Liverpool net a Finance Package

Liverpool's financial troubles appear to be over - first Gillett sold up his NFL team, and then the new Chief-Exec managed to renegotiate their £400m debt with RBS to ensure the club can continue to spend lavishly! £17.5m has just been added to the pile of IOUs, with Portsmouth full-back Glen Johnson joining the club.

Man City's Carlos Tevez deal may hit a snag or two along the way before its completion, with the Premier League scrutinising the deal at each and every step to ensure Carlos becomes a player of the club, and is no longer owned by a less-than-transparent third-party. The new strike force of Craig Bellamy, Robinho, Santa Cruz and Tevez isn't exactly terrifying, but it should do well enough to scare the Big Four into making more acquisitions.

An as-yet-unnamed team has supposedly been taken over by some more Arabs from the UAE, in a deal unconnected to the people in charge of City, with a 'Premiership club' already having signed the paperwork to transfer ownership. Portsmouth are rumoured to be the club, but have denied the claims.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has urged his Dutch team-mates at Real to find a way out, and a new club, ahead of the World Cup 2010. He wants everyone to be fighting fit. With the arrivals of big-money signings Ronaldo and Kaka, the Dutch contingent are available at bargain prices.

The TV rights for the Premier League games lost by Setanta have already been snapped up at a knock down price, with US TV giants ESPN landing the rights to the Monday and Saturday night games packages for some £40m less than Setanta paid for them. The SPL has now followed suit by re-claiming the rights back off Setanta, who will struggle without the football to bring in viewers.

United to Offload Nani, Anderson & Kuszczak

With Manchester United's Champions League hopes smashed and dashed by a convincing Barcelona side, the papers are speculating on changes being made at the club. The Sun and Mirror both say that regular squad players such as Nani, Anderson and Kuszczak will be on their way out of Old Trafford, though the changes will be nothing like as dramatic as when Mark Hughes, Kanchelskis and Paul Ince left some years back.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with Real Madrid once more - this time by Florentino Perez, who hopes that his new Galactico project will entice Ronny across. Ronaldo himself has refused to rule out the rumours - saying that he is tired, thinking about the Portuguese national side, and unsure of his future. Until Ronaldo decides to stay or go, Franck Ribery will continue to be mentioned as his replacement.

With Portsmouth joining Manchester City & Chelsea in the 'richest clubs in the world' category, more top-class players could be playing in the Premier League next season, though the south-coast side, like Abramovich's Chelsea, need to find a worthy head-coach before blowing their millions. Sven has been mentioned, along with Riijkaard, van Basten and Ancelotti.

Steve Bruce could be heading to Sunderland, with Elliot Short willing to give Roy Keane's former team-mate more cash, and the assurances that he won't have to sell his best players - in contrast to his time at Wigan.

The Football News

It's the Friday before Sky Sports vastly over-hyped 'Relegation Sunday', and there is just two days left in the Premier League for one of Hull, Newcastle United or Sunderland. With all three staring into a pit of financial doom should they be the unlucky ones sent down, every man and his dog is calling for fair play on the last day of the season, which basicaly eans that they want to see Hull beaten by Manchester United.

Whilst Sir Alex has supposedly become riled by the Press asking him about his team for Sunday's game, the likes of Alan Shearer and Ricky Sbragia are calling on a top-strength team to face the Tigers, which obviously isn't going to happen with the Champions League Final just days away.

Whilst Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov et al will be fit, ready and rested for Rome on Wednesday, two of Barcelona's key men may be missing out - Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta (who scored the vital last-gasp winning goal at Stamford Bridge to send barca through) are both sruggling for fitness, and are looking increasingly unlikely to make it. Good news for United fans, who can also count on the support of Liverpool's Steven Gerrard to help them win - he knows United's England contingent quite well and wants them to bring home the Cup!

Hull are also in the news today because naughty Arsenal boy Cesc Fabregas has been let off for his spitting incident. Even though Brian Horton said it happened, the FA board say there isn't enough evidence to charge the young Spaniard, and have let him off the hook. He is free to roam whereever he wants to in his leather jacket in the future.

Other News: Frank Lampard won the Chelsea Player of the Year Award, Everton have signed up bargain-buy Phil Jagielka on a long-term contract, and Arsenal have hinted at bringing Fulham's Brede Hangeland to the club.

Football Round Up

Welcome to the first of our round-ups of the football news. We'll try and give you all the football details you'll need to know, and hope you keep coming back for more! So what news of Tuesday 19th 2009?

The bulk of the backpages highlighted the fact that a member of the (far right-wing) BNP party had somehow managed to get into the official launch party of England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, alongside David beckham and Wayne Rooney. It's an error that won't be made again, but at the end of the day he was one of just four GLA politicians who bothered to turn up, and it wasn't like he stole the show with some racist or whatever comments - as far as we know he was well-behaved!

With Manchester United already having pipped Liverpool and Chelsea to the Premier League title, the focus falls to the relegation battle. Sunderland had it all in their own hands when Kenwynne Jones sent them a goal ahead. But John Utaka, a Phil Bardsley own goal and Armand Traore's late finish meant that Portsmouth sent the Rokerites went thome empty-handed, and with a nervy 'Relegation Sunday' ahead of them.

On the transfer front, Manchester City have started to be linked with each and every footballer in Europe - the latest being former Man United star(ish) Diego Forlan, currently at Atletico.

Madrid seems to be a hotbed of gossip, with Florentino Perez's imminent Presidency ensuring that Galactico after Galactico is linked to the club. Today its Wigan Athletic's Antonio Valencia, supposedly for £22m. Good though the Ecudorian is, we don't think he'll be used as the main thrust of Perez's campaign, at least not whilst Cristiano Ronaldo is still in the mix!

With Arsene Wenger also being linked to Real Madrid, Arsenal look set on having a difficult summer - having to find some midfield battlers in the Darren Fletcher mould as well as a new boss, who needs to be good with kids.

Chelsea are also on the look out for a new manager, with prime target Carlo Ancelotti being begged by Kaka, Maldini et al to stay on at the San Siro. If Carletto does arrive at Stamford Bridge, expect to see the back of Didier Drogba (probably to Jose's Inter) and Nicolas Anelka, with Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor lining up in blue next season instead.

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