With Cesc Fabregas almost certain to leave Arsenal for Barcelona to replace Xavi, Spaniard Manuel Almunia, has stress the importance of trying to keep him in London.

Almunia gave an interview earlier this week, in which he described the midfield player as the most important player in the Arsenal team. At the same time, the good old Spanish media were pestering Fabregas’ Dad in Spain, who said that his son was open to offers from Spain’s biggest clubs.

Believe who you will but it was a member of the Ronaldo family who first spoke of a desired and almost done deal over a move to Real Madrid. The news just goes to show that when there is reported interest in a player from Spain, it is now probably true as opposed to probably rubbish.

Almunia said, “For the supporters, Cesc is a symbol of the club. For the people, he is the best. I have no doubts that he loves the club and Arsenal in general.”

“If he has to go, he will be very sad. That is if he has to leave — I don’t know anything. I think nobody has any doubt that Cesc gives everything to the game. He makes tackles and fights and this is the only thing that the people can expect from him.”

“Arsenal is a big club and we deserve to be criticised because we have been playing for many years without fighting for the title. The team is growing up and everybody accepts it because we cannot say anything when we don’t play well.”

“Against United we were not on our game at any time. Against Chelsea we played well, I thought, but as soon as we switched off a bit, we lost. There are small points we need to improve, not technically or tactically but personally — little things that we have to show more.”

Barcelona have doubtlessly been keeping tabs on Fabregas ever since he emerged as the next big thing from the ranks of the Arsenal youth team. Xavi and Andres Iniesta pull all of the strings in the Barcelona team but inevitably, one will have to fall to age sooner or later.

Step in Fabregas to fill the gap. Barcelona are not a stupid club and know exactly what they’re doing. Arsenal are not a stupid club and know exactly what Barcelona are doing.

Arsenal fans just need to accept that this is something that is more than likely going to become a certainty in the coming months. The London club just need to make sure they can get something out of the deal, which will help them develop as well.

The Spanish media does not do rumours, so when transfer stories appear or quotes are captured from a player’s relatives, there is going to be some truth somewhere. If Fabregas does go then it will be a huge gain to La Liga and another sign of the Spanish league taking over.

Manchester United are preparing their first attempt to try and sign a player using the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer cash. United are reportedly piecing together a bid for Inter Milan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as they look to bring in a high profile target to replace their former Portuguese play maker.

United have been knocked by a lot of people in the game over the last two weeks or so because of their failure to move in securing the signatures of a lot of influential players who are all moving to Spain. They have just missed out on signing Karim Benzema from Lyon and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich looks set to follow his fellow Frenchman to Real Madrid.

There is no dancing around the fact that United need a big and high calibre striker, as they are short up front. The arrival of Michael Owen at Old Trafford was nothing more than a stop gap move and they were always going to be linked with a big name player sooner or later. United are going to need a big player that has the ability to change a game instantly and someone that can bring other people into a match just by his presence at the top of the pitch.

Whether Ibrahimovic is the right person for United is highly debatable. Sir Alex Ferguson clearly rates the six-foot plus tall Swede but a lot of pundits would call it a bad move as he rarely turns up in a lot of big games. Furthermore he is well liked by Jose Mourinho who will be incredibly reluctant to let the player leave unless it is in a huge deal.

This is a deal that probably wouldn’t justify the player and United could well be better off looking at other options. The English champions still have a lot of time before the next season starts and they should not panic about trying to find a striker to lead their attack in the coming campaign.

It is easy to see why United may be interested in such a player because he does have a lot going for him. He is tall and very quick on his feet for a player of his height. United will need a big target man up front as they will not now be able to play their slick and aggressive passing football as Ronaldo was so integral to the success of this style of play.

Although a lot of people have called Ibrahimovic quite selfish in the past a move to United and England could end up revitalising his career. The player has already hinted that he wants to move away from the Italian game, which apparently does not suit his style of play and is too slow. He would probably be quite grateful for a move to English football and would therefore be a good signing as United are going to need someone who will sweat blood for the side.

The point is however that a lot of people are supposedly telling Sir Alex Ferguson to steer clear of any bid he is considering making for him. He could get a lot more for his money and the Swedish front man has not really done enough to justify such a huge price tag.

In a football world that is becoming increasingly dominated by cash, Inter are clearly trying to make the most out of a bad situation and United need to keep their business heads on otherwise they could well end up being ripped off.

Ferguson will have a long list of targets and he needs to weigh up how important each one is to his United side. It is important to remember that Ferguson will probably now be considering reinventing his side as he lost two very influential players so far this summer in Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

Ferguson has a very good idea of where he wants to take the current side and if Ibrahimovic fits into this philosophy then United will be hard pushed to find someone to match his characteristics. However, they really do need to proceed with caution because the Swede can be very temperamental at times and United will need someone who can raise his level of performance consistently.

Ibrahimovic cannot always do this easily and on a consistent basis and many will say that this, equipped with his slight ego, are the two main reasons why Ferguson should not go any where near the player. It will be interesting to see how the move develops as United could do a lot better.

However, if they do sign one of the top scorers in the Italian leagues then they will have to work very hard in basing the team around him. Ibrahimovic does not strike the ordinary fan as a player that can adapt himself to a team and this will make United’s job a lot harder as they restructure to have another go at European and domestic success.

It is impossible to say at this moment in time whether it would be a gamble that pays off because the move has so many advantages and disadvantages. The money being talked about is a lot of cash in the current climate and United should only spend it if they are absolutely certain that this player is the person to help them move forward.

They may let the move go because the doubts are too big to ignore. Being the top scorer in Italy is totally different to being the top scorer in England where the league is a lot more difficult to play in.

Ibrahimovic is a player that relies on time on the ball and not being pressured in order to make space and bring other players into the side. These are things that he would not get in the Premier League and they are things that mean United may be better off in going for another target. I’m sure with this player that if Real Madrid came in and tried to poach him, United probably wouldn’t be too annoyed.

Is Cesc Fabregas paving the way to say farewell to Arsenal? It might not be before the start of the new season but the writing could well be on the wall unless the Gunners bring in some silverware. Fabregas has opened speculation about his future by making some hard-hitting comments in an interview given to a national newspaper.

He described Arsenal as “impotent” – not the nicest of descriptions – whilst lamenting the club’s lack of trophies. He’s not alone in that. Manager Arsene Wenger has made no bones about the fact that he is bitterly disappointed at not winning a tournament or title and admits he is running out of time to do so. It looks like Fabregas might be going the same way.

The Spaniard has been at Arsenal for six years and has given fantastic service to the club as an outstanding midfielder with skill and flare. He would grace any team, here or abroad. It must be frustrating not to see any tangible rewards in the form of trophies as there has been nothing since 2005.

But is talking about it to the press the right way forward? Fabregas says the absence of titles at Arsenal “angers” him which isn’t exactly the frame of mind you would want one of your stars to be in. He points to Ronaldo as an example of a player leaving a club because there is nothing else to win. His case is exactly the opposite. Fabregas is voicing what fans have been thinking. Winning a trophy or a title would give the club a tremendous boost and vindicate Wenger’s policy of nurturing a young team.

Surely that time is coming soon and there are high hopes for the season ahead. The big question is whether Fabregas will hang around to help. He must be feeling pretty low as he admits that he would even consider going to Real Madrid even though his entire family support their biggest rivals, Barcelona. They would just want him to be happy, he says.

Is all this opening up the door to leaving the Gunners? It certainly looks that way even though Fabregas says he would never use the media to force the club to sell him. His comments might not have been derogatory or totally out of order but he has already laid himself bare. Other clubs will be watching and waiting and reading his comments. No doubt the offers will soon start to come in.

Fabregas insists he would always talk to the manager first, face to face, and it’s likely that he has already had this conversation with Wenger. Has the manager done enough to convince him to stay and challenge for that silverware Arsenal so desperately crave? Let’s just see if Fabregas gives Arsenal one more chance or whether the temptation of a club like Real Madrid proves just too much.

Real Madrid are about to show their ugly face to Manchester United all over again with reports that they are ready to make a bid for Antonio Valencia. United’s move to sign the Wigan Athletic winger was being reported as a done deal in many newspapers but the Spanish club seem set on spoiling Sir Alex Ferguson’s summer.

United were ready to offer over £18 million for the player and were thought to be preparing a team to negotiate personal terms. However, Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, has confirmed that Real have been following Valencia and could still get in on a possible deal.

It would take Madrid’s spending up to the £160 million mark for the services of three players and would infuriate United who have just sold their best player to the club after over a year’s worth of resistance.

Whelan said: “Real Madrid have followed him [Valencia] big style all season, Manchester United have followed him big style and there is another club in Europe who have just come in for him. Real have been in contact with us since they moved for Ronaldo.”

“If you say ‘have we had a bid in black and white?’ then no, we haven’t. But fees have been spoken about. It all rests on this – who does the lad want to go to? United have a meeting with us in the next three or four days, Real Madrid have got a meeting with us in the next three or four days and the other team have also asked for a meeting.”

The news means that Ferguson’s early summer schedule could be torn apart by the club that he once descirbed as a ‘mob’. A lot does depend on what Valencia himself wants to do. He will obviously be attracted by the fame and wealth that a move to Madrid would bring but after the reports of his personal problems settling down in England, he could be unwilling to want to move again.

Wigan is geographically relatively close to Manchester and this could be the biggest factor that United have in their favour. However, it will annoy them that a transfer they had been preparing for intensely since the start of the year now looks threatened to fall apart at the very last hurdle. If Madrid say they will pay more than anything that United offer then it could be a nice long Spanish holiday for Wigan’s best player.

United should be able to have the first meeting unless this ‘other club’ is another English side. This would allow them to thrash down their terms and opinions on the deal and get their foot in the door first, preventing any moves from Madrid to be likely to happen. United can also put on the face of offering the player the closest to what he is personally likely to want; a first team spot and being a club in a country where he has already settled down. The summer transfer sagas continue and United should make sure that they don’t miss out again.

Manchester United are targeting their next teenage sensation after it has emerged that the club have declared an interest in Brazilian wonder kid, Douglas Costa. United are thought to have been keeping an eye on the 18 year old play maker for the last two seasons and with the influx of Ronaldo sale cash soon to arrive they could make his move to Old Trafford a reality.

Costa can play in a variety of positions and is being tipped as one of the best young football talents to emerge in recent times. However, it is unknown how willing his current side, Gremio, will be in letting United negotiate, as they may not want him taken away and plunged into the culture of another country at such a young age.

The player’s agent said: “They (Manchester United) have identified four or five possible replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo in the world, and Douglas is one of them. We have been contacted by several clubs some time ago, including Manchester (United), but by South American ones as well.”

The point is that it could be these South American clubs that appear a better proposition for the player. Although playing at United would allow Costa to develop his career and experience life in one of the best leagues in the world, he is still a very young man and may not want to move so far away from life, his family and everything that he has grown up knowing.

It appears that if Costa does decide to join United then he would join Wigan’s Antonio Valencia as becoming the second United signing of the summer. Sir Alex Ferguson will be blanket searching for talent that he would not have otherwise been able to because the amount of money the club is getting from Real Madrid is so huge.

Ferguson also has to be trusted to get things right. If he takes a gamble on Costa then many people will compare it to the gamble that he took on Ronaldo when he was an 18-year-old winger playing at Sporting Lisbon. For Costa to take the same strides and even become as influential as Ronaldo was would carry with it a large part of luck.

The formula is a good one, which is why going for such players makes sense. It may be frowned upon in certain sections of the football world e.g. poaching up a player and whisking him away to another country at such a young age. The biggest clubs in the world have to invest in youth in order to get the best players for the next generation, Costa is clearly viewed as one of these and if United can snap him up for a good fee then it will be seen as good business.

Sir Alex Ferguson knows what he is doing and he has done all of this before. He will not take such a gamble on a player unless he thinks it is worth it and the fact that United have been tracking the young man for such a long period of time suggests that they clearly see enough in him to bring him into the English game.

Manchester United fans are bringing their team’s Gladiator spirit to Rome but will they return victorious or defeated?

That’s the question on everyone’s lips as the Red Devils prepare for their historic showdown against Barcelona in the Stadio Olimpico.

One way or the other, history will be made.Barcelona have already won the Primera Liga title and the Copa del Rey trophy this season and are looking to do the treble. If they succeed, they will lift the cup for the third time in the new history of the Champions League tournament, first scooping the title in 1992.

If Manchester United win, they will become the first team in modern history to retain the trophy two years in a row. No other side has done this since the Champions League was rebranded 17 years ago and it would be another major milestone for Sir Alex Ferguson.

With the police taking a tough stance against any possible crowd trouble and the Mayor banning the sale of alcohol for two days, both sides are showing plenty of respect for each other. And why not indeed. Barcelona have had a fantastic season and have incredible players. Manchester United are on the top of their game and can match the Barcelona squad player for player.




All eyes will be on the key men. Ronaldo and Rooney for Manchester United are more than capable of putting goals away if allowed to break free and fans are predicting a score line of 2-1 or 3-2. Football pundits are not so sure. They believe Manchester United might just have the edge over Barcelona and could nick the title by a single goal, whether in normal time or after an extra 60 minutes.

Messi, Eto, Iniesta and Thierry Henry for Barcelona are a class act and will not be under-estimated by Fergie who is, after all, a master technician. Will they sit back and soak up the pressure or go for it from the start?

Ronaldo at least will have the stage he has been longing for and has the chance to show what a world-class player he is. He appears to have survived a last-minute injury scare after hurting his ankle during training the night before the match but is tipped to make the line-up. Ferdinand, O’Shea and Ji-Sung are also fit again.

Barcelona are indeed a great team and have everything to play for but Manchester United are in such form and have such fighting spirit that they might just win the clash.Barcelona players have been urged to “dare to dream” by their coach but it’s on the pitch that they will need to turn on the style.

On paper, this match has the makings of a great classic and let’s hope it lives up to its billing.

Alcohol is not going to be top of the agenda when Manchester United meet Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome.

How refreshing. Perhaps football will take centre-stage rather than how many pints fans can get down their neck before kick-off.

Most people like a drink or two as part of their entertainment but alcohol has played too great a part in crowd trouble over the years and it would be a shame to spoil a potentially fantastic match.

Full marks therefore to the Mayor of Rome who has slapped a ban on the sale of alcohol from 11am on May 26 to 6am on May 28.

No doubt there will be some bottles getting through but Manchester United fans won’t want to tangle with the Spanish police whose numbers have been substantially swelled for the occasion.

More than 67,000 fans are expected in Rome to watch a match being billed as the decider between the best two teams in the world. Barcelona have already done the double this season and Manchester United are riding high after clinching their 11th Premiership title.



Fans are convinced the Red Devils can retain the Champions League cup won in Moscow last year. They believe the team is better than last year and are relying on either Rooney or Ronaldo to slot home a goal or two.

There’s certainly been cheering news on the fitness front. After facing what he described as the toughest fitness battle of his career, it looks as though Rio Ferdinand has recovered from a calf injury. It has ruled him out for the last three weeks, including the final match against Hull, but he has been out training with the squad and Sir Alex Ferguson is confident he will play.

Likewise, Wes Brown and Rafael, both of whom picked up an injury during the end of season match, have recovered and will be available for selection. For Barcelona, Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta also appear to have conquered their fitness problems.

On paper, it should be a great match. Whatever the line-up, there will be 22 fantastic players on the pitch, both advocating attacking play. Will Barcelona’s defence prove the weak point? It remains to be seen but extra time and a penalty decider might well be the only way to split the sides.

The atmosphere in the stadium promises to be electric so Swiss referee Massimo Busacca will need to make his mark early on. He was the man in charge when Barcelona met Manchester United at the Nou Camp in the semi-final last season and also officiated at the 2007 UEFA Cup final.

Hopefully, there will be as much order on the pitch as off it and whatever the result, fans on both sides will remember a great day and a great battle for all the right reasons.