Liverpool are closing in on a deal to land Kolo Toure from Manchester City on a free transfer as they look for a new defender.
Reds boss Brenden Rodgers is looking for a replacement for the outgoing Jamie Carragher who has retired after a glittering career at Anfield and the 32-year-old Toure might fit the bill.
The Ivory Coast international was suspended for six months after admitting, accidentally, taking a banned substance back in 2011 and found first-team football hard to come by at City.
Rodgers has been linked with a number of defenders as he looks for a replacement for Carragher and he has been credited with an interest in Schalke's Greek defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Sporting Lisbon's Tiago Llori.
Liverpool are closing in on a deal to land Kolo Toure from Manchester City on a free transfer as they look for a new defender.
Reds boss Brenden Rodgers is looking for a replacement for the outgoing Jamie Carragher who has retired after a glittering career at Anfield and the 32-year-old Toure might fit the bill.
The Ivory Coast international was suspended for six months after admitting, accidentally, taking a banned substance back in 2011 and found first-team football hard to come by at City.
Rodgers has been linked with a number of defenders as he looks for a replacement for Carragher and he has been credited with an interest in Schalke's Greek defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Sporting Lisbon's Tiago Llori.
Striker Fernando Torres believes normal service has been restored after a successful end to a turbulent season.
The 29-year-old has endured more famine than feast in front of goal since his £50million January 2011 move from Liverpool, but netted his sixth goal in six Europa League appearances as the Blues won the trophy with a 2-1 win over Benfica in Amsterdam on Wednesday night.
“It's been a good season for me,” Torres told Chelsea TV. “Top scorer in the team, winning a trophy, scoring in the final. Things are becoming normal.”
Torres, who will bid for his first Barclays Premier League goal since December in Sunday's final game of the season at home to Everton, has now netted 21 times this term.
Chelsea, the 2012 Champions League winners, began the season in contention for seven trophies; the Europa League was the unexpected eighth and final opportunity for success, which arrived courtesy of Branislav Ivanovic's late winner.
Torres said: “We were expecting to win much more this season. We were playing for finals and it's not been easy. At the end I think we can say it's a good season, but we're looking forward to the next one.”
Midfielder Steven Nzonzi is targeting a win against Southampton this weekend to secure Stoke's first top-10 Premier League finish.
The 11th-placed Potters could leapfrog West Ham if they better Sam Allardyce's side's result at Reading.
“It's good that we are safe now, but we want to get into the top ten for the first time,” the 24-year old midfielder told stokecityfc.com.
“It is the last game of the season and we want to go out in style.
“You always want to finish the season well, because it gives you a happy feeling when you go away for the summer break.
“It has been a long hard season, and we are ready for the break, but before that we want to go to Southampton, perform well and get the result that gives us a chance of finishing in the top 10.”
Sir Alex Ferguson has told Manchester United's fans to stand by David Moyes next season.
Ferguson bows out next Sunday after securing a 2-1 win over Swansea in his final home game as manager.
After the victory, he addressed the crowd and told them to get behind his replacement.
“I would like to remind you this club stood by me in bad times, the players and the staff,” he said.
“Your job now is to stand by the new manager.”
Ferguson paid personal tribute to Paul Scholes, who started the game and will also retire in the summer, and Darren Fletcher, who continues his recovery from a chronic bowel condition.
And he insisted he would still be a regular presence at Old Trafford.
“I will be able to go along and watch them rather than suffer with them,” he said.
“Those last minute goals, the comebacks and even the defeats are part of this great football club. It has been an unbelievable experience.”
Spurs boss Andres Villas-Boas hailed a late winner from Emmanuel Adebayor which maintained his side's chase for a top-four place.
Adebayor poked home a Clint Dempsey cross in the 83rd minute to earn his side a 2-1 win after Dempsey had cancelled out a third minute opener from Steven Nzonzi for Stoke.
Spurs had struggled to fashion a breakthrough despite dominating after Charlie Adams' 47th minute sending-off, but Adebayor's strike lifted them back above north London rivals Arsenal, who play their game in hand against Wigan on Tuesday.
Villas-Boas said: “It keeps us in the frame and gives us the possibility of making the Champions League so the important thing is the dream is still alive for us.
“We wanted to take it to the last day when we are playing at home, so it was an extremely important win for us for those reasons, and hopefully someone else will slip up. Arsenal are strong and experienced but it will go down to the wire.”
Swansea will return for January transfer target Ludovic Sylvestre this summer when his contract with Blackpool expires next month.
The Frenchman looks set to become a free agent at the end of the season as the Seasiders look to cut their wage bill once again after missing out on promotion from the Championship.
Sylvestre has previously admitted he would be interested in talking to Blackpool about a new deal but the chance to play Premier League football may persuade him to pursue his career elsewhere.
Swansea are thought to have made an offer for the 29-year-old in January but that was rejected by Blackpool.
Swans boss Michael Laudrup will return for Sylvestre when he becomes a free agent in June but is set to face competition from Fulham, who are also reportedly keen on the former Mlada Boleslav ace.
Nigel Adkins says he has held talks with Reading over improving the squad and has begun drawing up a transfer list for this summer.
The former Southampton and Scunthorpe boss was unable to save the Royals from relegation having taken over from Brian McDermott in March and is now planning for life in the Championship.
Adkins says he has already held talks with owner Anton Zingarevich, director of football Nick Hammond and head of recruitment Steve Head on who he wants to bring in and let go once the transfer window opens.
The Royals boss says he was pleased with the outcome of the discussions and is beginning to make plans for next season in the hope of getting Reading back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Adkins said: “Now we know what division we'll be in, we can start to put in process our decisions for next season. We've had good conversations with the regime, the owner, and there's a lot of ambition about the football club. Since we joined we've known potential targets for each division.
“And in terms of players moving on, we will do the business that we want to do, that's the important message.
“We're in a position whereby yes we're in the Championship but it's a well-run club and whatever business we do it's because we want to do it.”
Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas claims he is unaware of speculation linking him with a return to Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
The Spain international playmaker re-joined the Catalan giants from the Gunners in summer 2011 but he has failed to hold down a regular first-team place at the Nou Camp.
And, having been used as a makeshift number nine whenever Lionel Messi has a rare absence from the side, it seems Fabregas is now looking around for a new club where he will be guaranteed regular first-team football.
It has resulted in predictable reports that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will look to take Fabregas back to the Emirates Stadium, where he scored 57 goals in just over 300 appearances during a seven-year spell and took over the captaincy in November 2008.
But, despite Wenger looking for reinforcements to cover injury-prone trio Abou Diaby, Tomas Rosicky and Jack Wilshere, Fabregas was bemused at the reports linking him with the north Londoners.
“I do not know what is being said and even what is written,” said Fabregas.
“I can only say that I alone know my own future.”
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that he has no plans to sell any Manchester United players in the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils' chief, who will spend a large chunk of the summer recuperating from a planned hip operation which could see him miss the start of next season, has echoed executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's claims that there was no need for “major retooling” of the United squad.
Ferguson confirmed on Friday that he is only looking at bringing in “one or two bodies” during the transfer window, while the Scot has now revealed that there will be no players leaving Old Trafford despite speculation surrounding the futures of Nani and Anderson.
“We have no plans to sell anyone,” said Ferguson in the Telegraph.
“That's a fact. There is no need for us to sell anyone. Nani played last week at Arsenal and he did well.
“When he is in form there are very few better than him. So I think we will bring him back in pre-season training and he will be all right.”
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