Wenger and Kolo wanted me to join Arsenal – Barcelona ace

Barcelona midfielder Toure Yaya has revealed that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and his brother Kolo wanted him to join the Gunners this summer.

But the 25-year-old midfielder insists he did not want to leave Barcelona, after only one season at the Spanish giants.

He told RAC-1 Radio: “Both Wenger and my brother told me in the summer that I should join Arsenal, but I told them that I am very happy at Barcelona

Toure is prepared to be patient and wait for his chance to break into the Barcelona team.

He added: “We cannot play with twelve. I am physically fit, but one must respect the coach’s decision. I am a professional and if I am not playing that I must be patient for the good of the team.

“When you pull on a Barça shirt you are representing one of the biggest clubs in the world and you have to win every game.

“The competition is good. We have two very good players for every position and that is crucial when you playing for the best team in the world.

“Now we have to play well and with real spirit. All the players are conscious that this season we have to win something.”

[Source: RAC-1 Radio]

Silva Could Go Under The Knife

The 22 year old winger picked up an ankle injury while training with La Selección in midweek. He has already returned to Valencia to begin treatment after being ruled out of Spain’s World Cup qualifying double header.

Los Ché’s medical staff are keeping a close eye on Silva’s condition to make sure it is not an aggravation of an injury he suffered almost a year ago.

The club’s coaching staff, meanwhile, is reluctant to send him to the operating room straight away as it will rule the player out for a much longer period. However, they are also keen to avoid misdiagnosing their prized winger and risk having to endure a similar nightmare that their previous superstar, Vicente, had to go through.

As such, the team doctors will monitor the player’s situation over the next ten to fifteen days and if there’s no significant improvement, then they will intervene by recommending surgery.

Vicente, once described as one of the most technically gifted wingers in the world, suffered a spate of injuries – including a chronic ankle ailment – back in 2004 and his career has stalled ever since. He went on to publicly blame the club’s then medical staff for failing to treat him proper

Guardiola To Adopt Italian Method

New Barça boss, Guardiola, looks set to implement even more changes at the club following his sweeping transformations on and off the pitch during the pre-season.

The former captain wants his squad of players to form an even tighter bond with each other and to do that, he will adopt an approach that he picked up during his brief playing stint with Italian side, Brescia.

Pep is looking to isolate his players together for certain periods of time, away from the outside world and from the glares of the press and photographers. The first stage of his plan will be to make the players spend an hour together every morning for breakfast with a menu that will consist mainly of fruits and fibres and no more items from the local bakery.

The 37 year old coach will also be moving their usual training camp from La Masia to the club’s Sport City grounds, but it will first have to undergo slight modifications as he does not think it currently meets his required standards.

The Blaugrana brought in a total of five new players in the off-season while also promoting a number of their canteranos to the first team.

KS Leong

We Must Learn From Our Errors - Robben

Real Madrid looked on the right track to end their 17 year winless curse at the Riazor, but in their haste to do so, they allowed Deportivo to snatch the winning goal just five minutes after Ruud van Nistelrooy had equalized.
While it is just the first game of the season and only one defeat, the two goals that the Galicians scored from set-pieces highlighted just how fragile Madrid’s defence can be.
And Dutch winger Arjen Robben, who did not have the best of games himself, stressed the need to learn from their faults immediately in order to move forward.
“Deportivo scored from our mistakes. We didn’t play badly, but we must learn from our errors and we have two weeks to work on that,” he said in the post-match interview.
“This is only the first game. There’s still a long way to go in the season,” he assured.
His fellow winger, Gonzalo Higuaín, also gave the same response when asked what went wrong in the game.
“We played well in the first half, but Depor’s first goal changed everything,” the Argentine pointed out.
“But we must look ahead now. It is necessary to improve on what we did wrong so we will have a clear idea how to play against Numancia.”
The international break will give Bernd Schuster and his troops an extra week to fine-tune their game, although the German might have to make do without several key figures.
KS Leong

Calderón Hails Epic Performance

The Bernabéu club's president was overjoyed with the victory that gave los Merengues their first trophy of the new campaign and showed true determination.

Madrid saw Rafael Van der Vaart and Ruud van Nistelrooy sent off, but they still managed to score three goals in the final 15 minutes to win the encounter and the tie.

"Everyone is delighted with the way that we have won this trophy and it is what makes this club great and it will long be remembered," Calderón said.

"Scoring three goals with nine players will not happen very often. We have shown determination and spirit and that has made me very proud of everything we are doing here.

"The players are natural born winners and they do not know how to lose, it is not in their make-up. It is what makes Madrid so great and we are so happy and proud.

"Everyone has been great and showed great mentality as well as being physically strong. Now we have to take advantage of this and go for the other three trophies available this season.

"There is a feeling that this team cannot be stopped."

Madrid take on Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday evening in the annual Trofeo Bernabéu encounter that was postponed last summer after the death of Sevilla's Antonio Puerta.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Emery Desperate For Villa And Silva To Stay

Los che's coach is hoping that the efforts made by the club are enough to see the highly sought after pair remain at Mestalla for at least one more season.

Silva is still being linked with a move to Barcelona, having rejected a switch to England, while Villa has been attracting the attention of Real Madrid among others.

"If Villa or Silva leave then it would be really bad," Emery told Radio Marca.

"I am counting on them for this season and we are doing everything possible to ensure that they stay with us and that the fans can see them play every week.

"The club is going to try and keep them with us for as long as they can."

Having taken over the reins at Valencia at the end of last season after a very successful spell with Almería, Emery has been surprised by the media attention on the club.

"One cannot believe the amount of news and stories written about this during pre-season. But we have had to learn to live with it because Valencia is a great club," he added.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Van Der Vaart Wants Real Improvement

With pre-season nearly over it's time for the real battles to begin in Spain, starting with the two legged Super Cup clash between league champions Real Madrid and Copa Del Rey winners Valencia. Van Der Vaart recognises though that following a lacklustre performance against Frankurt, Real are going to have to improve.

“There are still three training sessions before the Super Cup and in them we must improve on some aspects in which we failed today,” mused the Dutch midfielder.

With two games under his belt already the new signing from Hamburg said that he felt he was fitting into the team well, saying, “ I am very happy with my games for Madrid. Things are turning out well and already I feel very integrated in the team.”

Another player who took part in the game was defender Gabriel Heinze. Speaking to Marca following the match he said, “The game leaves us with good feelings but the result is not the best because Madrid always wants to win. But we must learn from the errors we have committed and against Valencia we must win and score more goals.”

Whilst coach Bernd Schuster was disappointed with mistakes at both ends of the pitch he said he could take some positives from the game. One of the biggest of those was that German defender Christopher Metzelder completed the second half successfully. Following an injury plagued season last year the Real Madrid player said he hopes for better this year.

“I hope to have a great season and to have more luck than last year,” he concluded.

James Walker-Roberts

Villalonga's Amazing Valencia Plans Revealed

The ambitious plans were all part of the rebuilding project put into place by the man that replaced Juan Soler at the helm of the Che club at the end of the season.

Villalonga wanted to think big and his ideas would have had the fans celebrating before a ball had even been kicked if he had been allowed to carry them out, according to Marca.

Ronaldinho knew of Valencia's interest and that they were ready to offer him more than Milan, while Van der Vaart was familiar with the club having posed in their shirt last year.

Whether or not Villalonga would have been able not pull off any off his plans is hypothetical now that he has been ousted and replaced by the far more conservative Vicente Soriano.

Finances were promised and along with assurances that David Villa and David Silva were staying, there were reports that Güiza and Aragonés would be tempted to return from Turkey only weeks after going to Fenerbahçe.

Added to that Dudu Aouate would have been signed from Deportivo and Czech international Václav Svěrkoš was wanted and an approach had already been made to Banik OStrava about him.

The curretn reality is completely different at Mestalla with the current board having no such ambitions and instead want to focus on whether Villa and Silva remain as the debts continue to cause concern.

Villalonga left Valencia after Soler, the club's majority shareholder, refused to agree to increasing the capital, putting paid to the new man's plans even starting.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Van Der Vaart Hopes Dream Comes True Next Week

The Dutch international attempted to not say much in order to be respectful to Hamburg, but he could not hide his desire to move to the Bernabéu as soon as possible.

Madrid are in London with the Bundesliga outfit with both teams participating in the Emirates Cup at Arsenal's stadium along with Juventus and the host team and talks are expected to continue.

"For the time being I am still a Hamburg player, but I expect everything to be resolved quickly and that the two clubs will reach an agreement," Van der Vaart told AS.

"It is a dream of mine to play for Real Madrid and if, in the end, it happens then I would be delighted. I cannot deny that.

"At the moment I cannot say any more and I do not want to speak about this much out of respect for my current club.

"I am just staying calm. I have to be like that and just wait and see what happens. The truth is I am happy.

"Of course, it is pleasing to know that a club as great as Real Madrid are interested in me and it is logical that the journalists are spending a lot of time focussing on this.

"The first thing I have to do is consider Hamburg, but everyone knows I would be delighted to go to Real Madrid. But right now I have a club and I am fine."

Van der Vaart has revealed that he has spoken to his international team-mate and friend from their Ajax days Wesley Sneijder, and knows all about Madrid.

"He has said he expects me to join him," the Hamburg star joked. "He has told me that it is great there and that everyone is waiting for me. I hope to have more news on Monday."

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Schuster: No Dramas With The Club

Schuster’s comments this past Wednesday that he is the last to know anything about the club’s transfer activities caused an uproar, sparking claims that the relationship continues to deteriorate between the head honchos and the coach.

But after club president Ramón Calderón laughed off those remarks the following day, Schuster himself has now played down the commotion.

Holding a press conference in a hotel in London, where the team are preparing to take part in the Emirates Cup, the German trainer affirmed that he had already spoken with both Calderón and sporting director, Predrag Mijatovic, and that the press should just leave it at that.

“I have already spoken to the president about the situation and I’ve already seen Mijatovic at the hotel. It is not necessary to make a big deal out of it anymore. There is nothing wrong,” he sniped.

When asked to comment about the ongoing transfer saga with Cristiano Ronaldo, the 48 year old got even colder when he responded in German in an attempt to kill off the topic quickly.

“Ask the club. That’s not my job. I do not have money to sign Cristiano.”

When a reporter from News Of The World took it to understand if he meant Real Madrid did not have the funds, Schuster shot back: “Are you well? I did not say that.”

The ex-Getafe boss then invariably turned his attention to the real football on the pitch, giving the reporters a rough idea who could be lining up against HSV Hamburg on Saturday.

“It’s too early for the internationals (Casillas, Sergio Ramos, de la Red, Metzelder) to return to play because they’ve only been in training for a week and we don’t want to risk anything. They’ll need another week of training,” he stressed.

“As for Robinho, he has returned to train normally without any injuries. He is pretty fit and it’s possible he will see some minutes on the pitch.”

Finally, Schuster emphasized the importance of having a chance to pit themselves against the likes of Arsenal, Juventus and Hamburg.

“This is a great tournament for us because playing against some of Europe’s most prestigious and important teams will give us an idea of where we stand at the moment. Then, we will have another week to prepare before the Supercup and hopefully, that will be the first of our titles this season,” he concluded.  

KS Leong, Goal.comA

Silva Talks With Roma Very Advanced - Villalonga

The former head of Telefónica pledged to ensure that the current Valencia board do not plunge the club further in to debt and strip away its assets to cover the problems.

Last month, Villalonga looked set to take over at the helm of the Mestalla, but was denied the chance to buy Juan Soler's majority shareholding and was removed.

Having claimed that he had the financial backing to pay Valencia's debts in the short-term and avoid having sell Silva or David Villa, both players are back on the market after his exit.

"Negotiations for the sale of David Silva to Roma for €25m plus €5m more are well advanced. And I talk about the €5m because I know what the deal is," he told Marca.

"But I will never abandon my struggle and will keep going so I can reach the place that history has for me.

"We are going to avoid their tragedy and I will be watching every operation that the current team carry out to ensure that our club is not endangered."

Villalonga is still intent on becoming president, but has asked the club's supporters to keep up with their demonstrations against the current way the club is being run.

"I advise all fans and followers of Valencia to watch out, and say that from the heart, because our club is in play as there is now no way of raising the necessary capital to pay the mortgage," he continued.

"All our assets, starting with the most important players of our historic club will be sold."

Villalonga has also claimed that during his brief spell at the helm that the he stopped David Silva from being sold to Real Madrid.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Villa And Silva Will Stay - Albiol

Both players have been courted by a number of top-European sides including Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter.  

There were fears that Los Che were ready to off load them in order to alleviate some of their financial troubles but Albiol insists that neither player was ever going to leave.  

“Both Villa and Silva are tranquil and they have every ambition to stay here and succeed for many years to come,” Albiol told Marca.  

“We want them to stay and I think they want to remain as well. They are happy here at Valencia and I strongly believe they will be here next term also.  

“Everyone is happy here and we have big ambitions for the coming season. We want to win and enjoy a great campaign.”  

Valencia were a far cry from their usual selves last term and they finished mid-table after suffering a major blip midway through the season.  

Los Che will now be hoping to race up the La Liga table as well as challenge for major honours when the new season begins.  

It Is Ronaldo Or Nobody - Calderón

Los Merengues' chief is prepared to stake his reputation on prising the Portuguese star away from Manchester United and that could cause friction with the German trainer, according to Marca.

Schuster has reportedly asked Calderón and sporting director Predrag Mijatovic to look into the possibility of signing other players instead and thought he had an agreement.

"Either Cristiano Ronaldo comes or nobody does," the Spanish sports daily quoted him as stating.

Rafael Van der Vaart and David Villa are two players that the coach wants, but Madrid are unlikely to make a second move for the Dutchman or lodge a bid for the Spaniard now.

It will come as a huge blow because Schuster knows that he he needs two or three new faces to freshen up his squad, despite the fact that they won the title last term.

Calderón promised to sign Kaká and Cesc Fàbregas in his pre-election manifesto but failed to land either and will incur the wrath of the fans if he does sign Ronaldo.

Last summer the supporters made their feelings known during the introduction of Arjen Robben's presentation as they chanted to Kaká.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Henry To Sign For Manchester United?

Sir Alex Ferguson has been trying hard to sign a decent striker and Tottenham’s Dimitar Berbatov was his number one target.

However, the Bulgarian hit-man doesn’t seem like he will move to Old Trafford, leaving the Red Devils coach to think about the alternatives.

Sport claims that former Arsenal striker Henry may end up playing for the European Champions next season. His characteristics are what Ferguson is looking for and he would form a lethal partnership with both Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Gunners fans will be left reeling if Henry moves to United given the fact that the Frenchman remains an Arsenal hero following his seven year stint at both Highbury and the Emirates.

Should Ferguson fail in his attempt to sign Henry then Ajax striker Klass Jan Huntelaar will be the other possible option.

It’s highly unlikely that the Barcelona forward will sign for United as he is still very much a big part of the Blaugrana’s side. Henry also declared in the past that he would never play for any other English side apart from the Gunners.  

Salvatore Landolina (goal.com)

Lack Of Signings Worries Schuster

The Portuguese winger’s proposed transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid has been the story of the summer. However, United appear determined to keep the player and despite rumours of Madrid preparing a world record bid for Ronaldo, the player’s future remains unresolved.
The deal has overshadowed both clubs’ pre-season preparations, a fact Schuster was quick to acknowledge. According to Sky Sports, Schuster joked: “As you all know at this club we have been obsessed with signing a player whose name I can't quite remember at the moment.”
However, with Ronaldo seemingly no closer to moving to Spain and with United digging their heels in, Real Madrid are becoming concerned they will not have time to sign any other players, should Ronaldo stay at Old Trafford.
“When you start something like this you know that if you don't sort it out quickly then it might be too late to sign another player,” said Schuster before adding, “We have had plans in place for several months ready for any movement, for any solution, but the truth is that as time passes you are running the risk that Plan B might have become a little difficult.”
While United appear unwilling to sell the player to Madrid, Schuster also revealed he thought this was to be quite expected and he wasn’t surprised by the European Champions’ stance.
“I'm absolutely certain that if I was in his (Ferguson's) position I would do exactly the same,” said Schuster speaking about United, “I wouldn't like anyone to take a player like him from me even if I had won the league and the Champions League.”
Schuster also went on to compliment the way United manager Ferguson had handled the whole Ronaldo saga. He said: “He is the sort of player that no one wants to lose and for me the way in which the Manchester United manager is defending himself is perfect.”
Yet despite the platitudes, Schuster was unable to hide his interest signing the winger who joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003.
“They tell me he is a team player and he has proved that at Manchester,” the Madrid coach said before suggesting, “I don't think he would have any problems in adapting to play with us.”
Aside from Ronaldo, Madrid have been linked with a host of other players including David Villa, Rafael Van der Vaart and even Cesc Fabregas. However, whilst admitting the club were in the hunt for players, Schuster remained coy over who they may be. He concluded: “I don't want to give any names. All I can say is that they are attacking players.”

Gill Clark

Spurs A Possibility For Villa - Agent

Tottenham, who have an esteemed Spanish manager in the form of Juande Ramos, are thought to be already preparing a bid for Villa should Robbie Keane succumb to the temptation of joining Liverpool, and the Valencia star's agent has given them reason to believe that they could be successful were this to occur.

"Many clubs have contacted me about the chances of a player who is guaranteed to score goals in England," said Jose Luis Tamargo. "But I am convinced if Spurs present an offer, Valencia will study the subject."

"David likes London and likes how Tottenham play with Juande Ramos. This is a club that excites him," the agent was quoted as saying by Setanta Sports.

Spurs could very well face the daunting task of rivaling Real Madrid for the Euro 2008 star's signature, however, as rumours are rife that they will submit a whopping £31.5million bid in the case that they fail to lure Cristiano Ronaldo to the Bernabeu.

Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea have also been credited with an interest in the 25-year-old, who scored 22 goals last season despite Valencia struggling to beat the drop.
 
Derek Wanner, Goal.com

Madrid Weighing Up €40m Villa Move

Los Merengues' pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo is seeing president Ramón Calderón lose supporters and he is keen to regain the fans' confidence with another high profile signing.

Valencia looked set to keep hold of their star players when Juan Villalonga took control and stated that Villa and David Silva had been told they were staying.

New contracts were promised and assurances made that the only big name transfers the club would be involved in this summer would be incoming players.

Those plans have collapsed now, however, as majority shareholder Juan Soler has decided not to sell Villalonga his interest and Vicente Soriano has now taken over.

The new man's first words will not have pleased many as it now appears that Soler's plan to sell one of the squad's star players in order to ease debts will be pushed through.

"We cannot assure people that we will not have to sell one of our stars," Soriano told reporters this week.

Madrid could ease the pressure on them this summer with a crowd-pleasing purchase after the Ronaldo saga has soured their international standing and upset some directors and supporters.

Bernd Schuster has asked for a few new faces, but does not want a major overhaul of his squad and is hoping that the new signings will be world class.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Spanish Debate: Who's Had The Worst Summer?

The chequebooks have already been opened all across Spain, with not a single Primera club conducting at least one sale or purchase so far. But who are the winners and losers as we near the midway point of the transfer window?

RCD MALLORCA

To look at the 'out' list at San Moix is almost to examine a "who's who" of their triumphant 2007-08 season. Dani Güiza, the Liga's top scorer, has joined up with Luis Aragonés at Fenerbahçe, while Jonás Gutiérrez is bound for Newcastle United. Fernando Navarro takes his reliable self to Sevilla, Ariel Ibagaza goes to Villarreal, and David Navarro is back at Valencia after his loan deal expired. Héctor and Basinas - the latter of whom may have been on high wages - were released.

The 'in' pile, meanwhile, has some promising names to it, but few, if any, really stack up to those who left. Alhassane Keita is a proven goalscorer in Switzerland who joins up after a stint in the Middle East: whether he can truly live up to Güiza's example remains to be seen. Martí was a decent performer at Sevilla but little more; Josemi, meanwhile, barely touched the ball for Villarreal last season, and while his experience will prove welcome one wonders if he has the legs for a campaign that is looking increasingly bottom half. An array of journeymen round out the new arrivals, and the idea that the side is in financial trouble is looking ever more compelling. And that's before we even talk about what's going to happen to Moyá in goal...

Verdict: The most-weakened side so far. They are, indeed, in a heap of trouble, and it's difficult to see where the class replacements are going to come from. Perhaps some more South American imports are called for if they're to even come close to replicating last season's top-half feat. Only a couple of experienced additions save them from oblivion. D-

VALENCIA

As discussed previously here, the Valencia squad is a bloated leviathan that is yet to be fully trimmed of its less desirable appendages. The likes of Mario Reguerio have finally been packed off as the cull begins, but there seems to be a bit of over-enthusiasm to rid the side of younsters, with Sunny - who dealt admirably well with the rigours of last season - being farmed out to Osasuna. Some of the highly-paid veterans remain and may be less than happy: Albelda and Angulo spring to mind, and Vicente can perhaps be added to that list. The real elephant in the room, though, is the future of David Villa and to a lesser extent David Silva. For all their talk of staying, can the club really refuse €40m for the former and €30m for the latter?

Who's come in? Highly-rated coach Unai Emery, that's who. The Basque worked wonders at Almería last season and must be taken seriously: what a shame there's not been a single impressive signing to help him out. The best playing arrival? Probably Pablo Hernández - and he's a loan return.

Verdict: The optimism engendered by Unai Emery's introduction is still being overshadowed by off-field uncertainty. New moneyman Juan Villalonga has talked a good game thus far, but the squad remains over-inflated with several players low on morale. Time is running out to find a solution. D+

REAL RACING CLUB

Last season saw precious little movement at Racing until the very last second, with both "star" strikers Ebi Smolarek and Mohamed Tchité both sliding in under a closing transfer window, Indiana Jones-like. This year there's already been plenty of movement, but it is of jerry-built, journeyman swap-meet style: the names of Jonathan Pereira and Ayoze Díaz fly past the eyes in a near-indistinguishable mass of unremarkable players.

As with Valencia, the big changes are off the pitch. Manager Marcelino has dropped to the Segunda to boss Real Zaragoza back to the top flight - it's a downward step in terms of league, sure, but few can deny that los maños are not a comatose giant - and Juan Ramón Muñiz has now the toughest of tough acts to follow. What will damage him is if his squad is broken up in front of his eyes: Smolarek's difficult first season in Spain may see to it that it is. Above all, he needs a team in place soon if he's going to make pre-season count.

Verdict: Mixed - the ins-and-outs of the squad aren't massively ground-breaking, but to get shot of Ebi Smolarek may be an error. Above all, they have lost their manager, and it remains to be seen exactly how Muñiz fares in his new surroundings. C

MÁLAGA

The team that started last season so strongly in the Segunda eventually stuttered to the finish line and only just crept back up to the top flight. The squad, starting to fray around the edges, has thus seen a few changes, although relatively few of the regulars have gone. Carpintero's off to Córdoba, Antonio Hidalgo is away to Real Zaragoza, and Paulo Jordge is off to Benfica. Coach Muñíz is away to Racing Santander, as we know, but some of the problems of last season remain. The worry is that the players who have come in are very much lower-half material: Nacho could not get a game at Getafe, Lolo was a bit-part player at Sevilla, and anyone else who has been brought in has an air of mediocrity about them. The boost there, though, is that every single one of them has a point to prove in the top flight. The alternative is that they are this season's Murcia: can Antonio Tapia prevent this?

Verdict: The cobwebs of last season need clearing out with a couple more additions. The club is taking a gamble: they couldn't have done anything but. C+

FC BARCELONA

Certainly the busiest side so far in terms of financial turnover, Barça have seen almost as many outgoing players as incoming ones. The worry is that only a minority of the players who has left could truly have been considered bit-part last season: Ronaldinho, for all his absence, injury and alleged laziness, was still emblematic of the Barça attack and a keen goalscorer to boot; Deco came onto a game towards the end of the season; Lilian Thuram had his moments; Giovani Dos Santos showed precocious talent. But the time was perhaps right to let all go: Thuram needed to make way for the younger generation, and he duly did so as both Martín Cáceres and Piqué came in, while Dani Alves steps in for Zambrotta and Hleb looks to carve out an attacking niche for himself. The problem is that, unless Thierry Henry is going to be shoehorned into the middle, there is no number 9 to speak of, young Bojan aside, and with Samuel Eto'o leaving that must be remedied soon. But the key points are that some definite weak spots have been filled, some classy players have been added, and those who did leave, while recognisable first-teamers, had almost to a man hit the end of the road anyway.

Verdict: So far, at this exact moment, the balance in euros may be negative but the influence to the playing side is positive. However, they miss out on the A bracket due to the unsettling influence of Samuel Eto'o - for the squad's good, Barcelona must resolve this quickly, and the player would surely agree. B+

REAL MADRID

The only "ins" at Madrid so far are Ezequiel Garay, Rubén de la Red, and Javi García. Garay has already gone back out on loan to Racing, and the other two are cantera buy-backs. In other words, not much doing at the Bernabéu. In previous summers this would have been cause to revolt outside the stadium but this time around it is rather different...

Verdict: Some Madrid fans may see the lack of activity so far as a negative. In fact, this is the stability that was promised. The Ronaldo circus aside - and Robinho-gate, too - everything at Real Madrid is in fact looking rather positive on the playing side. That's not to say that some new arrivals would not go amiss, but it is not urgent. Their increasingly melodramatic negotiating style sees them marked down slightly. B+

goal.com

Gago: Messi Is Better Than Ronaldo

While the Argentinian midfielder is impressed with Ronaldo, it is his compatriot that he believes is currently the world's number one.

Ronaldo was hailed as the best by many in England after an incredible campaign in the Premier League, but Gago thinks that despite that he is still not as good as Messi.

"For me he is not number one. For me, the best in the world is Messi because of the way he plays, moves with the ball and changes matches," he told AS.

"Messi has incredible ability and I love the way that he plays."

The pursuit of Ronaldo by Madrid has not been met with universal approval by everyone at the club with Wesley Sneijder believing that his huge contract may cause problems, but Gago does not agree.

"He is a very good player and it is logical that Real Madrid would want him because all the big sides are interested. I do not know if he will come here, but if he does he will be made very welcome," he continued.

"If Cristiano joins Madrid and has a big contract then it will be because he deserves it and he should be congratulated, but on the pitch he will be just another player and will have to put in the same effort as everyone else.

"This is a team here and everyone has to be at the heir best in order for us to succeed."

Rafael Van der Vaart is also said to be on Los Merengues' agenda and Gago is confident that if the club are tracking the Hamburg player the he must be good.

"I have not seen much of him, but he seems to have class. If Real Madrid want to sign him then it will be for a reason," he stated.

"One must remember that this team is solid and next year we have to be even more competitive because we are aiming for every trophy."

Madrid Almost Signed Villa

El Guaje is the envy of Europe after finishing as top scorer for Spain at Euro 2008, but his reputation went before him even before the continental tournament.

As a consistent performer for Valencia, in fact, he had attracted the attention of Real Madrid to such a great extent that the blancos were on the verge of signing him in April, it was revealed today.

Sport.es contends that then-vice president of Los Che, Rafael Salom, met with Real Madrid technical secretary Miguel Angel Portugal in a popular Madrid restaurant to talk transfers.

On the surface there was nothing unusual here: Salom had not made the trip specifically for this head-to-head - instead he was in town for the April 16 Copa del Rey final between Valencia and Getafe. He also had an appointment with Marcelino García Toral, then-Recreativo boss who was being groomed for the Valencia hotseat.

But, surprisingly enough, the biggest outcome of the evening was that of David Villa, with Salom proposing a sale package to Real Madrid that seemed to be a hit with the Bernabéu side. For €35m the player was theirs: alternatively they could offer €30m in addition to Esteban Granero - now of Getafe - who at the time excited Los Che greatly.

Both sides seemed to be in agreement, but Madrid decided against sealing the deal. Valencia, meanwhile, underwent massive internal turmoil, rendering their own input moot. The rest is history.

Steve Michaels, Goal.com