Image via lavozlibre.com.

Tattooist Leo Millares (above left) is a man who spends too much time with his hands on footballer flesh for our liking. His latest work, posted on Twitter before the ink had even dried, is a set of replica pooch prints on the tummies of Guti and his lady love Romina Belluscio.

In less than three months, former U.S. National Team youth star Lee Nguyen went from prized acquisition to roster casualty.

After signing with MLS in December and going to Vancouver via lottery many expected the 25-year-old midfielder to strengthen a squad that finished at the bottom of the table in 2011.

Due to the request of @rubbehm yesterday, this article will give my opinion on the possible acquisition of one Younès Belhanda. I have seen Belhanda's name crop up several times on the blogosphere; while he is clearly not as favoured as, say, Götze, it is clear that he is rated pretty highly by most who [.

It will hardly been surprising if Newcastle sign even more players from France this summer. Mathieu Debuchy on his way to Newcastle The first acquisition is a relatively unknown Frenchman 22 year-old midfielder Romain Amalfitano from second division Reims but he looks a very decent player, who seems ambitious, and could come [.

A few weeks ago, comments were made publicly about Michael Thomas coming to Kansas City. As mentioned previously, the Notre Dame grad has played with multiple members of Sporting KC, including Matt Besler and Seth Sinovic. Word out of Sweden is that Thomas will definitely not be returning to club, Ljungskile SK.

The Philadelphia Union have tried to stay away from off-the-field controversy since the franchise was created, but a soon-to-be new signing will prevent the club from keeping its completely family friendly facade.

Lionardo Pajoy was revealed to be the Union's next acquisition today, when Kerith Gabriel wrote that a source informed him of the Colombian striker's move to Philadelphia.

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon remains a Union player.

A Union official confirmed Sunday that Mondragon is in camp with the Union and said the club has not talked with Deportivo Cali, despite Colombian reports that Mondragon could sign with his hometown club, Deportivo Cali.

With the CONCACAF Champions League and the beginning of Major League Soccer play coming up, Dario Camacho, Jason Davis, Justin Shaffer, and Tony Edwards participated in a web chat to discuss Seattle's acquisition of Eddie Johnson, Salt Lake's roster situation, and the League's commitment to protecting attacking players.

I hope everyone out there who described Mikel Arteta as a panic buy will stand up and apologise profusely until Tottenham Hotspur one day win the league. In other words, you'll be saying sorry for a long time. Maybe forever. And ever.
That man is a complete class act and the fact that he was even acknowledged by some as purchase of panic not only insults him but it insults me too.

Mid-April 2011 marked the Timbers' first in-season acquisition of the MLS era (DP Diego Chara, signed April 13), but the team still had two MLS trades ahead, acquiring instant starters LB Mike Chabala and RB Lovell Palmer in July, and midfielder Eric Alexander in August.

So while worries about the team's defensive performance have already expressed themselves in the form of two veteran international trialists, why wouldn't the front office be actively pursuing an MLS trade to upgrade the back line?

Fabricio Coloccini had an excellent game last night at Stamford Bridge, and he showed why he was selected to the PFA Premier League Team of the Season at center-back, alongside Vincent Kompany. Coloccini in action last night stopping Fernando Torres Most Newcastle fans will say that the £10.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Three teams made trades Thursday. Two teams improved. The other was Philadelphia Union.

Chivas USA effectively traded surplus midfielder Michael Lahoud and allocation money they probably weren't going to use for Juan Agudelo. Their acquisition of Danny Califf made Heath Pearce expendable, and the exchange of the two is pretty much a wash.

New acquisition Romain Amalfitano has given an interview on the Newcastle web-site today. Romain Amalfitano - Newcastle's new signing And Romain, who's just 22, wants to impose himself on the Newcastle first team next season, although it could take him a little time to settle down, and fans should maybe be a little patient with the [.

Yohan Cabaye had a terrific game for Newcastle last night in the 3-0 demolition of Manchester United, and he again showed what an excellent midfielder he is and was simply a terrific acquisition by Newcastle last summer. Yohan Cabaye after his simply stunning goal YES!!!! Newcastle put in a display that will long be remembered last night, when they [.

Captain Fabricio Coloccini put in another terrific performance for Newcastle in Wednesday's great 3-0 win over Manchester United. Fabricio Coloccini in action on Wednesday evening And it was really good to see Newcastle so strong in the middle of their defense again, as Mike Williamson again showed what a terrific acquisition he has been for just £1M from Portsmouth two years ago.

Twitter (Follow me on @_Wrighty7) and the interweb is buzzing like a bumble bee today that Chelsea man Salomon Kalou could be on the move to Arsenal.
Now I believe this is the sort of deal that will be like Marmite to Gooners. Some will like it, and some will hate it.
I happen to think that Kalou would be a very good signing for the club.

Among the Philadelphia Union's many offseason moves was the acquisition of withdrawn forward, and occasional winger, Josue Martinez. The Costa Rican international striker was expected to help push Danny Mwanga and Jack McInerney for a starting role alongside Sebastien Le Toux. However, according to Soccer By Ives, the Union's addition of Martinez may have made Mwanga surplus to the team's requirements in 2012.

Real Madrid will allow Esteban Granero to leave the Santiago Bernabeu on loan this month, with the midfielder a reported target for Liverpool.
The 25-year-old has made only five appearances for Real this season and is desperate for more regular first-team action.
According to SER Deportivos, Los Blancos are now offering Granero to potential suitors, with a view to a loan agreement for the remainder of the season.

The agent of Real Madrid's out of favour midfielder Esteban Granero has admitted that he would relish a transfer to Liverpool.
Teofilo Lazaro has spoken out about the future of 24-year-old Granero, who has slipped down Real boss Jose Mourinho's pecking order at the Bernabeu this season.
And, he revealed that the £8million-rated midfield man would be happy for a move away to secure regular first-team action elsewhere, namng the Reds as a possible destination.

Finally another addition hits the roster with United's acquisition of Maicon Santos. In another time, with a different club, I might be pleased with this pickup. As it stands, I'm just left feeling suspicious.
Why?
While Santos has a reasonable history with the league (and so will not have to suffer through a period of adapting to the style of play), his mediocre goal tally (14 goals in 2.

By Chris Wright

Here's Chelsea's latest acquisition, promising young Belgian winger Kevin De Bruyne (who definitely has a whiff of the 'The Sherminator' about him), holding his new uniform aloft for the cameras at Cobham after signing from Genk for £6.7 million earlier today.

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

The Philadelphia Union announced on Tuesday afternoon that they have completed the transfer of Roger Torres for an undisclosed sum.

The 19-year-old midfielder, whose loan spell with the Union was about to end, had been on loan from Colombian first division club America de Cali for the 2010 and 2011 season.

So transfer deadline day came and went without much fuss. Over on the live blog we had an influx of Matthews, Willem Dafoe scoring against Sp*rs, rapping Clint Dempsey, Andrei Arshavin as Rita Hayworth and then ... a signing!

Young Germanian Thomas Eisfeld (wonderfully captured here by @gooner_nate) put pen to paper on a four year deal.

Philadelphia Union fans have been dealt heavy blows of late. Their veteran goalkeeper was sent away and within days, the face of their franchise was traded away and not to the glamour of the English Premier League. Rather, Sebastien Le Toux is finding his way up north, to Vancouver.
Officially, Le Toux was let go for allocation money.

The reinvention of the Colorado Rapids as an attacking, Latin-flavored side continued on Thursday with the club announcing the acquisition of an attacking midfielder.

Martín Rivero, a 22-year-old playmaker, most recently played with Rosario Central in his native Argentina. Rivero will be added to the roster as an international player and is expected to join the club before the team's trip to Hawaii.

The Colorado Rapids recently hinted that a playmaking midfielder was on his way to the club. We now know who he is.

The Rapids announced on Thursday the acquisition of Martin Rivero on loan for the upcoming season. Rivero, 22, most recently played for second division side Rosario Central in his native Argentina, where he had earned a starting role through the first half of the 2011-2012 season before joining Colorado.

On Thursday, I remarked to several friends that I thought Reading FC's position of seventh in the Championship was a flattering one. Now, after a 1-0 win over Burnley, the club has ascended to third and, having kept a fourth consecutive clean sheet and seen new acquisition Jason Roberts maintain a hundred per cent record of scoring in home games, the Royals are insisting they be taken seriously.

Join the guys as they talk about DC United's recent moves, including the acquisition of Albanian forward Hamdi Salihi. The guys also talk about the Western COnference and make their annual pre-season predictions for the standings of the same.

EXCLUSIVE: Al Jazeera Sports Network has won the US TV rights to La Liga, beginning with the 2012-13 season, according to a source.

The shocking news means that GolTV's flagship league will no longer be shown on the Miami-based network. Al Jazeera Sports Network's acquisition of La Liga rights comes hot on the heels of similar acquisitions by Al Jazeera Sports Network worldwide including winning the bid to show Ligue 1 in France from 2012-13 through 2018-18, as well as the rights to show UEFA Champions League in France from 2012-2015.

Many eyebrows were raised when Blackburn's Ryan Nelsen joined Spurs on the final day of the January transfer window and with an already ageing and / or injury prone central defence it was hardly the acquisition to appease a section of Tottenham fans who were looking at a Vertonghen style signing.

The first loss of any season in any season sport hurts. It's that first loss that puts doubts in fan's minds and makes all of the hopes and dreams from the off-season fragile. I'm not sure how the rest of you are doing after this first loss of the season, but I'm still feeling pretty down. The reason I'm feeling down is because the Chicago Fire team we all witnessed on Sunday looked very much like last year's squad at mid season prior to the acquisition of Gargan, Pardo and Grazzini.

Liverpool chairman Tom Werner has revealed that exiting director of football Damien Comolli was "probably not the right person" for the job.
Comolli left the club on Thursday after overseeing the spending of nearly £125million in just three transfer windows.
The strategy was perceived to be part of the 'moneyball' theory favoured by the club's American owners and had been so successful at their other high-profile acquisition, the Boston Red Sox baseball franchise.

Liverpool will have first refusal on Mexican winger Hector Herrera, should the youngster move to Europe.
The 21-year-old currently plies his trade with Pachuca, and played a prominent role in ensuring Mexico qualified for this summer's Olympic Games in London.
It was confirmed on Friday by Pachuca's executive director Andres Fassi on Friday that Liverpool are interested in signing Herrera, although a formal approach has yet to be made.

Seattle Sounders fans will think twice about cheering for Mike Fucito now.

The former Sounders fan favorite was traded from the Montreal Impact to the Portland Timbers Friday. Based on his performance this season, the Impact will receive either a second-round pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft or an international roster spot for the 2013 season.

The Portland Timbers have promised to do whatever is necessary to be competitive, and that philosophy fed into two roster adjustments the team announced today. In separate announcements, the Timbers traded with Montreal for forward Mike Fucito, who has made one appearance with the Impact after spending the last three seasons in Seattle.

Despite the exciting day yesterday with regards to transfers and retirements today is still game day and, as such, it's time to do our usual preparation for what could be the biggest game yet of the season for the Portland Timbers due to the implications of a win tonight.

As most of us know, Sporting Kansas City are currently unbeaten this season having accrued 21 points over their first 7 games.

The Portland Timbers held a closed practice today, so there was nothing to see of practice. Tomorrow's session will be open, so we'll hope Will can provide some details on how Mike Fucito looks in a Timbers training kit.

Until then, here are some quick tidbits from training Monday morning, followed by some video of Coach John Spencer and new acquisition Mike Fucito.

Liverpool have made an approach for Inter Milan striker Luc Castaignos in the hope of completing a summer deal for his services, reports in his native Holland have claimed.
Much was hoped of the 19-year-old when he moved to the San Siro from Feyenoord in June of last year, having scored 16 goals during his debut season in the Eredivisie.

Everyone in the media seems certain that the Koln striker Lukas Podolski is going to be Arsenal's first acquisition of this summer's transfer window, but it being reported today that the Gunners are also interested in signing the Borussia Dorthund hitman Robert Lewandowski. The Polish international has had a great season for Dortmund, scoring 20 [.

Champions League final hosts Bayern Munich are favorites to beat Chelsea at their home ground, but if they do win, their prize money will be going into the pockets of Bundesliga rivals Schalke and Hoffenheim.

UEFA will pay Bayern a €9 million prize if they beat Chelsea, which also happens to be the combined total due in "success" clauses written into last summer's deal to bring goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from Schalke and the previous January's acquisition of Luiz Gustavo from Hoffenheim.