LIVERPOOL RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS TO FINANCE BARRY MOVE
The prospect of Xabi Alonso leaving Liverpool this summer has diminished significantly after Steven Gerrard damaged a thigh muscle. Gerrard's injury means that Rafa Benitez is desperately short of midfielders for the start of the season with both Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva away on Olympics duty.
Alonso will thus probably have to feature in Liverpool's Champions League qualifying tie next week - meaning he will be cup-tied for the competition and his value will fall accordingly. So much for the expectation that Alonso's sale would finance the capture of Gareth Barry. That deal is apparently no nearer completion - and doubts are growing about whether the club's American co-owners have actually agreed to underwrite the transfer in the form of a short-term loan.
On a related note, The Daily Mail reports that 'Liverpool's Rafa Benitez has missed out on another opportunity to finance his long-running move for Gareth Barry after Hamburg failed in a shock bid to sign Dirk Kuyt.
'With co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett still stalling over the extra cash needed to meet an £18million asking price for Aston Villa midfielder Barry, Benitez is urgently exploring ways of generating funds.'
ARSHAVIN MAKES AN ARSE OF HIMSELF
Andrei Arshavin has gone on strike - and may have ended any chance he had of joining Tottenham in the process.
The Russian playmaker has refused to play for Zenit St Petersburg in a cup tie, but - in terms of this being a tactical error - it could make Hitler's decision to invade Russia look inspired.
To quote The Independent:
'Tottenham had been hopeful that a meeting between the Zenit president, Alexander Dyukov, and the player's representative Dennis Lachter this week might have forged a breakthrough in a stand-off over the Russian club's £27m demand for Arshavin. But Dyukov cancelled the meeting and, with the club unwilling to give any ground, the player has withdrawn his services. Lachter said last night that the prospects of him leaving the Uefa Cup holders for White Hart Lane were now "very, very weak".
'"This is the Russian way," a frustrated Lachter said. "Nothing will change because this is the old Soviet Union way. For the Russian sports establishment the desires of a player mean absolutely nothing. They are the big bosses. It is a dictatorship. He is a slave."'
He's off to a gulag then?
NEW FULL-BACKS FOR VILLA
Aston Villa are expected to sign a couple of full-backs over the coming days with the club described by The Sun as being 'on the brink of a £9million double deal for Nicky Shorey and Luke Young.'
Reading are said to have accepted a bid of £4m for Shorey while Young will cost £5m (which sounds far too much to us).
'Villa hope to complete the deals quickly so that Shorey and Young can play in next week's UEFA Cup qualifier against Icelandic side Hafnarfjardur,' the newspaper claims.
McCARTHY FOR SUNDERLAND
Sunderland might be set to miss out on Shorey but The Daily Mail reckons they could land significant consolation in the form of Blackburn Rovers' Benni McCarthy.
Although the South African is tempted by an offer from Galatasaray that includes the prospect of Champions League football, Keane is ready to bid £7m for the striker.
'That could be enough to tempt Blackburn to sell and the possibility of working with Keane has interested the South Africa striker, who feels he needs a fresh challenge,' the Mail says.
'His head has been turned by Sunderland's approach and Ince is resigned to allowing the striker to leave.'
AND THE REST
West Ham are poised to sign French defender Gael Givet...Didier Drogba will stay at Chelsea because nobody wants to sign him...Southampton will listen to offers for Grzegorz Rasiak, Marek Saganowski, Rudi Skacel and Stern John...Wigan may offer a contract to French striker Joel Thomas...West Brom are set to move for West Ham defender James Collins...Ipswich have made a £440,000 offer for Sheffield United left-back Chris Armstrong...Newcastle are in talks to sign Toulouse defender Herita Ilunga for £2million...Middlesbrough believe they have agreed a fee of £3.5million to sign Reading midfielder James Harper.