ROBINHO SET FOR CHELSEA
Robinho is on the brink of a big-money move to Chelsea, according to his representative.
The Brazil forward's current employers, Real Madrid, have all but accepted defeat in their battle to keep the 24-year-old, with president Ramon Calderon claiming he was free to go earlier this week.
He has been widely tipped to join the Blues, managed by his countryman Luiz Felipe Scolari, for a fee of around £25million and it appears that deal is now close to completion.
"A deal is about to be reached," Wagner Ribeiro told The Guardian.
"Robinho's time in Spain has come to an end. He is looking forward to being part of a new project."
AND, ERM, SO IS KAKA APPARENTLY
The Daily Mail just isn't giving up on this story and continues to insist that Chelsea haven't given up on signing Kaka from AC Milan.
If we were writing the story, we would tackle it from the angle that the arrival of Philippe Senderos at the San Siro has apparently caused Kaka to consider whether he wants to stay.
'The world player of the year has been left stunned by a transfer policy that has seen Carlo Ancelotti recruit players like the Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko and Arsenal's Philippe Senderos,' says The Mail.
It's a fair point. There's something not quite right about the names of 'Senderos' and 'Kaka' appearing on the same teamsheet.
The devout Christian is also reported to be 'even more unhappy with the arrival of Ronaldinho', while the 'loan deal that has seen Andriy Shevchenko return to AC Milan has improved relations between the two clubs'.
Milan have responded to the story by reiterating that Kaka isn't for sale. Which is just as well for the rest of the Premier League. A team including Deco, Kaka and Robinho would be rather tasty.
Oh, and throw Sevilla's Luis Fabiano into that picture too - The Sun reckon that Chelsea could spend £18m on the striker. Surely it can't all be true?
CITY OR EVERTON FOR SWP
Meanwhile, the imminent arrival of Robinho means that Shaun Wright-Phillips' departure from Chelsea is equally imminent.
It appears to be a straight fight between Everton and Manchester City - to quote the Daily Mail, 'City are believed to have offered almost £10m for the winger they sold to Chelsea for £21m in 2005, whereas Everton have proposed a one-year loan deal with a view to a permanent move next summer.'
PAVLYUCHENKO SAYS HE'S MOVING TO SPURS
Roman Pavlyuchenko has claimed he is set to complete a move to Tottenham.
The 26-year-old Russian international has been linked with a move to Spurs all summer. Now it appears that the north London outfit have sealed a deal with his club Spartak Moscow.
Speaking to Uefa's Russian website, Pavlyuchenko confirmed he had not travelled with the rest of the Spartak squad for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kiev as he was finalising the details of his move to Spurs.
"I am back in Moscow and I will not play in Kiev, and I can confirm I am going to Tottenham," he told uefa.ru.
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AND BERBA TRAINS ON...
Otherwise, there's no update on the Dimi Berbatov situation. The Bulgarian trained with Spurs yesterday and the official line from White Hart Lane is that the Pavlyuchenko deal is independent of the Berbatov saga. Perhaps so, but it does rather diminish the prospects of him still being a Tottenham player on September 2.
CITY'S SUPERSTAR IS...
Story Of The Day has to be The Sun's claim that Manchester City are trying to sign Ronaldo.
No, not that one, but the fat one.
'City executive chairman Garry Cook revealed last week he was looking to sign a superstar. And contact has been made with the former Barcelona and Real Madrid hitman, who is now a free agent after being released by AC Milan in the summer.'
Please, Mr God, make it happen.
VILLA WAITING ON MILNER
According to The Guardian, 'Martin O'Neill is set to press ahead with his plans to sign James Milner, irrespective of the outcome of Newcastle United's board meeting today, when a decision is expected to be made on the England Under-21 international's future.'
Milner, who had a loan spell at Villa in 2005-06, is apparently much-admired by O'Neill and the subject of a £9m bid. However, Kevin Keegan has already gone on record to declare that he would not be sold.
AND THE REST
Blackburn are close to a £4m deal for Torino midfielder Vince Grella...Birmingham will sign Celtic centre-back Bobo Balde...Wigan boss Steve Bruce is monitoring FC Seoul's £2.5m rated South Korea striker Chu Young Park...Portsmouth have joined the chase for free agent Freddie Ljungberg...Everton are trying to agree a fee for Guinean defender Kamil Zayatte...Fulham are poised to sign South Africa midfielder Kagisho Dikagcol...QPR and Ipswich are both chasing free agent Stephen Carr...Hull want to sign Hamburg left-back Thimothee Atouba on a season-long loan...Barnsley boss Simon Davey has been given three games to save his job...
Reading have completed the signing of left-back Chris Armstrong from Sheffield United...Wolves were told to cough up £1.75m for Danny Higginbotham after Sunderland rejected an initial bid of £1m...Bolton's Heidar Helguson is wanted by four Championship clubs in a £1m deal...Burnley have completed the season-long loan signing of Sunderland defender Russell Anderson...Stoke and Blackburn are interested in Lens midfielder Kanga Akale...Portsmouth are expected to take a close look at Thiago Motta in a behind-closed-doors friendly.