Arsenal:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Arsène Wenger’s idea of a holiday is watching as many matches as possible at
Euro 2008, but the manager may stick to his policy of not buying players on
the back of big tournaments. Aaron Ramsey has already signed from Cardiff
City and Samir Nasri’s £10 million transfer from Marseilles could be
completed this week.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Wenger is interested in Daniel Parejo, the 19-year-old Real Madrid midfield
player, and Demetris Christofi, the AC Omonia striker. Aaron Spear, the
15-year-old Plymouth Argyle forward, is also a target and Gervinho, the Le
Mans forward, has claimed that he has been approached by Arsenal.
Preseason matches
July 19: Barnet (a). July 30: VfB Stuttgart (a). Aug 2:
Juventus (h). Aug 3: Real Madrid (h). Aug 6: Huddersfield
Town (a). Aug 8: Ajax (a). Aug 9: Seville (Amsterdam).
Aston Villa:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Martin O’Neill is having a great summer – as one of the most relaxed and
insightful TV pundits at Euro 2008. But, like the duck swimming serenely
across the lake, Villa’s feet are going like the clappers under the surface.
No signings, no sign of progress, no panic.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Liverpool’s initial £10 million bid for Gareth Barry – now up to £13 million –
was considered “15 million miles off” by one club source; now there’s a
currency to deal with. O’Neill is unlikely to make big signings until
Barry’s future is resolved. João Pereira, Steve Finnan and Stephen Carr, are
all possible targets.
Preseason matches
July 15: Lincoln City (a). July 19: Intertoto Cup third round,
first leg (a). July 26: Second leg (h) . July 22: Walsall
(a). Aug 2: Reading (a).
Blackburn Rovers:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Madness, definitely, as John Williams, the chairman, continues to tear his
hair out in the search for a successor to Mark Hughes. With Alan Shearer out
of the frame, Sam Allardyce looms large. “We’re still on target to make an
appointment by the end of the week,” Williams said. “That’s still my plan.”
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
With no top man at the helm, the heat is on. If desperation sets in, Rovers
could turn to outside candidate Henning Berg, the former Blackburn defender
who is now coaching Lyn Oslo. The problem remains of would-be suitors for
Roque Santa Cruz, David Bentley and Brad Friedel lurking, ready to pounce.
Preseason matches
Guadiana Cup (St Antonio, Portugal): July 25: Benfica, July 27:
Sporting Lisbon. Aug 2: Wolverhampton Wanderers (a). Aug 9:
NAC Breda (h).
Bolton Wanderers:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Agreement has been reached with Birmingham City over the £5 million transfer
of Fabrice Muamba, the 20-year-old midfield player, and Jussi Jaaskelainen,
the goalkeeper, has been persuaded to stay after agreeing a new four-year
contract.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
So far more players have left the club than have arrived but with Gary Megson,
the manager, recently back from holiday, transfer activity is set to
increase. Strengthening the forward line is a priority for the club, with
Johan Elmander, the Toulouse forward who is with Sweden at Euro 2008, a
principal target.
Preseason matches:
July 25: Rochdale (a). July 29: Tranmere Rovers (a). Aug
1: Doncaster Rovers (a).
Chelsea:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
The people in charge at Stamford Bridge don’t relax on beaches, they relax on
yachts and plenty of business will be done aboard Roman Abramovich’s sea
monster this summer. José Bosingwa has signed and Luiz Felipe Scolari is
likely to need a holding midfield player and at least one winger.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Depending on which newspaper you read, the following players will be at
Stamford Bridge next season – Kaká, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Deco, Fernando
Torres, David Villa, Ricardo Quaresma, Marcos Senna and Luca Cigarini, the
Parma midfield player.
Preseason matches
July 23: Guangzhou Pharmaceutical (a). July 26: Chengdu Blades
(Macau). July 29: Malaysian XI (Kuala Lumpur). Aug 1:
Lokomotiv Moscow (a). Aug 3: AC Milan or Seville (Moscow).
Manchester United:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
The glow of completing a Champions League and Barclays Premier League double
has quickly faded in the face of the continuing uncertainty over Cristiano
Ronaldo’s future. With Aaron Ramsey, the Cardiff City midfield player,
having chosen Arsenal after United had boldly proclaimed his imminent
arrival at Old Trafford, this has been an uncomfortable summer for Sir Alex
Ferguson.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Ferguson wants to bring in another forward, with Dimitar Berbatov, of
Tottenham Hotspur, and Roque Santa Cruz, of Blackburn Rovers, likely
targets, but if Ronaldo does eventually leave for Real Madrid, the wish list
will expand dramatically.
Preseason matches
July 12: Aberdeen (a) July 19: Kaizer Chiefs (a) July 22:
Orlando Pirates (a) July 27: Portsmouth (Abuja). Aug 2:
Espanyol (h). Aug 10: Portsmouth (FA Community Shield, Wembley).
Middlesborough:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
In spite of Middlesbrough’s mediocre league position last season, Gareth
Southgate is more concerned with getting the best out of his squad rather
than dismantling it. Largely content with his options in goal, defence and
attack, fresh legs and vision are wanted in midfield.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
The apparent willingness of Gary O’Neil, to remain on Teesside in spite of his
family struggling to settle is welcome. Having discussed personal terms with
Didier Digard, the club are still haggling with Paris Saint-Germain over
their £4 million-rated France Under21 midfield player.
Preseason matches
July 18: York City (a). July 22: Celtic (Algarve Challenge
Cup). July 24: Vitória Guimarães (Algarve Challenge Cup). July
29: Carlisle United (a). Aug 2: Hibernian (a). Aug 5:
Darlington (a).
Newcastle United:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
These are edgy days. Good news: some dead wood has been cleared out, including
costly underachievers such as Stephen Carr and Emre Belözoglu. Bad news:
there’s not much left. No transfers have been completed and moves for Luka
Modric and Bafétimbi Gomis have failed.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
With austerity biting on Tyneside, Newcastle no longer have the tactical
advantage of offering sky-high wages. They have only 23 first-team players,
including the imprisoned Joey Barton, and Shola Ameobi and James Milner,
both of whom are expected to leave. They need quality and quantity.
Preseason matches
The silence from the club remains deafening, but a home fixture against
Valencia on August 9 is pencilled in, as are two fixtures in Palma, Majorca,
on August 1 and 3, against unconfirmed opposition.
Portsmouth:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
As a Euro 2008 pundit, Harry Redknapp, the manager, is relaxing in a
television studio. He will not be impressed by a prospective £8 million bid
from Manchester City for Lassana Diarra, his midfield player. No deal
likely.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Peter Storrie, the chief executive, is working feverishly behind the scenes.
“The squad is already strong but we want to add to it because we could be
playing more than 50 games next season,” he said. “We have to keep building.
If you stand still, you’re in trouble.”
Preseason matches
July 16: Exeter City (a). July 18: Swindon Town (a). July
22: AFC Bournemouth (a). July 25: Winners of match between
Nigeria XI v Nigerian Premier League (Abuja, Nigeria). July 27:
Manchester United (Abuja). Aug 4: Oxford United (a). Aug 5:
Havant & Waterlooville (a). Aug 10: Manchester United (FA
Community Shield, Wembley).
Stoke City:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Tony Pulis was on holiday in the United States last week, with Tony Scholes,
the chief executive, holding the fort – quite relaxed that no signings have
yet been made – and John Rudge, director of football, scouting at Euro 2008.
Kevin Phillips, and Marlon Harewood may defer but Márton Fülöp could sign
imminently.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Gordon Banks, the club’s legendary former goalkeeper, is confident that Pulis
will be able to make three or four “quality signings”, but believes that the
manager’s ability to organise and maintain a high work ethic will stand them
in decent stead.
Preseason matches
July 18: Newcastle Town (a). Week-long tour to Austria. July 29:
Notts County (a). Aug 2: Shrewsbury Town (a).
Everton:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Far from relaxed, but little progress has been made. Aaron Ramsey chose
Arsenal and, with Lee Carsley having joined Birmingham City, midfield
remains a priority. Michael Johnson, of Manchester City, Mariusz
Lewandowski, the Poland and Shakhtar Donetsk player, Kevin Thomson, of
Rangers, and Jimmy Bullard, of Fulham, are possibilities.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Only fine-tuning is necessary after last year’s solid display, but David Moyes
is desperate to keep driving the club forward. Wholesale additions are
unlikely, but the manager will be keen to add at least two top-class
signings before the start of the season.
Preseason matches
July 19: Cambridge United (a). July 22: Preston North End (a).
July 25: Nottingham Forest (a). July 30: Chicago Fire (a).
Aug 3: Colorado Rapids (a) Aug 9: PSV Eindhoven (h).
Fulham:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Roy Hodgson is working as a technical analyst for Uefa at Euro 2008, but
plenty of business is being done at Craven Cottage while the manager is in
Austria. Mark Schwarzer, David Stockdale, Zoltan Gera and Andranik
Teymourian have been signed.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Hodgson wants to keep Jimmy Bullard, but the midfield player could be tempted
by a move to Everton, where he would be guaranteed Uefa Cup football next
season. If Bullard leaves, he could be replaced by James Harper, who would
cost £3 million from Reading. Josip Simunic, the Hertha Berlin and Croatia
defender, is a target and Gabor Horvath, the FC Fehervar defender, has been
invited for a trial.
Preseason matches
July 15: Southend United (a). July 19: Celtic (h). July
23: TBC (a). July 26: Ulsan Hyundai Horangi (a). Aug 2:
Birmingham City (a).
Hull City:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Phil Brown, the manager, and Bob Shaw, the chief scout, are checking out the
talent at Euro 2008. “I want to be in a position where I know who is out
there and what they can do,” Brown said.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Full allocation of 20,500 season tickets has been sold, but there are no new
faces. Links with David Nugent, Iván Campo, Marlon Harewood and Ali Al
Habsi have come to nothing. Stuart Elliott, the winger, has joined Jay-Jay
Okocha at the exit.
Preseason matches
July 14: North Ferriby (a). July 15: Winterton Rangers (a). July
22: Chesterfield (a). July 26: Crewe Alexandra (a). July
29: Oldham Athletic (a). Aug 3: Heart of Midlothian (a).
Liverpool:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
The bitter pursuit of Gareth Barry, the Aston Villla midfield player, has
already rumbled on for a month, but in Philipp Degen and Andrea Dossena, the
club will definitely have two new full backs for the coming season. The real
test of the pulling power of Rafael BenÍtez, the manager, will be the
quality of the wide players and forwards he manages to sign.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
After four seasons at the club, BenÍtez is once again in the market for more
players than he would ideally like. He needs a top-quality right winger and
will also be looking for a forward if Peter Crouch leaves.
Preseason match
July 30: Villarreal (a).
Manchester City:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
The club’s unlikely pursuit of Ronaldinho has been judged by many to be the
clearest possible example of an overambitious owner being affected by the
sun. The protracted – and expensive – pursuit of Jô, the CSKA Moscow and
Brazil forward, has also turned into a complicated affair that is still some
way short of reaching a conclusion.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
The arrival of Mark Hughes will bring a more considered approach to the
recruitment process, with the new manager likely to return to Blackburn
Rovers, his former club, in an attempt to lure Christopher Samba and David
Bentley to City. Anthony Annan, the 21-year-old Ghana midfield player who is
with Norway’s IK Start, is also reportedly a target.
Preseason matches None announced.
Sunderland:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Roy Keane never expected early movement in the transfer market, jetting off to
New Zealand to study the All Blacks in training rather than manning the
phones. There have already been a number of departures and more will follow
as the Irishman assembles a leaner, meaner squad.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
No need to panic just yet, but the manager’s desire to bring quality and
experience to Wearside is easier said than done. The names are familiar, but
Stephen Hunt, Jonny Evans and Damien Duff, are the calibre of players that
Keane is looking at. Can Sunderland afford the wages, though?
Preseason matches
July 20: Sporting Lisbon (a). July 23: Vitória Setúbal (a). July
30: Nottingham Forest (a). Aug 3: Ajax (h). Aug 7:
Athlone Town (a). Aug 9: Shamrock Rovers (a).
Tottenham Hotspur:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Take it easy. The best player in the world will be at White Hart Lane next
season, according to Slaven Bilic, the Croatia coach. Luka Modric has been
one of the stars of Euro 2008 and signing him for £16.5 million in April
looks the steal of the summer. Giovani dos Santos has also joined from
Barcelona for an initial fee of £4.7 million.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Juande Ramos is trying to sign Ben Foster, the England goalkeeper, on loan
from Manchester United. Grégory Coupet and Joe Hart, the goalkeepers of
Lyons and Manchester City respectively, are also targets. Paul-José Mpoku,
the Standard Liège midfield player, has agreed a four-year deal, but
Ramos is set to miss out on Álvaro Negredo, the AlmerÍa striker.
Preseason matches
July 28: Norwich City (a). July 30: Leyton Orient (a). Aug
1: Celtic (Rotterdam). Aug 3: Borussia Dortmund (Rotterdam).
West Bromwich Albion:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Luke Moore, Roman Bednar and Kim Do Heon are already in and Tony Mowbray is
close to signing Paddy McCourt, from Derry. Zoltan Gera has left for Fulham,
Kevin Phillips should leave soon.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Jeremy Peace put out the begging bowl to potential investment partners last
week, but will still fund Mowbray’s next round of signings. “The major
strategic ones will, I think, start coming in once they are back for
preseason in early July,” the chairman said.
Preseason matches
July 22: Shrewsbury Town (a). July 23: Cheltenham Town (a). July
26: Ipswich Town (a). July 29: Northampton Town (a). Aug 1:
Hereford United (a). Aug 5: Walsall (a).
West Ham United:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
Alan Curbishley will be shopping in the bargain basement this summer as the
new regime at Upton Park tries to balance the books. Expect as many
departures as arrivals.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Curbishley wants to sign Djibril Cissé, the former Liverpool forward, from
Marseilles, but the manager has been put off by the £10 million asking
price. Eidur Gudjohnsen is an alternative but the Barcelona forward’s
£70,000-a-week wages are a problem. Stephen Carr is available on a free
transfer but the Newcastle United defender has also received offers from
Bolton and Portsmouth.
Preseason matches
July 17: Hampton & Richmond Borough (a). July 20: Columbus
Crew (a). July 24: MLS All-Stars (Toronto). July 29:
Peterborough United (a). July 30: Cambridge United (a). Aug 1:
Southampton (a). Aug 4: Ipswich Town (a). Aug 9: TBA (h).
Wigan Athletic:
Relaxed on the beach or midsummer madness?
No sand, sea and surf yet for many of the Wigan lads, with six still on
international duty. Steve Bruce, the manager, has made little headway in the
transfer market and is still trying to persuade Paul Scharner, the centre
half, to sign a new two-year contract.
Chilled out or turning up the heat?
Marcus Bent, the leading scorer while on loan last season, with seven goals,
has returned to Charlton Athletic. Bruce should soon complete the loan deals
of Maynor Figueroa and Henry Thomas, the Honduras pair, from Deportivo
Olimpia.
Preseason matches
July 19: FC St Veit (a). July 22: Eintracht Frankfurt (in
Austria). July 25: Hanover 96 (in Austria). July 29:
Barnsley (a). Aug 2: Sheffield Wednesday (a). Aug 5:
Hibernian (a). Aug 10: FC Utrecht (a).
