Safee Sali has extended his deal with Pelita Jaya, reportedly making him the highest paid player in ASEAN in the process. There had been a feeling that Safee, under pressure from the Malaysian FA to play for a club in a recognised league, would return to Malaysia or even sign for a Thai team but I understand Muang Thong United baulked at his wage demands.

Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic is set to snub the interest of several other English clubs to seal a transfer to Liverpool, a club that the player's father has described as 'great'.

Jelavic has been the subject of interest from the Reds' fellow Premier League side Queens Park Rangers as well as Championship outfit West Ham United.

Sir Alex Ferguson has today confirmed the rumours that Newcastle have had a bid rejected for Ravel Morrison.

The player who has been long tipped to be the most talented player to come through our youth team since the likes of David Beckham and Paul Scholes looks set to leave Manchester United.

So i don't know whether to believe these rumours or simply laugh them off. Aston Villa are reported to be seriously considering signing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.

By all standards, Villa is a good team, however, Alex Mcleish's plans on Drogba joining at the end of the season are a bit too ambitious.

Tottenham Hotspurs have given midfielder Steven Pienaar the green light to leave the club if Sunderland or any other club can meet their £5 million asking price. Pienaar who has not seen any league action this season due to his niggling injuries, has struggled to impose himself in Harry Redknapp's side since his £2.

Premier League club Chelsea are considering selling their Ivorian striker Didier Drogba in the winter transfer window. Drogba who has failed to make an impact on the league this season, has been a long time target for Italian giants AC Milan, however, it is not likely he will move to the Serie A champions because of his hefty wage demands.

Like a horse and carriage Bambang Pamungkas and Persija are a partnership many thought was timeless. With the exception of two years in Malaysia with Selangor and a few months in Netherlands with EHC Norad Bambang has spent the last 12 years with Persija. An unheard of period of time in Indonesian football.

Over the past couple of years, Arsenal have been severely criticised for their transfer policy and their reluctance to splash the cash on big name players. The Gunners have been accused of everything from a lack of ambition to manipulating the share price, as their time without a trophy grows longer and longer and Arsene Wenger's men slip further and further down the Premier League pecking order.

According to the Daily Star, Tottenham striker Peter Crouch is on the verge of a transfer to Sunderland. The Black Cats have been extremely busy over the summer transfer window, and with Crouch failing to impress recently at White Hart Lane Steve Bruce is ready to sign the English international.

Samir Nasri has astonishingly claimed that he turned down the Champions to sign for Manchester City, which is interesting, considering United didn't bid for the player.

"I did not see myself leaving England. The question arose of whether to go to United or City," said Nasri. "But I prefer to make history with a club, rather than be just one player among the rest.

Neil Warnock remains hopeful of bringing in Joe Cole on loan from Liverpool after a fresh injection of cash at QPR.
Tony Fernandes' takeover at Loftus Road last week has given Warnock extra money to spend in the transfer window, and the Rangers boss can now afford to pay a greater portion of Cole's wages.

News today is that PSV Eindhoven want £6M for their Dutch International left-back Erik Pieters. Erik Pieters - £6M and £30K/week not bad at all And the player's wage demands are said to be around £30K/week, which is less that Jose Enrique's £45K/week he was getting on Tyneside for four years, and of course [.

With reports coming through suggesting that Spurs have been quoted a fee in the region of £31m for Fernando Llorente, could Harry Redknapp follow the lead of other premiership managers and take a look at free agent David Trezeguet?

The 33-year old French international is available on a free following his departure from relegated Spanish side Hercules in the summer after scoring 12 goals in 31 appearances in La Liga.

Bolton Keen on David Ngog

Bolton are believed to be keen on Liverpool's David Ngog after moves for Daniel Sturridge and Cameron Jerome were cast into doubt. This news follows reports published on Kopsource late last month that Owen Coyle was preparing a £4m bid for the player .

NO DOUBT STILL BUZZING THEIR MAMMARIES OFF AFTER Saturday's big cup win in Jo'Burg, ‘Arry and the chaps returned to the mainland this week with not only the much desired Vodaphone Challenge pot to stick in the old bauble wardrobe, but also the rather alarming realisation that another week has passed and we're still one brand-spanking new centre-forward short of the full quota.

NO DOUBT STILL BUZZING THEIR T*TS OFF AFTER SATURDAY'S BIG cup win in Jo'Burg, ‘Arry and the chaps returned to the mainland this week with not only the much desired Vodaphone Challenge pot to stick in the old bauble wardrobe, but also the rather alarming realisation that another week has passed and we're still one brand-spanking new centre-forward short of the full quota.

Fiorentina are still some way off finding an agreement over personal terms with Alberto Aquilani, his agent Franco Zavaglia has said.
Despite impressing for Liverpool in pre-season, the player's representative confirmed talks over a move back to Serie A for his client have been taking place.
Aquilani, 27, is seen by Fiorentina as an alternative to Riccardo Montolivo, who has been tipped to leave the club this summer, possibly for AC Milan.

Fiorentina could bring Alberto Aquilani back to Serie A by paying Liverpool to take him on loan.
Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic confirmed in his Press conference on Friday that his team "needs an Aquilani-style midfielder" for this season.
The Italian international has made it clear he would like to play in Serie A after Juventus failed to take up their option to make a loan spell permanent.

Liverpool Target Chelsea Striker Sturridge

Liverpool have set their sights on Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, according to CrunchSports.com . The England U-21 international spent the second half of last season on loan at Bolton and impressed, scoring 8 goals in 12 Premier League appearances.

Manchester United will decide in the next 48 hours whether to push through a £35 million deal for Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder but ESPNsoccernet sources believe the player's wage demands may still prove a stumbling block.

Liverpool to Wrap Up Downing Deal Next Week

Liverpool will try to wrap up the signing of Stewart Downing early next week, our sources understand. The Reds are keen to ensure the majority of their new recruits are on board before they depart for their tour of Asia. Villa reportedly rejected a £15m offer from Liverpool earlier this week , but Kenny Dalglish is determined to get his man and negotiations will continue over the coming days.

Rumors abound that Wanderers have an interest in wayward striker Robbie Keane but it seems that as soon as talk surfaced, fans and media alike said "absolutely not!" Keane hasn't enjoyed the form that earned him a sale to Liverpool a few years back in the last couple of seasons so it is easy to see where the fans are coming from and let's not forget the fact tat his wage demands are simply exorbitant.

Liverpool manager Kenny Daliglish will have been put on red alert after the latest comments to come out of the Emirates with regards to the future of left-back Gail Clichy, who is also being chased by Manchester City.
Clichy is Arsenal's longest serving player having joined the north London club in 2003, he has won one Premier League and an FA Cup during his eight year stint at the Emirates.

The Bolton News has come out with info that Zat Knight's good friend Shaun Wright-Phillips wants to come to good old Bolton Wanderers Football Club. With him, SWP would bring a load of questions centering around his cost, ability, and how well he would fit into the team.
It's no secret that Shaun Wright-Phillips' wage demands are, to say the least, high.

ClubCall announced that Stoke City Manager Tony Pulis is possibly interested in a double move for Liverpool's Christian Poulsen and David N'Gog.
Poulsen never got his career off the ground for the Reds, despite reiterating desire to fight for his place he will most likely move on this summer.
David N'Gog has seen an offer from Sunderland recently but it looks to be that he will refuse as they will not match his wage demands.

David Ngog's proposed switch to Sunderland is being held up by the striker's wage demands.
Liverpool are happy to sell the Frenchman for a fee of around £4million but the Black Cats have so far been unable to agree personal terms with him.
The Wearside outfit insists they can't match the wages Ngog would earn if he remained at Anfield next season.

Short of the Premier League changing its mind and awarding Arsenal the league title for plucky against-all-likelihood endeavour, the one thing that would have kicked the summer off in a marvellous and positive fashion would have been some early incomings.

Wishful thinking, it seems, seeing that a) in signing terms it's early doors (whatever early doors are) and b) the futures of two very important players are obfuscated if, indeed, obfuscated is the word I'm looking for.

Photo by Nick Turchiaro/ISIphotos.com

Koke's Houston Dynamo career came and went in a matter of weeks.

The Spanish striker reportedly asked to be released from his contract with the club and has left Houston, presumably to rejoin Aris in Greece -- where he starred before coming to MLS -- according to comments made on his Facebook page.

It is being reported that the Thai Port coach, Sasom, will take over at Division One team Buriram subject to meeting wage demands.
Sasom has led Thai Port to FA Cup and League Cup success in the last two seasons but off the field nonsense over ownership of the club and players not being paid seem to have convinced the coach his future lies elsewhere.

According to Lee Ryder at the Evening Chronicle, Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has ruled out a move for AS Roma defender John Arne Riise. When asked about the rumor linking him with the 30-year-old, Pardew said,

"It's not true – absolutely not true.

Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani could yet make a return to Anfield.
The Italian international midfielder has been plying his trade with Juventus this season, and was expected to complete a permanent move to the Serie 'A' side from Liverpool in the summer.
However, the bianconeri are having 'serious doubts' over signing the player on a permanent basis, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, and could pass on the option of signing the player.

There are four American midfielders at the moment that I'd be be happy to see join Villa if we had room to use them; Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan are more than capable of fitting in on the flanks, Stuart Holden would be a useful creative addition in the centre and Michael Bradley would be my choice of a holding, box-to-box water carrier in the middle.

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan could be on the move to Tottenham after Spurs boss Harry Redknapp contacted the Spanish club over a potential £9 million bid for the Uruguayan striker.

Goal.com is reporting that Redknapp is contemplating making this move to bolster his strike force before the transfer window closes next week.

By Ollie Irish

Serial shit-stirrer Johan Cruyff says Barcelona would be nuts not to consider selling Dani Alves to Manchester City.

Alves is contracted at Barca until the summer of 2012 but is stalling on a contract extension as Barca refuse to meet his hefty wage demands.

Rumour has it that Alan Pardew is looking to bring Stephen Ireland to Newcastle United if problems with the player's wage demands can be resolved. It seems this rumour was started by The Journal, although there are no quotes and no official source is mentioned, so for the second article in succession I suggest caution.

Ahoy there. In a week which has seen both our glorious leader have a straightforward confectionary run cost him the contents of his pockets in Madrid, Pele back the move to Stratford and Jonathan Woodgate being talked up for a hop across town to our odious neighbours, it's probably just as well some actual football is being played this afternoon to take our mind off things.

Loan star David Bentley made his mark on his new manager Alex McLeish in the 1-1 with local rivals Aston Villa on Sunday.

Speaking on the club's official website McLeish said: "He was excellent. I thought he had a really good game."

The Blues' manager was concerned over Bentley's lack of recent action and had implied that he would be watching him in the second half to see if he faded, but claimed that the on-loan winger replied: "Don't take me off I've got a chance of playing 90 minutes.

Three names that we were "linked" with have all fallen through. And probably for the best.

Roque Santa Cruz:

In total, Santa Cruz started eight games, with another 16 substitute appearances. The Paraguay international has earned around £6m in wages. (via guardian)

City have hardened their stance on the issue of wages for loan players since agreeing to subsidise Craig Bellamy's move to Cardiff earlier this season and Blackburn will pay the majority of Santa Cruz's salary.

Alexis Sanchez whom we've supposedly been tracking for a while now will stay at Udinese at least until the end of this season. After that, it's fair game and while he's supposedly best suited to play out on the ring wing, it's safe to say that we've got that position covered sufficiently well between Nani and Valencia.