Meanwhile Aston Villa fans are contemplating selling their season tickets should Alex McLeish become their manager as is anticipated.

Alexander "Skip" Spence? No, it's Luka

Chelsea's £22m offer for Luka Modric is ridiculed by Harry Redknapp. The only player of genuine quality at Spurs is not exactly a wantaway so Chelsea will have to up their ante.

It maybe business as usual but the number of cases so far seem to suggest league rivals are more pro-active raiding the locker rooms of others in recent memory.

Barcelona might be preparing for its annual summer tempest involving Cesc Fabregas but the Arsenal captain introduces his moment of Zen saying in so many words if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.

"Barcelona are the best team in the world and going there guarantees titles.

Lille has confirmed that it is negotiating with Arsenal over the sale of their star striker Gervinho. The sale price being bandied about is between £8- £12m. The Cote D'Ivoirian scored 15 goals in their Ligue winning season. Other clubs interested are moneybags City (which probably pushed up his sale price a few million with their interest), Spurs, and Newcastle.

Alex McLeish joins the growing list of Judases in the Premiership. His terse resignation by email has set off a lot of teeth gnashing. Adding more fuel to the fire is Birmingham's concern that he's moving across to Villa Park. Their rivals are on the lookout for a coach but the odds are getting a bit long.

Alex McLeish joins the growing list of Judases in the Premiership. His terse resignation by email has set off a lot of teeth gnashing. Adding more fuel to the fire is Birmingham's concern that he's moving across to Villa Park. Their rivals are on the lookout for a coach but the odds are getting a bit long.

On August 5th the NY Cosmos led by Eric Cantona will play Paul Scholes's testimonial at Old Trafford.

Cantona, the coach of the Paul Kelmsley owned Cosmos hopes nostalgia will help gain a foothold in the MLS but featuring in the testimonial of a player the stature of Scholes in one of football's most hallowed ground might translate into something more tangible.

Gael Clichy is obviously on his way out. His contract negotiations have broken down and with a year left Arsenal are keen to avoid a Bosman. He's been mentioned before as a sweetener to a rumoured Karim Benzema transfer. But this is the first concrete offer and it comes from a rival Premiership side.

Carl Jenkinson or Karil Jenkinpää as he's known in Finland

If Carl Jenkinson is the a harbinger of transfers Arsene is going to make then expect no big name signings or at most the one. All that talk about Karim Benzema and Gary Cahill might just be that.

Phil Jones signed with Man Utd for £16m and Jordan Henderson valued at £20m is now a Liverpool man.

Looks a bit more quiet on the Samir Nasri transfer buzz as the player plays down the rumours. Hopefully negotiations can get back on track without the distractions of the last few days.

Meanwhile Liam Brady, in charge of youth development is optimistic that Nasri will still be at Arsenal.

Arsenal's position vis a vis Samir Nasri is weak. He's obviously after more wages and with a year left in his contract, the club gains nothing for him once he leaves on a Bosman. There are a couple of different options a.) Give him the money he seeks, extend his contract but build in some performance clauses b.

All signs point to Stamford Bridge

The ready answer to Mark Hughes's Fulham departure: He was angling for the Aston Villa job after it became clear that Gerard Houllier's health would not permit continuing as manager. But for the clearly ambitious Hughes was this really a step up going from midtable to midtable?

Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel moves to Spurs after his contract was set to expire this month.

The long standing Blackburn goalie joined Villa in 2008 and made 113 appearances. In his stay he broke the league record of consecutive appearances made with 275. A testimony to his durability.

Paging Yao Ming: Wenger is looking for height

Arsenal gave up 23 goals from set pieces the same as last season. This amounts to 53.5% of goals conceded, the highest in the Premiership. The explanation given by Wenger after Arsenal's humiliating loss to Stoke.

" We have conceded, I think, 21 from set-pieces and only 17 in open play.

Patrice Evra acting as an instigator (what's new?) encouraging his France team mate to dump Arsenal and come aboard a "winning team" like Man Utd has generated an expected reaction.

These maybe alarmist words but with Paul Scholes retiring and Ryan Giggs approaching the twilight of his career Man Utd are looking to replenish their midfield.

The first Welsh side to make it to the Premiership. They join already promoted QPR and Norwich City. In the playoffs against Reading the Swans scored three first half goals with Scott Sinclair, the Championship's highest scorer scoring a quick brace and Stephen Dobbie (video link)adding a third.

The ginger haired maestro retires after spending 17 years as a Red Devil where he clocked 676 appearances and scored 150 goals. His career will continue as a coaching assistant He will join Utd's coaching staff.

Throughout his years Scholes proved to be an excellent goalscorer despite his shifting roles within the squad.

Man Utd were the real caricatures in the final

In a nod to the Guardian one will attempt five things we learned from the Man Utd vs Barca Champions League final which will for obvious reasons not go down as a classic. It takes two teams to make one. And I will clench my fists a la Sir Alex and resist the urge for redundancies like, " Messi is a genius.

Kolo Toure is banned for six months from all football because he took pills that belonged to his wife.

Arsene Wenger on his former protege:

"He wants to control his weight a little bit because that's where he has some problems and he took the product of his wife."

Toure had problems controlling his weight while he was playing football.

Falcao's use of telekinesis makes him very dangerous

It is bewildering how Arsenal is one club which manages to get linked to every player despite the ever decreasing number of transfers.

The latest is Radamel Falcao whose performance in the Portugese Liga has everyone raving.

Blackbum may rule the roost with him in charge

Carlo Ancelotti successfully removed the clause that stipulates he cannot be employed by another Premiership club by agreeing to a smaller severance amount. The Italian humiliated by Chelsea's crass gesture shows his serious intent to continue coaching in England counting redemption as one of his motives.

At Arsenal next season?

Arsene Wenger has been a long time admirer of the former Lyon striker now at Real.

"His movement is always intelligent, he is able to combine well with other players to make a difference, and also make individual strikes. So, in my opinion, he is one of the best in the world.

It was Gary Neville's testimonial, an emotional occasion as he was reunited with brother Phil, Nicky Butt, and David Beckham as they took on Juventus. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes completed the class of 1992 reunion. But it was Manuel Giondonato's brilliant free kick that had everyone talking.

A bold, decisive signing as Atletico Madrid's David De Gea is signed for £17m as replacement for the retiring Edwin Van der Sar. The amount paid for the 20 year old sensation is the highest paid by an English club for a goalie. A changing of the guard?

De Gea according to Sir Alex has all the leadership and organizational attributes of Van der Sar and the video clip above seems to show he has the reflexes as well.

Wenger summing up the season after the Fulham match.

" But we are not to go overboard. Maybe one year you will realise that it is not easy to finish in the top four every time. Even if people say we have to spend money, we have to be realistic. We cannot buy players for £50 million and, even if we try to strengthen our team and spend money if needed, that is fact.

Ferguson with his manager of the year award...

Rooney Junior missing a sitter....

Richard Williams, hands down the poorest analyst in the Guardian stable justifies Carlo Ancelotti's departure in a shoddy piece. According to him Ancelotti is the beneficiary of hand me downs while at Milan and then Chelsea. In short the double was achieved because of Rainieri, Mourinho, and Guus Hiddink.

" I'm here and you're there and we're not together. Backs to the wall r us."

The signs of retreat were everywhere. From Cesc Fabregas preferring to spend his day in Barcelona at the Spanish Grand Prix to Arsene Wenger cheerleading Man Utd's Champions League dream. But it was on the pitch once again to remind us where it had all unraveled.

Not entirely unexpected. Details soon.

Hugo Rodallega's 78th minute winner at the Brittania ensured Wigan remain in the Premiership.

Blackburn had already ensured Premiership participation after scoring three quick goals against Wolves at the Molineaux. It was down to Wolves, Wigan, Blackpool, and Birmingham fighting for that last spot.

Charlie Adams and Charles N'Zogbia: Who will be the saviour?

Russian roulette. Five clubs battle it out to stay up in the Premiership. Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Wolves, and Wigan The killer B's vs the killer W's for the phonetically inclined. Wigan stay or we gonna fall?

The emotional favourite for the neutrals is Blackpool obviously.

David Conn's article on the finances of the 20 Premiership clubs is a continued portrayal of clubs living beyond their means. Some are better geared towards fulfilling the requirements of UEFA's financial fair play rules set to kick in next season. Amongst them Arsenal is held up as a standard because of their self sustaining model.

Avram Grant should have gone four months ago. That is the conventional wisdom and a fairly safe one at that. But the problem was no one was willing to take over for him. Grant reveals that there were six candidates including Martin O'Neill, Steve McLaren, and Sam Allardyce who were sought out in January but they would not do it because " they knew the situation there.

Manchester City moved into 3rd place in the EPL rankings with a 3 - 0 win over Stoke City.Two very good goals from Tevez .
For Stoke City it was more of the same thing - having just finished losing to Manchester City in the FA cup final.
So what are the latest Manchester City rumours ?

Back to the drawing board

The dust has barely settled. From the braggadocio of the "quadruple" barely two months ago to surveying the detritus of this season. Arsene Wenger has the look of a man utterly bewildered by these developments. He set sail for the New World but all he found was his way back to Dover.

Man Utd on the bubble for a record 19th top flight title and Man City with a chance to win their first silverware since 1976.

United are at Blackburn and Man City play Stoke at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

Ryan Giggs makes his 573rd appearance the most in the Premier League going past David James (572).

Kenny Dalglish's appointment as permanent manager was a mere formality.

Taking a club from mid table to a Europa Cup spot in three months is not just mere accomplishment in itself but the way they've done it has the pundits talking. For the first time in a long time there is fear and loathing in playing Merseyside.