Hargreaves to join United in July
Owen Hargreaves will complete his £17million move to Manchester United on July 1.
The England international's exit from Bayern Munich was confirmed by Franz Beckenbauer three weeks ago, since when Hargreaves' arrival at Old Trafford was viewed as inevitable.
Pictured at the Red Devils' Carrington training ground last week, the 26-year-old flew out to his native Canada on Tuesday, leading to speculation he would finally sign a five-year contract at some point over the next seven days.
However, a combined statement from United and Bayern revealed all the elements of the deal have now been concluded, with Hargreaves putting pen to paper when he returns from holiday at the end of June.
'Manchester United is delighted to announce that it has agreed terms with FC Bayern Munchen for the transfer of Owen Hargreaves,' said the statement.
'The player has also agreed terms with the club and passed his medical.
Owen will formally sign his contract with Manchester United when he returns from his holiday at the end of June and will join on July 1, 2007.'
Coming less than 24 hours after deals 'in principle' were announced for brilliant young Brazilian Anderson and Portugal winger Nani, it leaves Sir Alex Ferguson only requiring a senior striker to complete his squad for next season.
Samuel Eto'o would be Ferguson's first-choice should he get any indication from Barcelona that they were willing to part with the Cameroon international - who will be required for African Nations Cup duty in January.
The United manager is also an admirer of Tottenham's Dimitar Berbatov and Klaas Jan Huntelaar of Ajax, although both men appear settled at their current clubs.
Jermaine Defoe, currently on international duty with England, remains a possibility, although it does not appear Michael Owen is on United's radar at present.
Even if he eventually fails to solve his striking dilemma, Ferguson can look back with satisfaction on his close season business.
In securing the services of Hargreaves, Anderson and Nani on long-term contracts, not only is the Scot bolstering his current squad ahead of their Premier League title defence, he is also looking to a future without Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
Hargreaves arrival will provide vital support for Michael Carrick, meaning Scholes can be used slightly more sparingly than he was this season.
Ferguson made a concerted effort to bring Hargreaves to Old Trafford after the World Cup, in which the midfielder turned out to be one of England's few success stories.
Hargreaves left no-one in any doubt he wanted to make the move, only for Bayern to block the deal fearing supporter unrest after losing Michael Ballack to Chelsea.
Ferguson was hopeful of resurrecting the deal in January but those plans were scuppered when Hargreaves - who has family from Bolton - broke his leg on club duty against Armenia Bielefeld in September.
However, there was little doubt the United boss was determined to push the transfer through once the season was over and Bayern's failure to qualify for next year's Champions League only made it more certain Hargreaves would end up at Old Trafford.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
News Out Field
Friday, May 18, 2007
Soccer Rising Star
Micah Richards
Personal information
Full name :Micah Lincoln Richards
Date of birth :June 24, 1988 (1988-06-24) (age 18)
Place of birth :Birmingham, England
Height :180 cm (5'11")
Playing position :Defender
Club information
Current club :Manchester City
Number : 2
Micah Lincoln Richards (born June 24, 1988 in Birmingham) is a football player with Manchester City and England.
He made his first team debut on October 22, 2005 against Arsenal, coming on as a substitute and was given his full debut on 12 February 2006 against Charlton Athletic. Since making his first start he has played in the majority of Manchester City's matches, and was named as the club's Young Player of the Year for the 2005-06 season.
Richards came to national prominence when his 94th minute headed goal in a televised FA Cup fixture against Aston Villa gained City a replay. Following the game an emotional Richards was interviewed by Garth Crooks live on BBC One. During the interview he was asked about his goal and used the phrase "fucking hell", and then continued with the interview. At the end of the interview, host Gary Lineker apologised to the televised audience and put it down to "the inexperience of the young lad".
During the 2005-06 season Richards captained the Manchester City youth team which reached the final of the FA Youth Cup. Richards missed the first leg of the final as he was on first team duty, but returned for the second leg. He helped his side to a 2-0 win over Liverpool, but Liverpool youth won the trophy 3-2 on aggregate.
In July 2006 Manchester City rejected a bid of £5m for Richards from Tottenham Hotspur. On 25 July 2006 he signed a new four-year contract, quashing rumours of a move away from the City of Manchester Stadium. He was rewarded with the number 2 shirt for the 2006-07 season, a traditional first team number, rather than the number 45 he wore in 2005-06.
Richards lost his temper with his manager Stuart Pearce in front of Sky TV cameras after he was substituted during the Blues' 1-0 defeat at the Madejski Stadium against Reading on 11 September 2006. The teenage defender had to be calmed down by Paul Dickov after hurling his shirt out of the dug-out and following it up with a volley of abuse.
Richards' second City goal was also an injury time equaliser - this time in a 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park on 30 September 2006.
Of late there have been rumours regarding Richards' future with a host of English clubs keen to sign him, with Arsenal, Chelsea, city rivals Manchester United, and Liverpool under rich new American ownership, all having shown an interest in the 18 year old defender. Liverpool appear to be the favourites to land the young English defender, despite the interest from his boyhood team Arsenal.
" The Hunter" Klaas Jan Huntelaar
Personal information
Full name :Klaas Jan Huntelaar
Date of birth :August 12, 1983 (1983-08-12) (age 23)
Place of birth : Drempt, Gelderland, Netherlands
Height : 183 cm / 6ft
Playing position :Striker
Club information
Current club : AFC Ajax
Number : 9
Klaas Jan Huntelaar (born August 12, 1983 in Drempt, Gelderland, Netherlands) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Ajax Amsterdam and Netherlands, where he has replaced Ruud van Nistelrooy as striker after he fell out with coach Marco van Basten. He is seen as a rising star in Dutch football, having scored 33 goals in the 2005/06 Eredivisie campaign, making him top scorer. His nickname is 'The Hunter'.
In 2000, aged 16, Huntelaar joined PSV Eindhoven’s academy and established himself as a prolific goalscorer for their youth team.
He made his debut for PSV during the first half of the 2002-2003 season but this was to prove his one and only Eredivisie appearance for the club.
Having failed to establish himself in the first team he was loaned out to De Graafschap to gain experience. He made 9 Eredivisie appearances for ‘the Super Farmers’ but failed to score.
In the summer of 2003 Huntelaar was again loaned out. This time to AGOVV Apeldoorn in the Dutch First Division. He was an instant success scoring 26 times in his 35 league appearances and finished the season as the divisions top goalscorer.
After the player turned down the opportunity to sign a new contract with PSV SC Heerenveen moved in to sign him for a transfer fee of €100,000. The following season he scored 17 goals in 31 matches to help Heerenveen qualify for the UEFA Cup. 2005/06 saw him score 17 goals in 15 matches, form which earned him a mid-season transfer to Ajax, who paid € 9 million + future extensives for the player. A substantial sum went to rivals PSV Eindhoven as a result of the training compensation rule imposed by FIFA.
Huntelaar had an immediate impact at Ajax, scoring perhaps his most spectacular goal of the season, a bicycle kick in injury time of the KNVB Cup semifinal against Roda JC, which squared the match and allowed Ajax to go on to victory after the extra periods. Huntelaar then went on to score a brace, including the winner, against PSV Eindhoven to bring Ajax its 16th KNVB Cup.
Huntelaar was the first player to score a goal at Arsenal F.C.'s new Emirates Stadium in a testimonial match for Dennis Bergkamp on July 22nd, 2006 - a match Ajax 
ended up losing 2-1 (although in the second half, which started off with Ajax leading 1-0, 'legends' like Johan Cruijff, Marco van Basten and Ian Wright played instead).
Huntelaar started the 2006/07 campaign by scoring a brace against Copenhagen in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 3rd qualifying round. Huntelaar continued scoring this season, getting 21 goals in the league and four in the KNVB Cup, including a goal in the final that Ajax went on to win. He also scored 9 goals out of 9 appearances in the Champions League and UEFA Cup.
Possible transfer from Ajax
Ajax issued a hands-off warning following speculation that Newcastle United was interested in signing the player in the January transfer window. Manchester United and Liverpool are also said to be very interested in the player. Juventus, Arsenal, Olympique Lyonnais and Valencia are also interested in signing the striker.
News Out Field : Celebrate English Premier League
Neville: We deserve crown
United skipper Gary Neville says the Reds fully deserved to be crowned Premiership champions, but he urged his team-mates to now focus on lifting the FA Cup.
Neville lifted his seventh league trophy on Sunday - his first as captain - but urg
ed the Reds to make it a “special” season by doing the double.
“There were times in the last three years where we felt really low,” he admitted on MUTV. “We probably weren’t consistent enough to win it, we didn’t deserve to be champions.
"But this year we deserve it. It’s a fantastic day for the club. It’s important to savour the moment, but we’ve got a huge game next week.
“We’ve had a great week, but the focus at United is to move on and we have to think about the cup final next week and make it a really special season.”
Neville, who has been suffering with an ankle injury and hasn’t played since 17 March, will start football training on Monday and, according to Sir Alex, “will be given every chance” of making the final. But his place is by no means assured. “I’ll be there,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll be playing, but I hope I will.”
Rooney: No greater feeling
Wayne Rooney was almost lost for words on Sunday after collecting his first Premiership winner's medal.
United's ecstatic number eight told MUTV: "I'm delighted. It's what all the hard work this season has been f
or.
"There's no greater feeling out there. It's fantastic. It's brilliant but really hard to explain. I'm absolutely delighted, I can't put into words, it's unbelievable."
Rooney's enjoyment of winning the title was enhanced by the enormity of the task. Wayne had tried twice before to win the Premiership with United, losing out to Chelsea in both years, and the Reds also missed out in the term before he joined the club from Everton.
"It's a massive tournament for us to win," said Wayne.
"We've had 38 tough games so to come out on top of that league is great for us. Hopefully we won't have to wait for another four years to win it again."
Now Wayne is targeting another personal first - an FA Cup winner's medal, having been a runner-up with the Reds at the end of his debut season 2004/05.
"We can't go too far with our (title) celebrations," warned Wayne. "We have to make sure we're ready for the cup final on Saturday."
13/05/2007 17:43, Report by Adam Bostock
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Monday, May 7, 2007
Soccer Rising Star
Ezequiel Garay
Personal information
Full name : Ezequiel Marcelo Garay
Date of birth : October 10, 1986 (1986-10-10) (age 20)
Place of birth : Rosario, Argentina
Height : 1.89 cm
Playing position : Defender
Club information
Current club : Racing de Santander
Number : 4
Ezequiel Marcelo Garay (born October 10, 1986 in Rosario, Argentina) is an Argentine football player, who currently plays for Racing de Santander in the Spanish La Liga. His favoured positions are on the right wing and in central defence. His previous club were Newell's Old Boys of Argentina. He has been linked with a move to Manchester United F.C. and has been quoted as being very pleased with this, but will continue concentrating on Racing de Santander.
"It's a joy that such a great team as Manchester (United) is paying attention to me, but at the moment there is nothing official. I had not had a chance to speak with my agent about this news. The club hasn't said anything either, so there's no point getting overexcited."
_____________________________________
Nani
Personal information
Full name :Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha
Date of birth :17 November 1986
Place of birth :Amadora, Portugal
Height :1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position : Wing forward
Club information
Current club : Sporting Lisbon
Number : 18
Nani started his career at his local club Massama on the outskirts of Lisbon before joining Sporting Clube de Portugal youth system.
Nani is the latest outstanding talent to be produced by Sporting’s seemingly endless conveyor belt of world-class wingers. The same system that produced Luis Figo, Simão, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma appears to have unearthed another sensation capable of attaining the heights of such exalted company.
His speed, strength and skill have led many to compare him with Cristiano Ronaldo. He is equally at home on either flank.
He broke into the first team at 18 years of age, and made an immediate impression with his dazzling footwork and extreme speed, scoring 6 goals in his debut season.
Nani enjoyed a blistering start to the 2006/07 season with two goals in Sporting’s first two matches and another on his international debut where he gave a man-of-the-match display against Denmark.
He has been compaired to Cristiano Ronaldo, and Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson has stated, that he would love bringing another major talent to the club.
He has attracted the interest of English Champions Manchester United and Premiership Losers Chelsea, with rumours coming out of Manchester believing that he is a transfer target for Sir Alex Ferguson this summer (2007) as a replacement for veteran left winger Ryan Giggs. Nani could join Ronaldo in Manchester, making arguably the most lethal wingers on the planet playing in the same Manchester United team.
News Out Field
O'NEILL LANDS BARCLAYS AWARD
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has been named Barclays Manager of the Month for April.
Ronaldo nets Football Writers' Association award
Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.
The Manchester United winger topped the journalists' poll ahead of Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.
Ronaldo's team-mates Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were third and fourth respectively.
It caps a superb season for the Portugal international, who also collected both the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year trophies.
Ronaldo, 22, has been in awesome form for United, as the Red Devils remain on course for a Barclays Premiership and FA Cup double, having reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The achievement is all the more remarkable considering the somewhat harsh criticism the Portuguese winger received from some fans during the early stages of the season following England's demise at the World Cup.
Ronaldo will be presented with his latest prestigious accolade at the FWA Footballer of the Year dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on May 17.
Chairman of the FWA, Paul Hetherington said: 'After the events of last summer at the World Cup, the vote of the Football Writers' Association shows that what we are all interested in is honouring the best player in the country.
'There has been no agendas carried over from last summer.
'This was a heavy poll of our members. Cristiano has been a runaway winner, and deservedly so.'
Hetherington added: 'We also know we have a player who is absolutely delighted and honoured to receive this accolade.'
Former England captain Alan Shearer - voted Footballer of the Year himself when at Blackburn in 1994 - will propose the toast the FWA, which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED, 0-1
The Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' Association Player of the Year was the centre of attention as early as the third minute when he was left needing treatment after a stamp
from Michael Ball.
The City full-back escaped punishment as the incident occurred outside of referee Rob Styles' eyeline, but Ronaldo exacted a fitting punishment when he drew a foul from the same player to earn the penalty from which he scored the only goal.
Ball later won a spot-kick at the other end but Darius Vassell was denied by Edwin van der Sar as City drew yet another blank to pick up an unwanted record for the fewest home goals - 10 - in a Premie League season.
Thank you the report from www.premierleague.com
Thursday, May 3, 2007
FC Sevilla 2-0 Osasuna
SEVILLE, Spain, May 3 (Reuters) - Holders Sevilla set up an all-Spanish UEFA Cup final against Espanyol after goals by Brazilians Luis Fabiano and Renato earned a 2-0 win over Primera Liga rivals Osasuna on Thursday.
