10-05-08, 17:50
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#14 (permalink)
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Arsenal won the race for Lyon’s Ben Arfa
Reportedly, Arsenal will complete their first signing for next season by signing 21-year old winger Hatem Ben Arfa from Lyon.
Aresene Wenger should be very pleased with his first signing, as they beat off competition from clubs like Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United. Earlier, Wenger was quoted saying, “He is a great player and Arsenal is a potential destination for any great player.”
Ben Arfa is one of the most sought-after young players in Europe after impressing for Lyon in the last few seasons.
The 21-year old, who debuted in the French national team last year, will cost Arsenal £16million.
Wolfsburg sign Italy defender Zaccardo
Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg confirmed today that they will sign Palermo defender Cristian Zaccardo in the summer.
The 26-year old , a World Cup winner for Italy, has agreed to a three-year contract for a fee of around €8million euros.
Wolfsburg manager Felix Magath is very pleased with his new signing and said the following, “He is very flexible and strong with his head and in the tackle. I am sure he can also become a great player for Italy by transfering to the Bundesliga.”
Barcelona and Valencia compete for Dani Guiza
After putting a miserable season behind them, the Spanish giants Barcelona and Valencia are looking to reshape their squads. One of their first targets this summer appears to be Real Mallorca striker Dani Guiza.
The 27-year old Spanish international has a a buy-out clause of €15m in his contract that was included when he rejoined from Getafe last summer.
The prolific Spain international has been linked with Roma and Napoli, but his agent Bronzetti has stated that: “Barcelona are in first place for him.”
The 27-year-old has scored 24 goals in 36 games, which makes him the goal scoring leader of La Liga followed by Fabiano with 23 goals.
Berbatov to bid goodbye to Spurs
Tottenham star Dimitar Berbatov looks set to play his last game for the club against Liverpool at White Hart Lane on Sunday in what promises to be a farewell fixture for a number of players on both sides.
The Bulgaria striker is expected to be the most high-profile departure from Spurs after manger Juande Ramos admitted that he may be powerless to prevent his prize asset seeking Champions League football at a bigger club.
“It's difficult to say whether it will be his last game. I would obviously like him to stay here but we don't know how future negotiations will go, so it's something I can't guarantee,” the Spanish coach said.
“I've spoken to him many times and I know exactly what he wants. But it is a private conversation and I won't say what he told me.”
Ramos is expected to make wholesale changes to the squad in the close season with Pascal Chimbonda, Ricardo Rocha, Young-Pyo Lee, Teemu Tainio, Radek Cerny and Younes Kaboul all knowing that Sunday's game could be their last in the white of Spurs.
The former Valencia boss took charge after the chaotic end to Martin Jol's reign in October, and led the club to League Cup victory and UEFA Cup qualification, but is now keen to bring in his own players as part of ambitious plans for next season.
The Spaniard signalled his intentions with the 15-million-pound capture of 22-year-old Croatian playmaker Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb last week and he has also been linked with big money bids for Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o, Portsmouth's Lassana Diarra and West Ham's Anton Ferdinand.
England goalkeeper Paul Robinson is also expected to move in the summer but is unlikely to be fit for Sunday's game due to an ankle injury, denying him the chance of a last appearance in-front of his home supporters.
Opponents Liverpool have had a similarly dramatic season on and off the pitch but will be in a relaxed mood for Sunday's game after securing Champions League qualification last month.
Manager Rafael Benitez and American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett had high hopes of a title challenge at the beginning of the season but after a largely disappointing campaign will be refreshing their squad ready for a more sustained attempt next year.
Players who could be appearing in their last game for the Reds on Sunday include John Arne Riise, Jermaine Pennant, Steve Finnan and Andriy Voronin.
The Spanish coach has already made a bid for Aston Villa's Gareth Barry, fuelling rumours that midfielder Xavi Alonso could also be saying goodbye on Sunday.
However, Benitez scoffed at the reports, saying: “(Alonso) is our player, he has a contract. Barry can play in three different positions, so I don't think we need to worry about this.”
England forward Peter Crouch could also be making his 'Pool swansong against Spurs, the club who gave him his first professional contract, after publicly stating he wants to leave to seek first-team football.
Again, the Spanish boss played down suggestions. He said: “If we receive a very good offer — and by that I mean 15 million pounds — we will consider it. I'm happy to keep him.”
Sunday's fixture could also be the Reds' last under the ownership of Gillett and Hicks following their acrimonious falling out earlier in the season.
Supporters of the famous club are banking on a takeover offer from Dubai based consortium DIC over the summer to provide the stability needed for improvement.
Liverpool are guaranteed a fourth place finish, whatever Sunday's result, while Spurs can still finish in the top ten if they win and West Ham slip up against Aston Villa. |
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