Nearly There

Streaky

I Dreamed a Dream

Navy Blue is the Colour

Who Stole the Cakes?

We’re on a …

In the Mix

Harry Smart’s Circus

Wigan Peer?

A Half of Two Games

Crazy, crazy, Tottenham Hotspur

Goal difference

The good, the bad and the ugly

Spurs make Redknapp approach

Spurs finally sack Ramos

Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Hull City

Portsmouth 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Aston Villa

Pavlyuchenko: Berbatov leaving is good for me

Corluka happy and relieved over Spurs move

Terry will stay at Chelsea forever, Ancelotti warns City

• John Terry's departure 'impossible' says Carlo Ancelotti
• Chelsea complete signing of Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow

Carlo Ancelotti has told Manchester City that their fabulous wealth is not enough to attract the game's biggest stars as he marked his first day as Chelsea's manager by insisting that it would be "impossible" for John Terry to leave the club.

Terry, the captain of Chelsea and England, has been the subject of interest from City since January and, last week, they made an offer of about £30m for him, which was immediately rejected. City are ready to make an improved bid of £40m and guarantee Terry a weekly wage of at least £200,000, and they remain convinced that the dizzying sums have turned his head.

However, Ancelotti, who was in charge at Milan when City tried and failed to sign Kaka for £91m in January, stressed that the defender would stay at the club "forever", while the Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon, insisted he was not available at any price.

"Manchester City were very close to Kaka," he said, "but Kaka … it's difficult because City weren't playing in the Champions League. For the players, it's important to play in the Champions League. Football is not only money, salaries … it's emotions, it's passion. Many other things.

"Terry is a great player but also a great man. When a great man says one thing, that's it. Terry is not a normal player, he's a symbol for this team and Terry knows very well that he is the symbol of this team. I don't worry. I think it's impossible that he'd want to leave."

Chelsea issued a strongly worded statement when they rejected City's bid last week, saying that Terry was not for sale, and Kenyon reinforced the message yesterday. "John is not available at any price," he said. "He's got a three-year contract. He's told us he doesn't want to go and we don't want him to go. End of story."

Chelsea have completed the £18m signing of Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow, the left-winger having flown into London on Sunday night to complete the formalities of his move on Sunday, while the club have also added the goalkeeper Ross Turnbull from Middlesbrough and the striker Daniel Sturridge from Manchester City.

Ancelotti said the club remained interested in a "fantasy" player and the Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribéry is their prime target, although Chelsea fear that Real Madrid might beat them to his signature. A back-up option is the Real midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who has been made available for transfer. "Ribéry is a great player," said Ancelotti, "but I think he will stay at Bayern or Madrid can buy him, I know. Not only Ribéry but [Liverpool's Xabi] Alonso as well. I know how many players Madrid can buy. I think Chelsea are a strong team, a great team, a physical team, doing very well. They can be improved with some creative players. We are looking for these players."

Ancelotti echoed Kenyon's words when he said he knew Terry wanted "to stay forever", although the Italian had to be relying on second-hand information, given that he had only spoken to Terry on the phone "one month ago", after he accepted the Chelsea job. Terry is due to report for pre-season training on Thursday. "Naturally, I will speak with him," said Ancelotti, "but not about this. I will speak with him about the team. He's the captain and he knows very well the players. It is possible that he can speak with other teams but the most important thing is that he wants to stay here and we want to keep him. I repeat: he is not a problem."

Bruce targets Crouch for Sunderland

• Steve Bruce prepared to pay £14m for Peter Crouch
• Spurs could hijack Sunderland deal for Paulo da Silva

Steve Bruce wants to make an "impact signing" this week in the 6ft 7in shape of Portsmouth's Peter Crouch. Sunderland's new manager is understood to be prepared to pay up to £14m for the England striker and has made his pursuit the club's top priority.

Crouch would become Sunderland's record buy, eclipsing the £9m Roy Keane paid Hearts for the Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Even so Paulo da Silva, the Paraguay defender, out of contract at Toluca, of Mexico, is still expected to be Bruce's first recruit. Tottenham Hotspur, though, are thought to have entered the race for the 29-year-old centre-half and may yet attempt to hijack the deal.

"I have been offered a three year contract at Sunderland," said Da Silva. "But I am also awaiting an offer from another English Premier League club."

Boro pair fail to turn up to training

• Mido and Alfonso Alves miss first day of pre-season
• Tuncay and Shawky given permission for extend holiday

Middlesbrough's first-team squad has returned to training but Tuncay Sanli, Afonso Alves, Mido and Mohammed Shawky were all absent. Although Tuncay and Shawky have permission from Gareth Southgate, Boro's manager, to remain on holiday until next week, it is thought Mido and Alves did not.

While Tuncay and Shawky were granted their extra rests following summer international duty with Turkey and Egypt respectively, the absence of Alves, newly recovered from a fractured foot, and Mido, who spent the latter part of last season on loan at Wigan Athletic after falling out with Southgate, raised eyebrows.

"Some of our players had permission to return to training at a later date and some did not," admitted a Middlesbrough spokesman.

Tuncay, Middlesbrough's player of the season last term, has been told he will be sold if clubs meet Boro's asking price. Despite interest from his former club Fenerbahce, Tuncay insists he "is not yet ready" to return to Istanbul and "wants to stay in England for three more years". Chelsea, Aston Villa and Liverpool are among his English admirers.

Alves, a Brazilian striker, has been a spectacular flop since arriving from Heerenveen for more than £12m while Mido's £6m move from Tottenham Hotspur proved similarly disastrous. Boro are likely to struggle to sell Alves but Mido's troublesome reputation is counterbalanced by genuine ability and the Egyptian is expected to move on this summer. Shawky could also leave Boro and has been strongly linked with a return to his former Cairo club, Al-Ahly.

Ronaldo greeted by 80,000 Madrid fans

• Real fans cram into Bernabéu to greet £80m signing
• 'I have made my childhood dream a reality' says Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has been presented to the world as a Real Madrid player this evening, in front of 80,000 fans at the Bernabéu.

The Portuguese winger, wearing the No9 jersey once worn by the Madrid great Alfredo di Stefano, was greeted rapturously by the packed stadium. Supporters had been queuing outside the Bernabéu for much of the day in order to gain access to the brief ceremony.

With the pitch currently being relaid, Ronaldo emerged from the tunnel on to a lime green carpet and made his way to a stage on which Florentino Pérez, the Real owner, Di Stefano and the former Portugal striker Eusebio waited. On his arrival Ronaldo made a brief speech, before touring the pitch, waving to fans.

"I am just so happy to be here," he said. "For me, I have made my childhood dream a reality, which was nothing less than playing for Real Madrid. I didn't expect a jam-packed stadium – this is truly impressive."

The £80m signing signed a six-year contract this afternoon. "This is a spectacular day. I am very happy. I am anxious to go through with it and to start playing for this great team," he told the Real website today. "To me this is a dream come true. I've stated several times that my intention was always to play for Real Madrid. I wanted to be here, at this club, and do whatever I can to help the team."

Pérez claimed tonight's events "might not have a precedent". He said: "We are very satisfied to know that you made the firm decision to play for Real Madrid."

He told Ronaldo what to expect from his new adoring fans, adding: "They will ask of you the very best, but will also give you their all."

Ronaldo is the third player to be unveiled by Madrid since Pérez returned to the presidency at the start of June, following in the footsteps of Kaka and Raul Albiol.

The Brazil playmaker Kaka was a reported £56m signing from Milan, while the Spain centre-back Albiol was brought in from Valencia for a fee believed to be around £13m.

Madrid have also agreed a deal with Lyon for their striker Karim Benzema for an initial fee of £30m, a transfer that takes the Spanish giants' summer spending close to £200m.

Tonight's attendance at the Bernabéu swamped the estimated 55,000 that watched Kaka's unveiling here last Tuesday, and is believed to be the biggest turn-out for a presentation since a reported 75,000 saw the arrival of Diego Maradona at Napoli from Barcelona in 1984.

Earlier today Ronaldo, the reigning Fifa World Player of the Year, successfully completed his medical with Madrid after landing in the Spanish capital just after midday.

Carlos Diez, Real Madrid's medical chief, said: "[Ronaldo] is in perfect condition and very eager to start the season as soon as possible."

Ronaldo had already undergone initial medical tests with the Spanish giants while on holiday in Portugal last month, which the player claimed at the time had gone "perfectly".

Diez added: "He has an extraordinary cardiac and lung capacity. We have complemented everything that we already did in Portugal and done all the specific tests. Now we will be able to start working using an individual plan in order to improve his performance. For him [Ronaldo], it's a dream, and this dream starts to convert into reality from today."

Newcastle hope to start auction for club

• £40m overdraft and £65m wage bill worry potential buyers
• Caretaker Hughton follows Shearer's pre-season programme

There are still realistic hopes that Newcastle United could be sold by the end of this week but the three potential buyers are understood to be balking at the financial liabilities they stand to inherit.

With Newcastle believed to have an overdraft of about £40m and an annual wage bill of £65m the interested parties are employing forensic accountants to perform what one source described as "due diligence squared". This is an exhaustive inventory of the relegated club's finances featuring assorted forecasts for the coming years.

Meanwhile lawyers drafting potential agreements are taking time to study ongoing service contracts the club is currently committed to which could impact on the price Mike Ashley, Newcastle's owner, eventually receives for the club.

Although outline bids have been received, the £100m price tag is said to be an "issue" largely responsible for slowing the sale. While Ashley wants a straight £100m there is thought to be some quibbling about whether the balance payable should realistically be £60m, for instance, in order to take account of the overdraft and player remuneration costs.

Yet as Newcastle stepped up efforts to sell high earners including Obafemi Martins and Fabricio Coloccini yesterday, Derek Llambias, Newcastle's managing director, still seemed hopeful that Seymour Pierce, the investment bank brokering the sale, would succeed in forcing an auction.

Indeed Llambias was positively bullish. "There have been more than two bids at £100m," he said. "At the moment we are in the hands of lawyers and it's all ongoing. We are giving interested parties all the help they need."

As the proposed takeover drags on, Newcastle's players are in Dublin at a pre-season "boot camp" under the caretaker management of Chris Hughton. Significantly Hughton is adhering to a training blueprint drawn up by his temporary predecessor, Alan Shearer, at the end of last season.

Shearer, who still hopes to return as manager before the new Championship campaign kicks off, is responsible for his players rising early ahead of three daily training sessions, the first at 7am and the last at 4pm.

"The players are working very, very, hard," said Hughton yesterday. "What is happening at the club is outside our control but we have to prepare the players as well as possible. It's going to be a long season and we want the players as fit as possible. It's good for them to get away and be in a different environment."

Manchester United linked with Bordeaux's Obertan

• Obertan, now 20, also linked with Arsenal, Inter and Milan
• Rapid, physical and skilful in front of goal, L'Equipe claims

Manchester United are set to sign Bordeaux's 20-year-old forward Gabriel Obertan, according to reports. Obertan, who has been described by scouts as "rapid, physical and skilful in front of goal", was also wanted by Arsenal, Milan and Internazionale, claimed the French newspaper L'Equipe.

The Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud was quoted as saying: "It's actually a great opportunity, we would love to see Gabriel evolve at such a club."

L'Equipe compared Obertan to Liverpool's French forward Daniel Ngog and added that the fee has not been disclosed but an agreement between United and Bordeaux has been in place for weeks.

Obertan broke into the Bordeaux side in 2006-07 and spent half of last season on loan at Lorient. He played 16 times for the Ligue 1 champions in the first half of the 2008-09 campaign and scored one goal in 15 games for Lorient.

'I have nothing to prove' says Ince on MK Dons return

• 'Blackburn experience was invaluable learning curve'
• Ince looking to bring in five players for promotion hunt

Paul Ince insists he has "nothing to prove" as he attempts to rebuild his managerial career with a second stint with the League One side MK Dons.

The 41-year-old former England captain has signed a two-year contract to replace Roberto Di Matteo at stadium:mk just 12 months after leaving the club for Blackburn Rovers.

His short spell in the top flight proved unsuccessful, with Blackburn winning just three of his 17 Premier League games in charge before he was sacked in December, but Ince believes his record is still impressive.

"I have nothing to prove to anyone, my record speaks for itself," he said. "At Macclesfield I was successful and then I won the double here in Milton Keynes in my first season.

"Blackburn was a great learning curve for me and I feel like I wasn't given the tools I needed to do the job properly up there. But it's six months' experience of managing in the top flight which will stand me in good stead for the rest of my career."

Ince finds himself back at a club which finished third in League One last season under Di Matteo – who became West Bromwich Albion's new manager last week – but believes that the Dons face a tougher challenge this time around.

"In an ideal world we will get promotion again but it doesn't always work that way. I felt that last season was a great chance for the Dons to get into the Championship but this year the league is a lot tougher.

"I felt when I left that the team was ready to go up again and we are a better side than Peterborough, and they went up instead.

"There are some big teams who have come down like Charlton and Norwich and it will be tough. We take the confidence from last season's performance, though, and I want to bring in four or five players to make us a stronger unit.

"I don't want to give anyone high expectations but the ambition is to take this club to the level where it belongs."

Ince also confirmed that he is in talks with Blackburn over the future of the coach Karl Robinson, who joined the Ewood Park club with Ince last summer.

"We are trying to do something with Blackburn to bring Karl Robinson over. He was here two years ago and I want to work with him again and then I want to bring in another two as well.

"But I will sit down with the chairman and work to get that team together and push this forward."

The chairman, Pete Winkelman, believes that Ince's ill-fated tenure at Blackburn will only benefit the Dons in their search for Championship football.

"Being in the Premier League will have made him a more rounded and experienced manager and I think we get him back in better condition than he left," Winkelman said.

"When you take on the Premier League there is so much more that goes with it but he understands that now. He has been on a big learning curve and I believe we will be the beneficiaries of his time there.

"He still has the hunger and one thing we all know is that Paul Ince is a winner. There are no clauses in his contract. It's a two-year deal and I expect us to go through that. But I'm a realist and football can change at any time. We do things rightly at this club and you can see that by the fact that he agreed to come back."

Benayoun extends Liverpool contract until 2013

• Israel midfielder tied to Liverpool until 2012
• Rafael Benítez stresses importance of stability

Yossi Benayoun has marked his transformation at Liverpool by agreeing terms on a new contract that will tie him to Anfield until 2012.

The Israel international has two years remaining on his current deal but, following an impressive ending to last season, has been rewarded with a pay rise and a 12-month extension by the manager, Rafael Benítez. An agreement is in place with the 29-year-old and the contract will be signed ahead of the new season, underlining the extent of the midfielder's rapid recovery at Anfield.

"I am very happy that we have reached an agreement," said Benayoun. "Of course, to be at a club like this is a dream come true and I want to keep playing here. Hopefully now I can concentrate on the hard work that needs to be done and try to play better and better and win some silverware."

Benítez said: "You know that our idea was to extend the contracts of some players and Yossi was one of these players. He has been really good for us over the last year, scoring crucial goals and getting assists, so we wanted to keep him and I'm really pleased with the extension."

Benayoun instigated talks on his Liverpool future with Benítez only in January amid concern over his lack of first-team opportunities. He responded to the manager's assurances with the finest spell of his career on Merseyside, scoring seven goals in the final four months of the campaign, including the winner at Real Madrid in the Champions League, and playing an influential role in Liverpool's lengthy pursuit of Manchester United for the Premier League title.

The midfielder is the fifth senior player to commit his future to Liverpool in recent months, following Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger, and Benítez admits stability in his squad – currently threatened by Real Madrid's and Barcelona's interest in Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano respectively – was a prerequisite for this summer.

"We had to guarantee the future of the club first and then afterwards if you can improve then you must try to do so," the Liverpool manager said. "This meant that the first thing we had to do this summer was to guarantee the futures of some of the players who are already here and we are happy that we have been able to do this in so many cases."

Liverpool have also announced that two home-grown talents, the midfielder Jay Spearing and the defender Stephen Darby, have agreed new three-year contracts. The 20-year-olds are expected to sign the deals later this week.

FA mid-season friendly plan risks fresh row

• England may play Brazil in lucrative November fixture in Doha
• Friendly would see Fabio Capello's men play 10 games

England risk angering Premier League clubs fearful of player burn-out by taking part in a friendly against Brazil in the Qatar capital Doha during November.

The Football Association was unable to comment with England's qualification for the 2010 World Cup yet to be confirmed, but the Guardian understands that a lucrative match against Brazil has been discussed, and would be played between 14 and 18 November.

Those dates would coincide with the World Cup qualifying play-off matches for second-placed teams – Fabio Capello's side could win Group 6 in their next game, Croatia at Wembley on 9 September. That would leave dead rubbers against Ukraine and Belarus during October, but the plan to add another match to an already crowded calendar is likely to vex the Premier League's managers.

England are to play friendlies against Holland in August and Slovenia during September, and if the meeting with Brazil goes ahead, the number of games for the season would sail into double figures. Further concerns will be raised about the wisdom of agreeing to play in a country where, even in one of the cooler times of the year, temperatures rise above 30C. It is also a seven-hour flight away.

That is unlikely to deter the FA from contesting the game in return for a share of the considerable fee and a chance to market England in a wealthy area where demand for football is huge. While the ruling body will justify the Doha fixture as a World Cup warm-up, the game clearly promises a tempting financial incentive.

How much the FA would receive is unclear but in 2008 Manchester United were paid in excess of £1m to play a friendly in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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