The businessman at the heart of a proposed takeover of Blackburn admits he will attempt to lure David Beckham back to the Premier League, should he gain control of the club.

Indian tycoon Ahsan Ali Syed is in talks with Blackburn over buying the club out and has reportedly guaranteed team boss Sam Allardyce a £100million transfer kitty if the deal can go ahead before the 1 September transfer deadline.

The talks are exciting times for fans of the club, who have saw Blackburn fade away from the limelight since their sole Premier League title success in 1994-95 under the guidance of Kenny Dalglish and former owner Jack Walker.

Beckham, who has been linked with West Ham in recent weeks, has shown no sign of a desire to return to English football, despite being held in high regard by many bosses in the Premier League.

Although that would not stop potential owner Ali Syed attempting to lure him to Ewood Park if his bid to gain control is accepted, as expected.

He said: “I was 26 when I started following the Premier League. I used to like Blackburn back then and also used to follow Manchester United’s fortunes because of David Beckham,” he explained.

“If my finances allow and his intentions are positive then I would love to take Beckham. If the resources are given to Big Sam, he can do wonders,” he added.

The 36-year-old law graduate would be the youngest club owner in the division and has vowed not to get ahead of himself amid exciting times for Blackburn: “Let’s be positive. Surely the day will come when everybody will smile with some titles,” he added.

Blackburn finished a steady 10th last season and will be looking upwards towards European football, with the Europa League qualification a realistic target if Allardyce gets the promised funds.

Champions Chelsea began their Premier League campaign as they ended it last season by topping the table after the opening weekend of the 2010/11 league season.

With Manchester United not scheduled to open their assault on a record 19th top-tier title until they host Newcastle on Monday night, The Blues were free from pressure to pick up where they left off.

And they did so in style, battering newly-promoted West Brom 6-0, with last season’s top scorer Didier Drogba also picking up where he left off with an emphatic hat-trick.

Frenchman Florent Malouda grabbed a brace while Frank Lampard helped himself to one in a start which will have done little for the Baggies’ confidence in staying up this time around.

Following last season’s 8-0 demolition of Wigan on the final day, Drogba became only the fourth player in Premier League history to net consecutive hat-tricks and The Blues because the first team in 101 years to register a goal difference of +14 over two top-flight games.

Elsewhere, fellow newcomers Blackpool created the weekend’s biggest shock as they thumped woeful Wigan 4-0 at the DW Stadium on their Premier League debut.

The Tangerines were three goals to the good by the break, with Marlon Harewood grabbing a brace after setting up Gary-Fletcher Taylor for the opener.

Latics keeper Chris Kirkland had a nightmare start to the campaign, arguably at fault for two of the first three goals and certainly at fault for Blackpool’s fourth as Alex Baptiste’s weak cross somehow evaded him at his near post.

Incredibly, the result from the 3pm kick-off meant Blackpool topped the table briefly before Chelsea overtook them that evening.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa showed there is life after Martin O’Neill as they strolled to a 3-0 win over West Ham at Villa Park. Stewart Downing and Stilian Petrov provided Villa a comfortable half-time lead before want-away midfielder James Milner added a third in the second half.

Earlier on Saturday, Tottenham and Man City played out an entertaining 0-0 draw at White Hart Lane, with keeper Joe Hart putting in a man-of-the-match display after being chosen to play ahead of Shay Given.

At Ewood Park, an uncharacteristic howler from Tim Howard helped Blackburn earn a 1-0 win over Everton with Nikola Kalinic taking full advantage to score the only goal of the game.

Elsewhere, Sunderland let a two-goal lead slip at home to Birmingham who had defenders Liam Ridgewell and Scott Dann to thank for earning a point with late strikes at the Stadium of Light.

Wolves continued their progress from last season with a creditable 2-1 win over Stoke City, who had new record signing Kenwyne Jones stretchered off. Most opening weekends tend to produce a candidate for goal of the season and David Jones’ provided it with his retro donkey kick free-kick in the first half.

Steven Fletcher marked his debut with a goal before Abdoulaye Faye pulled one back for the Potters late on.

Perhaps the biggest game of the weekend took place on Sunday as Arsenal travelled to Anfield to take on Roy Hodgson’s new look Liverpool side.

Joe Cole’s Premier League debt turned sour just before half-time as he hacked down new Gunners defender Laurent Koscielny and saw red. The ten men of Liverpool came out and produced a battling second-half show, taking the lead early on though David Ngog.

The home side were cruelly denied a deserved three points, however, as Pepe Reina spilled into his own net after failing to react to a rebound off the post. Reina had earlier denied Thomas Rosicky with a world-class save, but ended up the villain of the piece as Arsenal secured a valuable point.

Manchester United got their Premier League campaign up and running with ease with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Newcastle at Old Trafford on Monday night.

Veteran Paul Scholes was inspirational, playing a key role in the Man Utd’s dominance from start to finish. Dimitar Berbatov grabbed the opener on 33 minutes, settling the nerves after an uncertain opening from the hosts.

The breakthrough allowed The Red Devils to relax before Daniel Fletcher added to their lead shortly before half-time. Alex Ferguson’s men continued to dominate after the break, but had to wait until five minutes from time before their third goal.

The wait was worthwhile, though, as two veterans combined in Scholes and Ryan Giggs, the latter of which volleying in from a difficult angle. The win ensured Man United lie fourth in the Premier League table after the opening weekend.

Just ten minutes into the game and Newcastle could have and should have taken a shock lead. The Toon earned a corner which Joey Barton delivered right onto the head of the unmarked Andy Carroll who could only steer wide.

United regained their composure but struggled to created a clear-cut chance amid a series of offsides. Newcastle remained a threat at the other end and Carroll tested Edwin Van Der Sar with a snapshot on 18 minutes.

Rooney tried his luck from distance soon after, but a deflection took the sting out of his shot making Steve Harper’s task all the more easier in the Newcastle goal.

James Perch, a summer signing from Nottingham Forest, was the first player in the book on 21 minutes as he tripped up Nani, who was aiming to burst through on goal. From the resulting free-kick, Rooney blasted into the wall.

United began to up the pace of their game around the half hour mark and Rooney perhaps should have done better with a left-foot half-volley after Dimitar Berbatov teed up the England striker with a cushioned header.

Rooney’s effort sailed over the bar and moments later Paul Scholes played a delightful through ball but Rooney lost possession when trying to cut inside onto his left foot.

However, the home side didn’t have long to wait for their inevitable opener. Scholes was the provider as he slipped an angled through ball towards Berbatov. Toon defender Jose Enrique got a toe on the pass but inadvertently teed up the Bulgarian, who buried the ball low into the bottom left corner.

United has a 33rd minute lead, but switched off in the aftermath of the goal with Carroll dispossessing John O’Shea on the flank, only to scuff his cross with two teammates eagerly waiting.

Seven minutes before the break, Joey Barton, sporting a moustache he has vowed not to shave until the Magpies earn their first Premier League win of the season, opted to shoot when better placed to cross, much to the annoyance of his team-mates.

United ensured the game was all but won soon after, as Fletcher shot low and hard on the turn after collecting a miss-kick from Rooney. The goal deflated the away side, who at that stage were crying out for the half-time whistle.

Second Half

Both sides upped the physicality of their play early in the second half and both Scholes and Fletcher found themselves in the book within ten minutes of the restart.

Rooney continued to look out of sorts but his strike partner Berbatov was a constant menace and almost grabbed his second when put through one-on-one with Harper.

The Bulgarian kept his composure but Harper was sharp off his line as Berbatov was forced into rushing his shot, consequently slipping the ball wide of the far post.

Rooney’s night came to an end after 63 minutes when he was replaced by Mexican prodigy Javier Hernandez. The youngster was eager to make an impression and looked sharp, narrowly missing out on making it three ten minutes into his Premiership debut after a late flag for offside.

Shola Ameobi’s introduction on 72 minutes injected new life into the Magpies, with Carroll finding a partner alongside him more beneficial, but still they struggled to cope with the dominance of Man Utd.

A masterful second half performance from Scholes allowed United to continue to dominate and it was him who pulled the strings again as he set up a fellow Old Trafford legend – Ryan Giggs.

Giggs, a 71st minute sub for Nani, drifted into the box unnoticed. Unnoticed by all except Scholes, his long-time teammate and lover, who picked him out with a pinpoint pass which the Welshman volleyed across the face of goal and into the far bottom corner.

If anything, the score was generous on Newcastle, who barely strung together a move in the second period. United’s dominance was only lacking in a killer final instinct, of which is unexpected during the first game of the season.

Giggs’ goal in the 85th minute was the final nail in the coffin for the Toon as the home side kept possession from the closing stages for a comfortable three points.

Barcelona and Chelsea have emerged as frontrunners in the race to sign German World Cup star Mesut Ozil.

The 21-year-old Werder Bremen prospect has attracted the interest of Europe’s elite after his string of fine displays at this summer’s World Cup helped his country to a third place finish.

Ozil has just one year remaining on his contract with Bundesliga giants Bremen but would still command a fee in the region of £13million, such was the impression he made in South Africa.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were expected to battle it out for Ozil’s signature, but they have been ousted to the back of the queue by the Premier League and La Liga champions.

London is believed to be the playmaker’s preferred destination with compatriot Michael Ballack’s distinguished career at Stamford Bridge providing inspiration for Ozil.

“To the top players the Premier League is attractive,” the midfielder admitted when questioned on his future at the Weserstadion.

“You look at what Manchester United and Chelsea have achieved over the last five years and you see it would be easy to be successful at two clubs like that.

“I see what Michael Ballack achieved at Chelsea and the quality of players he played with and the temptation becomes obvious.

“Trophies are what matters to me. There are two teams in England always at the top and of course that’s attractive. But the same is true for La Liga. They’re the strongest leagues in the world.”

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson travelled to Craven Cottage at the weekend to get a closer look at the former Schalke man, who made a whopping 33 assists for club and country last year.

The Germans slumped to a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Mark Hughes’ Fulham side, with Ozil failing to overly impress amid torrential London rain.

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is keeping his cards close to his chest as his side prepare for a struggle against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford.

If United get knocked out by Munich then many will say it will be the end of United’s season after they lost to Chelsea at home last weekend. That could prompt demands from the fans for the club to release funds to buy better players.

However, Ferguson is one of the most gifted and experienced managers of his generation and he will know exactly how to handle his players in the run up to this game. He will also know exactly the sort of players, which will ultimately help improve his team.

He said: “We have made some good progress with the lad and the medical team have done fantastically, but I am not prepared to take the risk if he is not 100 per cent fit. We are looking more at the Manchester City game [on Saturday week], or maybe Blackburn as a sub possibly.”

“No wholesale buying is needed here as we have a very good squad that just needs tweaking here and there. Looking at potential squad additions is an ongoing process — it’s not just confined to a certain time of year — although we obviously don’t reveal our plans. We have some ideas at the moment, but not many players will be joining the club. But in any case, I think the transfer market prices have been terribly inflated over the last year.”

“Old Trafford has that suction behind the goal. In the Stretford End in the second half, the ball gets sucked into the goal. It’s amazing. The fans sometimes make it happen. Those last-minute goals, there are too many to count, but it’s not by accident. It’s the way we play.”

“The players aren’t used to losing so you hope it registers. The black and white of Saturday is that Chelsea now have a better chance of winning the league. We didn’t start well and they kept possession well, but we showed character in the second half, so that shows we have a bit more in our locker.”

Munich will go to Old Trafford with a much fitter and better squad than in the first leg in Germany. United’s problem was they did not make the most of the ball when they had it and they will need to retain it in the same way that Barcelona do or Chelsea did last weekend.

This will allow them to slowly build up the pressure on the Bayern goal and sooner or later the chances will start peppering the Bayern goal and they will have to play very well to keep a clean sheet.

United have to score the first goal of the game. If they go behind, it makes their task twice as difficult and it may be one that they find too big to pull back. The team needs players to step up in key areas of the pitch.

Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, is set to play veteran defender, Sol Campbell, in the heart of the defence against Barcelona.

Arsenal are struggling with injuries to key players and this has led to suggestions that Wenger may opt for his most experienced player as the times start to get tough.

It marks a very remarkable season for Campbell that saw him play one game down in League Two for Notts County before getting a move back to the club he made his name at.

However, there are some sections of the football community that have said playing Campbell would be a very bad move because his pace and age makes him no match for the exciting talent that Barcelona have in their team.

Wenger said: “Ideally I wanted Song available, but he is not, so the decision is between Sol Campbell and Silvestre. The disadvantage of Sol is that it is his second game in four days, while the disadvantage with Silvestre and Vermaelen is that it is two left-footed players.”

“I will make the decision, but Sol is experienced enough to tell me if he is fit enough or not. I trust him completely to be responsible. He is not on an ego trip, and does not want to let the team down.”

“At some stage, if he feels fit to play, then I will make the decision about who starts the game. However, we have to focus on the team performance – if we do not win the ball and give Barcelona the ball at the Nou Camp, then no matter who plays centre-back, he will have problems.”

This is a very fair point because in the first leg in North London, Arsenal were able to play with their best centre back, William Gallas, in the side. Even then Barcelona played such great football that it threatened to tear the team apart.

Wenger could help Campbell out, if he plays, by putting one or two holding midfield players in front of the defence. This would take some of the pressure away from the defence.

After all, they will need all the help they can get to keep the likes of Messi and Xavi quiet.

If Campbell plays then he will know exactly how to deal with the situation. The only thing that will stop him from performing is his age and his lack of pace. Everything else will click in a big game as it so often does.

Arsenal need leaders and big players to get through games like this and as Campbell has captained the club in the past, he may well get the nod as opposed to former Manchester United star, Silvestre.

However, whether the side can keep Barcelona quiet for long enough to steal a goal at the other end does not look like a very likely sequence of events.

Manchester United defender, Nemanja Vidic, says the club have what it takes to turn their tie against Bayern Munich on its head.

United are currently trailing 2-1 in the tie and have been rocked by the news that their top scorer and best player, Wayne Rooney, will be out of action for about a month after spraining his ankle in Germany.

However, Vidic says there is a lot more togetherness in the team than many give the side credit for. He believes that ultimately it will be this team spirit, which helps get the side through some tough matches ahead.

He said: “We showed this season, we play as a team. It is not just about one man. Definitely Wayne Rooney has had a great season. He is unbelievable, one of the best in the world. But sometimes big players are missing, and others need to be ready.”

“Dimitar had a great game against Bolton on Saturday. He is a great footballer. He scored twice himself and can set up goals for other players as well. We have a good squad. We just need to believe in ourselves and believe in each other.”

“We had all night to think about what went wrong. It was not a great game for us. We should play better and we will need to play better against Chelsea. Sometimes when you lose a game and play badly you wake up and realise you need to improve.”

“I am not concerned. I was disappointed. But 2-1 is not that bad a result bearing in mind we still have a game at home and I expect us to be stronger.”

The scale of the task immediately in front of United may just be a little too big. It is ridiculous to say that the side can play with the same charisma and influence when Rooney isn’t in the side.

If this was the case, then Rooney would be able to sit on the bench for United a lot more often. This would have meant that he didn’t have to play in Germany and get injured.

They will miss him but the point is whether they can hang on by the skin of their teeth to a point where Chelsea do not sneak ahead of them and Bayern do not nip past them in the Champions League.

England will be happy because it means Rooney will get a nice one month break before the World Cup. This equipped with the fact Chelsea’s England players don’t have to play extra Champions League games could work well for the team.

However, the battle in the mind of many English fans will all be about United and Chelsea this weekend. Whoever wins this game will probably go onto win the title if all the other results go as intended.

Manchester United and England have been left sweating over the fitness of key striker, Wayne Rooney, after the front man got injured against Bayern Munich last night.

Rooney has picked up a knock to his right ankle and it looks set to keep him out of the Premier League clash against Chelsea at the weekend and the return game against Munich next Wednesday.

Rooney scored United’s away goal in Germany but his side later went on to lose 2-1 as Bayern managed to grab the winner with virtually the last kick of the game. The Rooney news just caps off a very bad evening for the United side.

Sir Alex Ferguson said: “Wayne has hurt his ankle, it’s too early to say the condition of it, but we will know tomorrow. I don’t think it is terribly serious. I don’t know. I can’t answer that [whether he’ll play against Chelsea].”

Munich’s coach added: “I don’t know if he is injured or how serious it is, but Rooney is United’s most important player. Look at the statistics. He has 34 goals this season. Then they have [Dimitar] Berbatov with 12 and then 11 own goals as their third top scorer, so that’s how important he is to United.”

If United were going to lose the game then they probably would have asked for a 2-1 loss. They have scored their away goal and they would back themselves to beat Bayern at Old Trafford.

However, United will face a much stronger side in the return game with a number of internationals and gifted players returning to the Munich side. Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose will probably start the game and winger, Arjen Robben, will return.

The bitter pill is Rooney’s injury. United will hope it isn’t a bad one and predictions are that he will only be out for around a week. However, if it is a bad one, they will have to nurse him and he may start thinking about his summer with England.

Rooney is so important and has been the sole reason for much of the team’s recent success. The problem for United is how they are going to adapt their side to make up for the influence, which Rooney has in spades.

It means that Dimitar Berbatov will probably be given the sole responsibility of leading the United attack in at least their next two games. Many would argue that these next two games are the club’s biggest of the season.

It will not fill United fans with confidence as they have said so many times in the recent past that the Bulgarian does not do enough to pull his weight in the side. Rooney brought so much to the team that United will struggle greatly now he is out.

On the other hand there is a big opportunity for someone to come in and do the magic. United need someone to step up and they need that someone to do it right now.

The war of words between Bayern Munich and Manchester United continues to roll on as the pair prepare to meet in the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League.

Bayern coach, Louis van Gaal, says the club are not focusing on Wayne Rooney as the main threat to the current German league leaders. The coach says the United side is fill of other players who can cause problems.

However, the Dutchman has already said that the main focus for his Munich side will be to win their home game and win it well. They will have to get in front if they are going to have any chance of coming through the match at Old Trafford.

He said: “I’m not afraid of anybody. I’m never afraid and never have been. My players are not afraid of anybody either. We respect his [Rooney’s] qualities, but, as a team, we can handle him. We also have qualities. I think Sir Alex [Ferguson, the United manager] and his players are maybe a bit afraid of my players.”

“Rooney is a super-footballer and he isn’t that old. He is now very difficult to keep out of the game, but it is important not to concentrate on one player.”

“I was the one who said to Arjen that it would be better if he wouldn’t start. I protected him, but he and the doctor said that he could play.

Sir Alex Ferguson added: “I don’t pay any attention to that. They have had one or two bad results of late but that doesn’t mean they are a bad team. We are not getting carried away and thinking for a moment this will be an easy game.”

“I think it’s a massive week for us — we have two big games against Bayern and a great game against Chelsea. You have to enjoy it and at the same time know it’s crucial. You hope you don’t make any mistakes and hope they will happen to [your opponents] to win games for you. It’s going to be an exciting week.”

The match is sure to be a tight one but the point is that it could well be Rooney who is the difference in this game. Bayern’s problem seems to be that they are focusing only on their attack and the potency of their two wingers.

This is a bad mistake because if they are naïve enough to think that if their wingers bomb forward all night, they will win the game. United know exactly how to soak up the pressure and then hit teams on the counter attack.

They blew AC Milan away who have a much more experienced and technically gifted side than Bayern Munich. They are also leading the way in the Premier League having suffered all season long through injuries.

It would take a brave man to bet against United in Germany this evening because if Bayern switch off for a second, that’s the away goal in the bank for United.

Manchester United star striker, Wayne Rooney, has revealed the ways he gets rid of built up anger during training sessions and big games.

Rooney will lead the United attack when the side take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League. He seems to have changed a lot as a player from the days when he would race around the pitch constantly.

Rooney has said that his childhood love of boxing and other sports helps him to unwind after a stressful day at work. United will be hoping these new methods will see him translate his form into much needed Champions League goals.

He said: “I used to do boxing and football. I was training every night with one of them and when I got to about 15, Everton said I had to stop boxing if I wanted to carry on playing football.”

“I had a good chance of making the first team, so I stopped. I still love watching boxing. It is a big thing in my family. I can still do a bit now after training, but obviously not fighting. I enjoy it. It is a good way to get rid of some anger.”

Rooney’s manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, added ahead of tonight’s game: “The return of Ferdinand and Vidic to keep our back four solid is significant. Along with Edwin van der Sar there was a time when all those players were injured. It wasn’t easy and we were very fragile.”

“But you can see the solidity now. You can see the experience of these players and it is making a massive difference to the performances of the team. It is a true saying strong at the back, strong as a team. We are looking very strong now.”

“What is the old saying about people in glass houses? When Nemanja Vidic came off at half-time he had a lump on his head the size of an egg, his jaw was swollen and he had a black eye.”

United are very well placed and stand a very good chance of winning more than one trophy by the end of this season. A large part of that is down to Rooney and the club will be hoping his new de-stress techniques work.

Many predicted that the club would fall away after they sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. However, interestingly, Rooney has scored more goals for United this season than Ronaldo has done at his new club.

He is still not close to Ronaldo’s club record of 42 goals in a single season but Rooney must be doing something right. He has take on all of the pressure and responsibility and risen to the challenge perfectly.

If he bags one, two or three in Germany then there will not be many English fans surprised at all. United would do well to put a punch bag somewhere in the dressing room to make sure they get the most from the scouse maestro.