Gradel Departs after Transfer Request

Leeds United have reluctantly accepted an offer from French club Saint-Etienne for Max Gradel.

The player, who joined Leeds for an initial fee of £200,000 when he moved permanently from Leicester in January 2010, submitted a transfer request earlier on Tuesday, stating his desire to secure a move to his 'native' France and play at the highest level for his career development.

There has been extensive interest in the player, who is out of contract at the end of the season, from both clubs in England and France, however we were reluctant to agree to a domestic transfer that could potentially harm our promotion ambitions.

The player is to undertake a medical examination on Wednesday and the fee will remain undisclosed.

Max has scored 25 goals in 81 appearances for United since joining the club, initially on loan from Leicester City in October 2009.

The player, who won his first international caps while with the club, played a part in the team which won promotion from League One in 2009/10 and also figured prominently on our return to the Championship last season. www.leedsunited.com

Very disappointed to see Max leave us, he is a really top player on his day, even though he's handed in a transfer request i still have a lot of respect for him. He may have almost cost us promotion a year ago but he more than made up for it with his performance last season, he was a real driving force, top scorer and player of the season which he fully deserved. I think he will be a massive hit in France and i see him making his way into the first team plans for the Ivory Coast very shortly. A massive prospect and i wish him all the best in the future! Now to Simon Grayson, i hope he has a replacement in mind! the transfer window shuts tomorrow night and yes Ramon Nunez can come in and do a good job but we will need at least some sort of back-up for him. Lets wait and see! MOT!

QPR trying to complete a deal for Anton Ferdinand

My sources on twitter are telling me that, QPR are close to sorting out a deal to bring Sunderland central defender Anton Ferdinand to Loftus Road.

Would be a top signing for QPR, on his day he is a really solid central defender in the Premier League, he can have a few defensive lapses however but i feel he will be the best defender at QPR if he joins and therefore he will get the game time he really wants. Quite like him as a person so hope he succeeds there. The signings that QPR make between now and the deadline tomorrow could be the key towards safety and relegation!

Inter Milan defender Davide Santon has

medical at Newcastle

Inter Milan defender Davide Santon is having a medical at Newcastle United, BBC Sport understands.

The two clubs are understood to have agreed a fee in the region of £5m for the 20-year-old Italy international.

Santon spent the second half of last season on loan at Cesena after falling out of favour at Inter, initially under former manager Jose Mourinho. www.bbc.co.uk

I don't know too much about this lad to be fair but i do know a couple of years ago he was supposedly one of the biggest prospects in the world, he seems to have gone downhill a bit recently but I'm sure the potential is still there and it will be up to Alan Pardew to get the best out of him. It could signal the end of Danny Simpson at Newcastle though which is disappointing as I quite like him, think he'll be a decent player in the next few years.

Arsenal in talks with German defender Per Mertesacker

Arsenal are in advanced talks with Werder Bremen's German international defender Per Mertesacker.

The 26-year-old centre-back is captain for the Bundesliga side and reports suggested last week that he wanted to stay at the club.

Arsenal's pursuit of Mertesacker, who is 6ft 6in and has 75 caps for Germany, could end their interest in Bolton defender Gary Cahill.

But the Gunners are set to sign Brazilian left-back Andre Santos. www.bbc.co.uk

Well this is the sort of player that Arsenal have been needing, someone who is dominant in the back four who will take charge when the ball is in the air and someone whos not afraid to get stuck in and smash the ball into the stands when needed. Still think that there are better defenders out there but he should bring a little bit more solidarity to the back four if the deal goes through.

Tottenham poised to sign Scott Parker

from West Ham

Tottenham Hotspur are poised to complete the signing of England midfielder Scott Parker from West Ham.

The 30-year-old was not included in the Hammers squad for their 4-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce said before the game that the former Newcastle man was not "mentally right to play".

But following the win, he confirmed: "We will miss a player of Parker's quality, and we want him with us if the negotiation doesn't go through."

He added: "Whether the deal is achievable yet, I'm not sure, I've had lots of conversations with the chairman."

"If he does actually leave, I need to replace him immediately. I don't expect any other player to leave before Wednesday," Allardyce added.

Would be a top signing for Spurs, i spoke a while back about the apparent arrival of Diarra which never happened that i think a strong defensive midfielder will do the team well. It will allow the likes of Huddlestone, Krancjar and Van Der Vaart the chance to go forward without any worries about what they are leaving in midfield. Scott Parker is the sort of player that can sit and help defend leads and even if needed pop up with the odd goal. Im sure the Spurs fans and Fabio Capello will be really pleased if this deal goes through!

Arsenal set to sign Park Chu-young from Monaco

Monaco striker Park Chu-young is set to complete a move to Premier League side Arsenal on Sunday night, according to Arsene Wenger.

Park, 26, who was a former target for Premier League rivals Fulham, will cost the Gunners between £3m and £5m.

After the 8-2 defeat to Manchester United, Wenger said he expected Chu-young to sign on Sunday night.

The South Korea captain had been close to signing for French side Lille until Arsenal's late bid.

Lille were surprised at events on Saturday, claiming Park had failed to show up for the second part of his medical after agreeing terms to join the French champions.

Park had been due at the northern French side to continue with the pre-signing examination, which he had begun on Friday, Lille said.

"From what we understand he could be at Arsenal. Everything had been agreed." said Lille president Michel Seydoux. www.bbc.co.uk

Well not the real big name signing Arsenal fans will be hoping for, he has scored goals not an extreme ammount of goals which will be a worry and i can see been behind Van Persie if they stick with playing 1 up front with a 5 man midfield. Still i think there are other areas of the team that Wenger needs to work on more than the striking department, his whole backline needs work in my opinion, they have no depth and apart from Sagna and Vermaelen the other players arent good enough!

Midfielder Yossi Benayoun nears

Chelsea departure

Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun has posted on Twitter that he is on the verge of leaving Stamford Bridge.

Benayoun, 31, has seen just one minute of action for the Blues this season and looks to be surplus to requirements following the arrival of fellow midfielder Juan Mata from Valencia.

It has been rumoured Benayoun would be included in an offer from Chelsea for Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric.

"Negotiating with several teams... news soon," wrote Benayoun.

Newcastle have also been linked with the Israel captain, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Liverpool last summer on a free transfer.

Benayoun was restricted to 10 appearances for the club last season due to an Achilles injury, which kept him out for six months. www.bbc.co.uk

Looks like he's going to have to move on to get some game time, cracking player on his day, he has great technical ability a very similar player to David Silva but just not at his level. A move to Tottenham could be on the cards but i see him struggling to make an impact there too, he has the likes of Kranjcar and Van Der Vaart who play in his position which will be ahead of him, so i cant see him been a first team regular! Still would be a good squad signing for Spurs if it goes through!

Chelsea make bid for Pereira

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has confirmed the club have bid for Porto full-back Alvaro Pereira, but says he is "not very confident" of signing him.

The 25-year-old left-sided wing-back played under Villas-Boas at Porto and helped Uruguay to win the Copa America title during the summer.

"The only thing I can confirm is we have made a bid and are very far apart in terms of numbers," Villas-Boas said.

The manager said he was "not very confident" a deal could be finalised. www.bbc.co.uk

Its good to see Chelsea finally trying to get some deals done, he would be another top signing and clearly the manager knows him well from his time at Porto, so he should already know how AVB likes to play. Obviously he's usually a left back, however I cant see him replacing Ashley Cole so I reckon he will be played in a more advanced role maybe closer to left wing position to give them some width and pace on the left side.  He's certainly not a weak player either so he should adapt the the Premier League relatively easily. AVB isn't very confident the deal will go through but if he manages to get something sorted he can be very happy with the signing! 

Udinese Vs Arsenal 

1-2: Champions League Qualifier

24/08/2011

Report

The first half got underway in what was a massive game for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal football club; if they don’t get into the Champions League the club will not be able to attract top quality players in my opinion. The start to the game was outstanding, both sides were flying, inside the first 30 seconds Gervinho broke down the left which opened up the Udinese defence but his final ball let him down as the keeper managed to cut it out, away from the onrushing Theo Walcott. The first shot on goal was only a minute later; again it was a good break forward by Arsenal, where Walcott got into a position 20 yards out to unleash a shot which the keeper beat away, the ball luckily falling to an Udinese player to clear.

Then Udinese’s first shot on target arrived after Frimpong gave the ball away, however the shot was easily held by Szcesny. On 8 minutes Di Natale put the ball in the back of the net, however it was offside which the replay proved the linesman gave the correct decision, an early warning for Arsenal though, no doubt about that. The first 15 minutes of the game had been the most open I have ever seen a football match it was truly great to watch. As the game means so much to both clubs I thought it might’ve been a bit cagey but absolutely not in this game.  

On 16 minutes Udinese hit the post! Great play down the right hand side, a nice one-two between two Udinese players got them away from Sagna , the ball crossed in towards Di Natale who gets pushed wide he crosses back in and a header comes in just off the post. Arsenal again under pressure, I thought that Gervinho could’ve helped to protect Sagna a bit better on a few occasion, he didn’t really track back at all.

Both teams got forward really well but just seemed to keep making the wrong decision when getting close to their opponents goal. Udinese looking really impressive down their right hand side, managing to get crosses in with ease.

On 25 minutes another chance goes begging for Udinese, going down the right again, crossed in by Isla to the near post, Di Natale gets across the front of his marker and smashes it against the post. Having seen the replay he does really well but possibly he should’ve hit the back of the net there been the quality player that he is.

5 minutes later it is Arsenals turn to have a foray forward, and it pulled a great save out of Handanovic! Cracking play down the left from Gervinho, he pulls it back to Walcott whose 1^st time shot is brilliantly turned away from Handanovic, the rebound drops to Van Persie and its Handanovic again making his second save in succession. Another chance went begging for Arsenal. Straight back up the other end there’s a good save from Szcesny, a long ball gets Di Natale in behind the Arsenal defence, with the angle narrowing he manages a shot on target which Szcesny manages to chest away.

The first goal of the game then arrived on 38 minutes, a great cross into the box found the head of Di Natale who expertly angled a looping header over Szcesny off the post and into the back of the net. Brilliant header from the Italian.

Halftime then arrived just in time for Arsenal who were looking like they were on the ropes a bit. Every attack from Udinese seemed to be resulting in a chance.

At half time, Rosicky replaced Frimpong, with Arsenal looking to go a bit more attacking to grab that away goal.

That goal for Arsenal arrived on 54 minutes, again it was Gervinho, with some great work down the left hand side, he pulled the ball back for Van Persie to blast home the equaliser, which meant Udinese now had to score 2 goals to get through.

Three minutes later Udinese were given the chance to get their comeback underway,  the referee gave a penalty after a handball from Vermaelen, Di Natale stepped up to take the Penalty which was expertly saved from Szcesny, diving to his right to tip over the powerful effort from the Italian striker. A really really top save from the young Arsenal stopper!

Arsenal then went further ahead 10 minutes later, Walcott broke through, yet again down the left hand side and finished clinically into the bottom left of the goal sending the keeper the wrong way. I have been quite impressed with Walcott during the game he’s made some great runs all match and seems to be becoming a better all round player. With Fabio Capello watching on I’m sure he’s done himself no harm!

The game then slowly petered out, a few chances for both sides but nothing of real note, apart from Szcesny pushing away a free-kick from Di Natale. Arsenal over 180 minutes fully deserve to go through and I look forward to seeing another English club in the Champions League this season. Arsenal go through with a 3-1 aggregate win.

This win will surely lowers the pressure on Arsene Wenger and allows him to focus on the last days of the transfer window to bring players in, with the players he is after now knowing they will play Champions League football if they head to the Emirates Stadium!

BREAKING NEWS!

Joey Barton talks to QPR!

Newcastle's Joey Barton has been given permission to hold talks with QPR!

Would be a cracking signing for QPR if this one went through, he would be ideal for them, a tough lad in midfield which is great going forward as well as helping out with the defensive side of the game. In terms of ability he is good enough to play for England in my opinion! Great work from Neil Warnock if he can pull this one off!

Harrogate Town Vs Droylsden  

0-0: Championship

23/08/2011

Report

Not a bad game to watch but it was ultimately disappointing from a Harrogate Town point of view. The game started slowly, Harrogate were on top but struggling to create any goal scoring opportunities. Then the game was turned into Harrogate’s favour even more on 15 minutes, the referee gave a foul for Droylsden after a tackle from Laurie Wilson but then the referee sent the Droylsden player off for what I can only assume was an off the ball incident when the two players were on the floor. To be fair to the referee the Droylsden player had no complaints and walked straight off the pitch. The decision caused a bit of a melee however between the Droylsden bench and a few Harrogate players, but the referee dealt with it well and the game got back underway.

I was hoping after this we would go on and win the game quite comfortably, unfortunately this never quite happened, for the rest of the first half we controlled the game well. Hassan had an effort from 20 yards which came back off the crossbar and the follow up from Bore was put over the top. Half time then arrived with us still failing to find the back of the net. Me as a fan could see it been one of those days where things just wouldn’t go in.

The 2^nd half got under way then and to be fair to Droylsden they came out as the better team, they got in our faces closed us down at every opportunity and clearly had good fitness to last at that tempo with 10 men. They had a chance to take the lead on around 60 minutes, great play from the player that just came on as he dribbled round 3 Harrogate players and put his shot just over the bar. Surely that showed Town they needed to up the tempo and start knocking it around on the ground to tire the opposition but no, Town seemed to keep using the long ball tactic, which wasn’t really having much effect today.

The game was then played out pretty much in the centre of the pitch, both teams trying to build something, at times you couldn’t tell Droylsden had 10 men, until the last 10 minutes, a massive goal line scramble ensued, a shot from Brayson was blocked on the line by Hassan, then Hassan had a shot blocked, then Bore attempted a shot which was blocked, Droylsden tried to clear it dropped to the edge of the area, another shot was blocked then eventually somehow Droylsden got the ball clear and the faces on the Harrogate Town fans said it all they were in disbelief how the ball didn’t end up in the back of the net. The biggest goal line scramble I’ve ever seen! Then the game slowly petered out to full time, Droylsden trying to waste time whenever possible, but they did have a few shots right at the end which had me seriously worried. The game ended 0-0, at the end of the day a point will do, because at times Droylsden could’ve nicked it! A point is better than nothing!

Ratings:

Harrogate:

Mark Cook: Cooky had a good game tonight, he dealt with everything that came at him, his handling was good, came for a couple of crosses well. I liked how he was quite vocal all game telling his defenders what to do keeping them in control. Another top display from the Harrogate Town number one. - 7

Laurie Wilson: When I saw the team sheet and saw that Laurie was playing right back I thought that was a strange decision but he’s proved the manager right today with a competitive display down the right. He defended well, got stuck in and also at times provided an outlet going forward.  Looked a very competent right back! - 7

Jake Picton: Another top display from Jake, never fails to impress, looked pretty solid throughout the game, got turned once when a striker was running at him but other than that his usual dominant display on the ground and in the air! - 7

Paul Heckingbottom: My MOTM! This is the first time I’ve seen Paul play at centre back, again looked really competent in there; no mistakes all game, won quite a lot in the air to say he is just below 6 foot. He wasn’t beaten all game! Played well and if I was Simon Weaver id have no hesitation in playing him there again! - 7

Craig Radcliffe: Was very impressed with this lad during pre-season and today he didn’t disappoint got stuck in well, he did get turned a couple of times though which was a bit worrying I think he was just a bit too eager to get a tackle in on a couple of occasions. Still a great left back at this level! - 6.5

Adam Nowakowski: I liked what I saw from Adam today in terms of defensive work, he was playing a defensive midfield role, which is where I think he plays best. He broke up a lot of Droylsden’s moves through midfield, he’s not afraid to get stuck in and get his food/head in where in hurts! Still at times I think his passing lacks quality, he mis-cued a few passes during the game but nothing too shocking. Can do a good job for us this season! - 7

Peter Bore: I’ve heard a lot about his player from the last few games, what I liked about him today was when he got on the ball he looked to make things happen and wasn’t afraid to make forward runs at the heart of the opposition. At times his final ball let him down but still a decent display and it’s nice to see a bit of pace and drive in the team, which is what we lacked in pre-season! - 7

Stephen Turnbull: Nice to see him played in his more natural position in central midfield, he played ok but I expected a bit more from him. He seems to lack pace which was a bit worrying throughout the game but his passing was ok he spread the play well at times. Not as good as I’d hoped for though! – 6.5

Lee Elam: After his cracking game off the bench last Tuesday, he fully deserved a start, what he did during the game he did well, for an older player he still seems to have that zip about his play. He drives forward well and was just caught in two minds on a couple of occasions when in good positions. Needs to try and deliver the ball into the box as quick as possible but looked good and showed a nice turn of pace! – 6.5

Paul Brayson: Did ok today, when he received the ball at his feet, he looked to turn and get away from his marker, played his team mates into the game well but was just unlucky that all the chances seemed to fall to Hassan and not himself as I feel if Hassan’s chances would’ve fallen to Brayson we would’ve been going home with 3 points! – 6.5

Callum Hassan: It’s the first time I’ve seen Hassan play, he’s a big unit there’s no doubt about that, he did well in the air when balls were pumped up to him, he also had a cracking shot from 20 yards out which hit the crossbar. The thing that stood out to me today however was his first touch, it just wasn’t good enough and there were a couple of occasions where if his touch was better he would’ve had shooting opportunity! Still looked threatening on occasions but it’s a pity he couldn’t finish one of the chances he had! – 6.5

Subs:

Liam Hardy: Good to see Liam getting a bit of game time today, he did well when he came on, injected a bit of pace in the strike force and should’ve won a free-kick when the linesman was waving for it but the referee played advantage when there clearly was no advantage. Hope he gets back to his best this season! – 6.5



Simon Vukcevic set to complete Blackburn switch

Blackburn Rovers are expected to complete the signing of midfielder Simon Vukcevic from Sporting Lisbon early this week.

The 25-year-old Montenegro player arrived at the club for a medical on Thursday and is set to become the club's fourth purchase of the summer.

The most high profile of those signings is striker David Goodwillie, who cost a reported £2.8m from Dundee United.

Rovers are bottom of the Premier League after losing their first two fixtures.

Their most recent defeat came on Saturday when they were beaten 3-1 by Aston Villa.

Vukcevic arrives at Ewood Park having spent four years at Sporting Lisbon. He signed for the Portuguese club from Saturn Moscow Oblast for 4m euros (£3.5m) in 2007.

The attacking midfielder is a regular member of the Montenegro side and featured in October's Euro 2012 qualifier against England, which ended 0-0. www.bbc.co.uk

Would be a top signing for Blackburn, he brings that extra bit of creativity that they so clearly need, the only other attacking central midfielder they have is the aging David Dunn, the rest of their central midfielders are quite defensively minded so he should bring a different dimension. Still think that they are more important areas of the team they need to address first, they only have Samba, who might be leaving and Nelsen who are good enough defenders, next up is Grant Hanley which would be a bit of a worry for me. Definitely need another centre half but Rovers fans can be happy they are able to attract the quality of Vukcevic!

Kyrgiakos signs for Wolfsburg

Liverpool defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos has joined Bundesliga side Wolfsburg on a two-year contract.

In June Kyrgiakos looked to have earned a new one-year deal at Anfield after making the required number of appearances to trigger the extension.

But on Monday the Reds said the 32-year-old Greek defender had left the club for the German side.

Liverpool have not revealed whether they have received a fee for Kyrgiakos.

Kyrgiakos made 49 appearances for the Reds, scoring three goals, after signing from AEK Athens in August 2009. 
Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath was keen to bolster his defence following his team's 4-1 loss at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday in the Bundesliga. www.bbc.co.uk

Its the correct decision from Kyrgiakos in my opinon, I cant see him getting much of an opportunity at Liverpool this season. Ive got to say hes earnt my respect from his time at Liverpool, as when they first signed him i thought it was a joke, I didnt think he was upto Premier League level at all. To be fair to him he's proved me wrong, he always gives 100% and i dont think he let down his club once and for that I wish him well in the rest of his career!

Luka Modric's 'head is not right' to face

Man Utd says Harry Redknapp

Luka Modric will not face Manchester United on Monday night because "his head's not in the right place", according to Spurs boss Harry Redknapp.

Tottenham have turned down bids of £22m and £27m from Chelsea for the 25-year-old Croatian midfielder.

Modric has hinted he wants to leave White Hart Lane, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy insists he won't sell at any price.

"He's not playing," said Redknapp. "His head's not in the right place."

The Tottenham manager told talkSPORT: "We need him playing, he's very important to us, so we have to sort it out."

Redknapp believes Chelsea's capture of Valencia midfielder Juan Mata on Sunday for £23.5m will affect the situation.

"I would think that's the end of the Modric deal surely," he said. www.bbc.co.uk

Well my belief on this is, if a player does not want to play for the club anymore they might as well let them move on as long as the money they get is the going rate! There is no point keeping a player at your club if he doesn't want to be there, his performances will drop below the usual standard and he will cause unrest among the other players. Yes! Hes a top player, probably Tottenhams best but in my opinion use the money from the deal to buy a player that wants to play for the club!

West Ham United Vs Leeds United

2-2: Championship

22/08/2011

RATINGS:

Leeds United:

Andrew Lonergan – Looks a top signing, I know the season is only 4 games old but he is already looking the like the best signing we have made this summer, in my opinion he is an improvement on Kasper his reflex saves are outstanding he was yet again needed to make some today, he handles the ball well and his kicking is great and puts the opposition under pressure. Very pleased with his performance today! – 8

Tom Lees – Apart from the goal we conceded early on where he let Carlton Cole escape him from the corner, another top display from the youngster. I’m really impressed with him; you expect some mistakes from him as he is still learning and a work in progress. I can really see him making that right back position his own for Leeds this season, another cross from him caused chaos in the box which led to Leeds equalising goal. Keep it going Tom! - 7

Patrick Kisnorbo – Did ok today, didn’t really make any major mistakes, the only thing that worried me a bit was the amount of times he got beat in the air, I always saw Paddy as a powerful central defender but he wasn’t as dominant as usual today. To be fair though he was up against an England International today so I’m not going to judge him too harshly! – 6.5

Darren O’Dea – Did well today, great to see him playing his more favoured position of Centre Back as I didn’t think he looked like he was going to be good enough for our team as a left back. Again not fantastic at winning everything in the air but on the ground he defended well and made some good blocks and covering tackles at times. Looks a decent signing! – 7

Aidy White – Very impressed with Aidy today, from what I’d seen of him in the past I knew he was good going forward but today he also proved he is pretty adept at the defensive side too. When Carlton Cole was bearing through on goal he used his pace to get back, possibly a penalty but it wasn’t given so I’ll give him credit for stopping that opportunity. He linked up well with Gradel at times and just looks a completely different player with a lot more confidence than last season.  - 8

Robert Snodgrass – Looking better every game, seems a lot more up for it now as at the start of the season he seemed a little slow and laboured but its great to see the old Snoddy making a come back. His left foot is brilliant he got some great crosses in today and combined well with Tom Lees down the right flank. -7.5

Jonny Howson – Did his job well today, got stuck in well when needed but I still feel he goes missing sometimes in games for large periods which is disappointing because he has some great quality when he’s on the ball, so if we can get him involved more he will bring the creativity and attacking play. Still a good display looked like he has a good partnership with Clayton. - 7

Adam Clayton – My MOTM! Outstanding display from Clayton today, it is like having a new signing, the loan move last season has done him the world of good. This season he looks stronger, quicker and just looks to have so much ability. He is also not afraid to get stuck in and one block on John Carew towards the end was absolutely top notch. He brings so much energy to the midfield, he creates a buzz and other players seem to react to his enthusiasm. The best player on the pitch today! - 10

Max Gradel – An impressive attacking display from Max today, he absolutely skinned Scott Parker once, just had the skill and pace to breeze past him down the left, it was great to see! Obviously he will be disappointed with his penalty miss but what I liked about him is that he didn’t let it affect him at all, straight after the miss he had a cracking 25 yard drive that Rob Green did well to tip away. Great player to watch! - 8

Ross McCormack – Really like McCormack, he impresses me with his movement up front, he is constantly showing for the ball and wants to get involved and he grabbed himself another goal today. In my opinion at this moment in time I can’t see Becchio getting back in the team as he has formed a top partnership with Keogh up there. Really hope he can keep it up! – 8

Andy Keogh – Brilliant, the ideal signing that we needed, he does a lot of work up there closing down the defenders and not giving them a moment rest, he is a defenders nightmare. He looks sharp his touch is great, he has great pace and seems to have really transformed the team. Grayson has now opted for the 4-4-2 since his arrival and it seems to have worked which is what many Leeds fans have been wanting for a while now. Keep it up Andy! – 8.5

SUBS:

Ramon Nunez – Came on with around 15-20 minutes to go, looked sharp, got forward well and drove the team on. Was unlucky to get dropped but he’s still a great impact player off the bench. – 6.5

Lloyd Sam – Not enough time to really judge him but he won a good header which helped set up the attack for the 2^nd goal! – 6.5

Mancini wants Nasri signed up in next 48 hours!

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini said he hopes to complete the signing of Samir Nasri before Arsenal's Champions League match on Wednesday.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger hinted that his midfielder may line up against Udinese, which would make the player ineligible to feature for Manchester City in the group stages this season.

Mancini said on Sunday: "It's a big problem [if he plays] but I'm sure we can close in 24 hours, maybe 48.

"It's vital he's free for all games." www.bbc.co.uk

I can understand why Mancini wants him before the Champions League match for Arsenal, I can see Wenger just playing Nasri to frustrate City and try to put off their interest in the player. Mancini will want him to be free to play in all competitions as he's a top player and will definitely come in handy in the Champions League. I fully believe he will be a great success at Man City, he has the creativity to get plenty of assists and the ability to score some great goals. Nasri alongside Milner, David Silva, Adam Johnson and Yaya Toure will just further improve their midfield. They are looking more and more formidable by the day!

Chelsea agree deal for Mata!

Breaking news is just reaching me that Chelsea have agreed a deal with Valencia for their star attacking midfielder Juan Manuel Mata! Apparently a fee has been agreed with both clubs and it is only now down to Chelsea and Mata himself to work out wages and personal terms.

Would be a really good signing for Chelsea in my opinion, from what I've seen from Chelsea I think they are lacking a young, pacy and enthusiastic midfielder that can help ageing players like Lampard, Malouda, Anelka, Drogba and Benayoun! I think he will bring a better link between the strikers and midfielders, I see Chelsea starting to play a lot better when this lad gets involved!

West Brom edge closer to Owen Hargreaves deal



West Brom boss Roy Hodgson has said the club are edging closer to bringing injury-plagued midfielder Owen Hargreaves to the Hawthorns.

The 30-year-old attracted interest from Albion when his deal with Manchester United came to an end this summer.

The Baggies held talks with Hargreaves after he passed a "minor medical" and are confident over his fitness.

"We believe he's capable of playing top-flight football again and we're very interested in him," said Hodgson. www.bbc.co.uk

Well theres no doubt he will be a cracking signing IF! and this is a massive IF, he manages to stay fit! Theres no doubt that Owen has the ability to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the game, the last 3-4 years he has just been extremely unfortunate with injuries. Hes even taken the step of posting videos of himself keeping fit on Youtube to prove that his injuries are in the past. I for one hope it works out for him, he always comes across as a decent chap and it would be great to see him having a good last few seasons in the game!

Tottenham close in on Real Madrid star

Lassana Diarra

Tottenham are close to completing a deal to sign Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra for a reported £10m.

The 26-year-old joined Real from Portsmouth for £20m in 2008 and has scored one goal in 89 appearances.

Paris-born Diarra, who has 28 caps for France, started his career with Le Havre before joining Chelsea in 2005 and Arsenal two years later. www.bbc.co.uk

Massive fan of Lassana i think hes a top player, hes not the sort of player that hits the headlines but that certainly doesn't mean hes not doing a good job. The defensive midfield position is one of the most underrated position on a football pitch in my opinion. They themselves are charged with stopping opponents midfielders making forward runs from midfield, they are there to cut out through balls and just spread play about with no fuss at all. Would be a top player for Spurs, he would give the likes of Huddlestone, Modric and Dyer the licence to go forward with them knowing that Diarra will always sit back and not commit too often.

Spurs in talks with Adebayor!

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed the club are in talks with Manchester City over a loan move for 27-year-old striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

Adebayor fell out with Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini last year and spent a spell on loan at Real Madrid.

Spurs and City have been in talks for some time over a deal, with Adebayor's reported £170,000 a week wage packet proving to be the only real problem.

"The chairman is talking to Man City about the player," said Redknapp.

Redknapp added: "Where they [the negotiations] are at, I genuinely don't know."

Would be the perfect signing for Tottenham i reckon, has that extra bit of ability to the strikers they already have, he has pace and power, he is great to have defending corners for you and after a good end to the season at Real Madrid he has proved himself to be one of the best strikers in the game on his his day. Obviously his wages at Man City are astronomical, so they will need a lot of working out because Spurs wont be able to match his wages! He will maybe have to half his wages or less to be able to play for them. Would be a top signing if the deal goes through though!

Barnet sign defender Exodus Geohaghon!

Barnet have signed former Peterborough United defender Exodus Geohaghon on a one-month contract.

The 26-year-old had been a free agent since his release from the Posh earlier this month.

Geohaghon, who has been capped by England C, spent time on loan at League Two sides Rotherham, Shrewsbury and Port Vale last season.

He will be available to make his Barnet debut in Tuesday's League Two game at home to Gillingham. www.bbc.co.uk

Well this lad has had a tricky last couple of years, at Non-League level at Kettering I remember watching him play a few times against my local side Harrogate Town he looked really impressive and I could tell he wouldn't be sticking around Non-League for long, he was the feared man, no striker wanted to play against him and no opposition defender wanted to be the man to mark him on a corner! Its a pity how his league career has gone so far hes had some ups, but mainly downs, a lot of fans getting on his back and hes even been subjected to some racist chants which is completely unacceptable, but i feel that a League 2 or Blue Square Premier team could have a good player on their hands if they can get him signed up and get him loving playing football again, should do a decent job for Barnet!

Norwich sign defender Ayala from Liverpool!

 

Norwich City have signed Liverpool defender Daniel Ayala in a reported £800,000 deal.

The 20-year-old joined from Sevilla in 2007 but the Spain Under-21 international failed to establish himself in the Liverpool first team.

He impressed during loan spells at Hull City and Derby County last season.

"He played against us for Hull and Derby and I thought he was strong," Norwich manager Paul Lambert said.

"You've got to have a lot of cover throughout the coming games and a long hard season. He was somebody we thought could benefit the football club."

A good signing for the price, a player that has a good bit of potential, I saw him play for Hull City last season and thought he looked quite decent, won a lot in the air and looked pretty composed when under pressure, just think he needs to put on a bit more strength to really hold up to tough Premier League strikers. Still don't think he's good enough as of yet to be a starter in the Premier League, a back-up player I'm sure he will do a decent job, but maybe not just yet as a permanent fixture in the 1st team line-up.

Robbie Keane joins LA Galaxy!

Tottenham striker Robbie Keane has joined Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy for an undisclosed fee.

Keane, 31, who had also been linked with Leicester City, said he was "honoured, delighted and very excited" to be joining the American side.

Details of the transfer fee and length of contract have not been announced, but it is reported to be a £3.5m deal.

"I have always wanted to come and play in MLS so it's the perfect combination for me and a dream come true," he said.

"My family and I have already been made to feel very welcome in telephone calls from (president of Galaxy owners AEG) Tim Leiweke and (head coach)Bruce Arena.

"Also when David Beckham came and trained at Spurs recently he couldn't speak highly enough about the Galaxy, their fans and the league in general, so I can't wait to get over and get started.

A strange move for Robbie to make, in terms of furthering his career and proving himself to clubs in the Premier League he has taken what i see as the easy ride in the MLS with LA Galaxy. No doubt Galaxy have got a really top striker in Robbie and I'm sure he will get a number of goals there. I think he could still have done it in a top division in England though, which disappoints me really surely it can only be for the money and lifestyle of America which has pulled him there. Wish him luck but would rather see him still banging in goals on MOTD!

Outstanding opening game gives

Harrogate the 3 points!

Harrogate Town had a fantastic start to the season, taking 3 points from Saturday's thrilling match at the CNG Stadium against a good Altrincham team.

The visitors, prompted by the tricky Nicky Clee, dominated the early exchanges and it took excellent blocks by Matt Bloomer and Mark Cook to prevent Town falling behind.

However, Town took the lead with their first meaningful attack. Paul Brayson scored from the spot after Laurie Wilson had been brought down by Adam Flynn.

This signalled a period of Town dominance with Brayson and Jake Picton going close with headers.

Brayson doubled Town's lead after 34 minutes with a real poacher's goal, when he slid in Michael Tait's cross at the far post.

After the break Alty battered the Town defence in an attempt to get back into the game and it was no surprise when Michael Twiss scored via a post from a Clee's pass.

Town suffered a severe blow after 65 minutes when Tait was red carded after a foul on Clee.

Alty turned the screw and equalised with a good individual goal by Damian Reeves who wrong footed the Town defence before shooting home.

The Harrogate goal had a charmed life and Cook, Bloomer and sub Paul Heckingbottom made vital blocks as Town hung on.

To the surprise of the large crowd, Town grabbed a late winner with their second penalty of the game.

As the match entered added time, loan signing Callum Hassan was pulled back in the box by Adam Flynn who was promptly sent off by Referee Gary Beswick. Laurie Wilson blasted home the resulting penalty to give Town a hard fought win.

Final Score: Harrogate Town 3 - 2 Altrincham

Simon Weaver's BBC Radio York Post Match Interview

Harrogate Advertiser Match Report

Altrincham Website Match Report

Harrogate Town: Mark Cook, Matt Bloomer, Craig Radcliffe, Ian Ross, Adam Nowakowski (Richard Pell), Jake Picton, Laurie Wilson, Michael Tait, Paul Brayson (Paul Heckingbottom), Callum Hassan, Stephen Turnbull

Subs Unused: Lee Elam, Liam Hardy, Will Turl

Att: 587

(Report: John Harrison)

www.harrogatetown.com

Leeds bring in Keogh on loan

  

Leeds United have brought in the Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Andy Keogh on loan until January. The 25-year-old began his career in the Leeds academy but made just one appearance before joining Scunthorpe. With Leeds hit by injuries and suspensions, Keogh is expected to start in Tuesday's visit of Hull City. He's got plenty of experience, having played a lot at this level and in the Premier League. He is also returning to the club where he started his career so he knows what it's like here and understands the place." www.bbc.co.uk

Pretty happy with this signing to be fair, bring a good ammount of experience with him, he's still quite young as well so he will want to proving  apoint to Wolves that he can still cut it in their first team. Spoke to a Cardiff fan and he says he didnt look too great for them last season, told me not too expect loads of goals, but what he will bring is great work rate and will close down every ball. Lets hope he can form a deadly partnership up top with McCormack while we have these injuries. Good Look Andy!!!

Nottingham Forest sign West Brom's

Ishmael Miller

Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of West Brom striker Ishmael Miller for an initial fee of £1.2m.

The 24-year-old, who began his career with Manchester City, has signed a three-year deal at the City Ground.

Manager Steve McClaren told the Forest website: "Ishmael is still a young player but has loads of experience and a lot to prove. He wants to play.

"He's the type of player we want. He's young and ambitious and fits the criteria perfectly."

Miller struggled to make an impact at The Hawthorns after suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury against Portsmouth in December 2008.

He made six substitute appearances in the Premier League last season before going on loan to QPR in January.

Miller scored once in 14 appearances as the west London side secured the Championship title. www.bbc.co.uk

Should be a top signing for Forest, hes proven in the Championship and I can see him being among the top scorers this season. Not only will he bring goals but he will bring that physical presence up front and will give them another option, they will be able to play high balls and he will compete as well as been equally adept on the floor. Look forward to seeing how he does!

Cesc Fabregas completes move

From Arsenal to Barcelona!

Cesc Fabregas is officially a Barcelona player after signing a five-year contract with the European champions.

The former Arsenal captain, 24, was paraded in front of 30,000 Barca fans in the Nou Camp after passing two medicals on Monday.

Arsenal will receive a guaranteed £30m transfer fee, with a further £5m dependent on the number of games played and trophies won.

The buy-out clause in the midfielder's contract is 200m euros. www.bbc.co.uk

Well this deal has finally been completed, I feel it is the best deal for all party's involved. Obviously Arsenal fans would want him to stay but why keep a player at your club if he wants to move on, he wont be at his best if he had been forced to stay. Barcelona get a top player and Arsenal get 35Million to spend on improving their team in a number of key areas. Now lets see what Arsene Wenger is like at signing a replacement and improving his team to be back in with a shot at a title challenge!