Nine teams are through from the group stage but 16 other sides can still dream of joining them this week. Here’s a look at the the key deciding matches of today and tomorrow.

Seven places remain to be filled in the 16 December round of 16 draw.

Group winners FC Bayern München, FC Internazionale Milano, Real Madrid CF, Arsenal FC and holders FC Barcelona plus fellow qualifiers SL Benfica, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, APOEL FC and AC Milan are already confirmed in the knockout phase but 16 other sides are still competing to join them. Eight clubs will transfer to the UEFA Europa League round of 32 for finishing third in their sections.

For our US-based readers – you can win signed UEFA Champions League gear and other prizes just by watching this week’s Champions League games, courtesy of Heineken.

Tuesday 6 December

Group E

Chelsea FC v Valencia CF
KRC Genk v Bayer 04 Leverkusen

• Leverkusen are through even if they lose and Chelsea and Valencia draw to join them on nine points; in that scenario the German club would come top. A win against already eliminated Genk would secure first place.
• Whoever prevails at Stamford Bridge progresses with the losing side finishing third. A score draw will be enough for Valencia while a goalless result will take Chelsea through unless Leverkusen lose.

Group F

Olympiacos CF v Arsenal FC
Borussia Dortmund v Olympique de Marseille

• Arsenal have clinched qualification as group winners but any of the other three teams could still end up second, third or fourth.
• Marseille are second so a victory in Germany would be sufficient, or a draw if Olympiacos fail to win.
• Olympiacos must win and hope Marseille do not. If Olympiacos draw they will still advance if Dortmund triumph 2-0 or by a margin of three or four goals. Any other two-goal or a one-goal margin of Dortmund victory would take Marseille through.
• Dortmund need to beat Marseille by four goals or more and hope Olympiacos lose, or by five goals or more should Olympiacos draw.

Group G

APOEL FC v FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Porto v FC Zenit St Petersburg

• APOEL are confirmed as the first Cypriot outfit to get past the group stage and will finish top if they overcome eliminated Shakhtar, or if they draw and Zenit fail to win.
• Porto have to win to pip Zenit to the other qualifying berth.

Group H

FC Barcelona v FC BATE Borisov
FC Viktoria Plzeň v AC Milan

• Barcelona will come first and Milan second.
• Third-placed Plzeň are two points ahead of BATE and the Czech club will only be denied a UEFA Europa League berth should they lose to Milan and Borisov win in Barcelona.

Wednesday 7 December

Group A

Manchester City FC v FC Bayern München
Villarreal CF v SSC Napoli

• Bayern have clinched the group and Villarreal will finish fourth.
• Napoli, in second, are a point above City. To overtake the Italian team, City must win against Bayern and hope Villarreal avoid defeat.

Group B

FC Internazionale Milano v PFC CSKA Moskva
LOSC Lille Métropole v Trabzonspor AŞ

• Inter Milan have topped the group yet a single point separates the other three sides, with Trabzonspor a point clear of Lille and CSKA.
• Lille or Trabzonspor will end up second should they win their encounter in France.
• If that match is drawn, CSKA can pip Trabzonspor to the runners-up spot with victory in Milan. If CSKA do not triumph in those circumstances, Trabzonspor would go through on seven points, the joint-lowest tally since it became three for a win.
• CSKA will come fourth if they lose; however, a draw will give them third place unless the other game also finishes level.

Group C

FC Basel 1893 v Manchester United FC
SL Benfica v FC Oţelul Galaţi

• Benfica, level with United and a point ahead of Basel but boasting a superior head-to-head against both clubs, are through. They will seal pole position with a success against Oţelul, who will be fourth regardless of their result.
• The encounter in Switzerland will decide the other qualifying place with Basel requiring a victory to overtake United, who last missed the knockout phase in 2005/06. If Benfica do not win, Basel or United will claim top spot with a victory.

Group D

AFC Ajax v Real Madrid CF
GNK Dinamo Zagreb v Olympique Lyonnais

• Madrid have won the section to make it past the group stage for a record 15th year running. Three points in Amsterdam will make them only the fifth team to register a perfect record in a UEFA Champions League group, and the first since Barcelona in 2002/03. None of the previous four have gone on to lift the trophy.
• With Dinamo finishing fourth, second and third positions are between Ajax and Lyon. Ajax are three points ahead and have a goal difference advantage of seven having drawn both games against Lyon 0-0. Therefore Lyon must win, hope Ajax lose, and overhaul their goal difference.

For our US-based readers – you can win signed Champions League gear and other prizes just by watching this week’s Champions League games, courtesy of Heineken.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Real Madrid kept up their 100% record in the champions league this season with an impressive 4-0 victory over Lyon. The hosts took the lead on the 18th minute mark when Mesut Ozil’s dangerous corner found Karim Benzema at the back post for an easy tap-in. The hosts looked in control from the outset and after a series of one-twos between Ronaldo and Marcelo the Brazilian flashed a right-footed effort just wide of Lloris’ goal.

Lyon however hit back with a goal of their own, but Gomis’ smart finish was adjudged to have been offside. Mesut Ozil’s shot come cross then deceived the Lyon defence however Lloris reacted just in time push the ball wide of his left hand post. Nevertheless Madrid were not to be denied a second after a slip from Lyon centre back Bakary Kone, Benzema turned provider squaring to Sami Khedira who gratefully obliged sending Lloris the wrong way.

The keeper’s night then went from bad to worse as Lyon failed to clear the ball fell to Ozil who’s cross intended for Benzema was intercepted by the Lyon stopper only to see it deflect off his arm and into his own net. Kaka almost provided the fourth after a neat give and go between himself and Ronaldo the Brazilian drifted into the Lyon penalty area but fired his shot agonisingly wide. The Bernabeu crowd anticipated a fourth after some delightful passing between Ronaldo, Benzema and Marcelo, the Portuguese talisman curled a shot past Lloris, however the goal was chopped off after Kaka who was in an offside position made slight contact with the ball.

Nevertheless the fourth did eventually arrive as Kaka’s corner fell kindly to Sergio Ramos who at the second attempt rifled a left footed shot past Lloris to compound the French side’s misery. And it was almost five when another mover between Higuin and Kaka left the Brazilian bearing down on goal, but Lloris just did enough to knock the ball against the Brazilian and out of play.

The win leaves Real top of their group on nine points, five ahead of Ajax and Lyon with qualification for the knock out rounds proving inevitable. They along with Marseille (who host Arsenal tonight) remain the only two teams with and immaculate record in this season’s Champions League to date with neither team conceding and both with maximum points so far. Madrid who fell at the semi final hurdle to the eventual winners Barcelona, they will be hoping to go one better and win their first Champions League since 2002, and with the way they are going about their business, who would bet against them?

The author of this article, Che Julienne-Chamers, is a student of Sports Journalism at the University of West of Scotland and a massive football fan.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It has been yet another UEFA Champions League campaign that has been littered with thrills and spills. From the magnificence of Lionel Messi, to the Clasico debacle, the cream of the crop has rose as Barcelona and Manchester United make the final two at this year’s Wembley showpiece.

Everybody has had an opinion on just who would make it through the latter stages. Many gasped in horror in Italy as Tottenham Hotspur knocked out the mighty Milan, as they did in Rome as Shakhtar Donetsk humbled the Giallorossi. It is fair to say, this is the most unpredictable sport in the world but the guys at the Professional Football Players Observatory (PFPO) have done their utmost with their predictions – with a near perfect record.

The PFPO has recently innovated to predict outcomes of the major football competitions. The scenario envisaged for the current UEFA Champions League has proven to be quite accurate. From the final 16 onwards, they have correctly foreseen the outcome of 11 matches out of 14. If Barcelona is victorious come May 28th, they will reach their threshold of 80% correct predictions. However, the gap between the Catalonians and Manchester United is amazingly tight.

The criteria for the predictions is as follows. The strength of the clubs is based on four aspects; the experience accumulated by players in Champions League matches, their quality in terms of participation in recent international matches – weighted according to the level of the national team represented, the teams squad stability and the results obtained in the group stage of this year’s competition. The club with the richest squad has an index of 100 which has unsurprisingly turned out to be Barcelona.

Team Rating (lowest to highest):

• FC Copenhagen – 1
• Schalke – 10
• Marseille – 14
• Lyon – 22
• Valencia – 23
• Milan – 36
• Shakhtar Donetsk – 37
• AS Roma – 41
• Tottenham Hotspur – 44
• Bayern Munich – 56
• Arsenal – 59
• Internazionale – 66
• Real Madrid – 76
• Chelsea – 85
• Manchester United – 98
• Barcelona – 100

From the grading criteria, the vast contrast between Barcelona and Real Madrid is staggering with Blancos being 24 points behind their rivals. Surprisingly Milan were graded below Tottenham but were ultimately put to the sword by Harry Redknapp’s men in the last-16. Semi-finalists Schalke were graded second from bottom despite doing wonders to get to the last four, with Denmark’s Copenhagen ranked bottom with just one point.

Click the link below to access the prediction table along with the outcome of the results:

PFPO Champions League Prediction Table (PDF)

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In the buildup to the Champions League second round tie between Lyon and Real Madrid, Karim Benzema sat down to talk about his time at Lyon, the move to Real Madrid, Zidane, the upcoming Lyon v Real Madrid game, and rising French stars.

Some highlights:

On comparisons with Ronaldo (Brazilian):

I do not know, maybe the technique. But, I think I do not have much in common with Ronaldo. For me, he is the best player of all the times. Of course his way of playing is inspiring me, we are both strikers. He serves me as inspiration.

On Mourinho:

For me Mourinho is a really great coach. He has won lots of titles and made grow lots of players. He changed my attitude on the pitch, now I am more aggressive.

You can watch the full interview below:

Benzema is currently at 25/1 to be champs league top scorer, bet here at bwin.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Click here to watch Lyon v Real Madrid Live!

Lyon v Real Madrid
Second Round, UEFA Champions League
Stade de Gerland
Tuesday, 22 February
Kickoff: 19:45 GMT, 20:45 CET

We’ve heard it all before – Madrid will finally end Lyon’s unbeaten run against them. No, seriously, with Jose Mourinho at the helm, Madrid can really beat Lyon. Except we heard that with Barcelona, too, and no points for guessing how that went.

Madrid have new players, they have Mourinho, and they have all the expectations in the world weighing on them. It’s the kind of game Madrid need to win if they are to be taken as seriously as they tend to take themselves (actually, the game to win would be Barcelona at Camp Nou, but Madrid aren’t in a position to pick and choose).

A 1-1 draw then?

Lyon v Real Madrid Preview

Madrid are a changed side from the one that lost to Lyon 1-0 in the first leg last season, with Ozil, Khedira and De Maria joining the ranks in the summer and Adebayor coming in to bolster the ranks in January after Higuain’s injury. They’re also an improved side from last season, more ‘balanced’ as the Lyon manager put it, but none of that will matter if their players can’t figure out a way through Lyon’s defence, or stop them from scoring in both legs.

Lyon are without Lisandro Lopez after the Argentina forward injured his hamstring in training on Thursday.

Cesar Delgado is likely to play wide left as Bafetimbi Gomis moves to the lone striker’s role with France playmaker Yoann Gourcuff behind him.

Madrid, who are close to full strength, will bring back rested Xabi Alonso and Mesut Ozil, along with defender Pepe. Jose Mourinho must choose between former Lyon striker Karim Benzema or Emmanuel Adebayor as his main striker, with Benzema likely to get the nod.

Lyon’s Kim Kallstrom:

“We have already beaten them before and we’ll do our utmost to do it again. Despite our success last year, Madrid will start the tie as favourites. They defend better than they did in the past. You immediately see the influence of Mourinho. It will be a lot more difficult than in 2010.”

Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, has it all planned out:

“It has been years since Madrid made it through to the last 16 and it is because they have never beaten Lyon. I would like to know if Lisandro [Lopez], Jimmy Briand or Cesar Delgado will be playing. We have to study all the possibilities and be prepared for anything and everything.”

Watch Lyon v Real Madrid Live

You can watch Lyon take on Real Madrid live online as well as all other Champions League matches, plus hundreds of football games from around the world. Read our Champions League live football page for more details.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The 2010/2011 Champions League knockout stages kick off this week with the second round matches to be played from 15th February to 16th March. 16 teams will be looking to progress to the quarterfinals, with no easy winners in sight (except maybe Chelsea).

This season’s Champions League sees Tottenham making their Champions League debut, while 2009 UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk are in the knockout stages for the first time. Arsenal haven’t beaten Barcelona in their last three meetings and lost to them in the quarter finals last season, Real Madrid haven’t beaten Lyon since god knows when and lost to them at the same stage last season and last year’s finalists, Inter and Bayern, go into their second-round matchup with both teams suffering a downturn in their domestic fortunes this season.

We will be previewing all the action on Soccerlens – here are your 8 Champions League second round ties, their playing dates and previews:

Champions League Second Round Schedule

15th February and 9th March
AC Milan v Tottenham
Valencia v Schalke

16th February and 8th March
Arsenal v Barcelona
Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk

22nd February and 16th March
FC Copenhagen v Chelsea
Lyon v Real Madrid

23rd February and 15th March
Marseille v Manchester United
Inter Milan v Bayern Munich

Watch Champions League Live

You can watch all Champions League matches live online, plus hundreds of football games from around the world. Read our Champions League live football page for more details.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When Deloitte release their annual list of ‘Richest Football Clubs’, there’s plenty of debate on English football’s earning power, the individual TV deals negotiated by Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester United’s position at the top of the Premier League food chain, insane amounts of debt in the game, and so on.

I thought it would interesting to take a closer look at where exactly football clubs are earning their revenues from – and thanks to Deloitte’s data on % of revenues earned through matchday, broadcasting and commercial activities, we can draw the following conclusions (all data pulled from the Guardian):

Commercial Revenues

Bayern Munich are miles ahead of the competition when it comes to commercial revenues, with a whopping 171.19m Euros earned in 2009/2010. Real Madrid are 2nd with 149.12m, with Barcelona 3rd at 123.41m Euros in 09/10. United are, predictably, the best performing English club with a ‘paltry’ 97.94m Euros. This tells us three things:

One, you can’t ‘blame’ TV deals as the only factor in Madrid’s and Barcelona’s financial strength.

Two, English clubs have, theoretically speaking, a lot of margin to improve when it comes to commercial activities, and this in part is behind their bullishness in being able to manage their debts / meet UEFA’s FFP policy.

Three, Italian clubs lag behind their English, Spanish and German counterparts when it comes to commercial revenues, something the likes of Internazionale, Milan and Juventus must work on if they want to compete with their European rivals economically in the long run.

Full List:

Bayern Munich 171.19
Real Madrid 149.12
FC Barcelona 123.41
Manchester United 97.94
Schalke 04 79.69
Liverpool 76.6
Chelsea 69.09
AC Milan 63.67
Hamburger SV 62.87
Manchester City 56.54
Juventus 55.35
Arsenal 54.82
Internazionale 47.21
Olympique de Marseille 45.15
Olympique Lyonnais 42.37
Tottenham Hotspur 38.04
AS Roma 38.04
VfB Stuttgart 36.74
Atlético de Madrid 26.15
Aston Villa 16.41

Matchday Revenues

Barcelona lag behind arch-rivals Real Madrid in the matchday revenues stakes, while Manchester United and Arsenal are comfortably 2nd and 3rd thanks to their high-capacity stadiums. It remains to be seen if United fans boycotting matches in protest of the debt will have a significant impact in 10/11, and we might have Arsenal overtaking United if that is the case.

Both Tottenham and Liverpool earn roughly the same amount from their Matchday activities – but still less than half of Arsenal or United. How important is a new stadium to these clubs? Roughly to the tune of 50m-60m per year.

Chelsea are at an impressive 5th in overall matchday revenues with 81.89m Euros in 09/10 – although they would seem to have maxed out their earning potential in this category.

The Italian clubs are again the biggest losers here, with Juventus earning a miserable 16.4m Euros in 09/10, comfortably bottom of the Matchday revenues list.

Full List

Real Madrid 131.58
Manchester United 122.43
Arsenal 115.12
FC Barcelona 99.53
Chelsea 81.89
Bayern Munich 67.83
Liverpool 51.82
Hamburger SV 49.71
Tottenham Hotspur 45.35
Internazionale 38.22
Atlético de Madrid 36.11
AC Milan 30.65
Manchester City 30.56
VfB Stuttgart 29.85
Aston Villa 29.54
Olympique de Marseille 25.4
Schalke 04 25.16
Olympique Lyonnais 24.84
AS Roma 19.63
Juventus 16.4

Broadcasting Revenues

Barcelona and Real Madrid predictably top the list, generating an impressive 175.16m and 157.9m in revenues respectively. Next are the three big Italian clubs, beating out their English rivals in the broadcasting stakes thanks to lucrative deals of their own.

The collective TV deal for the Premier League is a boon for all Premier League clubs but also a hindrance – how much more could Manchester United earn if they were to sell their own TV
rights? If they could match Madrid or Barcelona, that’s an extra 30m to 50m to be had, which would put them at a par overall with Barcelona and within touching distance of Madrid.

How much would Manchester City stand to gain if, along with a boost in their commercial activities, they could also experience a massive increase in broadcasting income?

Full List:

FC Barcelona 175.16
Real Madrid 157.9
AC Milan 141.48
Internazionale 139.38
Juventus 133.25
Manchester United 129.43
Chelsea 104.92
Arsenal 104.16
Liverpool 96.88
Bayern Munich 83.98
Olympique Lyonnais 78.89
Olympique de Marseille 70.55
Manchester City 65.7
AS Roma 65.03
Aston Villa 63.45
Tottenham Hotspur 62.91
Atlético de Madrid 62.25
VfB Stuttgart 48.22
Schalke 04 34.95
Hamburger SV 33.63

More Fun Facts

Shamelessly copied from the Guardian, these refer to the overall rankings:

• Real Madrid has the highest revenue – €438.6m, an increase of 9.3% on the previous year
• The biggest riser is Manchester City – up by 49.5% and nine places to number 11. Tottenham Hotspur did well too – up three places to number 12
• AS Roma is the biggest dropper – down six places to number 18 with a 16% drop in revenue
• Manchester United is up 7% in revenue to €349.8m
• Juventus gets the highest proportion of its revenue from broadcast deals – 65%; Hamburger SV has the smallest – 23%

Full List (Team, 09/10 revenues, 08/09 revenues)

Real Madrid 438.6 401.4
FC Barcelona 398.1 365.9
Manchester United 349.8 327
Bayern Munich 323 289.5
Arsenal 274.1 263
Chelsea 255.9 242.3
AC Milan 235.8 196.5
Liverpool 225.3 217
Internazionale 224.8 196.5
Juventus 205 203.2
Manchester City 152.8 102.2
Tottenham Hotspur 146.3 132.7
Hamburger SV 146.2 146.7
Olympique Lyonnais 146.1 139.2
Olympique de Marseille 141.1 133.2
Schalke 04 139.8 124.5
Atlético de Madrid 124.5 105
AS Roma 122.7 146.4
VfB Stuttgart 114.8 100
Aston Villa 109.4 99

Debt

In itself, borrowing money puts your club at a disadvantage – not only do you have to pay that money back, you also need to pay interest, creating a bigger strain on your revenues. If that money has been borrowed to increase overall revenues (like Arsenal, who have seen strong growth in their matchday revenues as a result), it’s a worthwhile risk. If we’re talking about leveraged buyouts, then we are all agreed that those are bad for the club. The loans Real Madrid and Barcelona pull in to help pay their astronomical wages / transfer fees aren’t much better.

However, once the debt is there, crying over it serves little purpose. The key factor then is to understand whether, in the short run, your club can manage the interest payments and in the long run, whether your club can successfully pay off that debt (while still remaining competitive on the pitch).

When it comes to Barcelona and Real Madrid, a debt of 430m (Barcelona) may seem excessive (and coupled with their Qatar Foundation shirt sponsorship, an clear indication that they are just another football club), but these clubs have the revenue generating capability to service such debts and crucially, the socio-political leverage in their respective regions to thrive even if they cannot.

However where the English clubs are concerned, all of them (even Arsenal) need to look at significantly increasing their revenue generating capabilities. TV money is not enough. United and Arsenal are near the top end of maximising matchday revenues but both clubs, especially Arsenal, have plenty of room to grow in the commercial sponsorships / merchandising sector. Both Tottenham and Liverpool, as previously discussed, desperately need to increase their matchday revenues to financially compete with the top English clubs.

Football & Money

Fans look at stats such as 14 out of 20 Premier League clubs being in debt, or 56% of European clubs operating at a loss, and wonder what all the fuss about buying football clubs is if everyone’s losing money. They might benefit from taking the long-term view – football clubs are powerful revenue generators, and as the stats above show, there’s still plenty of room for them to grow.

The reason investors are flocking towards football clubs isn’t because they want to make money (although in some cases that’s definitely the case) – it’s because they see an opportunity to leverage that profitability later down the line and sell the club for a hefty profit (although there will always be investors like Abramovich / ADG who will buy a football club as a personal symbol of power).

If football were a property market, this one has been in a boom for decades (consider the profit the former chairmen / owners / shareholders of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool made in the last 10 years) and shows no sign of stopping.

You can follow Ahmed Bilal on Twitter (@Soccerlens).

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Morning all. Throughout January Soccerlens are going to be bringing you a daily round-up of the morning’s various goings-on. Be it juicy morsels of spurious transfer gossip or real, actual bona fide news, rest assured, we’ll have it covered.

Here’s this morning’s batch.

Arshavin off to the Old Lady?…

As well as faltering ‘keeper Manuel Almunia, there is growing speculation that hideously out-of-form Russian forward Andrei Arshavin may be leaving Arsenal in the January window – with the player’s agent telling all-and-sundry that Serie A giants Juventus are keen on signing his client.

So said Arshavin’s representative Dennis Lachter:

“There’s a possibility of Andrei’s move to Juventus, but two things can prevent this deal – firstly, Arsenal can win the Premier League this year, which is a dream of any footballer

Secondly is the issue of Juve’s financial power, as Arsenal are demanding no less than £20 million to release Arshavin.”

On current form, would anyone actually notice he was gone?

Adebayor set for Real deal?…

If the Daily Mirror are to be believed, La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid are in advanced talks with Manchester City over a loan deal for striker Emmanuel Adebayor, as they try desperately to secure a replacement for Gonzalo Higuain – who is due to sit the next four months out after undergoing surgery on a herniated disc in his back.

‘Desperately’ being the operative word.

According to the red top’s report, several other clubs are interested in signing, though potential suitors Fulham and former club Monaco are likely to be put off by City’s insistence that they pay all of Adebayor’s astronomical £160,000-a-week wages.

Man Utd target French playmaker…

Manchester United are ready to renew their efforts to sign £22 million-rated Lyon midfielder Yoann Gourcuff, after dutifully tracking the 24-year-old French schemer since his time on loan at AC Milan several years ago.

Gourcuff only joined Lyon in August, but several reports since have suggested that he is struggling to settle convincingly at the Ligue 1 outfit, and it is now thought that Les Gones may be willing to let the player move on if they receive an offer equal to or higher than the €22 million they paid Bordeaux for his services six months ago.

Liverpool fancy a bit of Charlie…

Liverpool are thought to be putting together a substantial offer for Blackpool’s influential midfielder Charlie Adam, who impressed yet again as the Seasiders ‘did the double’ over King Kenny’s newly-inherited minions in the Premier League last night – running out 2-1 winners as they did.

Blackburn, Aston Villa and Birmingham all saw £2.5 million bids for Adam knocked back earlier in the week, and with that in mind, Liverpool are hoping that a hefty £4.5 million package will be enough to see them gazump their rivals in the race to procure the 25-year-old Scot.

Question is: Would he be willing to take the step down?

Birmingham get Bentley…

After several weeks of swirling speculation, Birmingham have officially announced the signing of David Bentley on a six-month loan from Tottenham after the 26-year-old midfielder successfully completed a medical at St Andrews earlier in the week.

Brum manager Alex McLeish said of the deal:

“It will be good to sign him because he has got a bit of quality and class as a footballer. His delivery at set-pieces is excellent as well. He is a natural footballer.”

As it happens, he’s also fairly adept at picking out skips from across the road.

The best of the rest…

• Arsenal are plotting a loan move that would see West Ham captain Matthew Upson return to the club until the end of the season. Should Upson decide to ‘up sticks’, the Hammers will then move to fill the void with Newcastle veteran Sol Campbell…

• Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has told his Man City counterpart, Roberto Mancini, to forget about signing Gareth Bale in the summer, after the Italian publicly sounded out the Welsh winger as his ‘strongest summer target’…

• Aston Villa hope to announce the £6 million signing of Lyon midfielder Jean Makoun later today…

• Blackburn are hopeful of bringing Man City striker Roque Santa Cruz back to the club on loan, though a dispute over who will fork out for the lion’s share of the Paraguayan’s wages is halting proceedings…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With the transfer window now ready and open for business Soccerlens looks at the possible comings and goings at some of Europe’s top domestic leagues.

Italy, Serie A

AC Milan look to be one of the busiest clubs in Italy this January as they prepare themselves to tie down Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria. The Italian international had been in revelling form for i Blucerchiati up until his falling out with president Riccardo Garrone.

Former World Player of the Year Ronaldinho looks set to return to Brazil after a decade of enthralling us all in Europe with his scintillating flair and prowess. Gremio are keen to lure him back to the club where it all started for the toothy Brazilian. You will be missed Ronnie!

Champions Inter under the stewardship of new Coach Leonardo have already wrapped up the signing of defender Andrea Ranocchia who arrives from Genoa. The Nerazzurri are also contemplating a move for Chievo starlet Kevin Constant who has had a fantastic season thus far with The Flying Donkeys.

Roque Santa Cruz of Manchester City has his heart set on a move to Italy with a host of interested parties including Lazio and Juventus. A stumbling block however is the Paraguayan’s determination to move on a permanent contract rather than a short-term loan. It is questionable whether or not anyone is willing to pay an inflated price for his services.

Spain, Primera Liga

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho hasn’t disguised the fact that he is keen to bolster his squad with the arrival of a new striker. This is all the more evident following the injury layoff to Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema being the only recognised available striker with pedigree.  The largely talented Fernando Llorente at Athletic Bilbao is widely tipped to make a move to the Spanish capital and his centre forward prowess will compare to that of Didier Drogba and Diego Milito who Mourinho utilised spectacularly during his days at Chelsea and Inter Milan.

The Whites however will have the joy of bringing Kaka back to the fold who is ready to return to action following a five month injury layoff. This will be like a new signing in itself.

Barcelona have already conducted a piece of business by luring the largely talented Ibrahim Afellay from PSV Eindhoven. Sporting Director Andoni Zubizarreta has already stated that the champions don’t intend to make any more signings.

Germany, Bundesliga

Champions Bayern Munich have had a disappointing start to their Bundesliga title defence and are expected to up their chase for Hoffenheim’s Luiz Gustavo as a long term replacement for the ageing Mark van Bommel. The Bavarians are also courting Swiss starlet Xherdan Shaquiri who is continuously linked with a move to Munich.

Raul may be joined at Schalke by his former teammate at Real Madrid Ezequiel Garay. The Miners have been leaking goals for fun this season and see the Argentine defender as an ideal recruit to prevent this mishap. Garay may make the move for as little as €5million.

France, Ligue 1

There may be a number of departures from Ligue 1 this month with a host of their top talent being linked with moves overseas. Lyon’s Jean Makoun is continuously linked with a move to Aston Villa where he could link up with former Les Gones coach Gerard Houllier and Bordeaux’s talented captain Alou Diarra is being courted by big spenders Manchester City.

Ivory Coast international Gervinho has also been linked with Aston Villa aswell as Liverpool in recent weeks. The Lille man has seen his stock rise following his displays in the 2010 FIFA World Cup last summer.

Lille however are looking to press their title credentials with the signing of Nadir Belhadj from Al Sadd in Qatar.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The 2010 FIFA World Cup was a great platform in which many of the games youth prospects were given a stage to shine and introduce the new wave of football’s talent. With many of the past decade’s superstar players now officially “over-the-hill”, players  such as Thierry Henry, Clarence Seedorf, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alessandro Del Piero and Michael Ballack to name a few, has given way for football’s young talent to shine through and try to establish themselves as the game’s next legend.

Below are twenty-one of the games hottest prospects 21-years-old or younger. The top ten are in no particular order as are the honorable mentions. Various factors went into creating this list including number of league, cup and senior international appearances along with statistics such as goals and assists coupled with the impact the player has had on their club and national teams alike.

I also took in to account the level of competition the players have encountered, for example someone who scores 20 goals in 60 caps in the English Premier League gained more clout than someone who scored 25 goals in 55 caps in the Swiss Super League. Although there was no mathematical formula to creating this list it was still unbelievably hard to narrow it down to just twenty-one players, and here they are.

Eden Hazard

Age: 19

Position: Midfielder

Country: Belgium

Club: Lille OSC

Hazard has been quite established for some time now in France, being the reigning Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for the past two season’s, the only player to win the award twice. At only 19 years old, Hazard is one of the youngest already established players in European football and it’s only a matter of time before his talents are harvested by a top Premier League or La Liga club.

His natural position on the pitch is as an attacking midfielder, much like a younger Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard but has the flare of a Ronaldo or Messi. Hazard is also highly versatile, able to operate on either side of the pitch or as a supporting striker as well. His brilliant technical skill, combined with his speed and creativity makes him one of football’s most elegant young prospects to watch play, not to mention he holds the personal “stamp-of-approval” from French legend Zinedine Zidane who personally pitched Hazard to Real Madrid last summer.

Neymar

Age: 18

Position: Striker

Country: Brazil

Club: Santos FC

Neymar has gained a lot of notoriety over the summer with his alleged transfer to Chelsea, however the £28.6 million deal fell through and the Brazilian will continue to play in his native Brazil. However, despite not playing in Europe, Neymar is still one of the hottest prospects in football and most popular among transfer rumors next summer.

Unlike most of the other players on this list, Neymar was not part of his national team’s 2010 World Cup squad, where former Brazil coach Dunga choose to keep the 18-year-old off of his roster in a very controversial move which ignited much animosity with Brazilian fans. However, current Selecao boss Mano Menezes has called up the young phenom among others, such as Real Madrid’s Marcelo, in a roster overhaul of young talent where Neymar lived up to his hype scoring in his first cap against the United States last month.

During his time at Santos, Neymar has recorded 35 goals in 61 appearances and has drawn comparisons to fellow teammate Robinho by fans. Neymar is an explosive foward who can play as a lone striker or on either wing and equipped with natural Brazilian flare, speed and finishing makes him undoubtedly one of this decades soon to be superstars.

Thomas Muller

Age: 21

Position: Foward

Country: Germany

Club: Bayern Munich

Muller has made quite a name for himself in the past year racking up both domestic and international honors most 21-year-old’s only dream of. During Germany’s third place finish in South Africa, Muller was the team’s most consistent player and finished with five goals and three assists which earned both the tournament’s Young Player and Golden Boot award, in the latter edging out superstar’s such as Diego Forlan, Wesley Sneijder and David Villa among others.

Muller also had a fantastic Bundesliga performance in the 2009-2010 season as Bayern Munich was able to capture the German championship with Muller scoring twelve goals in the process. Muller also found success in Bayern’s Champions League campaign in which they placed second to Inter Milan.

Muller had yet another brilliant tournament scoring two goals and providing much support to teammates Arjen Robben, Ivica Olic and Miroslav Klose. As one of the most established players on this list, Muller already hold’s respectable career honor’s at only 21 and is developing into one of the game’s finest finishers.

Mesut Ozil

Age: 21

Position: Midfielder

Country: Germany

Club: Real Madrid

Ozil bears much similarities to his fellow countryman Muller, as it seems Germany was a breeding ground of football success in the late 80′s. Ozil is more of a deep-lying player than Muller, with his natural position as the playmaker or attacking midfielder, but can also operate as a winger as he mainly does for his national team. Like Muller, Ozil made his mark on the football world during the World Cup with his brilliant crosses and run’s down the wing.

The 21-year-old finished the tournament with two goals and provided huge assists for Die Mannschaft during their knockout stage win’s against England and Argentina, a performance that earned him a Golden Ball nomination. However after the conclusion of the World Cup, Ozil was the topic of many transfer rumor’s as many believed his skill to be sold to one of Europe’s elite clubs.

In August, Ozil was sold to Real Madrid from Werder Bremen for a fee in the region of €15 million. Ozil has all the tools in place to become a superstar, including the “Special One” as his skipper and a lineup around him that has the potential to play together for half a decade.

Holger Badstuber

Age: 21

Position: Defender

Country: Germany

Club: Bayern Munich

Badstuber is your typical German defender and is well on his way to becoming the next Jurgen Kohler. Badstuber began his career with Bayern Munich’s youth academy at age 16 quickly being promoted to their reserve team. He spent two season’s with Bayern’s youth team gaining 55 caps and scoring 7 goals.

In 2009, he signed his professional contract with Bayern’s senior squad along with teammate Thomas Muller. Since his signing Badstuber has been a regular fixture in Bayern’s starting eleven and is one of three players along with Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger to have started every game in their 2009-10 Bundesliga campaign.

Badstuber was first called up to Germany’s senior side in their provincial World Cup squad after impressive performances with their U-21 team. Badstuber was eventually selected by coach Joachim Löw for Germany’s 2010 World Cup squad where he started two games and made appearances in all six of them.

At only 21-years-old, Badstuber has already won one Bundesliga title, a bronze medal in the FIFA World Cup and was a runner-up in the UEFA Champions League. Standing at 6’2.5″ (1.89m), Badstuber is a strong physical presence who possess exceptional speed, passing and free-kick ability making him one of the most dangerous young defenders in football.

Romelu Lukaku

Age: 17

Position: Striker

Country: Belgium

Club: RSC Anderlecht

Although only 17 years of age, Lukaku has caught the attention of many club scouts and football connoisseurs alike with his flashy Youtube highlight reels and dominating performances. During the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League, Lukaku became the third youngest player to score a goal in the prestigious tournament at only 16 years 218 days old.

During his youth career, Lukaku averaged more than a goal per game including 121 goals in 88 matches with RSC Anderlecht’s youth outfit. Despite his early success, many speculated Lukaku to become a flop, however he finished among the Belgian Pro League elite last season scoring 15 goals in 25 league matches.

Standing at 6’3″ (1.91m) tall, Lukaku is a dominating physical presence and a nightmare for opposing teams in the air. Known for his breakaway speed, technical ability and prolific finishing it’s no wonder why he is already being referenced as a young Didier Drogba, or at least a distant relative.

Simon Kjær

Age: 21

Position: Defender

Country: Denmark

Club: VfL Wolfsburg

Kjær gained national attention with his brilliant performance with Denmark’s senior side during the 2010 World Cup which showcased his outstanding defensive abilities. Kjær started off with local Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland where he shined during their 2007-08 season attracting attention from numerous European clubs including Lille OSC, Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Chelsea.

However, Kjær ultimately signed with Italian club Palermo in 2008 where he developed into one of Serie A’s most talented young players. During his 2-year stint at Palermo, Kjær recorded 62 caps with 5 goals which helped him win the 2009 Danish Talent of the Year award. In 2010, Kjær left Serie A and signed with Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in a 4-year, £12 million deal in an effort to improve one of Germany’s worst defensive clubs.

Kjær is also a very important component in Denmark’s national side being called up after coach Morten Olsen was impressed by his play with Palermo and the Danish youth sides. Kjær established himself on the starting eleven after brilliant performances with Denmark during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers after replacing an injured Per Kroldrup.

During the 2010 World Cup, Kjær was a major force in Denmark’s defense starting the first two games but missed out on the third due to two yellow cards however his play spoke for itself and it was easy to see that Kjær is one of football’s finest young defenders.

Theo Walcott

Age: 21

Position: Winger

Country: England

Club: Arsenal

Despite being only 21-years-old, Walcott has already made quite a name for himself with his play for Arsenal and the English national team. Walcott debuted at only 16 years and 143 days for Southampton’s first team in 2006, making him the youngest in the clubs history. He managed to net four goals his first year which attracted the attention of his current club, Arsenal, who signed Walcott on his seventeenth birthday.

Walcott was also part of the English national team during the 2006 World Cup in a very controversial move where many believed his inexperience and age to be too few compared to other alternatives such as Darren Bent and Jermaine Defoe. Walcott also became the youngest player ever in England’s history to play a full international cap which came against Hungary in a friendly at Old Trafford, he was only 17 years and 75 days old.

Walcott has had a brilliant start to the 2010-11 season where he already found the net four times and has been moving to a more secure spot in The Gunners starting eleven.

Alexandre Pato

Age: 21

Position: Striker

Country: Brazil

Club: AC Milan

My personal favorite out of all the prospects in football, Alexandre Pato is your typical Brazilian foward; flare, speed and technical skill all intertwined into a South American football machine. Pato arrived in Milan back in 2007 on a €22 million transfer to the then, European champions, despite a €14 million bid from Manchester United.

Despite his high expectations, relative inexperience combined with the intimidation of San Siro, Pato lived up to his hype by becoming Milan’s top goal scorer by netting 18 total goals in his first full season with the club, a feat that earned him 2009 Serie A Young Player of the Year award.

After a brilliant start to the 2009-10 season, Pato was plagued by a hamstring injury that resulted in only 20 appearances. However, Pato is now in full health and has been called up to the revamped Brazilian national side under new coach Mano Menezes. Is Pato the next Ronaldo? maybe not, however he possesses all necessary attributes for the perfect foward; aerial ability, speed, finishing and Brazilian ethnicity which makes him one of football’s deadliest prospects.

Mario Balotelli

Age: 20

Position: Striker

Country: Italy

Club: Manchester City

I think we can all agree that Balotelli is not a “fan favorite” and you will certainly not find me playing with him in FIFA 11, however, we can all agree this half Ghanaian, half Italian hybrid does have talent. Balotelli eventually landed in Milan with Internazionale after a failed trial at Barcelona. After impressive performances with Inter’s youth Primavera squad, Balotelli eventually landed in their first team for the 2007-08 season in which he was deployed as both a late game substitute and occasional starter.

During the 2008-09 season Balotelli became the youngest player ever to score in a UEFA Champions League match being 18 years and 85 days old. However drama soon followed after a fall-out between him and former Inter boss, Jose Mourinho occurred regarding his disciplinary problems and lack of effort in training sessions.

The tensions carried into the 2009-10 season as team captain Javier Zanetti and veteran Marco Materazzi both showed their concerns with the young striker as well as Inter faithful’s after Balotelli was seen sporting a AC Milan jersey on the Italian show Striscia la Notizia. After being frozen out of Inter’s lineup, Balotelli returned with even more drama after he threw his jersey to ground after their Champions League match against Barcelona in response to fan’s criticism of him.

During the 2010 summer transfer window Balotelli completed his inevitable move away from San Siro to City of Manchester in a deal worth an estimated £24 million. However despite his issues Balotelli is still one of the games top prospects. During his time at Inter he recorded 20 goals in 59 appearances including three Serie A championships, one Coppa Italia title and one UEFA Champions League title, quite an impressive resume for a 20-year-old.

Honorable mentions:

• Andre Ayew (20, Ghana, Olympique de Marseille)
• Javier Pastore (20, Argentina, Palermo)
• Bojan Krkic (20, Spain, FC Barcelona)
• Phillippe Coutinho (18, Brazil, Inter Milan)
• Ricky van Wolfswinkel (21, Netherlands, FC Utrecht)
• Yann M’Vila (21, France, Stade Rennais)
• Giovani dos Santos (21, Mexico, Tottenham Hotspur)
• Mamadou Sakho (20, France, Paris Saint-Germain)
• Carlos Vela (21, Mexico, Arsenal)
• Sergio Canales (19, Spain, Real Madrid)
• Miralem Pjanic (21, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Olympique Lyonnais)

From Soccerlens.com - Football News