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On-loan Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani remains likely to make a permanent move to Juventus, according to his agent.The 26-year-old has made 32 league appearances for Juventus since being loaned out by the Reds in August 2010, and the two clubs have been negotiating to make the deal permanent.

Although the Serie A side missed their May 15 deadline to complete the agreed 16 million euro signing, Aquilani’s agent Franco Zavaglia is still confident the move will happen.

Zavaglia said on Wednesday Juventus were hoping to lower the English Premier League side’s asking price.

“We’re waiting to see how things evolve,” he told Radio Sportiva.

“Juventus didn’t take up their option to sign him, but I’m still confident because I think that Liverpool are ready to do a deal. I believe an agreement will be found eventually.”

“He’s still a Liverpool player and if an agreement with Juventus is not reached then he’ll respect his contract. Liverpool are one of the best clubs in the world.”

Zavaglia said he did not believe Juventus had sufficient cover in midfield, even with their rumoured interest in numerous other players.

“He’s had an important season and has been present. It’s not true that Aquilani is always injured and he’s proved that this term,” he said.

Juventus sit in seventh in the Serie A and need to win their last game of the season at home to Napoli on Sunday, while hoping sixth-placed Roma lose to the relegated Sampdoria, to clinch a Europa League spot.

Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has been forced to drop out of Fabio Capello's squad for England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro on Tuesday because of a sore back.

The former Leeds United player has returned to White Hart Lane for treatment and has been replaced in the England squad by Aston Villa's Stewart Downing.

Lennon is the second player to drop out of the squad in the last 24 hours after Everton defender Phil Jagielka picked up a hamstring injury on Friday and was replaced by Bolton Wanderers' Gary Cahill.

Jagielka missed a training game at Arsenal's London Colney complex on Friday morning after experiencing some tightness in his hamstring during the session beforehand. He then underwent a scan before being ruled out of the match.

Jagielka impressed in last month's victories over Bulgaria and Switzerland but his absence now means that Capello will almost certainly start with Rio Ferdinand and John Terry in central defence.

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Meanwhile, Gareth Barry has joined up with the squad after being given additional time at home due to personal reasons.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Manchester United fans will be delighted this afternoon as victory against their old North West rivals puts the Red Devils top of the table for 24hrs at least. Fergie was buoyant after the game however was a little disappointed that United didn’t win by a bigger margin given their dominance and the chances they have wasted today. Danny Welbeck in particular missed some gilt edged chances that could have put United out of sight.

It is 7pts out of a possible 9 in what has been a tough run of games for United and their current form will certainly put the fear in their title rivals at the top end of the Premier League.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include Fergie’s fledglings management reports; blind faith at Old Trafford, while United would have proved the better move for Super Eagle.

Best of FFC

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In hindsight would Manchester United have proved the better move?

The top TEN Man United Tattoos…well sort of

Spanish Tax ruling may ultimately play into the Premier League’s hands

Fergie’s Fledglings – the management reports are in!

Is blind faith keeping him in the Old Trafford good books?

Dutchman open to United move

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“There have never been any concrete contacts with Manchester United. I see everything, I am not blind, but there is nothing concrete right now,”

“I am happy at Inter, but we will see. I currently have no contacts with other clubs and I am living day by day.

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“If on the last day of the transfer window an offer had arrived, maybe I would have left.The truth is that I feel at home at Inter, but I do not know where I will play next season,” Sneijder responding to transfer speculation about a potential United move. (Daily Mail)

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This Afternoon’s action at Old Trafford

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Post Match view

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AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has apologised to the club’s fans for their Coppa Italia semi-final defeat at the hands of Palermo.The newly crowned Serie A champions lost 2-1 at Palermo on Tuesday in the second leg of the tie, which Palermo won 4-3 on aggregate, and Allegri said he was sorry for the manner in which his team defended at the Stadio Renzo Barbera.

“We have conceded a goal on a corner kick and if we had concentrated a bit more we would have avoided it,” Allegri said.

“Then the match became more difficult, even though the players did their best to get back into the match, trying to draw in order to force extra time.”

“They (Palermo) put in a good performance and did a good job in midfield.”

“They limited us to very few opportunities, even if though my players did a good job and I’m satisfied with their performance. Of course I’m sorry as we are out of the competition.”

Palermo head coach Delio Rossi, meanwhile, was overjoyed to see his side reach their first Coppa Italia final since 1979.

They will now meet either Inter Milan or Roma in the final on May 29, as they look to win the tournament for the first time in the club’s history.

“When such things happen, it takes me some time to fully understand them,” Rossi said.

“Personally I can’t quantify the pleasure for a qualification like I do with the regret for a defeat. I believe that the regret for a defeat is bigger than the pleasure for a win.”

“We have played against a team which is surely stronger than us, but we have deserved to win in these 180 minutes because of the number of occasions we have created.”

“We have had some problems in the first half of the match since the legs were a bit stiff.”

“At the end of the first half of the match I’ve told the guys, that we could even lose the match but we have to try and play as we have always done and indeed the spirit has changed in the second half of the match.”

“I’m satisfied especially for the guys since they have deserved this win. This is a serious team, as I’ve already said.”

West Ham United have endured a torrid opening to their Premier League campaign as Avram Grant’s team find themselves at the bottom of the table. Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Chelsea meant that West Ham have failed to collect any points from their first four games. However, West Ham United legend Sir Trevor Brooking has seen some room for optimism at Upton Park following their weekend loss to Chelsea.

The fixture computer had not been kind to West Ham as they have played title contenders Chelsea and Manchester United, along with Aston Villa and Bolton Wanderers in their games so far. The pressure has been mounting on former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss Avram Grant as the Hammers have endured their worst start to a league campaign for 30 years but Brooking has called for some perspective as it is still early in the season and Grant can still turn it around.

Confidence seems to be the key for West Ham to get a result. They played well against Chelsea on Saturday and will be looking to build on their performance on the weekend as West Ham travel to Stoke City in a winnable game at the Britannia Stadium.

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LISTEN to the Sir Trevor Brooking interview below…

West Ham United have agreed a deal to sign Manchester United youngster Ravel Morrison for an undisclosed fee according to the Daily Mail. The Championship club are understood to have managed to sign the precocious midfielder from under the noses of Premier League duo Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers, who both made bids earlier in the window. Morrison will join West Ham on a permanent deal, rather than a loan deal that was in the pipeline, and the move will give the 18-year-old to show just how good he is under the tutelage of Sam Allardyce.

It is thought that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was relatively keen to keep hold of Morrison, but the opportunity for first team football proved too strong for the youngster. The attacking midfielder is sure to please the Upton Park faithful with his style of football, but his development mentally will be just as important as time on the pitch. If all goes to plan for club and player then Morrison will be back in the Premier League next year plying his trade at the highest level with the Hammers.

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Wolves manager Mick McCarthy does not think a bottom-place team has ever been so confident of beating relegation.McCarthy’s side are currently bottom with six games left. But, because of the nature of this season’s Premier League, Wolves are still just eight points away from a place in the top 10.

That’s why the manager is adamant his side are still well set to stay up this season.

Ahead of Saturday’s visit of Fulham, McCarthy said: “There has never been a time that the bottom team could feel so confident that they can get out of it – which we are.”

“It’s so tight still and it’s in our hands – we’ve got a game in hand away at Stoke on Tuesday so there’s still everything to play for.”

“Everyone still thinks they have a chance of getting out of it and we have to maintain that belief.”

“We’ve worked on being solid and trying to keep a clean sheet and let’s hope it works.

“There’s no point leaving the back door open.”

“It’s important to stay in games and not concede because when you do, it’s tough to get one back.”

McCarthy is likely to put striker Sam Vokes on to the bench after he was recalled from his loan spell at Norwich on Friday.

The forward is back at his parent club following injuries to Kevin Doyle (knee) and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who suffered a hamstring injury in their 3-0 defeat to Everton on April 9.

Doyle has started light training and could yet make a return from his knee ligament injury before the end of the season but defender George Elokobi will miss the rest of the season after tearing his hamstring in training last week.

McCarthy will also be able to call upon midfielder Stephen Hunt, who has returned to full training less than a fortnight after a hernia operation.

Taking your opportunities is a piece of football advice usually reserved for young whippersnappers rather than 30-year strikers. Nonetheless this is the task facing Tottenham Hotspur’s Robbie Keane whose playing chances have been enhanced by Jermaine Defoe’s ankle injury. The Republic of Ireland striker, now in his second spell at White Hart Lane, was the subject of intense transfer speculation this summer having been loaned to Celtic for the second half of last season. Keane has been restricted to three substitute league appearances this season but knows that grasping his opportunities in the wake of Defoe’s injury may be his last chance to secure his position at the club.

Signed by Glenn Hoddle in 2002, Keane had previously been on the books of Wolves, Coventry, Internazionale and Leeds. But it was in north London where the forward found his “spiritual home.” Ninth in Tottenham’s all-time top goalscoring list, he was at his most prolific when partnered with the delightfully skilful Dimitar Berbatov. The popular Irishman was the epitome of a consistent performer, regularly registering over 20 goals a season and winning the club’s Player of the Year award on three separate occasions. Despite his blistering form there were still a few eyebrows raised by his £20.3 million move to Anfield in 2008. A goal tally of 7 in 28 matches seems far from disastrous but that was how his brief sojourn at his “boyhood club” was depicted. He failed to gel with his new manager who had spent lavishly only to continually field Fernando Torres as a lone striker.

Harry Redknapp decided to bring the striker back to Spurs the following January in a deal reportedly worth an initial £12 million. He was made vice-captain and the reunion was completed by the return of Jermaine Defoe and Pascal Chimbonda. Virgin trains quipped that there service could take you from, “Liverpool to London quicker than Robbie Keane.” It would have been understandable if his confidence had been completely shattered. However important league goals were forthcoming and the following season he put four past Burnley in their 5-0 home victory. With the arrival of Peter Crouch and the subsequent revival of his partnership with Defoe, Keane’s chances subsided. When appearing off the bench his passing and link up play was not as inventive and his finishing was far from clinical.

That assured finishing was rediscovered during a short loan spell at Celtic, another one of his “boyhood clubs.” Mobbed on arrival, Keane evidently enjoyed being the centre of attention once more, scoring goals and unleashing his trademark celebration. He netted 16 times in 19 appearances at Celtic Park whilst wearing the No7 shirt previously adorned by Henrik Larrson. Media reports this summer suggested that Redknapp was keen to offload the forward but he was unequivocal. “His situation is that he is still one of our better players.” That view was supported by his performances in pre-season, scoring against Fiorentina and Sporting Lisbon. Keane said, “I’m looking forward to the new season as it’s probably the best I’ve felt in a while.”

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Relief would have been his overriding emotion at the club’s decision not to purchase another striker. Yet the partnership of Defoe and Crouch appeared watertight until the former was ruled out for three months after sustaining ankle ligament damage on England duty. Defoe’s misfortune represents a prime opportunity for Keane to get the run of games he craves. There is strong competition from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Crouch may be preferred as a lone forward given the abundance of creative talent in Spurs’ ranks. This was the tactic used in their recent draw against Werder Bremen with Keane featuring from the bench. A two pronged attack suits Keane and many of the club’s more nostalgic fans would like to see him recapture his free-scoring form.

Jack Howlett’s twitter / rss feed

Premier League clubs are often guilty of being negligent towards their youngsters who seem to be given less of a chance each year with big money signings in transfer windows dropping them down the pecking order. But January seems the perfect opportunity to allow the youngsters to leave on loan and gain some much needed first team football.

Football fans often underestimate the challenge that youngsters have stepping up to play first team football at any level, let alone in the Premier League. It’s not just playing with and against quality players but its playing men’s football, something that youngsters may really take a while to come to terms with.

The likes of Daniel Sturridge, Jonjo Shelvy and Kyle Walker have benefited greatly from loan spells at both Championship and Premier League clubs and January is the time for more to follow in their footsteps. Here is a look at the top ten youngsters that need to cut their teeth elsewhere in January.

Click on Conor Coady to unveil the top 10

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There will be plenty at stake when Arsenal and Tottenham meet in the North London derby in the English Premier League.Arsenal will be hoping to keep the pressure on leaders Manchester United, while Spurs’ eyes will be on the Champions League when they go head to head at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.

The Gunners are six points behind United with six games to play and – with far too many points dropped by the Londoners in the second half of the season – they will need luck to have any chance of upsetting Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

For Harry Redknapp’s men, the rest of the season is all about trying to secure a Champions League berth for 2011/12.

Spurs enjoyed a magical run in this season’s European tournament that included defeats of Inter Milan, Werder Bremen, Dutch champions Twente and AC Milan before they were eventually eliminated in the quarter-finals by Real Madrid.

Redknapp’s men proved that they could compete among the region’s elite, but with three points between them and fourth-placed Manchester City – albeit with a game in hand – their time in Europe’s premier club competition could prove fleeting.

In their last league game, Spurs played a scintillating first half at home against Stoke on their way to a 3-2 win on April 9.

Arsenal were held to an extraordinary 1-1 draw at home against Liverpool on Sunday, which saw two second-half injury-time penalties converted.

The last time the two sides met, Arsenal threw away a 2-0 lead at half-time to hand Spurs their first away win over the Gunners for 17 years, with second-half goals to Gareth Bale, Rafael van der Vaart and Younes Kaboul lifting the visitors to a memorable victory.

Arsene Wenger boasts the healthier of the two squads, with only goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and defender Thomas Vermaelen certain to miss out, although the latter is back in full training after missing most of the season with Achilles tendon problems.

Right back Bacary Sagna could resume after recovering from a knee problem, while midfielder Denilson appears to have overcome a toe complaint.

Redknapp’s problems centre around his defence, with Alan Hutton, Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King all unavailable for selection with respective knee, calf and groin problems.

They could, however, welcome back speedy midfielder Steven Pienaar from a groin strain. Defensive midfielder Wilson Palacios is a chance to return from a knee injury.