Even though many leagues are still playing, the moves have already started.

Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini is joining AC Milan on a four-year deal (link)

No details on money, but he'll help create a dynamic midfield with Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso and Ambrosini already in place.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid is linking themselves to another Gunner midfielder, Spanish international and member of the EPL elite, Cesc Fabregas. Apparently, they want the team to become more "Spanish" (link)

Add another midfielder to the list of those leaving Arsenal....

Alexander Hleb apparently thinks that, no matter how good he has it in London, the grass must be greener elsewhere (link). Like Flamini, he's being linked with an Italian side.

The Gunners may actually have to start using Englishmen!

Former Revs star and USA international Clint Dempsey has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in England with Fulham through the end of the 09/10 season.

He didn't get much time after coming over last season, but he stepped up nicely earlier this season after fellow Yank Brain McBride went down with an injury. The only problem is that he hasn't scored since December, and his playing time has become spotty over the course of the spring.

Chelsea is on the verge of adding another toy to the defense, Portugese right back Jose Bosingwa from FC Porto. He's apparently getting $31.6 million to make the move (link)

He'll join another Portugese on the Blues' backline, the elite Ricardo Carvahlo.

hot damn

Here's a follow-up story....not surprisingly, Bosingwa calls it a "dream" to join Chelsea, and according to the article, he chose the Blues over Man United.

Meanwhile.....

Liverpool rejected a $78 million bid from Chelsea for Reds/Spanish star Fernando Torres, who had a huge first season at Anfield. (link)

Christiano Ronaldo squashed rumors of his being open to a move to Real Madrid, and wants to stay at Old Trafford. (link)

Japanese bottom-feeder JEF United Chiba may be planning a major move for Newcastle and England international striker Michael Owen, who just finished a disappointing season with the Magpies. He was prominently absent from the English side during the last World Cup. (link)

One more item for the day.....

There is a very public, and increasingly hostile, war of words going on between Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill and Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez over the status of Villa midfielder and English Int'l Gareth Barry (link)

The Reds want to sign Barry, who has stated that he would like to join one of the league giants in order to play Champions League football, but the Villans want to keep him at all costs.

Liverpool's take?......"Get over it, and sell us your captain".

FC Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o is looking for a new challenge, and Tottenham may be the place for it(link). Apparently, he's on the outs with Barca fans, and a move may be for the best.

Another Barca player is looking to move, and Yaya Toure wouldn't mind joining his brother, Kolo, at Arsenal (link). Such a move would further deplete the Spanish power, while helping address the openings being created with departure by Flamini and the expected loss of Hleb.

Chelsea superstar Didier Drogba has gone as far as tell AC Milan that he wants to play for them, and talk to Chelsea about a transfer. Not only that, but in this report, he apparently told Chelsea he was going to the dentist in Paris, but instead went to Italy to talk transfer, leading to a speaker-phone exchange. Lately, he's calling out his teammates and careless and complacent.

Sevilla defender Daniel Alves is preparing for a move this summer, and is being linked to Barca, Manchester United and, to a lesser degree, Chelsea (link)...United allegedly made a double bid for both Alves and the top scorer in the Spanish League, Luis Fabiano.

Mauro Zarate, who spent '08 in Birmingham while on loan from Al-Saad (Qatar), is being pursued by a "Premier pair" that are described as being "top sides". His selling price is expected be around $20 million. (link)

Some more tidbits from the BBC:

Man United is interested in signing Man City midfielder, Antonio Valencia, who flourished toward the end of the season, but the Citizens claim no offers have been received.

Tottenham is looking into Blackburn midfielder David Bentley...with an expected cost of $30 million.

West Ham hopes to claim City defender and captain Richard Dunne.

Apparently, it's easy to change your mind in Portugal, because Christiano Ronaldo is now slyly hinting that he may move to Spain after all, but won't make his mind up until after next week's Champions League final. Reportedly, Real Madrid is ready to pony up in the neighborhood of 100 million pounds for his services.....that's in the neighborhood of $200 million for us Americanos.

Arsenal has their eyes on Marseille's Samir Nasri as a potential Flamini replacement. However, he's expected to command around 14 million pounds, which may not be something Arsenal would do (link)

Chelsea defensive star Ricardo Carvalho admits that there may be a mass exodus from Stamford Bridge this summer, and that he's probably going to be one of the departures (link)

Another Barca star wants out - this time it's midfielder Deco, who not only wants to get away from the disapproving fans of Barcelona, but out of Spain altogether (link)....Oh yeah, the story linked also mentions that Ronaldinho may make tracks, himself (if Ron can command upwards of $200 million, what will the Brazilian go for?)

he was hurt during the entire world cup... and they left Rooney alone up top which is why they struggled so much.

I'm honestly not surprised whatsoever at the 200 mill pricetag. Frankly I'm surprised it's that low

Yea I agree, Cristiano is a beast and he is only 23 and going to get way better

International superstar and razor salesman Thierry Henry could be the target of the next MLS team in Seattle, according to the BBC

From the same piece:

- Manchester City and Irish national skipper Richard Dunne has set his heart on a summer move to Tottenham despite efforts by Sven-Goran Eriksson to keep him at Eastlands.

- The Reds will also turn their attention to Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing if they fail to land Aston Villa's Gareth Barry.

- James McFadden is a wanted man following Birmingham's relegation - with Portsmouth, Sunderland and Celtic chasing the £6m-rated striker.

- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is set to raid his homeland, France, for three players to make up for the loss of Mathieu Flamini. Wenger has identified Lille midfielder Jean Makoun, St-Etienne right-back Mahamadou Dabo and Marseille's Samir Nasri.

- Chelsea are poised to ditch Nicolas Anelka and set up the ninth transfer of his career....this would seem to contradict a Fox Soccer report that says the French striker is more than happy to stay put....stay tuned.

Highly-regarded AC Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani is in talks to join Arsenal, but Roma will get the chance to at least equal the offer (link)

Arsenal and German keeper Jens Lehmann appears to be on the move back to his homeland with a deal nearly in place with Stuttgart (link) He saw less time in the net at Arsenal with the emergence of Manuel Almunia, and trashed the Spaniard in the press during the season.

Real Madrid confirmed their first signing of the summer: offensive-minded defender Ezequiel Garay from Racing Sentander. He signed a six-year deal and Real paid a $16 million fee - and they may loan him back for next season, anyway (link)

Birmingham City signed former Everton midfielder and Irish international Lee Carsley. He chose the Blues over Derby and West Bromwich Albion (link)

Barcelona's president thinks it's time for Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o to move on. Ronnie has been linked to both Milan clubs and Manchester City. Inter is interested in Et'o, along with the previously mentioned Spurs, who allegedly bid £24 million for the Cameroon international.

Some notes from the BBC:

- Barcelona have agreed a £6m fee with Manchester United for 21-year-old defender Gerard Pique, who arrived at Old Trafford from the Catalan club in 2004.

- Arsenal will make a run for Blackburn ace Roque Santa Cruz if Emmanuel Adebayor leaves for Barca.

- if Portsmouth can pry midfielder Harry Kewell from Liverpool, then they'll allow Nico Krancjar to go to Arsenal for £10 million.

- Fulham skipper and retired USA international Brian McBride is wanted back home by Columbus and Chicago.

Liverpool signed Swiss right back Phillip Degen, who is finishing up the Bundesliga season with Borussia Dortmund. He's expected to immediately compete for a starting job (link)

Manchester UNited may be on the verge of signing a pair of 15-year old French youngsters, Jeremy Helen and Darnel Situ. Helen is under pre-contract with Rennes, and Situ with Lens, but want to join the superpower. They appear to have beaten out Internazionale, Newcastle, Arsenal and Everton (link)

Mexican teen Carlos Vela has been granted work papers by England, clearing his path to compete for a first-team spot next season (link).

Real Madrid's manager insists that Christiano Ronaldo will join them at some point in his career (link), and their president is equally adamant that it should as soon as possible - for Ronaldo's sake, of course (link)

Fulham signed former Middlesbrough keeper Mark Schwarzer to a two-year contract (link)

Tidbits from the BBC:

- Frank Lampard will open talks about a new contract with Chelsea after England's upcoming friendlies

- Liverpool want £16m from Italian power Juventus for midfielder Xabi Alonso, but will call off any deal if they fail to land Aston Villa's Gareth Barry

- Premier League newcomers West Brom Albion and Stoke have both set their sights on Reading defender Ibrahima Sonko

- Manchester United is favourite to win the race to sign Cardiff City's Aaron Ramsey, and are prepared to loan the teen sensation back to the Championship club next season

I wonder if Ronaldo will do something that Beckham hasn't done.

Becks hasn't won an MLS title yet.....

Ronaldo: "My future will be clear next week" (link)

Barcelona is on the verge of signing Sevilla midfielder Seydou Keita for $22 million (link)

Tottenham is denying any interest in much-discussed Barca striker Samuel Eto'o, but they did sign Croatian international Luka Modric, formerly of Dinamo Zagreb, for $16.5 million.

Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna signed Mexican striker Omar Bravo, formerly of Chivas Guadalajara (link)

Some more items from the BBC.:

- Real Madrid forward Robinho claims Chelsea have made an offer - believed to be 35 million Euros (about £28m)

- Udinese coach Pasquale Marino expects Liverpool to conclude a deal for the Serie A club's £8m-rated full-back Andrea Dossena

- Chelsea could sign Barcelona's talented Mexican teenager Giovani Dos Santos in a swap deal for £14m-rated Florent Malouda

- CSKA Moscow's Brazilian striker Jo has arrived in England and is expected to complete a move to Manchester City despite reported interest from Everton

- Thomas Ince, 16-year-old son of ex-England star and MK Dons manager Paul Ince, has signed for Liverpool

- Manchester City hope to finance a £12m deal for Zenit St Petersburg's Andrei Arshavin by selling defender Richard Dunne and midfielder Stephen Ireland, with Sunderland leading the chase

- Chelsea have decided to sell striker Didier Drogba, with the club's patience snapping with the petulant star after he was sent off in the Champions League final (I hate to say I told ya so, but..... )

And finally, one more item, just for the fun of it:

Simply Red singer and Manchester United fanatic Mick Hucknall was reluctantly dragged away from watching the Champions League final penalty shoot-out by concert organisers at a charity function he was performing at.

Some holiday weekend items for ya:

- Real Madrid have a club car ready and waiting for Cristiano Ronaldo. Photograhed in a car park, the top-of-the-range Audi has a handwritten notice on the dashboard saying: "Deliver to Cristiano Ronaldo".

- Tottenham will make a straight £15m cash offer for Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka and £10m for right-winger Shaun Wright-Phillips

- Ronaldinho's agent met Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra in Thailand this week to discuss a £10m move for the Barcelona star

- Newcastle have tried to offload striker Obafemi Martens to Liverpool, alerting Arsenal and Chelsea to the Nigerian's availability

- Andriy Schevchenko looks set for an exit out of Chelsea and is considering playing in America's MLS League, although AC Milan are poised to take him back to the San Siro

- American Carlos Bocanegra has let other clubs know he wants to stay in the Premier League after being released by Fulham

- Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is keen on taking Ireland international Richard Dunne to Fratton Park, but faces competition from Tottenham, Sunderland and Newcastle

Don't know if anyone else caught it, but FSC showed the USA/Italy U-21 match yesterday, and Zarate played well against a young US side in central defense (I caught the first half).

If he's played as well in his other matches, he's doing a nice job of increasing the price.

The transfer was completed today, with the final price being $8 million (Fox)

Some other items:

- Liverpool has told Chelsea to forget a move for striker Fernando Torres, in spite of a rumors of planned £50 million bid (Fox)

- Tottenham has become the favorite to land highly-rated Barcelona teen and Mexican international Giovani dos Santos (Fox)

- Manchester United is tired of Real Madrid's public pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, and is threatening to seek sanctions from FIFA. Real says "the press made it all up, and we would neeeeever, eeeeeeever try and tamper with one of their players" - wink wink, nudge nudge (Fox)

- United wants to spend down their £50m summer transfer budget quickly, with Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards, along with the previously mentioned Sevilla duo of Luis Fabiano and Daniel Alves at the top of the wish-list (BBC and following)

- If Frank Rijkaard takes over as manager of Chelsea he will attempt to bring in strikers Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a combined £50m

- Blackburn midfielder and seemingly perpetual Beckham caddy David Bentley has snubbed a new contract, clearing the way for Tottenham and Chelsea to launch £15m bids

- Middlesbrough is looking to make Michael Bradley the next American in the EPL, and are preparing a £3 million bid to Dutch side Heerenveen

- Aston Villa boss is keeping tabs on Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, Man Utd goalkeeper Ben Foster and Man City/Ireland captain Richard Dunne, who's also been linked to Sunderland and Tottenham

- Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will be in charge of Inter Milan by the weekend, and wants to make Chelsea star Frank Lampard is first signing

Retired USA international Brian McBride has confirmed that he is leaving England returning to the MLS, with Columbus and Chicago the prime candidates to land him (Yanks Abroad)



The deal has been completed, with dos Santos heading to White Heart Lane for £12m (BBC)

Manchester City is now accepting the fact that Richard Dunne is leaving, with Tottenham on the verge of a £5m deal for the star Irish defender (BBC)

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard: "I want Gareth Barry to become a Liverpool player. I am desperate for us to sign him" (BBC)

Italian side Sampodoria has signed Antonio Cassano from real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. Cassono spent last season on loan from Madrid, and was suspended for 5 matches after threatening a referee for red carding him (Fox)

Juventus has signed Brazilian international Amauri from Palermo for $35 million. He scored 15 times last season and the deal includes Palermo buying Antonio Nocerino from Juve (Fox)

Patrick Berger, recently released by Aston Villa is going home to Sparta Prague, after spending the last 12 seasons in England (Premier League)

Other items from the BBC:

- Portsmouth's Jermain Defoe is also desperate - for £10m-rated Liverpool striker Peter Crouch

- Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro may return to Germany with former clubs Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich interested. But the Spanish pair of Valencia and Villarreal have also considered making a move

- Juventus has contacted Barcelona about a bid for French star David Trezeguet

- Man United is hoping to gain a leg up in the Aaron Ramsey derby by loaning Cardiff reserve goalkeeper Tom Heaton

- Reading star Stephen Hunt's £5m move to Sunderland has hit a snag - after he refused to discuss his future before he gets married in his native Ireland on Friday... and then completes his honeymoon in mid-June

Robinho: Real's going to trade me for Ronaldo (Fox)....

....but Real is admitting a Ron signing is "impossible" (Fox)

Man United, Middlesbrough and Tottenham are pursuing York City teenager Adam Boyes, who had a positive visit to Old Trafford (Fox)

Stoke City is looking at bringing Lee McCulloch back to the EPL after a a tour with hometwon club Glasgow Rangers(Fox)

Wigan is hoping to fend off a transfer bid from Fulham for goal-scoring defender Paul Scharner (Fox)

American keeper David Yelldell signed for three years with German 2nd division side TuS Zublenz on a free transfer (Yanks Abroad)

Some gossip from the BBC:

- Liverpool is holding out for a £18m bid from Juventus for midfielder Xabi Alonso, and they're about to lose John Arne Riise to Roma for £5m

- meanwhile, the Reds plan to reload by adding Blackburn's David Bentley for £8.5m and Porto's Ricardo Quaresma for £15m

- Man City's Georgie Samaras is being targeted by Celtic for £3m, but Werder Bremen wants a say in the matter

- Portsmouth hopes to raid Chelsea for winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, defender Wayne Bridge and striker Ben Sahar

Gossip from Sunday:

- Man United is going to throw £30m at Lyon for striker Karim Benzema

- Arsenal will replace Mathieu Flamini with Hamburg's Piotr Trachowski

- Newcastle will offer £8m to Liverpool for striker Peter Crouch in an effort to divert him from Portsmouth

- Tottenham will clear house, with England international Paul Robinson and striker Darren Bent headlining those expected to depart

dunno if its been updated. Ronaldo seems pretty set to go to Real Madrid...

Got home late yesterday, and will do so again today.

What's the latest? Real still ready to break the bank?

Okay, a quick check of Fox reveals that yes, Real is still very much after Ronaldo, and yes they're ready to pay out the nose.

Also, at the end of yet another scathing attack on the US Men's team for their performance last night in Spain, some bigger news was broken (at least, I haven;t seen it elsewhere yet):

Jozy Altidore was sold by the Red Bulls to Villareal in Spain for a fee in the neighborhood of $8-10 million (link)

Following up on the Altidore story, Yanks Abroad is suggesting that he might be loaned out by Villareal, where he doesn't appear to be in contention for immediate first-team status. Fox Soccer speculates it will be Recreativo Heulva, and that the transfer will prevent him from competing in the Beijing Olympics.

A Brazilian site is reporting that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to play for Real Madrid. He qualifies it by saying that he would only leave if Real were willing to pay whatever United asks (ESPN)

Manchester City, having retained Mark Hughes as manager, will now bid for CSKA Moscow striker Jo, and vaguely confirmed that they would be in pursuit of Ronaldinho (ESPN)

Inter Milan will not pursue Didier Drogba, and are only looking to add 2-3 players (Fox)

Barcelona has met with Alexander Hleb, who wants out of Arsenal. He was previously linked with Inter Milan (BBC)

Gossip from the BBC:

- If Arsenal's price is met, Emmanuel Adebayor will leave for AC Milan

- Hughes' arrival at Citeh may prompt Richard Dunne to stay put

- Barcelona want in on the Ronaldo derby

- Juventus and Liverpool can't agree on a transfer fee for Xabi Alonso

- Hughes' departure will initiate a mass exodus from Blackburn....Aston Villa will bid for keeper and retired USA international Brad Friedel, while Man United have expressed desire for striker Roque Santa Cruz

- Glasgow Rangers will reject Stoke's bid for Lee McCulloch

Man United have lodged a formal complaint with FIFA over Real Madrid's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo; Real says there is no proof (BBC)

Samuel Eto'o has rejected Tottenham's move for him, saying that he wants a bigger challenge (Fox

Xabi Alonso won't decide on a Juventus move from Liverpool until after Euro '08 (Fox)

Arsenal have won the derby to sign highly rated Welsh teen Aaron Ramsey from Cardiff City (BBC)

Newcastle defender David Rozehnal, on loan to Lazio, was permanently transferred to the Italian side (Fox

Out-of-favor Tottenham defender Pascal Chimbonda is set to leave, with several clubs interested (Fox)

Reading and Cote D'Ivoire midfielder Emerse Fae will be loaned out to French side Nice, with an option for permanent transfer (Reading)

Long-time Wigan loanee Andrew Webster will permanently move to Glasgow Rangers (Premier League)

Zoltan Gera will leave newly-EPL promoted West Brom Albion for Fulham (Premier League)

Liverpool target Gareth Barry has informed Aston Villa he wants to move up the international food chain, but Villa's price may be too high for the Reds (BBC), however it's also been suggested that the switch could be imminent (see BBC Gossip link)

Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse, having spent the last two seasons in Marseille, wants to return to the EPL with Portsmouth and Tottenham his targets (Fox)

German side Schalke has signed former PSV Eindhoven striker Jefferson Farfan, who's scored 52 goals over the last two seasons and was instrumental in Eindhoven's Champions League run this year (Fox)

Portsmouth expects to know within the week if they've secured star defender Richard Dunne from Man City (Fox)

Wigan's leading goal-scorer from last season, Charlton loanee Marcus Bent, was returned to the Addicks after it was decied that he was too similar to players already under contract (BBC) - how can you be "too similar" to people that you outscore?

Middlesbrough is looking into making a bid for Paris Saint-Germain and French U-21 defender Didier Digard (BBC)

Gossip from the BBC:

- Man City are convinced that they're the front runners to land Ronaldinho

- Citeh may also be the next home for Bayern Munich and Germany star striker Lukas Podolski, who will decide on a move after Euro 08

- Alexander Hleb, still a Gunner, is upset over reports linking him to Bayern Munich

- Ricardo Carvalho wants to leave Chelsea to join Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan

- The Samuel Eto'o derby is down to Inter and Chelsea

- Arsenal is interested in pursuing Werder Bremen and Germany midfielder Torsten Frings

- Reading's $800k bid for Dundee striker Noel Hunt was rejected

Aston Villa has rejected a £15million bid from Liverpool for Gareth Barry (ESPN)

Celtic's £2.75million bid for second-division Burnley striker Kyle Lafferty was rejected (BBC)

Fulham has signed Iranian midfielder Andranik Teymourian on a free transfer from Bolton (BBC)

BBC Gossip:

- in return for any deal for Cristiano Ronaldo, Man United will buy Sergio Ramos and Robinho from Real Madrid

- Inter Milan is confident they can pry Frank Lampard from Chelsea

- Chelsea will grant new boss Felipe Scolari a transfer war chest of £100million, with £50-55million earmarked for AC Milan and Brazil superstar Kaka, and £25million for striker David Villa, who opened Euro 08 for Spain with a hat trick against Russia

- Aston Villa is holding out for £18million for Gareth Barry

- Arsenal are favorites to land Blackburn striker and Man United target Roque Santa Cruz, and are pursuing Newcastle and Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given

- Portsmouth and West Ham are in pursuit of Reading defender Nicky Shorey

The BBC is reporting that Portugal midfielder Deco will join Chelsea, despite denials from the Barca player in a Spanish paper.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's appointment will lead to the pursuit of Brazilians, including Ronaldinho, says his brother and agent (Fox)

However, "Signing Kaka is impossible", says AC Milan about Chelsea's interest (BBC)

AC Milan has reached a transfer agreement with FC Barcelona to obtain Italy defender Gianluca Zambrotta (ESPN)

Liverpool will up the ante for Gareth Barry after failing on their first two bids, the gossip is that Villa will up their demands to £20m (BBC)

Sevilla has signed Mallarca and Spain defender Fernando Navarro, and the deal will have some financial considerations that will allow Barca to sign Sevilla's Daniel Alves (Fox)

BBC Gossip:

- Liverpool and Juventus have finally come to terms on a fee for Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso

- Tottenham has targeted PSV's Heurehlo Gomes to be their next goalkeeper

- Man City has been given a week-long window to sign Zenit St. Petersburg midfielder Andrei Arshavin, who shined in their UEFA Cup Final win

- Sunderland is lining up a bid for Tottenham striker Darren Bent - the brother of Marcus Bent (whom we discussed on Wed.), who is now being linked to EPL newbies Hull

- Roma is annoyed with Man United for signing away 16 year-old Italian prodigy Davide Petrucci

Quiet news day today:

Newcastle are thought to be the leaders to land Dutch playmaker Rafael van der Vaart, although they face competition from each of the EPL's Big Four, as well as resistance from Hamburg, current holder of the contract (Fox)

Didier Drogba has committed himself to Chelsea - at least as long as he is under contract (Fox)

Fernando Torres, who scored earlier today vs. Sweden, is denying rumors of a summer switch to Chelsea (Fox)

Some Updates on Ongoing Stuff in the BBC Gossip:

- Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will quit on the spot if Cristiano Ronaldo is sold without his OK

- Spanish striker David Villa will reject any transfer offer that requires him to leave Spain

- Barcelona is going to bid £25m for Spurs' Dimitar Berbatov

- playmaker David Bentley wants out of Blackburn, with Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Man City expected to express interest

- Middlesbrough will not entertain offers midfielder Stewart Downing

- the transfer of Xabi Alonso to Juventus isn't done yet

Nasri is a great sign for Arsenal. Its going to be interesting to see where David Villa ends up.

Sky Sports is reporting that Cristiano Ronaldo will make his final decision on where he will be club football in 08/09 by the end of the weekend, and he will be leaving the EPL to play for Real Madrid....and oh, by the way, he's been playing with a foot injury for the last three months (link)

AC Milan, who have been linked to several strikers this past month, has revealed that hey will only pursue one player - Emmanuel Adebayor (BBC)

Barcelona is in talks to sign Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb, who has previously been linked to Inter Milan (BBC)

USA U-18 midfielder Jared Jeffrey has signed a contract with Club Brugge in Belgium, and will be eligible for UEFA Cup play in 08/09. He had been with the club for several months but was not allowed to sign until he turned 18 (Yanks Abroad)

BBC Gossip:

- Milan will have competition for Adebayor, as Barcelona is prepared to bid £24m for the Arsenal ace

- Aston Villa will trump Tottenham's £15m bid for Blackburn playmaker David Bentley

- Newcastle striker Michael Owen, who has been linked to Japan this summer, will make an announcement within "the next couple of months" regarding extension talks - way to narrow it down, Mike....that's how much longer the window is open

- Norwich has beaten out Ipswich to sign Newcastle forward Shola Ameobi

Yahoo UK/Ireland posted an article today, in which it was stated:

- Ronaldo is absolutely not for sale, say ManU, and they will refuse to entertain any offers
- United will bench the winger indefinitely rather than sell him
- former Portugal and new Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari was part of his inspiration to make the move
- Ronaldo has not spoken to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and won't, only promising to make a public statement about his desires in a two days

It's only getting uglier, folks.....

A little gossip from the BBC for your Sunday.....

- Arsenal will offer £10m for Zenit striker Andrei Arshavin

- the Gunners will also approve a £25m move for Emmanuel Adebayor, while continuing their pursuit of Blackburn ace Roque Santa Cruz

- £15m-rated Dutch striker Rafael van der Vaart will be pursued by ManU, Cheslea and Liverpool

Latest rumors on the Ronaldo front:

- Real has set July 7 as the date to announce the transfer to Spain
- but they will not pay the estimated £80m that United would be expected to request
- Ronaldo is dreading his next face-to-face with United boss Sir Alex
- if United doesn't play him, is contract might become void, as per FIFA regulations

Liverpool has rejected a £9m bid from Portsmouth for England striker Peter Crouch; the Reds want nearly double that (BBC)

Other gossip:

- AC Milan will not continue to pursue Emmanuel Adebayor after being snubbed by Arsenal

- Jose Mourinho cut short his vacation to take charge of Inter Milan's pursuit of former Chelsea charge and England midfielder Frank Lampard

- Liverpool's primary targets are David Villa, David Silva, Daniel Alves and Gareth Barry

- Aston Villa's £15m bid for Blackburn midfielder David Bentley was rejected

- Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, who gave up semi-stardom with Reading for the Blues' bench, wants to move on to Villa, but not before getting some more money from Chelsea

Couple of other items I managed to miss:

- AC Roma has signed former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise
- midfielder Glen Little decided not to honor an agreement to stay at Reading, and signed with Portsmouth

USA defender Carlos Bocanegra has signed with French side Rennes, where he will be employed both as a center and left back (Yahoo)

Zenit and Russia striker Andrei Arshavin, already linked with EPL sides, says playing for Barcelona is his "dream" BBC)

New Blackburn boss (and former ManU midfielder) Paul Ince will block any attempts by United to sign striker Roque Santa Cruz (ESPN)

Newcastle is close to an extension with key defender and England U-21 international Steven Taylor BBC)

Wednesday Gossip:

- Tottenham will make a run for Germany striker Lukas Podolski, who's unsettled at Bayern Munich; Spurs will be joined in pursuit by German side Cologne (ESPN)

- Real Madrid and Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder has ruled out a swap of himself for Cristiano Ronaldo

- Middlesbrough have £3.5m bid in for Reading midfielder James Harper

- Portsmouth are readying their rumored bid on another Reading Royal, defender Nicky Shorey, who's also been linked to West Ham

Tottenham has finalized their deal with PSV Eindhoven for Brazilian keeper Huerelho Gomes, who is expected to immediately contend for the starting gig at White Hart Lane (BBC)

Barcelona has formally entered the Andrei Arshavin sweepstakes; his agent expects the Russian to command as much as £19.8m (BBC) he didn't mention if the was a "dream" discount

Liverpool will complete their signing of Udinese and Italy defender Andrea Dossena next week (ESPN)

Thierry Henry can see himself playing in the MLS - someday (Fox)

New York Red Bulls signed Gordon Klejstan (Sasha's little brother) to a developmental contract (Fox)

Thursday Gossip from the BBC (make sure to check out the "And finally" section):

> Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Velso is the target of Arsenal, Man Untied, AC Milan and Juventus

> if Arsenal loses Emmanuel Adebayor (it's 70-80% likely he leaves), they will replace him with Liverpool's Peter Crouch, who's also being targeted by Tottenham

> Wigan will bid £8m for Everton striker Andrew Johnson...but their interest has been trumped by Sunderland, who's bid £10m

> Fulham is preparing a £2.5m for Reading striker Dave Kitson

Chelsea have signed former Barcelona midfielder Deco for £8m, making him the second Portugese international to join former coach Luiz Felipe Scolari at Stamford Bridge (BBC)

The Blues will also heavily target Real Madrid winger Robinho, and are preparing a £25m bid for the Brazilian - and fellow contryman of Scolari (Fox?

Aston Villa will sell Gareth Barry to Liverpool, but only if the Reds meet their price (ESPN)

Former Monmouth University striker Damon Wilson has agreed to a contract with Kapfenberg SV of the Austrian Bundesliga, becoming the second American in the Austrian top flight (Yanks Abroad)

Holiday weekend news/rumors from the BBC:

England striker Peter Crouch will move to Portsmouth after the south coast club relented over his valuation and had a £10m bid accepted by Liverpool

Barcelona are the favourites to land Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor for about £30m

Atletico Madrid are poised to move in for Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta

Manchester City's hopes of signing Ronaldinho are fading fast as he is 90% certain of joining AC Milan

Neither Chelsea or Arsenal have made an official approach for Zenit St Petersburg forward Andrei Arshavin, according to the Russian club - Barcelona are the only club in the running at the moment

Liverpool will not pay the £18m Aston Villa want for Gareth Barry but will include add-on clauses to the £15m bid for the midfielder.....Villa boss Martin O'Neill will use the Barry cash to help fund moves for David Bentley, Steve Sidwell and Anton Ferdinand as well as a keeper

Arsenal's hopes of capturing Spain's holding midfielder Marcos Senna have suffered a setback after Villarreal slapped a £25m price tag on him

Tottenham have had a £10m bid for Spartak Moscow striker Roman Pavlyuchenko rejected by the Russian side

Fulham have stepped up their interest in signing Reading's Dave Kitson after striker Diomansy Kamara's long-term injury setback

Ronaldo Watch:

Manchester United have been contacted by several leading European clubs, including Barcelona, to make a stand against Real Madrid and resist selling Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid's players will revolt in protest if the club signs Ronaldo, saying his arrival could have a negative impact on team spirit.

We're overdue for some updates!

Veteran USA striker Josh Wolff is returning to the MLS and the KC Wizards from Germany, where he spent the last two years with 1860 Munich (Yanks Abroad)

Aston Villa has completed a £5m transfer for out-of-favor Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, who signed a three-year contract (BBC)

Manchester City are posied to sign Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim, who's caught in a numbers game at Chelsea (Fox)

A group of Marseille fans have formed a collective to try and raise the funds to bring Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to Ligue 1....they've already raised 5,000 Euros toward the expected £22m required to land the Cote D'Ivoire star (Fox)

Sweden defender Andreas Grandqvist is leaving Wigan Athletic to return home in a deal with FC Gronigen (Premier League)

Roma have signed former Inter Milan and Brazil midfielder Amantino Mancini (Fox)

Middlesbrough have signed former Sparta Rotterdam striker Marvin Emnes for £3.2m (Premier League)

Hull has signed former Boro vet and Dutch midfielder George Boateng to a two-year deal (BBC)

On the Cristiano Ronaldo front:

FIFA president Sepp Blatter says that Ronaldo should be able to leave Man Untied for Spain if he wants, and considers the transfer system "modern slavery" (BBC)

Meanwhile, UEFA communications director William Gaillard countered the hyperbole by reminding people of the growing salsaries being paid and put things in proper perspective: "It would be useful to remind people that slaves in all of the slavery systems never earned a wage" (Fox)

Gossip from the BBC:

- Tottenham are close to signing Eyspanol striker Luis Garcia and Blackburn playmaker David Bentley

- Barcelona has come to terms with former Arsenal midfielder Alexander Hleb on a £15m deal

- Zenit St. Petersburg wants £24m for striker Andrei Arshavin, a few million more than Arsenal's offer

- Chelsea will block any attempts by Inter Milan to pry away midfielder Frank Lampard

- They were also told it would cost £30m to pry away Brazil striker Robinho from Real Madrid

- Juventus won't meet Liverpool's price for Spanish ace Xabi Alonso, harshing the Reds' chances of landing Gareth Barry from Villa

- Everton striker Andy Johnson wants out, which means that Wigan won't be the only suitor

Aston Villa will pay £2m for Chivas USA keeper Brad Guzan, who was linked to clubs throughout Europe over the winter. He would have joined the Villans in January, but couldn't get a work permit (BBC)

Former England second teamer and EPL vet Darren Huckerby has agreed to a contract with the San Jose Earthquakes, after several seasons with Norwich in the Coca-Cola Championship division(BBC)

Man United has bid £20m for Tottenham and Bulgary striker Dimitar Berbatov, who would immediately start up front alongside Wayne Rooney (Fox)

Arsenal has dropped the price on striker Emmanuel Adebayor by almost half from the original £35m, potentially setting the stage for a AC Milan switch (BBC)....However, Milan that may not be enough to move the 30-goal scorer, as Milan is thick in the Ronaldhino pursuit, and their only bringing in one of them (Fox)

In the meantime, the Gunners have contacted Villa about hijacking Liverpool's attempt at siging Gareth Barry by claiming the midfielder in a player+cash deal that would fill the Villans need for a right back(Fox?)

Inter Milan have reportedly submitted a bid for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who Chelsea has said they will not sell. Inter is hoping that Lampard will come forward to request a switch, but the Blues expect him to play out the remaining year he has with them (ESPN)

Ronaldinho will make a decision within the next 72 hours, and Manchester City is expected to land the Barca star after bidding $51mil

Aston Villa have formally entered the bidding for Blackburn's David Bentley, who is expected to command upward of $34mil (BBC)

West Ham striker Bobby Zamora is about to join Fulham in a $13mil transfer (Fox)

Stoke City has added keeper Scott Carson from Liverpool after agreeing to a $8mil fee (BBC)

AC Milan has claimed superstar Brazilian Ronaldinho from Barcelona, and did so by paying roughly half of what Man City had bid. Barca will receive £14.6m, which is expected to be enhances with performance bonuses (BBC)

The Gareth Barry saga has taken a new turn, as Arsenal has expressed interest and will "be in touch" (Fox)

Juventus has opted out of continuing to pursue Liverpool medifelder Xabi Alonso, and instead signed Christian Poulsen of Sevilla (BBC)

Celtic has made the loan of Georgie Samaras a permanent switch, signing the Greek striker from Man City to a 3-year deal (BBC)

Wigan Athletic has signed French int'l midfielder Oliver Kapo from Birmingham City for £3.5m (BBC)

EPL newbies West Brom Albion signed Slovakian int'l Marek Cech from FC Porto for £1.4m (BBC)

Real Madrid Wesley Sneijder thinks signing Cristiano Ronaldo would cause major problems in the locker room, and said (among other things) that Ronaldo disappears in United's big games (Fox)

Greek side Panathinaikos has signed Arsenal and Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva in a $2m deal (BBC)

Th deal between Aston Villa and Stoke for goalkeeper Scott Carson has fallen apart after Stoke could not agree to terms with Carson; he's now being linked to Blackburn (should Brad Friedel leave for Villa) and West Brom BBC)

BBC Gossip highlights:

- Chelsea would only allow a Frank Lampard switch if Inter Milan ponies up $40m
- Bracelona may hijack Man United's bid for Tottenham forward Dimitar Berbatov
- Liverpool is putting Gareth Barry on the backburner and focusing on Tottenham/Ireland striker Robbie Keane
- Portsmouth rejected a $24m bid from Monaco for midfielder Niko Kranjcar
- With moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid appearing unlikely, striker Andrei Arshavin now appears headed to Arsenal

so timmah, you expect great things from kaka and ronaldinho together now??

I'm loving the fact that Fox Soccer Channel shows both EPL and Italian matches...the Barzilians are going to be fun to watch together, and if they land Adebayor, it'll be madness.

They'll have one of the most lethal attacks in all of Europe, and will have to be a favorite for the Champions League.