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North London Rivals Set For Battle to Sign Man City Starlet
Tottenham will face stiff competition from North London rivals Arsenal for the signature of Manchester City defender Micah Richards, according to reports. Harry Redknapp has been considering making an offer for Richards who has seen himself fall down the pecking order at Eastland’s. However Arsene Wenger sees Richards as the perfect player to give the Gunner’s defence a more solid look following some poor performances during the latter stages of last season’s Premier League and, with a large transfer kitty at hand, Wenger could move for the U21 International for a cut-down price.
Media speculation has suggested that Roberto Mancini is willing to part company with the defender for a fee believed to be in the region of £9 million. With the news today revealing that Man City are set to sign Jerome Boateng from Hamburg for a fee of £10.5 million, it is looking increasingly likely that Richards will be allowed to jump ship and rumours flying round have linked Spurs with a bid, especially now that they will be involved in qualifying for a spot in next year’s Champions League.
However with French International William Gallas’ future up in the air at the Emirates Stadium as are defenders Mikael Silvestre and Sol Campbell, Wenger is desperately looking for replacements to fill the gaps that have been missing in the Arsenal defence for some time. Wenger has identified Richards as a potential target after impressing in his performances against Arsenal and, as a boyhood fan of the club, he could be in line for a summer transfer. With the ‘home-grown’ players rule coming into effect from 1st September, Wenger has been searching the transfer market for the ‘Best of British’, leading to Joe Hart, Robert Green and Joe Cole all being linked with moves, but it is Richards who is believed to have caught Wenger’s eye.
It will be a fierce battle for the youngster as Redknapp is looking for cover for the injury prone Ledley King, but also for Jonathan Woodgate who has not featured for some time. Any potential money raised from the sale of David Bentley or Alan Hutton may go straight back onto strenghtening Tottenham’s right-hand side and with Richards also able to play anywhere across the back four, the 21-year old is looking like a super prospect for the future.

James Milner has refused to commit his future to Aston Villa and could be in line for a £30m move to Manchester City.
Daily Express

Hamburg's German defender Jerome Boateng has confirmed that he will sign for Manchester City after the World Cup. Daily Star

Another Manchester City target - Inter Milan full-back Maicon - says he has no intention of moving to Eastlands, but instead would like to link up with former Inter boss Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. IMScouting

Dzeko deal waits
MANCHESTER CITY will play a waiting game for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko and have no intention of paying £36million for him.
It had been thought that the expiry of Bosnian Dzeko’s £34m buy-out clause on Monday night would end City’s hopes of signing him.
But, particularly if Dzeko wants to move to Eastlands, City hope he could eventually leave Germany for much less than that.
Dzeko, 24, is one of the hottest properties in Europe and was a target for AC Milan last summer after scoring 26 goals in 32 league matches as Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga.
Despite Wolfsburg failing to qualify for Europe last season, Dzeko still managed 22 goals.
As well as Dzeko, City are also thought to be chasing Inter’s Brazilian right-back Maicon.
World Cup-bound defender Maicon had been expected to follow Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid.
Maicon’s agent, Antonio Caliendo, hopes his player’s future will be resolved in the next few days and insists City and Chelsea are also tracking him.
Caliendo said: “The situation is very clear – in life, everything is bought and sold, except love.
“Maicon’s future is being decided in the coming days.
“Have Chelsea revived their interest? As I’ve always said, there isn’t only Real Madrid interested in Maicon.
“I don’t neglect Manchester City either. Roberto Mancini has coached Maicon in the past at Inter and his is the first name on his pad.”

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been identified as Real Madrid's number one transfer target this summer. Daily Telegraph

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly met with Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Miami, to discuss a potential move to Stamford Bridge. IMScouting

Real Madrid look set to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Benfica winger Angel Di Maria. IMScouting

Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James could be in line for a move to Fulham as Arsenal step up their interest in the Cottagers' Mark Schwarzer. Daily Mail

Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland could also be on the move, to Sunderland, as a replacement for Craig Gordon who has failed to convince manager Steve Bruce he is up to the job.Daily Mail

Arsenal have become the latest team to be linked with Chelsea's out-of-contract midfielder Joe Cole, but the player will not decide on his future until after the World Cup. Daily Mirror

Birmingham are preparing a £4.5m offer for Newcastle's 21-year-old striker Andy Carroll. Daily Mail

Fulham have agreed a £2m deal with Lyon for French striker Frederic Piquionne, who was at loan at Portsmouth last season. Daily Mirror

Portsmouth have turned down a "derisory" £300,000 offer from Rangers for striker Tommy Smith. Daily Express

WAG OF THE DAY
http://italy.theoffside.com/wags/wag-of ... relli.html

OTHER BOLLOX
"Sacked" (Daily Mirror), "Rafa Out" (The Sun), "Rafa's £3m Kop Off" (Daily Star), "Rafa is Out" (Daily Mail), "End of Road for Rafa" (Daily Express), "Benitez on the Brink" (Daily Telegraph), "Liverpool offer Benitex £3m to quit" (Guardian), "Benitez set to quit" (The Independent). With the World Cup just over a week away, there is only one story dominating the back pages of Thursday's newspapers. MCF.NET THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=32822

It is claimed that player power is responsible for Benitez's potential departure from Anfield.Daily Mirror

Liverpool's wish list to replace Benitez is thought to include ex-Manchester City manager Mark Hughes, Fulham's Roy Hodgson and former Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink. Daily Mail

Inter Milan are now thought to be monitoring Benitez's situation and are lining up the Spaniard to replace Jose Mourinho who this week joined Real Madrid. The Sun

Hiddink meanwhile has ruled himself out of the running to be Inter Milan's next coach, after his agent claimed he was the club's number one choice.
the Independent

Hull are in talks with former Portsmouth and Crystal Palace manager Paul Hart about becoming their new boss.
Daily Mirror

Captain Rio Ferdinand has revealed striker Wayne Rooney to be England's karaoke king with the Manchester United star set to entertain his team-mates on and off the pitch in South Africa.
Daily Mirror

World Cup Shorts: Brazil meet Robert Mugabe as Zimbabwean hatchet men single out Robinho and Kaka
Robert Mugabe made a controversial appearance at Brazil’s friendly against Zimbabwe in Harare. He was presented to the teams on the pitch before the match.

Brazil went on to win 3-0 but Robinho — who scored — and Kaka seemed to be singled out for rough treatment. At one stage, an angry Robinho had to be restrained by Zimbabwe’s Benjani.

Season Review - Part 4
Emmanuel Adebayor silenced the taunts of Arsenal fans as he inspired Manchester City to a fourth successive Premier League victory - but sparked fury among his former supporters inside Eastlands with a provocative solo goal celebration.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 246825.stm

EXTRA BOLLOX
Many clubs will be pleased the World Cup is now looming large on the horizon as it stops some of the groundless transfer stories filling space.
However, the papers continue to be confused over the Blues intentions towards Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.
Today it is the Express who revisit the story insisting that ‘Manchester City will play a waiting game and have no intention of paying £36million for him.
‘It had been thought that the expiry of Bosnian Dzeko’s £34million buy-out clause on Monday night would end City’s hopes of signing him but, particularly if Dzeko wants to move to Eastlands, City hope he could eventually leave Germany for much less than that.’
John Cross in the Mirror, meanwhile, reckons that we are still in the hunt for Joe Cole though he does hedge his bets somewhat by naming several other clubs in the same article.
‘Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is interested in Chelsea’s out of contract Joe Cole,’ he writes. ‘But Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City are also chasing the England midfielder and rumours that Arsenal have already struck a deal were yesterday dismissed.’
All the above just goes to show that until we announce something on mcfc.co.uk then no one should assume it is happening or not happening.
In World Cup news Martin Blackburn in the Sun quotes Joe Hart on the battle for the starting slot between the posts for England in South Africa.
‘There are three of us vying for the same spot but we’ve got every respect for each other and we’ll all back whoever end up as number one,’ he writes.
‘From working with the manager a few times you have to respect that’s the way he’s done it throughout his career and it’s a very successful career.’
All the paper also use mcfc.co.uk’s chat with Adam Johnson yesterday in which the winger was upbeat about being left out of the England squad for South Africa.

Arsenal are considering a move for West Ham's £6m-rated England goalkeeper Robert Green, 30, after opting not to pursue 37-year-old Fulham stopper Mark Schwarzer. caughtoffside.com

Manchester United are interested in Lyon's £22m-rated Brazilian left winger Michel Bastos, 26. caughtoffside.com

Season Review - Pt 5
Michael Owen's winner deep into stoppage time gave Manchester United a dramatic victory in a classic derby encounter at Old Trafford.
Owen, on as a substitute for Dimitar Berbatov, pounced in trademark fashion to beat Manchester City's defiant goalkeeper Shay Given and provoke hugely contrasting emotions in the technical area.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson set off on an impromptu wild dance along the touchline - while City counterpart Mark Hughes immediately demanded to know how the decisive moment of a thrilling game could come almost six minutes into four minutes of stoppage time.
Cuntz: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 256750.stm

Kompany hails Manchester City owners
Manchester City midfielder Vincent Kompany has praised the long-term vision of the club's Middle Eastern owners.
The Belgium international was brought to Eastlands from Hamburg in the opening weeks of Sheikh Mansour's ambitious reign in August 2008.
The Abu Dhabi United Group have set about transforming the perennial underachievers into one of the most powerful clubs in European football and Kompany is full of praise for the way their two-year spell at the helm has taken shape.
Kompany was one of the key players as City finished a club-high fifth in the Premier League last season.
"The owner clearly didn't come in just to buy a bunch of players, he came in with a vision - a project, something far more rewarding than just winning a trophy, something that's lasting," he told the club's official website.
"It's just a matter of time, because if people stick to what they want to do and don't give up, they get there. What is happening at City is much more than flash and cash.
"For me it's nothing to do with that, it's somebody coming in with a vision and wanting to realise that vision through any means necessary.
"That's the difference between a dream and a vision. City are prepared to do what it takes to succeed and the Sheikh doesn't see a problem as something that will stop him.
"The people in charge of City are the right people because they have the passion and motivation. If someone doesn't have that, they don't bother looking for ways to solve the problem."

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas is examining his legal options in a bid to force through a move to Barcelona. The 23-year-old has considered exploiting Fifa's 'Webster ruling', which states that a player who signed a deal before the age of 28 can buy himself out of the remainder of his contract three years after the deal was signed. However, it would cost Fabregas £28.6m to buy out his £110,000-a-week contract which has five years to run. goal.com

Season Review pt 6
Manchester City moved to within three points of the league leaders as two goals from former West Ham hero Carlos Tevez helped overcome the Hammers.

Tevez side-footed home Martin Petrov's cross from six yards out but Carlton Cole levelled with a neat back-heel.
Petrov, making his first league start of the season, curled a low, 25-yard free-kick into the corner of the net.
Tevez's header from Craig Bellamy's free-kick sealed victory and secured City's best league start since 1961.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 270838.stm

You had to bring up that Derby,its still too raw for me.