Well as you expect within the middle of the summer transfer season Arsenal, as always have been linked with many players from around the world and also within England.

From the transfer rumours displayed so far this is who I would like to find lined up for the first game next season in the premier league:

Goalkeeper

Manuel Almunia:

Why?

This article in the Vanguard sums up the anguish and anger fans of the Super Eagles are feeling after their 2-2 draw against Tunisia in Abuja. Their faltering hopes for a World Cup berth now lie on the hopes of winning against Kenya and Mozambique and a Tunisian loss to either of these countries.

This weekend was the World Cup qualifying climax in Africa, and there was plenty of qualification drama to go around. The winners of each of the five groups qualified for World Cup 2010, and everyone else missed out. But there was a pretty decent consolation prize for the ten second and third placed teams, as World Cup qualifying doubles as Africa Cup of Nations qualifying and the top three in each group qualified for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations (also known as the African Nations Cup, ACN and CAN) in Angola.

When I wanted to write a preview of the Bafana Bafana vs Jamaica match in Bloemfontein this evening, I thought I would just go and see what the online experts say.

Kickoff.com Bafana's One problem is Two Shoes

Former Bafana Bafana midfielder John "Shoes" Moshoeu says that while South Africa has not been doing very well in their last few international games, all is not yet lost.

During the summer Arsenal made one purchase, Thomas Vermaelen. A relatively unknown defender from Ajax, who according to most "experts", was too short to make it in the Premier League. Many Arsenal fans were rightly concerned that instead of a burly centre half in the mould of Hangeland, instead of a speedy defender we acquired someone who is as fast as Senderos and we let Toure leave.

The groups for the Africa Cup of Nations 2010 were drawn today, which should go at least some way to cheering up teams like Egypt and Tunisia who very narrowly missed the World Cup 2010 boat.

The tournament takes place in Angola from January 10th to January 31st, 2010. We've got blogs and bloggers for 12 of the 16 teams involved in the tournament.

Here is Nigeria's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, thanks to Goal.com. It looks pretty formidable.

Luis Felipe Scolari has been approached by the Angolan FA to manage the Angolan national squad. His contract, if he accepts it, runs to the end of the Africa Cup of Nations which is to be hosted by Angola in January 2010.

Angola has been overshadowed by its West African counterparts and Egypt until recently when they qualified for the 2006 World Cup and entered the quarterfinals of the 2008 Africa Cup.

After years of planning and with the eyes of international football focused on South Africa, the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup officially gets underway this afternoon at 4 p.m. local time when the hosts take on Iraq at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The headlines splashed across the papers this morning are equal parts excitement and concern for the prospects of the Bafana Bafana, who failed to qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 2009-10 Premier League fixture list was released today. I must say, I like what I'm seeing.

The first two months look rather comfortable, away to Fulham and a home date with Tottenham looking the toughest of the lot. We play Liverpool and Manchester United at home in October and November, respectively, before closing out our Big 4 slate with away matches against those two in April and May.

Has the transfer window opened again? I awoke to see the headlines about Arsenal being linked to three players. Bolton's Gary Cahill just as a back up centre half, he could be just the answer especially with Johan out until February with a knee injury, Song our other back up centre half going to the Africa Cup of Nations.

It's the World Cup 2010 qualification finale in Africa this weekend, with three spots at the big show still up for grabs. South Africa are qualified as hosts. Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire join them having already won Groups D and E respectively.

That leaves three groups undecided with just one round of games to go, and those games are this weekend.

dailymail.co.uk

Chelsea target Sergio Aguero ready to leave Atletico Madrid if the price is right

Sergio Aguero has opened the door to a move to Chelsea by admitting he is prepared to leave Atletico Madrid.

The Argentina striker is determined to see the season out with the La Liga strugglers, but is willing to change clubs at the end of the season if the price is right.

The official matchball of World Cup 2010 was officially unveiled today. Officially. So now it's all official.

The adidas Jabulani (above) will be the ball used in all World Cup 2010 games in South Africa. There are plenty of technical details, some of which are after the jump.

by FRANCO PANIZO

Real Madrid has made a habit of trying to sign the world's top defenders in an effort to field a stout defense, and the club's latest target is Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho.

After receiving the news that street fighter Pepe would be out six months with ruptured ligaments in his right knee, Madrid has set its sights on Carvalho as a replacement, and hope to land the Portuguese international in the winter transfer window.

by FRANCO PANIZO

Real Madrid has made a habit of trying to sign the world's top defenders in an effort to field a stout defense, and the club's latest target is Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho.

After receiving the news that street fighter Pepe would be out six months with ruptured ligaments in his right knee, Madrid has set its sights on Carvalho as a replacement, and hope to land the Portuguese international in the winter transfer window.

As we proceed, to buy what we need.

Diddy knows what is up. As you should have already heard, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has agreed to freeze the two-window transfer ban on Chelsea, as well as the four-month playing ban on Gael Kakuta. These bans, imposed by Fifa's Dispute Resolution Chamber, are temporarily lifted until the club's appeal has been heard and ruled on.

by CARL ELDRIDGE We're not quite in the doldrums as far as Arsenal coverage goes ahead of the international weekend but we aren't far off, folks. But there are a few tales pertaining to the glorious Gunners to bring you not least of which is the Daily Mail's yarn that both Arsenal and Manchester United have both lodged an interest in signing Yaya Toure from Barcelona at the end of the season.

The African teams are mostly set. After last weekend's final qualifiers, we know that Cameroon, Nigeria, and either Egypt or Algeria will join hosts South Africa, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana as Africa's representatives at the first African World Cup. But those qualifiers also served to decide the field for a more immediate event: the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Angola in January (shorthanded as CAN2010—for the Campeonato Africano das Nações em Futebol Angola 2010).

The Africa Cup of Nations group stage draw was released on Friday at the Talatona Convention Centre in Luanda with the hosts Angola being drawn in a somewhat easy Group A alongside Algeria, Mali and Malawi. This tournament will be a must win for the 'Palancas Negras' after they failed to reach the Finals of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Africa Cup of Nations 2010 Groups
Group A:
Angola
Mali
Malawi
Algeria
Group B:
Cote d'Ivoire
Burkina Faso
Ghana
Togo
Group C:
Egypt
Nigeria
Mozambique
Benin
Group D:
Cameroon
Gabon
Zambia
Tunisia
Africa Cup of Nations 2010 Schedule:
#01 – Jan 10th, Angola vs Mali (Group A) 17:00 kickoff
#02 – Jan 11th, Malawi vs Algeria (Group A) 14:45
#03 – Jan 11th, Cote d'Ivoire vs Burkina Faso (Group B) 17:00
#04 – Jan 11th, Ghana vs Togo (Group B) 19:30
#05 – Jan 12th, Egypt vs Nigeria (Group C) 17:00
#06 – Jan 12th, Mozambique vs Benin (Group C) 19:30
#07 – Jan 13th, Cameroon vs Gabon (Group D) 17:00
#08 – Jan 13th, Zambia vs Tunisia (Group D) 19:30
#09 – Jan 14th, Mali vs Algeria (Group A) 17:00
#10 – Jan 14th, Angola vs Malawi (Group A) 19:30
#11 – Jan 15th, Burkina Faso vs Togo (Group B) 17:00
#12 – Jan 15th, Cote d'Ivoire vs Ghana (Group B) 19:30
#13 – Jan 16th, Nigeria vs Benin (Group C) 17:00
#14 – Jan 16th, Egypt vs Mozambique (Group C) 19:30
#15 – Jan 17th, Gabon vs Tunisa (Group D) 17:00
#16 – Jan 17th, Cameroon vs Zambia (Group D) 19:30
#17 – Jan 18th, Angola vs Algeria (Group A) 17:00
#18 – Jan 18th, Mali vs Malawi (Group A) 17:00
#19 – Jan 19th, Burkina Faso vs Ghana (Group B) 17:00
#20 – Jan 19th, Cote d'Ivoire vs Togo (Group B) 17:00
#21 – Jan 20th, Egypt vs Benin (Group C) 17:00
#22 – Jan 20th, Nigeria vs Mozambique (Group C) 17:00
#23 – Jan 21st, Cameroon vs Tunisia (Group D) 17:00
#24 – Jan 21st, Gabon vs Zambia (Group D) 17:00
Quarter-Finals‘
#25 – Jan 24th, 1st A vs 2nd B, 17:00
#26 – Jan 24th, 1st B vs 2nd A, 20:30
#27 – Jan 25th, 1st C vs 2nd D, 17:00
#28 – Jan 25th, 2st D vs 2nd C, 20:30
Semi-Finals
#29 – Jan 28th, Winner #25 vs Winner #28, 17:00
#30 – Jan 28th, Winner #26 vs Winner #27, 20:30
Third place playoff
#31 – Jan 30th, Loser #29 vs Loser #30, 17:00
Final
#32 – Jan 31st, Winner #29 vs Winner #30, 17:00

Today is d-day for European clubs. The eagely awaited draw for the last 16 of the Uefa champions league will take place at Uefa headquarters in Nyon Switzerland from 1200 CET.

The final which will be held in Real Madrid's Santiago Bernebeu stadium on 22 May will provide the host club with an opportunity to make history in Europe's ultimate club tournament.

No England football fixtures for a while, but our next game has just been announced. It is:

England vs Egypt
March 3rd, 2010 at Wembley.

Egypt aren't going to World Cup 2010 as they narrowly missed out after losing the specially arranged playoff to their North African rivals (and our Group C opponents) Algeria.

No England football fixtures for a while, but our next game has just been announced. It is:

England vs Egypt
March 3rd, 2010 at Wembley.

Egypt aren't going to World Cup 2010 as they narrowly missed out after losing the specially arranged playoff to their North African rivals (and our Group C opponents) Algeria.

Ancelotti to make clever Bundesliga purchase.

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Chelsea could hijack West Ham's attempts to lure Luca Toni to the Premier League it was reported today.

Photo by J.Star on Flickr

A note in preface: The story here is a bit of a divergence from my usual weekly post. With Christmas coming and the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola not far behind (kicking off January 10th) I've been thinking about the 2002 Christmas I spent in Angola when working on my dissertation research.

Jabulani Angola

Confederation of African Football (CAF) and adidas has unveiled the Official Match Ball for next month's Africa Cup of Nations.

Like the 2010 World Cup Match Ball, the Afcon ball is called 'Jabulani Angola' and differs from the World Cup Jabulani only in colour.

On December 22nd, 2009, CAF and adidas unveiled the Official Match Ball for the Africa Cup of Nations 2010 - the Jabulani Angola. Similar to the adidas Jabulani ball to be used in FIFA World Cup 2010, the Jabulani Angola features a unique colour scheme inspired by ANC host Angola. According to a press release from adidas: Inspired by the [.

With a host of players from the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A and French Ligue 1 on show, the Africa Cup of Nations 2010 is the most anticipated ever. Africa's premier footballing event and the first major world football event of 2010 kicks off on January 10th and run through January 31st in [.

Well Jose Mourinho might be happy to be able to have Sully Muntari stay with Inter Milan for the entire season, but Michael Essien is very upset that the Ghanian FA have excluded Muntari from the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. You can read more on Goal.com by clicking here.

As the January transfer window quickly approaches, many clubs will look to add new players to their squad hoping that at least these acquisitions can help them win some silverware. What many have forgotten is that another major tournament will be taking place for the entire month of January in the beautiful continent of Africa.