Aston Villa have agreed a fee with Manchester United for the transfer of Eric Djemba-Djemba.

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted recently that he would consider offers for the Cameroon international and has accepted a bid from Villa boss David O´Leary, who is desperate to move into the transfer market before the window slams shut at midnight.
Djemba-Djemba is to have a medical at Villa Park and discuss personal terms with the Midlanders, even though he had stressed that he wanted to fight for his Red Devils place.
The midfielder has only made 13 starts in The Premiership for United and struggled to adapt to life in Manchester.
Indeed, he was one of the players who performed poorly against Exeter City in the FA Cup draw at Old Trafford and his last appearance was in the replay at St James Park.
The fee has not yet been disclosed but United will surely not recoup the £3.5 million they paid Nantes for the 23-year-old.
Villa failed to sign Salif Diao, losing out to rivals Birmingham City, and are seeking a replacement for the injured Gavin McCann.

On parle de 2M£, ce qui serait pas si mal. En tout cas le " ménage" commence, avec Djordjic qui est deja parti aussi.

Je viens de voir ça aussi, c´est bien ça nous fait de l´argent pour recruter s´il part.

On va peut-etre voir Miller un peu plus souvent maintenant.

Pour notre probleme de gardien, j´ai l´impression que Sir Alex veut faire rester Carroll une année pour essayer de prendre Casillas en 2006... C´est pas un mauvais plan pour nous si jamais j´avais vu juste.

Djemba passe la visité médicale dans l´aprés-midi et devrait signer dans la soirée. Je crois pas que ça nous aidera vraiment à recruter ( ou alors en juin) mais ça va surtout permettre de baisser encore la masse salariale, et dégraisser un peu notre milieu de terrain ( bonne nouvelle pour Miller et Phil Neville).

Le club a deja proposé une prolongation à Roy Carroll, mais ce dernier a refusé...Donc maintenant je doute fort qu´il reste. Ricardo de son côté n´a pas eu de prolongation d´offerte et même s´il reste encore quelques mois on peut logiquement penser que ces 2 gardiens partiront en juin.

Il faudrait dans ce cas recruter un gardien, Hildebrand a le profil, en plus il serait gratuit. Sinon les pistes " classiques": Frey, Kameni, etc.

Le départ de Kleberson en juin semble assez probable aussi.

Foot - Cup : Newcastle-Chelsea en 8es

Le tirage au sort des huitièmes de finale de la Cup a eu lieu ce lundi. Newcastle n´a pas été très heureux en héritant de l´ogre Chelsea, en lice dans toutes les compétitions ( Cup, League Cup, Championnat, C1). Everton aurait également souhaité un autre adversaire que Manchester United, équipe également très en forme. Arsenal a éte épargné. Les Gunners joueront face à un club de Premiership ( L2) West Ham ou Sheffield United, qui doivent disputer une revanche le 12 février. Les Saints, quant à eux, sont au septième ciel puisque le tirage a désigné le petit poucet de la compétition comme futur adversaire, à savoir Brentford ou Hartpool ( D3).

Le tableau des 8es de finale
Bolton - Derby ( D2) ou Fulham
West Bromwich ou Tottenham - Nottingham Forest ( D2)
Everton - Manchester United
Charlton - Leicester ( D2)
Burnley ( D2) - Blackburn
Southampton - Brentford ( D3) ou Hartlepool ( D3)
Newcastle - Chelsea
Arsenal - West Ham ( D2) ou Sheffield United ( D2)

NB: les matches à rejouer des 16e de finales auront lieu le samedi 12 février.

VILLA SEAL DJEMBA-DJEMBA DEAL

Aston Villa have completed the signing of Eric Djemba-Djemba from Manchester United.

The Cameroon international has inked his contract at Villa after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical at Villa Park.

Villa agreed an undisclosed fee for Djemba-Djemba earlier on Monday and now they have put the finishing touches to the move.

The 23-year-old failed to establish himself at United since arriving from Nantes in the summer of 2003.

Djemba-Djemba is Villa´s first signing of the transfer window and will help ease David O´Leary´s midfield problems.

bon ben le ménage commence . ..

les prochains seront caroll , giggs ? ?? , kleberson , bellion . ..

j´espére qu´on va avoir au moins 3 arrivés cet été . .

un vrai gardien , un millieu defensif et un ailier gauche

mes choix se prorterait au top sur gerrard , hilldebrand et vicente . ..

mais ca parait impossibe . .

ou alors gattuso , downing et hilldebrand . .

on verra

Solari offered new deal

Real Madrid have offered a new deal to Manchester United target Santiago Solari.

The winger is out of contract in the summer and is believed to be on Sir Alex Ferguson´s shopping list to fight for an Old Trafford first team spot with Ryan Giggs.

The Argentinian may be keen to link up with compatriot Gabriel Heinze, who has adapted superbly to life in Manchester, but Real have finally made their intentions clear regarding his future.

Real officials have sat down with Solari to present a new three-year contract worth a reported €3 million per season, depending upon various factors including the club´s success and the number of appearances accumulated by the South American.

Spanish sources stress Emilio Butragueno has
attempted to convince the 28-year-old to remain at El Santiago Bernabeu.

Solari denied any contact with arch-rivals Barcelona earlier this month and stressed: " I wish to stay here a long time. I am very proud to be at the best club in the world."

The left-sided midfielder impressed United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz during his ill-fated stint as Real coach last season.

>> solari n´ira pas chez nous...

Pour le gardien je me demande si Fergie a l´intention de faire venir Hildebrand, on en aurait parlé un peu plus si c´etait le cas.

Djemba-Djemba wraps up Villa move

Djemba-Djemba statistics
Aston Villa have completed the signing of Cameroon international Eric Djemba-Djemba from Manchester United.
The 23-year-old has passed his medical and will be available to make his debut against Fulham in the Premiership on Wednesday night.

Villa have paid an initial £1.35m up front for the Cameroon international, with further payments of up to £500,000 depending on appearances.

He joins Villa after just 18 months at United, having made 39 appearances.

Bonne chance à Djemba, il a pas été aidé par ses problémes personnels la premiére saison.

A gauche vous avez deja ronaldo ou giggs!!!

gerrard ira surmen a chelsea

Il pourrait aussi aller au Real...ou tout simplement rester encore à Liverpool.

Je le vois bien rester à Liv, Gerrard.

01/02/2005
Foot - ESP : Solari prolonge avec le Real Madrid

L´international argentin Santiago Solari a prolongé de quatre ans son contrat avec le Real Madrid. L´actuel engagement du milieu de terrain expirait en juin prochain.

En provenance de l´Atletico, le Sud-Américain avait rejoint les Merengues en 2000. Et s´il n´a jamais obtenu un statut de titulaire indiscutable, Solari a souvent fait des rentrées percutantes. Comme celle qu´il signa en finale de Ligue des champions en 2002, en inscrivant le but vainqueur du Real devant le Bayer Leverkusen.

>> ce coup-ci c´est réglé, pas de Solari à MU.

Djemba-Djemba Joins Aston Villa

Manchester United confirms the sale of Eric Djemba-Djemba to Aston Villa Football Club.

The initial consideration is £1.35 million ( payable £0.9 million on completion and £0.45 million on 30 June 2005) with further payments of £0.25 million after the player has made 20 FAPL appearances and £0.25 million after the player has made 40 FAPL appearances.

This sale will result in an initial loss on disposal in the year to 31 July 2005 of £1.1 million, with conditional receipts based on the players appearances being recognised as profits when earned.

Manchester United has paid no agents fees in this transaction.

On va pouvoir se concentrer sur Downing ^^

Ryan Giggs should recover from a hamstring strain to take his place in Manchester United´s squad.

Roy Keane and Paul Scholes should also return to the starting line-up but Alan Smith and Darren Fletcher are both doubtful with ankle injuries.

Man Utd ( from): Carroll, Howard, G Neville, P Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Brown, O´Shea, Heinze, Fortune, Ronaldo, Scholes, Keane, Fletcher, Miller, Giggs, Rooney, Saha, Smith, Bellion

Absents: Ruud, Ole Gunnar.

On This Day

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On this day in 1958 the Busby Babes played their last match on home soil.

A 5-4 win away at Arsenal, with Tommy Taylor ( 2), Bobby charlton, Duncan Edwards and Dennis Viollet scoring.

5 days later the team was ripped apart when their plane crashed on take off from Munich Airport.

Glazer dismisses Man Utd rumour

American billionaire Malcolm Glazer has issued a statement to the Stock Exchange distancing himself from talk of a fresh bid for Manchester United.
He has had two offers rejected but talk of a third bid, which he insists he did not start, led to a share price rise.

" No statement made recently, attributed to any member of the Glazer family or person associated with the family, was authorised," said the statement.

United fans have organised regular protests against any possible takeover.

Glazer´s previous bids for the club had been rejected by the board because of the high level of debt they would incur.

But there were rumours that investment bank NM Rothschild or financiers JP Morgan were involved in third attempt to add the Old Trafford club to Glazer´s sporting portfolio, which includes American football team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Shybury
Alex Ferguson insists Highbury will hold no fear for Manchester United. The Red Devils know they cannot afford to lose against Arsenal tonight. But Old Trafford boss Fergie reckons the Gunners fans are having a laugh if they think they can intimidate his players. He said: " There is no doubt it will be an incredible atmosphere for the match. The hype created around these games is something unusual, maybe it has even gone over the top. But, in terms of hostility, our players will have faced far worse than they will face at Arsenal."
Neil Custis, The Sun

Reyes: Be afraid, United
Jose Reyes insists he will not be kicked off the park by Manchester United tonight. Reyes, 21, was left black and blue after a bruising run-in with Gary and Phil Neville during the Gunners´ 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford in October. Now he is on a revenge mission. Arsenal’s Spanish striker warned: " Their defenders should be more frightened of me than I will be of them."
Mark Irwin, The Sun

Sol: It´s personal
Sol Campbell has fanned the flames of hatred with bitter rivals Manchester United and admitted: This time it’s personal. Campbell has ignored FA pleas for calm ahead of football’s biggest grudge match by revealing the depth of animosity between the clubs. He declared: “I’m so looking forward to this game. Everyone at Arsenal has been waiting for this one, we’re all up for it. It’s always more bitter and personal against United and there’s always an edge."
Mark Irwin, The Sun

15 mins of fire
Rio Ferdinand admits for the first time he was lucky in October’s infamous Battle of the Buffet. The Manchester United defender says he could have got worse than a yellow card for an early foul on Arsenal’s Freddie Ljungberg when the Swede was bearing down on goal. United won 2-0 at Old Trafford but their boss Alex Ferguson was pelted with pizza and has since claimed Gunners boss Arsene Wenger came at him in the tunnel with fists raised. It was Ferdinand´s challenge which cranked up the heat and he said: " When it happened at the time I didn’t think too much of it but I’ve seen it on TV since and it was probably 50-50."
Shaun Custis, The Sun

Neville: Victory will turn heat on Chelsea
Gary Neville last night warned his Manchester United team-mates they can forget any hope of winning the Premiership if they lose tonight´s grudge match with arch-rivals Arsenal. " Whoever loses from our game with Arsenal are going to find it very difficult to get back into the race," said Neville. " And it´s hard enough to do that already. But there will be twists and turns left in the championship race. And I have a sneaking feeling the team that wins could put a lot of pressure on Chelsea."
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror

Ron defies boot boys
Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to ignore the odd flying boot at Highbury tonight. Manchester United’s Portuguese wing wizard is itching to terrorise Arsenal — whatever the price. He admitted: “I am mentally prepared for an intense, physical game. I expect to receive a few kicks, though I have become accustomed to this. Manager Alex Ferguson has asked us to isolate ourselves from the atmosphere and make sure we maintain total concentration during the match. I like these games. They remind me of the big derbies in Portugal. I am in top form at the moment and I hope to demonstrate this."
Staff reporter, The Sun