Wigan Athletic

Fabio Capello isn't afraid to make controversial decisions.

When Capello decided to recall Emile Heskey into the England squad, the decision raised a few eyebrows.

Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent, and Peter Crouch weren't too impressed with the Italian but Don Fabio kept faith in the bulky ex-Liverpool striker.

Capello suggested, "He has quality and can use his physique to full effect."

Heskey played for England at World Cup 2002 in South Korea and Japan but fell out of England's ranks with Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren, only to be called up by the former Real Madrid manager.

During that period, Heskey left Liverpool for Birmingham, when relegated he opted for Wigan Athletic and the Latics have managed to hold on to the stocky forward despite interest from the likes of Hull City, Stoke, and Portsmouth in August.

Amr Zaki's dominance at the JJB Stadium has overshadowed Emile Heskey's presence but the Englishman is pleased with his performances this season.

Heskey has already scored (against Hull) in his five appearances for the Latics this season.

Flying high, Heskey has been speaking of a possible return to a bigger club.

"Everyone wants to play in Europe at the highest level. A return to Liverpool would be lovely for me, at this point."

Wigan manager Steve Bruce isn't too impressed with Heskey's perspective.

"If he goes to Liverpool or wherever, is he going to play week-in, week-out?

"The big thing Emile will have on his mind is to be in condition in 18 months to go to the World Cup. Why not stay here and do that?"

Is Emile Heskey passed his peak?

Wigan Athletic have signed Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson, the Latics said on Tuesday.

Kingson was lured to JJB by manager Steve Bruce, who worked with the 30-year old at Birmingham City last season.

"He's a really decent keeper. You don't play nearly 60 times for one of the top 20 nations in the world without having something about you," Bruce told The Independence.

"I think he'll add to the competition here."

Kingson will compete with Chris Kirkland and Mike Pollitt for a first-team spot.

Attributes

- An excellent "to the ground" keeper.

- In the 2008 African Nations Cup, he saved Ghana from suffering an embarrassing home soil loss to Cameroon, despite being defeated by a lone goal.

- Not exclusively efficient with high balls.

- Tends to lack a certain amount of firepower at times.

- One of the best African goalkeepers, after El-Hadary, at handling one-on-one situations.

Kingson Higlights

He starred as an international for the Ghanaian national team in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and more vividly in the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana. He received second team honors behind Essam El-Hadary of Egypt.

Playing most of his career in Turkey, he has not been able to make a name for himself. Even with Birmingham City, the rock-solid goalkeeper failed to cherish the opportunity. With Wigan, the 30-year-old humble keeper can revive his chances of succeeding.

Will Amr Zaki and Kingson become the most successful pair of Africans to take the Premier League by storm? Only Steve Bruce has the answer.

The summer was riddled with big money signings and sagas. From Robbie Keane's £20m move to Liverpool, to Robinho's record breaking £32.5m move to Manchester City, almost every club involved in some big spending on fresh faces.

But, amidst the trade of the rich and famous, Steve Bruce brought in a little known Egyptian striker on loan.

Amr Zaki is his name, and he has made a fantastic start to his Wigan, and Premier League career. He has had a bigger impact than all of the aforementioned players, and currently stands joint top of the Premier League's top scorers list.

No doubt Steve Bruce is already planning a bid to secure his services permanently. However, if Zaki continues this form, he may face stiff competition from a few of the bigger teams.

After scoring two goals in his two preseason games, he has continued his goalscoring form, bagging four goals in his four games this season—including one on his debut and a brace against Hull City.

He has already, somewhat prematurely, been touted as a surprise contender for the Golden Boot award. To do that he will inevitably have to fight off the likes of Fernando Torres, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Didier Drogba.

If he manages that, however, you can be sure that a big money move to one of the "Big Four" would soon follow.

In his trophy cabinet, Zaki already has two Egyptian Soccer Cups to his name, and two African Cup of Nations winner's medals.

For value for money, there can be no doubt that Zaki has been the best signing of the summer so far, as Steve Bruce didn't spend a penny bringing him to the JJB Stadium.

There can even be a case for him being the signing of the summer, not just best value for money. It's early days yet, but Zaki has made a great start to his Wigan career, and will be looking forward to continuing it.

So what do you think? Is Amr Zaki the best signing of the summer so far? If not, then who is?

Every season, it seems like there is one newly-promoted team that makes a solid case for staying afloat right from the first match.

In 2005, it was Wigan keeping Chelsea at bay until the 92nd minute of their opener, and then going to second in the table by November.

Reading won their first match in spectacular fashion during the 2006-2007 season, coming from two goals down to beat Middlesbrough. The Royals also held Manchester United and Chelsea to draws, making many believe in their chance for survival.

Sunderland opened their 2007-2008 campaign with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Though they didn't secure survival until late April, the early season result made them seem a favorite to survive.

This year, Hull City AFC got off to the torrid start. Well, torrid by newly promoted Championship club standards. Hull currently sits with four points from three games, a very respectable haul. It's currently good enough for 12th place in the English Premier League, six spots above the relegation zone.

Hull started the season with a 2-1 home win against Fulham. Next week, they went on the road to Ewood Park and took home a 1-1 draw against Blackburn. There has also been a 2-1 victory in the Carling Cup against Swansea.

So with those results, there isn't any cause for concern, right?

Wrong.

Wigan absolutely thumped Hull over the weekend, recording a 5-0 win. To make it worse, Wigan manager Steve Bruce was quoted as saying, "That's probably the worst we've played this season." So if Wigan was clicking on all cylinders, they might have pushed across seven or eight goals, which would not have been pretty for Hull. Not least of all because they were at home.

So what happened?

Basically, everything that could have gone wrong for Hull went wrong. They started ten players who played in the Championship last season. George Boateng and Marlon king were absent through injury and 'loan-tie', respectively. Hull out-shot and out-possessed Wigan, yet had nothing to show for it. And then there was the defending.

Wigan's first goal came via a huge mental mistake by Hull defender Sam Ricketts. He left the post on a corner kick, opening up space for Wigan to score. There's no excuse for that. Players learn how to defend corners at a very early age. A mistake like this should be as rare as a botched throw-in at this level of football.

The goalkeeping was sub-par as well. According the match report on ESPNsoccernet, Wigan only managed four official shots on goal. Where was the keeper during all of this?

That said, things could potentially be looking up yet again for Hull. They just completed the signing of former Rangers striker Daniel Cousin. He has had experience in the French top flight as well, and arrives in Yorkshire fresh from scoring in the Old Firm match.

Will adding another piece with top flight experience be enough for Hull, or were the first two results of the season a fluke?

I think it might just be enough to keep them in the Premier League for one more season. This is not by virtue of the talent at their club, it's because of a lack of talent in so many other places. Their only win of the season was against Fulham, a team who had to pull off a miraculous escape at the end of last season to survive. They then drew with Blackburn, who isn't top of the table material, either.

But...Fulham is defintely weak enough to make the drop. So is Bolton, Stoke and West Brom. Sunderland is also not a solidly mid-table Premier League team yet either, so they can't be considered safe. There is not room for all of these teams to make the drop, so Hull may be able to do just enough to survive.

Like the famous joke goes, if you're in the water with a shark, you don't have to out-swim the shark. You just have to swim faster than Fulham.

I've given my thoughts on Hull. Let's hear some of your predictions.

Arriving from the largest league and footballing center in the Middle East and Africa and landing in the most notorious footballing nation, Amr Zaki seems to shove the pressure off his shoulders every time he sets foot on the ball.

The Egyptian born striker netted a total of six times since he joined Wigan Athletic on a one-year loan from Egyptian club Zamalek SC. In his frist two preseason games against  Sheffield United and Hibernian F.C, Zaki scored the winning goals for the Latics in addition to dashing out a couple of assists.

However, all Latics' fans started to worry that a striker newly inserted into the grinding atmosphere of the Premier League might fall into that unliked category of "The Busts".

On the opening day of the Premier league against West Ham United, fans had the opportunity to observe Zaki's every move on the field; recieving the ball, running the width of the field, passing, and most vitally scoring. Indeed, they saw Zaki slap the ball in the right hand corner of West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green to score their only goal of the game.

Things started to get bright for the 25-year-old striker.

Zaki also scored in the Carling cup against Notts County and threw out an honorary assist to Henry Camara of Senegal.

Another difficult quest awaited Zaki though: Facing Chelsea F.C on his second ever appearance in the best league in the world. And boy did he prosper. His shot power proved to be a potent asset in this game, as he tested Peter Cech on numerous occasions, but was unsuccessful in finishing it off for the Latics.

Despite Deco's winning goal for the Blues, Zaki received Man of the Match praises.

In his third appearance against the surprising Hull City, he raised his tally to three goals in the Premiership, topping the goal scorers chart. Zaki became the first ever Egyptian to temporarily hold the top goal scorer position in the EPL. Wigan trounced Hull City 5-0.

It's not a customary proceeding to witness a player hailing from a virtually unknown league to Europe to the most wide spectacle in the world and immediately shine. Zaki will prove to be a great prospect in the Premiership.

Bruce said, "Zaki is doing what we thought he could do and all those trips to Cairo have proved worthwhile."

Steve Bruce, I commend you on your superb scouting ability.

Recently, Andrew McNair from the B/R wrote an article called "Is Dean Ashton The Man For England?" (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/47940) With performances like the one he put on against Wigan last night, Ashton, very well could be the man for England.

After scoring six goals in West Ham's five preseason games, the 24-year old striker hoped to continue his hot streak.

The Hammers hosted Wigan yesterday in their first game of the 2008/2009 season.  West Ham opened up the game on the attack. Within four minutes of the game, Julien Faubert passed the ball to Ashton who proceeded to shoot into the top-right corner of the net from 12m away. The score was Wigan 0, West Ham 1. 

The day looked to go all wrong for Wigan, but they managed to put up a tough fight.  Wigan stretched the Hammers defense with crosses into the box, but each time, they managed to clear the ball. 

West Ham was then once again on the attack. After Wigan gave up a corner to West Ham, Ashton had the chance to score again. Faubert once again had a key part in the goal as he fed Ashton a corner and Ashton didn't mess up as he easily flicked the ball over the Wigan goalkeeper.

For the entire first half, West Ham looked to be in control of the game. In the 15th minute, West Ham almost made the score 3-0 when Faubert kicked another corner into the box. However, Cole's header was tipped over the net by the Wigan goalkeeper, Kirkland.

Wigan had several chances to get a score in during the first half, but they blew each chance they got.  The game went into the half 2-0, West Ham's lead.

Wigan came out of the break wanting to score a goal; and two minutes into the second half, Wigan was put onto the scoreboard. Zaki was able to volley a shot into the net from Heskey's header. The score was now West Ham 2, and Wigan 1. 

Ashton's day could've been perfect, but after taking a free kick in the 72nd minute, he had to be taken off the field because of injury. Parker was also taken off the field.  Mullins and Sears went on in their places. Both teams went on the attack during the last moments of the games.

However, neither team  managed to convert their chance. Eventually, the Hammers held on to the lead and won the match, 2-1.

With performances like yesterday, Dean Ashton could be set to prove that he should have a place on the England squad; especially since Fabio Capello was in the stands watching.  I'm sure after he recovers from his injury, that he'll score goals and allow West Ham to do well in the Premier League. 

What do you think?

Does Dean Ashton have a spot on the England squad?

Will he put on performances in the future like he did today?

Location: Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ
Date: Wed, Aug 20 2008
Time: 8:00 PM
Prediction: I look for low scoring tie, 0-0 or 1-1.

Colombia and Ecuador have announced that they will play an exhibition game on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at Giants Stadium at 8:00 p.m., ET. The match will help both teams prepare for the next round of World Cup qualifying games in September.

It is unusual that these two teams have scheduled this friendly as they met only a couple of weeks ago in a World Cup qualifying game held in Ecuador where they drew 0-0.

Colombia is led by stars like Aquivaldo Mosquera (Sevilla / Spain), Agustín Julio (Santa Fe/Colombia), Hugo Rodallega (Necaxa/ Mexico), Radamel Falcao (River Plate/ Argentina), and Watson Rentería (Porto/Portugal). In the current South American World Cup qualifying Columbia sits third behind Paraguay and Argentina.

Ecuador is led by stars like Christian Benitez (Santos Laguna/ Mexico), Patricio Urrutia (Liga Universitaria de Quito/Ecuador), Ivan Hurtado (Millonarios/Colombia), Carlos Tenorio (Al-Sadd/Qatar) and Antonio Valencia (Wigan Athletic/England). Ecuador is currently eighth in South American qualifying with five points.

Tickets are available for this game starting as low as $41.

Stadium Information

Parking Advisory
Due to ongoing construction at the Meadowlands, the amount of parking spaces and available lots will be changing periodically throughout the season. As a result of these continuing improvements, traffic patterns and access to certain parking lots will be affected. Please allow extra time for travel and parking. We appreciate your patience as these improvements are made and thank you for helping us make your visit to Red Bulls matches a comfortable, convenient and pleasant one.

Due to construction at Giants Stadium, Parking Lots #3, 4, 7, 8, and parts of 5, 6, 13, and 17 will be closed for the rest of the season. Please use one of the other available lots.

Due to construction, the road that runs along Parking Lot #4 near Gates A & B will be closed after the pedestrian bridge.

The summer transfer window always brings with it the arrival of a few new faces. Some cost millions of pounds; some cost less than a smile.

Either way, all of the players have something in common: they are looking to prove they deserve to play at their new club, in one of the best leagues in the world.

Naturally, every season some players achieve this aim, while others falter. For every Carlos Tevez, there is a Claudio Pizarro. For every Roque Santa Cruz there is a Christian Wilhelmsson. For every…well, you get the idea.

Who then will join the former category this season? In no particular order, here are five of the most likely candidates.

 

     1.  Luka Modric (Tottenham Hotspur, £16.5m)

Forget the popular notion proclaiming that Andrei Arshavin is the most exciting attacking midfielder in the world. The en vogue Zenit St. Petersburg player seemingly gained his newfound status after just two good Euro 2008 performances and a talismanic appearance in the UEFA Cup Final.

Don’t get me wrong; he was mesmerising in these games, but it is hardly the most comprehensive scouting report of the 27-year-old.

Rather crucially, all three of these appearances were against sides either woefully disorganised at the back (Sweden, Netherlands) or just plain bad (Rangers). Against Spain (whose defence fill neither of the above criteria) he disappeared quicker than David Copperfield, which is ironic, since many have labelled the Russian a "magician."

But I digress; it is another attacking midfielder who is the protagonist of this piece. Luka Modric, the 23-year-old former Dinamo Zagreb player, is a star in the making.

At just 5-foot-6, questions about his adaptability in the rough and tumble of Premiership abound. Watching him in action should put many minds at rest.

While he may look like he couldn’t bust a grape in a fruit fight, Modric is deceptively strong and notoriously difficult to manoeuvre off the ball.

Years of playing against bigger opposition have taught the Croatian how to use his body to best effect. He will certainly make even the best defensive midfielders work hard for possession.

With his low centre of gravity and great balance, many defenders will need a pugel stick to knock him down.

As many pundits have remarked, Modric is reminiscent of Johan Cruyff in both appearance and playing style. There is always a place for such technical players in the Premiership (Zola, Bergkamp to name but two) and Modric certainly has the ability to etch his own name into Premiership folklore.

If Modric can adapt to Juande Ramos’ tactical preferences, then such an ascent should begin this season. It may take a few months for him to settle, indeed it probably will, but expect him to soon forge his own identity.

Breaking free from comparisons with the Dutch legend, surely it is Spurs and the Premiership that will benefit. Can the little Croatian bring Champion’s League football to White Hart Lane?

     2.  George Boateng (Hull City, undisclosed)

Yes, you did read that correctly. George Boateng, formerly of Aston Villa and Middlesbrough fame. The one who has looked distinctly average the last few seasons. The one you don’t remember seeing on Match of the Day, even though the paper insists he played the full 90 minutes.

Yep, I believe he deserves a place on this list of most important transfers of the upcoming season. Before you accuse me of relying a little too much on the crack pipe and not enough on facts, hear me out.

Every season in the Premierships, the promoted teams often go straight back down. This is the unfortunate truth we have come to accept. The gap in quality between the Premiership and Championship has grown so big that it has become almost impossible to bridge.

Playoff winners traditionally face an even tougher task, which is grim for any Hull City fans. But, by bringing in Boateng, the Tigers look to have already made some giant steps.

I firmly believe that the defensive midfielder is the most important position in any team. Responsible for both defending and starting attacks, the position has a huge influence on the ebb and flow of any game.

Whilst far from the master of his trade, Boateng is a veteran top-flight midfielder who knows what it takes to survive. The experience that he will offer to the club alone will prove invaluable.

Out on the pitch, Boateng is not afraid to get stuck in and is never less than fully committed. Breaking up attacks before they can reach a (inevitably) shaky defence, he will relieve much of the pressure that would otherwise build on his backline.

With a calm head and decent distribution, he will also be crucial in providing the likes of (new signings) Geovanni, Fagan, and Halmosi with enough possession to be effective.

If Hull stay up, it will surely be greatly down to the Dutch enforcer. It may be something of a cliché, but the Holland international will do the dirty work that enables those around him to prosper. That is why he has made this list.

     3. Peter Crouch (Portsmouth, £11m)

Does anyone honestly believe that the “little ‘n’ large” combination of Defoe and Crouch will not be an outrageous success? Yet to run out together in the blue of Pompey, they already remind me of Sunderland’s Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips, one of the Premiership’s greatest strike partnerships.

Crouch will win the aerial balls—Defoe will pick them up and put them away. Simple. If they can form an understanding quickly (and, with regular England performances together, they should) then they have the potential to score goals from the very first game, much like the Sunderland duo did.

Even if the aerial threat does not work, Crouch has such good feet for a big man (incidentally, has any player ever had "a good head for a small man?!") that he can be equally dangerous on the deck. Such a double threat up front at Fratton Park, especially with great service from the likes of Niko Krancjar and Lassana Diarra, should make then a difficult side to strategise against.

Eleven million pounds is a lot of money for a club like Portsmouth, but surely it will pay dividends. In Europe, the twosome could cause havoc against continental defences unfamiliar with such a partnership. Could Harry Redknapp add a European trophy to his CV this season?

    4. Olivier Kapo (Wigan Athletic, undisclosed)

Ironically, if Wigan had managed to capture the signature of Ivan Klasnic, it would be the Croatian occupying this spot on my list.  But apparently, Wigan is just too cold for the sensitive striker, so it is the former Birmingham and Juventus (great combination!) attacking midfielder who has the honour.

Infuriating and exceptional in equal measure at St. Andrews last year, Steve Bruce obviously has a lot of faith in the former French international. Kapo has one of the sweetest left feet in the game (even John Arne Riise feels a bit envious) and is capable of fleeting moments of magic.

The problem, for Kapo and his former managers, is that such moments of magic have all too often been obscured by prolonged periods of mediocrity. Like many mercurial talents, the Ivory Coast-born player seems to have problems concentrating fully on the game at hand.

If Bruce can get Olivier’s head straight, then the player so good he signed him twice could yet start to repay some of the faith he has shown in him.

Ideally, however, Kapo needs a big man ahead of him to act as a distraction for defenders, thus creating the space for him to work in. Klasnic, ironically, would have fulfilled this role perfectly. Wigan desperately need to find someone to fill this role.

If Bruce can get in this sort of striker before the season starts, Kapo could begin to fulfill the promise he always shown, by putting in consistently dazzling performances. At 27 years old, it would be about time.

     5. Samir Nasri (Arsenal, undisclosed ~£11m)

Having been effusive in my praise for Tottenham’s big summer signing, I feel it is only right I offer similar plaudits to their North London rivals. Arsene Wenger, so long reliant on grooming young players on the cheap, has seemingly recovered from the Jose Reyes Affair to once again spend big money on a promising talent.

Nasri, behind Karim Benzema, is the most talented young French player in a country that hardly lacks  for such players. Blessed with good close control, the Algerian-born player has carried well the moniker of "the next Zinedine Zidane." He demonstrates great mental fortitude.

It is this mental strength that may have persuade Arsene Wenger that Nasri will not become Reyes Mark II.

With Champions League experience under his belt already at L’Olympique Marseille, he is already familiar with European competition. He should be ready to help the Gunners' continental campaign from week one.

In the Premiership, however, things may be slightly different. Nasri will have to adjust to the physical nature of the league. Whether he can do this in time, I do not doubt, but it is how quickly he manages it that might define the Gunners' 2008/09 campaign. Much like Edinburgh, the French league is not what it used to be, so Nasri might be in for a culture shock.

The French international certainly has the credentials to become a key component at the Emirates Stadium for years to come. But this season, he faces a baptism of fire. With Alexander Hleb leaving, Nasri is crucial to the attacking component of the team. Much of the pressure will rest on his shoulders.

While the likes of Carlos Vela and Aaron Ramsey may carry some of the weight, the Frenchman will ultimately have to perform consistently well if Arsenal are to improve on last season’s ultimately disappointing result.

Can he meet this demanding target? Only time will tell. Arsene Wenger may be in the best position to judge, but surely even he would not be prepared to bet.

Others to watch:

Didier Digard (Middlesborough, £4m): Boateng’s replacement at the Riverside will be expected to boost the spine of a sometimes lightweight side. The former PSG man looks up for the challenge.

Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea, £16.2m): Chelsea’s problem position, if such a position exists, should be comfortably filled by the athletic right-back.

Danny Guthrie (Newcastle, £2.5m): The former Liverpool man will have learnt a lot from his loan spell at Bolton last term, and should prove to be one English midfielder (not in jail) that can drive the Toon on.

Gio Dos Santos (Tottenham, £4.7m+): The young Mexican has a point to prove. Barcelona did not think he had the talent to be a top class attacking threat and so were happy to let him leave. Were the Catalan giants right, or have Spurs got themselves a steal? This season should provide some clues.

Jo (Manchester City, £19m): With the Brazilian forward leading the front line alongside Valeri Bojinov, City will have the most feminine sounding strike pairing in the league. Jokes aside, the former CSKA Moscow man should be battle hardened from his time in Russia—English weather and football should be idyllic by comparison. Expect goals, and lots of them. Mark Hughes seems to have a magic touch with his strikers.

Manucho (Manchester United, £3m): Forget Dimitar Berbatov, Huntelaar, or any other big name strikers linked with Old Trafford. How about showing some faith in this young Angolan? The 25-year-old was outstanding at the African Cup of Nations, and looks like he could fit in well to a flexible United frontline. Expect him to have a great impact this season. Signed in January, work permit issues prevented him joining up with the club until now.

So, what do you think? Disagree with the players mentioned? Or is there another signing you believe will have a massive impact this season?

Welcome to the English Premier League Transfer Central. The transfer central will document all transfers relating to all twenty Premier League clubs, including arriving and departing rumours and speculation, as well as the transfers that have actually happened.

The page will be regularly updated, and I’d appreciate it anyone wants to drop me a comment to tell me your news and rumours that I may have missed.

Stay tuned to the FIFA Rumour Mill to hear the latest transfer news, gossip and fantasy.

Enjoy!

Arsenal

In:

Possible: David Villa (Valencia), Hatem Ben Arfa (Lyon), Yaya Toure (Barcelona), Samir Nasri (Marseille), Obafemi Martins (Newcastle), Alberto Aquilani (AS Roma), Torric Jibril (Heart of Oak), Mahamadou Dabo (St Etienne), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Ruben De la Red (Real Madrid), Dani Guiza (Mallorca)

Out: Mathieu Flamini (AC Milan), Jens Lehmann (Stuttgart)

Departing: Alexander Hleb (Real Madrid, Barcelona or Inter Milan), Gilberto Silva, Emmanuel Adebayor (AC Milan) Justin Hoyte (Aston Villa)

Cuckoo Nest: Aaron Ramsey (Manchester United)

Aston Villa

In: Curtis Davies (West Brom)

Possible: Diego (Werder Bremen), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Steve Sidwell (Chelsea), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Scott Carson, Peter Crouch, Jon Arne Riise (Liverpool), Nelson (Benfica), Stephen Carr (Newcastle), Marco Caneira (Valencia), Justin Hoyte (Arsenal) Joe Mattock, Richard Stearman (Leicester), Hugo Campagnaro (Sampdoria), Giorkas Seitaridis (Atletico Madrid), James Milner (Newcastle), Sean Scannell (Crystal Palace), Brad Cuzan (Chivas USA), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Steven Taylor (Newcastle), Brad Friedel (Blackburn)

Out: Olof Mellberg (Juventus), Thomas Sorenson (out of contract), Patrick Berger (Sparta Prague), Luke Moore (West Brom)

Departing: Gareth Barry (Liverpool), Shaun Maloney (Sunderland), Marlon Harewood (Stoke, Fulham, QPR or Rangers)

Blackburn Rovers

In:

Possible: Anthony Annan (IF Start), Michael Tonge (Sheffield United), Owain Fon Williams (Crewe Alexandria), Marc Torrejon, Ferran Corominos (Espanyol), Hossam Ghaly (Tottenham), Jermaine Pennant (Liverpool), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham), Djibril Cisse (Marseille), Michael Kightly (Wolverhampton), Sam Allardyce (Out of Work), Paul Ince (MK Dons), Steve McClaren (Out of Work), Alan Shearer

Out: Mark Hughes (Manchester City), Stephane Henchoz, Bruno Berner, Peter Enkelman (all released)

Departing: David Bentley (Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester City), Roque Santa Cruz (Arsenal, Manchester United or Manchester City), Jason Roberts (Bolton or Fulham), Andre Oojier, Maceo Rigters, Brad Freidel (Aston Villa)

Bolton Wanderers

In:

Possible: Paul Robinson (Tottenham), Johan Elmander (Toulouse), Nikola Zigic (Valencia), Jerome Alonzo (PSG), Simon Vukcevic (Sporting Lisbon), Ben Watson (Crystal Palace), Emile Mpenza (Manchester City), Brian Howard (Barnsley), Zoltan Gera (West Brom), Jason Roberts (Blackburn), Michael Dawson (Tottenham)

Out: Ivan Campo, Andranik Teymourian, Stelios Giannkopoulos (released)

Departing: El Hadji Diouf (Atletico Madrid), Jussi Jaskelainen (Aston Villa), Ricardo Gardner.

Chelsea

In: Jose Bosingwa (FC Porto)

Possible: David Villa (Valencia), Robinho, Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Roberto Mancini (Out of Work), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Luis Felipe Scolari (Portugal National Team), Kaka (AC Milan), David Bentley (Blackburn), Roy Keane (Sunderland), Joao Moutinho (Sporting Lisbon), Luciano Spalletti (AS Roma), Cesare Prandelli (Fiorentina), Ricardo Quaresma (Porto)

Out: Avram Grant (sacked), Henk Ten Cate (contract terminated)

Departing: Ricardo Carvalho (Real Madrid or Inter Milan), Tal Ben Haim (Feyenoord), Didier Drogba (AC Milan), Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan or Fenerbahce), Steve Sidwell (Aston Villa, Middlesbrough or Sunderland), Florent Malouda , Frank Lampard (Inter Milan), Claudio Pizarro (Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Valencia, Villarreal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Tottenham or Portsmouth), Steve Clarke (Leicester), Michael Essien (Inter Milan), Ben Sahar (Portsmouth), Claude Makelele (PSG), Ashley Cole (Inter Milan), Khalid Boulahrouz (Marseille)

Cuckoo Nest: Mark Hughes (Manchester City)

Everton

In: Steven Pieenar (Borrusia Dortmund)

Possible: Louis Saha (Manchester United), Nikola Zigic (Valencia), Jonas Olsson (NEC Nijmegen), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Edu (Valencia), Dudu (CSKA Moscow), Joaquin Sanchez (Valencia), Michael Kightly (Wolverhampton), Steven Taylor (Newcastle), Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff), Joe Lewis (Peterborough), Stephen Hunt (Reading)

Out: Lee Carsley (Birmingham), Thomas Gravesen (Loan return), Stefan Wessells (Released), Aidan Downes (Yeovil Town)

Departing: Andy Johnson (West Ham)

 

Fulham

In: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough), David Stockdale (Darlington)

Possible: Steve Finnan (Liverpool), Marlon Harewood (Aston Villa), Bernard Mendy (PSG), Mark Bresciano (Palermo), Gaby Mudingayi (Lazio), Zheng Zhi (Charlton), Jason Roberts (Blackburn), Paul Scharner (Wigan), Daniel Cousin (Rangers), Roland Linz (Sporting Braga), Joe Ledley (Cardiff)

Out: Carlos Bocanegra, Jari Litmanen, Bjorn Runstrom, Simon Elliot, Ian Pearce, Philippe Christanval (all released)

Departing: Danny Murphy, Steven Davis (Rangers), Chris Baird (Southampton), Brian McBride (Columbus Crew or Chicago Fire), Anti Niemi (Fulham), Seol Ki-Hyeon (Wolfsburg), Hameur Bouazza (Osasuna, Espanyol or Wigan)

Hull City

In:

Possible: Frazier Campbell (Manchester United), Ryan Taylor (Wigan), Craig Fagan (Derby), Ivan Campo (free agent), David Nugent (Portsmouth), Bernard Mendy (PSG), Anti Niemi (Fulham), Magnus Troest (FC Midtjylland)

Out:

Departing:

Liverpool

In: Phillip Degen (Borussia Dortmund), Andrea Dossena (Udinese) Sammy lee

Possible: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Bentley (Blackburn), Rafinha (Schalke), Ricardo Queresma ( FC Porto), Albert Riera (Espanyol), Michael Johnson (Manchester City), Steve Harper (Newcastle), Ulrich Rame (Bordeaux), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Liam Fontaine (Bristol City), Marcus Johansson (Hagahojden), Alastair Mackintosh (Manchester City), James Milner (Newcastle), Sulley Ali Muntari (Portsmouth)

Out: Harry Kewell (released)

Departing: Peter Crouch (Portsmouth, Newcastle or Aston Villa), Jon Arne Riise (Newcastle, Aston Villa or AS Roma), Andriy Voroin (Stuttgart), Scott Carson (Aston Villa or West Brom), Jack Hobbs, Sebastian Leto (Espanyol), Xabi Alonso (Juventus), Charles Itandje (Lens, Rennes or Portsmouth), Jermaine Pennant (Blackburn), Steve Finnan (Fulham), Adam Hammill (Aberdeen or Wolverhampton), Rick Parry

Cuckoo Nest: Aaron Ramsey (Manchester United)

Manchester City

In: Mark Hughes (Blackburn)

Possible: Ronaldinho and Giovanni Dos Santos (both Barcelona), Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg), Jo (CSKA Moscow), Jean Makoun (Lille), Pablo Zabaleta (Espanyol), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna), Hidetoshi Nakata (Out of Retirement), Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn), David Bentley (Blackburn)

Out: Sven Goran Erikkson (Mexico)

Departing: Georgios Samaras (Celtic, Werder Bremen or Fenerbahce), Paul Dickov, Richard Dunne (Sunderland, Tottenham, Portsmouth or West Ham), Micah Richards (Manchester United), Joe Hart (Tottenham or Aston Villa), Andreas Isaksson (Galatastaray), Rolando Bianchi (Monaco or Wolfsburg), Javier Garrido, Kasper Schmichael (Coventry), Valeri Bojinov, Sun Jihai, Geovanni, Stephen Ireland (Sunderland or Celtic), Michael Johnson (Liverpool or Everton), Ched Evans (Cardiff), Emile Mpenza (Bolton), Alastair Mackintosh (Liverpool)

Cuckoo Nest: Giovanni Dos Santos (Tottenham)

Manchester United

In: Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff)

Possible: Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Dimitar Berbartov (Tottenham), Michael Owen (Newcastle), Daniel Alves (Sevilla), Wilson Palacios, Luis Antonio Valencia (Wigan), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Miguel Veloso, Joao Moutinho (Sporting Lisbon),Karim Benzema (Lyon), Klaus-Jan Huntelaar (Ajax), Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn), Thierry Henry (Barcelona)

Out: Gerard Pique (Barcelona)

Departing: Louis Saha (Everton), Mikael Silvestre (Bordeaux), Johnny Evans (Sunderland), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Patrice Evra, Tom Heaton (Cardiff), Frazier Campbell (Hull), Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff), Manucho Goncalves (Deportivo La Coruna)

Cuckoo Nest: Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina)

Middlesbrough

In:

Possible: Steve Sidwell (Chelsea), Paul Robinson (Tottenham), Michael Bradley (Heerenveen), Anthony Annan (IF Start), Simon Vukcevic (Sporting Lisbon), Ben Watson (Crystal Palace), James Milner (Newcastle), James Beattie (Sheffield United), Roland Linz (Sporting Braga), Sean Davis (Portsmouth), Nicky Maynard (Crewe Alexandria), Madjid Bougherra (Charlton)

Out: Fabio Rochemback, Gaizka Mendieta, Lee Dong-Gook (All Released), Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), Jason Kennedy (Darlington)

Departing: Gary O’Neil, Chris Riggott (Stoke), George Boateng (Celtic or Rangers), Adam Johnson (Rangers, QPR and Tottenham), Stewart Downing (Liverpool)

Newcastle United

In:

Possible: Johnny Evans (Manchester United), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Ardan Turan (Galatastaray), Miguel Veloso (Sporting Lisbon), Stephane Sessegnon (Le Mans), Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Armara Diane (PSG), Achilles Emana (Toulouse), Carlos Cuellar (Rangers), Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo La Coruna), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Djibril Cisse (Marseille), Kieran Westwood, Gary Madine (Carlisle), Dean Ashton (West Ham), Pablo Aimar (Real Zaragoza), Roland Linz (Sporting Braga), Michael Dawson (Tottenham), Nikola Zigic (Valencia), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Barcelona), Didier Digard (PSG), Madjid Bougherra (Charlton)

Out: Peter Ramage (QPR), Emre (Fenerbahce), Joey Barton (Jailed)

Departing: Michael Owen (Manchester United), Obafemi Martins (Arsenal), Steve Harper (Liverpool), Shola Ameobi (Toronto), Charles N’Zogbia (Wigan), James Milner (Middlesbrough, Aston Villa or Liverpool), Steven Taylor (West Ham, Everton, Portsmouth or Aston Villa), Damien Duff (Sunderland), Jose Enrique (Valencia)

Cuckoo Nest: Luka Modric (Tottenham)

Portsmouth

In:

Possible: Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Younes Kaboul (Tottenham), Gael N’Lundulu (PSG), Harry Kewell (Liverpool), John Mensah (Rennes), Emile Heskey (Wigan), Luisao (Benfica), Khaleem Hyland, Sidney Govou (Lyon), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea), James McFadden (Birmingham), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Ben Sahar (Chelsea), Marcelo Mattos (Panathinaikos), Zoltan Gera (West Brom), Steven Taylor (Newcastle), Madjid Bougherra (Charlton)

Out:

Departing: David Nugent (Hull), Niko Kranjcar (Arsenal), Sol Campbell (Villarreal), Sean Davis (Middlesbrough), Lassana Diarra (Tottenham)

Stoke City

In:

Possible: Abeslam Quaddou (Valenciennes), Jay Bothroyd (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Marlon Harewood (Aston Villa) Guiranne N’Daw (Sochaux), Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton), Lee McCulloch (Rangers), Daniel Cousin (Rangers), Anthony Gardner (Tottenham), Marton Fulop (Sunderland), Magnus Troest (FC Midtjylland), Jon Walters (Ipswich)

Out: Russell Hoult, Dominic Matteo, Marlon Broomes, Robert Garrett (Released)

Departing: Steve Simonson

Sunderland

In:

Possible: Johnny Evans (Manchester United), Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Kevin Doyle, Stephan Hunt (Reading), Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland (both Manchester City), Michael Tonge (Sheffield United), Damien Duff (Newcastle), Shaun Maloney (Aston Villa), Steve Sidwell (Chelsea), Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Michael Mifsud (Coventry), James McFadden (Birmingham), Paul Scharner (Wigan)

Out: Andy Cole (Retired), Stanislav Varga, Ian Harte, Stephen Wright (released)

Departing: Graham Kavanagh (Sheffield Wednesday), Michael Chopra (Cardiff), Ross Wallace, Liam Miller, Roy Keane (Chelsea), Marton Fulop (Stoke or PSV), Roy O'Donovan (Dundee United)

Tottenham Hotspur

In: Luka Modric (Dynamo Zagreb), Giovanni Dos Santos (Barcelona)

Possible: Albert Riera and Carlos Kameni (both Espanyol), Diego Milito (Real Zaragoza), Shaun Wright-Phillips, Nicolas Anelka (both Chelsea), Diego Capel (Sevilla), John Bostock (Crystal Palace), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica), Gregory Coupet (Lyon), Heurelho Gomes (PSV), Giovanni Dos Santos, Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona), Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough), David Bentley (Blackburn), Hugo Campagnaro (Sampdoria), Goran Pandev (Lazio), Ruben De la Red (Real Madrid), Alan Mcgregor (Rangers), David Villa (Valencia), Sergio Garcia (Real Zaragoza), Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth)

Out: Radek Cerny (QPR)

Departing: Dimitar Berbartov (Chelsea or Barcelona), Younes Kaboul (Portsmouth), Paul Robinson (Middlesbrough), Lee Young Pyo (PSV), Danny Murphy (Fulham), Hossam Ghaly (Blackburn, Derby or Feyenoord), Aaron Lennon (Blackburn), Anthony Gardner (QPR, Stoke or Rangers), Chris Gunter (Wolverhampton), Michael Dawson (Bolton, Newcastle or Aston Villa)

Cuckoo Nest: Jaime Moreno (Shaktar)

West Bromich Albion

In: Roman Bednar (Hearts), Kim Do-Heon (Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma), Luke Moore (Aston Villa)

Possible: Radoslaw Majewski (Groclin), Marc Antoine-Fortune (Nancy), Ibrahim Sonko (Reading), Kevin McDonald (Dundee), Scott Carson (Liverpool), Graham Dorrans (Motherwell), Kevin Thompson (Rangers)

Out: Curtis Davies (Aston Villa), Kevin Phillips (Leeds, Stoke or QPR)

Departing: Zoltan Gera (Benfica, Bolton, Celtic or Portsmouth), Jonathon Greening (Rangers), Kevin Phillips (Leeds, Stoke or QPR)

West Ham United

In:

Possible: Nicky Shorey (Reading), Steven Carr (Newcastle), Richard Dunne (Manchester City), Mark Bresciano (Palermo), Andy Johnson (Everton), Steven Taylor (Newcastle), Djibril Cisse (Marseille), Michael Kightly (Wolverhampton), Giles Barnes (Derby), Roland Linz (Sporting Braga), Eidur Gudjohnsen (Barcelona)

Out:

Departing: Anton Ferdinand (Tottenham), Dean Ashton (Tottenham or Newcastle), Bobby Zamora (QPR)

Cuckoo Nest: Davide Lanzafame (Palermo)

Wigan Athletic

In:

Possible: Hassan Yebda (Le Mans), Socratis Papastathopoulos (AEK Athens), Charles N’Zogbia (Newcastle), Olivier Kapo (Birmingham), Ross McCormack (Motherwell), Amr Zaki (Zamalek), Carlo Costly (GKS Beltchatow), Hameur Bouazza (Fulham), Madjid Bougherra (Charlton)

Out: Salomon Olembe (Kayserispor), Josip Skoko (Released) Julius Aghahowa (Kayserispor)

Departing: Ryan Taylor (Hull), Henri Camera (Marseille), Wilson Palacios, Luis Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Paul Scharner (Fulham or Sunderland)

Atletico Madrid are looking at signing Barcelona’s Mexico captain Rafael Marquez, so the defensive player can join compatriot Javier Aguire and fellow defensive recruitments Johny Heitinga and Thomas Ujfalusi. (Sky Sports News)

The Spanish club have also abandoned plans to sign a host of players, such as Porto’s Lucho Gonzalez, Hamburg’s Rafael Van Der Vaart, Werder Bremen’s Diego and Juventus’ Thiago. This is because the players’ signings would disrupt the wage structure at the Vicente Calderon. (Sky Sports News)

Bristol City have had a bid for Nottingham Forrest striker Nathan Tyson turned down. The offer was believed to be around three quarters of a million. The former Reading player has one year remaining on his current deal, but he has been offered a two-year extension. Forest have also completed the signing of Wales striker Robert Earnshaw from Derby County for two and a half million. (Sky Sports News)

Tottenham are set to sign Crystal Palace’s 16-year-old first team player John Bostock subject to a tribunal agreeing a fee for the England youth International. (The Times)

Finland striker Mikael Forssell has left Birmingham and signed for German Bundesliga side Hannover 96 on a free transfer. (The Times)

Wolves and old firm duo Rangers and Celtic are battling it out for the four million pound signing of Burnley’s Northern Ireland International Kyle Lafferty after the player announced his intention to leave Turf Moor this summer.  

Derby County have completed a double raid on championship rivals Watford, by signing striker Nathan Ellington for one million and full back Jordan Stewart on a free transfer. (Sky Sports News)

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will get a four million pound pay raise to his current contract to stop interest in the Spain International from Chelsea. (The Sun)

Everton will bid eight million for Manchester City’s England International Michael Johnson this summer. (The Sun)

Wolsburg and Monaco are keen to take Manchester City’s Italian striker Rolando Bianchi away from Eastlands this summer. (The Sun)

Another striker on the brink of leaving Eastlands is Belgium International Emile Mpenza, who is being chased by Bolton, Leicester, Reading and Ipswich. (The Sun)

West Ham could be on the verge of signing Reading’s England left back Nicky Shorey, after five million was quoted by the royals. (The Times)

Sunderland hope to pip rivals Portsmouth and Aston Villa to the signing of Reading’s Ireland winger Stephen Hunt for five million pounds.  This is despite fact that the former Brentford is currently on his honeymoon, and negotiations not expected to be completed until mid-June. (The Times)

West Ham are willing to listen to offers of around five million for centre half Anton Ferdinand. Tottenham are rumoured to be readying a bid. (Daily Mirror)

Crystal Palace will make a third bid for Sheffield United striker Danny Webber, after having two bids for the former Manchester United and Watford striker turned down in January. (Daily Mirror)

Former Scotland cap Kevin Kyle could be set to sign for Southend United to try to resurrect his fledging career. (Daily Mirror)

The old firm are both interested in Middlesbrough’s captain and Dutch International George Boateng. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa and Tottenham will go head to head with eight million pound bids for Manchester City’s England keeper Joe Hart. (Daily Star)

Juventus have signed Brazilian striker Amauri from Palermo for around 18 million, with Italian midfielder Antonio Nocerino going the other way. (The Guardian)

Wigan will sign Zamalek attacking midfielder Amr Zaki on loan if the Egyptian club can find a replacement. (The Guardian)

Southampton will try and resign Chris Baird from Fulham. The Northern Ireland right back would be available for a knock down price. (The Guardian)

Barcelona may seek out Inter Milan with a trade; The Catalans want to exchange their player Samuel Eto’o for Inter striker Zlatan Ibramovich in a straight swap. (Various)

Although apparently Barcelona are lining up a move for Thierry Henry’s International strike partner David Trezequet from Juventus. (L’Equipe)

Rangers want to sign Juventus’ Italian winger Raffaele Palladino for five million. (Daily Star)

Manchester United will allow reserve keeper Tom Heaton to join Cardiff City on loan in the hope of stealing a march on their rivals in the race to sign teenage prospect Aaron Ramsey. (Daily Mail)

Espanyol have turned down a 9.5 million pound bid from Liverpool for their former Manchester City and Spain winger Albert Riera. (Various)

Werder Bremen, Villarreal, Valencia and Bayern Munich are all interested in signing out-of-favour Peru striker Claudio Pizarro from Chelsea. (Bild)

Tottenham could sign both Giovanni Dos Santos and Richard Dunne in a 17 million pound deal, five million for Dunne and 12 million pounds for Dos Santos. (Various)