The media world is light on City-centric stories today. I've not even a snippet of transfer speculation for you to savour!
However, there are a few morsels of blue news flying around. So what tales can you feast your eyes on?
Well, there's praise for Manuel Pellegrini on the BBC website.
In an article entitled 'How the Engineer fixed Man City', Simon Stone examines how the manager's calm personality has benefited his team.
He asserts: "The nearest you are likely to get to training ground drama from the Chilean is if he failed, on his way out, to sign autographs for waiting fans, a duty he carries out with a smile every day.
"It is not just what he has achieved - winning the Capital One Cup and the Premier League in his debut campaign. It was the way he did it.
"Unlike his storied managerial counterparts such as Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and current one Louis van Gaal, instances of irritation from Pellegrini are so rare, they are worth noting.
"More pertinently, it goes some way to explaining why last season, when newspapers, radio phone-ins and television debate gorged on Manchester United's amazing fall from grace and the potential for Liverpool's first title in 24 years, the champions were something of an afterthought.
"Many City fans felt their club was being victimised, perhaps because of jealousy at the way Sheikh Mansour's enormous wealth has transformed their fortunes.
"It wasn't that. It was just that finding something interesting to say about Pellegrini was such hard work. There are only so many ways you can say someone is a decent bloke.
"Yet in essence, that is his quality."
Hear, hear!
In other news, Manchester City Women captain Steph Houghton believes Nick Cushing's side can challenge for more trophies next season, having reached their first ever cup final with a win over Chelsea Ladies on Sunday.
Discussing her hopes for the future of the Club, the England skipper told BBC Radio Manchester: "We are a new team. It's a big step in the direction that we want to go into.
"We have made great strides since we started in January. The season has been a little bit up and down but we had a great result on Sunday.
"We were desperate to get to the cup final, so that's a big positive for us.
"I'm sure next season we will be a little bit more consistent in the league and challenging for more trophies."
Let's hope so!
And finally, a little light news now as the Manchester Evening News report a team of former City stars took part in a charity match to raise funds for injured soldiers in Stockport.
Writes Matthew Davis: "The TV Soap All Stars featuring Emmerdale’s Adam Thomas, who has just become a dad, and Will Rush, from Waterloo Road, beat the Manchester City Former Players Team 4-1 at Cheadle Town.
"The City team featured ex-players Peter Barnes, Ian Brightwell, Steve Redmond, Eric Nixon and Richard Edghill.
"Over 400 spectators were at the match at the Park Road ground, which raised £500 for the Mercian Regiment Benevolent Fund for Injured Soldiers."
Reflecting on the event, Derek Partridge, coach of the City team and match organiser, declared: "The players all enjoyed themselves and we raised money for a cause which is close to our hearts."
Uefa ‘rewrites the rules’ to allow Manchester City to dodge FFP sanctions
The threat of legal action against Uefa has enabled Manchester City to field only one club-trained player in their Champions League squad which goes into action against Bayern Munich next week – three fewer than Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – despite having failed the governing body’s Financial Fair Play rules.
To the bemusement of other English clubs, who must include four players they have developed themselves in their European squads, the only club-trained player in City’s squad is Dedryck Boyata – a Belgian signed as a teenager and developed by the club.
The Independent understands that the player union Fifpro has been involved in the slackening of restrictions on City, possibly pressing Uefa to allow City fewer home-grown players by indicating that the governing body could be guilty of creating a restriction of movement for players with a more stringent regime. That could result in a complex legal action.
City were initially ordered by Uefa to reduce their Champions League squad from 25 to 21 players, as punishment for breaching FFP rules. As those rules were introduced to encourage self-sufficiency, it was thought that would mean City complying with the same strictures as other clubs. That would mean 13 overseas players could be fielded, with four “club-trained” and four “association-trained” players like all the rest.
But Uefa then quietly agreed that City could reduce their non-overseas quota to five, to compensate them for reduced squad numbers. It was the publication of City’s squad list at the weekend which revealed that the governing body has allowed them to include only one developed at City’s own academy among that five. Four of the quota of five non-foreigners are from the easier to find “association-trained” category. They are Joe Hart, James Milner, Gaël Clichy and Frank Lampard.
“Uefa have effectively rewritten their home grown player rule,” said Daniel Geey, the football law specialist at the firm Field Fisher Waterhouse, who has advised clients and written extensively on FFP. “There is nothing in Uefa or FFP regulations about the home-grown rule changing.”
Fifpro could not be contacted, though Uefa did confirm that the watering down of the most damaging part of City’s FFP punishment followed consultation with “concerned stakeholders”. Other clubs are reluctant to speak out publicly, but there is a feeling within the game that Uefa has allowed City off the hook. Many inside football believe that Uefa should have reduced City’s domestic quota in proportion with the overall squad reduction: from eight out of 25 to six out of the reduced number of 21. “Five out of 21 was not a proportionate reduction,” Geey said.
Other clubs will also argue that they should have been told earlier that City and Paris Saint-Germain – who also have only one “club-trained” player in their Champions League squad – were not to be limited to only 13 foreign players. Rival clubs had 10 days to legally challenge the initial Uefa settlement with City. None did. It is safe to assume that Liverpool’s principal owner John W Henry, who bought the Anfield club on the basis that a rigorous FFP regime would create an even playing field, will take a dim view of this.
In a statement released to The Independent last night, Uefa said: “As additional information was needed regarding the implementation of this specific sanction in the settlement agreement, there was a subsequent consultation with concerned stakeholders which allowed Uefa to clarify the quantity of home-grown players required for the 2014-15 club competition season.”
City said on Wednesday night that they had complied fully with Uefa’s rules governing the composition of their squad.
MCF.net THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=49005&start=80
Manuel Pellegrini: How the engineer quietly fixed Man City
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini had two players in tears at the club's training ground five days before the Premier League opener at Newcastle.
Yes, they were only 11. And yes, they were tears of joy at being invited by Pellegrini to watch City's first team train at close quarters.
But this touching little scene at Carrington provides a small insight into the affection in which he is held and the quiet, understated but tranquil atmosphere Pellegrini has brought to City in his 14 months in England.
It is all in stark contrast to the turbulence of his predecessor Roberto Mancini, whose tenure was a boom time for local photographers.
Daily they pitched up with their ladders, strode down the public right of way that runs down the side of City's training complex, climbed the steps and waited for the explosion.
Pellegrini's predecessor Roberto Mancini (r) had a tempestuous relationship with Mario Balotelli
Flare-ups amongst players were commonplace. Images from the day Mancini had to be pulled apart from Mario Balotelli were seen all round the world.
Pellegrini provides them with nothing.
The nearest you are likely to get to training ground drama from the Chilean is if he failed, on his way out, to sign autographs for waiting fans, a duty he carries out with a smile every day.
"There is certainly an element of that day with Balotelli appearing worse than it was, and I have sympathy for Roberto in that regard," said a source at City who transcends both eras.
"But Manuel will never appear in similar pictures. It just won't happen."
A home defeat by Stoke immediately before the international break may have taken some of the gloss off Manchester City's impressive start to the season.
Yet Pellegrini has already achieved enough in his short time at the Etihad to stand confidently in the dug-out opposite Arsene Wenger when City meet Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime.
The many moves of Manuel Pellegrini
Born: 16 September 1953, Santiago, Chile
Playing career: Spent his entire career as a defender with Universidad de Chile, making more than 400 appearances between 1973 and 1986. Won 28 caps for Chile
Early coaching career: Took charge of Universidad de Chile for the 1988-89 season. Has also coach Palestino, O'Higgins, Universidad Catolica, LDU Quito, San Lorenzo and River Plate in Chile, Ecuador and Argentina.
Coaching in Europe: Took charge of Spanish side Villarreal in 2004, taking the unheralded side to the last four of the Champions League and second place in la Liga. Coached Real Madrid 2009-10 and Malaga 2010-13 before taking over at Man City in the summer of 2013.
It is not just what he has achieved - winning the Capital One Cup and the Premier League in his debut campaign. It was the way he did it.
Unlike his storied managerial counterparts such as Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and current one Louis van Gaal, instances of irritation from Pellegrini are so rare, they are worth noting.
The only time he lost his temper in the dressing room during his first season in charge came in March following defeat to Wigan in the FA Cup, a game he did not feel his players had paid enough attention to.
Whereas Ferguson once got so angry at a press conference that he swiped a row of reporters' dictaphones to the floor as he furiously made his point, and Steve McClaren once stormed out after two minutes, snarling 'write what you want' after a dismal England showing against Andorra, Pellegrini 'lost it' only once last season.
There was a rare outburst from Pellegrini after his team were defeated by Wigan last season
Jonas Eriksson was the subject of his ire, as Pellegrini accused the Swedish referee of being "not impartial" after he sent off City defender Martin Demichelis during a Champions League home defeat by Barcelona.
Pellegrini offered an unreserved apology to Eriksson three days later.
"He has made a big impact on the dressing room," said City midfielder Samir Nasri.
"He is like an Arsene Wenger type of manager. Wenger is really cool, really calm and will tell you everything he thinks the day afterwards.
"Pellegrini is the same. He can get really upset, for example if he gave you his trust but you didn't give it back. But usually he is really calm."
This demeanour is nothing new, a persona adopted in a country where English is not his first language.
Edin Dzeko is one of the players to have benefitted from Pellegrini's calm and settled approach
Asked to recall if the 60-year-old lost his temper during the five years he spent in charge at Spanish side Villarreal, former midfielder Marcos Senna replies: "It was very rare.
"I can only recall one time, at half-time of a game when he got a little angry at the team because of a poor performance."
Compared to Mancini confronting Balotelli, it is tame stuff.
More pertinently, it goes some way to explaining why last season, when newspapers, radio phone-ins and television debate gorged on Manchester United's amazing fall from grace and the potential for Liverpool's first title in 24 years, the champions were something of an afterthought.
Many City fans felt their club was being victimised, perhaps because of jealousy at the way Sheikh Mansour's enormous wealth has transformed their fortunes .
It wasn't that. It was just that finding something interesting to say about Pellegrini was such hard work.
There are only so many ways you can say someone is a decent bloke.
Yet in essence, that is his quality.
Mancini's complex personality allowed him to charm the media at the same time as blaming then director of football Brian Marwood for failing to execute transfer plans properly. He could be dismissive to members of staff, antagonistic towards some of his players and generally remain aloof from those in whom he saw little merit.
In contrast, Pellegrini is widely accepted as being challenging for the media, spurning the opportunities to pick fights or make outlandish statements so many of his peers accept with such regularity.
He is courteous but says little of attention-grabbing interest. Even in the relaxed environment of a pre-season tour to the USA this summer, when it is traditional for managers to give additional access to the UK media, he did not.
But behind closed doors at City, they respect and like him.
Pellegrini's near misses and successes
Pellegrini was at Universidad de Chile when they won the Copa Chile in 1979. He just missed out on the Chile 1982 World Cup squad.
He has won league titles in Chile, Ecuador, Argentina and England, as well as the Copa Interamericana and Copa Mercosur, both of which are now defunct cup competitions played by some of the top clubs in South America. He also won the Capital One Cup with Manchester City last season.
Finished second in La Liga with Villarreal and also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with them. Finished second behind Barcelona in his season as Real Madrid boss. Later suffered an agonising semi-final defeat in the 2013 Champions League when Borussia Dortmund struck two late goals to defeat his Malaga side.
Pellegrini will say hello to people Mancini would have walked straight past. He sticks to the message, and most importantly, to his job.
The philosophy is to get the best from the players he has, rather than throwing out the ones he cannot get along with.
Bosnia and Hercegovina striker Edin Dzeko is one of those whose performances have lifted since Pellegrini's arrival. He was a bit-part player under Mancini but is now a central figure and signed a four-year deal last month.
"The way Manuel approaches his work is very methodical," said long-time friend and fellow manager Arturo Salah, who has coached six different clubs in Chile as well as a spell in charge of the national team in the early 1990s.
Pellegrini held his nerve and calm as City pipped Liverpool to the title last season
"He is not prone to outbursts or losses of temper. He tries to explain things in a rational way. He does not shout. He just wants to get the most from his players."
This methodical approach can be traced back to Pellegrini's training as a civil engineer alongside Salah in Santiago.
"Manuel's mind was very suited to engineering," added Salah. "He was always very inquiring. I think that is why he went into coaching."
A sturdy central defender, Pellegrini did not leave Chile during his playing career, making more than 400 appearances for Universidad de Chile between 1973 and 1986.
The desire to travel was always there, though.
In 1988, he attended coaching courses in Italy and at Lilleshall, when he came into contact with Ferguson, who at the time was struggling to make an impression at Manchester United.
"Even back then, his dream was to come back to Europe," added Salah, who has known Pellegrini since the 1970s.
Pellegrini coached numerous teams in Chile and Argentina, and in 2004 Villarreal president Fernando Roig offered the opportunity Pellegrini craved.
Under his guidance, the Yellow Submarines enjoyed the most successful era in their history, reaching the Champions League semi-final in 2006 and finishing second in La Liga behind Real Madrid two years later.
A single, trophy-less, season at Real followed, at the height of Barcelona's dominance, then a stint at Malaga, where Pellegrini made light of a deteriorating financial situation to come agonisingly close to a place in the Champions League semi-finals in 2013, only for two injury-time goals from Borussia Dortmund to deny him.
"He gave players responsibility," added Senna.
Not everything is serious for Pellegrini (right) - here he shares a joke with coaches Ruben Cousillas and Brian Kidd
"He preferred tactics which centred around ball possession. He gave us an awareness of each opponent but he was very offensive-minded.
"The only reason he was not a success at Real Madrid was because they didn't give him time."
But by then his achievements had alerted City chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain - and when they wanted someone to bring stability to the club, they opted for Pellegrini.
They were not put off by an absence of medals, while Pellegrini does not lack self-belief. In his own mind, the 2007-08 season when Villarreal split Real and Barcelona in La Liga, confirmed him as a champion even if it brought no silverware.
In May, City's faith was rewarded when they beat Liverpool to the title, clinching it on the final day.
All the tributes to Liverpool and their bright young manager Brendan Rodgers that had been prepared had to be put in a drawer to be saved for another day.
It was almost as if, having done all that work once, the media as a whole could not bring themselves to do it all again for someone who prefers to blend into the background anyway.
But the quiet engineer is a champion now, emulating Jose Mourinho (Chelsea, 2004-05) and Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea, 2009-10) as foreign managers who have won the Premier League in their first seasons.
"Manuel is a very simple person, a family guy," says compatriot Carlos Rivas, a team-mate with the Chile national side in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
It was from Rivas's soccer school in Toronto that the tearful children watching City's pre-season training session at Carrington came.
The invite came from Pellegrini, just as it did for Rivas when his old friend was at Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga.
No headlines were sought. None were received.
It is the way he prefers it.
In his quiet, methodical way, 'The Engineer' has fixed Manchester City.
Manchester City's Dependence on Sergio Aguero Clear as Ever as Arsenal Loom
Manchester City did not have the happiest of international breaks, but they did receive one bit of news they absolutely had to have.
Sergio Aguero came back from training with Argentina with no new injury issues, and City's best striker will be fully fit for the Sky Blues' clash with Arsenal at the weekend.
Aguero's importance to City is never really in question. Under the current circumstances, though, Aguero's health is of paramount concern to City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who may be without forward Stevan Jovetic.
"Manchester City striker Stevan Jovetic is a doubt for the club’s Premier League encounter against Arsenal this Saturday after he picked up a hamstring injury training for Montenegro at the weekend," wrote Jack de Menezes for The Independent.
If last season is any guide, Jovetic will be unavailable against Arsenal. The vast majority of the time that Jovetic was believed to be carrying a knock last season, he did not dress. And those periods of inactivity had a tendency to become elastic.
Along with the bad tidings on Jovetic, City's international break was also soured by the word that to the extent City are compelled to pay penalties for their Financial Fair Play violations, the money will go to their competition.
According to a Press Association report in The Guardian, "(t)he first tranche of payments from City, Paris Saint-Germain and Zenit St Petersburg will total £20 million and will be split among the Champions League and Europa League clubs who did comply with the rules last season."
The report further noted that, because any club that complied with FFP and played in Europe last season are eligible for this payout, "Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and Wigan Athletic are the English clubs in line for a windfall of around £200,000."
While distasteful to City, this news is hardly debilitating to City's conduct of their affairs. Seeing Arsenal or Chelsea receive £200,000 of City's money is disappointing, but then so is paying that sum to Yaya Toure every week and having him complain about it.
Missing out on Jovetic for a time and shelling out cash to rivals are inconveniences, little more. Going without Aguero is always a greater problem for Pellegrini and City.
Richard Arrowsmith of the Daily Mail recounted Aguero's pertinent statistics in underscoring just what a capable Aguero means to City. "The prolific striker was hampered by injury last season but still managed to score 26 goals in all competitions for the Blues—while he has managed two goals in three appearances (two as a substitute) this season," Arrowsmith noted.
Aguero's availability is acutely important right now, as City enter one of the thorniest stretches of matches on their absurdly difficult schedule.
City's next three matches come at the Emirates in league play, at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage and then home to (wait for it) Chelsea in the league.
That makes it three matches against Champions League sides in eight days.
It is difficult to know how much City will have left by the time Chelsea come to the Etihad, but as City striker Edin Dzeko recently noted, City's competition for the Premier League title is: 1. Chelsea, and 2. everyone else.
"This season Chelsea might be the most serious challenger, but we mustn't ignore Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, or United, who will certainly be much stronger than last year," Dzeko allowed, according to Pete Oliver in the Daily Star.
Which brings us back to Aguero. Pellegrini was on record late last month stressing the importance of keeping Aguero upright.
“It is important he has a good preparation and that is why he is now in between pre-season and the season. A lot of other players arrived late and we will see how we can do it so they can be 100 per cent fit. We will maybe see after the international break," Pellegrini said of Aguero then according to Mark Ogden of The Telegraph.
Well, the international break is over.
City must fervently hope that Aguero can be productive and injury-free in the challenging run of upcoming matches.
Hart proves he's City and England's number one – but Nasri's choice may come as a shock
Samir Nasri rates former United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez as his all-time No.1.
But his City team-mate Joe Hart picked the perfect time to reaffirm his position as Manuel Pellegrini’s undisputed first choice with his outstanding performances for England over the past week.
Compiling a dream XI of the game’s greats, Nasri named World Cup and Euro 2000 winner Barthez as his last line of defence.
“For me he was the best goalkeeper that I’ve ever seen,” said the Frenchman. “I played with him in Marseille and I saw how good he was, so for me he is the best choice because he’s good in the air, he’s good on the ball too.
“He was amazing and gave me a lot of advice for my career.”
Barthez also became known for his blunders – particularly towards the end of his three-and-a-half years at Old Trafford – before his return to France with Marseille.
Hart has also been guilty of high-profile errors over the past 12 months – and was dropped by Manuel Pellegrini in the first half last season following a series of mistakes
He reclaimed his place to help City win the Premier League title but now faces intense competition at club level, following the £6m signing of Willy Caballero.
The 27-year-old was culpable as Mame Biram Diouf fired through his legs to give Stoke a shock 1-0 win over the Premier League champions before the international break.
But his displays in England’s back-to-back wins against Norway and Switzerland sent out a resounding message that he is ready to fight for his place at the Etihad.
“It’s what I’m there to do,” was Hart’s matter of fact response to two crucial saves in the 2-0 win in Basel on Monday.
He had pulled off similarly important stops in the friendly against Norway last Friday.
Hart may be reluctant to get carried away with such encouraging form, but he will know that he can ill-afford to let his standards drop with Caballero breathing down his neck.
His weak attempt to deny Diouf was a worrying reminder of some of his gaffes last season. While his defenders were also culpable, it was another moment to forget.
Unlike last season, when Costel Pantilimon was never seriously considered a long-term threat, Caballero is a favourite of Pellegrini. The City manager signed him when he was in charge of Malaga in 2011 and believed the 32-year-old was the ideal candidate to keep Hart on his toes.
Crucially, he also has faith in Caballero to maintain his place in the team if given an opportunity. Yet Hart’s timely return to top form may mean the Argentine is forced to wait a while longer.
Chelsea have set aside £60m to sign Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 29, next summer. (Daily Express)
Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Loic Remy, 27, says he cannot understand Liverpool's decision to pull the plug on his move to Anfield this summer. (Daily Star)
Hull City's record signing, striker Abel Hernandez, 24, says he rejected Benfica in favour of a "dream" Premier League move on deadline day. (Sky Sports understands)
Former Tottenham, Fulham and Wales midfielder Simon Davies, 34, has signed for Pembrokeshire-based amateur team Solva AFC. (Wales Online)
Nicolas Anelka's agent has denied speculation that the striker, 35, could have joined Fiorentina prior to agreeing a deal with Indian side Mumbai FC until Christmas. (Sky Sports understands)
Chelsea have expressed an interest in Barcelona's 11-year-old prodigy Xavier Simons. (Daily Express)
Meanwhile Barca have secured first rights to 18-year-old Santos striker Gabriel. (DSSC)
Birmingham City manager Lee Clark, 41, hopes to complete the loan signing of a Premier League player on Thursday. (Birmingham Mail)
Championship leaders Nottingham Forest are poised to allow defender Greg Halford, 29, to join Bolton Wanderers on loan with the deal expected to go through on Thursday. (DSSC)
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has been told that he is expected to finish no lower than third in the Premier League this season, with no further substantial additions to the squad after this summer's £153.1m outlay. (Independent)
United legend Gary Neville, 39, has questioned the club's logic in selling forward Danny Welbeck, 23, to rivals Arsenal for just £16m. (Talksport)
But young players are still the future at Manchester United despite the £16m sale of home-grown striker Danny Welbeck, 23, and 25-year-old Tom Cleverley's loan switch to Aston Villa says assistant boss Ryan Giggs, who reiterated his desire to one day manage the club. (Manchester Evening News)
Arsenal skipper Mikel Arteta and vice captain Per Mertesacker played a key role in sealing the surprise £16m signing of England striker Welbeck from Manchester United. (Daily Star)
Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, 27, has signed a new four-year contract and says: "It is still a dream come true playing for the club I love." (The Sun)
Agbonlahor has also urged Villa to secure England international Fabian Delph, 24, on a four-year contract. (Birmingham Mail)
Tottenham's owner, 77-year-old businessman Joe Lewis, wants to sell the club for £1bn. (Daily Mirror)
BBC pundit Phil Neville, 37, has backed former Manchester United and England team-mate David Beckham, 39, to take on a senior role at the Football Association - or even make a move into politics. (DSSC)
Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge, 25, faces a race against time to be fit for the Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday, 27 September. (Liverpool Echo)
Tottenham could make a shock move to Milton Keynes while their new stadium is built. (Sun )
Lee Cattermole, 26, has invited Roy Hodgson to the Stadium of Light - as the Sunderland enforcer believes he is the man to anchor England's midfield. (DSSC)
Mike Ashley is willing to listen to offers to sell Newcastle United as he looks to bring an end to a troubled seven-year reign at St James' Park. (Daily Telegraph)
Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, 53, has two games to save his job. (Daily Express)
Magpies winger Jonas Gutierrez, 31 has a year left on his contract and wants to know what the future holds for him after being frozen out by Pardew. (Newcastle Chronicle)
New signing Danny Welbeck has pleaded with Arsene Wenger to be given an extended run at centre forward in the Arsenal team. (Times)
The president of Sporting Lisbon has launched an outspoken attack on the investor funds which have bought "economic rights" in scores of footballers in Portugal and elsewhere. (Guardian)
Midfielder Marouane Fellaini, 26, has vowed to "fight for my place" in Manchester United's strongest XI. (Guardian)
The future of Blackpool manager Jose Riga, 57, looks doubtful after his behaviour was condemned by chairman Karl Oyston. (Times)
Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, 29, believes team-mate Olivier Giroud, 27, will come back even stronger when he returns from injury. (Sun)
Defender Tyler Blackett, 20, is hoping to keep his place in Manchester United's first-team squad, despite the arrivals of Marcos Rojo, 24, and Daley Blind, 24. (Manchester Evening News)
Massimo Cellino's ownership of Leeds United could come under renewed scrutiny, Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey has warned. (Yorkshire Post)
Tottenham executive director Darren Eales has been confirmed as the club president of Major League Soccer's new Atlanta-based franchise. (Evening Standard)
Barcelona have confirmed that forward Luis Suarez is free to take part in the first El Clasico of the season against Real Madrid which has been scheduled for 25 October, following his four month ban for biting. (As.com)
Former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso was not Bayern Munich's first choice as the Bundesliga champions were looking to sign Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez, but the 34-year-old midfielder refused the offer. (Bild)
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says he will find the right solution for the Spanish club this year despite the loss of midfielders Xabi Alonso and Angel di Maria to Bayern Munich and Manchester United respectively. (Marca)
Leeds owner Massimo Cellino is looking at former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, and former coaching assistant at Chelsea, Steve Clarke, for the club's manager position. (Tuttosport)
Valencia forward Paco Alcacer's strong performances on the field have made the 21-year-old Spaniard a hot transfer prospect for several clubs. (Marca)
Juventus and Real Madrid are considering making a move for Liverpool defender Glen Johnson, whose contract expires at the end of the season. (Tuttosport)
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish took a leaf out of Yaya Toure's book on the day he turned 19 - by asking his club on Twitter if they had remembered to get him a birthday cake.
New Villa loan signing Tom Cleverley, 25, took part in a Twitter Q&A hosted by the Premier League on Tuesday - with predictably mixed results. (Birmingham Mail)
Liverpool sold £50,000 worth of Mario Balotelli replica shirts on the day that the 24-year-old striker signed from AC Milan. (Telegraph)
more bollox shortly
