News: Shaun Wright-Phillips will almost certainly begin the season as a Chelsea player even though Manchester City rejected a £20 million offer from Stamford Bridge last night.
Talks between the clubs will resume over the weekend, with City setting a £23 million price tag on their most valuable asset and reluctantly acknowledging his departure is all but inevitable.
Having first made contact almost three weeks ago, Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon finally got back in contact with his City counterpart Alistair Mackintosh yesterday afternoon. The London club are bargaining from a position of strength, not just because of Roman Abramovich's seemingly bottomless resources but also because City are burdened with debts in excess of £60 million.
If City were not in such a parlous state they might be in a position to repel Chelsea's advances, but it is almost inconceivable that they will put up any resistance if, as expected, the Premiership champions return with a bid closer to the asking price.
The likelihood is a compromise of around £22 million will be reached and, with City due to embark on a pre-season visit to Thailand tomorrow, there is a desire on both sides for the matter to be resolved quickly.
It is possible Wright-Phillips will remain behind when his team-mates meet at Manchester airport, with Chelsea hoping to finalise the deal before they leave on Tuesday for their trip to the US.
Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho has been acutely aware that his team is not blessed with a natural right-winger and Wright-Phillips, City's outstanding player over the last two seasons, will give them the width and penetration occasionally missing during the championship campaign.
The 23-year-old Londoner is in Sven-Goran Eriksson's plans and had also attracted long-standing interest from Arsenal, as well as a £10 million verbal offer from Newcastle this summer.
Chelsea completed one signing yesterday, the 20-year-old midfielder Lassana Diarra from Le Havre.
Meanwhile, the Liverpool hierarchy have been made aware that Michael Owen would welcome a return to Anfield with the striker frustrated at the bit-part role he perceives he will play at Real Madrid in the coming campaign.
The Spanish club are still trying to complete the signing of the Brazilian striker Robinho (21) from Santos, whose arrival would push Owen further down the pecking order at the Bernabeu.
The 25-year-old has become increasingly disillusioned since leaving Merseyside last August and is now anxious to secure a move back to the Premiership, with the European champions his preferred destination.
Rafael Benitez has made the Southampton striker Peter Crouch his priority as an attacking signing in the transfer market. However, there are elements within the Liverpool boardroom who would prefer to re-sign Owen rather than pursuing that interest in Crouch, though Benitez would take convincing before switching targets.
Luis Figo will decide this weekend whether he is to join Internazionale or Liverpool after Real confirmed the 32-year-old Portuguese winger will be allowed to leave the Bernabeu on a free transfer.
Sao Paulo will join Liverpool in the six-team World Club Champions Cup in December after winning the Copa Libertadores. Sao Paulo beat Atletico Paranaense, also of Brazil, 4-0 in the second leg of the final, to secure a 5-1 aggregate victory.
Manchester United last night agreed a £2.5 million package for Stoke City's third-choice goalkeeper Ben Foster, even though he has never played a first-team game for the Championship side.
David Gill, United's chief executive, has spent the last 48 hours hammering out a deal that sees them pay £1 million immediately, wit £1.75 million to follow if Foster breaks into the first team at Old Trafford and goes on to win international honours.
Charlton have signed midfielder Alexei Smertin on a year-long loan from Chelsea. The 30-year-old has already spent a season on loan with Portsmouth shortly after his arrival at Stamford Bridge from Bordeaux in 2003.
Cardiff have signed former Watford captain Neil Cox on a free transfer. Defender Glenn Loovens is also moving to Ninian Park after agreeing a season-long loan deal from Feyenoord.
Leicester have signed 24-year-old defender Patrik Gerrbrand from Swedish club Hammarby for an undisclosed fee.
