SoccerBlogs

4 PM has come and gone, and the New England Revolution are left with MLS veteran and Colombian international Juan Toja as the newest addition to their skillful midfield set. Ranked first in the allocation order, the Revs were in pole position to take advantage of Toja's return to the States, and they exercised their rights as expected.

The MLS summer transfer window is a fickle thing. It's the best time for most clubs to bring in high-priced and/or high-caliber foreign talent because most other leagues are in their offseason, leaving clubs free to shop around talent without disrupting a squad in mid-season. MLS clubs, obviously, tend not to be so finicky about such concepts as "team chemistry" and "being prepared at the start of the season so you don't need to bring in emergency reinforcements in July.

Various media outlets are reporting that Arsenal have agreed a fee of £13million with Montpellier for France international striker Olivier Giroud.

Arsenal have been linked with Giroud for a while, but reports now say that Arsenal and Montpellier had agreed on a transfer fee.

In even more good news, there are reports that Marouane Chamakh could move the other way as part of the deal!

No Rushing RVP, Says Gazidis

Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis has said that the club is not putting any pressure on Robin van Persie to resolve his contract situation as soon as possible and insisted that the club understands that their talisman needs to concentrate on the upcoming European Championship.

Jan Vertonghen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Arsenal Enter Powell Chase

Arsenal are vying for the signature of Crewe Alexandra starlet Nick Powell, who is also attracting interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Ten members of the Arsenal first-team have been called up and will be flying out to Ukraine and Poland to represent their respective countries in this summer's European Championships. Euro 2012 kicks off in just under two weeks time when Greece take on co-hosts Poland in Warsaw on June 8th.

Manchester City's Summer 2012 Transfer Targets - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Backed by their wealthy owners, Manchester City have spent a fortune on players including Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Carlos Tevez in recent seasons.

It's fully expected that the Manchester club will continue to spend big to bring in new, quality, players as soon as the transfer window re-opens.

By Alan Duffy

Bolton Wanderers 2-2 West Bromwich Albion Premier League 6th March

Poor old Owen Coyle watched as his side blew a two-goal lead which leaves them stuck in the relegation zone with just one game left.

A Martin Petrov spot-kick in the first-half followed by a Billy Jones own-goal on 72 minutes had put the Trotters in pole position to secure a vital three points.

It's over a year now since Spurs were first linked with Internacional striker and Brazilian international Leandro Damiao after it was revealed that the club had made an official bid last summer.

Since then, the 23 year old's stock has risen and his asking price has undoubtedly increased too.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has claimed midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson's increased wage demands scuppered his move to Anfield.

A deal had been struck with the Iceland international for him to return to Swansea – where he had spent the latter half of last season on loan – but when Rodgers moved to Anfield that move hit the rocks.

As far as the press are concerned, it's been pretty much accepted that Luka Modric will be heading out of Spurs this summer and their subsequent role has been to link the club with a choice of possible replacements.

Gylfi Sigurdsson was one name but as the rumour claiming that Real Madrid are moving into pole position gains momentum, it's widely being suggested that the La Liga giants will be weighing up a player plus cash bid.

The transfer rumour mills are in full swing and many are reporting that up to 11 Premiership Clubs are interested in signing Wolves winger Matt Jarvis. Others suggest that there are offers from abroad including one from Udinese but that Spurs are considered to be in pole position to land the 26 year old.

Thursday continued what's been a fantastic tournament overall, with a tightly-contested first match and a fairly easy romp for the defending champions in the nightcap. Nearly every match to this point has been eminently entertaining those that have lacked for goals have made up for it with a mostly watchable pace of play, even from the sides that you wouldn't normally expect to provide entertainment.

Assuming you've had a chance to read the post below, you're well aware that Chelsea have handed former interim manager Roberto Di Matteo the double role of permanent manager and first team coach, on a two-year deal. Though it was expected, it was also never a guarantee with Chelsea taking a serious look at Pep Guardiola.

Arsenal's Wage Structure to Undergo Changes

Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis has said that in order to offer lucrative terms to the club's superstar players like captain Robin van Persie, the Gunners are prepared to make changes to their currently 'flat' wage structure.