This year's Champions League group stage features a number of mouth-watering match ups,
highlighted by the ideological battle between three English Premier League and Bundesliga clubs.
The debt-ridden, price gauging, heavy spending English vs the financially sound, responsible
Germans. While Manchester City are made to wait until the end of the month to face Bayern, Arsenal
and Chelsea face stiff competition this afternoon and their opponents have approached the
encounters in differently.
Liverpool face stiff competition from Aston Villa and Chelsea in the race to sign French starlet
Gueida Fofana.
The 19-year-old Le Havre midfielder is set to leave the Ligue 1 outfit with his contract expiring
in the summer, and Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is one of the managers who has taken an interest in
the player.
Win the Club Shirt Of Your Choice Simply by Speaking Your Mind!
David Moyes appears to be leading the chase to snap up Cardiff City's contract rebel Joe Ledley
this summer. Everton are set to beat off interest for the 23 year old Welsh international and will
stand to sign the attacking midfielder for a fee as low as £5m when a tribunal meets to decide on
the players value.
The latest breaking stories on transfers affecting the English Premier League - It is being
reported in Spain that Real Madrid will sign David Villa in a 40m euros deal
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will again use the Carling Cup to give the world a glimpse of the
club's future by blooding his youngsters. The competition has been used by the Frenchman in the
past to educate the likes of Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere on the demands of first-team
football.
New Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is interested in signing Joe Cole to replace
Yossi Benayoun. With Benayoun now a Chelsea player, Liverpool look very bare in the playmaker
department, and Cole would be a sensible, if fairly expensive signing.
Rafa prepares for a rainy day! The Rumour Arsenal face stiff competition for Fiorentina midfielder
Felipe Melo. The Sunday Times says Melo has also attracted interest from Manchester City, Chelsea
and Liverpool, who see him as a potential replacement for Javier Mascherano or Xabi Alonso. Arsenal
are now in talks with Fiorentina over a .
"Here, take those ones with the little hole in the middle. Yeah, those," St. Louis soccer
executive Jeff Cooper told me at the beginning of our interview in his East Alton, Illinois
office.
Mr. Cooper's office, which looks strangely like a cloud floating above a glowing fortress of
eternal joy and solitude, was bustling with activity despite it being Labor Day.
