Football Corner

The Transfer Window is now SHUT

2009-09-01T22:19:00.002+01:00

After two months, the transfer window has today slammed shut. What a transfer window, eh?

Obviously the big spenders in the Premier League were Manchester City, spending over £115 million. Mark Hughes was certainly given to freedom to spend money left, right and centre, building almost a fantasy football team in the process.

It seems the majority of football news in Europe has surrounded Real Madrid this summer. The Spanish giants have spent nearly a quarter of a billion pounds on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Kaka. Many football betting experts believe Real may be the team to beat in the Champions League this season and personally, I agree with them.

Elsewhere in the transfer window, Tottenham completed a transfer deadline day deal, bringing Portsmouth midfieder Niko Kranjcar to Fratton Park. Kranjcar became the second Portsmouth player to join Harry Redknapp at Spurs, following the arrival of Peter Crouch earlier this summer.

Manchester City to win the League?

2009-08-19T16:11:00.005+01:00

Many leading figures in the game have questioned whether or not Manchester City can win the Premier League title this season. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has already dismissed City's chances, however both Harry Redknapp and Martin O'Neill think Mark Hughes' men are contenders.

With the players they have signed over the summer (Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez etc;) you would think that they must be contenders, however it is how they gel together is the main thing. If they lose two or three games on the trot, suddenly pressure begins to mount and the players begin to lose interest, so it is vital Hughes keeps all of his players happy.

So, can City really challenge? I'm still undecided, however one things for sure, I wouldn't be gambling against it.

An important notice for all Football Corner readers

2009-07-06T03:19:00.002+01:00

Just to let you know, Football Corner has moved.

Visit the new site now, www.football-corner.org

Also, if I could get everyone who links to Football Corner to please change the URL of the link that would be terrific.

Anyway, look forward to having you all over at the new site.

Carlos Tevez really does hate Sir Alex

2009-07-05T18:58:00.005+01:00

Carlos Tevez just won't shut up about his now former club Manchester United.

Speaking about his former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, the Argentine striker had this to say :

"He thinks I will return. But I know what I want and I know that Ferguson did not respect me as a player. Before Berbatov arrived in Manchester, Ferguson told me, ‘You will still be the starting striker, so be cool’. But he lied to me!

That is why I know I will not return to United. What I want to do next season is score against United. I promise I will not celebrate in front of the United fans but I will shout in Ferguson’s face. You can be sure of that - and it will be one of the most beautiful things I have done in football."

Although I am a Manchester City fan, I really think Tevez should just keep his mouth shut. To put it bluntly, he's acting like an immature teenager. On the other hand, wouldn't it be hilarious to see how Ferguson would react if Tevez was shouting in his face.

What do you think? Comments below please.

Why on earth would Aston Villa want to sign this guy?

2009-07-02T14:17:00.002+01:00

I know it's that time of the year, when strange rumours begin emanating in the media, however I have never seen a stranger rumour than the one which can be found in today's Daily Star.

The paper has today claimed that Aston Villa are set to make a move for Wigan defender Titus Bramble. As you can probably tell from the headline, I'm not a massive fan of Bramble's, in fact, I think he's one of the worst players to ever play in the Premier League.

So why on earth would Villa manager Martin O'Neill want to sign the one and only Titus Bramble? Comments below please.

Real Madrid are ruining the transfer market, not Manchester City

2009-07-02T12:45:00.006+01:00

It's funny, I remember back to middle of January, when Manchester City made that astonishing £107 million bid for Kaka. It seemed as though everyone in the football world had something negative to say about City's audacious bid to sign the former FIFA World Player of the Year.

Michel Platini was threatening to ban City from entering any European competitions if they were just going to spend ridiculous sums of money on players. Platini's doesn't seem to be threatening to ban Real Madrid from entering European competitions even though they are now the ones actually spending the ridiculous sums on big name players.

I don't know why this gets my so annoyed, but it does. Maybe it's because I have been a City fan for quite some time and I hate to see my team criticised. I understand that City are bound to be criticised for spending £30 million plus on players, however I don't understand why Real Madrid aren't criticised for spending £50 million plus on players.

So those who say that Manchester City are ruining the transfer market are just plain idiots because City haven't even spent £30 million this summer. Real have spent £180 million.

What do you think? Comments below please.

Is the new Arsenal 3rd kit a hit or a miss?

2009-07-01T18:14:00.003+01:00

Arsenal have today revealed their new 3rd kit for the 09/10 Premier League campaign. I quite like the new jersey, but I'm keen to hear what you Gunners fans and indeed any football fans feel about the new kit.

You can find several Arsenal jerseys over at myfootballkits.co.uk.

Comments below please.

Three words to sum up Cristiano Ronaldo's time at Manchester United

2009-07-01T15:59:00.004+01:00

It's official, Cristiano Ronaldo is a Real Madrid player after spending six years with the Premier League Champions Manchester United.

Love him or loath him, there's no denying he was one of the best players the Premier League has ever seen. In total, Ronaldo scored an incredible 118 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils establashing himself as a firm favourite amongst the Old Trafford faithful.

Football Corner wants you to sum up Ronaldo's time at United in just three words. Whenever we do the "Three words to sum up" we always get a good response from you, the readers, so let's do the same again. If I had to use three words to sum up Ronaldo's career at United, I would say he was : simply the best.

Leave your comments below and as always, make them funny.

The Transfer Window is officially open

2009-06-30T23:52:00.005+01:00

The Transfer window is now officially open and boy are we in for a busy few weeks.

Many big money deals have already been confirmed, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka signing for Real Madrid and Glen Johnson signing for Liverpool.

The next few days are bound to be extremely busy with several big name players tipped to be moving including Carlos Tevez and Karim Benzema. So, make sure to stay tuned to Football Corner for all the latest transfer news as it happens.

Who will be on the move this summer? Comments below please.

Arsenal midfielder would jump at the chance to join Barcelona

2009-06-30T19:09:00.002+01:00

"If I have the chance to play for Barcelona, I'd be really happy."

Andrei Arshavin has today shocked Arsenal by claiming that should the opportunity arise, he would love to join Barcelona.

The Russian international moved to the Emirates just five months ago for a reported fee of £17 million. Since his arrival in North London, the 28-year old has scored six goals for Arsene Wenger's men, establishing himself as a firm fan favourite in the process.

Before his move to Arsenal, Arshavin was strongly linked with a move to Barcelona, however nothing ever materialised with regards a move to the Camp Nou. There has been talk in recent times that Arshavin and his wife, Yulia, are unhappy in England due to the high tax rates and the food.

In the immediate aftermath of Arshavin's switch from Zenit St Petersburg to Arsenal, Yulia claimed she would have preferred if her husband had of moved to Spain. Strange thing for Arshavin to say so early into his Arsenal career. Personally, I hope Arshavin doesn't leave the Premier League anytime soon because I'm sure there is far more to see from the little playmaker. It will be interesting to see how the Gunners faithful react to Arshavin's comments.

So Arsenal fans, what do you think? Comments below please.

Arsenal, Villa, Bolton & Man City all set to hold talks with £12 million Portuguese midfielder

2009-06-29T21:02:00.005+01:00

It has been claimed today that Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bolton and Manchester City will all hold talks with Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso.

The Portuguese international has been linked with a move to the Premier League for quite some time now, however for whatever reasons he remains a Sporting player, but that may be about to change.

Veloso, 23, is desperate to join an English club during the summer transfer window and with four clubs now vying for his signature, a move looks a strong possibility. Whoever does eventually sign Veloso will have to cough up at least £12 million and in my opinion, at that price, he would prove great value for money.

He is still quite young, he can play in a variety of different positions and he has Champions League experience. Personally, I think Martin O'Neill should do all he can to convince Veloso to go to Villa Park cause at the moment, he could really use a quality midfield player. Stay tuned to Football Corner for all the latest developments on this and more over the coming days and weeks.

What do you think? Comments below please.

Manchester United finally spend some of the Ronaldo money

2009-06-29T12:36:00.003+01:00

Manchester United are on the brink of completing their first signing of the summer, with Antonio Valencia likely to complete his £16.5 million move from Wigan later today.

The Ecuadorian winger has spent just over two years at the JJB Stadium, becoming one of Wigan's most prized assets during that time. Valencia, 23, was also strongly linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, however it finally looks as though Sir Alex Ferguson has got his man.

Valencia has never hidden his desire to move to Old Trafford and once Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid earlier this month, it was only a matter of time before things began to happen. Many people have questioned whether or not Valencia has the ability to replace Ronaldo and in my view, he hasn't.

For me, Valencia was just a very good player in an average team at Wigan (with all due respect to Wigan of course). He is just a slightly better version of Nani and I'm sure the United faithful will be hoping for Sir Alex has someone else up his sleeve. I would be extremley surprised if this is the only business we see United do in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to Football Corner for all the latest.

What do you think? Is Valencia really that good? Does he deserve to wear the famous number 7 shirt? Comments below please.

Which is worse? The new Tottenham home kit or the new Man United home kit?

2009-06-28T23:45:00.004+01:00

Or

Personally, I think both of them are horrible, but which one do you think is worse? Comments below please.

Arsenal ready to wave goodbye to Adebayor and say hello to £30 million Real Madrid & Man United target

2009-06-28T17:38:00.003+01:00

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is ready to let Emmanuel Adebayor join AC Milan for a fee believed to be around £23 million. It was confirmed yesterday, by the Milan president, Silvio Berlusconi, that the two clubs had been in contact regarding Adebayor's future at the Emirates and it would appear that a deal could be concluded in the coming weeks.

With that done, Wenger will obviously need to bring a new frontman to North London and if you are to believe what you read in the papers, that man will be Lyon's Karim Benzema.

The French international has been linked with several clubs in the past few days, including the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United, however as of yet, neither club has managed to reach an agreement with Lyon. Arsenal are confident that a bid of £30 million will force Lyon to sell, however the tricky part for them will be to convince Benzema to leave the Stade Gerland.

The 21-year old has stated on several occasions that he would like to remain at Lyon for at least one more season in order to ensure his place in the France World Cup squad. With Arsenal underachieving in terms of silverware in recent years, Wenger knows that this season must see an improvement to prevent key players leaving next summer and with that in mind he needs to bring in a player of the calibre of Benzema.

It will be fascinating to see who Benzema is playing for when the new season kicks off in six weeks time. I for one, hope he is playing Premier League football and personally, I think he would be perfect for Arsenal. Could you imagine seeing Benzema partnering Robin Van Persie in the Arsenal attack next season?

What do you think? Would Benzema be a good replacement for Milan-bound Adebayor? Comments below please.

Van will be playing in North London next season

2009-06-28T15:14:00.002+01:00

Robin Van Persie has today pledged his future to Arsenal amid reports linking him with a shock move to Manchester United.

When asked about the possibility of him leaving the Emirates this summer, Van Persie had this to say : "I'm not in negotiations with any other club - just Arsenal."

The Dutch international has just 12 months remaining on his current deal with Arsenal, however Arsene Wenger remains confident that a new deal will be signed in the coming weeks. Wenger recently stated : "We want to extend the contract of Robin."

Van Persie, 25, was Arsenal's top goalscorer last season scoring an impressive 20 goals in all competitions. With Emmanuel Adebayor likely to depart in the coming weeks, I feel it's vital that Arsenal manage to tie down Van Persie to a new long-term deal. When he's fit and on form, I personally don't think there are many better strikers in the Premier League.

What do you think? Comments below please.

Samuel Eto'o to partner Carlos Tevez up front at Eastlands

2009-06-28T12:30:00.004+01:00

It looks increasingly likely today that Samuel Eto'o will be joining Manchester City after Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed that the world's richest club have made a 'stratospheric' offer to the player.

The Cameroon striker has been strongly linked with a move to Eastlands in recent weeks, with City the only club willing to meet Eto'o's heafty wage demands of £1 million a month. Agreeing a transfer fee is unlikely to be a problem for the two clubs, with Barca willing to let Eto'o go for as little as £23 million due to his current contract expiring in just 12 months.

The 28-year old has spent five years at the Camp Nou, scoring an incredible 130 goals in just 200 appearances. His last appearance for Barca was last month's Champions League final where Eto'o scored the opening goal of a 2-0 victory over City's arch rivals Manchester United.

It is thought the whole deal could be finalised as early as Tuesday. Eto'o is likely to be partnered by Carlos Tevez at City. The Argentine striker will finalise his £30 million move on Wednesday after spending weeks considering his future. This is unlikely to be the end of Mark Hughes' spending this summer, with a defender now believed to be his number one priority.

What do you think? Comments below please.

Is Xabi Alonso really worth £35 million?

2009-06-27T23:56:00.003+01:00

It has been claimed today that Liverpool have told Real Madrid they will have to bid £35 million if they are to have any chance of signing Xabi Alonso. The Spanish midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu all summer, however as of yet, Real are yet to make a bid.

£35 million is a hell of a lot of money and it has got me thinking, is Alonso really worth that much? I'm undecided, but what do you think? Please leave your comments below.

Spurs willing to let striker leave for £18 million

2009-06-27T16:02:00.003+01:00

Darren Bent's days as a Tottenham player appear numbered after club chairman Daniel Levy admitted the England striker could leave once the club's valuation of £18 million is met.

Bent, 25, has struggled to make an impact at White Hart Lane since his £16.5 million arrival from Charlton back in 2007. Sunderland are believed to be the only club currently interested in Bent's signature, however the £18 million price-tag which has been placed on Bent should see Steve Bruce cool his interest.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is desperate to offload Bent as soon as possible to allow him to move for the likes of Klaas Jan Huntelaar and/or Luca Toni. With the World Cup fast approaching, Bent knows he needs to be playing regular first team football to have a chance of getting into Fabio Capello's England squad and at Spurs, that is unlikely to happen.

Personally, I think Tottenham would be lucky to get £12 million from the sale of Bent. I would say even Bent himself is laughing at the £18 million price-tag. Bent hasn't done much during his time at Spurs, and let's face it, a player who struggles to get into the Tottenham starting eleven is not worth £18 million. Stay tuned to Football Corner for all the latest on this and more.

What do you think? Are Spurs asking for a bit too much or is their £18 million valuation spot on? Comments below please.

The latest twist in the Carlos Tevez saga

2009-06-26T22:08:00.004+01:00

It would appear that Carlos Tevez will be joining Manchester City after months of speculation regarding his future. The Argentine striker has been strongly linked with several Premier League clubs in recent weeks including the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, however City look to have finally won the race.

Tevez recently revealed that he had rejected Manchester United's offer of a new deal at Old Trafford because he didn't feel wanted by the Premier League Champions. It has been reported today that the 25-year old has enrolled his 4-year old daugther, Florencia in a private school in Chesire, which would seem to indicate that he plans to stay in the north-west next season.

City have been the favourites for a long time to sign Tevez and I'm sure today's revelation will make them even heavier favourites. A player like Tevez will no doubt help Mark Hughes in his quest to make City one of the biggest clubs in the world and as a City fan myself, I just can't wait to see Tevez arrive at Eastlands.

What do you think? Can you see Tevez signing for anyone other than City or is it a certainty now? Comments below please.

Is Glen Johnson really worth £17.5 million?

2009-06-26T21:25:00.003+01:00

I'm sure you've all heard the news that Liverpool have completed the signing of Glen Johnson for a fee of £17.5 million. The England defender has signed a four year contract at Anfield after spending a successful three years on the south coast with Portsmouth.

The 24-year old has emerged as one of, if not the best right-back in the country, forcing Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez to cough up quite a sizeable chunk of money for his signature. Many people have questioned whether or not Johnson is really worth that much money but in my opinion, he is worth every penny.

Johnson is still very young for a defender and I think in the years to come he will prove to be an integral part of the Liverpool defence. The only worry I have about him is that he is quite an attacking right-back, however I'm sure Benitez will know how to manage him.

What are your thoughts on Johnson? Worth every penny or a huge waste of money? Comments below please.

Bye Bye Ronaldo

2009-06-26T20:53:00.004+01:00

Cristiano Ronaldo has this evening put pen to paper on a six-year contract with Spanish giants Real Madrid. The announcement brings to an end Ronaldo's six year spell with Premier League Champions Manchester United.

It's been over two weeks since the news broke that an £80 million fee between Real and United had been agreed and finally the news has broke that Ronaldo has agreed personal terms with the La Liga club.

A statement released just a few minutes ago read : "Real Madrid and Manchester United have signed the final agreement for the transfer of the rights of the player Cristiano Ronaldo effective July 1. The player will remain at Real Madrid for the next six seasons and will be presented on July 6 at the Bernabeu stadium."

No matter what you think of Ronaldo, you will all have to agree that the Premier League won't be the same without him. He was an incredible character both on and off the field who I for one, will sorely miss. I really wish him the very best of luck with his move and let's hope one day he returns to England to play, even if it was just for a Champions League encounter.

What are your thoughts on Ronaldo? Comments below please.

£45 million La Liga won't be heading for the Premier League after all

2009-06-25T23:14:00.002+01:00

David Villa has today ruled out the possibility of moving to the Premier League after months of speculation regarding his future. Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United have all been linked with the Valencia striker in recent times, however it would appear a move to England is now dead.

When asked about his future, the 27-year old replied : "When I said I had taken a decision it was true, and this decision is that next season I will play in Spain because it is the league that is best for me, I will not go abroad."

These comments will obviously be music to both Barcelona and Real Madrid ears. It is thought that Valencia will only sell Villa if the price is right, with a fee of £45 million being touted and with Barca and Real both willing to splash the cash this summer, it will be intriguing to see who eventually comes out on top.

As a massive fan of Premier League football in general, I'm devastated to see that Villa won't be arriving this summer. There is no doubt he is one of the best strikers on the planet and it would have been a pleasure to see him play in, undoubtedly the best league in the world. If I was a betting man (which I am) I would certainly be having a few quid on Villa to join Barcelona before the summer transfer window closes.

Where will David Villa be playing next season? Well, we are currently running a poll on that topic at the moment which can be found just to the right of this post. Also, leave your comments below please.

If these aren't banned, the World Cup will be a disaster

2009-06-25T20:44:00.003+01:00

Many people, including my good friend Brian Lofrumento over at Premiership Talk have had their say about the Vuvuzela. In case you don't know what a vuvuzela is, just watch a Confederations Cup match and you'll soon find out.

It's those annoying stadium horn thingy's that are driving me insane. I have only watched a few matches from the Confederations Cup in South Africa, however I have found it really hard to watch with any sort of volume on my television. The noise that comes from the vuvuzela is so annoying that I stopped watching this evening's semi-final between the hosts, South Africa and Brazil half-way through proceedings.

There has been calls from FIFA to ban vuvuzela's for next year's World Cup, however the South African Football Association (SAFA) have insisted that they are essential for an authentic South African football experience. They may be essential for an authentic South African football experience, but my god are they irritating.

It's so hard to enjoy a game of football when all you can hear is this constant noise. I for one, am hoping that something is done to prevent these vuvuzela from being used during next summer's World Cup because it would really ruin it as a spectacle. So, what do you think? Should the vuvuzela be banned or should we just fill our ears with cotton wool? Comments below please.

A strange day for Cesc Fabregas

2009-06-25T16:18:00.005+01:00

Earlier today it looked as though Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas may be on his way out of the Emirates after he slammed the club for it's failure to win a Premier League title in over five years.

"The absence of titles at Arsenal is what angers me the most ... Cristiano (Ronaldo) said he's leaving Manchester United because he had nothing else to win. For me right now it is the exact opposite, seeing the impotence.

Fabregas' comments fuelled speculation that a move to Real Madrid could be on the cards, however just hours after his original comments were made public, the 22-year old released a statement on the Gunners official website.

The Spanish international had this to say : "Let me make myself absolutely crystal clear - I am wholeheartedly committed to Arsenal, and my future lies with this great club."

A strange few hours in the career of Cesc Fabregas. No sooner had I read his comments that he was angry at Arsenal, I read that he is fully committed to Arsenal and that his future lies with Arsene Wenger's men. The large majority of Arsenal fans will be delighted to hear what Fabregas has had to say this afternoon, however I'm sure they aren't entirely comfortable with what has gone on today.

What do you think? Comments below please.

Three words to sum up Michael Owen

2009-06-25T14:57:00.005+01:00

Following his announcement that he won't be signing a new deal with Newcastle United, Michael Owen has been linked with the likes of Hull and Stoke City. Contrast that to just five years ago when Owen was putting the finishing touches on his move to the mighty Real Madrid.

The former England and Liverpool striker has come in for some heavy criticism in recent weeks after it was revealed that he had sent out a 32-page brochure to several Premier League teams in a desperate bid to find a club.

So, Football Corner wants you to sum up Owen in jut three words. If I had to chose just three words to sum up the 29-year old, I would use the words : very injury prone. Please tell me your three words by leaving a comments below and as always, make them funny.