If recent news and rumours are to be believed, big spending, billionaires Manchester City have joined their bitter rivals Manchester United and their Premier league competitors Chelsea in pursuit of Tottenham ’s Croatian star, Luka Modric.

Chairman Daniel Levy and Manager Harry Redknapp have made it quite clear to these clubs that neither Modric or PFA player of the year, Gareth Bale will be sold this summer. Welsh winger Bale has pledged his immediate future to the club, however, Modric has been reportedly quoted by the Daily Star saying, ‘I’m a Tottenham player and will be in London on July 7 to begin preparing for the season,’ he added, ‘But I want to say that transfers could occur later.’

This news will have surely unnerved a few in N17, although Levy has been a top negotiator with United especially in the past few seasons and if he were able to achieve an offer in the region of £40 million, would it be such a bad thing to see him go?

Understandably, the majority of Spurs fans are against the sale of yet another of their star players, especially as United have managed to lure both Carrick (£18 million) and Berbatov (£30.75 million) away from White Hart Lane in recent years. But were both those deals not great pieces of business by Spurs? Yes, they lost a ‘big’ player, but they also received ‘big’ money, money that financed the transfers of multiple players such as Palacios, Pavlyuchenko and even Modric himself.

What Spurs do have in their favour is that the ball lies firmly in their court; they only have to sell, if and when they want to. They can afford to hold out for a giant sum and if the aforementioned interested clubs really want Modric that badly, they will offer it. He only recently signed a 6 year contract and isn’t the type of guy to throw a tantrum and make a fuss to force through a deal. Therefore, Spurs seem to be in the ideal position, they can keep their star midfielder unless a ‘crazy’ money deal is offered, allowing Levy to re-invest across maybe 4 positions, no doubt strengthening the team as a whole.

Another large bonus for Spurs is that they are not exactly short of options in midfield. Although Redknapp himself has described Modric as ‘irreplaceable,’ it is important to remember that he was injured for fair length of time earlier in the season. In that time, his Croatian team-mate Niko Kranjcar was given a chance and scored brilliant winning goals in two games. They also have other international players such as Palacios, Sandro and Tom Huddlestone, all capable of playing in a top side and this is before any ‘replacements’ have been brought using the vast sums of money Modric’s sale would generate.

I know that too many fans, the sale of one the clubs best talents would be seen as a ‘backwards’ step but just look at Liverpool, they sold their ‘talismanic’ player in Torres and are undoubtedly now a stronger side after the additions of Suarez, Carroll and now Henderson.

For most fans it is a matter of pride, a matter of not letting their club be bullied into selling, resisting the advances of Europe’s giants but if the offer of ‘crazy’ money similar to the Torres transfer was put on the table, with Levy’s promise of signing a ’20 goal a season forward’ and more than adequate replacements or keeping hold of Modric, which would you really choose?

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Read more of Richard Baker’s articles at This is Futbol

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You can forgive most Arsenal fans for being somewhat underwhelmed with their activity in the transfer market thus far. Their sole signing thus far has been Charlton defender and Finland Under-21 star Carl Jenkinson who they plucked up on the cheap. Whilst they’ve been heavily linked with Velez’s Ricky Alvarez, they’ve yet to take action and even if they did, it’s unlikely that his signing would do too much to placate fans.

The constant linking to players such as Gary Cahill and Christopher Samba , as well as the likes of Charles N’Zogbia and Jose Enrique will do little to excite fans.

To that extent, I’m sure it’s something of a relief to be linked to a player of real, unquestionable quality; a player who can rouse a real sense of enthusiasm and optimism for the future. Reports in the Daily Mail claim that Arsenal are preparing to make an £18m bid for Valencia ’s Juan Mata .

As with all these stories it’s important not to get carried away and to treat them with a degree of scepticism, but it’s still difficult not to get excited about the prospect of seeing Mata in an Arsenal shirt.

Whilst it’s fair to say that Arsenal have bigger priorities in the transfer marker (finding a decent centre-back to partner Thomas Vermaelen next year, for example) a quality player always makes for a good signing, even if it is in an area of the park where the Gunners are already strong. Mata would face competition on the wings from Andrey Arshavin, Samir Nasri (if he stays), Theo Walcott, Thomas Rosicky and Carlos Vela.

There’s no doubting however, that he has the quality and ability to make his mark in the Arsenal first team in his first season at the club.

With Nasri an unknown quantity, Andrey Arshavin growing in years (and dare I say pounds?), Thomas Rosicky much too goal shy and Carlos Vela too inexperienced, perhaps it’s an area of the pitch that Arsenal need to bolster more than fans might initially think. If Arsene Wenger has made him a transfer target, he’ll have done so with good reason.

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If Arsenal are to seriously pursue Mata, they’ll face tough competition from both Liverpool and Manchester City, who have been linked to him in the recent past. Manchester City in particular have the financial power to price the Gunners out of the market. So it’ll be Wenger’s job to prove to Mata that despite not winning any silverware in six years, Arsenal are a club that’s going places.

Finally, I’ll leave you with this evidence that Mata is something of a tricky and talented individual.

[youtube VZNzceARzGs]

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Read more of Harry’s articles at This is Futbol

The Daily Mail are reporting that Arsene Wenger is considering a bid for Wigan star James McCarthy.

With the potential departures of captain Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Wenger has again turned his attentions to the 20-year-old.

The Frenchman is preparing to lose his two key midfielders despite continually insisting they are going nowhere.

However the move for McCarthy clearly signifies that one or both of them will definitely be leaving the Emirates Stadium.

An enquiry was made earlier in the summer after the Republic of Ireland international’s impressive form last season at the DW Stadium.

Latics boss Roberto Martinez rebuffed that approach insisting the former Hamilton Academical midfielder was going nowhere.

He said: “The players are under contract.

“We’ve got a lot of good players and it is understandable people are looking at them.

“There’s been a lot of media speculation – that is part of being in the transfer window – but I am more focused on trying to reach the targets we set, get as fit as we can and enjoy every player we have in the squad.”

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Liverpool have also been linked with a move for the player although it seems that Wenger want’s to beat the Merseyside’s to his signature.

Wigan will want to hold onto him after selling Charles N’Zogbia to Aston Villa and it will take some serious money for them to even consider letting McCarthy leave.

LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is looking forward to taking on Roberto Mancini’s big-spending Manchester City on Saturday.But Beckham – who made his name in the midfield of City’s bitter rivals Manchester United – wants his side to first focus on their MLS match against Columbus Crew on Wednesday.

“We’re concentrating on tomorrow’s game first. Once that game’s out of the way, then we’ll look forward to the game on Sunday at our own stadium with a world-class team with a lot of great players in it,” Beckham said.

“We’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be one of those games that fans are going to enjoy, I’m sure. (But) we’ll concentrate on tomorrow night first.”

The Galaxy were comprehensively beaten in another high-profile friendly against another of Beckham’s former clubs, Real Madrid, on Saturday.

Despite going down 4-1 and being outclassed, former England captain Beckham believes Galaxy’s players should improve by playing Real and City.

“I think it’s always great for any player to play against world-class opponents because it makes you a better player, it improves you, you learn from it,” he said.

“As difficult a game as it was, you learn and you watch these players. It’s what I used to do as a young kid and it’s what all the young kids on our team do. You watch the likes of Kaka, Ronaldo … these players that you can learn from.”

I never thought I would come away from Hawthorns disappointed at our failure to get a point against the Champions, but I guess it shows how far the football club has come under Roy Hodgson. We suddenly look a competitive Premier League outfit on the pitch, something I never felt when Bryan Robson and Tony Mowbray were at the helm. We did have to survive an early onslaught I grant you, but I felt we more than found our feet and were more than a match in the last hour.

The new boys fitted in well and Shane Long in particular looked the real deal and should Odemwingie move onto Spurs, as reported today, then we certainly have the ideal man to lead the frontline this season. It would be great to see them paired together, although whether it happens remains to be seen. Ben Foster also looked assured between the sticks and it is nice to have a keeper who commands his area, given our past record of goalies. I know it is early days, but my blood pressure will seemingly remain at a safe level this season, especially when a cross or set-piece comes in. I would still like Roy Hodgson to bring in one or two new faces and utilise the Bodog money now to ensure that we banish the perennial relegation fears every season.

Talking of the sponsors did anyone else notice the blackout on the boards at the Hawthorns yesterday – embarrassing or what? I don’t know what it is at our football club, maybe we are cursed with sponsors, given our inability to attract them from time to time (No Smoking Campaign anyone?), but one thing is for sure is that the likes of Bodog aren’t going to be happy if their names aren’t being seen on the perimeter boards, especially on a LIVE game against Manchester United. It is pretty amateurish and given that these deals gives us the money to enable us to break transfer records, like we did with Shane Long, then we need to ensure we get these matters resolved before the sponsors start looking elsewhere. I mean I was at Loftus Rd on Saturday and if a newly promoted Premier League team like QPR can have it sorted, then why can’t we? It don’t look very good on our part and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

So anyway onwards and upwards from here and although the result wasn’t the ideal way to start a season, the performance showed we will certainly be no walkovers this season and we will be holding our own in the Premier League this year. Outside bet for the Europa League spot? We can all dream I suppose.

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There have been many British sporting legends over the years and many of them have come from the world of football. While the home nations may not have been overly successful on the international stage in recent years, domestic clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool have won a handful of European trophies between them. Some of the players that helped the Reds and Red Devils to these achievements will go down as sporting legends, but they’re not alone.

Compiled by talkSPORT, a list of the 100 Greatest British Sporting Legends has been put together, and as you’d expect there are footballers left, right and centre. Some of the players are included in the list for their passion and commitment, which cannot be better illustrated than by ‘psycho’ himself Stuart Pearce, while others make the grade due to a natural talent that is extremely rare, as exemplified by John Barnes for example.

The footballers span both past and present, and sadly some such as John Charles are no longer with us. Some have moved into management, such as Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, while others have left football altogether and tried their luck in other areas; step forward Hollywood star Vinnie Jones.

Players from all over the pitch are included, ranging from goalkeeper Pat Jennings to ‘goal hanger’ Gary Lineker; only joking Gary, you were a great striker. It’s not just about former and current players either, as the likes of Sir Matt Busby make the grade for the achievements made in football management, for Manchester United in this example.

Some of talkSPORT’s renowned and forthright presenters including ex-footballers Alan Brazil, Stan Collymore and Andy Gray have been hard at work to select their most legendary characters from the beautiful game. You might not agree with all their selections and you may wonder why some didn’t make the list, but it will be a fascinating read nonetheless.

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So, who got the ultimate accolade of being named number one in the 100 Greatest British Sporting Legends? Well, there are four football legends in the top five: two managers, an England World Cup winning captain and arguably the most talented footballer to ever play the beautiful game. As for number one? I wouldn’t say he was the best manager in the business, but I’d put him in the top one!

A few weeks ago both Liverpool and Wolves were purring after beginning the season in sparkling form. The two meet on Saturday at Anfield desperate to get their campaigns back on track after a torrid few weeks on the field.

Liverpool were thumped last week at Tottenham going down 4-0 at White Hart Lane with Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel giving manager Kenny Dalglish extra reason to moan after they both received red cards. The Reds positive start to the new campaign has completely washed away after last weeks loss and the defeat to Stoke seven days prior to that. It’s the toughest period Dalglish has had to endure since taking over the reigns at the turn of the year and he tried to remedy the sudden decline by sending out a strong team in Wednesday’s Carling Cup fixture at Brighton. Goals from Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt saw Liverpool home and into the next round showing the boss is taking every competition seriously. The big positives to come from that game was the energetic performance from Bellamy, who could prove to be an astute bit of business, and the return of skipper Steven Gerrard. His comeback from a groin injury couldn’t come soon enough for Dalglish who will be tempted to start the midfielder from the off against Wolves. Jordan Henderson’s insipid displays in the last few games could see him drop to bench although he may be given a reprieve after Adam’s sending off last week.

Wolves have suffered a similar drop in for to their opponents failing to win or score in their last two games. They also suffered a thrashing at home with newly promoted QPR coming away from Molineux with three points last week after a 3-0 victory. Mick McCarthy responded by sending out his strongest possible eleven in midweek and it paid off with Wolves smashing five past Championship side Millwall to progress to the fourth round of the Carling Cup. What will be more alarming for McCarthy will be his teams inability to find the back of the net in their last two fixtures. Wanderers were free scoring in their opening games but have seen chances dry up and the onus will be on Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher to bang in the goals. Out on the wings Matt Jarvis and Steven Hunt will be tasked with providing plenty of width at Anfiield with the former facing an intriguing battle with Jose Enrique.

Martin Kelly is likely to return at right back with Skrtel set to replace the injured Daniel Agger after serving his suspension.

Wolves could have captain Roger Johnson back after recovering from a calf injury whilst Fletcher has shaken off a groin complaint and is fit to play. Kevin Foley, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Ronald Zubar and Jody Craddock all remain sidelines.

Key Players

Luis Suarez – Who else but the Uruguayan at the moment could be considered Liverpool’s star man? An annoying presence for any defence he will be charged with getting in the face of Wolves back line and using his pace and determination to put them under constant pressure.

Karl Henry – As Wolves midfield enforcer he will have a task on his hand keeping Liverpool’s central trio quiet and creating space for Jamie O’Hara to carry out his playmaker duties. Will need to control his temper after last week’s spat with Joey Barton escalated out of nothing.

Verdict: 2-0

Fancy winning a million pounds??

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Take up our exclusive offer with Goaldash below to be in with a chance – what have you got to lose?

Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell’s red card in the Merseyside derby on Saturday has been rescinded, with the player now not having to serve a three-match ban.

The England under-21 star has dismissed in controversial circumstances in The Toffees’ 2-0 defeat against Liverpool at the weekend, a decision that David Moyes felt ultimately cost the home side the game.

In a forceful but seemingly legitimate tackle on Luis Suarez after 23 minutes of the contest, Rodwell appeared to win the ball cleanly before marginal contact with the Uruguayan striker.

Moyes feared that Rodwell would be suspended for upcoming games against Fulham and Chelsea, but the FA have confirmed that the verdict of wrongful dismissal has been upheld, and he will not have to serve the ban.

Everton travel to Stamford Bridge after the international break, and will know that their chances of picking up points will be helped by Rodwell’s inclusion.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Arsenal go into Sunday’s game against Stoke in their 100th match at the Emirates Stadium looking to maintain their recent good form but will have to cure their European hangovers first.

The Gunners have lost all four games that have preceded a Champions League fixture and haven’t won a domestic game following a Europ

ean tie since last November. However they do look a better side than the one that started the season and have won their last three games at home. The much maligned defence is starting to tighten up and have conceded just five goals in their last six games. Per Mertesacker continues to adapt to the pace of the Premier League whilst Laurent Koscielny has improved tenfold this season. Arsene Wenger’s decision to sign Mikel Arteta from Everton looks a shrewd one but he will have concerns over Andriy Arshavin and Theo Walcott who continue to struggle on the wings. The pair have looked anything but clinical in the final third and it’s something Wenger needs to address. Once again though it’s likely Arsenal will rely on the goals of Robin Van Persie with the Dutchman going through a prolific streak. He’s hit 27 goals in his last 33 games in all competitions for the club including a game winning  double against Sunderland last week with his 29 second opener the fastest goal of the season to date.

It’ll be a tough ask for Tony Pulis’ side to stop Van Persie but if there is anyone who can it’s the Potters. They’ve become one of the hardest teams to beat in the top flight and have adapted well to additional fixtures a Europa League brings. It’s likely Pulis will freshen things up after their midweek win in Europe with former Tottenham striker Peter Crouch likely to relishing a return to North London. The Potters are looking to end a torrid run in the capital having failed to beat Arsenal in 30 years and have yet to claim a point in their three visits to the Emirates.Their form away from the Britannia Stadium isn’t the best either and they’ve lost their last two on the road. Pulis’ back four will come in handy against the Gunners with the gambles on Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson paying off considerably. Five years ago both players would have cost an arm and a leg but the fact the Stoke boss picked them up for nothing is testament to his ability to get the best out of players.

Key Players

Robin Van Persie – Arguably his impact and leadership as captain has been considerably more effective than Cesc Fabregas’ when he held the armband. Everything the Dutchman touches at the moment turns to goals and it’s good to see him finally scoring on a regular basis and staying free from injury.

Peter Crouch – Scored a hat trick for Liverpool against Arsenal in 2007 and will be hoping to repeat the trick this weekend. His aerial dual with Mertesacker will be one to watch and if he can get the better of the big German then Stoke will be confident of claiming their first win at the Emirates since their promotion in 2008.

Prediction: 2-0

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Robin van Persie scored his fourth and fifth game of the season last weekend. The Arsenal striker has been unlucky so far this season, and his return of 5 goals comes from 35 attempts at goal with 63% on target. By comparison, Rooney has scored 9 from 32 attempts with 59% on target. Van Persie’s goals lifted him 45 places to 23rd in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, making him Arsenal’s highest ranked player Peter Crouch covered most distance in that game with 10.786km in a Stoke team that together covered 110.461km Jonathan Walters scored his second goal of the season against Fulham. The striker has had 10 attempts at goal this season, getting 50% of his shots on target

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The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are not likely to be seen in the Premier League in the near future but the rest of Europe is certainly open to trading for the big guns in the English game and whether it be in January or the summer, there could be some more big names on the plane to the best league in the world.

The likes of Ronaldo, Robinho, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Torres have graced the Premier League in recent years and that has turned the English game into the best in the world. Here is a list of players in Europe that are targets for Premier League clubs and could be seen here in the near future. Who would you like at your club?

Click on Ricardo Montolivo to unveil the top 10

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List compiled by Brad Pinard

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