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Vidic agrees Old Trafford stay

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Nemanja Vidic has agreed to sign a long-term contract with Manchester United to kill any hope Real Madrid had of signing the Serbia defender (United 5/2 – Premier League outright).

The centre-half has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League since his arrival at Old Trafford in 2006 and there were rumours some of Europe’s top sides were preparing bids for Vidic.

Jose Mourinho was reportedly keen to add Vidic to his Real side as the Portuguese coach prepares for his first season as boss at the Bernabeu, while Barcelona and clubs in Italy and Germany have been credited with an interest in the past.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has maintained throughout the close season that he expects the 28-year-old to remain with his side and Old Trafford chief executive David Gill has now confirmed that both Vidic and the club have agreed terms on a new deal.

“I am very pleased to confirm that we agreed terms with Nemanja three or four weeks ago on a new long-term deal with the club,” Gill told MUTV. “We sat down with Nemanja and his advisor at the end of last season and started discussions. They broke up when Nemanja went away to the World Cup, but resumed when Serbia were knocked out.

“It’s yet to be signed – the paperwork is now being sorted by our lawyers and being checked by Nemanja’s advisors. He’s still away on holiday but the plan is that when he gets back the papers will be signed.

“We’ve shaken hands on it and we’re confident it will all be signed and sealed in early August. It’s great news for Manchester United  and great news for Nemanja and the fans.”

Vidic is currently resting after his World Cup campaign with Serbia but will link up with the rest of the United squad when they return from their tour of America.

United kick off their Premier League campaign with a home tie against newly-promoted Newcastle United on August 16 but first they face Chelsea in the Community Shield on August 8, with Vidic expected to face the current champions after signing a new deal (Chelsea 13/10, draw 11/5, United 2/1 – 90 minutes).

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Bruce sweet on James

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Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has revealed he would like to bring Portsmouth goalkeeper David James to the Stadium of Light (Sunderland 11/1 – to be relegated).

Bruce’s first-choice, Craig Gordon, has been ruled out for the first three months of the season after breaking his arm in training, while back-up Marton Fulop is set to depart before the new campaign kicks off.

Gordon’s injury and Fulop’s departure will leave Bruce with just Northern Irishman Trevor Carson, 22, and Belgian stopper Simon Mignolet, 21, as cover and the Black Cats boss admits he is hesitant to throw either youngster in at the deep end.

Bruce has now confirmed he is keen to sign James as a solution to his keeper crisis.

“He’s still England’s number one goalkeeper. He’d be a good short term signing for us,” said Bruce.

“But what we have to decide now is to whether make a signing or whether the two young keepers that we have are ready for the Premier League.

“The Premier League is a very tough place and we’ll have to take some time to think about whether they’re ready for that.”

James’ future is yet to be resolved and the 39-year-old remains technically a free-agent because Portsmouth are unable to offer him a deal due to their financial problems.

However, it is thought Pompey are eager for the former Liverpool man to remain at Fratton Park next season, with some reports suggesting he will be offered a role as a player-coach in a bid to entice James to stick with the struggling south coast club (Portsmouth 18/1 – npower Championship outright).

If James does decide to seek a fresh challenge Sunderland may still be left frustrated as SPL giants Celtic are known admirers of the England international. Polish keeper Artur Boruc has now joined Fiorentina and the Parkhead side are on the lookout for a new custodian, with James believed to be their number one target.

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Bruce sweet on James

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Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has revealed he would like to bring Portsmouth goalkeeper David James to the Stadium of Light (Sunderland 11/1 – to be relegated).

Bruce’s first-choice, Craig Gordon, has been ruled out for the first three months of the season after breaking his arm in training, while back-up Marton Fulop is set to depart before the new campaign kicks off.

Gordon’s injury and Fulop’s departure will leave Bruce with just Northern Irishman Trevor Carson, 22, and Belgian stopper Simon Mignolet, 21, as cover and the Black Cats boss admits he is hesitant to throw either youngster in at the deep end.

Bruce has now confirmed he is keen to sign James as a solution to his keeper crisis.

“He’s still England’s number one goalkeeper. He’d be a good short term signing for us,” said Bruce.

“But what we have to decide now is to whether make a signing or whether the two young keepers that we have are ready for the Premier League.

“The Premier League is a very tough place and we’ll have to take some time to think about whether they’re ready for that.”

James’ future is yet to be resolved and the 39-year-old remains technically a free-agent because Portsmouth are unable to offer him a deal due to their financial problems.

However, it is thought Pompey are eager for the former Liverpool man to remain at Fratton Park next season, with some reports suggesting he will be offered a role as a player-coach in a bid to entice James to stick with the struggling south coast club (Portsmouth 18/1 – npower Championship outright).

If James does decide to seek a fresh challenge Sunderland may still be left frustrated as SPL giants Celtic are known admirers of the England international. Polish keeper Artur Boruc has now joined Fiorentina and the Parkhead side are on the lookout for a new custodian, with James believed to be their number one target.

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Harry looks at loan option

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Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp says he is looking to bolster his squad for the new Premier League campaign by adding another goalkeeper to his ranks as he aims to steer the club to their first title since 1961 (Tottenham 33/1 – Premier League outright).

The experienced manager is keen to add to his options between the sticks as Spurs prepare for their first-ever Champions League campaign after they secured a club-record fourth position in the Premier League last season (Spurs 40/1 – Champions League outright).

Redknapp already has Brazilian stopper Heurelho Gomes as well as the fit-again Carlo Cudicini, who returns to the club after missing most of last season due to the injuries he sustained in a motorcycle incident.

However, with youngster David Button expected to be sent out on loan, Redknapp is looking for another alternative to keep goal with Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa thought to be his favoured target.

Pletikosa, who is currently playing for Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League, has 81 caps for Croatia and has been a regular in the side since making his debut in 1999 and has been a target for Redknapp for a number of seasons.

“That’s a possibility, we’re looking to take a loan there,” Redknapp told Sky Sports News.

“I’ve got Gomes and I’ve got Carlo, which is good, but the young lad David Button is going out on loan so I feel we need three keepers.

“Carlo is coming back from a bad accident so we don’t want to leave ourselves short. We’ll be looking to bring another keeper in to give us three goalkeepers.”

Redknapp was speaking following his side’s 2-1 friendly victory over New York Red Bulls. The match saw the first appearance for the Red Bulls of former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry who made a scoring debut.

Robbie Keane and Gareth Bale scored Spurs goals to take the victory and Redknapp was understandably delighted with the pair’s performance.

Redknapp added: “He (Keane) needed it, he had a couple of opportunities tonight. He pulled off into some great positions as he always does, he just didn’t manage to finish one.

“But in the end he got there and then Gareth Bale did well for the other goal, so it was all good.”

Keane has been the subject of transfer speculation throughout the summer with interest from a number of clubs, most notably Aston Villa and Celtic, with whom he spent the second half of last season on loan.

After the match Keane said he was pleased with his performance but said “thank you” and walked away when he asked about his future.

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Dunne issues Milner warning

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The long-running saga over James Milner’s future could be concluded within the next week but Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne has issued a stark warning to the winger (Aston Villa 15/2 to finish in the Top Four).

On Thursday, Villa boss Martin O’Neill admitted he would be willing to sell Milner if the club’s valuation of the player was met. In a statement on the club’s official website, he revealed that Milner and his agent came to see him before the World Cup to ask for a transfer away from Villa Park. Eastlands appears to be Milner’s most likely destination.

O’Neill’s announcement means that the ball is back in Manchester City’s court and it is believed that an offer of approximately £30million will be needed in order for them to land the winger. City had an offer of around £20million rejected in May.

Dunne made the opposite move last summer and accepts that Milner’s spell at Villa Park is most likely over. However, he has issued a stark warning to the player, urging him to think wisely before he leaves the Midlands club bound for City.

The issue is particularly personal to Dunne as he left Eastlands because City could not guarantee him the regular football he craved. Since moving to Villa, he has upped his game and has become an impressive stalwart in the side’s back line, making 35 league appearances for Martin O’Neill’s outfit last season.

Dunne told Sky Sports News that he fears the same situation could greet Milner as the one which forced him out of Eastlands. He also expressed a fear that City’s chances of winning the league could be blinding the player (City 4/1 to win Premier League).

He said; “Obviously we’ll miss James because he’s been brilliant, but we have to move on and the manager will build again.

“James will know that because he’s joining a big club, a club that wants to win the league, that he’ll be part of a squad.

“At Aston Villa he will play every week and at Manchester City he may not, but it’s an opportunity he probably thinks to go and win the league.”

It is believed that City will make their move soon but boss Roberto Mancini has given no indication over whether he will step up his attempts to sign Milner after O’Neill’s announcement.

Speaking during City’s pre-season tour of America, Mancini said; “Milner is a good player but today he is an Aston Villa player.

“If we have a chance we could take him, but we must wait for now.”

With City set to sign a raft of other stars between now and transfer deadline day, Dunne’s fears could be substantiated.

Milner was one of England’s few shining lights during the World Cup and the fear for fans of the national side is that a lack of first team football could be detrimental to his England form.

However, the meteoric rise of Adam Johnson at City proves that these fears may perhaps be unfounded. Only time will tell should Milner make the move he so desperately craves.

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Wenger looking for strong start

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he is positive his side can make a strong start to the season as they look to build on their form from last year(Arsenal 7/1 to win the title).

The Gunners finished third in last year’s Premiership table, 11 points behind champions Chelsea, and qualified for the Champions League for the 10th year in succession (Arsenal 16/1 to win the Champions League).

Arsenal are currently holding an altitude training camp in Austria and beat Sturm Graz 3-0 in their second match of their pre-season tour.

Arsenal start their Premier League season with a difficult trip to face Liverpool but Wenger is targeting the match as the chance to kick start the Gunners’ season.

“The aim is to continue to progress as we have been doing,” Wenger told Arsenal’s official magazine.

“We were very close last year – closer than the previous season – so we are heading in the right way. We hope we can continue that this season.

“It is important to start well, start strongly and get into a good position early on and to try to maintain the level.”

Arsenal also started last season on Merseyside, beating Everton 6-1, provoking many onlookers to pronounce them the early favourites for the title. However, their form dipped during the winter months and they failed to pick up a single point against either of the teams that finished above them, Chelsea and Manchester United.

That meant that Arsenal’s run of trophyless seasons stretched to six, despite playing arguably some of the best football in the world.

During this time, Wenger has often been criticised for failing to open his cheque book to sign the big names that many people feel could make a major difference at the Emirates, in favour of promoting from within to develop one of the finest young sides in the World.

Many now feel that this could be the Gunners’ year with the acquisitions of defender Laurent Koscielny and striker Marouane Chamakh giving the squad a more balanced look, and Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen is confident this is going to be the year they once again lift the Premier League trophy.

“We have a good young group who are very aggressive and want to improve,” he remarked.

“I think people will always say we can’t compete – it is not the first time, but we have to do what we always do which is work hard and play our own game, then we can compete.

“I hope we can compete for the title this year and I am convinced we will.”

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Hodgson ponders Europa options

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New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has hinted that a top-four finish in the Premier League could be more important than a run in the Europa League this season (Reds 7/4 – Top 4 Finish 2010/11).

The Reds will not be dining at the top table of European football for at least 12 months after coming seventh last term at the end of a campaign that eventually saw the departure of Rafa Benitez.

And while the Spaniard will be in the Champions League again now he has re-surfaced at Inter Milan, the club he has left behind is languishing in the second tier in Europe, something loyal Reds fans hope will prove to be only a temporary setback.

With that in mind, Hodgson, who impressed last season by taking Fulham all the way to the final of the Europa League, has appeared to suggest something must give as he bids to lead Liverpool – the five-times champions of Europe – back to the promised land (Reds 9/1 – Premier League 2010/11 Outright).

As far as the here and now is concerned, Liverpool will face FK Rabotnicki of Macedonia in the third qualifying round of the Europa League following their win over two legs against Mika, but Hodgson admits progression cannot simply be taken for granted.

“I worry a lot about not having enough players for next week,” the popular Croydon-born coach revealed in the Daily Mail in reference to the trip to Skopje for the first leg next Thursday.

“These will be two unbelievably difficult games at this stage of the season but it depends where we put the Europa League in the grand scheme of things.

“The sports scientists tell me it would be wrong if I use the World Cup players this early, if we want to use them throughout the season.

“But if we don’t throw them in, then we don’t have the players with experience to play these games, so it is a cleft stick.

“It is a balance that I cannot sort out on my own. It will be a decision for the club to take on.

“Where in the list of priorities does the Europa League come.”

Red winger Albert Riera is set to move to Greek giants Olympiacos by the weekend after receiving a hero’s welcome on Thursday on his arrival in Greece.

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Villa eyes Fab move

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Barcelona new boy David Villa has become the latest Nou Camp star to throw his weight fully behind the Catalans’ bid to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas (Barca 4/5f  – La Liga 2010/11 Outright).

Fabregas, 23, famously came through the youth system at Barca before making the move to the Gunners as a teenager where he has established himself in the Premier League.

But now Barcelona want the midfielder back in their fold and have already seen a £25m bid rejected by Arsenal who are thought to want closer to the £40m mark for the Spain international.

And Villa, who arrived from Valencia earlier in the summer, admits it is a no-brainer.

“I am not the Barcelona coach, nor the person responsible for reinforcements, but personally I will do the maximum to get Cesc here,” he told The Sun.

“He wants to play here and it will be quite normal if Arsenal finally do a deal.

“That would be great. A player of his ability will only increase our power and his presence will be great for all the forwards.

“He’ll help Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta, and I’ll score more goals with him in the side.”

As with Spain, quite where Fabregas would fit into the Barcelona XI remains to be seen , although Andres Iniesta’s trouble with injuries over the last 12 months means he would be a valuable addition to Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Barcelona are bidding for their third La Liga title on the bounce this season – a feat that has not been achieved in Spain since 1992/93 when Barca themselves secured a hat-trick on their way to four consecutive championships.

La Liga is again widely expected to be a two-horse race, with Barcelona and Real Madrid (evens) neck and neck in the betting.

A club outside the ‘Big Two’ has won the Spanish title on just four occasions over the last 25 years and Sevilla at 28/1 are the shortest price from the chasing pack.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are being tipped to offer defender Nemanja Vidic a new four-year deal worth around £90,000 a week to keep him out of the clutches of new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese will be expected to make a serious title challenge in his first season at the Bernabeu while the Champions League is also a top priority, as always, for Los Blancos (Real Madrid 4/1 – Champions League 2010/11 Outright).

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City get Milner green light

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Manchester City are 13/2 to win the Premier League and they could have key target James Milner on board for a title push after Aston Villa revealed he could go at the right price.

City have made Milner one of their top targets of the summer and they have moved a step closer to landing him after Villa boss Martin O’Neill revealed he could leave if their valuation is met.

That may be easier said than done and City are said to be reluctant to meet the £30million price tag that has been placed on the England international’s head, but for the first time Villa have revealed there is a deal to be done.

City may have money to burn but Roberto Mancini is not willing to pay over the odds and may not be willing to go over the £25million mark, for a player who cost Villa £12million when they signed him from Newcastle two years ago.

The Eastlands outfit are believed to have failed with at least one bid and it will now be interesting to see if they react to O’Neill’s comments by making a new, improved bid.

O’Neill would clearly like to keep the midfielder but he is wise enough to know that every player has a price and if City are willing to pay big bucks then it will be best to take the cash and use it to strengthen his own squad.

The Villa boss will also be reluctant to keep an unhappy player on his books and if Milner has made it clear that he wants to leave then it will be best for everyone if a deal can be hammered out quickly.

Milner wants to be playing Champions League football and even though that will not be on the agenda in the next campaign it should be the season after with City 1/2 to break into the top four.

For all Villa’s efforts over the last two seasons they have missed out on the top four and are way down in the betting at 15/2 to make it this season.

Milner clearly wants to move on to the next level and he will get the chance if City stump up the cash and meet Villa’s valuation.

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Arteta priced out of move

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Everton star Mikel ArtetaEverton are 7/1 to break into the top four next season and they should have Mikel Arteta on board to help after the player’s agent revealed a move away is unlikely.

Arteta has been strongly linked with a move away from Goodison Park this summer, with both Arsenal and Manchester City said to be keen, but Everton will do everything they can to keep hold of him.

City almost have a blank cheque book while the Gunners could also have plenty to spend if Barcelona come in and pay big money for Cesc Fabregas this summer.

Arsene Wenger sees Arteta as the perfect replacement should Fabregas head back to Spain and Blues boss David Moyes will be hoping the Gunners captain stays at the Emirates Stadium.

Just to make matters worse for Everton, La Liga outfit Sevilla are also in the hunt for a new midfielder and reports claim they would be ready to offer £12million for the player.

It would take double that to even tempt Everton and the player’s agent, Inaki Ibanez, says the kind of money the Blues are asking for will price most clubs out.

“Everton are asking for a lot of money, so it is difficult for Mikel to exit the club,” he confirmed.

Now everything hinges on whether someone comes in with a bid Everton cannot refuse. Moyes fought hard to keep Joleon Lescott at Goodison Park before losing him to City and history could repeat itself if City decide to get the cheque book out again.

Everton kick off the season away at Blackburn (Everton 8/5 to win) on August 14 and all Blues supporters will be praying Arteta takes to the pitch at Ewood Park.

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