Liverpool to sign David Silva for £16 million

Liverpool are today preparing to forget about signing Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry and instead move for Valencia winger David Silva. Reds boss Rafa Benitez has been chasing Barry for months now but he has been priced out of a move for him by Villa boss Martin O'Neill. (The Sun)

He has now decided to move for Spanish international David Silva, who has been linked with a whole host of Premier League clubs in recent weeks as it becomes more and more likely he will leave Valencia this summer. That is down to the fact that the La Liga club have massive financial trouble and they are looking to sell some of their prized assets.

Silva, 22, would be a magnificent signing for Liverpool and I feel he would fit right in at Anfield. He is a quick a skillful winger that loves shooting from long range. I think Liverpool would be getting a fair deal at £16 million for the player who can play on either side of midfield.

Messi Olympic Presence Difficult - Batista


Sergio Batista has named the diminutive forward in his squad for the event and expected the player to be allowed to go without any problems as he is under 23.

BUt Barcelona insist that they do not have to allow Messi to play because they require him for the Champions League qualifiers and the Olympics is not a FIFA tournament.

Nevertheless, talks are ongoing and Batista hopes that the situation can be resolved so that the forward either joins his squad or that he calls a replacement.

"We hope to have it solved quickly so that Messi can join us, but it will not be easy because the people at Barcelona continue to insist that he will not be allowed to come," the trainer explained.

FIFA, the Argentinian Football Federation (AFA) and the Blaugrana are locked in talks to resolve the issue while Messi has travelled to Scotland with the rest of Pep Guardiola's squad for a pre-season training camp.

The AFA included the 21-year-old in their plans for the flight to Japan on Tuesday, but he has not used them and will not appear in the friendly encounter against the Japanese.

Ronaldinho to lead Brazil in Olympics

Ronaldinho and Robinho will try to lead Brazil to its first Olympic gold medal in football at the Beijing Games.
Ronaldinho, Robinho and 16 other players were summoned by coach Dunga on Monday, 15 days before the squad is scheduled to begin its preparation for the tournament.

The Olympics is the only significant title Brazil has never won. The Brazilians won the silver medal twice, in 1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul. It won the bronze in 1996

in Atlanta.

Dunga picked Fluminense defender Thiago Silva as the third allowable player older than 23 in the roster, in addition to Ronaldinho and Robinho.

"The experience factor can be decisive in the Olympics," Dunga said, according to the Web site of the Brazilian football confederation. "That's why several players born in 1985 were chosen, and even the youngsters already have international experience."

Among those more experienced players are Werder Bremen's Diego, Manchester United's Anderson, Liverpool's Lucas and AC Milan's Alexandre Pato.

Other notables include Manchester City's Jo, Real Betis' Rafael Sobis, Schalke's Rafinha, Real Madrid's Marcelo and Fluminense's promising star Thiago Neves.

"There is a bigger variety from the middle forward, with more versatile players," Dunga said. "Players who are fast and with good presence in the area, to take advantage of set pieces."

The Olympic team has played only twice, losing 3-0 to a team composed of the best Brazilian league players last year, and beating a Rio de Janeiro combined squad 1-0 last month.

Brazil is in Group C at the Olympics, along with Belgium, China and New Zealand. It debuts on August 7, a day before the games officially begin, against Belgium.

Dunga was a member of the runner-up side in Los Angeles. The former defensive midfielder later helped Brazil's senior squad win the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Roster:

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves (Almeria), Renan (Internacional).

Defenders: Ilsinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Rafinha (Shalke), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Breno (Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (Fluminense).

Midfielders: Anderson (Manchester United), Diego (Werder Bremen); Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Lucas (Liverpool), Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona), Thiago Neves (Fluminense).

Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Jo (Manchester City), Rafael Sobis (Real Betis), Robinho (Real Madrid).