Liverpool making a late offer for Joe Cole. However, it still looks like a straight fight between Spurs and Arsenal.

Looks that way.. i would have Cole at Man U but looks likely he will stay in London and with Modric signing a new contract at Spurs, Man U will now need to look elsewhere for a Scholes replacement. Schneiders performances at the world cup will probably price him out of a move to Man U.

Well I'll make the same suggestion to you as I did to Saint the other day, namely Ozil. You could probably get him for GBP20m - much of the funds being raised by offloading Carrick.

Ozil looks quality.. but Man U dont have the funds. I wouldnt be suprised to see Anderson, Berbatov, Carrick, Vidic(only cos he wants to go) plus one or two others being sold to allow SAF to buy.

arrry will have the edge in that race surely?

I think Arsenal will have the edge in that one. I'm not entirely sure where 'Arry would slot Cole in if, as Cole says, his preferred option is more central. I can't see Modric being thrown out. And with the arrival of Sandro (a holding player admitedly) that will only complicate matters.

I wouldnt be so sure.... Wenger rarely signs an English player, then again Spurs look well acquiitted in the role that Cole would offer but arry does like his more attacking players.

Wonder when the clubs will splash any real cash with the exception of City...

Wenger wouldnt pay those wage demands

Its going to be such an anticlimax when the Premiership starts - as in previous world cup years

How can we motivate ourselves to see Man U, Chelsea or Liverpool win the league - who is really that bothered - after seeing the World Cup ?

You don't seriously believe Liverpool have a chance of winning the league do you?

I expect it will be Man U / Chelsea fight for the title.. with Arsenal, Spurs, Everton, Man Shitty, Liverpool , Villa fighting it out for the other two champ league places Liverpool will do well to be placed higher than last season.

Precisely. I find it astonishing that Liverpool are expected to finish higher than Spurs, according to the bookies.

City are putting together a very tidy squad and I'd not be surprised to see them battling for the top spot - but it all depends whether Mancini can make them gel as a team.

What will be interesting is seeing how Man U fare this year. It's widely accepted that Ferguson needs to sell to buy, but he does have Berbatov festering in the rejects cupboard, and if Vidic goes, it'll be for a good price. Will Rooney remember how to play football on his return from SA? Whatever, I can't see Utd challenging for the title this year.

How Liverpool do depends on who they retain and if a takeover can be concluded before the end of the transfer window.

Spurs might get a culture shock in the ECL - they wouldn't be the first team to suffer an overall loss of form after struggling with the step-up. Villa will be somewhere in the top 10, but need to shore up their squad or I don't think they'll realistically get into the top 4. Similar story with Everton.

I expect a top 3 of Chelsea, City and Arsenal, with the 4th spot up for grabs between Man U, Spurs and [possibly, if they retain Torres & Masch and get new owners] Liverpool

I think Citeh will be in the mix, just as I see Arsenal struggling to hold on to third - not least because Spurs have strengthened their team, whereas Arsenal haven't as I see it. Where Joe Cole goes (out of those two) could prove key.

Ironically, the best Spurs player at the WC has been Giovanni Dos Santos - currently farmed out to Galatasaray.

As 'Arry has previously said; if he can pass a nightclub as well as he does the ball then he has a future at WHL.

I know this newspaper usually prints a load of rubble, but if its true, City must be desperate if they are to pay roughly £200,000 a week on a 5 year contract for a Barcelona reject. What happens if they fail to qualify for the champions league next year and the rich owners decide to pull out. Its a disgrace to pay that kind of money for someone to train and kick a ball around once or twice a week. 

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/865170/TOURE-IS-PREMIER-LEAGUES-HIGHEST-PAID-PLAYER.html

City have to pay inflated wages in order to bring top players to a club currently outside the elite. They have no glorious history, no glamour, no real following outside of Manchester.

Ask a thousand players in world football to name 4 English clubs and I bet City hardly feature (and wouldn't have done at all before their cash-throwing started making some ripples)

All they have to attract top players is a lot of money and a likelihood of future success. For now. Of course, if/when they do establish themselves in the elite and consistently qualify for the ECL, they'll not need to flash as much cash.

Yes, but it's only fair that Manchester's major club is put back on the map, isn't it?

ONLY club.

Manure isn't based in Manchester, but neighbouring city Salford

Correct, that was the original purpose of my comment. (I lived near Maine Road at one point).

Most Manure fans wouldn't know that of course because most Manure fans don't come from Manchester

Woy looking to make a late bid for Cole's services, according to The Sun.

Three reasons why I doubt this story has any legs on it.

1- It was in The Sun.

2- Liverpool won't be playing Champions League football this season.

3- Liverpool isn't London.

Apart from that ........

Similarly, I'm not that convinced Chelski have tabled a GBP50m offer for Torres. (Can't remember where I saw that gem of information).

Reports today that Abramovich is in South Africa to lure Torres to SB. This follows reports that Torres' agent claims Torres will stay in the Prem, but not necessarily at Liverpool.

Torres' agent now stated publicly that he didn't make those remarks. Who to believe, eh????

And, as some wag on 606 quipped, if Abramovich is in SA with £50m, he's probably just buying a new suit or something.

OK, so we have Ballack (gone), Deco (on his way out), Cole (on his way out). Alright hardly regular first teamers and Ballack, after all, was pushed. Yet given Lampard's largely dreadful performance at the World Cup and Essien's injury (not sure how bad it is) it hardly instils a great degree of confidence in the midfield - at least when it comes to depth. True, Malouda was a standout in a godawful French team, but I stand by what I previously said. Oh, and we mustn't forget the possible exit of that little weasel Cashley.

Silly season starts early with the Daily Fail reporting that Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal are battling it out for Sean Wright Phillips.

Quite why any of the aforementioned clubs would need such an average player is simply beyond me.

Agreed, but then like you say it is silly season, expect to see some ridiculous rumours crop up over the next few weeks!

Any Spurs news Merc?