catalan protege.

But everything isn't quiet as rosy as you might think. While Romeu is impressing, the west-Londoners are neglecting a player who in many quarters is considered to be one of England's prized young assets.

Following the game, Jamie Redknapp immediately raised the issue where Romeu's assured display leaves 20-year-old Josh McEachran.

The England under-21 international has featured just twice for Chelsea this season after being assured of regular first-team opportunities this season.

Such were the fears of the midfielder that he would be restricted to a bit-part role that he requested a loan move during the summer, which was subsequently rejected by manager Andre Villas-Boas.

"I did ask to go out on loan at the start of the season but Andre said he wants me to stay because he thinks I will get enough games here," McEachran said.

"I saw in the paper that Fabio Capello wanted me to go on loan to get more experience but Andre is my manager and if he wanted me to go on loan, that's what I'd do.

"It's not going to happen before the transfer window closes next week, but maybe it could happen in the new year."

Many in the ranks at the Football Association see McEachran as the future of England's midfield alongside Jack Wilshere, but with appearances rare at Stamford Bridge, Capello has signalled that he wishes the player to go out on loan this season.

The move worked for both Tom Cleverley, who spent last season at Wigan Athletic, and Wilshere, who spent 12 months at Bolton Wanderers, with both now pivotal members of their club sides, while in Wilshere's case, established internationals.

Andre Villa-Boas would do well to follow the acts of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, and give McEachran the experience of regular first-team football in the Barclays Premier League, so not to see his undeniable talent fall away.

Too often we've seen home grown talent held back by club's bringing in expensive foreign imports, and let's hope one of those latest additions, manager Villas-Boas, doesn't hold back the career of another potential England star.

With England lacking creatively in their midfield, and given Capello's insistence to occasionally go against the grain, an impressive season lower down the division may give the Italian reason to chose McEachran for next summer's tournament in Poland and Ukraine, a potentially vital experience for the teen.

His transfer policy suggests Villas-Boas is gearing towards refreshing Chelsea's squad and he's doing youth a favour by blooding them in the Blues first-team, but he's going to do any favours to the future of the club and of England, providing the country's leading light with the chance to shine would be a good place to start.

Everton Prepare To Move For American Defender

Everton manager David Moyes is preparing to make a move for FC Dallas defender George John, according to reports in the Daily Mail.

During the course of the summer transfer window it seemed as though John was on the verge of signing for Premier League outfit Blackburn Rovers in a deal believed to be worth £1.2million but it collapsed.

John who is eligible to play for either USA or Greece was keen for a move to England and would welcome the interest for Everton when the January transfer window opens.

Toffees boss Moyes is planning to make his move for the 24-year-old in January but is set to face a battle from Premier League rivals Wigan Athletic.

AC Milan Hints At Signing Alessandro Del Piero

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has given a hint that the Rossoneri could try to sign forward Alessandro Del Piero next summer.

Del Piero’s current contract with Juventus runs out at the end of the season and the Turin giants have announced that they will not renew his deal thereafter.

The 36-year-old has yet to confirm whether he will retire from football altogether in 2012, and Galliani has suggested that should the former Italy international decide to continue carry on playing, then Milan could make an approach for his services.

“Is it never too late? I have learned to define players as talented or mediocre, not young or old,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “I always prefer a talent to a youngster.

“After all, many of our stars like Paolo Maldini and Billy Costacurta retired at 40. Pippo Inzaghi is 38 and still playing for us.”

Galliani also revealed that Milan had tried to sign Del Piero from Padova in 1993 just before he made the switch to Turin where he has been playing for Juventus since.

“We nearly signed Del Piero in 1993 and failing to do that remains one of the great regrets of my career,” admitted the 67-year-old.

“The fact remains that before he went to Juve, Milan were interested in the player.”

Del Piero has made over 450 appearances for the Old Lady, scoring over 200 goals, and has won Serie A five times and the Champions League once among other honours.

Inter Chase Brazilian Prospect

Brazilian stopper Juan Guilherme Nunes Jesus has confirmed reports that Italian giants Inter are looking to sign him.

The Nerazzurri want to rejuvenate their ageing defence and the 20-year-old, who plays for Internacional in Brazil's Serie A, has been on their radar for some months.

"I know that Internacional and Inter will make contact," Juan told the Gazzetta dello Sport.

"My agent told me of their interest and someone from Milan will arrive over the next few days to talk about it."

"I don't occupy myself with these things though, my representative will look after it. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

The Brazilian Under-20 international was also being watched by Serie A rivals Napoli, who reportedly had a five million euro bid rejected for his services in the summer.

If an agreement can be reached between the two clubs, Juan could make a January switch to the Stadio Meazza.

Europa League Preview

Tottenham host Rubin Kazan in Europa League action on Thursday with Spurs looking to bounce back from their 2-2 draw with Newcastle at the weekend.

After defensive frailties let the Premier League side down once again on their trip to Newcastle, Harry Redknapp's team will need to curtail Rubin's former Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins if they are to claim the three points from the Russian outfit at White Hart Lane.

Spurs and Rubin are tied on top of Group A with four points each with Rubin ahead on goal difference.

Martins has proved somewhat of a thorn in Tottenham's side, having scored in his first four games against the club for Newcastle - all of them wins.

Greek side PAOK FC play host to Irish team Shamrock Rovers in the other Group A fixture.

Group I leaders Atletico Madrid travel away to take on Serie A side Udinese as both sides battle for top spot with four points each.

The Spanish club will be looking to Brazilian midfielder Diego to pull the strings with the side hosting what should prove to be one of the matches of the round.

Scottish giants Celtic travel across the channel to take on French team Stade Rennes in the group's other match with both clubs only managing to pick up a point so far in their respective campaigns.

AEK Athens travel north to battle Lokomotiv Moscow in Group L without star striker Eidur Gudjonsen, who broke his leg against Olympiakos on Saturday.

AEK have no points so far and new coach Nikos Kostenoglou must steel his men for a rough night as Lokomotiv attempt to seal qualification and continue their formidable record at home.

The other fixture in the group sees Belgian side Anderlecht travel away to Austria's SK Sturm Graz.

In Group E, Stoke, fresh from their 2-0 win over Fulham in the Premier League, host Israel side Maccabi Tel Aviv as Tony Pulis looks to maintain their position on top of the group.

Dynamo Kiev and Besiktas do battle in the other group match.

Lazio are on the road to Swiss side FC Zurich in Group D full of confidence following their morale-boosting derby win over Roma in the Serie A. Manager Edoardo Reja has star strikers Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse in form and will need both to get their campaign rolling after picking up just a point.

Sporting Lisbon host FC Vaslui in the other match.

In Group K, Polish club Wisla Krakow host Fulham while Odense face Dutch outfit FC Twente.

Fulham boss Martin Jol will seek to cement the Cottagers' passage into the next round of the Europa League with a win, with Andrew Johnson, fresh from a hat-trick in their 6-0 thrashing of QPR a week ago, fit and raring to go.

Twente will look to build on their 4-1 hammering of Krakow last round with danger man Marc Janko at the frontline of their attack, and confident with two goals against the Poles.

Swedish outfit Malmo is at home to Metalist Kharkiv while Dutch side AZ Alkmaar travel away to play Austria Wien in Group G.

In Group H Maribor play host to Portuguese side Braga with Club Brugge entertaining English Championship side Birmingham.

In Group J action, AEK Larnaca host Bundesliga side Schalke while Maccabi Haifa host Romanian team Steaua Bucharest.

Belgian club Standard Liege is at home to FC Vorska Poltava in Group B with German club Hannover playing host to Copenhagen.

In Group C, Rapid Bucuresti is at home to Legia Warsaw, with Hapoel Tel Aviv hosting PSV.

And in Group F, SV Salzburg travel to Spain to take on Athletic Bilbao, while Slovan Bratislava host Ligue 1 leaders PSG.

Manchester United Given Go-Ahead To Sign The "New Messi"

Manchester United have been granted permission to open talks with Athletic Bilbao “superkid” Iker Muniain, who has been described as the "new Lionel Messi", with the brain trust at ‘Spanish Leadership’ claiming Bilbao are ready to sell, according to tribalfootball.com.

The collections of experts have revealed that the exciting prospect’s future will be in the Premier League, prompting interest from Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.

"Back in 2008 we saw Muniain making his Europa League debut in Bremen. He was just 16 and proved technically more gifted that Mesut Özil.

"However Özil plays for Real Madrid who will never consider signing him (Munain) because he is not a foreigner who would sell T-shirts. In other words, lack of leadership.

“Barcelona do not need to sign him having their own fruitful academy with players such as (Gerard) Deloufeu or Rafinha coming up as well.

"Muniain's future is the Premier."

The diminutive winger, who stands at just 5ft 7in, became the youngest ever player to represent Athletic Bilbao at just 16 years, 7 months and 11 days old. He scored his first ever goal just a week later to re-enter the record books as their youngest ever scorer.

Having represented Spain at every level from Under-16s to Under-21s, the midfielder – now 18 – has made 19 appearances for his current club.

His current deal at Bilbao does not expire until 2015, but interest from the Premier League is said to have cast doubt in Muniain’s mind about a possible future in La Liga.

Manchester City Join Race To Sign Barcelona Defender

Barcelona left-back Eric Abidal has admitted that there are a number of clubs interested in signing him with AC Milan, PSG and Manchester City all in the race to land the vastly experienced defender.

The France international helped Barcelona win the Champions League last season but his current contract is coming towards a close and he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Barcelona has yet to reach an agreement with Abidal and that has led to a number of European clubs declaring their interest in the 32-year-old.

Abidal has revealed that he is flattered to be linked with these clubs and would be interested in listening to offers if he is unable to agree a new deal.

The three-time La Liga winner also declared that he would like to continue playing at the top level for another three years.

"There are clubs that have shown an interest, notably PSG, Milan and Manchester City," Abidal told RMC. "But there have been no concrete offers and I can't say any more.

"I have a lot of respect for Barca but if we can't reach an agreement, the door is always open. I believe I have the legs to go on for two more years.

"I have an international objective. We have qualified for Euro 2012, which is good, but I am also looking at the 2014 World Cup."

Tottenham Prepare To Swoop For Swiss Wing Wizard

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp is set to step up his pursuit of Basel winger Xherdan Shaqiri, according to reports on talkSPORT.co.uk.

The Switzerland international is fast emerging as one of the hottest prospects in Europe and a number of leading clubs are keeping tabs on him including Spanish giants Barcelona and Bundesliga outfit Hamburg.

However Tottenham seem to be leading the chase for the versatile 20-year-old who can operate on the wing as well as in central midfield.

Shagirl has stated he is happy at Basel, but has not ruled out moving from the club, and the club manager Thorsten Fink is desperate to keep hold of his prized asset.

Spurs boss Redknapp however is going to test to Swiss sides resolve by reportedly making a move worth to be £7million when the January transfer window opens.

United Make Approach To Sign Serie A Winger

Manchester United have reportedly made an initial move to sign Juventus winger Milos Krasic in January.

The Serbia international has struggled to make an impact under new Juve bos Antonio Conte and his future in Turin has been the subject of frequent speculation in recent weeks.

Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked with respective moves for Krasic in the New Year, while AC Milan are also alleged to have shown an interest.

But, according to Corriere dello Sport, Sir Alex Ferguson has already approached Juve over a proposed six-month loan deal for the 26-year-old.

Should United formalize their supposed interest, Krasic would not be cup-tied for the Champions League, with the Bianconeri not featuring in the competition this season.

However, it would come as surprise if Ferguson did decided to bring Krasic to Old Trafford, due to a stable of talented wingers already at his disposal.

The United boss currently has Ryan Giggs, Luis Nani, Ashley Young, Park Ji-sung and Antonio Valencia to choose from when it comes to wide midfield positions.

Liverpool Set To Win The Race For South American Starlet

Liverpool look to have won the race to sign South American sensation Andy Polo - with the teenager expected to arrive at Anfield next month.

A host of top clubs, including Real Madrid and Arsenal, have sent scouts to Peru to run the rule over the highly-rated striker, who made his debut for Universitario aged just 16.

Polo, nicknamed La Joya (The Jewel), has scored three goals in 13 games and has been compared to Brazilian star Robinho.

The teenager is expected to travel to England in November at the end of the Peruvian domestic season.

He will spend a month at Anfield and is then expected to sign a long-term deal to join his South American compatriots Luis Suarez, Lucas and Sebastian Coates.

Villas-Boas Confirms Talks With Belgian Wonderkid

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has hinted that Chelsea are preparing to move for Genk superstar Kevin De Bruyne, after comparing him to Belgian legend Enzo Scifo and revealing that their scouting team have been watching him closely.

Chelsea revealed that during the summer transfer window they were in official talks with De Bruyne and Genk over potentially bringing him to Stamford Bridge. The 20-year-old eventually ended up staying in Belgium, but with Genk set for a Champions League double-header against Chelsea in the next fortnight De Bruyne has an opportunity to impress Villas-Boas.

Chelsea’s 34-year-old manager has already revealed how much he admires the youngster, fuelling speculation that De Bruyne will join Chelsea perhaps as soon as January.

"He's exceptionally gifted technically and reminds me of the old technical Belgian players like Enzo Scifo,” Villas-Boas revealed. “We've not only scouted him but we've scouted numerous different players before.”

With Villas-Boas declaring his interest in the star midfielder, Genk boss Mario Been claimed that he would be willing to sell the youngster at the right price.

"I know that Kevin is a really great player and that Chelsea already talked about him. Chelsea look and want to buy all the big talents so, for me, it wouldn't be a surprise if Kevin went to Chelsea. Everyone's got his price."

De Bruyne has already won the Belgian Pro League, the Belgian Cup and the Belgian Super Cup, and the youngster is in the pursuit of a new challenge, with England reportedly his preferred destination.

Real Madrid Face Italian Competition For Maxime Gonalons

Lyon’s highly rated defensive midfielder Maxime Gonalons is being targeted by three Italian clubs according to his agent.

Gonalons has begun to make his presence felt at the Stade Gerland this season, clocking up ten Ligue-1 appearances so far under new coach Remi Garde.

The 22-year-old’s fine displays in a rejuvenated Les Gones side have not gone unnoticed, with even Real Madrid believed to be keeping a close eye on his progress.

But the most serious interest so far has come from Serie A, with the Frenchman’s agent Frederic Guerra claiming three Italian sides are queuing up.

"It’s too early to talk about the summer market and his potential sale", Guerra told Tutto Mercato.

"There are three Italian teams that are very interested in him."

Two of the Serie A sides believed to be tracking Gonalons are Inter and Napoli.

Tottenham Hotspur Hunt Valencia Striker Roberto Soldado

Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race for Valencia hitman Roberto Soldado.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is believed to be keen to bolster his attacking options for the second half of the season and has been eyeing up several options, including CSKA Moscow’s potent finisher Seydou Doumbia.

But the former Portsmouth manager has not lost sight of Soldado’s progression at the Mestalla and the Spaniard may represent a better bet than the Ivorian given his experience of a higher quality league.

According to Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, Spurs have begun to prepare a swoop for Soldado, although it is dependent on selling Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko in January.

Interest in Pavlyuchenko is substantial, especially from his homeland Russia, where several big name sides would dearly love to add the former Spartak Moscow striker to their ranks.

This would give Redknapp the space he needs to launch an assault for Soldado, who has performed such heroics in a white shirt that he has quickly helped Los Che fans to forget the departure of legendary striker David Villa to Barcelona in 2010 – the man Soldado was signed to replace.

Soldado does have a number of admirers, with Bayern Munich keen observers as Valencia took on Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. Spurs then could have to battle the Germans for the 26-year-old.

Manchester United Striker Is Set For Premiership Switch

Manchester United striker Federico Macheda is being lined up for a Premier League loan move to new boys Queens Park Rangers, according to reports in the Daily Star.

The 20-year-old joined Manchester United from Lazio in 2007 and so far has made 28 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions.

Last season Macheda went on loan to Serie A club Sampdoria and made 16 appearances and scored one goal.

The Italy Under-21 international has come back to Old Trafford this season but has just made one appearance in the League Cup.

QPR manager Neil Warnock has been keeping tabs on Macheda and is planning to make a loan move for the United striker when the January transfer window opens.

It is believed the move will benefit all three parties involved as Macheda will gain more first-team Premier League experience.

Juve Will Try To Sell Amauri

Juventus have confirmed that they will try and sell Amauri during the January transfer window.

The striker was expected to be sacrificed in the summer given that he earns €3.8m a season and his contract at the club expires in June 2012.

No transfer was agreed though and he remained in Turin, although he’s clearly not a part of the club’s first team plans.

“In January we decided to loan him to Parma,” director general Beppe Marotta told Tuttosport on Wednesday.

“He’d only scored one goal for us and, for his own good and ours, it was decided to give him away on a temporary basis.

“In June, though, we told Amauri that he wasn’t a part of the project anymore. There was interest from Marseille who were ready to offer him a three-year deal, but he rejected that.

“Unfortunately our contractual power over him is almost zero now given that his deal expires in June, but we’ll see if we can sell him in January.”

Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain are being associated with a New Year approach for the Brazilian-born Italian international.

Champions League Group E Preview

Chelsea can improve their already dominant position in Champions League Group E when they host lowly Genk in London on Wednesday.

The Blues have not lost a European group stage clash at Stamford Bridge in eight years, and the Belgian First Division champions would need a miracle to take all three points in their first fixture against English opposition in the tournament.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has a positive recent history with Genk, having led former team Porto to a 7-2 aggregate defeat of the Belgian outfit in the Europa League playoff round last season.

The Londoners are also fresh off a drought-breaking 3-1 win in the Premier League over Everton - a side they had not conquered since the FA Cup final in 2009.

Genk, meanwhile, have lost their past three in all competitions, including a 2-0 defeat by Bayer Leverkusen in the group.

They managed to hold Valencia to a scoreless draw at home on matchday one, and manager Mario Been will be hoping for more of the same defensive stubbornness out of his XI.

In the other game in Group E, Leverkusen will aim to add to their defeat of Genk with another three points when they host Valencia at Bay Arena.

Robin Dutt's men are second in the group, one point above their La Liga opponents.

The Bundesliga side are unbeaten in three matches in all competitions, including a defiant 2-2 draw with 10 men away to Borussia Monchengladbach in the league at their last start.

Brazilian midfielder Renato Augusto - who played the full 90 minutes in the win over Genk - will miss after having knee surgery earlier this month.

Third-choice keeper Bernd Leno will get another chance on the European stage for Leverkusen, with injury still ruling out first-choice stopper Rene Adler and number two Fabian Giefer.

Turkish midfielder Mehmet Topal could make a return to the starting line-up for Valencia, after spending several weeks out with a shoulder injury.

Valencia will be hoping summer signing Sergio Canales or goal machine Roberto Soldado can score their first open-play goal in their European campaign, after they were lucky to scrape a 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea.

Soldado converted a fortunate spot-kick for an alleged foul on Salomon Kalou for handball, but replays suggested the Ivorian did not contact the ball at all as it came in from a corner.

Valencia, though, will take the point, but manager Unai Emery would be all too aware of the need to start scoring to set alight their fight for a top-two spot and a ticket to the knockout stages.

Champions League Group F Preview

Arsenal will be unfazed by a trip to Marseille for their Champions League Group F clash, having never lost away to a French club.

Didier Deschamps' Marseille sit top of the group with six points from two matches and are yet to concede a goal in the competition.

But they will be wary of an Arsenal team who reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season before falling to eventual winners Barcelona.

However, the Gunners' recent form is nothing to write home about, struggling in a 2-1 win over Sunderland in the Premier League at the weekend.

With Thomas Vermaelen out injured and Bacary Sagna's broken leg keeping him out until next year, manager Arsene Wenger then had to replace Kieran Gibbs with Andre Santos five minutes into the second half with stomach muscle inflammation.

Robin Van Persie's brace against Sunderland may have pulled Arsenal up to 10th in the league but it is their backline that may prove to be their undoing as they come up against the firepower of Ghanaian Andre Ayew and France international Loic Remy.

In the other Group F clash, Olympiakos and Borussia Dortmund meet for the first time in a competitive fixture.

The Greek champions are still without a point in last place, having lost narrowly to Arsenal on matchday two.

Coach Ernesto Valverde will be looking for a better performance on home soil but he will have to do it without talismanic Spanish midfielder David Fuster.

Borussia Dortmund snatched a 1-1 draw with the Gunners in their first match before crashing back to earth with a 3-0 loss to Marseille.

But Jurgen Klopp's team will fancy their chances against Olympiakos in what is shaping as an even match.

Champions League Group G Preview

Porto will enter their Champions League Group G clash with APOEL FC as warm favourites but will not be taking the surprise leaders lightly.

The two-time European champions meet the Cypriot team away as they look to bounce back from their defeat to Zenit St Petersburg.

Porto have not suffered back-to-back losses in Europe for three years.

After losing to 3-1 to Zenit following Jorge Fucil's sending off, Vitor Pereira's team will be looking for nothing less than a win against APOEL.

Brazilian striker Kleber who scored in Porto's 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk, has recovered from his shoulder injury and will expected to lead the line alongside fellow Brazilian strike partner Hulk.

Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk are also aiming to get their campaign back on track when they meet Zenit St Petersburg.

Quarter-finalists in the Champions League last season, Shakhtar Donetsk sit bottom of the group with just one point after a home draw with APOEL.

Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu will be desperate to jump-start their campaign with a home win at Donbass Arena, with the likes of former Corinthians midfielder Willian and former Arsenal frontman Eduardo looking to put their stamp on the occasion.

The two clubs were rivals in the old Soviet league but have not met since 1989.

The Russian side, led by former Roma coach Luciano Spalletti, will be counting on Portuguese striker Danny and Aleksandr Kerzhakov to spearhead Zenit's qualification challenge.

With his brace in their 3-1 over Porto lifting Zenit level on three points with the two-time Champions League winners, Roman Shirokov will be key to their hopes for qualification to the knockout stage.

Champions League Group H Preview

Barcelona and AC Milan can move six points clear in the top two spots in Champions League Group H with victories on Wednesday.

The La Liga champions host Czech side Viktoria Plzen, while the Serie A outfit welcome BATE Borisov, the Belarusian champions.

The Catalans have had their fair share of injury worries early in the season and hampering them further will be the loss of centre-back Gerard Pique for two weeks to a hamstring injury.

Pique was substituted just nine minutes into their league clash with Racing Santander on Sunday, forcing Eric Abidal to play out the majority of the contest despite being under a fitness cloud himself.

It has been a while since Czech opposition have visited the Camp Nou - so much so, that current manager Pep Guardiola was on the scoresheet for Barcelona in a 5-0 victory over Sparta Prague in the 1999-2000 group stages.

Despite the result being a decade ago, Guardiola will be hoping for a similar scoreline as Barca look to go six points clear of the bottom two and move a step closer to the knockout stages.

Milan will have similar hopes as they prepare to welcome Borisov to the San Siro.

Borisov's domestic form has been steady as they have not lost in seven games, but the gulf in class between their home league and the Champions League was evidenced by Barcelona's 5-0 thrashing of them at their last start.

The Belarusians have experienced the pressure of playing Milan previously, going down 6-0 on aggregate in the UEFA Cup first round in 2001-02.

Featuring on the pitch that day were current coach Vikto Goncharenko and assistants Aleksandr Fedorovich and Aleksei Baga.

The only current-day player in the side that day was attacker Artem Kontsevoy.

Milan, however, will not be worried about history as they look to continue their form which has seen them win three of their past four.

Their home form in Champions League past seasons has been woeful, winning just one of eight in their two most recent campaigns before a 2-0 win over Plzen steadied the ship.

Brazilian striker Robinho returned to the Milan line-up in their 3-0 win over Palermo, adding a new dimension to their attack, and the former Santos and Manchester City star will be in contention to keep his spot under Massimiliano Allegri.

Arsenal To Make Shock Offer To Manchester United Starlet

Arsenal are thought to be closely monitoring the contract situation of Manchester United youngster Paul Pogba and are ready to offer him a deal if he fails to agree new terms.

Pogba is a highly-rated member of United's reserves and is tipped to soon break into the first-team, however, his current deal reportedly ends at the end of the current season.

That allows the 18-year-old midfielder to listen to other offers in the New Year and according to the Metro, Arsenal are ready to make an approach.

Pogba was reportedly being tracked by the Gunners before he left Le Havre for Old Trafford in 2009.

And it appears the chance to make the switch to north London could happen if he is not offered a route into United's first-team in the near future.

However, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is thought to be desperate to keep hold of the player being described as 'the new Patrick Vieira.'

"If we hold Pogba back, what’s going to happen? He’s going to leave," Ferguson said.

"You know, in a couple of years’ time when his contract is going to finish.

"So we have to give him the opportunity to see how he can do in the first-team and he’s got great ability."

Dalglish Could Launch Shock Move For Real Madrid Star Striker

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has emerged as a shock contender to sign Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain who has been consistently linked with a move away from the Bernabeu.

The Argentina international joined the Spanish giants for €13million in December 2006 and has since gone on to score 77 goals in just 134 La Liga games.

Despite this impressive goal scoring record, Higuain has never been a regular starter for the club and last season was only able to make 17 league appearances with injuries hampering his opportunities.

With the likes of Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel di Maria all pushing for a start in the front three, Higuain has only managed to start three league games this season.

However, despite not starting the season as first choice the striker has already scored eight league goals this season, including a hat-trick in Madrid's last game against Real Betis.

According to Cadena SER, Liverpool and Manchester United have both been tracking the forward with Dalglish keen to bring another striker to the squad in January, despite already having Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez and Craig Bellamy at his disposal.

Dalglish believes he needs four top quality strikers to help the Reds push for a Champions League place and while Dirk Kuyt has the ability to play up top he is often used on the right side of midfield.

Should Liverpool want to sign the prolific striker then Liverpool would need to make a substantial offer as Madrid would certainly want to make a profit on the 23-year-old.

Manchester United Set To Swoop For Croatian Playmaker

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is preparing to step up his pursuit of a new midfielder and has set his sights on Dinamo Zagreb's Mateo Kovacic, according to reports on Goal.com.

During the course of the summer transfer window Ferguson was looking at a number of options to replace the retired Paul Scholes.

Both Tottenham's Luka Modric and Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder were being lined up by Manchester United but nothing materialized.

A number of top clubs have been keeping tabs on Kovacic including Juventus, Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Arsenal.

However it is believed that the Old Trafford outfit is leading the chase for the 17-year-old, and Ferguson has sent scouts out to watch him in action for Zagreb and the Croatian Under-21's.

It is felt the Croatian club has rated their prized asset at £10million and Kovacic's agent Marcel Kacinari has hinted his client could be on his way to the Premiership.

"It is most likely that he will go to England where the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United are leading the race," Kacinari said. "Dinamo Zagreb have done business in the past with several Premier League teams."