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Having had a big hand in helping Wigan pull of the great escape again last season a host of teams are looking at Nigerian born winger, Victor Moses, with only 12 months left on his contract. Chelsea are very interested in the youngster but with all the midfielders they have bought this summer it’s hard to see where he would fit in. There is no doubt the young man has a lot of raw talent and showed up many of the big teams defence last year, especially Arsenal’s in Wigan’s infamous win at the Emirates. So where should Victor Moses go next if he should leave at all?

I have picked three teams that he is likely to join and the reasons why I think it would make as much sense as Piers Morgan being castrated. Enjoy!

Chelsea:

The big bucks of Roman Abramovich seem to be the most likely place for Moses according to reports on the BBC but I would worry about his growth as a player if he joined the London side. Victor Moses has progressed as a player because Wigan have been able to offer him guaranteed first team football, something that would not be available in the cut throat dressing room of Chelsea.

We have seen it many times before in recent years; a young player has a superb season for a lesser Premier League team and Chelsea become interested because he is in season, as they’d say in the fashion industry. They buy him, never play him and he eventually leaves losing some very important years in his career. It happened to Scott Parker, Glen Johnson and Steve Sidwell. Some of them recovered eventually and some just faded away.

Although this is the most likely destination due to the financial factors involved, I only think this move would work if Chelsea loaned him back to Wigan for another season to hone his skills.

Arsenal:

I already mentioned the infamous victory at the Emirates for Wigan last season and for those of you that don’t remember click here. It was during that match that Victor Moses made Bacary Sagna look a fool and was involved in both Wigan goals despite being able to grab a hat-trick. With rumours of Theo Walcott refusing to go away as his contract negotiations take a back seat whilst the RVP situation goes on, Victor Moses could form a wonderful partnership with Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Even if Walcott stays Moses would do well at Arsenal where many youngsters tend to flourish rather than let there talent dry up, like at another London team. At a price of about £9million he is even in Wenger’s price range.

Liverpool:

Rumours of transfer activity at Anfield this season are as expected as Joey Barton making statements about any subject that other people are talking about. The Daniel Agger saga looks to be the new one that will keep football fans in suspense till the thrilling conclusion later in the month and if Rodgers gets the funds available he should certainly reinvest in another winger to add depth to a shallow pool including Stewart Downing.

Moses fits the bill perfectly for Liverpool; He is young, cheap, won’t have excessive wages and is used to playing the passing game used by Rodgers and Martinez last term. The use of another winger could also rejuvenate Downing’s so far poor career in red giving the Anfield faithful more to smile about. This and the fact Moses is used to playing for relegation candidates means he won’t mind only playing in the Europa League.

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Scott Sinclair maybe the number one target for Rodger’s Liverpool but a cheaper alternative may benefit him more.

Talk of Liverpool’s supposed new stadium seems as old as the league itself, with more too’ing and fro’ing than a tug-of-war competition between Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks. Just like The Clash once so eloquently asked, their major question, as ever, remains: Should they stay or should the go?

Speaking recently Liverpool supremo and principle owner John W. Henry spoke openly about his first 10-months at the helm of the club and again, seemed to answer honestly when questioned about the future possibility of moving from Anfield and building a new stadium. It has previously been reported that Liverpool may be looking to build a new 60,000 capacity stadium, but with current home Anfield already able to hold 45,000 fans, Henry questioned the financial logic of such a build.

‘If Anfield cannot be expanded a new stadium is wonderful choice. But the fact is we already have 45,000 seats. If a new stadium is constructed with 60,000 seats you’ve spent an incredible sum of money to add just 15,000 seats.’ Henry answered when asked about the progress on building a new ground, adding: ‘If the cost is £300m for an extra 15,000 seats, that doesn’t make any sense at all. Liverpool isn’t London, you can’t charge £1 million for a long-term club seat.’

So is Henry right? For the sake of just 15,000 extra seats would it be wise and logical to place the financial burden on the club for not much extra gain?

Give Henry is due. He seems to have the club’s (as well as FSGs) best interests at heart and answers questions in a straight-forward, open manner. A far cry from many other owners who trumpet their arrival with brash and outlandish statements that leads to unfulfilled promises. Much as many Liverpool fans don’t wish to leave the spiritual home of Anfield, times and football has changed. In order to stay competitive, the extra revenue from the extra capacity will help massively. Whilst there has been talk of staying and redeveloping Anfield (the best option for a lot of fans, I know), Henry seemed to state this was no longer on the cards: ‘We would love to expand Anfield, but there are enough local and regulatory issues to keep that avenue stalled for years with no assurances that once begun it would bear any fruit.’

The next bugbear with many fans is the naming-rights issue. Again, romantically, Anfield means more to most than any new corporate branding with all its financial rewards could bring, however in this day and age in the world of football business, the financial gains are exactly what most now need in order to survive into the future and challenge for honours. Finally, probably most vehemently fought is any potential ground-share with the neighbours across Stanley Park – Everton. Whilst it seems financially logical, it is severely opposed by both sets of supporters as Henry acknowledged: ‘There’s no doubt that if a new stadium were to be built in Liverpool from a financial perspective – which is the major issue – a ground-share would be helpful for both clubs. But there doesn’t seem to be any support for that from Red or Blue fans – at all. So how could that ever happen?’

So, if no ground-share is to happen, Anfield cannot be redeveloped, and a 60,000 seater stadium isn’t financially logical, what options are left? Stay at Anfield, with a 45,000 capacity? Not if the club wants to move forward. That leaves building a new stadium, with probable naming-rights. However, as indicated from Henry himself, the capacity would need to eclipse the muted 60,000 for a build to be viable, but would, say, a 70,000+ stadium reach capacity?

Liverpool FC is one of the best, well known clubs in the world, and in business terms, a world-wide brand with global reach. The waiting list for a season ticket at Anfield passed beyond the 10-year mark some time ago and many have no doubts that this is one of only a few clubs that could regularly fill a stadium of that size. Of course, if building a stadium with extra capacity is sought, the need for more investment is crucial: enter the stadium naming-rights deal, which looks ever more likely. A suitable partner to fulfil this end of the deal is being hunted by the head honchos at the club, indicating that Liverpool, and Henry, are thinking bigger.

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A decision on the future of London’s Olympic Stadium has been delayed following weeks of debate on the tenants of the venue after the 2012 Games .

Premier League clubs West Ham and Tottenham have both submitted bids to use the stadium after the London Olympics, and a final decision was due on Friday.

But the Olympic Park Legacy Company said it needs more time to analyse each bid before making its decision.

An OPLC spokesman said: “Given the detailed nature of both bids received, we need more time to seek further clarification with both bidders in order to identify a preferred bidder.”

“The stadium is a significant public asset and we have a duty to run a robust process.”

“Securing the most appropriate solution for the stadium is vital to our long-term aspirations for the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the wider regeneration of the area.”

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Tottenham have tabled a bid which involves transforming the arena into a football-only venue, while West Ham intend to retain the athletics track at the stadium, as was promised in London’s original Olympic bid.

Tottenham have offered to redevelop the ageing Crystal Palace National Sports Centre as compensation for the loss of the athletics track.

The Spanish take on the Portuguese in a clash billed as the international ‘El Clasico’ given the rivalry between the two sides. Both teams ooze class across the park and will be hoping that one of their stars can take the initiative and fire their team into the Euro 2012 final. Here are three of the key battles to watch on Wednesday:

Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Sergio Ramos

Ronaldo will start out wide for Portugal, but the talisman provides his main threat when running at the heart of the defence. The onus is therefore on his Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos to stop him. He knows his game inside out from training and with his pace and technical ability, Ramos is well-equipped to keep Ronaldo quiet. However, Cristiano’s runs in behind are unstoppable on occasion, indeed you only have to look at his two goals against the Dutch when he split their back four in half with perfectly timed runs across the line as the perfect example. Ramos will also have to be careful in the air, he isn’t quite as solid as perhaps Carles Puyol would be in this area and Ronaldo provides such a threat when bursting onto the end of crosses. Just ask the Czechs. It may seem an obvious statement, but stopping Ronaldo would go a long way in helping Spain reach Kiev on Sunday night.

Miguel Veloso vs. Xavi

Everyone knows about Xavi’s incredible ability with the ball and his metronomic-like passing range. However, people don’t give enough credit to the man charged with disrupting the flow of Spanish possession on Wednesday night, Miguel Veloso. Once rated as one of the brightest talents in European football, the defensive midfielder left Sporting to join Genoa in 2010 and has rather disappeared off the radar since then. However, he has gone about his business efficiently this tournament, breaking up plays and distributing the ball effectively to those around him. Spain will always dominate the game in terms of possession, so Portugal are relying on Veloso to cut off attacks in the final third, while also attempting to disrupt Xavi in his efforts to keep Spain ticking over. A tough ask, but one he is perfectly capable of.

João Pereira vs. Jordi Alba

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A tale of two attacking wing backs, indeed Alba has been so impressive, France picked two full backs down the right flank to deal with his threat. Pereira loves steaming forward for Portugal as well and both players provide a decent option as an out-ball if the midfield gets clogged up. Alba is only one of two non-Real Madrid or Barcelona players in the Spanish line-up, though he seems certain to seal a move to the Nou Camp following a splendid tournament. Pereira though is Alba’s teammate at Valencia, having joined them last year from Sporting so he will know all about the qualities Jordi has to offer. Which ever full back can pin his opponent back in his own half could help swing the clash in the way of their team, especially if they’re given the chance to highlight their offensive capabilities.

For your chance to have your say on these key clashes and the other memorable happenings during the game – Join Football FanCast for the LIVE blog of tonight’s expected thriller -click here and get involved

Atalanta and captain Cristiano Doni are facing heavy sanctions as the investigation into the Italian football betting scandal continues.Serie A club Atalanta – who are tipped to struggle against relegation after promotion from Serie B in 2010/11 – could start the new campaign with a seven-point deduction under recommendations from an Italian prosecutor.

The career of captain Doni, 38, has been placed in jeopardy after prosecutor Stefano Palazzi recommended he receive a three-and-a-half year suspension for his alleged involvement in the ‘Last Bet’ betting scandal that rocked Italian football in June.

La Gazzetta dello Sport claim Palazzi has asked the Italian FA (FIGC) to hand down the sanctions to Doni and Atalanta, while he also made recommendations on other players and administrators linked to the scandal.

Former Italy international Giuseppe Signori faces a lifetime ban from football, while Atalanta’s Thomas Manfredini is looking at a three-year suspension

The sanctions all relate to a criminal case brought forward to the tribunal of Cremona by prosecutors, who claim to have uncovered an illegal betting ring involving a number of footballers and officials.

It is alleged Doni and Signori were part of the ring and took payments from a criminal gang to help fix several matches.

The Villa Park faithful will have a first chance to see new recruit Darren Bent in action as the former Sunderland marksman attempts to lift his new employers out of relegation danger.

Manchester City are scoring plenty of goals, but do allow opponents back into games other top sides might have put to bed. City absolutely destroyed Villa in the first meeting between these two clubs, although Mario Balotelli, Villa’s tormenter in chief that day will be absent.

Gerard Houllier’s men have been very poor over the last few months – the late equaliser conceded against Manchester United has had a negative effect on team morale. Houllier will not be able to hide behind a lack of transfer funds as an excuse for Villa’s insipid performances, however I cannot see this being the game to turn their horror trot around.

Prediction: 1-3

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Marcel Desailly has emerged as a potential candidate for the vacant Swansea managerial role, according to The Sun.

The Welsh side are in the market for a new boss after Brendan Rodgers left the Liberty Stadium to take over from Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool.

The Swans were thought to be close to agreeing a deal to bring Wigan assistant Graeme Jones in as the Northern Irishman’s replacement, but talks are thought to have broken down and the Premier League club are now exploring other options.

Desailly has close Welsh connections after studying for his coaching licence with the FAW, and is believed to be interested in the role as an entrance to coaching.

Other candidates that have been touted for the position include Gus Poyet, Ian Holloway and Michael Laudrup, but as yet Swansea have given no inclination of who their preferred option would be.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Eric Cantona returned to Old Trafford yesterday, ahead of the New York Cosmos debut in England for Paul Scholes testimonial. The United legend had some choice words to say about the noisy neighbours and questions the motives of some of the players who have since moved to City.

Elsewhere in the papers there has been a mixed bag of stories that includes Kenny Dalglish defending Liverpool’s spree; John Terry hails Andre Villas-Boas, while Alan Pardew rules out making peace with Barton.

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Cantona insists big spenders Man City won’t succeed in quest to dethrone United – Daily Mail

Fábregas returns to training but doubts over future remain – Guardian

Pardew rules out peace with Barton – Guardian

Chelsea convinced Spurs are about to crack over Modric – Mirror

Tottenham face probe over Olympic Stadium bid ‘snooper’ – Daily Mail

Dalglish defends ‘responsible’ spree – Guardian

Man City grant Tevez extended break – Daily Telegraph

Terry hails Villas-Boas’s ‘modern’ way – Guardian

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Jol plans AJ ’n Cole swap – Sun

Inter want to swap Maicon for Tevez – Mirror

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Kenny Dalglish finally got his first victory in his second spell in charge of Liverpool, as the Reds ran out comfortable 3-0 winners against Wolves in the lunchtime Premier League fixture at Molineux. The win puts an end to Liverpool’s dreadful run of form away from home and lifts them into the top half of the Premier League table, for a couple of hours at least.

The victory against Wolves today was largely down to two men: Raul Meireles, who arguably put in his best performance in a Liverpool shirt contributing a goal and an assist, and Fernando Torres, who got back in amongst the goals with a brace. The Spaniard’s goals will be classed as tap-ins, but Meireles’ certainly wasn’t as the Portuguese midfielder hit a stunning volley. So does the comfortable victory over Wolves mark the start of the Liverpool revival? We’ll just have to wait and see…

What are the FIVE things you learnt about Liverpool today?

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With so many teams undertaking a desperate search for firepower this summer, Newcastle United are sitting pretty having found two prolific strikers for a relative pittance in today’s market. This is in part due to their increasingly successful recruitment policy but with some of the best clubs in the Premier League sniffing around their African stars, can Newcastle realistically keep hold of Demba Ba and Papiss Demba Cisse next season?

The Senegalese duo both enjoyed instant success at the Sports Direct Arena as they consistently scored bags of goals to endear themselves to the Geordie masses. While this has made them firm fans favourites it has also attracted the attention of bigger clubs and Newcastle will have to fend off interest if they’re to continue their progress. This may not be so easy for the club as they look to push on after an excellent campaign. Ba, their star during the first half of the season, has an interesting release clause in his contract that says during a two month period between 31st May and 31st July, any team willing to stump up £7m can start contract talks with the striker. That means prospective buyers are on red alert and Ba has been linked with moves to Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur among others. It’s an issue manager Alan Pardew has had to deal with all season but is hopeful the situation can be resolved.

“Ever since he signed with us we’ve had it, I don’t think it’s going to go away.

“We want him to stay, the fans do too, and we hope that will be the case.”

The clubs no. 19 was quick to dismiss rumours when he returned from the African Cup of Nations but while this was encouraging news for Magpie fans, the striker hasn’t been tied down to a new deal since because managing director Derek Llambias feels offering improved terms to a player signed only 12 months ago sets a dangerous precedent. This may seem like sensible thinking from the club as they continue to streamline their spending but it still leaves the door open to Ba’s departure. Paris Saint Germain and Galatasaray have also been credited with an interest and Ba has offered little indication recently as to where his future lies.

While fans countdown the days until August 1st, they can take some reassurance from the fact that Cisse seems to be staying put. The curried goat fuelled goal machine was their star during the second part of the season and has attracted admiring glances from rival teams with his spectacular strikes. Gossip aside, the poacher insists he’s happy in the North East and is looking forward to plying his trade in European competition.

“I hope to continue scoring goals for Newcastle next season. I’m looking forward to playing in the Europa League.

“We wanted to play in the Champions League, but we can be very happy with what we have achieved this season.”

Encouraging words from the latest no.9 to don the black and white jersey but nothing is guaranteed in football. A FIFA ruling that stops players appearing for three clubs in one year was meant to dismiss rumours surrounding his future but Cisse too has been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United among others. FIFA rules state:

‘Players may be registered for a maximum of three clubs during the period from 1 July until 30 June of the following year. During this period, the player is only eligible to play in Official Matches for two clubs.’

Since Cisse only played for SC Freiburg and Newcastle last season he would be illegible to sign for another team from July 1st. That means Pardew will have to consider the possibility of losing both his star forwards next month but he’s diplomatically keeping his cards very close to his chest.

“Demba and Cisse were brilliant for us last year, and we hope for the same next season.”

It isn’t just the manager who’s hoping for more of the same next season as fans prepare for their first season in Europe for nearly a decade. Their 5th place finish last time out has rekindled belief that the Magpies can compete at the highest level again but it will be whether or not they can keep players like Ba and Cisse that will truly illustrate how far they’ve come. The foundations may have returned but if Newcastle allow their best players to leave for bigger clubs then they will be forever playing catch up with the big boys.

Do you think Ba and Cisse will remain at the Sports Direct Arena next season? Should fans expect a repeat of last season’s success? Will Newcastle be able to handle the demands of European football?

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