TRANSFER UPDATE 040609

It's that time of the year again when Clubs all over Europe bring out their cheque books to sign the type of players they think would bolster their chances in their various domestic leagues or in Europe. Below are just some of the transfer rumours going round.

Aston Villa are targeting Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone as a replacement for Gareth Barry who joined Manchester City on Tuesday. (Birmingham Post) 

German side Bayern Munich are preparing a bid for Chelsea right-back Jose Bosingwa. (German newspaper Bild)

Manchester City believe they are close to the £20m signing of Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o. 

(Full story: Daily Mail) 

City are also battling it out with rivals Manchester United for the signature of Argentine forward Carlos Tevez, who has been on a loan deal at Old Trafford. 

(Full story: Daily Express) 

Tevez will decide in the next seven days where his future lies, after United made a final take-it-or-leave-it offer to the 25-year-old. 

(Full story: Daily Star) 

Chelsea have made a last-ditch £70m offer for AC Milan forward Kaka.

(Full story: Daily Star) 

The Blues are hopeful that Kaka's personal demands may also price Real Madrid out of the market. 

(Full story: Daily Mirror) 

However, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has admitted that Madrid are favourites to land the Brazil star.

But new Chelsea manager and former AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti has not given up on signing Kaka and even phoned the Brazilian and begged him not to join Real. 

(Full story: The Sun)

The Blues are also targeting Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Valencia forward David Villa. 

(Full story: The Guardian) 

Chelsea have opened talks with Portsmouth to sign right-back Glen Johnson in a deal that could be worth £17m.

Arsenal are closing in on the £10m signing of Ajax centre-half Thomas Vermaelen.

(Full story: The Sun) 

The Gunners are keen on Juventus and Italy central defender Giorgio Chiellini. (The Times)

But Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor could be on his way to AC Milan with the Italian side set to bid £15m for the Togo international. 

(Full story: The Sun) 

AC Milan and Barcelona are lining up Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic in a £25m deal.

TRANSFER WINDOW OPENS

The Mid Season Transfer Window opened January 1, 2009 and as expected a lot of transfer rumours has been flying around. Different Teams in the various European Leagues have been very busy in making their intents known. As expected, the English Premiership Teams are leading the pack in bringing in new faces to either shore up or consolidate on their positions.

Manchester City with their new found wealth are rumoured to have budgeted over $60million as transfer funds with many top players said to be on their radar.

Below are just some of the possible transfer dealings:

Tottenham are closing in on Portsmouth's Jermain Defoe, with Spurs set to pay £15m for the England striker. (Various)
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is also hoping to secure the services of Sunderland defender Pascal Chimbonda on loan. (The Sun)
Chimbonda had been expected to move from Sunderland to Lyon but that deal is now off, according to the player's agent. (Daily Star)
Redknapp has also made an enquiry for West Ham and England centre-back Matthew Upson, who is rated at £12m. (Daily Mirror)
But Tottenham and Redknapp have had a £12m bid for Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing turned down. (Daily Mirror)

Middlesbrough will target Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt if they lose Downing to Tottenham. (Daily Mail)

Carlos Tevez has reiterated his desire to stay at Manchester United, despite weekend speculation linking the striker with a move away from Old Trafford. (The Sun)

Newcastle are hoping to offload Spanish flops Xisco and Jose Enrique as well as Alan Smith and Charles N'Zogbia. (The Sun)

Arsenal could lose forward Theo Walcott on the cheap after dragging their feet over a new contract. (Daily Express)

Stoke are keen on out-of-favour Wigan striker Henri Camara. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester City keeper Kasper Schmeichel is ready to quit the club after falling down the pecking order at Eastlands. (Daily Mail)

Aston Villa are monitoring Standard Liege striker Milan Jovanovic, who is also wanted by Everton. (Daily Mail)

Manchester City have revived their bid for Arsenal defender Kolo Toure. (Daily Mail)
Deals are also expected to be completed for West Ham's Scott Parker and Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mail)
City boss Mark Hughes will also launch an improved bid for West Ham striker Craig Bellamy. (Daily Express)

Rangers have denied that Newcastle have made an offer for captain Barry Ferguson. (Daily Express)

Celtic midfielder Scott Brown, who has been linked to Portsmouth and West Ham, insists he is not interested in a big-money move to the English Premier League. (Daily Record)

Sunderland are set to beat Portsmouth and Blackburn to the signature of Marseille midfielder Modeste M'bami. (The Sun)

Southampton midfielder Andrew Surman is wanted by Championship rivals Reading and Wolves. (The Sun)

2010 AFRICA W/CUP DRAW ANALYSIS

Group A is a Francophone affair, and a tough test for any team hoping to make it to the World Cup in 2010.

Cameroon may be Africa's top-ranked side, but they will know there is no easy passage through a group which also includes Morocco, Gabon and 2006 World Cup contenders Togo.

Cameroon boss Otto Pfister knows all about Togo. He lead them through that chaotic campaign in Germany and will now meet his old charges as he tries to lead the Indomitable Lions to South Africa and Angola.

Gabon will be fired up to try and embarrass their illustrious neighbours and Morocco are looking for a resurgence under new coach Roger Lemerre.

There is no free passage to 2010 from Group A.

GROUP B
Nigeria have been handed a fine chance to make amends for missing out on the 2006 World Cup.

Boasting the only 100% record from the African qualifying campaign so far, the Super Eagles should prove too strong for Kenya and Mozambique and will find Tunisia their toughest opponents.

The Carthage Eagles have reached the last three World Cups, albeit without winning a match in the finals, but look more entertaining under Portuguese coach Humberto Coelho than predecessor Roger Lemerre.

Led by skipper Karim Haggui, the 2004 African champions will hope the new breed of Tijani Belaid and Fahid Ben Khalfallah can lead them to South Africa.

The World Cup will prove a step too far for Kenya and Mozambique - but the matches between the pair should decide who reaches the Nations Cup, which the Mozambicans haven't contested since 1998.

GROUP C
The other top seeds will surely look at Egypt's group with envy.

The six-time African champions have an excellent chance of ending their 20-year wait for an appearance at the World Cup finals, having been drawn against Algeria, Zambia and Rwanda.
Hassan Shehata's side has eased through qualifying so far, and has one of the hottest properties in African football leading the line in Amr Zaki.


However, it's no foregone conclusion as they will first have to overcome an Algerian side brimming with confidence after knocking out both Senegal and The Gambia.

Zambia are another side who have punched above their weight in qualifiers, beating Togo to top spot in their previous group.

Rwanda will be hoping to finish inside the top three in Group C, having failed to qualify for the last two Nations Cup finals.

GROUP D
Having overcome their long-standing inability to reach the World Cup finals, Ghanaian fans will believe Group D gives the Black Stars the chance to make it two in succession.

The only previous African champions in the group - four times over - are now being driven forward by the quality of Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah and John Mensah.

Yet the Malians will be no pushovers - boasting the likes of Momo Sissoko of Juventus, Mahamadou Diarra of Real Madrid, Barcelona's Seydou Keita and Sevilla's Frederic Kanoute.

In addition, coach Stephen Keshi has performed miracles before, when leading unfancied Togo to Germany 2006.

The Beninois and Sudanese also have the ability to upset the apple cart in this group.

The Sudanese are a rising force in African football thanks to the oil money resurrecting a game which flourished in the 1970s, while the Squirrels proved their quality when ousting 2006 World Cup finalists Angola in this year's round of qualifying.

GROUP E
Ivory Coast have a fine chance of making a second appearance at the World Cup finals, after their eye-catching debut in 2006.


The Elephants' main rivals in the group are Guinea, who they thrashed 5-0 in the quarter-finals of this year's Africa Cup of Nations.


Ivory Coast then imploded in the semi-finals, losing 4-1 to Egypt, but a comfortable campaign in the first round of qualifying suggests that their momentum is being regained.


"The team has had some problems winning games, but we're still one of the best on the continent," Ivory coast captain Didier Drogba told BBC Sport.


"The disappointment of Ghana is behind us, you can't live in the past, you have to look forward."


Guinea's form in the first group stage of qualifying was patchy, while Burkina Faso surprisingly took four points from their two games against Tunisia.


Malawi are bidding for only their second appearance at the Nations Cup finals, and a continuation of the home form that saw them beat Egypt 1-0 in the previous round will give them reason to be optimistic.