Chelsea will hold crisis talks with their captain, John Terry, later today as the England centre back returns for pre-season training amidst a storm that is currently surrounding his future. Chelsea have already rejected two bids from Manchester City that have been aimed at poaching the Chelsea legend away from Stamford Bridge.

Terry has not yet had a chance to talk to his club and it appears that Carlo Ancelotti is wasting no time in talking to one of his most influential players. The reason that Terry has not yet said any thing is quite simple, he has been on holiday while most of this drama has been developing.

Chelsea fans will be hoping that it is the case that he simply walks into the manager’s office, sits down and states his intention that he has no desire to leave the club at all. If there are any doubts what so ever about his future at the club then Chelsea could well be swayed by a third Manchester City bid, which is currently being prepared.

This bid could be well over the £40 million mark and could see Terry earn wages that get close to the highest paid player in the Premier League, Robinho. However, you would question why he would want to move at all. Chelsea have a much better chance of immediate success than City do and Terry has come through the ranks of the club to lead the first team.

In effect, he is the main man at Chelsea and this is something that he may not have the luxury of should he choose to move up north. Many would question his ambition and temperament if he made the move as it would defy all football logic. It would also lead to a lot of fans branding him as nothing more than a mercenary and he would lose a lot of the respect that he currently has from fellow playing and coaching staff.

He will be encouraged by the fact that the club clearly want him to stay and the fact that they are wasting no time at all in holding talks with him. No sooner has he walked back through the door to start pre-season preparations and he is straight into the office to talk to the manager.

This prevents Terry from thinking that he is considered nothing more than a financial asset at the club and it could be a move that strengthens his desire to stay at Stamford Bridge. Had the club left the issue and waited for City’s third bid to come in the Terry would not be blamed for thinking that the club did not have his best interests at heart and he may well have walked through the exit door and got on the M1 to go up north.

A lot of players when they have left a club that they clearly admire and love have said that the thing, which pushed them out of the door, was that club’s reluctance to show any desire in making them stay. In a world that is dominated so much by huge sums of money it can e very easy for club’s to lose sight of the most important thing in their players and fans.

It is highly unlikely that Terry will be leaving Chelsea and it will take a very special deal from City for it to happen. It would have to be a deal that defies normal and logical thinking in the respect that it would allow Chelsea to move forward in maybe three or four areas.

The point is that should Terry stay and ultimately when he is asked questions in public about the whole affair, he will probably say that the main reason he stayed at the club was the fact that the manager wasted no time at all in showing his desire that he wanted him to remain as Chelsea captain. The club are clearly going to show him some loyalty and they clearly want him to stay put and for a non-egotistical man such as Terry this may well be enough.

It is a weird scenario because it is all of these values, which will be the main reasons that Mark Hughes wants Terry to join City. Many people will not look too far into the links but it is obvious that Terry would be the ideal sort of player to lead the City revolution. Someone that clearly has no ego and someone that would clearly give every thing for the club he is paid to play for.

This is why City are preparing a third bid for the England skipper, and would probably prepare another two or three after this if that’s what it would take to get him to make the move. Obviously City are better positioned than anyone else to be able to offer Terry a highly lucrative contract that would give him more money than he has ever earned before but the point is that there is clear logic behind their bids.

It is different from last January when they tried to sign Kaka from AC Milan because on that occasion it was probably more a case of, we will have a go and see if we can sign him. On this occasion it is a case of, this is the man that would be the ideal person to front our club over the next three to four years.

It would be a signing that would virtually see Manchester City set down the home straight. They would have a player around whom they could base the entire vision of the club and this is why Terry is so important to them. However, the discussion in the manager’s office today is likely to be the deciding one and it is likely that it will be a discussion that sees Terry state his desire to remain at the club, which he defines.

If he stays then it will be very much business as well expected but if he chooses to go then the party poppers will be going off all over the blue half of Manchester as many will quite obviously not be able to believe their luck. Realistically Terry will stay at Chelsea but the whole issue proves the growing strength that City are slowly obtaining.

Cristiano Ronaldo. Don’t you just love him! If ever there was a player full of self-belief and ego, it’s him. Ronaldo has defended the cost of his world record-breaking transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid, saying “great players cost a lot.”

The Portugal star’s 80 million pound switch to Real has made him the world’s most expensive footballer and Ronaldo is revelling in the limelight. The incredible transfer has opened up debate about the ridiculous amounts of money being spent on players, with even Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton describing Ronaldo’s price tag as vulgar.

But Ronaldo has told the world press that he considers it a fair figure and believes he is worth every penny. “If Manchester United and Real Madrid agree this amount, there is nothing more to say,” is his stance on the matter. “The great players cost a lot of money. I’m happy to be the most expensive player in the world. I respect everyone’s opinions but I don’t agree with them. If Real Madrid have paid so much money, it is because they wanted me and have considered it a fair price. I’m going to do everything in my hands to play very well.”

Ronaldo is being unveiled to Real Madrid fans on July 6 who will show that they too believe in the investment. Around 50,000 fans were present at the Bernabeu to welcome Kaka and who would bet against that figure being nearly double for Ronaldo. And, talking about bets, put your money on Ronaldo being Real Madrid’s true hero for the season ahead. He might be able to talk to the talk and look the part but at least he can back it all up with tremendous skill on the pitch. He’s going to score some vital goals. We might raise our eyebrows at his ego but Ronaldo will make sure he has the last laugh.

If anyone had any doubt what the signing of Kaka by Real Madrid means to the fans, his official welcome would have proved the point. The Brazilian star was expected to be welcomed by around 30,000 supporters at the famous Bernabeu.

In the event, some 50,000 jubilant fans packed into the stadium and gathered outside, regardless of whether they could see the official proceedings or not. All they wanted to say was that they had been there. The ceremony itself was even more elaborate than the signing in of the President of the United States.

There were fanfares and opera, huge screens and massive pictures of stars like Zidane and Raul to demonstrate just some of Real Madrid’s other conquests. Silver trophies gleamed in the sun and no-one was left in any doubt that Real mean business this season.
They are gunning for Barcelona and the Primera Liga title.

Kaka has signed a six year deal with Real for a reputed 56 million pounds, a figure which stood at a world record for a few days before being smashed by new team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Money was one of the temptations for Kaka, not necessarily for himself but for AC Milan who may have lost their star player but gained a healthier bank balance in the process. Kaka made it clear that he was well aware of what his sale would mean to the club in this economic crisis.

Crisis? What crisis, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez would be asking. Having signed both Kaka and Ronaldo, he apparently still has money in the pot and is gunning for some more star names.

Perez, who has pledged to build a great team, was in his element as Kaka was brought on to the stage and officially welcomed. The South American was gracious in his arrival, thanking everyone involved and pledging his loyalty to the club. “Thank you very much. It is a special day for me,” he told the fans. “I am very happy about this new era at Real Madrid and I want to add my name to its history.”

Kaka was presented with his new kit which had one omission – its number though, by all accounts, he is to be handed No 8. So what do we have in store for Ronaldo’s official reception? As the transfer fees get bigger, so do the ceremonies. Let’s see how the Bernabeu tops this one.

So, Sam Allardyce is trying to attract Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy back to the Premiership, is he? As Big Sam says, it really would be a coup but is it just a dream or could it really become reality?

Blackburn Rover fans have had a mixed reaction to the news. Many have total faith in their manager who, after all, has managed to attract big players to his clubs before. Rivaldo, Campo, Okocha and, of course, Niocolas Anelka to name but a few. Others believe it is either a bridge just too far or that Nistelrooy will opt to stay with Real Madrid for a final year and then go back to PSV as all his family still live in Holland. So, let’s just look at the facts. Yes, Allardyce has the pedigree to snap up star players, even if Nistelrooy, at 33, is coming to the end of his playing career. Yes, he needs a replacement following the departure of Roque Santa Cruz to Manchester City. And, yes, Ruud van Nistelrooy would be quite a bargain as Real Madrid are rumoured to want just 1.5 million pounds for him.

One of the big stumbling blocks could be wages as Big Sam himself admits that Blackburn could in no way match his Real Madrid salary. Would money be the main motivation for Nistelrooy to come back to the Premiership or would scoring goals again be his reward?

Spurs are also said to be in the running to sign the striker and the London club might well be the favourites in this race. However, the most likely scenario is that Nistelrooy will opt to go back to PSV where he will end his playing career. Although he once famously threatened to quit international football, he still has his sights set on the 2010 World Cup and would love to play in the tournament.

Nistelrooy is still a brilliant player and well capable of slotting home the goals. Pace isn’t particularly important for his game which is centred around position, control and accuracy. Would he get the service he needs at Blackburn? Nistelrooy has also had his fair share of injuries which has to be taken into consideration. However, given no problems, he probably has three years of play in him yet and the price tag of 1.5 million could be considered quite a bargain.

The Dutch striker was a prolific scorer during his five seasons at Manchester United, having been snapped up by Sir Alex Ferguson after he was spotted by his son, Darren. Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in less than 200 matches before moving to Real in 2006. However, he has fallen down the pecking order in recent times and even more so with the recent arrival of the big guns, Kaka and Ronaldo. At least he would spend less time sitting on the bench if he came to Ewood Park.

Nistelrooy is still the second highest goal scorer in Champions League history with 60 goals and was three times the Champions League top scorer, as well as the top scorer in three different European domestic leagues. It’s more likely that his heart will be with PSV, the club he joined at the end of the 1990s from Heerenveen at a then record transfer fee of 6.3 million pounds. You can see why Sam Allardyce would like to sign him but on this occasion, it might be a purchase just out of reach.

The USA were well on the road to their first ever men’s FIFA tournament win today (June 28th) after they took a 2-0 lead over Brazil in the final of the 2009 Confederations Cup at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. However, they made the fatal mistake that most teams do once they get a lead, they simply stopped playing and let the game slip through their fingers as Brazil came back and punished them for it wad walked off the pitch with a 3-2 win after 90 minutes.

Clint Dempsey got the Americans of to a great start as he scored in the 10th minute on their first attack of the game as he bounced a shot past Brazilian keeper Julio Cesar.

Robinho came down left wing in the 13th minute and unleashed low right-footed shot that toward the far low corner, but keeper Tim Howard dove and turned it away with a fine save. Howard also made excellent stops in the 25th and 27th minutes and then Landon Donovan scored his 41st goal for the USA on a lightning-quick counter attack. Donovan slotted home a left footer into the low corner to the left of Cesar after a pass from Charlie Davies and the USA found themselves up 2-0 after just 27 minutes.

Howard made a fine save in the 35th minute and then Luis Fabiano headed over the bar just a few seconds later on the ensuing corner kick. Fabiano then missed a chance to get Brazil on the scoreboard before the half ended as he missed a low cross in injury time.

However Fabiano made amends for it in the first minute of the second half as he drove home a low left footer from edge of the box to make it 2-1. It was obviously the worst thing that could have happened for the Americans and it was a sign of things to come.

Howard made another fine save from a corner in the in 58th min and just a few moments later, Kaka, with a downward header, looked like he had tied the game up, but the ball was pushed out by Howard and off of the crossbar. Television replays couldn’t show if the whole ball definitely crossed the line because of their angles, but it looked like it may have gone in.

Dempsey had a chance to make it 3-1, but his left footer was saved by Cesar in 66th minute. In the 67th, Brazilian manager Dunga made a double substitution as he brought on Elano, and Daniel Alves came on for Andre Santos and Ramires.

That seemed to spark the team and Fabiano beat the offside trap in 70th minute and broke in on Howard, but the keeper came off his line well and made the save.

Brazil finally tied it at 2-2 when Kaka’s close-range shot hit the crossbar and bounced out right to Fabiano, who headed the rebound into the net for his tournament-leading fifth goal in the 74th minute. The inevitable happened just 10 minutes later as Brazilian captain Lucio headed in a corner kick from Elano in the 84th minute for the 3-2 winner and Brazil’s third Confederations Cup title.

The Americans only have themselves to blame as they didn’t continue playing the style that had put them in front 2-0. They failed to attack with any consistency at all in the final 45 minutes and paid the price for it.

In the third-place game, Spain beat hosts South Africa 3-2 in extra time.

Manchester City have signed up Blackburn Rovers striker, Roque Santa Cruz, in an £18 million deal. It was a transfer that was expected to happen last January but with City’s widely reported interest in trying to get Kaka the deal took somewhat of a back seat.

It was in fact Mark Hughes who signed him when he was Blackburn boss a couple of seasons back, snapping him up for a few million pounds from his then club, Bayern Munich. It is a very sensible and shrewd signing on the part of City who are looking to build an impressive squad that can push for a top four place by the end of the season.

Santa Cruz should now become the main man in the City team and should link in well with Brazilian, Robinho, in attack. The Paraguay international has often been noted for his terrific ability to hold the ball up, create space and bring other players into the game and the fee is a relatively small one compared to what City could raise if they were pushed.<

Sam Allardyce at Blackburn will have to work very hard to try and replace him. He has been by far and away the best Rovers player over the last couple of seasons and even managed to finish as one of the club’s top goal scorers, despite having been out for some of last season with a significant injury.

It had been thought that Blackburn were not going to budge from their original asking price of £20 million, even when City made it clear that they only valued the player at £5 million less than this number. Therefore the over all compromise that was reached seems to benefit each side. City have finally got a player that they have been tracking for a long time and Blackburn have got a little bit more money than the player may actually be worth. A good bit of business.

This is unlikely to be the end of the Manchester City spending this summer as they are continuously linked with high profile players on a daily basis. However, the point that Mark Hughes has so often stressed is the fact that the club will not be able to attract these players until they start getting some success on the pitch.

His theory seems to be very good and very smart. So far City are buying up the most under rated players that the Premier League has to offer and they are creating a squad that is full of quality in every position. They may well end up having their best season in the Premier League next year and with the sensible way the business side of the club now appears to be running, it could be the makings of a very bright immediate future.

City have also bought into a player that does not seem to have an ego or a problematic personality that could bring the club down. They are buying frequently and they are buying well. It is actually quite nice to see a club with so much money deploying the advantages in a positive and efficient way.

Lyon have accepted that they are close to defeat in their attempts to try and keep star player, Karim Benzema. The young Frenchman is thought to head a shortlist of attacking players that Sir Alex Ferguson will try to buy to make good the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Manchester United would be a good destination for the young man and it should not unsettle him too much in terms of moving to another country. He would be well positioned to be able to go home frequently and the pace of the Premier League could suit him well as he continues his development as a player.

Lyon had insisted that the player would not be going to another club this summer but the club’s president, Jean-Michel Aulas, has now admitted that £35 million would be a hard fee to turn down. United would probably be happy to pay it as well because it is a lot less than they would have to fork out for Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich.





Aulas said: “Karim has said he wants to stay at Lyon but I think Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka also imagined they would be staying with their clubs. There is a tsunami known as Real Madrid sweeping through football which leads to a reaction from Chelsea, City and tomorrow United.”

“I won’t hide the fact he has been approached by other teams – as a consequence, saying that he is non-transferable is tough.”

Benzema has been far and away the most potent of Lyon’s attacking players over the last two seasons, scoring 54 goals in the process of becoming the most feared player in the top-flight of French football. This has meant that he has attracted a lot of interest but the rumours linking him with United have existed for a lot longer than those associating him with any other clubs.

He would also benefit from the fact that Patrice Evra, his international team mate, already plays at United and could easily help him settle in. He would also be more likely to get a starting place at United as opposed to if he joined a top Spanish side. The thought of Benzema and Rooney side by side, destroying defences is a truly terrifying prospect.




It may also be the case that Ferguson wants to go for a player that mirrors how Ronaldo was when he first went to United. Although Benzema would arrive with a higher profile and the statistics to back him up, he would be similar to the Portuguese winger in the respect that he still has the naivety of youth. This could allow the United boss to mould him into a truly terrifying player that could benefit United in a number of other areas.

Lyon now seem resigned to the fact that they will have to sell the player as soon as United come in with a big bid. Benzema would be well advised to ignore the lucrative rival offers that are likely to come his way and think about what would be best for him personally and his career in the game.