TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Beckham will go to World Cup if fit, says Capello • 'If he plays well and is fit I will include him in my squad'• England coach expects Beckham to impress again for MilanThe England coach Fabio Capello has revealed David Beckham will definitely be in his World Cup squad if he remains fit during his loan spell at AC Milan.Beckham has returned to Milan until the end of the season in a bid to retain his England place and add to his 115 international caps - an England record for an outfield player. And Capello says that if the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder impresses as much as he did during his first loan spell last year then he will be on the plane to South Africa."Of course, if he plays well and is fit I will include him in my squad," Capello told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I don't look at age, I pay attention to quality and David has a lot. He's serious, he's a great professional and he's crazy about the World Cup."Beckham moved on loan to Milan last season initially until March, but the former England captain impressed so much the deal was extended until the end of the season. Capello is confident Beckham will again be able to make an impact in Serie A. "He will again do good for Milan because he has the right head on his shoulders," said the Italian.Beckham arrived in Milan yesterday in time for the training today. The 34-year-old will hope to force his way into the squad for the Rossoneri's next match, a home game against Genoa on 6 January.Capello also commented on the appointment of Roberto Mancini and the predominance of Italian coaches in many of Europe's leading clubs."It's 'made in Italy'. I am happy for them, it's a good reason to be proud of our football. We bring ideas and a desire for new things, experiences. You have to adjust yourself abroad, understand where you are, what they want from you."I don't believe the choice is only down to money, but also to the desire for something new and to work in a different context."But the 63-year-old also admitted it would be difficult for him to return to his home country. "I feel happy in England," he continued. "The Premier League is the most interesting and fascinating league in the world. There are particular aromas. Full stadiums, safety, beauty."Take Newcastle: they were relegated and applauded. Now they are in the [Championship] and around 50,000 people go see them. Our climate – that is to say the Italian one – is different, resentful, nasty. We always make the same mistakes. We don't improve, we don't move forwards, we don't solve the problems. This makes me feel bad."David BeckhamFabio CapelloEnglandMilanWorld Cup 2010guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Who Premier League clubs are targeting From Arsenal's striker shortage to Wolves' budget buys we take a look at the Premier League shopping listsArsenalBudget £30mWhat they need For all Arsène Wenger's talk about buying a striker to cover for the absence of Robin van Persie, Arsenal would benefit enormously from a dependable goalkeeper capable of underpinning a title challenge with more confidence than the shaken Manuel Almunia. Depending on the injury situation in midfield, they may also have to scour the market for a midfielder with more experience than the promising Aaron Ramsey. If Philippe Senderos is allowed to leave, a centre-back will be needed.Possible ins Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux, £4m), Edin Dzeko, right, (Wolfsburg, £25m), Carlton Cole (West Ham, £10m), Igor Afinkeev (CSKA Moscow, £20m), Robert Green (West Ham, £5m)Possible outs Philippe Senderos (Roma, £2m), Jack Wilshere (Burnley, Fulham, West Ham, loan)Aston VillaBudget £5m plus money from salesWhat they need Strength in depth is no longer a problem for the manager, Martin O'Neill, whose numbers have swelled since this time last year, although in an ideal world he would like to add a defensive midfielder to his ranks. Nigel Reo-Coker was supposed to be that player but he has struggled to make an impact and has been a peripheral figure since his training ground dust-up with O'Neill earlier this season. He looks set to leave along with a number of fringe players. Emile Heskey has been linked with his former club Liverpool.Possible ins A holding midfielderPossible outs Nigel Reo-Coker (Fulham, £5m), Craig Gardner (Birmingham City or Wolverhampton Wanderers £3m), Emile Heskey (Chelsea, Liverpool, £3.5m), Marlon Harewood (loan), Ciaran Clark (loan)Birmingham CityBudget Up to £40mWhat they need Alex McLeish would like to strengthen his squad and a target man to compete with Cameron Jerome is his priority. With Carson Yeung's millions burning a hole in his pocket, convincing a top-class striker to come to St Andrew's promises to be more difficult than funding the deal. McLeish is also expected to revive interest in bringing in Michel from Sporting Gijón, while a couple of the squad players, such as Kevin Phillips and Lee Carsley, could well move onPossible ins Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan Athletic, £8m), Aiden McGeady (Celtic, £7m), Marc Janko (Red Bull Salzburg, £7m), Kevin Kurányi (Schalke 04, £5m), Craig Gardner (Aston Villa, £3m), Michel (Sporting Gijon, £3m)Possible outs Kevin Phillips (Middlesbrough, £500,000), Lee Carsley (Wolverhampton Wanderers, £500,000)Blackburn RoversBudget Precious littleWhat they need To satisfy or to replace Benni McCarthy. The South Africa striker is keen to leave Ewood Park in a bid to secure regular first-team football in a World Cup year, but Sam Allardyce can ill afford to weaken his attack. Injury to David Dunn has given McCarthy the chance he craves, either at Blackburn or in the shop window, although the Rovers manager would need guarantees over a replacement to allow the veteran to go. The left side of midfield would also have to be strengthened if Morten Gamst Pedersen were to leave.Possible ins James Beattie (Stoke City, swap with Jason Roberts), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo)Possible outs Benni McCarthy (Fulham, Porto, £3m), Jason Roberts (Stoke City, swap with Beattie), Morten Gamst Pedersen (£1.5m)Bolton WanderersBudget £6mWhat they need The big problem is scoring goals although there is a genuine interest in signing the midfielder Guti from Real Madrid on loan – if he can be persuaded to move to a club of Bolton's standing. First, however, the club must identify a new manager to replace Gary Megson, who was sacked this week. The new man may have different targets in mind as Bolton battle against relegation. One area that needs strengthening is defensive midfield, with Sean Davis having been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injuryPossible ins Guti (Real Madrid, loan), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon, £6m)Possible outs Nicky Hunt (£250,000), Mustapha Riga (£300,000), Danny Shittu (£1m)BurnleyBudget £3m, at the very mostWhat they need Players with the right mentality to buy into Owen Coyle's down-to-earth philosophy and sufficiently technically adroit to fit into Burnley's purist passing style. Ideally, a striker, a central midfielder, a left-back and a centre-half would be Turf Moor-bound but Coyle does not anticipate more than "one or two additions". He has made it known he would like Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal and Tottenham's Gareth Bale. He would also like to make David Nugent's loan from Portsmouth a long-term deal but wages are a stumbling block.Possible ins Gareth Bale (Spurs, loan), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal, loan), David Nugent (Portsmouth, purchase outright)Possible outs None, except possibly the odd fringe player on loanChelseaBudget In excess of £50mWhat they need Carlo Ancelotti has vowed to prance around the club's training pitches naked if he enters the market, but this could be Chelsea's last transfer window for a year. Does an ageing squad need refreshing? Beyond Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba, Chelsea lack an experienced goalscorer, while neither Joe Cole, still sharpening his match fitness, nor Deco has truly flourished in the hole behind the forwards. Likewise, is Mikel John Obi mobile enough for the anchor role?Possible ins Sergio Aguëro (Atlético Madrid, £35m), Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough, £6m), Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg, £25m), Jerko Leko (Monaco, £8m), Philippe Mexès (Roma, £5m), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa, £3.5m), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich, £35m), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria, £15m)Possible outs None, unless youngsters are loanedEvertonBudget Money raised through salesWhat they need David Moyes's duty-bound optimism over Everton's extensive injury list has begun to waver in recent weeks as his long-term absences suffer relapse after relapse. With no sign of recovery for Mikel Arteta, Everton remain in desperate need of invention and craft, while Joseph Yobo's departure to the African Cup of Nations creates more problems for an already weakened defence. The club's most important business, however, concerns keeping players, with Louis Saha and Steven Pienaar both out of contract at the end of this seasonPossible ins Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy, loan confirmed), Luca Toni, right, (B Munich, free), Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liège, £3m)Possible outs Yakubu Ayegbeni, James VaughanFulhamBudget Money raised through salesWhat they need Roy Hodgson has used his squad expertly this season, juggling the unfamiliar demands of Europa League football with a coherent challenge to maintain last year's Premier League progress. He is unlikely to be too busy with immediate first-team additions, but may look to bolster his squad. He may seek more cover in central defence and support for Bobby Zamora given the injury problems that have afflicted Andrew Johnson.Possible ins Alan Hutton (Spurs, £5m), Adam Johnson (£6m), Gary O'Neil (£2.5m, both Middlesbrough) Maxi Pereira (Benfica, £2m), Paul Scharner (Wigan, £2m), John Arne Riise (Roma, £2m), Nigel Reo-Coker (A Villa, £5m), Ariel Borysiuk (Legia Warsaw, £2m), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal, loan), Benni McCarthy (Blackburn, £3m)Possible outs Toni Kallio (Sheff Utd, £1m). Kagisho Dikgacoi, David Elm, Seol Ki-hyeon, Eddie Johnson, Fredrik Stoor are all effectively available for loan or transferHull CityBudget ZeroWhat they need In Phil Brown's fantasies, a new right-back, centre-half, central midfielder and prolific striker. In reality he will almost certainly be unable to strengthen as the club are deeply in debt and Adam Pearson, the new chairman, has placed the accent on cutting wages. This will be easier said than done. Brown is using his contacts in Spain to try to find a decent loan deal. In an ideal world he would sign Sol Campbell and Rangers' Kris Boyd. What Brown really needs is Jimmy Bullard to stay fitPossible ins In unlikely event of sales, Sol Campbell (free agent), Kris Boyd (Rangers, £1m), Daryl Murphy (Sunderland, minimal), Spanish loansPossible outs Pearson would like to see the back of several but don't bet on any actually leavingLiverpoolBudget Sales unless cash is releasedWhat they need An exacting season has taken its toll on Emiliano Insúa at left-back and Rafael BenÃtez's problems at full-back and wide right remain, with Dirk Kuyt struggling. Those weaknesses are secondary, however, to the lack of cover for Fernando Torres, whose hernia could linger until the World Cup and must be compensated for with Champions League qualification in the balancePossible ins Emile Heskey (Aston Villa, £3.5m), Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland, £10m), Ruud van Nistelrooy, left, (Real Madrid, loan), Scott Parker (West Ham, £7m), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur, swap)Possible outs Ryan Babel (Ajax, loan or swap), Andriy Voronin (several Bundesliga clubs, £3m), Andrea Dossena (Napoli, Zenit St Petersburg, Atlético Madrid, £3.5m), Philipp DegenManchester CityBudget £150mWhat they need City have not conceded a goal since Roberto Mancini took over but the new manager will not be fooled. Before that, they had let in nine in the previous three Premier League matches, with only one clean sheet since August. Mancini could do well with two more centre-halves and a pair of full-backs. He may also want another right-winger, a possible replacement for Robinho – who is keen to leave – and a greater aerial presence in attack given Roque Santa Cruz's injury problemsPossible ins Angel di MarÃa (Benfica, £30m), Simon Kjaer (Palermo, £12m), Iván Córdoba (Internazionale, £4m), Maicon (Internazionale, £25m), Mario Balotelli (Internazionale, £25m), Matthew Upson (West Ham United £12m), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus, £20m)Possible outs Benjani Mwaruwari (Stoke, Portsmouth, £1m)Manchester UnitedBudget £10m, or more if Nani is soldWhat they need Sir Alex Ferguson said recently that he would not buy in the January transfer window but United still need another striker. They have already been knocked back in one area after offering the Portuguese winger Nani, left, as the bait in a cash-plus-player exchange for Benfica's Argentinian winger Angel di MarÃa. The 21-year-old Senegalese forward Mame Biram Diouf will arrive at the club this month. He was signed from Molde in the summer but immediately loaned back to the Norwegian club, where he has scored 38 times in 73 appearancesPossible ins Hatem Ben Arfa (Marseille, £8m), Steven Defour (Standard Liège, £15m), Simon Kjaer (Palermo, £12m)Possible outs Nani (£10m)PortsmouthBudget Less than zeroWhat they need To lift the player registration embargo in place since October by a concerned Premier League before the manager Avram Grant can contemplate recruiting fresh faces. Even then the manager's ability to strengthen will depend on who is sold and taken off the wage bill, and which players might fancy a move to an unstable, bottom-placed club. The Israeli manager, though, is conscious that survival will be virtually impossible if he loses his better players. If the embargo is lifted Grant may have to settle for loans and free transfersPossible ins Depends on the abovePossible outs Kevin-Prince Boateng (£6m, Sunderland), David James, (£1m, Tottenham), David Nugent (Burnley, loan deal made permanent)Stoke CityBudget Money raised through salesWhat they need Tony Pulis has talked about bringing in two impact players and recent results, which have led to rumblings of discontent, will have intensified his search. The Stoke manager is in the market for a right-winger and a striker. The latter is likely to be a replacement for James Beattie, who is expected to leave, possibly joining Blackburn in a swap deal involving Jason Roberts, following his changing-room confrontation with Pulis a couple of weeks agoPossible ins Andy Carroll (Newcastle United, £4m), Jason Roberts (Blackburn Rovers, swap with James Beattie), Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland, £10m), Jermaine Pennant (Real Zaragoza, £4m)Possible outs James Beattie (Blackburn, swap), Dave Kitson (£2.5m), Andrew Davies (£750,000)SunderlandBudget £20mWhat they need A left-back and perhaps a right-back too. Possibly another centre-half to be part-exchanged with Anton Ferdinand, a wide midfielder and an extra striker. If the cash is available Steve Bruce could also be in the market for a new goalkeeper. Bruce pruned Sunderland's squad appreciably last summer but it has seemed over-stretched. He might be prepared to sell Kenwyne Jones but only if the alternatives he craves become availablePossible ins Maynor Figueroa (Wigan, £6m), Robbie Keane, Michael Dawson, Alan Hutton (all Spurs, swap), Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough, £6m), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace), Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux, £4m), Kevin-Prince Boateng (£6m, Sunderland)Possible outs Anton Ferdinand (Spurs, swap), Kenwyne Jones (Liverpool, Stoke, Tottenham, £10m), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich or Hull, minimal), David Healy (various, minimal)Tottenham HotspurBudget Money raised through salesWhat they need Harry Redknapp has lost a goalkeeper in Carlo Cudicini to long-term injury and might look to secure a challenger to Heurelho Gomes. He has also stated Spurs lack depth in the centre of midfield, where Wilson Palacios has had an inconsistent season. Money will have to be generated through sales yet Redknapp can rarely resist wheeling and dealing with his interest in Manchester City's unsettled Craig Bellamy long-standingPossible ins David James (Portsmouth, £1m), Sandro (Internacional, £8m), Matthew Upson (West Ham, £12m), Scott Parker (West Ham, £7m), Ryan Babel (Liverpool, swap), Anton Ferdinand (Sunderland, swap), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan, £6m), Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland, £10m)Possible outs David Bentley (Atlético Madrid, £8m or loan), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Liverpool, swap), Alan Hutton (Fulham, Sunderland, £5m or swap), Robbie Keane (Celtic, Sunderland, £8m or swap), Michael Dawson (Sunderland, swap)West Ham UnitedBudget Money raised through salesWhat they need Gianfranco Zola's attempt to sign the striker Luca Toni from Bayern Munich foundered because of the club's difficult finances and the manager will consider it a successful window if he manages to keep hold of Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Scott Parker, who form the spine of his struggling team. Carlton Cole is the club's only consistent performer in attack so Zola is conscious of the need to hang on to him and strengthen this department, with the Italian reportedly interested in Adrian Mutu, the former Chelsea strikerPossible ins Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina, £5m), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal, loan), central defender and midfielderPossible outs Robert Green (Arsenal, £5m), Scott Parker (Liverpool, Spurs, £7m), Carlton Cole (Arsenal, £10m), Matthew Upson (Man City, Tottenham, £12m)Wigan AthleticBudget £1m-5mWhat they need To strengthen everywhere apart from wide midfield. The manager, Roberto MartÃnez, says: "It is important in January that we help the players that we have already got in with a couple of new faces that can help us in bringing a different dimension in our play. We need to make sure we are as strong as we can be. I'm delighted that we don't have to sell players to balance the books. If there is any movement, it will be for the good of Wigan Athletic." Losing the coveted Maynor Figueroa would be a huge blow.Possible ins Striker, central midfield and defencePossible outs Charles N'Zogbia (Birmingham, £8m), Paul Scharner (Fulham, £2m), Maynor Figueroa (Sunderland, Tottenham, £6m), Ben Watson (QPR, loan extension), Olivier Kapo (Boulogne, loan), Richard Kingson, Erik Edman (Championship clubs/abroad)Wolverhampton WanderersBudget £2m plus money from salesWhat they need Premier League experience. There is no shortage of energy and hunger in Mick McCarthy's squad but a couple of older heads, as Birmingham have demonstrated this season, can make all the difference to a smaller club's fortunes. McCarthy has said that he is on the look-out for new talent, with a central midfielder high on his wish-list, although working within tight financial parameters will, as always, restrict his options in the market. The return of Dave Edwards, Andy Keogh and Michael Kightly from injury in the New Year will provide some comfortPossible ins Craig Gardner (Aston Villa, £3m), Lee Carsley (Birmingham City, £500,000)Possible outs Matthew Hill, David Jones (Championship clubs)Transfer windowPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Glazers open door to training-ground sale • Bond offer provides for lease-back of Carrington facility• Rising anger among fans after £20m taken out of clubThe ownership of Manchester United's Carrington training complex could be transferred to a holding company controlled by the Glazer family and leased back to the club, according to the prospectus Âcirculated to potential investors in a £500m refinancing scheme this week.The £500m bond and a new £75m credit facility, which will add to an overall debt pile of more than £700m, will be secured on the majority of property owned by Manchester United, including Old Trafford.But Carrington, the state of the art Âcomplex that opened in 2000 to replace Manchester United's old training ground The Cliff, is specifically exempted."The Carrington training ground will not be encumbered and may in due course be transferred to a holding company or affiliate of the Parent. In the latter event, we will be granted a lease in respect of the Carrington training ground," said the offer document in a section describing Manchester United's business and assets.• David Conn: The future looks bleak for United• 10 key questions about the debt at Old Trafford• The Glazer family's London operation• Tampa Bay Buccaneers grumble over Glazers' cutsThe club currently own the freehold on Carrington and the idea of one of the assets most readily associated with them being transferred to the Glazers' own holding company, and potentially sold, will cause further disquiet among fans concerned that money continues to flow out of Old Trafford despite consistent success on the pitch.The prospect of the club losing the training ground has disturbing echoes of Leeds United, who during their financial collapse were forced to sell their Thorp Arch training ground and lease it back.Covering 108 acres near the village from which it takes its name and dubbed "Fortress Carrington" by locals thanks to the high security fences that surround it, the complex contains 14 pitches of varying sizes as well as physiotherapy and rehabilitation areas, restaurants, conference rooms and a TV studio.Companies undertaking a bond issue are legally bound to list all kinds of potential risks attached to the offer, and the MU Finance plc prospectus contains warnings over everything from the potential impact of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement to terrorist attacks and the danger of football becoming less popular.But here too it is made clear that the indenture covering the bond issue's notes "will limit our ability to sell or transfer, but not Âprohibit us from selling or transferring, our training ground or our stadium". If either is sold, it says it will enter into a long-term lease "to enable us to have substantially the same access to such property as we currently do".Representatives of fans' groups that have long opposed the Glazer takeover said that the detail contained in the offer document, including the revelation that the family had taken £22.9m in management fees and loans out of the club, would increase levels of discontent. "People are starting to connect the fact that they are asking us to stump up more in ticket prices and they're not investing in the squad and on top of that they are taking money out for themselves. That is going to make it difficult to get away with another rise," said Duncan Drasdo, chief executive of the Manchester United Supporters' Trust.The 322-page prospectus, the basis for a bond offer that most experts expect to be priced at around 9%, sets out in great detail the "high degree of risk" involved, together with the Glazers' strategy for continuing to maximise revenues.Results released this week showed that income from matchday operations, TV contracts and commercial activities continued to rise, contributing to an increase in turnover to £276.8m. But without a £80.7m profit from transfer activities, including the sale of Ronaldo to Real Madrid, the club would have made a substantial loss. It also reveals that United have already received almost half of a new £80m four-year shirt sponsorship deal with Aon upfront, despite it not beginning until next season. It prioritises the targeting of new sponsors in areas not traditionally associated with football as a means of generating further revenue growth.City sources expect the bond issue to succeed if it is priced and marketed correctly. But there were some dissenting voices yesterday, arguing that the yield from the bond should be closer to 9.5% given the company's profile and questioning the wisdom of investing in an unrated bond in such an uncertain sector."Most traditional high-yield investors won't touch this," Jonathan Moore, a high-yield analyst at Evolution Securities told Bloomberg yesterday. "It's unrated, so some investors can't take it, and there's a very busy new-issue calendar so there are plenty of alternatives. Most people just won't focus on something with far too much leverage, limited free cash flow and lumpy earnings."Manchester UnitedBusinessPremier LeagueOwen Gibsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
England's David Beckham to continue playing after World Cup 2010 Report claims David Beckham ready to call time on career after World Cup, but source close to midfielder denies this is case. telegraph.co.uk |
Neville investigated over gesture toward Tevez Manchester United captain Gary Neville is being investigated by England's Football Association over his one-fingered gesture directed at former teammate Carlos Tevez during the Carling Cup loss at Manchester City. cbc.ca |