Arsenal Ready To Hijack Tottenham Move For Brazilian Star

Arsenal is lining up a bid for Internacional striker Leandro Damiao who has been a target for arch-rivals Tottenham.

The Brazilian has been watched by Spurs on several occasions who have been harbouring an ambition to bring him to England but with comings and going having been thin on the ground at White Hart Lane this summer, manager Harry Redknapp has been unable to free up the space in his squad to accommodate the hitman. Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios have been heavily linked with moves to Stoke City while Chelsea's interest in Luka Modric is well-documented but with none of those deals having been completed, Redknapp has precious little room for manoeuvre despite a £9m bid having been mooted.

This has left the door open for Arsenal who are desperate to add numbers to their squad. While the attacking department would not - on the surface - appear to be a priority for the Gunners, their lack of goals so far this season has been a cause for concern. Manager Arsene Wenger brought in Marouane Chamakh last summer to provide an added threat and a muscular presence up front but the Morocco international has disappointed.

Damiao is a strapping 21-year-old who at 6 feet 2 inches is not your classic Brazilian forward. He would provide the aerial option that Wenger previously shunned but has come to realize is a necessary evil in order to compete with the likes of Stoke and Bolton and is now ready to make an approach for the player before the transfer window closes on Wednesday night especially after witnessing his side's crushing 8-2 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.

Newcastle Lead Chase For Inter Milan Star

Newcastle is in talks with Inter Milan star Davide Santon according to the player’s agent Claudio Vigorelli.

The 20-year-old defender is also being tracked by Roma, but that move looks to have been scuppered as Vigorelli revealed a move to Newcastle is now the aim.

Toon boss Alan Pardew is facing a race against time to bring in reinforcements for his depleted squad, and a deal to replace Jose Enrique would signal a step in the right direction.

Vigorelli told the Corriere dello Sport: "At this time, there is no possibility that Santon can join Roma because right now the aim is Newcastle."

Spanish Giants To Swoop For Fulham Star

Clint Dempsey could be headed for Spain, with Sevilla having made an approach to sign the American midfielder, according to SkySports.

The Spanish club is believed to have offered around £8m for Dempsey, who is also being tracked by Paris St Germain and Aston Villa.

The American is apparently keen on the move, and is excited by the challenge of playing at a higher level, even though Sevilla have already been knocked out of the Europa League this season.

28 year old Dempsey has been an integral part of Fulham's team over the past few years, but manager Martin Jol could be tempted to sell in order to give him the funds to strengthen his squad elsewhere.

Dempsey scored what could be his last goal for the club during the team's 2-1 away defeat to Newcastle at the weekend.

Gunners Keen On Yossi

Sky Sports Sources understand Arsenal have made an enquiry for Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun.

Benayoun is expected to leave Chelsea before the close of the transfer window after falling down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.

The Israeli international fuelled talk of a move away from Chelsea after handing over his No.10 shirt to new signing Juan Mata.

Benayoun has failed to establish himself at Chelsea since arriving from Liverpool last summer making only 10 appearances following a serious Achilles injury.

The 31-year-old has only made one brief substitute appearance this season as it appears he does not figure in Andre Villas-Boas' long-term plans.

Benayoun, who has been linked with a move to Tottenham as part of any deal for Luka Modric, has admitted on Twitter that he could be on the move and that he was speaking to several other clubs.

Arsenal could now be one of the clubs interested in Benayoun with Arsene Wenger desperate to bolster his squad before the close of the transfer window.

Wenger is in the need of midfield reinforcements after losing Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri and Benayoun could help bring some guile to Arsenal's midfield if he steps up his interest in the former West Ham and Liverpool man.

Malaga Plan Shock £20m Bid For Chelsea Flop Fernando Torres

Atletico Madrid and Malaga are keeping tabs on Chelsea FC flop Fernando Torres with a view to making a bid either before the close of the transfer window on Wednesday or a cut price deal in January.

Torres, who is a Roman Abramovich signing has failed to impress since his arrival from Liverpool last January in a whopping £50m move and it is clear the Russian owner is becoming frustrated with the 27 year old he brought on board to help the side under the managerial guidance of Carlo Ancelotti.

Whilst it is believed the signing of Juan Mata may give Torres the required ball needed to find the net on more occasions, Torres has had ample chances without Mata playing and has so far shown that he is no longer the player he once was.

Whilst Spanish sides Malaga, and his original club Atletico Madrid are only enquiring at this stage they will expect to pay much less than the £50m Chelsea paid last January and would be looking to pay no more than £20m for a striker who scores only once per thirty attempts on goal.

Barcelona Make Offer For Ruiz

Saprissa's teenage striker John Jairo Ruiz is the latest young Costa Rican to attract interest from Europe as his agent claims Barcelona have made an offer for him.

Ruiz, 17, starred at the Under-20 World Cup in Colombia and now looks set to join Arsenal's Joel Campbell in moving to the continent following his performances in the tournament.

"Barcelona has tabled a good offer for John. It's now up to Saprissa to decide whether it's good enough for them," agent Ricardo Cabanas was quoted as saying by La Nacion.

"We were obviously very happy when we heard about this. Joining Barcelona is a dream for any player, so we are very excited. It is important that John gets good advice on this matter."

Lille Weighing Up Move For Chelsea Striker

Lille is preparing a bid for Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou.

Andre Villas-Boas is willing to let the Ivorian leave Stamford Bridge following the arrival of promising young striker Romelu Lukaku.

Kalou has failed to start regularly at Chelsea following his move from Feyenoord in 2006 and is ready to move clubs to kick-start his career.

Arsenal has been keen on him in the past but there’s currently no interest from Chelsea’s London rivals, with Lille the favourites to land him.

The French club lost Gervinho to Arsenal earlier this summer, while they have also missed out on signing Park Chu-Young to Arsene Wenger.

Lille is eager to add some power up front after losing out on Park, with Kalou their main target.

Discussions are at any early stage but Lille is confident the £10m they banked from the Gervinho sale can be used in funding the squad’s overhaul.

According to sources in France, Lille is also keen on Kalou’s team-mate Yossi Benayoun, who has confirmed he will leave Chelsea this summer.

Forlan Leaves Atletico To Join Inter Milan

Diego Forlan is joining Inter Milan after Atletico Madrid agreed to sell the Uruguay striker to the Serie A club.

Forlan, who will fill the vacant striker spot left after Samuel Eto'o's departure for Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, announced his departure from Atletico at a news conference Monday at the club's Vicente Calderon stadium.

"It's not everyday you get the chance to play for Inter Milan at 32. Let's hope I can meet expectations,'' Forlan said. "It's a great club with great players fighting for major trophies. I hope to adapt quickly.''

Financial terms of the deal were not announced. Forlan will not be allowed to take part in Champions League play for Inter unless it reaches the knockout stages since he already featured for Atletico in Europa League qualifying this summer.

Forlan, who was named best player at last year's World Cup in South Africa after Uruguay reached the semifinals, spent four seasons at Atletico and helped it to the 2010 European Supercup and scored both goals in the 2-1 Europa League final victory.

"Some moments weren't great but the majority of years here have been spectacular,'' said Forlan, who spent the latter half of his last season out of the starting lineup due to problems with then-coach Quique Sanchez Flores. "But I'm happy with the decision I've taken because life goes on, players come and go and you have to accept that.

"I achieved the objectives we had set out. It was an enormous pleasure to win the titles we did here.''

The former Manchester United and Villarreal striker had two years remaining on his Atletico deal with reports suggesting he has agreed to a two-year deal with the Italian club.

"I go to another great club where I like the project and the expectations they have,'' Forlan said.”But these past four years remain a good memory.''

Forlan scored 96 goals in 198 appearances for Atletico, which he also guided to the Copa del Rey final in 2010. Forlan won the Golden Boot award as Europe's top goalscorer twice.

Atletico paid FC Porto 40 million euros ($58 million) for Colombia striker Radamel Falcao, who arrives with high expectations following the departures of the club's fearsome strike partnership of Forlan and Sergio Aguero, who joined Manchester City.

Wolfsburg Snap Up Jonsson

Wolfsburg have made Swedish striker Rasmus Jonsson their 11th new arrival this summer after signing him for an undisclosed fee from Helsingborg.

Jonsson, 21, signed a four-year deal before joining up with the Sweden Under-21 national team for their European qualifiers against Lithuania.

''I am delighted to have signed a highly-talented forward,'' said Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath, who has now made enough new signings to form a brand new team since he arrived at the club in the spring. Rasmus Jonsson can both score and create goals and he will help us.''

Before leaving for international duty, Jonsson spoke of his delight at joining the 2009 Bundesliga champions.

''I am very happy - this transfer is a big step in my career,'' he said. ''The Bundesliga is one of the biggest leagues in Europe and Wolfsburg is one of the biggest clubs in Germany.

''My aim is to be successful with the team and also to improve myself as a player. I will work hard to find my place in the team.''

Jonsson's arrival could pave the way for the departure of former Germany international Patrick Helmes, who has been attracting interest from clubs both in Germany and abroad.

Leandro Damiao, Gueida Fofana & Marc Bartra All On Spurs Radar

Leandro Damiao is back in Spurs' transfer plans and Harry Redknapp is also lining up bids for Marc Bartra of Barcelona and Le Havre's Gueida Fofana.

Tottenham were keen to land Brazil striker Damiao in June, but the 22-year-old opted to sign a contract extension with Internacional.

That pushed the Brazilian club's asking price up from £12million to £18million and forced Spurs into a rethink.

But with Peter Crouch set to join Stoke City, Redknapp has persuaded chairman Daniel Levy to make a new offer close to Internacional's valuation, reports the Sunday Times.

Should they get their man, Tottenham fans can look forward to seeing a new-look strikeforce of Damiao and Emmanuel Adebayor from next month.

Spurs are also ready to make a £6.7million offer for 20-year-old Bartra, who is on the fringes of the Barcelona first-team squad.

The European champions are willing to let the Spain Under-21s centre-back leave, but their desire to insert a buyback clause into the deal could be a stumbling block.

Fofana is a 20-year-old midfielder who is regarded as one of the rising stars of French football after playing for his country at this summer's Under-20 World Cup.

Le Havre have put a £1.2million price tag on Fofana, who is also a target for Manchester City.

Man United To Tempt Everton With £10m Plus Two Player Swap Offer For Jack Rodwell

Sir Alex Ferguson is considering one last summer transfer swoop as he looks to snap up a long term target. The Old Trafford boss may look to take advantage of the financial uncertainty at Everton by offering David Moyes a tempting deal for English youngster Jack Rodwell.

Ferguson will reportedly offer Everton around £10m in cash as well as midfielder Darron Gibson and striker Mame Biram Diouf in exchange for the promising England Under 21 international.

Though the Man United boss has seen youngsters Tom Clevereley and Danny Welbeck move seamlessly into first team action he is still keen to add some steel to the centre of his midfield and sees the potential that 20 year old Rodwell has to offer and is keen to snap up a player he has tracked for a number of years.

Rodwell may be a player that David Moyes is willing to sell ahead of more crucial players in his armoury, such as the likes of Mikel Arteta, Marouane Fellaini and Phil Jagielka, all of whom have been strongly linked with exits this summer. Clearly Man United have in the past snapped up young Toffees talent, as with Wayne Rooney, and Ferguson will hope he can make Rodwell his fourth signing of the summer.

Spurs Close In On Parker Deal

Tottenham are poised to wrap up the signing of England midfielder Scott Parker.

The 30-year-old was not included in the West Ham squad which travelled to Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon as the deal, believed to be worth £6million, neared a conclusion.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce told Sky Sports: "There are some negotiations going on and I don't think he would be mentally right to play. It will come to fruition in the next 24 hours or so."

Tottenham are expected to include a loan deal for one of their youngsters in the package.

Parker, who joined the Hammers from Newcastle for £7million in 2007, was named Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year last season despite the club finishing bottom of the Barclays Premier League.

Anzhi To Make £62m Offer To Sign Man United Star

Big spending Anzhi are willing to pay a total of £62m to land Serbian centre back Nemanja Vidic, £25m to Man United for the player and £37m in wages over a four year period. Sir Alex Ferguson will be loathed to consider such an offer but perhaps the Old Trafford defender will be tempted by the huge pay hike he could get by returning to a league he knows very well from his two years at Spartak Moscow.

Anzhi Makhachkala seems to have limitless wealth, having brought the likes of Roberto Carlos, Yuri Zhirkov, and most recently Samuel Eto’o to the Dagestan based club. Indeed the Cameroon international is said to be the highest paid sportsman on Planet Earth following his move from Inter Milan to the club earlier in the month.

Vidic has been a hugely important servant to Man United since his move to the club in 2006 and has notched up over 200 appearances since his move to the Premier League side, Ferguson is unlikely to consider such a sale, even though he has youngsters Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, England Under 21 team-mates, to call upon as a regular starting pairing for the long term.

Rio Ferdinand is back from injury and there is also Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans as potential back-up though captain Vidic would still be seen as the most solid defender at the club and any possible move to Russia would only be considered if the determined skipper considered the offer to tempting to turn down.

Kjaer's Roma Move Put On Hold

Simon Kjaer's loan move to Serie A giants Roma has been put on hold after reports in Italy claim the defender has been recalled by his club Wolfsburg.

The Denmark International, who joined the Bundeliga club last season, has been in erratic form so far this season, with head coach Felix Magath bringing in Greek Sotiris Kyrgiakos from Liverpool earlier in the week as a likely replacement for the player.

But, after Kjaer spent two days in the Italian capital undergoing a medical and all set to officially sign a deal, it seems as though discussions between the clubs have hit a snag.

Although Magath confirmed the former Palermo star was heading to the Giallorossi, speculation in Italy suggests Roma's surprise exit from the Europa League at the hands of Slovan Bratislava meant club officials wanted to alter the agreement for the centre-back.

The Italians were hoping to bring the player in on loan terms with the prospect of a permanent switch for the 22-year-old the likely outcome.

However, Roma's disappointing exit from the competition somewhat changed matters although AS Roma's CEO Claudio Fenucci told Adnkronos: "We had a deal with Wolfsburg for Simon Kjaer for a loan with the right of a permanent switch, but then the conditions have changed and so we decided not to ratify the agreement.

"Roma's sporting director, Walter Sabatini will consider the player an option, but only if Wolfsburg come back on our terms and conditions. Then we will be ready to continue and close the deal."

Juve Face Estigarribia Delays

There have been unexpected delays in Juventus completing the signature of Marcelo Alejandro Estigarribia.

The Paraguayan international flew in for his medical after the club agreed terms with Newell’s Old Boys.

However, Sportmediaset points out the winger has still not put pen to paper on the contract.

The problem appears to regard red tape as, like many South American players, he is owned by both the club and an investment group.

Considering there is a break for international duty coming up, there are fears Antonio Conte won’t be able to work with Estigarribia for at least another 10 days.

Turks Intercept Juve's Elia Deal

Juventus are pushing to sign Eljero Elia from Hamburg, but face sudden €9m competition from Galatasaray.

The Dutchman is their primary transfer target for the role of winger in Antonio Conte’s 4-2-4 system.

It was reported by all the Italian sports papers this morning that an agreement with Hamburg for Elia was effectively in place.

However, German newspaper Sport Bild claims Galatasaray have dived in with a bid worth €9m to pip them to the post.

Juve are hoping to use Amauri as bait to turn the transfer in their favour, offering the striker in part-exchange to Hamburg.

Udinese Discover Pereyra

Udinese have reportedly snapped up River Plate’s teenage talent Roberto Pereyra, who could be the new Alexis Sanchez.

The Friulani have made their fortune by scouring the South American market for young prospects and then turning them into stars.

There are rumours their latest discovery is 19-year-old River Plate creative midfielder Pereyra.

He can play both in a deeper role and as trequartista behind the strikers, having featured recently for Argentina in the Under-20 World Cup.

He is believed to have cost Udinese around €5m.

Palermo Confirm Vazquez Deal

Palermo have confirmed a deal for Belgrano’s Franco Vazquez to arrive in January, while Fabrizio Miccoli “will definitely stay.”

There were reports the Rosanero were going to bring in creative midfielder Vazquez this summer, but the 22-year-old will wait until the end of Argentina’s Apertura season.

“We wanted to sign him now, as we consider him a player who can make the difference,” director of sport Sean Sogliano told Il Giornale di Sicilia.

“Both Belgrano and the player pushed to put back the transfer until January. We decided to accept, because we believe so much in the qualities of this player.

“It would be a mistake for Palermo to abandon the whole thing by not accepting the delay until January.”

This weekend captain Miccoli declared he was ready to leave if he would only be used for the final 20 minutes of games.

“Miccoli will definitely stay and the fans need to relax,” insisted Sogliano. “He said nothing wrong, as obviously all players want time on the field. Fabrizio is a reference point for this team.”

Recommendations for Barclays Premier League Matches (28 August 2011)

Tottenham Hotspur (20th) vs Manchester City (1st)

Luka Modric looks set to make his first Tottenham appearance of the season after taking part in full training on Friday. The Croatian has been carrying what has been diagnosed as a minor hamstring complaint but should be fit, along with Jermaine Jenas and Alan Hutton, who have recovered from recent Achilles and knee injuries respectively. William Gallas (calf), Steven Pienaar (groin), Ledley King, Wilson Palacios and Sandro (all knee) miss out while loan signing Emmanuel Adebayor is unavailable to play against his parent club.

New signing Samir Nasri could make his Manchester City debut in Sunday's Barclays Premier League match at Tottenham. Midfielder Nigel de Jong is out with a foot problem but manager Roberto Mancini has no other injury concerns. Carlos Tevez could also feature but is again likely to be on the bench due to a lack of match sharpness.

Harry Redknapp's men will be hopeful of a result as they are unbeaten at White Hart Lane in their last 17 league games. Spurs have triumphed on 31 occasions when City have come visiting for a league clash. The visitors have won 14 times, while 17 other matches have ended in a draw. Manchester City have won only one of their last six games against Tottenham. In their last four matches, though, they have scored only one goal against Spurs. Even that was an own goal from Peter Crouch last season, which saw them qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history. However, if Mancini continues to play with two strikers in an away tie, I believe his positive attacking tactics will be good enough to get a positive result out of this tie. Expect Man City to win this tie.

Manchester United (2nd) vs Arsenal (14th)

Darren Fletcher will return to Manchester United's squad for Sunday's Barclays Premier League showdown with Arsenal. The Scotland skipper has struggled to shake off the effects of a virus he was struck down by in March but, after coming through his second 90-minute reserve-team outing last night against Swansea, has been drafted into manager Sir Alex Ferguson's plans. Rio Ferdinand (hamstring) and Antonio Valencia (ankle) have been training, but Nemanja Vidic (calf) and Rafael (shoulder) are definitely out.

Arsenal trio Alex Song, Gervinho and Emmanuel Frimpong are suspended for the match. Jack Wilshere saw a specialist but the club are still waiting for an update on his ankle injury which is expected to keep him out for three more weeks. Nicklas Bendtner is sidelined with an ankle problem and Sebastien Squillaci is also out, along with Kieran Gibbs (hamstring) and Abou Diaby (ankle). Defender Thomas Vermaelen will have a fitness test but is expected to be fit and Laurent Koscielny came through a similar check on his back problem on Friday morning.

Manchester United will look to extend their undefeated home record at Old Trafford, which stretches back to April 2010 when they were beaten by Chelsea. Last weekend, during their respective games against Tottenham and Liverpool, the clubs fielded sides with an average age of 23, which were amongst the youngest in the Premier League this season. Arsenal claimed victory the last time the two sides came face to face, when they defeated the Red Devils as a result of a second half goal from Aaron Ramsey at the Emirates. The Gunners have failed to score on their previous two visits to Old Trafford, in the Premier League and FA Cup, while they have also not claimed all three points since a late Emmanuel Adebayor strike sealed victory for Wenger’s side in September 2006. Arsenal is still looking for replacement in their midfield after losing Nasri and Fabregas. I believe the midfield area will be dominated by Man Utd and with Rooney on form, Arsenal will find it difficult to get a point in this game. Man Utd to stay undefeated at Old Trafford, to win this game, 2-0 or 2-1.

West Bromwich Albion (18th) vs Stoke City (11th)

West Brom coach Roy Hodgson is considering whether to give a first start of the season to striker Peter Odemwingie in Sunday's home Barclays Premier League match with Stoke. The Nigeria international, Albion's top scorer with 15 goals last term, has recovered from an ankle injury suffered in pre-season and came on as a substitute during last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea. Midfielder Zoltan Gera is the only player currently sidelined as he builds up his fitness after ankle surgery.

Stoke have influential duo Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington back for the encounter. The pair return to the Potters squad having both been suspended for last night's Europa League play-off victory over FC Thun. Manager Tony Pulis withdrew Jermaine Pennant in the second half of that match as a precaution and hopes the winger will be fit to face the Baggies, while Rory Delap will also be assessed for a hamstring problem.

Stoke City is undefeated in the last 9 meetings between the clubs. The last 4 matches at the Hawthornes saw Stoke City winning 3 and drawing 1. Stoke City was also impressive in their European tie, having beaten FC Thun to qualify to the next round. Despite their impressive record, I feel their European journey may have been a game too many and would give West Brom an edge on this one. I predict West Brom not to lose this game, and would win this one by 1 goal.

Match Report: Barcelona 2 - 0 Porto

Lionel Messi's goal late in the first half and Cesc Fabregas' slick volley gave Barcelona a 12th title under Pep Guardiola and a second already in 2011-12 as the Catalan outfit beat Porto in the Uefa Super Cup in Monaco on Friday evening.

Messi, named European Player of the Year at Uefa's Champions League draw on Thursday, netted in the only competition in which he had previously failed to score after he latched on to Fredy Guarin's shocking pass-back six minutes before the interval. Fabregas then collected a pass from the attacker to control and lash into the roof of the net.

Europa League holders Porto started brightly against the Champions League winners, with Hulk a lively presence up front. Aided by the busy Guarin, Porto rattled their illustrious opponents in the opening exchanges and Moutinho's drive on the bounce tested Victor Valdes, while Hulk was off target with a low drive.

Porto were pushing up and pressing Barca, playing the Catalans at their own game, and every time Pep Guardiola's side ventured forward, they were caught out by their rivals' offside trap.

But it doesn't take long for Barca to figure out their rivals and Guardiola's men began to enjoy more of the possession as the game wore on.

Messi, who had started quietly and looked uncomfortable at times, almost set up David Villa following a fantastic run and pass through the heart of the Porto defence, but Romanian full-back Cristian Sapunaru got a vital touch and Helton came charging of his line to gather.

Xavi then came close with a fierce drive from the edge of the box, put Helton pushed the ball over the crossbar.

Barca were growing in stature, though, and soon took the lead as Guarin inexplicably played a back-pass into his area where Messi, who would have been offside had the ball been sent through by a team-mate, was waiting all alone to pounce, leaving Helton grounded with a glorious feint and slotted into the empty net.

After the break, Villa shot straight at Helton and Pedro was denied by the Brazilian keeper as he raced through on his own. Porto had a penalty shout turned down when Eric Abidal clattered into Guarin after losing control of the ball in the area, but the referee waved play on.

Barca was the better side, however, and continued to attack.

That pressure brought another rash challenge from Rolando, already booked, who then saw red after a cynical foul on Messi.

And the Catalans took quick advantage as Messi turned provider for Fabregas, who chested down the pinpoint cross and volleyed past Helton to register in some style. Guarin's late lunge on Mascherano, leaving the referee no choice but to send him off, concluded a miserable evening for the Portuguese.

It could have been three after that, but Barca were comfortable in the end as they lifted a 12th title under Guardiola - and two in two games for Fabregas.